《Torn Between Love and Hate》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Please Save Her ¡°You want me to donale my marrow to save the ba stard you gave birth to? Deborah, don¡¯t even think about it.¡± On a dusky night, Ashton Mullen lifted the chin of the woman front of him with his foot, his eyes full of disgust and sarcasm. In heavy snow that Richmond had not seen for many years, it was cold and lifeless, and snow was everywhere. At five or six o¡¯clock in the evening, the sky was already dark. Under the streetlights outside Flora Vi, Deborah Shepherd¡¯s face was as pale as paper, and her lips were pale too. Deborah knelt on the ground, her hair and eyebrows covered with snow. The freezing cold wind blew on her face like cutting from sharp knives. She cked out and almost fell down. Deborah knelt in the snow for a full five hours and finally waited for Ashton toe out, When Deborah looked up, she only saw a cold and noble face. The familiar facial features carried a strange and ruthless determination. Deborah knelt on the ground and begged desperately. She struggled to speak. Her voice was hoa rse and desperate. ¡°Ashton, Alyssa is really your daughter. Please believe me. ¡°The doctor has checked. Your marrow matched hers, which is the best proof. I beg you, please save her, Otherwise, with leukemia, her life won¡¯tst more than three months.¡± ¡°Check? Deborah, do you think I will believe it?¡± Ashton sneered. He lifted his foot under her chin and kicked her in the chest. Deborah suddenly felt a dull pain, coupled with the coldness of the ice and snow on the ground when she fell to the ground. Deborah heard the muf fled sound of her head hitting the ground. Her body trembled, and then she felt the blood rushing from her throat. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Her teeth trembled with pain, and her body seemed to fall apart the moment she fell to the ground, but she still held on and didn¡¯t make any sound. Thinking of her daughter, Alyssa, who was still lying in the hospital, Deborah forced herself to exin, ¡°Ashton, five years ago, that night, Iy on your bed because I was¡­¡± Her throat was suddenly choked, and she was forced to stop abruptly. Ashton¡¯s eyes were red, and his hand tightened around her neck. He leaned over and suddenly approached her. His voice could not hide the surging hatred. ¡°You still have the face to mention what happened back then? How dare you!¡± Deborah opened her mouth. Her neck was strangled, and she could not make a sound. She suddenly lost the desire to exin. In these five years, Deborah had tried to exin too many times. She knew best that Ashton would not believe it. Ashton tightened his grip bit by bit and looked at Deborah¡¯s face, which had turned red because ofck of oxygen. His voice was cold and bone-chilling. ¡°I will never save your ba st ard. I¡¯ve been dreaming of the day you die with her. You¡¯ve caused Helen to suffer. You deserve to die.¡± Deborah let out a hurried and painful voice, but there was no way for her toplete her sentence. It was probably because the wind in the evening was too strong, causing her eyes to unconsciously tum red. What else could she exin? For so many years, everyone in Richmond knew that the illegitimate daughter, Deborah, was shameless and kept pestering Ashton. She racked her brains to sleep with Ashton and forced him to marry her after she got pregnant. There was irrefutable proof. Ashton took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped the hand that he used to grab Deborah¡¯s neck. ¡°Get lost. Don¡¯t ever let me see you and that bas tar d again.¡± Deborah was kicked to the ground. She tried to get up. She had just propped up the ground to get up a little when she fell down again. This time, she seemed to fall even harder. She was in so much pain that her face was trembling. Kneeling in the snow for five hours, Deborah felt that her knees and body were cold and painful. Her body shivered, and she could not bear it. The blood on her face faded, and Deborah secretly swallowed a mouthful of blood in her mouth. She did not say anything more, slowly and clumsily standing up. Her phone rang. It was from the doctor. Deborah picked up the call. The doctor said anxiously, ¡°Ms. Shepherd, your daughter has a high fever again and has a serious nosebleed. She is in a rather bad condition. Hurry up ande over. And you have to pay the medical fees!¡± Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Take Alyssa Away Deborah was so anxious that she choked, ¡°I wille over immediately. I will pay the fees. Doctor, you must treat my daughter first.¡± After hanging up the phone, Deborah remembered that she could not hail a taxi nearby. Ashton¡¯s house was a detached there were few people nearby. manor, and Because of the anxiety, Deborah¡¯s forehead was full of cold sweat, and she wanted to ask Ashton to let the driver send her. As soon as Deborah turned around, she saw Ashton enter the manor directly. The gate of the manor closed mercilessly in front of her eyes and locked again. They had just been so close, and Ashton could hear what Deborah said in the phone call. From here, Deborah had to walk for at least 1.2 miles before she could catch a taxi. Deborah¡¯s body was wet with snow. Her wet coat pressed against her body like a boulder, pressing down on her back, and the chill went straight into her bones. Dragging her legs, Deborah walked forward with difficulty and anxiety step by step. Large drops of sweat on her forehead dripped on the white snow ground. Although Deborah tried to walk faster, nearly an hour had passed when she got in a taxi and rushed to the hospital ward. As soon as Deborah entered the ward, she saw Alyssa¡¯s thin body curled up on the bed. The doctor had put Alyssa on the drip. Alyssa was afraid of being alone. Her face was pale, and her eyes were red, but she bit her lips and did not cry. She did not shout for her mother. Deborah¡¯s nose twitched. She suddenly felt regret. If she had known earlier, she wouldn¡¯t have given birth to Alyssa no matter what. Alyssa wouldn¡¯t have suffered with her at such a young age. Deborah walked over and sat down by the bed. Deborah picked up Alyssa from the bed. ¡®Alyssa, are you still feeling ufortable?¡± Alyssa was a little dizzy from the fever. When she saw her mother, her eyes were filled with anticipation. ¡°Mom, did Dad agree toe? If hees, I will be cured, right?¡± Alyssa was only four years old, but she was very smart and sensible. She heard from the doctor that her mother went to find her father. Her father could donate his marrow to her, and then she would be cured. Alyssa did not understand what bone marrow was. She only knew that her father was very powerful. Alyssa had never been cared for by Ashton when she was young, but this could not stop her desire for Ashton¡¯s love. When Alyssa saw other children being held up high in their father¡¯s arms and heard theughter of other children, she would look forward to it even more. Deborah held Alyssa tightly in her arms and patted Alyssa gently. ¡°Of course, your dad will agree. He is busy now, but he wille after his work is done. Dad loves you the most. How can he not be willing to help you treat your illness?¡± Alyssa was very happy. She was slowly coaxed to sleep by Deborah. Before Alyssa fell asleep, she did not forget to say, ¡°Are you sick, Mom? Why are you so cold? Let me hug you, and let¡¯s sleep together.¡± Deborah choked with so bs and wanted to reply to Alyssa, but she couldn¡¯t say anything Alyssa fell asleep. Deborah put her on the bed and sat by the bed. She propped her elbows up on the edge of the bed, and she also dozed off in a daze. Deborah didn¡¯t know how long she had slept. When she was half-asleep, she seemed to hear footsteps Deborah suddenly woke up. When she opened her eyes, she saw Helen Bauer carrying Alyssa in her arms. Helen coaxed Alyssa with a little madness, ¡°Baby, you are my baby daughter.¡± Deborah stood up. Alyssa had always been obedient and did not cry. Now she was really frightened. She looked at Deborah and cried, ¡°Mom, Mom!¡± Deborah did not care about anything else. She rushed up and grabbed Alyssa from Helen. While the two were pushing each other, Helen suddenly loosened her hand. Alyssa fell down with her head down and let out a sharp cry. Deborah¡¯s heart suddenly tightened. When she was anxious to pick up Alyssa, she saw that there was a big swollen bump on Alyssa¡¯s forehead. Deborah had just picked up Alyssa and stood up when Helen immediately stag gered back and fell down. Her head heavily hit the iron. frame on the bedside table. Outside the ward, Ashton stepped in from the outside with a furious face. ¡°Helen.) Helen¡¯s head was covered in blood. She stood up and pointed at Alyssa, crying. ¡°My baby. She is mine. That woman stole my baby and hit me.¡± Deborah did not have time to exin when Ashton approached her and pped her face. Deborah was not on guard at all. She could not help but stag ger back a few steps. She watched as Helen threw herself into Ashton¡¯s arms with a face full of grievance and horror. Helen was gently hugged by him. Ashton instructed the bodyguard behind him and said in a cold voice, ¡°Bring that child to Helen. She will be Helen¡¯s daughter from Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. now on.¡± Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Liver Cancer Alyssa was taken away by the bodyguard and she cried in fear. The bodyguard saw that Helen seemed to be under attack by her illness, and she was a little delirious, so he handed Alyssa to Ashton first. It was the first time that Alyssa had been carried by Ashton, but at this moment, she only felt afraid and struggled desperately in Ashton¡¯s arms. ¡°I want Mom! I want Mom!* Ashton was even more furious. After all, Alyssa was a (b a s t a r d) born by Deborah with another man. How could Alyssa resist him so much? Thinking of this, Ashton held down Alyssa, who was struggling desperately with one hand, and held Helen with the other hand. ¡°Helen, I will take you home. You are not well right now and can¡¯t have a child. In the future, you will be the mother of this child.¡° Deborah rushed over with a pair of red eyes and grabbed Ashton¡¯s arm tightly. She wanted to take Alyssa back. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°She is my daughter. You can¡¯t do that, Ashton. Don¡¯t scare Alyssa. Alyssa is not in good health and is still having a fever. She can¡¯t be stimted.¡± Ashton shook Deborah off in frustration. ¡®Get lost! Deborah, what right do you have to say no? If not for my kindness, do you think this bas tar d could live to this day?¡± Deborah could not hold Ashton¡¯s arm. Seeing that he was about to take away the crying Alyssa, she knelt down with a thud. ¡°I beg you, please give my daughter back to me. I was the one who raised her since she was born. She is still sick and can¡¯t leave me.¡± Helen grabbed Ashton¡¯s sleeve with a face full of fear, her voice trembling, as if she was a frightened rabbit, ¡°Ashton, I am afraid. She hit me.¡± Ashton remembered the scene when he entered the ward, Deborah pushed Helen to the ground. Hatred shed through his eyes and he kicked Deborah away. Deborah suddenly fell to the ground. She felt her head buzzing. Ashton did not even look at Deborah. He took Alyssa away and left with Helen. Alyssa¡¯s shrill cry echoed in the hospital corridor. The doctors and nurses saw that the person who took the child was Ashton and no one dared to say anything. After Ashton returned to the manor, he threw Alyssa, who had a high fever, directly into the living room and immediately asked the family doctor to treat Helen. In the past few years, Helen had asionally been in delirium temporarily when she was stimted. Her illness started five years ago. Ashton still remembered that night when Deborah drugged him and slept with him, who specially called Helen toe to see them. Helen saw with her own eyes that her fianc¨¦ h oo ked up with her half-sister. She was so shocked that she fell down the stairs, then the illness lived with her forever. Once Helen was stimted, she would be in delirium temporarily. She could not control her mind. Thinking of that, Ashton felt even more sorry and guilty for Helen. The family doctor treated Helen psychologically, and soon Helen¡¯s consciousness returned to normal. When the doctor came out with Helen, he said to Ashton with a serious face, ¡®Mr. Mullen, Ms. Bauer is now awake. ¡°But have you been neglecting her health recently? I noticed that her face was particrly pale and her me ntal state was very poor When I treated her just now, she vomited badly. ancer asked your serv ant, Nina. She said that Ms. Bauer¡¯s appetite has been significantly reduced recently and she almost can¡¯t eat anything. Ashton¡¯s face sank. ¡°What happened? Helen, if you are feeling unwell, you have to tell me. I am busy with work and went abroad some time ago. I have neglected you recently.¡± Helen walked over with an uneasy expression on her face. ¡°Ashton, I¡¯m fine. I just caught a cold. I¡¯m sorry, I just had a rpse in the hospital. Did I hurt Debby and her daughter?¡± Ashton could no longer care about Deborah and that bas ta d. After hearing what the doctor said, he was very worried about Helen¡¯s health Ashton called out the Nina, and said in a low voice, ¡°Nina, tell me the truth. How has Helen been recently?¡± Helen shook her head at Nina, indicating Nina not saying anything. Ashton noticed it and looked at Nina sternly. ¡°If you have anything to hide, you know what I will do.¡± Nina looked embarrassed. After hesitating for a while, she knelt. ¡°Ms. Bauer, don¡¯t hide it from Mr. Mullen! You¡¯re no longer healthy! Liver cancer is going to kill you. Are you really going to wait for death?¡± Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Chapter 4 One Life for Another A drop of tears fell from Helen¡¯s eyes. She couldn¡¯t help but choke, ¡®Nina, don¡¯t talk nonsense. I¡¯m very healthy. If you lie to Ashton, how sad will he be?¡± Ashton¡¯s face froze. He could not believe what he had heard. Liver cancer? Helen was only in her twenties. Although her body had always been weak, how could she have cancer at such a young age? With a sad face, Nina took over the diagnosis paper and handed it to Ashton, saying, ¡°Ms. Bauer was afraid that you would be sad, so she told me not to say anything. With liver cancer at this stage, she would only die if she didn¡¯t have her liver transnted. ¡°She had even prepared her final words, and she asked me to hide the diagnosis paper. But sir, I have watched Ms. Bauer grow up since she was a child. I can¡¯t watch her die!¡± Ashton suddenly pulled the diagnosis paper over and saw that the diagnosis result of Helen¡¯s illness Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. was clearly written on it. It was terminal liver cancer. Ashton could not imagine how long Helen had kept him in the dark and how much pain she had suffered from the terminal illness alone. However, Ashton could not care about these things. Now, he only had one thought, and that was to save Helen as soon as possible. When Ashton was young, he had never felt the warmth of his family. It was Helen who had given him the mostpany, and she had even risked her life to save him. He would never allow Helen to die! Ashton clenched the diagnosis paper in his hand, and blue veins appeared on the back of his hand because of sorrow. He said in a low voice, ¡°If she can live after liver transntation, let¡¯s do it. ¡°I will immediately contact the medical institutions at home and abroad. I will definitely find a suitable donor for you. Helen, don¡¯t worry. You won¡¯t die.¡± Helen said with a trembling voice, ¡°Ashton, you don¡¯t have to do this for me. I know my own body very well. I won¡¯t be able to wait until the day I find a suitable donor. In thest period of my life, I will be satisfied to have you apany me.¡± At the side, Nina said, as if she had hesitated and finally made up her mind, ¡°Sir, in fact, the hospital has found a suitable donor for Ms. Bauer. ¡°Your wife is Ms. Bauer¡¯s half-sister. The probability of matching the liver between the family is a lot higher. The hospital has checked. Mrs. Mullen can donate the liver to Ms. Bauer¡­ Before Nina finished her words, Helen interrupted her in a hurry, ¡°Nina, don¡¯t say anymore. I can¡¯t let Debby make such a big sacrifice for me! I would rather wait for death than ask Debby to save me!¡± Ashton was silent for a moment. He had never heard that a living person could donate her liver. Although he believed that he was willing to exchange Deborah¡¯s life for Helen¡¯s, a life for another was too much of a vition of ethics, and the hospital would not do it. Ashton was a little hesitant and looked at the doctor next to him. The doctor immediately stepped forward and said, ¡®Mr. Mullen, there is indeed a precedent of living people donating liver at home and abroad. However, it is not donating the entire liver, but only part of it. *Liver can regenerate. If we cut off part of one¡¯s liver and transnt it to others, generally, after a year and a half, the donor¡¯s liver can grow and restore its original shape. ¡°However, it is only under normal circumstances. At the same time, the doctors have to carefully examine the donor and control the amount of the liver to be transnted. Only then can the doctors basically guarantee that there will be no idents.¡± Hearing this, Ashton felt relieved. ording to the doctor, not only would Deborah not die if she donated her liver, but she would for Another recover after a year and a half. And Helen¡¯s life could be saved. Moreover, there was a precedent of living people donating their livers, so this operation had to be done. Ashton could not wait for a moment. He ignored Helen¡¯s crying dissuasion and asked the serv ant beside him, ¡°Go and check. Where is Deborah?¡± The serv ant replied, ¡°Sir, Ms. Shepherd is outside the manor right now. She wants to see her daughter.¡± Ashton finally remembered that he had brought Alyssa over. Ashton was worried that Deborah would not agree just now. Now, it seemed that there was a ready- made chip. Ashton looked around the living room and finally saw Alyssa curled up on the sofa. Alyssa had a high fever. She started to talk nonsense. Ashton took a few steps forward, picked Alyssa up without any pity, and went out the door. The wind whistled outside, and Deborah stood outside the iron gate, anxiously looking inside. She finally saw Ashton bring Alyssa out, and her eyes lit up. The serv ant opened the iron gate, and Deborah immediately rushed over. Ashton raised Alyssa up a little, not letting Deborah reach her. His voice was indifferent. ¡°Deborah, do you want to save your daughter?¡± Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Chapter 5 You Must Not Regret it Deborah thought she had heard wrong. Ashton knew best how much she cared about her daughter and how much she wanted to save her daughter. As long as she could save Alyssa and cure Alyssa¡¯s leukemia, even if someone stabbed her in the heart and broke her bones, Deborah would never resist. Deborah could not understand Ashton¡¯s words. She could only nod. ¡°Yes, I want to save her. Ashton, give Alyssa to me. She has a high fever and has to go to the hospital as soon as possible. If the treatment is dyed, something will really happen.¡± A child¡¯s high fever could easily cause convulsions. Perhaps Alyssa¡¯s life might be in danger in a short period of time. Ashton said unhurriedly. ¡°I¡¯ve thought it through. Didn¡¯t you want money to treat your daughter? Didn¡¯t you want me to donate the bone marrow to your daughter? None of this is a problem. I can agree with it.¡± Deborah looked at Ashton in disbelief. She wanted to make sure that she was not dreaming or hearing things wrong. Ashton finally agrees. He is finally willing to save their daughter. He finally believes that Alyssa is his daughter. A huge surprise appeared in Deborah¡¯s eyes, and her voice trembled because of the joy. ¡°Great. ¡°Ashton, when Alyssa wakes up and knows that her father is willing to save her, she will be very happy. She hopes that you can care about her even in her dreams. It¡¯s really great. Then let¡¯s take Alyssa to the hospital now.¡± When Ashton heard Deborah mention the word ¡°father¡±, he frowned. He thought that Deborah often had delusions as she had wanted to make him regard Alyssa as his daughter. Ashton was not a fool. Deborah had sex with him once, and in less than ten days after that, she found out that she was pregnant. The pregnancy week that the doctors concluded also did not match the time when they had sex. Thinking of that, Ashton felt even angrier and did not have the patience to beat around the bush with Deborah. ¡°I have conditions to save your daughter. Helen has liver cancer, and your liver matches hers. You donate your liver to her. This is my condition.¡± Deborah¡¯s heart had just risen with hope, but when she heard Ashton¡¯s cold and emotionless words, she immediately felt as if she had fallen into an icehouse. Deborah felt as if she had been frozen, but soon sheughed. That was it. It was another good show that Helen had designed. It had been years, but why could Deborah not help but have hope for Ashton? Deborah smiled softly. Ashton¡¯s face in front of her was perfect and handsome, but it slowly became distorted in her eyes. The deep love and infatuation that was rooted in Deborah¡¯s heart, at this moment, was like the root of a Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. big tree, slowly beginning to shake. Deborah smiled and sighed, ¡°She said she had liver cancer, and you believed it. Ashton, you really believe her.¡± But Ashton did not believe that his own daughter was in front of him. During the past five years, Deborah had been telling Ashton that she did not deliberately climb into his bed that night. He did not believe it. But Helen, who ate well and slept soundly, had a ruddyplexion, and it sounded that she was healthy when she spoke, did not even cough. Ashton believed Helen when she said that she had an intermittent men tal illness. He still believed her when she said that she had liver cancer. Ashton hated it when Deborah talked about Helen¡¯s disadvantages. He thought that Deborah just wanted to sow discord between him and Helen. She had been doing this all these years. Ashton frowned and said impatiently, ¡°Deborah, I won¡¯t talk nonsense with you. If you want to save your daughter, donate your liver to Helen. It would be best if you agree. If you are not willing, you still have to donate, and I will not save your daughter.¡± Deborah looked up at Ashton and couldn¡¯t stopughing. After a long time, her eyes looked lifeless and she nodded. ¡°Okay, I will donate my liver to her.¡± Ashton, in the future, you must not regret it. Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Chapter 6 We Can¡¯t Stop the Operation The operation was arranged very quickly. On the morning of the operation, Deborah and Helen were pushed into the operating room respectively. There were many people around Helen, including Deborah and Helen¡¯s father, Devon Bauer, Helen¡¯s mother, and many rtives and friends of the Bauer family. Of course, Ashton was also there. He was very worried that Helen¡¯s operation would have any idents. As for Deborah, Ashton told the doctor that if there was any document that needed the signature of Deborah¡¯s family, he could sign it. He was Deborah¡¯s husband and had the right. Because there was no family member apanying Deborah. If no one signed the document, it would affect the process of Helen¡¯s liver transnt. When the doctor pushed Deborah into the operating room, he saw that she was alone. He could not help but feel sorry for Deborah. ¡°There is no need to be too nervous. Although there are not many people who donate their liver, the risk of such an operation is not very high. You can rx. The doctors here are the most professional. There will be no problems.¡± In fact, Deborah was not sure if the doctor was justforting her. If it was not risky for a living person to donate his liver, it would have been widely promoted a long time ago. Moreover, nearly twenty donors died during the donation overseas. However, Deborah still tried her best to force a smile. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m not nervous. I believe in doctors.¡± Deborah¡¯s husband, father, and family were apanying Helen. She didn¡¯t know where her mother was enjoying her life with money. Other than believing in doctors, she had nothing else to trust. The moment she was pushed into the operating room, Deborah thought that if she really died on the operation table, Ashton would be able to fulfill his promise out of guilt and pity and donate his bone marrow to save Alyssa, right? Deborah also left a letter and asked the doctor to give it to Zayne Gaige. If something happened to Deborah and Ashton was not willing to take care of Alyssa, she asked Zayne to take the money Ashton promised to give to her to take care of Alyssa for her. The operation was about to begin, and the door of the operating room closed. Deborah closed her eyes and grabbed the edge of the operation table, trying to give herself some strength. If she could make it through and Alyssa could be cured, maybe everything could slowly recover. Thinking of this, Deborah no longer felt so scared and couldn¡¯t help but look forward to her future life. The anesthetic was injected into her body and Deborah quickly fell into aa. In a daze, she seemed to hear the doctor¡¯s anxious voice, as if she was dreaming. Ashton waited outside Helen¡¯s operation room, waiting for Deborah¡¯s doctor to deliver the liver and transnt it for Helen. After waiting for a long time, a doctor ran over with a worried face at the end of the corridor. He said anxiously. ¡°The donor¡¯s operation is not going well. Her life might be in danger. I need the family¡¯s signature to continue the operation!¡± The group of people outside were shocked and said, ¡°Is there any danger to Helen? How could it be like this? Didn¡¯t the doctor say that the risk of the liver transnt operation is not high and nothing will happen?¡± The doctor exined in a hurry, ¡°It¡¯s not that Ms. Bauer is in danger. It¡¯s the donor. Ms. Shepherd may be in danger right now. I need the family members to sign it immediately. Otherwise, the surgery can only be terminated!¡± Devon heaved a sigh of relief in the group. ¡°Doctor, please say it clearly. You almost scared me to death. I thought that something had happened to Helen.¡± No one might believe that Devon was not only Helen¡¯s father but also Deborah¡¯s biological father. Ashton¡¯s first reaction was to let out a sigh of relief. He only noticed that the doctor had said that Helen was fine. It was not until he signed the document and the doctor took the document and walked away that he realized something. The document that he had just signed was a notice about the possibility of Deborah¡¯s unexpected death. Ashton¡¯s hand somehow trembled. He unconsciously clenched his hand that had just signed the document. Not long after, the doctor sent over another document for Ashton to sign. The doctor asked Ashton uneasily, ¡°Your wife is not in good condition and is a little weak. Why don¡¯t we stop the operation and find a suitable body to transnt the liver to Ms. Bauer?¡± Ashton was silent for a moment before signing. ¡°We can¡¯t stop the operation. Helen can¡¯t wait for another suitable liver.¡± The doctor didn¡¯t say anything more. He took the document signed by Ashton and left again. Before he returned to the operation room, the doctor ran into Zayne. Zayne had juste back from a business trip abroad. Seeing the flustered doctor, he asked, ¡°What happened?¡± The male doctor quickly exined the situation and left. Zayne quickly followed and saw that no one was outside of the operating room. Zayne looked surprised. ¡°Is there a patient in the operating room who donates her liver? Why aren¡¯t there any family members? Who is the chief surgeon?¡± The male doctor answered, ¡°It¡¯s Dr. Ernest Bauer.¡± Zayne¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Nonsense! Dr. Bauer has only finished a few operations. How can he be the surgeon for such a big operation? What document is in your hand? Give it to me. I¡¯ll go in!¡± The male doctor handed the document to Zayne anxiously. Zayne read the document, and his face froze in an instant. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. The name of the donor on the document was Deborah. And on the family signature bar, there was Ashton¡¯s signature. Zayne¡¯s eyes were full of anger. He suddenly pushed open the door of the operating room and rushed in.. Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Zayne Is Angry On the operating table, Deborah was injected with an anesthetic. She waspletely unconscious and her face was deathly pale. The chief surgeon, Ernest, was about to continue the operation with the scalpel when he saw Zayne suddenly barge in. His calm face Immediately became flustered. Zayne saw the part of Deborah¡¯s liver being removed and his face instantly darkened. But at this time, in the middle of the operation, no matter how angry Zayne was, he could not vent it now. What Zayne urgently needed to do now was to ensure that the operation would bepleted sessfully and that Deborah could survive on the basis of the already-created situation. Zayne walked over and tried his best to restrain his voice. ¡°Give me the scalpel. Dr. Bauer, get out.¡± Ernest did not dare to say a word. In the end, he felt a great sense of guilt. After he handed the scalpel to Zayne, he immediately left the operation room. The operationsted for more than ten hours. It was not untilte at night that Deborah and Helen were pushed back to the intensive care unit for the follow-up physical condition observation. Zayne had tried his best to control himself andplete the operation calmly. It was not until the operation ended, Deborah was out of danger and was sessfully pushed out of the operation room that Zayne took the scalpel and rushed out. Outside the other operating room, Helen was also pushed out. Ashton was at Zayne¡¯s bedside asking about her situation. At the end of the corridor, Zayne, who was wearing a surgical gown, directly rushed over. Zayne strode close, his eyes bloodshot, and the scalpel in his hand directly swung toward Ashton. His voice was furious, ¡°I will kill you, you bastard! You are a murderer!¡± Ashton reacted quickly and dodged. When Ashton¡¯s bodyguards saw this, they immediately stepped forward to stop Zayne. When the bodyguards tried to stop him, Zayne, who was obviously out of control, cut his arm with the scalpel. The sharp scalpel quickly made his arm bleed. But even so, the five bodyguards who followed Ashton over easily controlled Zayne. Ashton had a disgusted expression. ¡°Isn¡¯t it because of Deborah? She is my wife, and I am willing to let her donate her liver. She donated her liver voluntarily. It¡¯s none of your business.¡± Zayne¡¯s eyes were red, and his voice was trembling. ¡°Do you know how much Deborah¡¯s liver has been cut off? The strongest adult can donate 50% of his liver, which is the biggest limit. Zayne said as he was about to cry. ¡°70%. When I rushed to the operating room, 70% of Deborah¡¯s liver had already been cut off. Ashton, are you and Helen not afraid of the wrath of heaven? Are you not afraid of retribution? ¡°Ernest did not have that much courage. He was a member of the Bauer family, and Helen asked him to do that, right? Ashton, you let Helen hurt Deborah like this. Are you still a man? Are you a human?¡± Ashton did not believe Zayne¡¯s words at all. He said indifferently. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? I asked the doctor, and Deborah only donated 30% of her liver.¡± Devon echoed, ¡°Dr. Gaige, as a doctor here, how can you smear the reputation of your hospital like this? This is a hospital, not a ughterhouse. Do you think the doctor can cut as much as he wants?¡± Zayne desperately tried to break away from the bodyguards, but the bodyguards around Ashton were all specially trained Zayne was just a doctor, so how could he be the opponent of five strong professional bodyguards? Ane Is Angry Zayne opened his eyes wide. ¡°I saw it with my own eyes. The liver cut off was far more than the liver left in her body. ¡°Ashton, the emergency notice that the doctor gave you, how can you sign it? If I hadn¡¯t just rushed back, what you saw now was Deborah¡¯s corpse! ¡°Although she survived now, her health will be greatly affected in the future, and there might be a liver failure and other life threatening situations at any time!¡± Ashton felt that Zayne waspletely talking nonsense. He didn¡¯t even have the patience to listen. So he directly pushed Helen¡¯s stretcher away along with the doctor. Ashton sneered and said, ¡°Zayne, my patience is limited. I know your rtionship with Deborah very well. You¡¯d better not challenge my bottom line again and again.¡± Deborah stayed in the intensive care unit for half a month. After the liver donation surgery, her body recovered surprisingly slowly. However, she had never experienced something like donating her liver before, so it was normal.. For the past few days, Deborah had always wanted to go out early. Because outsiders were not allowed to visit the patients in the intensive care unit, she was very worried about Alyssa. However, Zayne visited Deborah once every day, insisting that she could rest well here and not let her go out. Zayne asked her to recuperate from the operation, which was the priority. There were several times when Deborah saw that Zayne¡¯s eyes were red, so she was even more worried that Alyssa was not well. Zayne made the video call to show Deborah Alyssa¡¯s condition. He told Deborah that he took good care of Alyssa, so she could barely rx. But Deborah still did not understand why Zayne always had red eyes when he came to see her recently. Half a monthter, Deborah was finally transferred to an ordinary ward. As soon as Deborah left the intensive care unit, she could get out of bed and walk around, so she immediately went to see Ashton. ¡°We had a deal that I would donate my liver to Helen and you would donate your bone marrow to Alyssa Ashton, now it is time for Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. you to fulfill your promise.¡± Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Another Check When Deborah broke into the ward and asked Ashton to donate his bone marrow to Alyssa, Ashton was taking care of Helen in the hospital bed Thinking of the bastard that Deborah had with another man, Ashton said in a cold tone, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about itter.¡± Deborah looked at him and her face darkened, ¡°Ashton, you are not going to go back on your word, right? ¡°Because of the liver donation operation, I rested for half a month. Now the doctor said that Alyssa could only hold on for more than two months. Don¡¯t forget that we signed a contract before I donated my liver.¡± Ashton sneered, ¡°I always keep my word. But you, you kept saying that you agree to donate your liver to Helen. How much did you donate?¡± Devon sighed, ¡°Debby, if you don¡¯t want to donate liver to Helen, you can say it earlier. You just donated 30% of your liver, so you are fine. ¡°But because you donated too little liver, the doctor said that in the future, Helen¡¯s health will still be greatly affected. She might suffer a rpse of liver cancer, and there might be other diseases¡± Deborah did not know how much liver she donated. She agreed to donate only to save Alyssa. Even if she really lost her life, she would not refuse. But when Deborah heard them say this, she was full of anxiety. ¡°How much liver do I donate? Wasn¡¯t it decided by you? It is not up to me to donate more or less. The doctor only took 30% of my liver, I didn¡¯t ask¡­¡± With a guilty look, Helen interrupted Deborah, ¡°Dad, Ashton, don¡¯t say such harsh words to Debby. I told the doctor that I only wanted 30% of Debby¡¯s liver. ¡°This way, it can reduce the risk of Debby¡¯s surgery and reduce the impact on her future life as much as possible. It was my idea. Ashton, don¡¯t me Debby. If your bone marrow can save Alyssa, can you help Debby and Alyssa?¡± At this time, Deborah did not care about her disgust towards Helen. Although Deborah knew that Helen was just acting, she still followed Helen¡¯s words and said. ¡°Ashton, don¡¯t you always follow Helen¡¯s words? Not only have I signed a contract with you, but now Helen also wants you to donate the bone marrow. You won¡¯t go back on your words, will you?¡± Ashton was a little hesitant at first, but since Helen had said that, he called the doctor over, ¡°Arrange the bone marrow donation.¡± It was the surgeon, Ernest, who came in. He nodded and said, ¡°Okay, Mr. Mullen. ording to the process, I need to extract a bit of your bone marrow and check if it is a match for Alyssa.¡± At this time, Deborah was afraid that something unexpected would happen again, so she anxiously interrupted, ¡°There is no need to check again. The hospital has checked before, and the result is positive.¡± Ernest replied, ¡°Before the bone marrow donation, we have to check it again. It is also to ensure that your daughter Alyssa receives suitable bone marrow. It is to ensure your daughter¡¯s safety.¡± Deborah looked at Ernest in silence. For some reason, she felt uneasy. ¡°Can you ask Dr. Gaige to check?¡± ¡°Ms. Shepherd, Dr. Gaige has other work to deal with. I came here because of the hospital¡¯s arrangement.¡± Ernest looked puzzled. ¡°Are you doubting my medical skills? Besides, it is not me who checks it. The extracted bone marrow will be sent to the examination room and examined by the equipment.¡± Deborah clenched her fists and wanted to say something. Ashton said impatiently, ¡°Deborah, if you want me to save your daughter, you better not let me hear the name Zayne again!¡± Deborah had no choice but to agree to let Emest be in charge of checking the matching of the bone marrow. Emest took Ashton and Alyssa to the piercing room to extract their bone marrows. Deborah wanted to follow in, but Ernest stopped her. ¡°Ms. Shepherd, the piercing room is like an operating room. Family members are Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. not allowed to enter.¡± Deborah had no choice but to wait outside, thinking to herself that everything would go on smoothly. Alyssa did not have much time left. If she missed this opportunity, she would not be able to wait for the next time. Emest took the bone marrow sample and handed it to the examination room. Ashton did not wait for one more second and went back to Helen¡¯s side. Deborah held Alyssa in her arms and sat on a chair in the corridor outside the examination room, anxiously waiting. She stared at the door of the examination room without blinking, as if as long as she did so, she could ensure that there would be no wrong results. Alyssa was a little nervous in her arms. Deborah was actually more nervous than Alyssa, but she still tried to calm her down as much as possible, ¡°Alyssa, don¡¯t be afraid. When the resultse out, Dad can donate the bone marrow to you. ¡°With a new healthy bone marrow, you can leave the hospital like other children. You can go anywhere you want to go. You can go to kindergarten, and y with many children. Alyssa leaned in Deborah¡¯s arms, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. ¡°Can I go to kindergarten? I don¡¯t have to stay in the hospital every day?¡± Deborah nodded with certainty. ¡°Yes, you will leave the hospital.¡± Deborah sat outside and waited for a long time, but she did not see anyone take out any results from the examination room. It was not until a nurse at the end of the corridor walked over quickly and said to Deborah, ¡°Are you Ms. Shepherd? We have got the results of your daughter and Mr. Mullen¡¯s bone marrow check.¡± Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Let Helen Die Deborah¡¯s eyes were filled with joy. She immediately hugged Alyssa and stood up ¡°Great Since the results are out, can you arrange a bone marrow transnt for my daughter now?¡± The nurse looked at Deborah with a strange expression and handed her the report ¡°Ms. Shepherd, the result shows that Mr. Mullen¡¯s bone marrow is not suitable for your daughter Deborah felt that she might have been too happy and heard something wrong She ignored the nurse¡¯s words and stared at the examination sheet carefully Alyssa did not know how to read and did not believe what the nurse said. She asked Deborah impatiently. ¡°Mom, what is written on the sheet? Dad can donate the bone marrow to me, right? Would it hurt if Dad donated the bone marrow to me?¡± Alyssa wasn¡¯t afraid even when she was given an injection or a blood test, but she was afraid that her father would hurt. The smile on Deborah¡¯s face and the expression on her face slowly froze. Finally, she was sure that she had not heard wrongly or seen wrongly. The examination results showed that their bone marrow didn¡¯t match Deborah gripped the examination results tightly, her knuckles turning white. She shook her head in disbelief. ¡°Impossible. The result of this examination is wrong. It can¡¯t be unsuitable.¡± The nurse did not say anything more. She only replied, ¡°Ms. Shepherd, I have given the list to you. If you have any questions, you can ask your child¡¯s attending doctor for consultation.¡± The nurse left directly. Deborah was sure that this list had been tampered with. Zayne helped Deborah and personally concluded that Alyssa¡¯s and Ashton¡¯s marrow matched, but someone tampered with the result. Thinking of Helen and Ernest, Deborah revealed sadness and hatred in her eyes. She hugged Alyssa tightly and went directly to Helen¡¯s ward. By the time Deborah entered the ward, Helen had packed up, ready to leave while holding Ashton¡¯s arm. Seeing Deborahe in angrily, Helen said gently, ¡°Debby, thank you for donating your liver to save me. ¡°Also, don¡¯t be too sad about the fact that Ashton¡¯s bone marrow doesn¡¯t match Alyssa¡¯s. Alyssa will definitely find suitable bone marrow. Ashton and I will try our best to help you.¡± Noticing Deborah¡¯s angry eyes, Helen said timidly, ¡°Debby, what¡¯s wrong with you? Did I do something to make you unhappy?¡± Deborah looked furious. ¡°Helen, what happened between us has nothing to do with Alyssa. If you have guts,e at me. Dealing with a four-year-old child is shameless and despicable!¡± Seeing Deborah approach, Helen was so scared that she hid behind Ashton. ¡°Debby, what are you talking about? I have been staying here for the whole day. Ashton has been with me. How could I deal with Alyssa? Did you misunderstand something?¡± Deborah held Alyssa¡¯s hand and trembled. Alyssa did not have much time left. Deborah had no time to argue with Helen. Deborah turned to look at Ashton, who was indifferent. ¡°You promised to donate the bone marrow to Alyssa No matter what the results are, just donate it to Alyssa. Even if your bone marrow is not suitable, I will bear all the consequences!¡± Ashton looked at Deborah with a face full of disgust. ¡°You are deceiving yourself, and now you want to nder Helen. Deborah Alyssa is not my daughter. You know better than anyone that it is impossible for me to match her bone marrow.¡± Helen Die -1/3 Deborah insisted on Ashton donating the bone marrow, so he thought that maybe his bone marrow and Alyssa¡¯s werepatible. Maybe Alyssa was really his child. Now, it seemed that it was ridiculous. Helen hid behind Ashton and said, ¡°Debby, I know that you are in a hurry to save Alyssa. But it is impossible to transnt unsuitable bone marrow. If you ask Ashton to donate his bone marrow to Alyssa, it will harm Alyssa. ¡°You should find Alyssa¡¯s father as soon as possible. The possibility of matching the bone marrow between the biological father and daughter is very high. The most important thing now is to save Alyssa.¡± Deborah¡¯s body was trembling. She knew very well that Ashton¡¯s bone marrow was the only chance for Alyssa to live. Deborah was filled with despair, and her voice was trembling. ¡°Ashton, don¡¯t forget that we have signed a contract. If you don¡¯t donate your bone marrow to Alyssa, return the liver in Helen¡¯s body to me!¡± Ashton looked at Deborah as if Deborah was a lun atic. ¡°In order to fool me that this (b a s t a Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g r d) is my daughter, you don¡¯t even care about her life.¡± Helen looked at Deborah with a smug look, but her voice was soft. ¡°Debby, Ashton is right. You are too impatient now. But if you transnt the unsuitable bone marrow to Alyssa, you will kill Alyssa. ¡°Even if Ashton is willing to donate, how can the hospital help Ashton and Alyssa do bone marrow transntation?¡± Helen predicted that Deborah would not dare to touch her in front of Ashton, so she came out from behind Ashton and approached Deborah to persuade her. ¡°Sit down with Alyssa and calm down. You just donated your liver to me, and it is time to nurse your bady. Don¡¯t get angry, or it will be bad for your health. I am your sister, and I feel sorry for your misfortune.¡± Deborah said in a trembling voice, ¡°Ashton, so you have made up your mind to go back on your word, right?¡± Ashton sneered, not bothering with Deborah at all. He walked over, ready to leave with Helen. Ashton had just taken a step forward when Deborah suddenly put down Alyssa, who was in her arms. She held Alyssa with one hand and quickly reached out the other hand toward Helen¡¯s neck. The knife in Deborah¡¯s hand was pressed against Helen¡¯s neck. Ashton stopped in his tracks and narrowed his eyes. Ashton knew that Deborah leamed some medical skills from Zayne. There was an artery on one¡¯s neck, and it was very likely that it would be fatal if Deborah found the right position and stabbed it. It was easy for Deborah to find the artery. Helen did not expect that Deborah had hidden a knife in her sleeve, nor did she expect that Deborah, who had always been gentle and obedient in front of Ashton, would dare to threaten Ashton. Helen was frightened. She was not pretending. She was really scared. Deborah stood behind Helen, and her expression was desperate and crazy. ¡°Ashton, either you donate your bone marrow to Alyssa, or let Helen die with Alyssa and me!¡± Chapter 10 Chapter 10 The sharp de was pressed against Helen¡¯s neck. Deborah¡¯s hand shook a little, and Helen¡¯s neck was immediately stained with blood. Helen was so scared, her face deathly pale. Ashion looked bad and said coldly. ¡°Deborah, I don¡¯t want to repeat it. Put the knife down!¡± Deborah pressed the knife against Helen¡¯s neck. For the first time, Deborah spoke to Ashton in a determined tone. ¡°I don¡¯t want to repeat it either. Either you fulfill your promise and donate your bone marrow to Alyssa, or I will kill Helen.¡± Ashton was agitated. When he was young, he hated being threatened the most. He could not ept it at all. ¡°Put down the knife. Otherwise, you can¡¯t afford to bear the consequences.¡± side. Deborah looked at him angrily. Hearing that, she smiled. ¡°Consequences? What? Ashton, you know that I only have Alyssa by my ¡°If you go back on your words and don¡¯t donate the bone marrow to her, you will make her desperate. If I lose Alyssa, do you think! have anything to care about or fear?¡± Ashton opened his mouth but didn¡¯t know what to say. Indeed, without Alyssa, what else could Ashton use to control or threaten Deborah? When he hesitated topromise, Ashton noticed Alyssa, who was held by Deborah. Alyssa¡¯s face was pale as she trembled. After all, Alyssa was a four-year-old child, and she had never seen such a scene. Ashton thought of something and said, ¡°Deborah, your daughter was scared to tears by you. Look at her. Is she sick?¡± No matter how determined Deborah was, she was clearly worried when she heard that Alyssa was sick. She immediately looked down at Alyssa. Alyssa was indeed a little scared, but she was not sick as Ashton had said. When Ashton saw that Deborah had shifted her attention, he immediately took a few steps forward, trying to drag away Helen held hostage by Deborah. Deborah also realized it. After looking at Alyssa, she noticed that Ashton was approaching. Deborah quickly pulled Helen and took two steps back, shouting, ¡°Don¡¯te over. If youe any closer, I will really kill her.¡± Ashton gave the bodyguard at the door a look. Deborah stood with her back to the door. When she saw Ashton approaching to pull Helen away, Deborah focused on Helen and Ashton. As Deborah was emotional, that bodyguard quickly took a few steps over and pulled away Alyssa, who was holding Deborah¡¯s hand. Deborah failed to hold Alyssa and suddenly lost control of her emotions. Helen screamed in horror, and Alyssa, who was pulled away by the bodyguard, also cried. Ashton grabbed Alyssa from the bodyguard with a gloomy face, picked up the child, and strode to the window. He turned around and said coldly. ¡°Deborah, if you make a move, I will let your daughter fall from here.¡± At first, Ashton thought that Deborah indeed dared to touch Helen, but just now, Deborah looked so worried. Clearly, she could not let Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. go of Alyssa. Deborah held the knife as her hands were shaking, and she was really struggling. She saw Alyssa, who was picked up by Ashton by the window. At that moment, Deborah thought of the unruly but gentle Ashton, who would walk up to her and sing nursery rhymes. However, at this time, Ashton was heartless and no longer who he was in the past. Deborah still held the knife, as if it was thest silver lining to Alyssa, but she knew very well that she had lost. She gritted her teeth, tears slowly welled up in her eyes. ¡°Ashton, why do you have to push me?¡± Ashton¡¯s face did not change at all. He said harshly, ¡°Put down the knife. My patience is wearing thin.¡± Deborah shook her head in despair and pleaded, 1 won¡¯t let go. If I let Helen go, please donate your bone marrow to Alyssa. If we drag it out, Alyssa will really die. You can¡¯t be so cruel. You can¡¯t.¡± Ashton ran out of patience. ¡°Good for you. You are really stubbom.¡± He reached out to open the window. Hearing Deborah¡¯s sobbing, Ashton suddenly thought of a better way. He thought he should let Deborah see how Alyssa struggled to death in front of her if Deborah did not put down the knife. There was a bathroom in the ward, Just now, Helen said that she wanted to take a bath, so Ashton helped her fill the bathtub with water. After a long while, the water in the bathtub turned cold. Ashton asked the bodyguards to carry the bathtub out and put it in front of Deborah. Before Deborah could realize what he wanted to do, Ashton didn¡¯t hesitate to throw Alyssa Into the bathtub with a ssh. Before Alyssa could scream, she was immersed in the cold water. Alyssa didn¡¯t make any sound as she swallowed a lot of water. Alyssa struggled in the water, while the bodyguards looked at her coldly. Ashton reached out to push Alyssa back to the water, who had just tried to stay afloat. He looked at Deborah and said cruelly, ¡°I guess she can hold on for at most ten seconds. I¡¯ll help you count. Ten, nine, eight¡­¡± As the knife fell to the ground, there was a crisp sound. Deborah called Alyssa¡¯s name and almost fainted. Deborah stumbled over and cried her eyes out. Fortunately, Ashton was worried that Helen was frightened. He did not continue to press Alyssa into the water. Instead, he quickly walked up to Helen tofort her Deborah hurriedly carried Alyssa out of the water. She tried her best to hold back her tears. She said in a broken voice, ¡°Alyssa¡­ Alyssa, don¡¯t be afraid. Mommy is here.¡± Alyssa was carried out by her and inhaled a lot of water, unable to say a word. Deborah tried her best to do resuscitation. Hearing Alyssa finally cough painfully, Deborah hugged her tightly and fell to the ground. Alyssa shrank in Deborah¡¯s arms and said in fear, ¡°Dad is a bad person.¡± Ashtonforted Helen and then approached Deborah and Alyssa, who were sitting on the ground in a sorry state. ¡°Apologize.¡± Deborah did not hear what he said. She just hugged Alyssa and patted her back gently. Alyssa woke up and said a few words, but she soon fell into aa again. Deborah did not know if it was because Alyssa was shocked or because she swallowed a lot of water. Deborah hugged her and stood up helplessly to get the doctor. Many doctors walked in the corridor, but no one came over. Deborah saw Alyssa¡¯s attending doctor passing by and rushed over to stop him. ¡°Doctor, my daughter is sick. She inhaled a lot of water. Please save her.¡± The male doctor was stopped by her and could not get away. He looked at Ashton, who stood behind Deborah. The doctor was a little helpless. ¡°Ms. Shepherd, you¡¯ve been behind on your daughter¡¯s medical expenses for a long time. The hospital has its rules. One needs to pay before treatment. I have made an exception for you in the past.¡± Deborah tried to calm down and said anxiously, ¡°I see. I will pay soon. Please take a look at my daughter first.¡± The doctor stood still. Behind Deborah, Ashton said coldly. ¡°Deborah, you made your daughter that. From now on, no hospital will dare to take you in.¡± Deborah held Alyssa in panic and turned to Ashton. ¡°You can¡¯t be so cruel. If one day you know the truth and know that Alyssa is your¡­ ¡°Enough!¡± Ashton interrupted her impatiently and went back to the ward. Deborah had no choice but to beg the doctor. ¡°I want to see Dr. Gaige.¡± The doctor replied, ¡°Dr. Gaige went on a business trip abroad.¡± Alyssa breathed shallowly in Deborah¡¯s arms, and Deborah had never been so desperate. She could only rush back to the ward to Ashton. ¡°Please save Alyssa. She really can¡¯t hold on.¡± Ashton helped Helen lie down on the bed. After a long time, he finally looked at Deborah with disgust. ¡°It¡¯s not impossible for me to save your daughter. Kneel to Helen and apologize to her until she is satisfied.¡± Deborah didn¡¯t care about anything else at this time. She was about to kneel. A man¡¯s voice came from outside the ward. ¡°Don¡¯t kneel.¡± 1 Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Deborah Leaves Ashton frowned and looked at the man who came in from outside the ward. If the man was not Zayne, who else could it be? Zayne saw that Alyssa was in Deborah¡¯s arms and was in a critical situation, walked over, and carried Alyssa. He said, ¡°It¡¯s more important to save her first. Deborah,e with me to my office.¡± Deborah didn¡¯t have time to say more. She became hopeful and immediately followed Zayne out. Ashton was pissed off. He grabbed something on the bedside table and was about to smash them. Helen immediately stopped him. ¡°Ashton, don¡¯t be angry. I¡¯m fine. I don¡¯t need Debby¡¯s apology.¡± As she spoke, Helen looked at the door thoughtfully. ¡°Dr. Gaige is really a good doctor. Every time something happens to Debby and Alyssa, he is the one who is most willing to help. Alyssa has been sick for such a long time. It¡¯s all thanks to him taking care of her.¡± Ashton seemed to have thought of something, and his face was obviously gloomier. He couldn¡¯t control himself for a moment. Ashton was fired up and directly left Helen alone in the ward, trying to settle ounts with Deborah. After Zayne took Deborah and Alyssa to the office, Alyssa was not in a very bad condition, but she was shocked and unconscious. After Zayne gave her CPR, Alyssa woke up very quickly. When she opened her eyes and saw him, she said politely, ¡°Mr. Gaige.¡± Deborah was anxious. When she saw that Alyssa had woken up, Deborah finally felt relieved. Zayne asked Alyssa in a gentle voice, who was lying on the sofa, ¡°Are you still ufortable?¡± Alyssa had just been thrown into the water, and now she still felt a little cold. However, when she saw Deborah worried, Alyssa said softly. ¡°Im fine.¡± Zayne found Alyssa sping her hands around her knees. He turned around and took his coat to cover her. Alyssa immediately felt much warmer and thought that if only Ashton could be like Zayne. Just at that moment, the office door was pushed open, and Ashton walked in. Ashton only felt that the coat on Alyssa was particrly ring. He nced at Deborah and said coldly, ¡°Come back to the ward with Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. 1. Kneel and apologize to Helen.¡± Zayne looked at Ashton who barged into his office with disgust and said coldly, ¡°Mr. Mullen, if I am not wrong. you and Helen made Alyssa fall into the water and be like this? ¡°Now that I have cured Alyssa, Deborah doesn¡¯t need to listen to you anymore. How could you ask Deborah to kneel?¡± Ashton sneered as she stared at Deborah, who was standing still. ¡°Well, do you really think Zayne will support you? Deborah, have you thought it through? Do you want Zayne to help you in the future?¡± Deborah was struggling and finally whispered, ¡°Dr. Gaige, I can¡¯t implicate you. Thank you for saving Alyssa just now. §±l take her out first.¡± Zayne stepped sideways and stopped Deborah. He said, ¡°Through all of this, don¡¯t you understand that Ashton is stupid while Helen is vicious? ¡°Even if you kneel to Helen this time in exchange for Alyssa staying in the hospital for a period, in a few days, Helen will y another trick to let Alyssa be in danger again. Deborah stopped She also understood this, but she had no other choice. After all, Alyssa still needed Ashton¡¯s bone marrow. Even if Deborah wanted to look for bone marrow of other donors, as long as Ashton made a move, she would not find one, nor would there be a hospital to transnt it for Alyssa. Zayne continued a little emotionally, ¡°You beg Ashton and stay by his side. It¡¯s not to save Alyssa. ¡°Instead, he would only trust Helen time and time again, sooner orter they would force Alyssa to death, and today Alyssa falling into the water was just the beginning. ¡°Deborah, if you really want Alyssa to survive, the only way is to leave these two people and let Alyssa not live in such great torture and fright.¡± Deborah looked painful. ¡°Dr. Gaige, Alyssa needs to stay in the hospital. She needs, treatment and bone marrow. With her current condition, she can¡¯t live without treatment.¡± Ashton stood at the side and looked at them calmly. As long as Alyssa was alive, Deborah dared not disobey him. Ashton was confident that Deborah could not choose Zayne. When Ashton was about to drag Deborah away impatiently, Zayne said, ¡®Even if all the hospitals do not take Alyssa in, with my medical skills, I can cure Alyssa alone. ¡°I have enough medical equipment and medicine at home. Deborah, are you sure you don¡¯t want to leave with me but have Alyssa die by Ashton¡¯s side?¡± Deborah finally stopped. She thought of how Ashton had cruelly thrown Alyssa into the water and even pressed her head inside. Moreover, when Alyssa was dying, Ashton did not even allow the doctor to treat her. If Zayne had not rushed over, would Alyssa still be alive? Alyssa survived this time, but Helen would not let them go unless she forced them to death. What about next time? Deborah and Alyssa could not be so lucky every time, not to mention that Alyssa was now so weak. Deborah clenched her fist. Once she thought of the idea of leaving, she couldn¡¯t control her emotions. She was silent. Ashton¡¯s face was even gloomier, and he said coldly. ¡°If you want to leave, just leave. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t stop you. Even if you die, don¡¯t get to me.¡± Deborah was silent for a long time, but in the end, she made up her mind. ¡°Dr. Gaige, thank you. I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Zayne let out a sigh of relief and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s good that you can understand. Let¡¯s go now.¡± As he spoke, Zayne went to pick up Alyssa, who was on the sofa, and Alyssa didn¡¯t show any resistance. Ashton clenched his fists, but he still kept a straight face, watching Zayne take Deborah and Alyssa away. Like a family of three, they left the office and disappeared at the end of the corridor. Jeff, the butler next to Ashton, looked at him in disbelief. Jeff could not help but ask, ¡°Mr. Mullen, do you need me to stop Mrs. Mullen?¡± Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Has the News Been Released? Ashton withdrew his gloomy gaze from the end of the corridor and sneered, ¡°Stop her? She wants to die. Why should I prevent her?¡± Jeff dared not utter another word Ashton continued coldly, ¡°Henceforth, I do not wish to hear anyone in Flora Vi address her as Mrs. Mullen.¡± Jeff nodded fearfully. ¡°Yes, Mr. Mullen. I will issue the order.¡± Ashton clenched his jaw and walked back towards Helen. He was confident that Deborah would soon regret her actions ande back to kneel and beg him. But by then, it would be toote. Zayne directly drove Deborah and Alyssa back to the Gaige¡¯s old house. When the car halted outside the vi, Deborah gradually calmed down from her impulse to leave Ashton. Filled with guilt, Deborah apologized, ¡°Dr. Gaige, I¡¯m sorry for dragging you down.¡± With her and Zayne gone, Zayne might not even be able to return to the hospital. Zayne alighted from the car and assisted them in opening the car door, saying in a gentle tone, ¡°You don¡¯t need to say that. We¡¯re friends. ¡°Now, let Alyssa settle down and take good care of her body until we find a suitable bone marrow donor. Once Alyssa transnts it, shell then be cured. This is the most crucial thing now.¡± Deborah did not know what else to say. Although she felt sorry for Zayne, she could only whisper weakly at this time, ¡°Thank you.¡± Zayne noticed that Deborah was weary and helped her carry Alyssa into the old house. Night had already fallen, and the entire Gaige family had returned Zayne hailed from a family of intellectuals. His mother was a venerable practitioner, and his father was a university professor. His grandfather was a retired private school educator During her college days, Deborah had visited Zayne¡¯s family multiple times, thereby getting acquainted with his family members. Even Alyssa knew them too. As soon as they stepped in, Zayne¡¯s mother, Sarah Short, who sat on the living room sofa, caught sight of them and promptly sprang up to greet them exuberantly. ¡°Hey, Debby, Alyssa. It¡¯s been a while since yourst visit. Alyssa seems to have lost some weight. Come here, let me embrace you!¡± Uttering these words, she beamed with delight and took Alyssa from Zayne¡¯s hands. Zayne¡¯s father and grandfather, Theo Gaige and William Gaige were in the upstairs study, but they came down when they heard the noise. They were all very enthusiastic. Deborah greeted them one by one, and Alyssa also addressed them obediently. ¡°d to see you, Mrs. Gaige, Mr. Gaige, and senior Mr. Gaige.¡± Theo also smiled. ¡°What a good child. Zayne, have you all had something before you brought them here? If not, I¡¯ll get Tracy to prepare the food.¡± ¡°Not yet,¡± Zayne answered. Then, Theo instantly ordered Tracy to prepare the meal, and Sarah trotted off to the kitchen to lend a hand. Deborah hadn¡¯t experienced such conviviality and warmth in a long time. She felt a tad awkward and didn¡¯t know what to do. Zayne grinned and said to her, ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there. Come and take a seat. This isn¡¯t the first time you¡¯ve visited my family He held Alyssa with one arm and proffered her fruit with the other. Deborah walked over and settled down opposite him. She gazed at the kitchen, unsure if she should go and assist. With a smile, Zayne reassured her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. My mother can be quite territorial in the kitchen. She won¡¯t let you help her even if you want to.¡± Deborah smiled awkwardly and remained seated. After dinner, William presented Alyssa with a few of his most precious antiques to y with as toys. Sarah hurriedly went to clean up the room prepared for Deborah and Alyssa, concerned that they might not befortable or well-fed. Given thete hour of their arrival, the Gaige family could tell from Deborah¡¯s expression that she had encountered some difficulties. Though they suspected something was amiss, the Gaige family didn¡¯t press Deborah for details, assuming that she was simply there for a visit. That night, Zayne examined Alyssa¡¯s condition and prescribed some medication for her to take. Deborah went to bed with Alyssa and had a good sleep. Alyssa had been struggling to sleeptely due to a past injury inflicted by Helen and repeated frightening experiences with Ashton. She was deeply insecure and suffered from insomnia. However, as shey in Deborah¡¯s arms that night, she soon began to breathe gently and fall into a peaceful slumber. It was possible that her traumatic experience of being thrown into the water by Ashton earlier that day had left her too exhausted to stay awake. Lying in the unfamiliar bedroom, Deborah gazed out at the dark night sky through the window with a sinking feeling in her heart. She couldn¡¯t shake the fear that Ashton wouldn¡¯t easily let her go. It wasn¡¯t until after midnight that she finally drifted off to sleep. The next day, she overslept and didn¡¯t wake up until nearly noon. The room was quiet. Deborah reached out to touch her daughter. Her heart skipped a beat as she realized that Alyssa was nowhere to be found. Panic rose within her. Where had Alyssa gone? She hastily rose from her bed, not even bothering to put on her shoes, and dashed out of the bedroom in a state of panic, hurrying downstairs in search of Alyssa. Upon reaching the living room downstairs, she found Alyssa and Zayne engrossed in building blocks. She let out a sigh of relief, relieved that everything was fine. Zayne had built a small house out of blocks for Alyssa, who was overjoyed, her face flushed with excitement. Pointing to the roof, she eximed, ¡°The little chimney goes here!¡± Zayne feigned enlightenment and fixed the chimney In ce as Alyssa directed. When he looked up, he noticed Deborah standing on the stairs, barefoot. Deborah had strikingly beautiful facial features, looking wlessly gentle and stunning. It was the first time Zayne had seen her this way, just waking up. Her long hair was lightly curled, and her eyes still bore traces of sleep. She was shoeless, revealing her white feet. Zayne¡¯s ears turned red at the sight of her white feet, and he quickly averted his gaze, pretending to organize the blocks, trying to conceal his emotions. Zayne dared not look at her anymore and said, ¡°Good morning. My parents and grandfather have already left for work. The house is quiet, so feel free to rest more.¡± Deborah felt so self-conscious that she wanted to hide her bare feet. How could she have forgotten that she was not in Ashton¡¯s home anymore? Alyssa just got up, and nothing could happen. ¡°I have had a restful sleep. I¡¯ll head upstairs to tidy up first,¡± she replied. As soon as she finished speaking, she turned around and swiftly ascended the stairs. Zayne gazed directly at her while she disappeared from sight. Alyssa clutched a wooden board and inquired, ¡°Mr. Gaige, where should I put this?¡±, Zayne didn¡¯t respond. Alyssa gazed at him quizzically and noticed that he was still staring at the stairs. Alyssa looked along his gaze but saw nothing. Waving her hand in front of his eyes, she asked, ¡°Mr. Gaige, are you looking at my mother? She has already gone upstairs. You can¡¯t N?velDrama.Org is the owner. see her.¡± Zayne abruptly came back to his senses and hastily took the wooden board from Alyssa. ¡°Keep this here,¡± he said. He figured that Deborah had been engrossed in caring for Alyssately and was also bothered with Ashton and Helen, so she probably hadn¡¯t taken the opportunity to unwind outside. If she continued to repress herself like this and strain her brain, it would be easier for her to fall ill. Zayne piled up the wood and asked Alyssa, ¡°Would you like to go to the amusement park? I can take you out with your mom to rx today.¡± Alyssa¡¯s eyes lit up at once. ¡°Can I? But Mom said that I need to rest more since I¡¯m not feeling well.¡± Zayne smiled and responded, ¡°Going out to have fun asionally is good for your health.¡± Alyssa nodded vigorously, her face brimming with anticipation. Mr. Gaige is a doctor. Mom said I should listen to the doctor, Alyssa thought. Deborah was initially concerned about Alyssa¡¯s desire to hang out, given her frail condition and the potential risks of leaving the hospital. However, upon hearing Zayne¡¯s assurance that it would be fine, and seeing that Alyssa also became eager to go out, D¨¦borah eventually acquiesced. Following lunch, they went out together. As they arrived at the amusement park and purchased their tickets, Deborah thought she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure out of the corner of her eye. When she turned to look, nothing was there. She didn¡¯t dwell on it and proceeded into the park. Meanwhile, Ashton was just getting into the car outside with a sour expression on his face. Jeff, the driver, sensed that Ashton was in a foul mood and tried to keep a low profile, remaining silent in the front seat. In the backseat, Ashton brooded with dark eyes for some time before finally asking, ¡°Has the arranged news been released yet?¡± Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Destroy the Galge Family After Deborah took Alyssa into the amusement park, Alyssa looked at the various rides and a group of kids who were ying together. She was so overjoyed that she felt as if she could burst with happiness Although there were plenty of attractions for her to enjoy, Alyssa was currently too frail to partake in physically demanding or challenging games. Zayne led her to y some simple games, while Deborah yed alongside them for a while before taking a seat on a long chair on thewn to watch. The rare sunny day filled Alyssa with warmth as the winter sun bathed her entire body. As she gazed contentedly into the distance at Zayne and Alyssa ying happily, she wished fervently that time could stand still in 1 this moment forever. Alyssa¡¯s face was flushed with joy, and Zayne carried her around as Deborah listened to the delightful sound of herughter ringing out from afar. After ying for a while, Alyssa¡¯s breathing becamebored, and she needed to take a long break before continuing. Her body simply couldn¡¯t handle too much physical exertion in her current condition. Nevertheless, after spending the entire afternoon at the amusement park, Alyssa¡¯s face wore a happy, contented expression that Deborah had never seen before. They didn¡¯t leave the park until evening had fallen. On the way back, Alyssa kept chatting with Deborah with excitement. ¡°Mr. Gaige said that once I¡¯m better, I can take the big pendulum and roller coaster next time. Mom, when will I get better?¡± Deborah¡¯s heart ached, but she managed to keep her emotions in check as she replied with a smile, ¡°Soon, you¡¯ll be feeling much better.¡± Alyssa nestled in Deborah¡¯s arms, and her voice was sweet and hopeful. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Zayne drove the car, ncing at Deborah through the rearview mirror. ¡°Alyssa¡¯s illness will be cured very soon. Do you remember Dr. Sanchez, who had taught me a lot in the hospital before?¡± Deborah nodded in agreement. ¡°Indeed, Dr. Sanchez is a world renowned medical expert with immense influence.¡± ¡°Yes, he has recently specialized in blood type diseases, including themon blood disease leukemia,¡± Zayne exmed. ¡°I reached out to him, and he has connections with many hospitals both inside and outside the country. He assured me that he would help Alyssa find a suitable bone marrow donor. ¡°Furthermore, he will be returning to the country in two days and has offered to take over Alyssa¡¯s treatment. He is confident that through effective chemotherapy and other means, he can dy the progression of Alyssa¡¯s condition and buy more time to find the appropriate bone marrow donor.¡± As Deborah heard Zayne¡¯s words, her heart raced with excitement, and her eyes grew a little teary. ¡°Really? That¡¯s fantastic! Thank you so much, Dr. Gaige.¡± Zayne smiled humbly. ¡°Please don¡¯t say that. I¡¯m only doing what I can. Dr. Sanchez is also a doctor, and it is our duty to practice medicine and save lives. He was more than happy to help when he heard about Alyssa¡¯s situation.¡± Deborah¡¯s hand trembled slightly as she held onto Alyssa. ¡°Thank you, Dr. Gaige. Thank you so much.¡± Alyssa seemed to understand and added, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Gaige.¡± Before, Deborah felt like her life was a bleak and colorless existence, with no glimmer of hope. But now, the news that Alyssa would be saved filled her heart with renewed optimism. Zayna, too, was thrilled for Deborah and spoke with heartfelt emotion. ¡°Deborah, you must always believe that life can be full of hope. even in the darkest of times. There¡¯s always a way out of bad days.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Deborah fought back her tears and managed a small smile through her reddened eyes. ¡°Yes, I do believe that.¡± Upon returning to the Gaige¡¯s house, Alyssa drifted off to sleep in Deborah¡¯s embrace A strange vehicle was parked in the front yard of the house, appearing as if there was a guest. Zayne recognized the car, and when he opened the door for Deborah, he said to himself in a peculiar manner, ¡°What is Mr. Lynd doing here?¡± Deborah felt she had been rather anxioustely. After she heard Zayne¡¯s question and noticed the car, her heart inexplicably sank. Zayne offered to carry Alyssa, but Deborah declined, shaking her head. Instead, she walked into the house with a sense of unease. The living room echoed with the excited voice of a man as they just went inside, ¡°Theo, what¡¯s wrong with you!¡± The voice sounded aged. Deborah took a few steps in and saw that the man who spoke was about fifty or sixty years old. Theo¡¯s countenance was unsightly. In a low voice, he retorted, ¡°Mr. Lynd, I did nothing wrong!¡± They seemed to want to continue their conversation but abruptly halted upon hearing footsteps and noticing Deborah¡¯s return. Theo pretended to beposed and smiled, saying, ¡°You¡¯re back. Zayne. Escort Deborah and Alyssa upstairs to rest first. Then join us downstairs shortly. I have a few words to discuss with you.¡± Deborah sensed that something had urred and knew that Theo was trying to remove her from the living room to discuss countermeasures with Zayne. Deborah sped Alyssa¡¯s hand tightly and said, ¡°Mr. Gaige, I can take Alyssa upstairs on my own. Don¡¯t bother, Dr. Gaige.¡± Zayne had never seen Theo look so grave. He nodded in agreement, without uttering a word. Deborah ascended the stairs with Alyssa in her arms, making her way to the bedroom where she gently ced her on the bed. Her heart was besieged by anxiety, and she instantly regretted her impulsive decision to leave with Zayne the day before. Ashton was so powerful and cold. Deborah was afraid that her actions would cause big trouble for the entire Gaige family. She wasted no time. After settling Alyssa on the bed, she promptly departed the room, tiptoeing towards the staircase to eavesdrop on the voices below. Theo and Henry Lynd¡¯s agitated loud voices resonated throughout the house. ¡°I wholeheartedly believe you. Theo, I know you well,¡± said Henry. ¡°Nevertheless, it¡¯s of no use now even if I believe you. The rumors have already spread like wildfire. As a university professor, you¡¯ve been used of sexually harassing and taking advantage of a female student times and again. Blurry photographs and personal ounts of students are now circting. ¡°When such news surfaced, the majority of the public would support the female students. ¡°After all, most people would believe that a young girl would not falsely use her supervisor at the expense of her own reputation.¡± Zayne fumed and said in anger, ¡°Someone is deliberately trying to frame my father. The photos are fake. We can authenticate them professionally. As for that lying student, we can report her to the police.¡± Henry sighed. ¡°Zayne, you are too young. It¡¯s not that simple. The photos are blurred, and the faces of the people in the photos are not even too clear to see. It¡¯s no use to authenticate the photos! The girl imed to have taken the photos in a state of panic when she sought assistance, and the public believed deeply that the person in the photos was indeed your father. Until the facts are established, what right do the police have to detain the girl for questioning? Zayne seethed with anger and was about to speak, but Henry fixed him with a stem look and said, ¡°Do not concern yourself with your ¡°The photos showed clearly that you brandished a scalpel threateningly towards Mr. Mullen, Ashton, in the hospital hallway. When he managed to evade your attack, you wounded one of his bodyguards with the scalpel instead. ¡°A doctor¡¯s reputation is of paramount importance. If these photos were released, your future would be destroyed.¡± Zayne¡¯s eyes turned as dark as a stormy night. He was absolutely certain at this moment. ¡°It was Ashton! He did all of this!¡± Henry¡¯s face grew even darker when he heard Zayne¡¯s words ¡°How can you be so sure? If the person behind all of this is really Mr. Mullen, I¡¯m afraid there is no room for reversal until he is not willing to stop.¡± He then asked with a puzzled expression ¡°Theo, you and your son have always been forthright and low-key Why did you suddenly get involved with Mr. Mullen?¡± Deborah shuddered with fear as she listened to the conversation unfolding downstairs. Her phone vibrated, and she hastily retrieved it to find a message from Ashton. ¡°Deborah, I¡¯ll be waiting for you tonight. You only have one chance.¡± Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Attitude Deborah was staring at the message on the phone when there was a sudden noise downstairs. William came back and said sorrowfully as soon as he entered, ¡°Son, what¡¯s going on with this news? Which bastard ndered the Garge family? He must do that on purpose!¡± As he spoke, he coughed harder and harder. The servant cried out in panic, ¡°Mr. Gaige is coughing up blood!¡± As soon as Deborah rushed down, she saw William coughing up blood and falling to the ground. The Gaige family was regarded as a family of integrity for so many years. Theo had been a teacher for decades and was conscientious. How could he tolerate being ndered like this? The news broke out on the Inte. The female student who used Theo posted an article on social tforms andined, causing the current abuse on Theo online to be unbearable. William fell into aa. Zayne and Theo hurriedly supported William and left the house with Henry to send William to the hospital. Deborah stood at the back and watched, the overwhelming guilt and regret flooding over her like deep water drowning her. Her days were already gloomy. She knew that Zayne could not save her from Ashton, so why did shee and mess up his life? The Gaige family had gone out. In the huge living room, except for Deborah, there was only Tracy who wiped her tears. Deborah stood in ce for a moment and realized that there was no other choice. She turned back upstairs and carried Alyssa down. She walked to Tracy and said. ¡°Tracy, please help me pass a message to Dr. Gaige. I will take Alyssa back first.¡± Tracy only recovered from her sadness when she heard this. She wiped her tears and looked puzzled. ¡°Ms. Shepherd, why are you going back sote? ¡®Mr. Gaige said that you don¡¯t have a suitable ce to live now. If you leave now, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to exin it to himter.¡± Deborah replied calmly, ¡°Tracy, something happened to the Gaige family because of me. I offended someone and lived here to implicate the Gaige family, so I have to go now. Thank you for taking care of me and Alyssa for the past two days.¡± Tracy was shocked. She looked at Deborah carefully for a while and was sure that Deborah was not joking. Tracy finally stopped dissuading Deborah and silently watched Deborah leave with her daughter in her arms. Tracy¡¯s expression was sad. Deborah walked out of the door. It began to snow outside again, and the wind swept over. Alyssa was sleeping soundly, and she was still talking in her sleep with a smile on her face. ¡°Take the roller coaster with mom when I get better¡­* Deborah tried her best to hold Alyssa tightly in her arms, but in the end, Alyssa still felt a sudden chill. Her small body trembled, and she woke up from her sleep. When she opened her eyes, what she saw was not a warm bedroom, but a world of ice and snow in the dark night. Alyssa said with a confused face, ¡°Mom, where are we going?¡± No matter how Deborah cuddled Alyssa, she felt that she could not hold her tightly. She took off her coat and wrapped Alyssa before carrying her in her arms. She tried her best to force out a rxed smile and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to Daddy¡¯s ce. We have been here disturbing Mr. Gaige for a long time, which is impolite.¡± She could not see how miserable the smile on her face was. She carried Alyssa down the stairs step by step and walked out of the front yard. On such a snowy day, it was difficult to take a taxi. She could only try to walk forward and see if she was lucky enough to stop a taxi. Alyssa heard what her mother said, and her eyes turned red. She was cold and afraid, so her body was very tense. Alyssa whispered carefully and fearfully, ¡°Mom, can I not go to Daddy? I don¡¯t like Daddy very much.¡± That day, Ashton had pressed her into the water. Now, in her mind, Ashton was a devil, the most terrifying thing. Deborah gritted her teeth. After a long time, she said with a trembling voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Alyssa. It¡¯s all my fault.¡± Alyssa hid her red face in Deborah¡¯s arms. She held back her tears andforted Deborah in a low voice, ¡°No, Mommy. As long as you¡¯re here with me, I¡¯m not afraid of going anywhere.¡± Deborah was stuck in her throat and couldn¡¯t speak. She cuddled Alyssa tightly and staggered forward. Alyssa was afraid that Deborah would be too tired, so Alyssa said that she wanted to walk on her own. Deborah only held her tightly and didn¡¯t say a word. Deborah walked in the snow. After a long time, she finally saw the light of cars. After they got in a taxi, Alyssa couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and fell asleep again. 46 The taxi was approaching Ashton¡¯s manor. Deborah felt for the first time that the temperature of the two ces was the same, but when she left one ce and went to the other, the air around her was slowly turning cold. The light and temperature were slowly fading away from her until everything in the surroundings seemed to freeze. The driver stepped on the brakes. In front of her was the driver¡¯s lukewarm voice. ¡°Miss, we¡¯re here. 10 dors.¡± Deborah, who was about to pay, paused and asked him, ¡°How much?¡± The driver said impatiently, ¡°10 dors. It¡¯s sote at night, and the snow is heavy. My car is worn down.¡± Deborah did not say another word. She paid and then carried Alyssa out of the car. When the car door closed, she vaguely heard the driver sneer in disdain, ¡®She must havee to find a rich man. Damn, she is so stingy with the extra charge.¡± The driver stepped on the elerator, and the taxi drove away from her. From the warm car to the snow, Deborah staggered, and her eyes became dull. Alyssa was still sleeping soundly in her arms. Deborah stepped on the snow and walked forward. She rubbed one hand on her clothes and warmed up half of her face. Then, she lowered her head and touched Alyssa¡¯s forehead with her own, face. It felt a little hot. Alyssa was starting to have a low fever again, Deborah subconsciously quickened her pace. The cold wind poured into her nose and mouth. She gasped for breath, and her throat began to burn with pain. Ashton¡¯s manor finally appeared in front of her. Flora Vi was brightly lit, and Deborah shivered with cold. She could imagine how warm andfortable the house under the light was. She held Alyssa up with one hand and let her lie on her shoulder. Her other hand slowly raised slowly. Her hand was so cold that it was a little numb. She tried several times before she rang the doorbell. After waiting for a long time, no one came. Deborah rubbed her hands hard on her clothes and continued to ring the bell. The door finally opened, and Ashton¡¯s butler, Jeff, came out He walked outside, and a trace of sympathy shed across his face, but he quickly recovered his calm and indifferent appearance. Deborah said anxiously, ¡°Jeff, please tell Ashton that I was wrong I brought Alyssa back. It was all my Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. fault. Please let the Gaige family go¡± Jeff said lightly. ¡°Ms Shepherd, Mr. Mullen asked me to tell you that he doesn¡¯t want to see you anymore. Please take your illegitimate child and leave.¡± Deborah¡¯s expression was anxious. ¡°But he sent me a message. He said he was waiting for me tonight. It¡¯s still night.¡± Jeff¡¯s expression was still calm. ¡°Ms. Shepherd, do you mean that you want to confront Mr. Mullen?¡± Deborah did not understand what Ashton wanted. ¡°Can you let me see him? I¡¯ll tell him myself.¡± Jeff replied. ¡°Mr. Mullen has said that he does not want to see you again. If you are here to beg Mr. Mullen, you should have the attitude of asking for help. You should think about how to show your sincerity first.¡± Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Kneel Down Deborah hugged Alyssa tightly and felt Alyssa¡¯s body in her arms begin to burn. Deborah thought William had fainted in the Gaige¡¯s house while coughing up blood, and the Gaige family sent him to the hospital in chaos. Her eyes dimmed, and her voice was low and helpless. ¡°Jeff, I really don¡¯t understand. What is the sincerity he wants? Please tell me.¡± Deborah looked behind Jeff. Separated by a distance from the front yard, Ashton walked out the door with Helen in his arms. He stood on the steps and looked at her indifferently from a distance. Jeff finally said coldly, ¡°Ms. Shepherd, Mr. Mullen said that you and your daughter are not allowed to enter Flora Vi again, but he did not say that you can¡¯t go in on your knees.¡± Deborah¡¯s pupils contracted. Looking at Ashton and Helen in the distance, a sad smile appeared on her face. She had to kneel down. In such big snow, he not only wanted her to kneel but also wanted her to kneel and move in. She had never knelt in front of anyone since she was a child. In the past, when Helen framed her, she was kicked out by her father, Devon. She only had 1 dor left. She bought bread and stayed under the bridge for a night. She had never knelt down to beg them. Her mother scolded her for being useless. She would not win the Bauer family¡¯s favor. She couldn¡¯t ask them for money. They used a stick as thick as a forearm to hit her, asking her to kneel and apologize. She had never done that. But now, she could not remember clearly how many times she had been forced to kneel by Ashton. Deborah looked at the cold iron door in front of her, the white snow, and the two people who were holding each other¡¯s arms in the distance. Her eyes finally turned red uncontrobly She took a deep breath. After a long time, she said, ¡®If I kneel down and go in, will he let the Gaige family go and save my daughter?¡± Jeff said coldly, ¡°Ms Shepherd, you don¡¯t have the right to bargain.¡± Deborah said no more and slowly knelt down. The snow water quickly seeped into her knees, and the ice cold drilled into her bones and flesh like a knife. Deborah held Alyssa tightly with trembling hands. She moved forward with her knees, passing through the iron door and moving in, Her action was very slowly. Every time she moved forward a small distance, the snow would be pushed to the front of her knees, preventing her from continuing. She could only lift her knees up with difficulty, then kneel down again and continue to move forward. Her knees quickly bled due to the friction and the great chill. Every time she moved forward, it was like a knife was cutting into her flesh. Deborah¡¯s teeth kept chattering, and her face became even paler. Jeff turned around and quickly looked at Ashton, but Jeff did not see a hint of satisfaction on his face. Jeff tried hard to find a problem with Deborah and finally set his eyes on Alyssa, who was in Deborah¡¯s arms. 1Ms. Shepherd, if your daughter wants to enter Flora Vi, she has to kneel down, too.¡± Alyssa had already woken up in Deborah¡¯s arms. She could no longer withstand the coldness. Alyssa was about to pass out. Alyssa curled up in Deborah¡¯s arms in fear. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m afraid. Let¡¯s go back to Mr. Gaige.¡± Chap Down Deborah seemed to have heard Ashton¡¯s sneer. He probably heard Alyssa¡¯s words, and his face turned even colder. Deborah held Alyssa tightly in her arms. This time, no matter what, she was unwilling topromise. ¡°No. Alyssa is sick now. If she kneels on the such snowy ground, she will die Jeff also showed a trace of embarrassment Ashton grabbed Helen and turned around to walk inside. Jeff did not dare to plead for Deborah He immediately followed Ashton inside Ms Shepherd, please go back then¡± Deborah saw that the door was about to close. She did not care about the pain. She knelt down and hurriedly moved over. She screamed in despair, ¡°Ashton, I beg you. I can do whatever you want. Please, let Alyssa go. She is innocent. She does not know anything.¡± Ashton did not turn around. He stepped in, and Jeff followed him in. He turned around and was about to close the door. Deborah knew Ashton¡¯s personality. Once the door was closed, the Gaige family would really be finished There was no hope for Alyssa to get the bone marrow. She said anxiously, ¡°Alright, alright. I agree. I will let Alyssa kneel and move in with me.¡± The door was closed until there was only a crack. It finally stopped and was opened again. Jeff looked at her and did not speak again. At this time, Alyssa was scared silly and stopped crying. Deborah held her and put her down. She obediently knelt in the snow, biting her lip without saying a word Deborah knew that she was in pain. A four-year-old child was supposed to be a baby that her parents and grandparents cared the most about Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. It was such a snowy night. When she knelt down and entered the gate of Flora Vi, Alyssa¡¯s lips were blue. She tilted her head and passed out in Deborah¡¯s arms. Deborah gritted her teeth, her whole body covered in snow water, and she wailed to restrain herself. The inside of Flora Vi was very warm,pletely different from the outside world. Ashton was sitting on the sofa, apanying Helen to watch TV shows. He did not watch it. He was working on his phone at the side. When he heard the sound of Deborah and Alyssaing in, he did not turn around to look. He seemed to have forgotten about Deborah¡¯s matter, and his expression was indifferent. Jeff walked over and asked carefully, ¡°Mr. Mullen, Ms. Shepherd and her daughter came in. Are they staying tonight?¡± Ashton was reading the information on his phone when he was suddenly interrupted. He said impatiently. Just throw them into the underground room. They are dirty and smelly.¡± Jeff nodded. ¡°Yes, Mr. Mullen.¡± Helen persuaded him, ¡°Ashton, don¡¯t be like this. Debby didn¡¯t leave with Dr. Gaige on purpose. After all, Dr. Gaige is young and promising. He is indeed outstanding. ¡°But she has admitted her mistake now. Why don¡¯t you give them the bedroom you let me live in first? I can live anywhere you want.¡± Ashton nced sideways at Deborah, who was kneeling on the ground. He sneered, ¡°Helen, she will dirty your bedroom.¡± Helen said anxiously, ¡°Ashton. Debby is my sister. Why do you say that? ¡°No matter what, they can¡¯t live in the underground room. There is a dog in the basement. Debby is most afraid of dogs. What if the dog hurt Debby and Alyssa?¡± Shen Ashton just remembered that after Helen lived here a few days ago, she also took the dog of the Bauer family. Helen said that she had raised the dog for many years and could not abandon it. However, Ashton hated cats and dogs, so he let the dog live in an empty storeroom in the basement. Ashton instructed Jeff, ¡°Let them live in that dog¡¯s room. Deborah trembled when she heard this. She had been bitten by a dog when she was a child, and she had a deep psychological shadow over dogs Before she could say a word, a few bodyguards at the side dragged her up and threw her and Alyssa into the roorn in the basement. The dog, who was sleeping, was awakened by the sudden movement and immediately stood up vigntly. The bodyguard went out, closed the door, and locked it. The dog looked at the two strangers who appeared in its territory and began to bark at them, approaching them. Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Don¡¯t You Want It? Deborah trembled all over. Because of fear,rge beads of sweat dripped down from her forehead and blurred her vision. Alyssa, who was in Deborah¡¯s arms, could no longer hold on and let out a sharp cry of fear. The huge golden retriever became even more fierce when it heard the cry and pounced directly at Deborah. Deborah protected Alyssa tightly in her arms. Her whole body was soft as she slowly pressed against the wall behind her. In a weak posture, she did not make a sound or move, only upying a small position in the corner. She gentlyforted Alyssa, ¡°Alyssa, don¡¯t cry. Don¡¯t be afraid. If you don¡¯t cry, the dog won¡¯te over.¡± Alyssa bit her pale lips, her teeth chattering. She trembled in Deborah¡¯s arms. Alyssa¡¯s body was getting hotter. Deborah could feel that she had a high fever, and Alyssa¡¯s body temperature was still rising. The dog approached Deborah, baring its teeth and fiercely barking. It probably felt that Deborah and her daughter did not seem to be a threat, so its barking slowly became smaller. Deborah just stood there with Alyssa in her arms. She really wanted to squat down to let herself rx a little. She had just knelt in the snow and moved in. Now, she felt that her knees were bleeding a lot. The blood was glued to the snow water on her trousers. It was particrly painful. She could not stand up. But in front of the dog, crouching might seem to attack it, so she could only stand, and her knees trembled desperately. The golden retriever stopped screaming for a long time. Ity back in its nest and stared at Deborah warily for a while longer. Then it closed its eyes and continued to sleep. Deborah stood for a long time and made sure that it was asleep before she dared to slowly slide down. She was too sleepy and slowly fell asleep. She dreamed of her childhood. When she just arrived at the Bauer¡¯s home, a boy lived near her house. Deborah could only walk to school alone. She was timid and always followed the boy to school secretly. The boy was like her. He was disliked by others and did not have a driver to pick him up. He always wore a very fierce and ugly mask on his face, and his body was cold. When Deborah followed him in the beginning, he would raise his schoolbag to scare her and say that he wanted to hit her. After a long time, he was toozy to chase her away. Later, one day, she and Helen were taken to the mountain by Helen¡¯s mom. As the evening approached, it was raining heavily. Helen¡¯s mom called Helen to get in the car and drove away. Deborah was left alone on the mountain. In the dark night, she looked around for a way to leave in fear. She slipped and rolled down the cliff. No one came to her for the whole night. She had many fractures and lost too much blood. She fell into aa. The next morning, the boy found her at the foot of the mountain and carried her to the hospital. The mountain road was slippery, and he fell when he carried her. His left wrist was cut by a sharp stone, leaving a scar. That was the first time he spoke to her. He said a lot of things, telling her not to fall asleep. He hummed a nursery rhyme and spoke to her. He said that only people were the most terrifying in the world. He said that death would bring happiness to his enemies and that he should live well until one day when he saw those evil people die one by one. After that, Deborah came out of the hospital emergency room and did not see him again. Many yearster, Deborah saw Ashton again. She saw the scar on his wrist, the familiar eyes, and his coldness just like when he was a child She heard from Jeff that when he was young, his face was injured and he wore a mask for a long time. Deborah knew that she had found that person. It was only now that Deborah discovered that the person who was cold on the outside but warm on the inside was now not only cold on the outside but also cold on the inside. Ashton was night. The most terrifying existence in the world was people. No matter how fierce the fierce dog was, it did not hurt them. The terminal illness had not taken away her daughter¡¯s life. No matter how hard it had been for so many years, they were still alive. and well. But now, Ashton would probably kill Deborah and her daughter soon. Deborah dreamed about those things in a daze until she felt empty in her arms. She suddenly woke up. Alyssa was gone, and the dog was gone. Before she coulde back to her senses, the door was suddenly pushed open, Ashton strode over and dragged her out. Deborah said anxiously, ¡°Ashton, where is my daughter?¡± Ashton did not say a word. He dragged her out of the basement with a sullen face and went upstairs through the living room. Nina was preparing medicine for Helen. When she saw Ashton dragging Deborah upstairs, she was shocked. Ignoring Deborah¡¯s struggles, Ashton dragged her directly into his bedroom and threw her onto the bed. Deborah felt as if her brain was buzzing, and she couldn¡¯t care less about what Ashton was going to do. She got up from the bed in a miserable state and was in a hurry to get out of bed. ¡°Where is my Alyssa? Where did you send my Alyssa?¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Ashton grabbed her wrist, flung her body, and let her lie on the bed again. His voice was filled with deep anger. ¡°Is that bastard Zayne¡¯s?¡± Before Deborah could answer, Ashton had already pulled off the tie on his neck impatiently and leaned down. The rm bell in Deborah¡¯s head rang, and she struggled desperately. At this time, Alyssa was still missing, and the dog was gone. She imagined a possibility in her mind, and she was so anxious that she was like a cat on hot bricks. How could she ept Ashton treating her like this? Ashton pressed his palm on her wrist. Seeing that she was struggling too much, he directly pulled the tie next to him and wrapped it around her wrists a few times to form a tight knot. He was gnashing his teeth. ¡°It was kind enough for me to let the doctor take a look at that bastard, but she always called Zayne. Then let her reunite with Zayne in hell!¡± Deborah¡¯s wrists were tied up, and her eyes were red as she tried to resist him. ¡°You bring Alyssa back¡­ Oh, get lost, get lost!¡± Ashton was bitten and tasted blood between his lips and teeth. He looked disgusted and sneered. ¡°Deborah, stop pretending. Aren¡¯t you the best at throwing yourself at me? Don¡¯t you want me to touch you even in your dreams?¡± Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Chapter 17 She Lied, Didn¡¯t She? Ignorant of what Ashton had done to Alyssa, Deborah said in a muffled voice. ¡°Alyssa is innocent. Please, don¡¯t hurt her. She is your¡­¡± Ashton interrupted Deborah with a kiss while tightening his grip on her shoulders. He showed no mercy to Deborah as if he was blind to her face white as a sheet. Ashton was anxious to vent his anger. Ashton did not know why he was angry. His anger began when he heard Alyssa call Zayne intimately or when Deborah followed Zayne away to the hospital. The growing anger made Ashton lose control of himself in the end. Outside the French window, the dawn was here. Deborah was in aa. Ashton remembered his first night with Deborah. He thought, back then, Deborah was only 19 years old. However, she was scheming and set me up. The old memory infuriated Ashton because he hated whoever schemed against and threatened him. Right then, the unconscious Deborah coughed with pain. Ashton saw something red roll down the corner of her mouth. Ashton did not take that suspicious liquid to heart. I know that Deborah is healthy, so that can¡¯t be blood. The light is dim here, sol must have made a mistake. Ashton thought. Deborah was almost tormented to death, but Ashton was still mad.. There was a knock on the door. Then, Helen¡¯s restless voice came from outside the door. ¡°Ashton, I went to the basement, but Debby wasn¡¯t there. I am worried about her. Can you go find her?¡± Hearing this, Ashton calmed down a bit. Looking at the pale Deborah, he thought. I must be out of my mind. Why did I re up for such a despicable woman? Ashton put on his clothes and went out of the room. He didn¡¯t give a damn about the motionless Deborah who was unconscious or dead on the bed. Deborah woke up and found herself in the basement again. There were no signs of Alyssa and the dog. With pain all over her body, Deborah crawled to the door and mmed it. ¡°Let me out! Let me see Alyssa!¡± There was no response. After a long time, Deborah heard someone unlock the door from outside. The door was open, and theer wasn¡¯t Ashton, but Helen. Helen came here because Ashton had left for something urgent at hispany. Helen was sure that Ashton wouldn¡¯te home so soon. Therefore, she didn¡¯t pretend to be innocent anymore. She walked into the basement arrogantly, looked at Deborah on the ground, and said disdainfully, ¡°Living in a doghouse, you do look like a dog. All you need now is a dog harness.¡± Ignoring Helen, the feeble Deborah stood up with the support of the wall. She was anxious to go out because the door was open now. Helen quickly closed the door and locked it again. Then, she said, ¡°Don¡¯t waste your strength. Your daughter has been eaten up. You will see some residues at most if you go find her now.¡± Deborah froze. Then, she looked at Helen with wide-open eyes. ¡°What did you say?¡± With a gloating smile, Helen said, ¡°Ashton was kind to take your daughter to see the doctor, but your daughter was close to Zayne and refused Ashton to touch her. This pissed off Ashton, so he beat your daughter up. That little bitch was so delicate that she died on the spot.¡± Deborah shook her head desperately to show that she didn¡¯t buy this story. ¡°Impossible! He isn¡¯t that cruel.¡± Chapter Deborah thought, even if Ashton didn¡¯t consider Alyssa as his daughter, he wouldn¡¯t kill a child She tried her best to soothe herself in her mind by thinking, a lie. She must have lied. Alyssa is still alive. Impatient, she struggled toward the door to open it. The door was locked, and Helen got the key. Smiling, Helen continued, ¡°That little bitch is dead. Ashton told Dr. Wilson to deal with her body. 1 ¡°You know that Dr. Wilson and Nina are my men. It would be a waste to throw that body away, so I got it chopped and then fed the dog with it.¡± Deborah pounced on Helen like crazy and shouted at the top of her voice, ¡°Liar! Liar! Open the door! I want to see Alyssa!¡± Helen avoided Deborah with contempt and threw a stic bag with minced meat to the ground. ¡°The dog had a good appetite, and your daughter was thin. That is the leftover of the dog. That girl is your daughter anyway, so¡¯ brought you this to remember her.¡± The minced meat from the stic bag was scattered on the ground, and there was blood. Deborahpletely lost control of herself as her eyes became bloodshot. Deborah pounced on Helen, pushed the evil woman to the ground, and beat her up. It seemed Deborah was determined to tear one piece of flesh off Helen. No, she wanted to tear Helen into pieces alive. Helen was pinned to the ground by Deborah, and there was horror on her face. Even so, she came prepared. She immediately called Ashton. Ashton answered the call quickly and asked, ¡°Helen, what¡¯s wrong?¡± The response he got was Deborah¡¯s hysterical voice. ¡°Helen, I¡¯ll kill you! Kill you!¡± Right then, Ashton was in the living room because he had returned for some documents forgotten at home. Hearing the shouts, Ashton pulled a long face. Immediately, he turned around and strode to the basement. Deborah, furious, beat Helen ck and blue. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Helen, scheming but delicate, wasn¡¯t equal to Deborah in strength. It startled her that Deborah, who was half-dead, was still so strong. Soon, the door was kicked open by a bodyguard. Helen immediately threw the key in her hand to the ground, and her tears flooded out of her eyes. Ashton stormed into the basement. He pulled Deborah away from Helen and threw her to the ground. Deborah smacked the ground. Soon, the sharp pain quickly spread to her limbs. Before Deborah moved, several bodyguards quickly pressed her to the ground as they did to a lunatic. Deborah asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°Ashton, Helen said that you had killed Alyssa. She lied, didn¡¯t she?¡± Ashton noticed the weird minced meat on the ground and then shifted his gaze to Helen. ¡°What happened?¡± He thought, Deborah couldn¡¯t bring the disgusting meat here because she could not get out. The bodyguard locked the door after sending Deborah back. Helen¡¯s face turned pale. Ashton, who looked unhappy, asked, ¡°Helen, why did you bring the meat here?¡± Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Give Her Away Deborah could not break free from the bodyguard who was holding her, so she could only pray Ashton could tell her Helen was lying to her. ¡°That meat is not Alyssa¡¯s. No, no, Helen is talking nonsense, right?¡± Helen¡¯s face was full of injuries. She tried to pretend to be tearful and pitiful, but she didn¡¯t know her swollen face was ugly and twisted Helen seemed to see a trace of disgust on Ashton¡¯s face, but when she took a closer look, it was gone. ¡°Ashton, I don¡¯t know what Debby is talking about,¡± Helen cried. ¡°I just brought some minced meat over and nned to feed it to the dogs. When I came in, I remembered the dog lived in another room. Then, for some reason, Debby suddenly pounced on me and attacked me. Helen then interceded, ¡°Debby must have misunderstood something. Don¡¯t me her, Ashton It¡¯s all my fault. I know she doesn¡¯t like me or want to see me. I shouldn¡¯t have appeared in front of her. ¡®Ashton, why don¡¯t you let me leave Flora Vi? I¡¯m afraid Debby will be angry when she sees me again. Helen nced at Deborah fearfully. She noticed the red marks on Deborah¡¯s neck and recalled how she had secretly stood outside Ashton¡¯s bedroomst night and heard those sounds. Helen was so jealous that she was about to go crazy Deborah cannot continue to stay by Ashton¡¯s side. She has to leave! Helen thought to herself Helen said as she was about to walk out. ¡°Ashton, I am leaving. You shouldfort Debby, and I will note to Flora Vi again. Debby, don¡¯t worry.¡± As she walked out, Helen staggered and looked a little unsteady. Ashton immediately walked over and held her. ¡°Helen, what are you talking about? We will get married sooner orter. This is your home. If someone must leave, it should be Deborah.¡± Helen looked at Ashton with tears in her eyes. ¡°But Ashton, I know Debby cares about you. Alyssa thinks of you as her father. The mother and daughter can¡¯t leave you. Let me go.¡± Deborah¡¯s mind was full of worry for Alyssa Deborah said anxiously, ¡®Where is Alyssa? She is fine, right? I want to see her!¡± Ashton ignored Deborah and gentlyforted Helen, ¡°Helen, stay. I will ask Deborah and the bastard to leave. ¡°But not now. She plotted against me back then and caused you to suffer from intermittent mental illness. Before she leaves, I will make her pay the price.¡± Helen pleaded, ¡°But Ashton, Debby and Alyssa have been suffering for so many years. Can you let them go and stop torturing them?¡± Ashton said coldly, ¡°No. Deborah¡¯s punishment is far from enough. Helen, you are injured Let Dr. Wilson examine you first. I wille to you soon.¡± Helen was unwilling, but she didn¡¯t dare to say anything more. She obediently nodded and left Ashton finally turned around and looked at Deborah. The gentleness on his face morphed into ruthlessness. He approached and said angrily, ¡°How dare you hurt Helen! If not for Helen pleading for mercy, I would have killed your bastard!¡± When Deborah heard Ashton¡¯s words, she knew nothing had happened to Alyssa. She sat down powerlessly, tears falling from her eyes. However, she could not help butugh softly. Fortunately, Alyssa is fine, Deborah thought to herself. The huge fear and despair that Deborah had just felt slowly dissipated. Ashton looked at Deborah¡¯s smile angrily. She could actually stillugh! He reached out to pull Deborah up and said coldly, ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you good at hitting people? I want to see if you can beat a bunch of big men in a different cer Deborah realized what Ashton wanted to do, and a trace of fear touched her heart. Ashton rudely dragged her out of the basement, stuffed her into the car, and ordered the driver coldly. ¡°To the Mauve Club!¡± Half an hourter, the ck Maybach stopped outside the Mauve Club. Ashton pulled Deborah out of the car with a cold expression and dragged her into a private room. The room was dimly lit, and many people were sitting in it. They were all pot bellied men in their forties or fifties, and sorne even brought bodyguards. After Ashton dragged Deborah in, he threw her onto the ground. After Deborah had been dragged to the bedroorn by Ashtonst night, her clothes had been torn, and now half of her fair shoulder was exposed. Her forehead hit the coffee table, and she gasped. She tried to stand up, noticing the malicious gazes of the men sitting around her. Tom Davis, the man who was closest to Deborahughed and said, ¡°Mr. Mullen, is this the club¡¯s new girl you mentioned? She looks so pitiful dressed in rags.¡± As Tom spoke, his gaze fell on Deborah¡¯s exposed shoulder. He swallowed his saliva and wished he could take Deborah right now. Ashton looked indifferent. ¡°Mr. Davis, if you like her, she is all yours.¡± The other men sitting around were all fascinated by Deborah¡¯s beauty. How could they be willing to let Tom have her for himself? One of the middle-aged men quickly said, ¡®She is gorgeous. Not only Mr. Davis likes her, but also the rest of us. Why don¡¯t we make a bid? And whoever makes the highest bid can have her.¡± Ashton looked at Deborah and sneered, ¡°It seems you are quite popr. Well, then let¡¯s bid. Whoever offers the highest price can take her.¡± Ashton agreed, and the other men could not wait to give the price. ¡°I offer 15 thousand dors!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you 30 thousand dors!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you 50 thousand dors!¡± Tom was determined to win. He signed a check for 150 thousand dors and mmed it on the coffee table. ¡°You guys, stop. I want this woman tonight!¡± Deborah¡¯s eyes were filled with fear as she looked at the men who acted like they were buying a product. Their words and actions were frivolous, and those who were close to her even pawed her. Deborah noticed Ashton sitting on the sofa smoking and not paying attention to her, so she gritted her teeth and turned around to run outside. Ashton¡¯s bodyguard immediately took a few steps forward, grabbed her, and threw her back to the ground. Tom had a lewd smile on his face. He got up and was about to take Deborah out when he suddenly heard someone in the group say. *She seems to be Mr. Mullen¡¯s wife, right?¡± The incident five years ago caused a lot ofmotion. Deborah had slept with Ashton and gotten pregnant. Ashton had been forced to marry her. Everyone knew Ashton hated her and never brought Deborah to participate in any activities, so few people had seen Deborah. However, some people could recognize her. No matter what, Deborah was Ashton¡¯s wife. When that person said it, many men recognized her, and their expressions changed. Tom was also a little scared. ¡°She¡­ is Mr. Mullen¡¯s wife? Mr. Mullen, you must be joking with us. How would we dare to touch your wife?¡± Ashton elegantly blew out a smoke ring and squinted at Deborah. ¡°Who says she is my woman? Is she worthy?¡± The men gave fake smiles, and Tom did not dare to make a move. Those who had been fighting over Deborah strangely fell silent. Everyone knew Ashton was ruthless and unpredictable. Even if his wife didn¡¯t have his favor, who would dare to touch her? Deborah trembled all over. Just as she let out a sigh of relief, the door to the private room was suddenly pushed open. A tall and straight man strode in and looked at Deborah. His tone was mocking and provocative. ¡°Hey, Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. isn¡¯t this the woman Mr. Mullen was forced to marry? What? Mr. Mullen, are you bankrupt? Are you selling your wife?¡± Ashton looked at Joseph who walked in with a displeased expression. ¡°If you like her, Mr. ck, I¡¯ll give her to you.¡± Joseph looked at a distressed Deborah and walked over to pick her up with one hand. He then walked out. ¡°I was just worried I would be alone tonight. Thank you, Mr. Mullen, for your wife. I¡¯ll give you the money tomorrow.¡± Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Chapter 19 How is Ashton¡¯s Wife? Ashton¡¯s face darkened as he sneered, ¡°Mr. Davis, you are not going with Mr. ck? This woman is slutty One man can¡¯t satisfy her Tom, who was sitting at the side, did not dare to follow. How could he sleep with Joseph¡¯s woman? Tom did not know how to answer, feeling anxious. Joseph stepped out and responded, ¡°Mr. Mullen, don¡¯t worry about it. I will satisfy her.¡± Ashton could not suppress his anger. He wanted to get up and fight, but he could not find a suitable reason at the moment. Deborah was carried out by Joseph and entered the elevator while everyone was watching in the corridor. The humiliation and shame made her blush and angry. Joseph was too strong, and her struggle was like a tickle to him. She didn¡¯t know what to do, so she could only say anxiously, ¡°I¡­ I am Ashton¡¯s wife. He was joking with you. If you¡­ touch me, he will not forgive you.¡± Joseph motioned to the bodyguard outside the elevator to leave. He carried Deborah with one hand and pressed the bottom floor of, the elevator with the other. His voice was frivolous. ¡°What a coincidence. I just want to sleep with Ashton¡¯s wife. If he gives me some other woman, i will not be interested.¡± Deborah struggled desperately in vain, not knowing who Joseph was. She had never seen anyone in Richmond who dared to touch Ashton¡¯s woman. No matter what, she was Ashton¡¯s real wife. She could not push Joseph away, and he took her to a hotel room. The door of the room was closed, and the light sound of the door being locked made Deborah shiver all over. In her most desperate moment, she could not help but hope Ashton would save her. Ashton would save her, right? After all, they had been married for five years. With his obsession with cleanliness, he would not tolerate another man touching her. Joseph threw her onto the sofa, undoing his tie with one hand, and holding down on her shoulder with the other, pressing her back against the back of the sofa. He sniffed gently in her ear. ¡°How will it feel like to sleep with Ashton¡¯s wife?¡± Deborah pushed him hard, her voice desperate and fearful. ¡°Get lost! Get lost! You are forcing me. I will Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. call the police. Thew will punish you!¡± Joseph tucked her messy hair behind her ear and smiled. ¡°Thew. Thew of Richmond is up to either the ck family or the Mullen family. Which one are you referring to?¡± Deborah was terrified and had nowhere to retreat. She couldn¡¯t help but look at the door, hoping it would suddenly be pushed open. She had heard the sound of Ashton kicking open the door too many times. The sound would bring her panic and fear. But at this moment, she was looking forward to hearing that sound. Joseph ran out of patience to y with his prey. He pulled her gently and let her lie down on the sofa. Deborah felt everything in front of her was white and blurry. At that moment, the five years she spent with Ashton, their four years of marriage, and the details of their life together shed through her mind. Deborah¡¯s struggling movements slowly stopped, and her eyes were nk as she stared at the ceiling In the private room, the men sitting around the table all noticed the atmosphere was not right. Realizing they couldn¡¯t have Deborah, the men all got up and found excuses to leave After everyone left, Ashton went out again and didn¡¯t see Joseph or Deborah Ashton knew Joseph was a notorious yboy Joseph was vicious andscivious Everyone in Richmond knew Joseph was an illegitimate son of the ck Group, but now he was the powerful CEO of the ck Group, and even his family was afraid of him It was said Joseph hit the previous CEO, Gerald ck¡¯s wife and their son with his car. In the incident, the mother was killed, and the son was crippled. With crooked tricks, Joseph made Gerald impotent. In this way, the ck family could only ept Joseph and his mother¡¯s ashes, because Joseph was the only male sessor After entering the ck family, Josephmitted all kinds of crimes and was notorious for being ruthless to women. Rumor had it that some women were hurt and even killed by Joseph during sex Therefore, the greediest female sex worker in Mauve Club didn¡¯t dare to serve Joseph Jeff stood beside Ashton. When Jeff thought of what Joseph would do to Deborah, he could not help but say with worry. ¡°Sir, should i bring Ms. Shepherd back?¡± Ashton¡¯s jaw was tense, and he did not say a word Jeff immediately stopped the waiter not far away ¡°Go to your manager and which room Mr ck has booked¡± The waiter immediately nodded and went to do it. Soon, the manager personally came over and replied. ¡°Mr. Mullen, Mr. ck just left with a youngdy. He didn¡¯t book a room here.¡± Ashton¡¯s face turned sour. It was hard to tell where Joseph would take Deborah. Ashton walked forward without a word, entered the elevator, and left Mauve Club Not long after the car left the club, Ashton¡¯s phone rang. It was Helen calling him. Ashton picked up the phone. He was absent-minded and did not speak. Helen said, ¡°Ashton, are you still busy? I saw Debby was back. Didn¡¯t she go out with you? Why didn¡¯t youe back?¡± Ashton was surprised and quickly replied, ¡°I¡¯m on my way back. Ill be home soon.¡± Helen responded. ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll bring Debby some medicine. She looks sick.¡± Ashton forced himself out of that strange and irritable mood. ¡°Don¡¯t bring it to her. Don¡¯t let her hurt you again.¡± Helen smiled. ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask Nina to send it. Alright, let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. It¡¯s almost dark, and it¡¯s quite cold outside. Come back early¡± Ashton hung up the phone and looked at Jeff, who was driving faster in front of him. ¡°Go back to the manor.¡± Jeff was calling a nearby hotel while driving. When he heard it, he looked at the rearview mirror in surprise. ¡°Sir, aren¡¯t you looking for Ms. Shepherd?¡± Ashton looked indifferent. ¡°Did I tell you I was looking for her?¡± Jeff recalled that Ashton did not say that. Did Jeff misunderstand? But if Deborah slept with Joseph, she would¡­. Jeff had no choice but to end the call with the hotel and change the direction to drive back to the manor. When they got home, Ashton entered the living room and looked at the door leading to the basement. Helen walked down the stairs with a pale face. The wounds on her face had been just treated. She looked very weak. Ashton quickly walked over to hold her. Nina, who followed Helen down, said, ¡°Sir, Dr. Wilson said Ms. Bauer was seriously hurt by Ms. Shepherd Ms. Bauer might have internal injuries. Dr. Wilson also said the medicine and medical equipment here were limited. He suggested Ms. Bauer go to the hospital for a checkup.¡± Ashton frowned. He did not expect Deborah to be so ruthless. He underestimated her. Helen said softly, ¡°Ashton. If you are busy, I will go to the hospital alone. I am fine. It is not that serious.¡± Ashton ordered Jeff, ¡°Start the car. I will take Helen to the hospital.¡± Jeff couldn¡¯t mention Deborah now, so he had to do as told. After a check-up at the hospital, Ernest said Helen was in a serious condition and should be hospitalized. Helen was a little scared, so Ashton stayed. Helen couldn¡¯t sleep well the whole night. When Ashton noticed she seemed to be asleep, he wanted to go out. However, she woke up and looked at him in fear. ¡°Ashton, are you leaving?¡± Ashton stayed overnight. It was not until nine o¡¯clock the next morning that Helen fell asleep peacefully. Ashton didn¡¯t know why, but he always felt ufortable. He got up and left the ward, wanting to return to the manor. He received a transfer message from Joseph on his phone. Ashton tapped it in confusion, and there was a message on the transfer page: ¡°She tastes good. Thank you, Mr. Mullen Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Chapter 20 A Sense of Familiarity With Deborah Ashton¡¯s eyes suddenly darkened, and he immediately called Deborah. But it could not be connected, and he would not call Joseph for help. Therefore, Ashton turned back into the ward with an extremely gloomy face. Helen woke up on the bed and sat up. Nina had brought her breakfast. Ashton asked her directly, ¡°Helen, did you see Deborah return to Flora Vist night?¡± Helen looked confused, replying, ¡°Yes, Nina said that Debby returned to Flora Vi. Ashton, what happened? Is Debby alright?¡± Ashton concealed his emotions and said lightly, ¡°Nothing, I was just asking ¡± Nina seemed to think of something and said, ¡°Mr. Mullen, I remember that Ms. Shepherd dide backst night. ¡°But she left soon. Alyssa was still in Flora Vi, and I thought that Ms. Shepherd would definitelye back, so I didn¡¯t stop her.¡± Nina spoke and hesitated. ¡°When Ms. Shepherd came backst night, she looked very happy and said something strange. She said that¡­ she would no longer have to be afraid of you in the future.¡± Helen looked surprised. ¡°Is that true? Nina, why didn¡¯t you tell us earlier? Maybe Debby has gone. Nina, you were too careless. How do you want me to exin to Ashton now?¡± ¡°Ashton, can¡¯t you find Debby?¡± Helen asked worriedly. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. When I called youst night, I should have asked Nina about it first. I thought it was already sote and Debby would not go out again when she came back.¡± Ashton was angry. He said in a low voice, ¡°Helen, this has nothing to do with you. Have a good rest. I will go out for a while.¡± As Ashton spoke, he turned around and walked out of the ward. As soon as Ashton left, the weak and uneasy look on Helen¡¯s face disappeared. She looked at Nina with satisfaction, and they smiled at each other. It had been a whole night, and things must have happened. What could Ashton do if he went out now? Nina said proudly, ¡°Ms. Bauer, you have finally seeded. A cheap slut born from a mistress is not worthy topete with you for Mr. Mullen.¡± Helen smiled sinisterly. ¡°Do you think she¡¯s still alive after being controlled by Joseph, that lunatic?¡± Nina shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. When she is dead, you¡¯ll be Mr. Mullen¡¯s wife in the future. ¡°Even if she¡¯s still alive, she¡¯s already sullied by Joseph. Mr. Mullen is a freak about it. In the future, I¡¯m afraid he will feel disgusted just by looking at her.¡± Helen¡¯s eyes were filled with hatred. She said maliciously, ¡°She deserves it. Her mother took the heart of my father away and tried to rece my mother. Now she wants to get my man, Both Deborah and her mother are courting death!¡± Helen imagined that soon, she could see Deborah¡¯s body or her miserable appearance. Then she could marry Ashton, and then she would be his noble and respectable wife. Thinking about it, Helen was full of longing. Deborah didn¡¯t sleep well and felt pain in her brain. She had a headache and was sweating all over. It was not until the curtains of the hotel room were pulled open and the light stimted her eyes that she finally woke up abruptly Deborah looked nkly at the curtains that had been pulled open and saw Joseph standing in front of the window with a towel lied around his waist. She could see his tall and sexy figure, which reminded her slowly of everything that had happenedst night. Last night, Joseph leaned close to her ear and said in a low and bewitching voice, ¡°What does it feel like to have sex with Ashton¡¯s wife?¡± Joseph pressed her down on the sofa and she could only see the white ceiling. Later, she fell unconscious. Until now, when she woke up, it was morning. The whole night passed, but Ashton did not appear. Deborahy on the bed, her eyes unfocused. She stared out the window. It was unknown whether she was looking out the window or Joseph Joseph sat on the sofa, smiled, and said, ¡°Do I look good? Satisfied?¡± Deborah remained motionless and closed her eyes. She could feel that her clothes had been changed into a thin night dress in the hotel room. Joseph looked interested. ¡°There must be something wrong with Ashton¡¯s eyes. Or is he impotent? He keeps Helen, who is stupid and ugly, by his side. You are so sexy and charming, but he sent you to other men,¡± As he spoke, he got up and walked over to Deborah. With a frivolous expression, he bent down and his finger was about to touch her face. Deborah finally reacted. She grabbed an ashtray from the bedside table and threw it at his face. Joseph¡¯s forehead was hit, and blood quickly flowed down his eyebrows. Joseph was stunned for a moment. He probably did not expect that Deborah, who looked so lifeless and hopeless at the moment, would still attack. Then heughed softly, got two tissues, and slowly wiped the blood on his face. For some reason, Joseph had a sense of familiarity with Deborah. But when he approached her and looked at her closely, it seemed like it was just an illusion. He straightened up, took the watch from the bedside table, and put it on. A scar on his wrist was half-covered by the watch, and when he took off his shirt cuffs, the scar was hidden. There was a knock on the door, and a man¡¯s voice came, ¡°Mr. ck, it¡¯s time to go to thepany.¡± Joseph did not look at Deborah on the bed anymore. He dressed neatly and returned to his well- Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. dressed appearance. Then he stepped out. When he walked to the door and was about to open it to go out, Deborah suddenly called out to him from behind, ¡°Mr. ck.¡± Joseph paused and turned around to look at her. ¡°What? You don¡¯t want me to leave, right? Do you want to do it again?¡± Deborah thought of Alyssa, who was still in Flora Vi. She didn¡¯t want to see Ashton anymore. It was time to leave this time. Her hands were clenched tightly under the quilt. No matter how embarrassed she felt, she still said, ¡°You haven¡¯t paid yet.¡± Joseph was stunned for a moment, but soon, the smile in his eyes disappeared, and he looked at her with contempt. To provoke Ashton, he transferred some money to Ashton before. However, he was not going to bargain with Deborah. He opened the door and looked at the driver standing outside. ¡°Give her no matter how much she wants.¡± Alter Joseph finished speaking, he left directly. Deborah did not dare to ask for too much money. After all, she did not know who Joseph was and whether he was rich or not. She just guessed that since he dared to go against Ashton, he should be powerful. She carefully asked for 15 thousand dors. Joseph¡¯s driver immediately signed the check, threw it to her, and left. Deborah was worried about Alyssa, who was still in Flora Vi, so she picked up the check and got up from the bed. The clothes she worest night were gone, and the night dress she wore was too thin. It was something from the hotel room, so she couldn¡¯t wear it out. There was a folded dress on the sofa, which should be left for her Deborah hesitated for a while, but she had no other choice. She could only change into the dress. She found her phone under the coffee table, and she saw calls from Ashton on it. The first missed call was over nine o¡¯clock in the morning. Deborah smiled silently. Did he call her at that time to ask if she was satisfied with the punishmentst night? Deborah grabbed the phone and the check, left the hotel, and took a taxi to Flora Vi. Alyssa was still there. She did not know how she was doing. The taxi stopped near Flora Vi. Deborah had just gotten out of the car Out of habit, she was about to walk to the gate of Flora Vi, which was 1.2 miles away, when a car suddenly rushed over from behind. She had no time to react. The car was very close behind her and stopped abruptly The driver was in a rage. Deborah knew that it was Ashton in the car. However, she thought that Ashton should be very satisfied at this time. What was there to be angry about? Ashton pushed open the door of the driver¡¯s seat and got out of the car. His face was full of anger. He took a few steps closer to Deborah and grabbed her neck fiercely, asking, ¡°Did you sleep with Joseph? Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Chapter 21 I Want a Divorce Deborah didn¡¯t say a word Looking at the irritable man in front of her, she suddenly felt that he was particrly funny Ashton couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He didn¡¯t care that he was outside. He just pulled Deborah over and took off her ¡°Where did you get this dress? Who lets you wear it? Deborah, if you slept with Joseph, I would definitely kill you! Deborah didn¡¯t move. She let Ashton take off her coat and throw it on the ground. Then, she looked at him in dead silence as he rudely unbuttoned the top of her long-sleeved dress Ashton unbuttoned the buttons one by one and revealed arge part of her chest. Deborah did not feel cold or ashamed. Ashton unbuttoned thest button and looked at Deborah¡¯s delicate skin. Then he suddenly remembered that they were still outside. He pulled Deborah to the side of the car, opened the door of the back seat, and stuffed her in. He followed her in and continued to take off her clothes impatiently. He carefully stared at her body to check every part, as if he was checking a lifeless cargo. Deborah looked at Ashton, who had been married to her and had been sleeping with her for so many years, wondering why he was so Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. cruel to her. She suddenly felt that she could not see him through. How could the boy, who carried her from the bottom of the mountain to the hospital, be him? Ashton tore off the clothes on her body and checked her carefully. He did not seem to see any traces left by Joseph. Just as he subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief, he heard Deborah say, ¡°Ashton, do you really hate me that much? Do you?¡± Ashton froze. The sense of guilt surged up but quickly disappeared. He pushed her away with some disgust and said coldly. ¡°Deborah, don¡¯t pretend to be pitiful. Helen and Nina told me that you went back to Flora Vist night and then you sent yourself to Joseph.¡± Ashton seemed to have thought of something, stared at Deborah, and asked, ¡°After you left Flora Vi, did you go to find Joseph again?¡± Deborah¡¯s expression did not change, and she did not exin anything. She smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes, I slept with him for the whole night.¡± Ashton¡¯s eyes turned red in an instant. He raised his hand to grab her hair and smashed her head on the car window. ¡°Deborah, how dare you! I think you are tired of living!¡± Deborah chuckled, ¡°I have been tired of living for a long time. Don¡¯t you know about it?¡± Ashton¡¯s face froze. He stared at Deborah, speechless. Deborah¡¯s eyes were helpless. After a long time, she said softly, ¡°Ashton, I want a divorce. Please let me go.¡± Ashton didn¡¯t reply and he looked unhappy. He did not like Deborah to act like this. In the past, she didn¡¯t talk to him like this, let alone mention divorcing him. She was such a shameless woman, and she just wanted him. Ashton looked at Deborah, feeling that she must be lying. Deborah, Joseph never touched you, right? Stop dreaming. A man like him can¡¯t help you. You¡¯re not his type.¡± Deborah smiled slightly, ¡°Ashton, don¡¯t you know that kind of person? He couldn¡¯t let go of me who went to his bed by myself With your obsession with cleanliness, you can¡¯t keep me and sleep with me again, right?¡± As Deborah spoke, she approached Ashton and said word by word, ¡°It¡¯s very disgusting.¡± Ashton stared at Deborah, but he could not find any trace of her lying. He noticed that Deborah was holding something in one hand. He reached out to take it and saw the check under her phone. It was given by Joseph, Ashton clenched it so tightly that he seemed to want to crush the check. Suddenly, he tore the check into pieces and smashed it hard on Deborah¡¯s face. Then he pped Deborah, shouting. ¡°Deborah, you are so cheap!* Deborah was brought back to Flora Vi by Ashton and was dragged into the bathroom by him as soon as he got out of the car. Ashton turned the water to the coldest, and the cold water instantly poured down on Deborah. Deborah shuddered violently and fell. She was pulled up by Ashton and thrown into the bathtub. Ashton got a bottle of shower gel and unscrewed the cap, pouring it all over Deborah¡¯s head. Throwing the empty bottle aside, he grabbed another bottle and unscrewed it, pouring it all over Deborah¡¯s body again. He ruthlessly rinsed the shower head at Deborah, took a towel, and rubbed it all over her body rudely. Deborah was so cold that her teeth were trembling desperately. The foam covered her face, and she opened her mouth to breathe. Then water and foam rushed into her mouth and nose. She couldn¡¯t help but cough in pain. Ashton washed her desperately, saying, ¡°It¡¯s so dirty, so dirty! You can¡¯t be washed clean. Deborah, you¡¯re so dirty!¡± Deborah¡¯s face became paler, and it was more difficult for her to breathe. She wanted to push Ashton away because of her survival instinct, and she wanted to leave there. She grabbed the edge of the bathtub and was just about to stand up when her feet slipped. Then she fell back into the bathtub. Her head hit the bathtub, and only a sharp sound could be heard in her ears. In her blurred vision, she saw the man in front of her, but she didn¡¯t seem to know him. The cold water slowly filled the entire bathtub. Ashton pulled Deborah out and walked out of the bathroom. Deborah was cold and wet, and he threw her to the bed in the bedroom. Deborah was so cold that even her bones felt so painful. She reached out to grab the quilt beside her, wanting to cover herself so that her body could warm up a little. Just as her hand touched the quilt, Ashton pulled her hand away and pressed down on her arm. His voice was like the devil in hell, ¡°It seems that I didn¡¯t satisfy you well. That¡¯s why you went to find another man so shamelessly.¡± Deborah endured him numbly, and her eyes were dull. When one was living a life worse than death, there was no feeling left. Anyway, she knew very well that she would probably die in Ashton¡¯s hands soon. Recently, Deborah was in worse health. She could feel something wrong with her body. She donated her liver to Helen. They all said that she only donated thirty percent of her liver, and it had almost no effect on her body. However, she could feel that she was getting weak. Many times, she began to feel like she was on the verge of death. She looked at the man in front of her in a trance, thinking how good it would be if she had not met him when she was a child. She would rather die in the cold mountain that day than be saved by him and tortured. Ashton hated Deborah¡¯s eyes at the moment. He did not want to look at them, so he pulled a pillow to the side and covered her face directly. After sex, he threw her back to the basement. After venting his anger, he still felt disgusted when thinking that Deborah had been touched by Joseph. Andrew followed him to the basement and asked carefully, ¡°Mr. Mullen, do you want to treat Ms. Shepherd? She looks pale.¡± Ashton said coldly, ¡°She¡¯s a slut, and deserves to die. Get that bastard over here and leave her here with Deborah ¡± Andrew pretended to show a look of pity, saying, ¡°But Alyssa is having an intravenous drip in the medical room upstairs. She has a high fever and leukemia. If the treatment was interrupted at this time, she would be in danger.¡± Ashton said impatiently, ¡°I told you to do it.¡± 1 Andrew responded and left the basement. He carried Alyssa over and ced her next to Deborah. Then he left and secretly sent a short message to Helen to tell her that Deborah had returned. He added that Ashton didn¡¯t kick Deborah out of the house, and Ashton even had sex with her in the bedroom. As soon as Ashton went out, he locked the door and left. . When the door closed, Ashton heard Deborah¡¯s dying voice, ¡°Ashton, isn¡¯t it enough? What do you want me to do to let Alyssa go?¡± Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Are You Dumb? Ashton¡¯s action of locking the door paused for a moment. In the end, Ashton did not reply to her. Ashton just locked the door and left. Alyssa had been thrown into the basement. Her nose bled. Ashton returned to the study and turned on theputer to check the surveince video in the basement. Alyssa¡¯s nosebleed had not stopped, and she was in a semi-conscious state. Deborah held Alyssa in her arms in panic, lifted her clothes, and tried to help Alyssa stop the blood from flowing out of her nose. But the blood could not stop. Deborah blocked the clothes under Alyssa¡¯s nose. The blood slowly seeped into the clothes, dyeing the clothes red. Alyssa let out a weak and painful voice, ¡°Mom, it hurts.¡± Deborah cried. She carried Alyssa to the door and mmed the door. ¡°Open the door! Open the door! Help!¡± Ashton stared at the screen and felt that it was a little strange. Ashton did not know much about leukemia. Because Alyssa had this Illness for so long. Ashton had heard some from the doctor about it. Ashton thought, it is said that leukemia can easily cause bleeding. However, normal people would have nosebleeds. It is not a big deal. Ashton did not understand why Deborah was so anxious. Moreover, looking at the monitor, Alyssa¡¯s nosebleed seemed to have not stopped, and it was still flowing out continuously. However, Ashton just felt a little strange. Ashton did not intend to get up to help. He still sat in front of the desk indifferently and watched the monitor screen as if he was watching a show. Ashton thought that he had to teach Deborah a lesson this time. He wanted to lock Deborah and Alyssa up for ten days, even half a month. Ashton thought, it must be because I am so kind that Deborah dared to be so unscrupulous and even dared to sleep with another man. Ashton was thinking about it in his mind. When he looked at the surveince screen again, he froze, Deborah bit her wrist. When Deborah looked up again, blood quickly fell from her wrist. Deborah¡¯s lips, teeth, and face were stained with blood. There were no knives or dangerous items in the room. Ashton could not imagine that Deborah dared to hurt herself like this. Ashton stood up and saw Deborah holding Alyssa tightly and falling unconscious. Ashton¡¯s expression changed. When he hurried downstairs, Ashton shouted, ¡°Dr. Wilson,e with me!¡± When Ashton rushed to the basement and opened the door, Deborah, who was lying on the ground, heard the sound and insisted on getting up. Deborah saw the red dot on the ceiling of the room and knew that there was a surveince camera. Seeing that no one opened the door, Deborah bet that Ashton was watching the surveince screen. Deborah bet that Ashton was afraid that she would kill herself. Only then did Ashton know that he had been tricked by Deborah. Ashton turned around and wanted to go out with a cold face. Deborah anxiously crawled over and grabbed Ashton¡¯s trousers. ¡°Save Alyssa. Save her.¡± Ashton wanted to kick Deborah away. However, when Ashton looked down, he saw that Deborah¡¯s Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. wrist was still bleeding. Ashton couldn¡¯t tell why. Andrew had clearly said that Deborah was in good health, but Ashton felt that Deborah was in a particrly bad state recently. Sometimes, when Ashton looked at Deborah, he even felt like she was looking at a dying person. This feeling made Ashton unhappy. When Ashton saw the blood on Deborah¡¯s wrist, he c her.¡± coldly ordered Andrew, ¡°Stop the bleeding for Deborah gritted her teeth and hid her hands behind her back. ¡°Save Alyssa first. If something happens to Alyssa, I won¡¯t live either.¡± Ashton looked at Deborah in disgust. ¡®Deborah, do you think you are qualified to threaten me?¡± Ashton squatted down and suddenly pulled Alyssa out of Deborah¡¯s arms and threw her aside. Then Ashton pressed Deborah to the ground. ¡°Come over and bandage her wound.¡± Andrew immediately went over and looked at the small wound on Deborah¡¯s wrist. A trace of disappointment shed in Andrew¡¯s eyes. Andrew helped Deborah bandage It. After bandaging it, Andrew said, ¡°Sir, Ms. Shepherd is fine. The wound is very shallow. It has been treated.¡± Ashton still pressed the struggling Deborah to the ground and said coldly, ¡®Get out.¡± Andrew packed up his medical kit, looked at Alyssa, who was lying on the ground, and turned to leave, Andrew thought, if Alyssa dies, Deborah will die. Deborah was pressed to the ground by Ashton. Deborah could see Alyssa lying on the side. Alyssa¡¯s nose was still bleeding. If this went on, Alyssa would die from excessive blood loss. Deborah tried her best to protect her dignity and bottom line, but she was once again defeated. Deborah begged, ¡°Please save her. Leukemia causes a hematopoietic function disorder. You have to ask a doctor to stop the bleeding. If this continues, Alyssa will die.¡± Ashton sneered. He thought, so it is a hematopoietic function disorder. No wonder Deborah is so nervous. Ashton leaned over and approached Deborah. ¡°What? Are you still going to divorce?¡± Deborah¡¯s face was pale as she shook her head. ¡°No, I won¡¯t say anymore. I was wrong It was all my fault. Please save Alyssa.¡± Ashton was not in a hurry. He continued slowly, ¡°Last night, you sent yourself to Joseph? You also seduced Zayne, didn¡¯t you?¡± Deborah was stunned. She said, ¡°I ¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± Deborah did not know what the answer Ashton wanted was. Ashton looked impatient. ¡®You still don¡¯t admit it. Deborah, you can argue as long as your daughter can afford to wait.¡± Deborah snapped back to reality and nodded continuously. ¡°Yes, it was me. I seduced Mr. ckst night, and I seduced Dr. Gaige. I am shameless. I am dirty.¡± Ashton grabbed Deborah¡¯s neck fiercely. ¡°Deborah, how dare you say that!¡± Deborah was nervous. She did not understand. Deborah thought, did I answer wrongly? Ashton stared at Deborah and asked, ¡°Five years ago, that night¡­¡± ¡°It was me. I schemed against you. I got you drunk, slept with you, and forced you to marry me after I got pregnant.¡± Deborah interrupted Ashton and replied impatiently. Deborah did not know how long Ashton wanted to tease her. Deborah only knew that Alyssa could not wait any longer. Ashton finally got a satisfactory answer. ¡°So you admit that you want to marry me even in your dreams, right? You seduced Joseph and Zayne for money, but me for love, right?¡± Deborah chuckled in her mind. She thought, love? Ashton knows how to hurt someone. Even if he forces me to death, he will still make me disgusted. Deborah nodded like a puppet. ¡°Yes, I love you. I want to marry you even in my dreams.¡± Ashton sneered. ¡°You are so shameless.¡± Ashton finally let go of Deborah and let Andrewe in to take Alyssa away to treat her. Deborah felt very uneasy. After Andrew¡¯s treatment, Deborah felt that Alyssa¡¯s condition had not improved. Moreover, Alyssa¡¯s condition was rapidly deteriorating. Deborah said with a trembling voice, ¡°Can you send Alyssa to the hospital to treat her? She is in a very bad condition. After all, the medical equipment in the hospital is moreplete.¡± Ashton said, ¡°Impossible. Don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t know what you are thinking. Stop thinking about Zayne.¡± Ashton thought of something and suddenly approached Deborah again. Ashton squatted down and stared at Deborah. ¡°What have you been calling me recently?¡± Deborah recalled that she had been calling Ashton by his name recently. She thought, perhaps this made him feel offended So, Deborah answered, ¡°Mr. Mr. Mullen.¡± Ashton said, ¡°Call me Ashton.¡± Deborah was silent. No matter how she tried, Deborah could not call Ashton like that. Ashton shouted angrily. ¡°Are you dumb?¡± Deborah endured her disgust and finally said, ¡°Ashton Ashton.¡± Ashton stared at Deborah coldly ¡®Call me that in the future, do you remember? Also, in the future, you will live in¡­¡± Before Ashton finished speaking. Nina rushed in and said, ¡°Mr. Mullen, Ms. Bauer fainted as soon as she came back! Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Test the Medicine Ashton stopped talking and immediately got up to leave. ¡°What happened?¡¯ Ashton asked in a low voice. Nina said with a sad face, ¡®Ms. Bauer was at the hospital just now. Seeing you leave in a hurry, she was worried that something had happened to Ms. Shepherd. ¡°No matter what, Ms. Bauer said that she had toe back to see Ms. Shepherd. As soon as she came back, she fainted due to exhaustion.¡± Nina med herself. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault for not being able to stop Ms. Bauer. She is very weak now, but she is too worried about Ms. Shepherd. No matter what, she said that she had to see her.¡± Ashton rushed to the living room. Helen had been helped up by the servants and sat on the sofa. Her face looked pale and weak. Ashton walked over and said, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you staying in the hospital?¡± Helen said weakly, ¡°Ashton, have you found Debby? She is my only sister. If she is in danger, how can I forgive myself?¡± Ashtonforted Helen lovingly, ¡°She¡¯s already back. What can happen to a woman like her? Alright, let Dr. Wilson take a look at you first. II take you back to the hospitalter.¡± Helen breathed a sigh of relief and nodded obediently. ¡°I¡¯m so d to hear that Debby is back.¡± Ashton helped Helen to the treatment room upstairs and asked Andrew to treat Helen. When the treatment was over, Ashton got up and went to the study room with Andrew. ¡°Ms. Bauer is in a bad condition,¡± Andrew said in a heavy voice. ¡°Her liver condition is not good enough to deal with physical needs. This fainting is just the beginning. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Moreover, the hospital has checked and said that Helen¡¯s liver is showing signs of failure. Ashton asked, ¡°Then what should we do?¡± Andrew hesitated. ¡°I asked the foreign medical center to develop a medicine to repair the liver. It can heal the liver faster and reduce the damage and failure of the liver. It¡¯s just that the medicine has just been made. It¡¯s best to test the medicine first¡­¡± Ashton did not understand. ¡°How do you want to test the medicine? Do you want Helen to test the dosage first?¡± Andrew shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not for Ms. Bauer to test the medicine. Ms. Bauer¡¯s body is too weak now, so she may not be able to bear the effect of the new medicine.¡± Ashton understood a little. ¡°Dr. Wilson, do you mean to find someone else to test the medicine? This person is not easy to find. Medicine tests usually use mice, right?¡± Andrew looked embarrassed. ¡°Mr. Mullen, with Ms. Bauer¡¯s current situation, to be safe, it is best to find someone to test the medicine. It is best to find someone who has the same physical condition as Helen.¡± Ashton was a little impatient. ¡°Dr. Wilson, if you have a suitable candidate in your mind, just say it directly. I don¡¯t know anything about medicine. You can decide.¡± Andrew was silent for a long time before he spoke again, ¡°Mr. Mullen, I am only proposing the most suitable candidate. It depends on your opinion. ¡°I think that Ms. Shepherd and Ms. Bauer are biological sisters and have liver surgery at the same time. Ms. Shepherd donated part of her liver. If she were to try this medicine, it would be the most valuable reference for Ms. Bauer.¡± Seeing that Ashton did not say anything for a while, Andrew immediately changed his words. ¡°I was too talkative. I will go find other suitable candidates immediately.¡± As Andrew was about to go out, Ashton stopped him. ¡°After this medicine was developed abroad, no one has tried it?¡± Andrew replied, ¡°Mr. Mullen, this new medicine has been tested before. After the medicine was produced, the doctor in the medical center personally took it. ¡°He also found a few patients with liver diseases and tried it. The effect is good Ashton said in a deep voice. ¡°Then why do you still want to try?¡± Andrew concealed the quilt in his eyes and calmly replied, ¡°I feel that Ms. Bauer is someone that you are very concerned about. Therefore, I need to be cautious when using the medicine. ¡°Although there are no problems with testing this medicine, I think it might be better if I find someone who has simr conditions like Ms. Bauer to try it again.¡± Andrew added, ¡°Of course, everything depends on you. It is possible to directly give it to Ms. Bauer. After all, doctors have tried it. It¡¯s safe. Even if there is a problem, it will be a small problem.¡± Of course, Ashton was not willing to let Helen take the risk. Even if there was only a one in ten thousand chance that there was a problem, Ashton didn¡¯t want to do so. Ashton thought, anyway, nothing big will happen. It will be good to ask Deborah to try it first. She is in good health and will be able to withstand the problem. Ashton made up his mind and ordered Andrew, ¡°Then let Deborah try the medicine first. Helen¡¯s body must be guaranteed to be safe.¡± Andrew nodded and was about to go out when Helen suddenly pushed open the door and came in. She said emotionally, ¡°Ashton, you can¡¯t do this! How can you ask Debby to help me test the medicine? It¡¯s too dangerous!¡± Ashton did not mind Helen barging in andforted her indulgently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Deborah. Your body is the most important. How can she bepared with you?¡± Helen said uneasily, ¡°But what if the medicine has side effects and causes Debby to be in danger?¡± Ashton replied without thinking, ¡°That¡¯s fine. She died to save your life. She deserved that.¡± Helen still wanted to say something, but Ashton spoke up, ¡°Alright, Helen, there¡¯s no need to say anything more. You can go out with Andrew. You should take a rest.¡± Helen did not say anything else and followed Andrew out with a sad face. After leaving the study room, Helen put on a sinister expression and said in a low voice, ¡°Deborah, your time of death is finally here.¡± Andrew smiled, ¡°Ms. Bauer, let¡¯s go to the basement now.¡± Helen nodded with satisfaction and went downstairs with Andrew. Pushing open the door to the basement, Deborah thought that Alyssa had been sent back and got up in a hurry. Andrew put a medical tray on the ground and fiddled with the syringe and medicine in the tray. Helen slowly approached Deborah and came to her. She said with a smile, ¡°Deborah, I asked Dr. Wilson to develop a good thing. Dr. Wilson said that it was for treating my liver. Ashton asked you to try it first.¡± Helen paused for a moment and whispered, ¡°Then I will send you on your way.¡± Deborah looked at Andrew who was approaching with a syringe. Deborah shook her head with a pale face. ¡°Impossible. Ashton will not let me test the medicine.¡± Helen took out her phone and yed the recording. Ashton¡¯s indifferent and ruthless voice sounded. ¡®Don¡¯t worry about Deborah. Your body is the most important. How could she bepared with you?¡± Ashton said, ¡°That¡¯s fine. She died to save your life. She deserved that.¡± Deborah looked at Helen¡¯s phone in disbelief. She almost forgot that Ashton had no bottom line against her. Andrew came closer and said in disgust. ¡°The ce where dogs live is shabby. There is not even a table for a tray.¡± Helen said impatiently. ¡°Don¡¯t dawdle. Inject the medicine into her¡­¡± Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Chapter 241 Will Leave Helen and Andrew pressed Deborah onto the ground together. The light pink liquid in the syringe in Andrew¡¯s hand was slowly Injected into Deborah¡¯s veins. Deborah did not have much strength at all. After struggling a few times, even moving became difficult. After the medicine was injected, Andrew stood up and stood aside. He looked at Deborah like looking at a little mouse on the experimental table. Andrew was waiting for Deborah¡¯s reaction at a leisurely pace. Time slowly passed. The basement was cold and silent. Deborah¡¯s vision and consciousness began to blur. Deborah felt cold and hot. Shey on the ground and curled up her hands and feet. Her body began to tremble uncontrobly. Deborah¡¯s body was constantly sweating out, soaking her hair and clothes. Deborah began to hallucinate. Countless stars appeared in front of her, and there were snowkes all over the sky. There were countless other unknown things. Deborah¡¯s memory drifted around. She felt that she returned to the bottom of the mountain. Deborah was seriously injured for the whole night. The next day, Ashton came over and carried her to the hospital. Ashton slipped and fell. The stone cut his arm, leaving a hideous scar on his wrist. Ashton told Deborah not to fall asleep and to sing children¡¯s songs for her. ¡°Twinkle twinkle little star¡­¡± Deborah was thirteen years old and lying on Ashton¡¯s back. It was the warmth Deborah had never felt since she was a child. Deborah¡¯s mother treated Deborah as a tool to enter the Bauer family, and the Bauer family treated Deborah as a bastard. Ashton who saved Deborah said that Deborah was very good and had to live well. Deborah¡¯s consciousness gradually blurred, as if Deborah had arrived on that mountain road again. Deborah said in a trance, ¡°Ashton? Why?¡± Helen gritted her teeth in hatred and pped Deborah¡¯s face hard. ¡°Bitch! How dare you call him Ashton? Bastard! Ashton has long wanted you to die!¡± Deborah¡¯s face was burning with pain, and Deborah¡¯s ears were filled with Helen¡¯s screaming. The young Ashton¡¯s gentle voice was still in Deborah¡¯s ears. ¡°We will be at the hospital soon. Hold on a little longer.¡± Deborah thought, is Ashton¡¯s voice? This question suddenly appeared in Deborah¡¯s mind. She still wanted to listen to the voice. Andrew injected another medicine into Deborah¡¯s body, and Deborah¡¯s consciousnesspletely disappeared. For the next few days, Deborah was sometimes awake and sometimes not awake. Deborah didn¡¯t know how many days she had been lying like this. Sometimes when Deborah woke up, it was the middle of the day outside. There was a rare bit of sunlight. It sprinkled in through the basement window, proving that Deborah was still alive and had perception. Sometimes, when Deborah woke up, it was dark outside. Deborah heard the sound of branches being crushed. It should be heavy snow in the middle of the night. Deborah felt that she was sleeping longer and longer. Andrew woulde in from time to time to inject Deborah with a new medicine. Ashton had nevere to see Deborah. Deborah felt that she was about to die. One night, after Deborah was injected with the medicine and was drowsy, Deborah suddenly felt someone lying on the bad next to her. The back people¡¯s hands gently patted Deborah¡¯s back, and Deborah heard the familiar nursery rhyme. Deborah could not help but make a sound. ¡°Ashton.¡± A little girl fell into her arms. Deborah struggled to open her eyes. She saw that the person lying next to her was Alyssa. These days, Deborah had been tortured by drugs to the point that she was lying on the ground and waiting for death. Deborah had almost forgotten about Alyssa Deborah thought, yes, I have a daughter. If I die like this, it will not be a big deal, but what about the four year old Alyssa? How could Helen let Alyssa go? How could Ashton not listen to Helen¡¯s instigation? Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Deborah felt a sharp pain in her heart and hugged Alyssa weakly. The medicine made Deborah¡¯s reaction extremely slow, and she could not even say aplete word tofort Alyssa who was uneasy and afraid at the moment. Alyssa continued to pat Deborah¡¯s back with one hand and whispered, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t be afraid. I am coaxing Mom to sleep.¡± Deborah thought for a long time that Alyssa should have secretlye over. Helen would not let Alyssae to see her. Deborah did not have any strength to protect Alyssa now. Deborah knew that if Alyssa secretly came here, Alyssa would only anger Helen and make Alyssa in a bad situation. Deborah stretched out her hand and weakly wanted to push Alyssa away. Deborah wanted Alyssa to go out. Alyssa¡¯s eyes were red, and she hugged Deborah even tighter. ¡°Mom, that bad auntie went out with Dad. She won¡¯t find Alyssaing here.¡± Alyssa thought for a moment and then changed her words. ¡°No, it¡¯s not Dad.¡± Deborah did not have any strength, and it was particrly strenuous for her to open her eyes. Deborah closed her eyes again, and her consciousness quickly faded away. Alyssa¡¯s small hands trembled, and she continued to pat Deborah¡¯s back like how Deborah coaxed Alyssa to sleep. ¡°Mom, sleep well. I will sing for Mom.¡± Deborah closed her eyes and tears silently fell. Alyssa sang softly. ¡°Twinkle twinkle little star¡­¡± Deborah wanted to say that she didn¡¯t want to hear this song anymore. She didn¡¯t want to listen to it for the rest of her life. It was just like how Deborah hoped that Ashton was the one who saved her when she was young. However, Deborah didn¡¯t have the strength to say it, so she could only let Alyssa sing softly. Alyssa¡¯s singing was very nice, and she had a particrly perfect voice. When Alyssa was three years old, she sang this nursery rhyme. At that time, Zayne recorded the song Alyssa sang and posted it online. A famous star scout quickly contacted Deborah, saying that he wanted to spend a lot of money to invite Alyssa to be a child star and ask the best songwriter to write a song for Alyssa. The star scout wanted to ask Alyssa to sing. Deborah did not dare to agree, because Deborah knew that Ashton did not like it. Thinking back to the five years, to not provoke Ashton, Deborah gave up her hobby of design and gave up the opportunity to let Alyssa develop her hobbies. Now that Deborah thought about it, it was not worth it. Deborah suddenly thought that she should live well until one day she left Ashton and did what she liked to do to nurture Alyssa. Deborah thought, Alyssa and I should have a good future. Why did I die like this? The sharp pain in her brain and the intense pain all over her body slowly slowed down in Alyssa¡¯s singing. Alyssa gently wiped the cold sweat on Deborah¡¯s face ¡°Mom, don¡¯t be sad. If it hurts, you can cry.¡± The door was suddenly pushed open, interrupting the short moment of peace in the room. Helen walked in angrily from outside. She directly grabbed Alyssa by the cor and dragged her out of bed. Deborah coughed weakly and painfully. Helen forcefully pulled Alyssa to her eyes. Her movements were extremely rude, but her voice was extremely gentle, containing a devilish smile. ¡°Alyssa, didn¡¯t Uncle Ashton already tell you? You will be my daughter in the future. You have to listen to me. You don¡¯t know this bitch, understand?¡± Alyssa resisted and pushed Helen. ¡°You are talking nonsense. You are talking nonsense! You are a bad person. Mom said that bad people will go to hell!¡± ¡°Pal¡± Helen had no patience and directly pped Alyssa in the face. Alyssa staggered, and Helen let go. Alyssa falls to the ground. There were footsteps in the corridor outside, which were getting clearer and clearer. Helen¡¯s face suddenly changed, and she quickly reached out to close the door and lock it. Alyssa still wanted to shout, but Helen immediately reached out and blocked her mouth. Behind the door, Ashton¡¯s voice sounded, ¡°Open the door.¡± Then, it was Andrew¡¯s voice, which was a little impatient, ¡°Mr. Mullen, Ms. Shepherd needs to rest now. No one will disturb her, so I can better observe the efficacy of the medicine. For the time being, we should leave her alone.¡± Ashton kicked Andrew away and signaled the bodyguards to knock on the door open. Ashton walked straight in. ¡°When did I need a family doctor like you to teach me how to do things. Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Chapter 25 She Vomits Violently As soon as Ashton entered, he saw Deborah, who was curled up on the ground. She seemed to be very anxious, and she was gasping for breath, but she did not get up. Ashton looked around the room and did not see anyone else. In fact, there was no need to look carefully. There was nothing in the room. It waspletely empty. Looking around, there was nothing. There was no blind spot where was hidden. It was obvious that before Ashton came in, there was no one else except Deborah, Ashton gave Jeff a reproachful look, who followed him. He did not say anything and walked to Deborah¡¯s side. Deborah¡¯s looked listless, and her face was indescribably pale. Ashton had seen patients who were critically ill before. Before his elders passed away, they looked terribly listless. However, he felt that he had never seen a patient who was in such a bad state as Deborah. Ashton squatted down and patted Deborah¡¯s face for some reason as if he wanted to confirm whether she was still alive Deborah¡¯s breathing became faster. She was very anxious to say something, but she could not speak or stand up. She could only look at Ashton with pleading eyes. Her fingers were curled up as she wanted to grab his sleeve. She wanted him to find Alyssa quickly, but she could not lift her hand. Ashton frowned and looked at Andrew, who was standing aside. ¡°What happened to her?¡± Andrew tried to hide his panic and exined, ¡°Ms. Shepherd has caught a cold these two days. Sir, I think it is inappropriate to let Ms. Shepherd live in such a cold basement without bed sheets ¡°I know that you are a little dissatisfied with Ms. Shepherd, but her body is not made of iron. Why don¡¯t you let her live in a better room? It will be better for her body¡± Ashton was silent for a long time and said with some doubt, ¡®She caught a cold just because it is cold here? How is the effect of the medicine you gave her?¡± Andrew nodded and said, ¡°Yes, Ms. Shepherd is not feeling well now because she has a heavy cold. The effect of the medicine was not bad. I asked the hospital to bring the instrument over yesterday and gave Ms. Shepherd a check. Her liver has obviously. recovered.¡± Ashton did not ask more. Seeing that Deborah had been trying to open her mouth to speak, he felt that she seemed to be a little pitiful now. However, in the end, she deserved it. He approached her and asked, ¡°What are you going to say?¡± Deborah tried her best to speak and finally said, ¡°Bauer¡­ Bauer¡­¡± Ashton listened to her for a long time and was a little impatient. ¡°What?¡± Andrew said, ¡°By the way, Mr. Mullen, I found something wrong with the medicine I want to give Ms. Bauer. I want to talk to you privately as soon as possible.¡± Ashton stood up and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go out and talk.¡± Andrew nodded and left with Ashton. He nced at Deborah with a sarcastic look. As soon as Ashton left, Nina immediately rushed in and drew the curtains in Deborah¡¯s room Helen could not get out just now, so she could only hang herself in the window, gritting her teeth and holding on. As for Alyssa, she was directly pulled up and thrown out of the window. Deborah watched Nina pull Helen up from the window. The two left directly. She let out a rapid and painful sound, but her body could not move except for her ten fingers. Ashion still didn¡¯te over in a few days. Soon, Deborah had been imprisoned for ten days for the potion test. It was time for the results toe out as Andrew had said. Andrew came in in the morning and injected Deborah with thest potion. Although Deborah still felt pain because of the medicine, her face was ruddy, and she seemed to be in good spirits. Andrew looked at his masterpiece with satisfaction and asked the servant to take Deborah to the dining room. Ashton was eating breakfast with Helen. When he saw that Deborah was brought over, he did not have much of a reaction. help. The results of the experiment are very good. ¡°Ms. Shepherd¡¯s liver has recovered a lot, medicine.¡± herplexion has improved a lot. In this way, Ms. Bauer can start to take the Ashton responded indifferently, ¡°Okay, just do it.¡± Deborah looked at Helen who was eating breakfast slowly. Deep hatred appeared in her eyes, and she suddenly stumbled toward her. ¡°Where is Alyssa? What did you do to my daughter?¡± Helen immediately dropped the tableware in horror and grabbed Ashton¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Debby, I didn¡¯t harm Alyssa. Why do you always me me?¡± Ashton frowned and didn¡¯t say anything. Nina, who was beside him, said, ¡®Ms. Shepherd, your daughter is a little naughty. A few days ago, she identally fell from a high ce. Andrew is treating her. I believe she will wake up soon.¡± Deborah became emotional. ¡°You injected me with poisonous medicine and wanted to take my life. You even tried to harm my you down?¡± daughter. Helen, what is your heart made of? When have I let Ashton said in disgust, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Deborah could no longer suppress the hatred in her heart. She said word by word, ¡®Helen, you are as vicious as your mother. Your mother will suffer retribution.¡± Ashton was so angry that he threw the te down. The te fell to the ground and was instantly shattered. He said coldly, ¡°It seems that she still doesn¡¯t learn a lesson. Throw her out and let her kneel!¡± Helen shed tears profusely as she trembled. ¡®It¡¯s all my fault. It¡¯s all my fault. Ashton, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Ashton embraced Helen andforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t be too merciful. As long as I¡¯m here, she can¡¯t bully you!¡± A few bodyguards stepped forward, grabbed Deborah, and dragged her outside. Deborah shouted at the top of her voice, ¡°If anything happens to Alyssa, I won¡¯t let you go even if I be a ghost!¡± Ashton asked the servant to bring Helen some water and told her to drink to calm herself down. She did not even look at Deborah again. Deborah was thrown outside the iron-d gate by the bodyguard. Thinking of Alyssa, who was still in an unknown situation, she regretted that she had angered Ashton on a whim. But she had endured so many times for so long a time. When had Ashton not vented his anger less on her? The bone-piercing cold wind blew on her. She had not gone out for too long as she had been locked up for so many days. So she suddenly felt cold and wanted to vomit. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. She couldn¡¯t help but vomit. She hadn¡¯t eaten much these days, so she didn¡¯t vomit much. She just stared at the pool of vomit on the ground. When she saw the eye catching blood on it, her body froze. She vomited blood. Did it mean that she was about to die? She couldn¡¯t understand, but the feeling was even stronger. Perhaps she was really going to die. She couldn¡¯t wait any longer. She had to go to the hospital for a check up. If she really didn¡¯t have much time left, then she had to make the final preparations for Alyssa. She couldn¡¯t just leave Alyssa to Ashton and Helen one day when she suddenly died. The iron door closed mercilessly in front of her. Deborah understood Ashton¡¯s personality. When he threw her outside like this, he would at least let her stand until it was dark. Before it was dark, he would nevere out to see her or care about her. As soon as the thought of going to the hospital for a check-up came out, it quickly became stronger. The blood that she spat out on the ground was shocking. Deborah finally turned around and walked away with difficulty. When she got into the car and went straight to the hospital, she was already exhausted. She felt more and more that her life was like an hourss. With every step she took and every word she said, the sand would quickly leak, consuming her remaining energy. Deborah got out of the car and went straight into the outpatient building. Unexpectedly, as soon as she entered the hall, she saw Zayne in a white coat. Deborah immediately wanted to hide. After what had happenedst time, she didn¡¯t want to implicate Zayne again. But Zayne quickly noticed her and quickly walked toward her. He asked again and again, and Deborah could only tell the truth. I want toe and check my body.¡± Zayne looked at her in silence for a long time but still did not say anything. He just said, ¡°Come with me. I¡¯ll arrange a check for you.¡± After a series of checks, Deborah sat in the corridor waiting for the results. Deborah did not go to Zayne¡¯s office to wait, but Zayne insisted on sitting on the chair next to her, waiting with her. Deborah looked at the patients in the corridor. Many of them were pale.. She suddenly asked, ¡°Dr. Gaige, is a person¡¯s intuition urate? Am I going to die soon?¡± Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Ashton Isn¡¯t Worthy Zayne was angry. How could he not know that something had happened to Deborah¡¯s body? Deborah donated seventy percent of her liver. Although she was lucky that she did not die directly during the operation, she would not be able to hold on for a long time. But he could not say that. He onlyforted her and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be so pessimistic. Nothing will happen to your body.¡± Deborah smiled bitterly, ¡°I hope so. Alyssa still needs me to take care of her.¡± She did a lot of examinations, including a blood test, Color doppler ultrasound, and CT. By the time the results were all out, it was already close to noon. Zayne had an emergency, so he left for a while. When he came back, Deborah had already printed the examination results, sitting in the corridor and reading them one by one. Zayne¡¯s heart sank, and he immediately quickened his pace and walked over. For the first time, he was a little rude to Deborah, almost snatc hing the documents. Deborah was shocked and looked up, and the examination results were all in Zayne¡¯s hands. Deborah was very calm. ¡°Dr. Gaige, there are many things on the reports that I can¡¯t understand. Can you exin them to me?¡± Zayne¡¯s gaze was fixed on a report. Deborah asked him several times, but he didn¡¯t respond. His body seemed to freeze. Deborah reached out and took one report from his hand. He suddenly came back to his senses. His face trembled, forcing a smile. Deborah was actually men tally prepared, and she knew very well that the results would be terrible, so she still spoke very calmly. ¡°Is it particrly serious?¡±.. Zayne cleared his throat and said, ¡°It¡¯s not serious. I already said that you are under too much pressure. It¡¯s just inmmation. Just take some medicine and you will be fine.¡± Deborah said softly, ¡°Dr. Gaige, I want to hear the truth. I took photos of the reports. I could consult with doctors online. I can also know the truth.¡± Zayne fell silent. After a long time, he sat down beside Deborah with some dejection ¡°Deborah, a patient suffering from liver cancer can still live if a liver transnt operation is done.¡± Although Deborah was men tally prepared, she still couldn¡¯t help but tremble when she heard this. Deborah grabbed the report in her hand hard. Her nails had broken at some point in time, and the heart-wrenching pain didn¡¯t make her feel too much pain. She still didn¡¯t quite understand. ¡°My body was in a good condition in the past, and there was no problem with my liver. Isn¡¯t it strange for me to suddenly develop liver cancer?¡± Zayne forced himself to endure grief and anger and said in a low voice, ¡°Deborah, it will be better for you not to know something.¡± If she knew it, she would only be sadder and more painful. Deborah clenched her fists and trembled. She said in a self-mocking tone, ¡°I just want to have the right to know the truth before I dje¡­* 1 When Deborah left the hospital, it was already evening After Zayne told her the truth, she did not let him continue to apany her. Instead, she sat in the corridor of the hospital for the whole afternoon. There were more and more missed calls on her phone. She didn¡¯t seem to hear them or answer them. She just sat there in a daze The words that Zayne had told her echoed in her ears. ¡°You donated seventy percent of your liver to Helen. ¡°You donated too much of your liver. When your life was in danger during the operation, it was Ashton who signed as your husband for the operation to continue. ¡°Did you take some medicine recently? You have umted a lot of toxins in your body. Your liver is only thirty percent left it is already difficult to support the needs of your body and is slowly recovering ¡°However, the toxins further caused a huge burden on your liver, causing it to be unable to recover and fail, leading to cancerization.¡± Deborah lowered her head, clenched her left hand into a fist, and covered 70 percent of her fist with her right palm. She stared at the remaining part and imagined that it was hard to imagine that a person could survive when most of his liver was gone. Seventy percent of the liver was cut. Ashton was really ruthless. He should know very well that a person with only 30 percent of the liver left would not live long. He approved the operation as her husband. Deborah chuckled and thought, Ashton, how are you worthy to be my husband? When Deborah walked out of the outpatient building, it was still snowing outside in the evening This winter, it seemed that the snow in Richmond could not be finished. She did not call a taxi and walked out of the hospital in a daze. Her liver cancer and Alyssa¡¯s leukemia made her feel hopeless. Deborah had experienced despair many times and did not expect anyone to help her. But at this moment, she suddenly felt that it was really cold in the snow. She suddenly wanted to go to a warm ce and hear a warm voice. The phone in her hand was about to run out of battery. Deborah clicked her address book and slid down. Finally, her eyes fell on ¡°Mom¡±. She failed to control herself and dialed the number. No one answered. Deborah kept walking along the street in the heavy snow. She didn¡¯t know why she didn¡¯t want to give up and kept dialing. After a long time, it was finally connected. Noisy and chaotic sounds were heard, mixed with the cracking sounds of chips. Lydia Shepherd¡¯s voice sounded abnormally impatient. ¡°You quarrel with me all day long! Bad girl! If you have the ability, go to your dad and ask him for some money to give me!¡± Deborah choked, still a little unwilling. ¡°Mom, can Ie back?¡± She had not been home for almost two months and had not seen Lydia. ¡°Where do you want to go? I have sold the house you bought for less than 15 thousand dors. I spent all of it in two or three days. ¡°Now I have no ce to live. Hurry up and get me some money. Whether you go to find your dad or Ashton for money. I don¡¯t care Can¡¯t you even ask for money from a man?¡± Deborah said in a low voice, ¡°You sold my house? I saved up for so many years to buy it. But you sold it for 15 thousand dors. Who did you sell it to? Tell me.¡± Deborah was a designer and earned some money to buy the house. hapter 26hton Isn¡¯t Worthy Before Ashton saw the fake paternity test half a year ago and thought that Alyssa was not his daughter, although he was indifferent to Deborah, he didn¡¯t make things difficult for her too much. She worked on her own to make money, and he had never stopped her. Lydia felt a little quailty and said angrily. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with selling such a terrible house? It¡¯s a second- hand house, and there are only a few rooms. How much can it be worth?¡± Deborah¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°I ask you, who did you sell it to?¡± Lydia was unwilling to say ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk nonsense with you. I spent so much energy sending you to Ashton¡¯s bed and letting you marry him with your child. ¡°I was expecting to live a better life with you. If I had known you are such a good for nothing, I might as well not have wasted so much time!¡± Deborah felt as if she had fallen into an icehouse. ¡°Did you do what happened five years ago?¡± The woman directly hung up the phone. Deborah called again, but Lydia¡¯s phone was turned off. Deborah looked at the phone that was hung up nkly. She suddenly didn¡¯t know how many cruel facts were waiting for her to find out. She continued to walk forward. The house she bought was gone, and now she was really walking aimlessly. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. After walking for a long time, it was darker and darker. She did not notice that a car stopped next to her. Ashton got out of the car and approached her with a few steps. Deborah did not even raise her head, as if she had bypa ssed an obstacle, she went around him. Ashton became angrier, and he stepped sideways to stop her. He said angrily, ¡°Deborah, are you so lowly that you can¡¯t stand the loneliness ande to find Zayne?¡± Deborah finally looked up at him and said expressionlessly, ¡°Ashton, are you out of words?¡± That was all he often said to Deborah. Ashton¡¯s gaze fell on the report in Deborah¡¯s hand. ¡°What is it?¡± Deborah did not intend to hide it. She directly handed over the report in her hand. ¡°Do you want to read it? Then read it.¡± Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Don¡¯t You Want to Die? *Liver cancer?¡± Ashton grabbed the medical certificate from Deborah¡¯s hand. After reading it, he sneered. ¡°Deborah, you went out for a whole day and you gave me this?¡± He was very familiar with this medical certificate because not long ago, Helen was also diagnosed with liver cancer. Nina showed Ashton Helen¡¯s medical certificate. The two reports were almost the same, except for the patient¡¯s name and the time of examination. Deborah did not exin at all. ¡°You asked to read it. Believe it or not, it is your business.¡± Ashton looked through those pieces of paper. ¡°You have liver cancer because you have donated a hurt by something poisonous. You have made up a good story.¡± Deborah said coldly, ¡°Are you done? Can I go now?¡± Ashton pressed her shoulder. ¡°You mean that Helen epted your liver, and there was something wrong with the drug I gave you, so you get cancer, right? Deborah, do you think I will believe you?¡± ¡°Of course not. How can you believe my words?¡± Deborah looked at Ashton¡¯s angry face and said lightly. ¡°Even if one day I die and lie in front of you without breathing, you will p me and say I am pretending, right?¡± Ashton looked extremely displeased. ¡°Deborah, don¡¯t be sarcastic with me. Aren¡¯t you just jealous of Helen?¡± Deborahughed out loud. ¡°Why should I be jealous of her? Is it because she gets the love of the Bauer family or that she is in love with you?¡¯ Ashton looked at her in disgust. He seemed to be saying, ¡°Isn¡¯t that so?¡± Deborah put on a half-smile. ¡°No. If I could restart my life, even if I were to be a beggar, I wouldn¡¯t want to see anyone of the Bauer family. Even if I were to be single for my whole life, I wouldn¡¯t choose to marry you.¡± Ashton suddenly pressed Deborah¡¯s shoulder with all of his strength. ¡°Say it again!¡± Deborah did not resist and repeated word by word, ¡®I said that I regretted my choice when I was younger. I didn¡¯t know why I thought of a b ast ard as a good person.¡± Ashton¡¯s eyes turned red. He suddenly pulled Deborah to the car, grabbed her neck, and pressed her against the car door. ¡°Deborah, are you really fed up with your life?¡± Deborah could no longer control her emotions and roared, ¡°Ashton, I have long wanted to die. Do you find it today? Kill me to. Do you think I will be scared? Just strangle me!* if you dare Ashton¡¯s hand that was holding her neck was trembling. Deborah stared into his eyes without any fear. ¡°I drugged you and forced you to marry me. ¡°I let Helene over and see it, making her fall down the stairs and be crazy. ¡°I donated only 30 percent of my liver to make her suffer. I faked this medical certificate. I wanted to frame Helen for poisoning me.¡± Ashton clenched his fists, and his eyes were full of resentment. ¡°Deborah, you finally admit it!¡± Deborah replied with a husky voice, ¡°Yes, I admit it. Didn¡¯t you want me to admit it? I havemitted all sorts of crimes. I have harmed Helen. Now, you have the evidence. Kill me!¡¯ Ashton had never seen Deborah like this before. For some reason, he suddenly felt a little nervous. He let go of her neck and pulled his hand back. He said coldly, ¡°Insane!¡± Deborah had never hated a person like this before. She scolded him regardless of the consequences. ¡°You don¡¯t even dare to kill me.You Want to Die? Don¡¯t you hate me? You coward! You good for nothing!¡± Ashton grabbed her, pulled open the car door, and pushed her into the car. He said to Jeff in front of him, ¡°Drive back to Flora Vi! Doesn¡¯t she want to die? I will fulfill her wish today!¡± When they went back to Flora Vi, Ashton directly threw Deborah to the bodyguards. ¡°Teach her a lesson!¡± The bodyguard took Deborah to the basement, and Jeff followed them. Seeing Deborah¡¯s pale face, he knew that she had suffered too much recently Jeff worked for Ashton and did not dare to go against him, but he still felt that Deborah was a little pitiful. In the basement, the bodyguards threw Deborah to the ground. Jeff sighed ¡®Ms. Shepherd, why are you doing this? ¡°Just admit it and soften Mr. Mullen up. He will let it go. You and your daughter would not be like this.¡± Deborah¡¯s eyes were emotionless. She wanted tough, but she could not. ¡°Admit it? But I have admitted everything. ¡°Jeff, I have admitted everything. I told Ashton everything he wants to know. Is it not enough? How about you teach me what to do?¡± Jeff said in a deep voice, ¡°Mr. Mullen doesn¡¯t just want you to admit it but also wants you to apologize. Ms. Shepherd, you know how to let him forgive you. ¡°After all, you have been married for so many years.¡± Deborahughed. ¡°Jeff, you think too highly of me. I don¡¯t know how to make him happy.¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Jeff nced at the bodyguards beside him. ¡°Ms. Shepherd, if you insist on doing this, then don¡¯t me us.¡± Deborah closed her eyes and said indifferently. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Jeff went out first, and a few bodyguards approached Deborah Suddenly, Helen¡¯s voice came from outside, ¡°Ashton, don¡¯t stop me. Let me in! Please don¡¯t hurt Debby. Let me go in and talk to her!¡± Ashton, who stood silently outside the room, looked at Deborah, who still had no intention of admitting her mistake. His face was sullen, and he directly turned and left Helen pushed open the door anxiously and walked in. She said anxiously, ¡°All of you, go out. No one is allowed to hurt Debby. I have a few words to talk with Debby.¡± The bodyguards saw Ashton standing outside through the gap in the door. Ashton did not say anything to stop Helen, so the bodyguards left. Helen walked to Deborah. ¡°Debby, are you hurt? Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve told Ashton everything. He has a sharp tongue but a soft heart. He won¡¯t really hurt you.¡± Deborah looked at her with a cold expression. ¡°Get out.¡± Helen kept gentle. ¡°Debby, I know that you are in a bad mood because of Alyssa. But you know best that Ashton won¡¯t let you go if you don¡¯t apologize. ¡°You should have a good chat with him. If you did something wrong, you should exin it and apologize. He won¡¯t make things difficult for you and your daughter.¡± Deborah stared at Helen coldly. ¡°Helen, I will say it onest time. Get out.¡± Helen said with a broken voice, ¡°I know you hate me and Ashton. You have a lot of misunderstandings about us. ¡°But even if you don¡¯t think about yourself, you should think about Alyssa. She is still so young and waiting for the bone marrow to save her. If you don¡¯t annoy Ashton, he will help you and Alyssa.¡± Deborah suddenly walked to the door and locked the door. ¡°Alright, you chose not to leave¡­¡± hapter 27 You Want to Die? Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Her Counterattack When Deborah went over to close the door and lock it, Jeff was standing outside the room alone. When the door was locked, Jell looked at his cell phone. He seemed to have something to do and directly turned around to leave. Helen did not expect that Deborah would dare to lock the door and deal with her. Her face turned pale in an instant. Although Deborah was weak now, she was no match for Deborah when fighting. Helen immediately shouted in panic, ¡®Ashton! Debby seems to have lost control. She wants to attack me. Ashton!¡± Deborah approached Helen with a cold face and said indifferently, ¡°Stop shouting. Ashton is not outside.¡± *Calm down. Even if Ashton is not outside, he must have left someone outside.¡± Helen retreated in horror. ¡°He won¡¯t leave me here alone. If youe any closer, I will call for help. The people outside wille in!¡± Deborah pulled a dirty rag from the ground and stuffed it into Helen¡¯s mouth. Deborah grabbed Helen¡¯s hair and mmed her head against the wall. ¡°Thank you for reminding me. Now you can¡¯t call for help, can you?¡± The disgusting smell of the rag made Helen let out a vague scream and vomit. The sharp pain in Helen¡¯s head made her sweat fall down quickly. She hadined to Ashton several times, hinting that Deborah had hit her, but this was the first time that she was really beaten by Deborah. Deborah threw Helen to the ground and punched her face and stomach one by one. *Helen, even a rabbit will bite when it is bullied. Didn¡¯t you always say that I hit you? Then I will do as you wish.¡± She punched Helen¡¯s face. This time, Helen let out a vague scream. It was obviously more painful than twitched because of the pain. Deborah saw blooding out of Helen¡¯s mouth, and Helen¡¯s front teeth were loosened. Helen¡¯s entire face was covered in blood and sweat. She weakly begged, her entire body trembling violently. Deborah did not show any mercy. Even in her dreams, she hoped to tear Helen apart. After knowing that she had cancer, Deborah felt rxed and relieved. In any case, she would not live for long, and Alyssa would not have much time left. Rather than begging Ashton and Helen to leave Alyssa a way out, it was better to bring Alyssa with her when she died. Otherwise, after she died, Alyssa would be tortured by Ashton and Helen. It was even worse than dying. Without any fear or scruples, Deborah suddenly seemed to have endless strength and punched Helen a few more times. This time, Helen¡¯s front tooth was knocked down. Deborah pried open Helen¡¯s mouth and stuffed the tooth into her throat. She said word by word, ¡°This is the beginning. One day, I will kill you and use it as a sacrifice for Alyssa and me.¡± The blood in Helen¡¯s mouth kept flowing out. The rag in her mouth was torn off, but the intense pain made it impossible for her to say aplete sentence. Deborah felt very regretful. There were no knives in this room. She could only beat Helen with her bare hands. She couldn¡¯t kill Helen In a short time. In fact, death was not terrifying at all. Chapter 28 Counterattack 1/3. She and Alyssa were alive, but they suffered great pain every day It was good to die. The terrible thing was that she died, but the enemy was still living a good life. Deborah looked at Helen, whose face was full of blood. Deborah enjoyed seeing the panic in Helen¡¯s eyes. Deborah reached out and grabbed Helen¡¯s neck tightly. Unless she had extraordinary strength, it would take a very long time to strangle a person to death. But she didn¡¯t care. She just continued. After some time, Ashton¡¯s furious voice finally came from outside the room. ¡®Deborah, open the door! If anything happens to Helen, I will make sure you and your daughter die a miserable death!¡± Deborah seemed to have not heard anything. Her eyes were full of killing intent, and she continued to pinch Helen¡¯s neck with all her strength. Helen¡¯s face became paler and paler, and her weak voice was gone. She closed her eyes in pain. The door was kicked open, and Ashton rushed over. He grabbed Deborah¡¯s hair and was about to pull Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. her away.. However, Deborah still didn¡¯t withdraw his hand from Helen¡¯s neck. She strangled Helen with all of her strength, resisting Ashton¡¯s force. She seemed to be really crazy. She stared at Helen who had closed her eyes. She only thought in her mind that Helen would die in a while. If Helen and Ashton were dead, she and Alyssa would die without regrets. Death was not scary at all. She and Alyssa were not afraid of death as long as Helen and Ashton died with them. Ashton could not pull Deborah away. He was even stunned for a moment. He did not understand why Deborah was so powerful. Then, he suddenly came back to his senses. This time, he used a lot of strength and almost tore Deborah who was pressing on Helen. Deborah let out a hoarse gasp. She still want to strangle Helen, who had cked out. Ashton was so angry that he almost went crazy. He directly kicked Deborah. Deborah slipped back for a distance. Her head hit the wall, and her vision turned dark. Helen was not dead. She didn¡¯t want to give up! Ashton picked Helen up and left in a hurry, calling Andrew to treat her. Andrew checked Helen up and found that one of Helen¡¯s front teeth had been knocked down. It was obvious that Deborah had used a lot of strength. Ashton suddenly kicked over a bedside table and said angrily, ¡°Get Deborah here and ask her where Helen¡¯s tooth is!¡± He asked Andrew, ¡°Can you make it up?* Andrew answered, ¡°Sure, but I have to do it as soon as possible. If the tooth isplete, it is best to re-imnt it in half an hour. Otherwise, it can¡¯t be made up.¡± The bodyguard had gone out to bring Deborah over, but Ashton could not wait for a moment and strode out directly. Just as Deborah was dragged to the living room by the bodyguard, Ashton strode down and dragged her upstairs. Deborah felt as if her entire scalp was about to be torn apart. She gasped in pain, and Ashton did not slow down at all. After entering Helen¡¯s bedroom, he threw Deborah to the floor. ¡°Where is Helen¡¯s tooth? Take it out!¡± Chapter 28: Counterattack Deborah stood up and looked at him with amusement. ¡°I fed it to the dog.¡± Ashton was silent for a moment. He looked at Deborah and was probably thinking about whether she was telling the truth. He was really anxious now and did not have time to think about it. He ordered the bodyguards, ¡®Kill Helen¡¯s dog and take out the tooth from its belly.¡± When the bodyguards went out, Ashton suddenly felt that something was wrong. ¡°How can the dog eat Helen¡¯s tooth?¡± Deborah smiled. ¡°I said I fed the dog, but I didn¡¯t say her dog ate it.¡± Ashton¡¯s face darkened. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Ms. Shepherd Doesn¡¯t Breathe Deborah was not afraid as she looked straight at Ashton. It means what you think it means.¡± Ashton grabbed her by the neck ¡°How could you have the guts to hurt Helen and scold her?¡± Deborah chuckled, ¡°I didn¡¯t scold her I was talking about feeding the dog, not feeding her. Ashton, you have a great imagination.¡± Ashton was speechless for a moment. He pushed Deborah away and turned to ask Andrew, ¡°How should we deal with it?¡± Andrew did not know what to do. Now that the tooth was in Helen¡¯s stomach, he could not take it out. Deborah looked at them like a joke and said, ¡°It¡¯s very simple. Just cut open Helen¡¯s stomach and take out the tooth.¡± Ashton looked at her angrily and said harshly, ¡°Deborah, you better shut up. I will settle the score with you. ¡°Sir, if the tooth is really in Ms. Bauer¡¯s stomach, there is no way to transnt it back,¡± Andrew said in fear. soon!¡± He could only consider nting a tooth. But they had to wait for three to six months after the tooth fell off before Helen could take an X-ray picture to check the recovery of the jawbone. Only then would she get a new tooth. In other words, in at least three to six months, Helen would have to live with a missing front tooth, Ashton said coldly. ¡°Are there other ways out?¡± Andrew looked helpless. ¡°Sir, if we can¡¯t find the tooth, this is the most suitable way.¡± Ashton grabbed Deborah and walked outside, shouting angrily, ¡°Dr. Wilson, do your best. ¡°Nina, arrange for more people to search around Flora Vi for the tooth. Don¡¯t miss any corner! Ashton then dragged Deborah to the living room, threw her to the ground, and called a few bodyguards, ¡°Beat her until she loses a front tooth!¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. After he finished speaking, he went upstairs without looking back. Before Deborah could get up, a few bodyguards surrounded her, punching and kicking her. As soon as Ashton went upstairs, he called Jeff to the study. Ashton was not in a good mood and got straight to the point. ¡°Jeff, you have been in the Mullen family for almost thirty years, and you should know my bottom line here.¡± Jeff looked a little evasive. ¡°Sir, I don¡¯t quite understand what you are saying.¡± Ashton said in a deep voice, ¡°Last time, you told me that Helen secretly went to Deborah¡¯s room in the basement and heard Helen cursing Alyssa ¡°But when I rushed over, I only saw Deborah in the room. I didn¡¯t see Helen and Alyssa Jeff, you are framing Helen.¡± Jeff was neither humble nor pushy ¡°Sir, what I said was true. ¡°I did see Ms. Bauer enter Ms. Shepherd¡¯s room in the basement. I also heard Alyssa¡¯s crying and Ms. Bauer scolding her. If you don¡¯t believe me, I am willing to ept your punishment.¡± Ashton sneered, ¡°I only believe what I saw with my own eyes. Let¡¯s not talk about that matter first. I let you guard outside the basement today. ¡°Why did you not go in to stop them or tell me in time after Helen was beaten by Deborah? Jell¡¯s exnation was a little weak. ¡°I just happened to leave to pick up a call. When I returned to the room, I saw you go in.¡± Ashton stopped and did not say anything else. ¡°I will not let anyone who is prejudiced against Helen stay here. But I will not dismiss you. Pack your things and go to the old house to look after Grandpa.¡± Jeff nodded and left without further exnation. When he reached the door, Jeff stopped and said, ¡°Sir, you and Ms. Shepherd have been married for many years. You should know what kind of person she is. ¡°I don¡¯t think Ms. Shepherd is as vicious as you think. Just like Ms. Bauer, she may not be as kind as you think¡­ Ashton was furious ¡°That¡¯s enough. You can go now. You don¡¯t have toe to Flora Vi again.¡± Jeff did not say anything more and turned to leave. Ashton sat down at his desk and lit a cigarette in silence. He did not want to think about it, but Jeff¡¯s words lingered in his mind, If Helen was not as kind as he thought she was, then in this world, who would still be kind and truly good to him? Ashton would always believe that Helen was really good to him and did not have any bad intentions. She had saved him and let him feel the only warmth, which was something he would never forget, and which was enough for him to believe in her for the rest of his life. Ashton still remembered that day. In the cold water, he was hypoglycemic and slowly sank into the water. Helen did not know how to swim, but she jumped into the water to save him without hesitation. She gave him a piece of candy and clung to a piece of driftwood on the surface of the water. She fought for a few minutes. When the adults came to rescue them, Helen chose to let Ashton be saved first. Ashton could hardly open his eyes, but he smelled her scent. It was familiar. After he was rescued to the shore and woke up, he saw Helen, who was drenched and looking at him in panic. Ashton slowly pulled back his thoughts. He stared at his fingers and said softly. ¡°Anyone can be a bad person, but not her.¡± Helen was still lying on the bed, and Ashton was not in the mood to sit there any longer. He got up and left the study. When he was going to Helen¡¯s bedroom, he nced downstairs, but he did not hear Deborah¡¯s painful voice, nor did he hear the sound of the bodyguards hitting her. It was very quiet downstairs Ashton immediately became angry and thought that Deborah was shameless enough to pretend to be pitiful and seduce the bodyguards, so the bodyguards stopped hitting her. Ashton strode down and said angrily, ¡°I asked you to beat her until she lost a tooth. Who told you to stop?¡± A bodyguard said fearfully, ¡°Sir, we only hit her a few times, but she has been gasping for breath. It seems that she¡¯s in a poor situation. She is unconscious now. If we continue to hit her, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± Ashton looked at Deborah who was lying on the ground and said in a cold voice, ¡°She won¡¯t die. She is pretending to be unconscious because she is guilty. Bring two buckets of cold water. I want to see if she is still unconscious.¡± The bodyguard went to the kitchen and brought two buckets of water over. The temperature in winter was very low, and the cold water felt like it was frozen. The bodyguard looked at Deborah, who was motionless on the ground and did not dare to make a move. Ashton took a few steps forward and poured the two buckets of water on Deborah. If anyone was sshed with such icy water, he or she would react even if they were unconscious. However, Deborah lying on the ground was still motionless, her fingertips not even trembling. Ashton had poured two buckets of water on her and looked strangely at Deborah, who was still lying on the ground. After a long while, he ordered the bodyguard with some frustration, ¡°Wake her up.¡± The bodyguard stepped forward and squatted beside Deborah, wanting to push her. Looking at this face, the bodyguard felt strange. The bodyguard reached out and checked Deborah¡¯s breathing. His expression suddenly changed. ¡°Sir, Ms. Shepherd is no longer breathing.¡± Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Blood Dyes the White Shirt Red Ashton¡¯s expression froze for a moment. He looked at Deborah who was no longer moving on the ground. ¡°What did you say?¡± The bodyguard said anxiously. ¡°Sir, Ms. Shepherd seems to have stopped breathing¡± No matter how Ashton looked at it, he felt that Deborah was ying some new tricks She had always been very healthy, and she was not as weak as Helen. How could she suddenly stop breathing? He approached and kicked Deborah twice. Seeing that she still did not react on the ground, he frowned and said, ¡°Deal with her.¡± The bodyguard standing at the side did not quite understand what he meant. He asked carefully, ¡°Bury her?¡± Ashton¡¯s face darkened as he kicked the bodyguard. The bodyguard took a few steps back, and other bodyguards immediately called Andrew over. Ashton crouched down and patted Deborah¡¯s face twice. Then, he used his index finger to check her breathing She really didn¡¯t breathe. Human beings couldn¡¯t hold their breath for long. It didn¡¯t seem like she was pretending. This was the first time he had noticed that Deborah was so skinny when he got so close to her. Her face was as pale as paper, and there was not even a hint of blood. He reached out and scooped Deborah up and quickly went upstairs. Deborah was picked up by him, and she waspletely silent. Her head and hands drooped down weakly. Ashton quickly went to the consulting room on the third floor. As soon as he entered, Andrew had alreadye over. Ashton¡¯s voice revealed a tinge of panic. ¡°Check her. Why doesn¡¯t she breathe?¡± Just as Andrew walked to the bedside, Helen was supported by a servant toe in. Helen¡¯s face was full of injuries, and one of her front teeth fell off. Her face was pale. ¡®Did something happen to Debby? It¡¯s all my fault. I went over and made her angry.¡± Because she had lost a tooth, her words were not so clear. Ashton turned around and nced at her. There was a strange look in his eyes. One tooth missing was Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. indeed quite not pleasing to the eye. Andrew gave Deborah, who was lying on the bed, an emergency resuscitation as he nced at Helen quietly. Now that Deborah¡¯s breathing stopped, it was toote to send her to the hospital. It could be said that whether Deborah was dead or alive depended on Andrew. Four to six minutes after the breathing stopped, an irreversible brain death could ur, and then it would quickly lead to the death of the body. Though Andrew was a little slower, he might not leave any ws, and Deborah would die. Helen shook her head slightly. When Ashton was present, she could not take such a big risk. Andrew quickly turned his eyes to Deborah and tried his best to save her. About ten minutester, Deborah, who was on the bed, let out a painful cough. Ashton quickly walked over and asked, ¡°Is there no problem? Why did she suddenly stop breathing just now?¡± Andrew answered, ¡°Sir, Ms. Shepherd is fine. She didn¡¯t stop breathing just now, but her breathing was a little weak. ¡°It should be the same as before. She caught a cold, causing her to lose some spirit. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have woken up so quickly¡± Ashton recalled that during the day, Deborah had secretly gone to the hospital to look for Zayne. She had even made up some absurd words, telling him that she developed liver cancer. Andrew continued, ¡°It is snowing heavily and cold. Even a person with a good body will catch a cold if he stays outside for too long. Ms. Shepherd should better not go out ¡± The faint warmth in Ashton¡¯s eyes disappeared. He sneered and said, ¡°She deserves it.¡± He directly turned back and took Helen out. ¡°Helen, you are seriously injured. You should have a good rest.¡± Helen whispered, ¡°Ms. Shepherd must have caught a cold because she went to the hospital today to look for Dr. Gaige. She must have gone there because she is sick. Ashton, don¡¯t me her.¡± Deborahy on the bed. She woke up, but when she heard the voices of Ashton and Helen, she did not even want to open her eyes. As soon as Ashton left, Andrew stopped pretending and left Deborah directly. Deborah was lying alone in the medical room. The temperature in the room was suitable and very warm, but she always felt that it was very cold. Recently, she often felt this way. It was like her bones and internal organs were emitting cold air. She felt like she was in a refrigerator, so cold that she was about to freeze. She heard that people who were about to die would always feel colder. The cold feeling became heavier and heavier. Soon, the smell of blood surged in her throat again. She struggled to move to the edge of the bed. Shey on the ground but did not see any trash can and could only vomit directly to the ground beside the bed. The ck and red blood mixed with something that seemed to be gastric acid was vomited all over the ground. Deborah looked at therge patch of blood that she had spat out and only felt shocked. Her scalp was numb. Her vision went dizzy and nk. Shey back on the bed and curled up, thinking about Alyssa. What should she do? If she died, even if Alyssa only lived one more day than her, how much more torture would she suffer? The discussion of the two servants outside the door came in. ¡°What a pity. A four-year-old girl became mute.¡± ¡°She is so naughty and fell off the stage. I guess she was scared silly. Dr. Wilson checked her and said that she broke her brain and would never speak. Maybe she would be a fool.¡± ¡°Who is to me? It¡¯s her own fault. She is the child of the woman inside and an unknown man. Now she suffers from leukemia and has be a mute and a fool. What a pity.¡± ¡°Mr. Mullen is still benevolent. He is afraid that she would not be able to stand it, so he prevented the girl from visiting her mother.¡± Deborah¡¯s expression suddenly changed. She grabbed the edge of the bed and got out of bed in a hurry. She lost her strength and rolled off the bed. She could not care about the pain. She staggered up and walked to the door to open it. The two servants who were discussing outside immediately stopped talking when they saw Deborah Deborah asked, ¡°What did you say?¡± The two servants looked at each other in panic, turned around, and went downstairs. Deborah ran over unsteadily, her mind filled with the words she had just heard, ¡°fall off the stage¡±, ¡°mute¡±, and ¡°fool¡±. How was that possible? Alyssa was so smart, much more obedient and sensible than children of her age. How could she be a fool? She had such a good voice and dreamed of standing on the stage and singing when she grew up, and she was even chosen by a talent scout How could she be mute? No, it was impossible! Impossible! Deborah¡¯s ears were filled with buzzing sounds as she grabbed the handrail of the stairs in a daze and walked downstairs. When the servants saw her like this, they all avoided her as if they were avoiding a gue. Deborah went down to the second floor and saw that at the end of the corridor, Ashton had his back facing her as he walked around the corner toward the study. She clenched her fists tightly and walked over. Her pace was much slower than Ashton¡¯s. By the time she reached the outside of the study, Ashton had already entered. The door was closed, but it was not locked. Deborah reached out and opened the door. Ashton thought that it was a servant who hade in and did not even raise his head. When he saw Deborah walk up to him, he immediately revealed a disgusted expression. ¡°Who allowed you toe in? Get out!¡± Deborah walked over step by step and said with a trembling voice, ¡°Is Alyssa hurt from the fall and mute? Does she be a fool?¡± Ashton¡¯s eyes shed with a trace of guilt. He quickly said unhappily. ¡°She asked for it. She broke her brain because she was too yful.¡± Deborah approached him and smiled sadly. ¡°Ashton, whether you are a husband or a father, you are not worthy!¡± Ashton said coldly, ¡°I said, she fell on her own.¡± Deborah put her hand behind her back and grabbed a fruit knife from the tea table when she just came in. When she had just grabbed it, Ashton was sitting in front of his desk and working, not even looking at her. Her hand was gripping the knife tightly and trembling with all her might. Then she suddenly took out the knife and used all her strength to stab Ashton¡¯s heart. The study was very warm, and Ashton was wearing a thin white shirt. The sharp tip of the de pierced in, and the blood that gushed out quickly dyed arge part of his shirt red. There was only endless hatred in Deborah¡¯s voice. ¡°Go to hell!¡± Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Deborah, I Want a Daughter Too The tip of the knife was pushed deep into Ashton¡¯s chest. Deborah¡¯s eyes were red Ashton looked down and saw blood soaking his clothes and dripping down the de to the ground. Ashton didn¡¯t know when Deborah reached for that knife He was dumbfounded At this moment, Ashton suddenly remembered that he once angered Hector Mullen, his grandfather, and Hector hit his back. The injury wasn¡¯t serious. But that night, when Deborah sat on his bed and applied ointment to it, she was so worried that she cried. Deborah, who would cry over Ashton¡¯s injury, had now personally stabbed his chest. Ashton felt a strange feeling. There was anger and something else But he didn¡¯t know what other feelings were. Deborah was still holding the knife. Her hand was shaking. She desperately pushed the knife into Ashton¡¯s chest. Ashton grabbed her hand that was holding the knife. She didn¡¯t have much strength in the first ce, and she had almost used it up. With a little force, Ashton pulled her hand away. The hatred in Deborah¡¯s eyes was instantly reced by fear. She felt that Ashton would seek revenge and kill her the next moment. Ashton ignored the wound and dragged her to the sofa. He threw Deborah onto the sofa Ashton held Deborah down, grabbed her hand, and forced her to hold the hilt of the knife in front of his chest. Ashton grabbed her hand that was clenched into a fist and suddenly pulled out the bloody knife. Deborah¡¯s face turned pale. She wondered which one of them was crazy. As the knife was removed, the blood in his chest quickly flowed out. Ashton loosened his grip a little. The knife in Deborah¡¯s hand immediately fell to the ground, making a crisp yet piercing sound. Ashton pressed Deborah¡¯s hand against his chest. It stopped most of the blood. Some blood still flowed out from the gaps between Deborah¡¯s fingers. It flowed down her arm and soaked the sleeve of the sweater. She could feel the warmth of the liquid on her arm. Ashton red at her. The blood on his body stained Deborah¡¯s light-colored sweater. They were both stained with blood now The blood all over his body made him look frightening. Ashton said fiercely, ¡°Deborah, you are risking your neck, like you always did.¡± Deborah struggled a few times and then quit. Everything she saw was a bloody blur. Deborah felt like a piece of wood floating in the water. She recalled that summer when she jumped into the deep water to help Ashton. His blood sugar suddenly lowered when he was swimming. At that time, Deborah was floating like this Ashton had saved her before. That was why Deborah risked her life to save him without hesitation. Outside the floor-to-ceiling window, the dawn was breaking. The first ray of sunlight shone in through the window. Deborah was in a daze. She looked at Ashton and said softly, ¡°Ashton, I regret saving you.¡± Ashton felt that he had misheard Deborah. And it seemed to be something important. Ashton leaned over and asked her, ¡°What did you say?¡± Deborah didn¡¯t reply. She fell asleep.. Ashton stood up to take Deborah out. He looked down at her. Her clothes were untidy. Ashton reached for his coat and put it on Deborah. Ashton picked her up and walked out. Helen was standing at the door. When she saw it open, she subconsciously hid to the side. Ashton came out. Helen realized that she couldn¡¯t avoid him. She tried to find an excuse to exin why she was here. However, Ashton didn¡¯t see her at all. He directly carried Deborah out and walked in the direction of the bedroom on the other side. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Helen was shocked to see that he and Deborah were covered in blood. There is so much blood. Has Deborah died? Helen quickly followed Ashton. Ashton took Deborah to his bedroom. As he threw her onto the bed, he cked out. Ashton lost a lot of blood, and Deborah¡¯s clothes were soaked. When Deborah woke up, the sky was already bright. Andrew had treated Ashton¡¯s wound. Ashton was sitting on the side of the bed and staring at Deborah. When Deborah opened her eyes, she saw Ashton looking at her. His eyes were bloodshot. Deborah nced at him and closed her eyes. Ashton said angrily. ¡°The next time you want to die, you¡¯d better kill your daughter first. Otherwise, your daughter will fall into my hands, and I won¡¯t be nice to her.¡± Deborah didn¡¯t say a word. Ashton suddenly lifted the quilt on her and pulled her up. ¡°I am talking to you. Did you hear me?¡± Deborah coughed violently as he suddenly dragged her. Deborah sounded really sick. After she coughed a few times, the corner of her mouth seemed to be stained with some blood. Ashton looked closer. But Deborah raised her hand and wiped it off. Ashton frowned. ¡°Did you cough up blood?¡± A strong smell of blood spread out in Deborah¡¯s throat. The pain hadsted for a long time, and Deborah had gotten used to it. She smiled and said coldly, ¡°Yes. It started a long time ago. ¡°Helen forced me to donate seventy percent of my liver. She injected me with poison, so my liver couldn¡¯t heal. And I developed liver cancer. I¡¯m about to die. Coughing up blood is almost a routine.¡± Ashton said coldly, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? The medicine that Dr. Wilson gave you is for treating your liver. It won¡¯t harm you. Helen is taking it too, and it¡¯s effective. Her appetite has be much better¡­¡± Deborah interrupted him, ¡°Ashton, why do you always ask?¡± Ashton didn¡¯t reply. He didn¡¯t understand what she meant. Deborah mocked him in a low voice. ¡°You won¡¯t believe me anyway. Then why do you ask me?¡± Ashton looked displeased. ¡®I want to hear the truth.¡± Deborah said coldly. ¡°You should ask Helen. She will give you the answer you like. You won¡¯t like my version.¡± Ashton was speechless after hearing what Deborah said. He had felt something was wrong recently. Why does Deborah¡¯s condition look worse? But Dr. Wilson always said that she was fine. Has Dr. Wilson made a mistake, or has Deborah managed to deceive him? Ashton was confused. He thought about it and suddenly realized that he and Deborah hadn¡¯t had a child after being married for so many years. Deborah always says that she loves me. But she has had a child with another man, and for so many years, she never mentioned having a child with me Ashton stared at Deborah for a long time and suddenly said, ¡°Deborah, have a child with me. I want a daughter too.¡± Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Conditions Deborah nced at Ashton and was sure that it was not a joke or dream talking She looked at him as if facing a lunatic, and there was a trace of sympathy in her tone. ¡°Don¡¯t dy it anymore. You should get your brain examined¡± Ashton pulled her towards himself in displeasure. ¡°You have no choice. Even if you don¡¯t want to give birth, you have to if you still want your daughter to live¡­¡± ¡°Then kill her ¡°Deborah interrupted him without hesitation. Ashton¡¯s expression froze. He sneered after a long time, ¡°Stop pretending. We all know that you care about that bastard the most¡± Deborah looked at him calmly. ¡°She has a terminal illness and is a mute and a fool. Ashton, it is more painful for her to live than to die. If you want to do it, do it now, I will be with her even after death.¡± For unknown reasons, the more Deborah refused, the more Ashton desired to have her give birth to his child. The child she and another man had was so cute. With the genes of the Mullen family and Deborah¡¯s face, the child they would have must be much nicer than Alyssa. Ashton then had an eased tone. ¡°Deborah, we can sign a contract. As long as you give birth to a child for me, I will find a suitable bone marrow for Alyssa and cure her illness. ¡°You don¡¯t want Alyssa to stay here, do you? Then I can let you take her away or ask Zayne to do it, which will be written clearly in the contract.¡± Deborah sneered, ¡®Ashton, are you stupid or do you think I am stupid? Alyssa only has two months left to live Even if I give birth to a child for you, when the child is born, Alyssa will have already died. So what¡¯s the point of bone marrow? ¡°As for the contract, do you think I will believe the so-called contract you signed with me?¡± In the beginning. Ashton signed the contract with her. He said that after she donated her liver to Helen, he would immediately donate his bone marrow to Alyssa. But what happened then was not the case. Ashton frowned and exined, ¡°That is because the doctor checked it and thought Alyssa and my bone marrow were not surtable ¡°epting unsuitable bone marrow would result in rejection and death. There was no difference between this and killing others. The hospital wouldn¡¯t do it. I didn¡¯t go back on my word.¡± Then he continued after a pause. ¡°How about this? As long as you agree to have a child, I will ask someone to find a suitable bone marrow for Alyssa right now. ¡°When the bone marrow is found, I will immediately arrange a bone marrow transnt for her. After that, when you are pregnant, I will let you take Alyssa away to any ce you want.¡± Anyway, it was not his child. To put it bluntly, he didn¡¯t care. If he and Deborah had their own child, there was no need for him to keep Alyssa by his side. Deborah was vaciting. After all, Alyssa was only four years old, and her beautiful life had just begun. ILAlyssa¡¯s illness could be cured and she could stay away from Ashton, Deborah would make enough money for her and give her a good life and future. She didn¡¯t want Alyssa to die at the age of four or feel no warmth of life. However, it was impossible for Deborah to give birth to a child for Ashton. She could only find a way to cheat. Deborah¡¯s tone softened slightly. ¡°Alyssa doesn¡¯t have much time left. There is no time to find another suitable bone marrow. I want you to donate the bone marrow to her. Otherwise, it is impossible for us to have a child * Ashton frowned. ¡°The doctor said that it was not suitable. A bone marrow transnt cannot be made. It will kill her. I will not do it.¡± Deborah thought, you have done many things equal to killing people. But in the end, she still couldn¡¯t give up on Alyssa If Alyssa could have a way out and a great future, Deborah was not willing to give it up. After hesitating for a moment, Deborah said, ¡°I heard that Rodger returnedst week.¡± Rodger and Ashton had been friends since they were young and offen contacted each other over business and private life. And, the two families were old friends. Their rtionship had always been very good. However, the biggest difference between them was that Ashton was not as clear-minded as Rodger. The two fell out one night three years ago. Rodger pointed out that he saw Helen whoring at the nightclub. Rodger publicly scolded Helen as an evil-minded bitch, telling Ashton to cut ties with her to avoid getting sick. Ashton defended Helen and fought with Rodger. After that, the two broke up Hearing Deborah mention Rodger, Ashton said unhappily, ¡°Why are you asking about him?¡± Deborah answered. ¡°Didn¡¯t he open a hospital? I want you and Alyssa to go there to do the bone marrow test again. I want Rodger to be in charge of it. If you agree to do the bone marrow transnt, you should do it at his hospital.¡± Ashton refused without thinking. ¡°I haven¡¯t talked to Rodger for a few years. It¡¯s impossible for me to turn to him.¡± Deborah replied indifferently. ¡°Well, it is impossible to have a child.¡± Ashton was angry. He pressed Deborah on the shoulder and asked her, ¡°You tried so hard to marry me back then, but why are you so unhappy with having a child with me now?¡± Deborah answered with a smile, ¡°I spent so much effort to marry you because of your money, not you, so of course, I wouldn¡¯t be happy to have a child for you.¡± Ashton was so angry that he wanted to kill Deborah now. He was silent for a long time before he spoke again, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go to Rodger¡¯s hospital and ask him to give me and that little bastard a bone marrow test. ¡°Even if it is not suitable, I will still donate the bone marrow. But Deborah, you better keep your promise. After the bone marrow is transnted, get pregnant as soon as possible. Otherwise, the consequences will be bad.¡± Deborah nodded without hesitation. ¡°Okay.¡± Ashton pulled her out of bed and took her and Alyssa to Rodger¡¯s hospital. On the way there, Ashton called Rodger, but he did not answer. Ashton took the driver¡¯s phone and made the call again. After a long time, it was finally connected. Rodgers voice came. ¡°Hello, who is this?¡± Ashton said. ¡°I am Ashton¡­¡± He had only said three words when Rodger hung up the phone. Ashton called again, and Rodger also blocked his driver¡¯s number. Now it could not be connected. Ashton had a gloomy look. He looked at Deborah in the back seat. ¡°Give me your phone.¡± Thinking of something, he changed his mind. ¡°You call Rodger.¡± Deborah took out her phone and dialed Rodger¡¯s number. It was quickly connected, and an exceptionally friendly voice came. ¡°Deborah, what¡¯s up?¡± Ashton, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, looked even more gloomy. Deborah hugged Alyssa, who was already asleep, and said, ¡°Rodger, I want you to do something for me. Are you at your hospital now?¡± A refreshing voice came through the phone. ¡°I¡¯m at the hospital. Don¡¯t say that. We¡¯re friends. Anything can be discussed, as long as it is not about Ashton.¡± Ashton turned around and wanted to curse. Deborah immediately covered the receiver. She said, ¡°I want to ask you to do a bone marrow examination for Ashton and Alyssa. Alyssa has leukemia and needs someone to donate the bone marrow to her.¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Rodger sighed and said. ¡°That poor child is only four years old. How can she have such a disease? But I don¡¯t need to do an examination. They are father and daughter, so it must be suitable¡­¡± Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Suspicion When he went to the hospital, Rodger was afraid that Deborah could not find the ce to do the examination, so he was already waiting at the entrance of the consultation building He watched Deborah get out of the car and walked over to her. When Rodger saw Ashton, who came from behind Deborah, he did not even look at him and walked closer to Deborah ¡°Go to the third floor for the examination. Come on, Alyssa. You are so thin, and you have such a father¡­¡± Rodger sighed and did not speak again. Carrying Alyssa for Deborah, he turned around and walked inside. They entered the elevator together. Rodger chatted with Alyssa for a long time. Alyssa did not reply to him, and her gaze was very dull. Rodger showed a confused look. Deborah was about to exin when Ashton, who was left to the side, said indifferently. ¡°She fell down from upstairs and became a fool who can¡¯t speak.¡± Hearing him say this, Alyssa revealed a very scared expression and anxiously asked Deborah to hug her. Deborah reached out and carried her over. Rodger said in a very angry tone, ¡°Ashton, let them go to show your mercy. You can¡¯t Let Helen always harm them.¡± Ashton¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°Rodger, you have a misunderstanding about Helen. I know her very well. Please pay attention to your words.¡± Rodger was speechless. When the elevator reached the third floor, he led Deborah out and called a doctor over to examine Ashton and Alyssa. After sampling, Deborah and the others waited in Rodger¡¯s office for the results. Rodger tapped his long fingers on the desk and leanedzily against the office chair. ¡°Ashton, how about we make a bet? ¡°If your bone marrow is suitable, let Deborah and her daughter go abroad. If it is not, I will apologize to Helen for having told you about her whoring¡± Ashton, who could not stand others talking bad about Helen, heard Rodger¡¯s words and got up in anger, trying to beat him. Rodger had no intention of dodging and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we make a bigger bet? I will directly do a paternity test for you and Alyssa ¡°If you two are biological father and daughter, give Alyssa to me to make her my daughter and tell her to call me father. If not, I can do anything for you.¡± Ashton¡¯s expression was indifferent. ¡°Not interested.¡± Rodger sneered. ¡°I¡¯ve been very curious all these years. Is it true that there is something wrong with your mind?¡± Ashton wanted to leave directly, but someone knocked on the door outside. Rodger allowed him toe in, and a doctor in a white coat walked in with an examination report. The doctor handed the report to Rodger. ¡°Boss, the result is here. It is suitable.¡± Rodger said in a mocking tone, ¡°Why do you give it to me? Give it to Mr. Mullen!¡± The doctor then handed the report to Ashton. Deborah had expected this result, but she was still very happy to see it now. Ashton wouldn¡¯t doubt Rodger¡¯s examination. Ashton understood Rodger¡¯s character the best. His family had practiced medicine for a hundred years, and his medical athies had always been the most important thing. Ashton stared at the report and did note back to his senses for a long time. ¡°Is there a need to do a paternity test?¡± Rodger asked. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to make any money from you. I have to say it first. If you two are biological father and daughter, your daughter has to be mine.¡± Ashton held the report tightly. He suddenly thought of something and got up to leave. Deborah immediately stood up and stopped him. ¡°It was agreed that after the bone marrow examination is done, you will immediately agree to arrange the bone marrow transnt for Alyssa. You should get prepared now.¡± The doctor who was doing the examination on the side did not know much about the situation. He only knew that Alyssa had leukemia. Now it was in thete stage, so she urgently needed the bone marrow to save her life. The doctor smiled. ¡°Little girl, don¡¯t feel pressured. You have such a responsible father. When he donates the bone marrow to you, you will have a healthy body.¡± Ashton was a little unhappy. ¡°Who said that this child is my daughter?¡± The doctor thought that Ashton was joking and replied, ¡°Sir, we can tell at a nce. ¡°Although the genders of you are different, there are too many simrities among your facial features. It was so obvious. Anyone can see it.¡± Rodger sneered. He was extremely happy while Ashton had a gloomy face. The doctor looked at Ashton. The atmosphere seemed to be a little strange, so he did not intend to stay any longer. The doctor looked at Deborah and said, ¡°Ms. Shepherd, if your daughter needs to do bone marrow transntation here, she has to be admitted to the hospital and prepare for chemotherapy before the transnt ¡°As for your husband, he is a bone marrow donator. He needs to make other preparations before the donation. There will be other doctors to arrange it for him.¡± Deborah nodded and could not wait at all. ¡°Then I will take my daughter to apply for admission now.¡± The doctor agreed and then took the two out. When Deborah was walking out with Alyssa, Ashton looked up and couldn¡¯t help but look at Alyssa. He didn¡¯t seem to notice this before. This child really looked like him. As soon as this feeling appeared, Ashton couldn¡¯t keep his cool. His bone marrow was suitable for Alyssa, which proved that the bone marrow test done in the other hospital before was going wrong. This made him wonder if the result of the paternity test done there was true. Ashton took out his mobile phone and called Jeff. He was in a panic and even forgot that Jeff had been driven to the old house by him and no longer worked for him. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. When the call was connected, Ashton said in a low voice, ¡®Go check it out for me. On the day when Alyssa and I were doing the bone marrow examination in Richmond Hospital, why was the result wrong? Who did it?¡± Jeff was stunned for a moment, but he did not say much and only responded, ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Jeff secretly investigated. Ashton had shares in Richmond Hospital. It was not difficult to find the relevant surveince without being known by others. Soon, two surveince videos were sent to Ashton¡¯s phone. Ashton clicked on the surveince video, one of which was taken in the corridor and the examination room. In the video, after Emest personally sent the two bone marrow samples in, he did not leave immediately. Instead, he approached a female doctor who was doing the examination and seemed to have said something to her. After Emest left, the female doctor quickly nced around, and then quickly pulled out one of the two samples and transferred it to another sample. In the other video, Ernest walked into Helen¡¯s ward Emest approached the bed and said something to Helen. Helen revealed a very pleased expression on her face. Emest¡¯s expression was extremely proud and even a little ferocious. Ashton looked at the screen in disbelief, his eyes darkening. In his impression, Helen was gentle and weak while Ernest was elegant, but the expressions on their faces were something that Ashton had never seen before. He stared at the screen for a long time, and finally called Jeff, ¡°Take Ernest to me.¡± He paused for a long time as if he was making a very difficult decision. After a long while, he finally continued, ¡°As well as Helen¡­ Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Chapter 34 The Right DNA Test Results After calling Jeff, Ashton sat down on the chair opposite Rodger Rodger did not want to pay attention to him and continued to work. Ashton sat in silence for a while and could not help but ask him, ¡°Do I really look like that bastard?¡± Rodger was busy and reluctantly answered, ¡°Which bastard are you talking about?¡± Ashton said in a t tone, ¡°Deborah¡¯s daughter, Alyssa.¡± Rodger snorted coldly. ¡°Mr. Mullen, she is not a bastard but your daughter. The bone marrow matching results prove it.¡± It was impossible for Ashton to believe he had been wrong for so many years. His tone was unhappy. ¡°A bone marrow match test might not prove that.¡± Rodger didn¡¯t feel like talking to him anymore and only said, ¡°Oh.¡± Then Rodger continued to work. Ashton sat for a long time and said, ¡°Do a paternity test for me and that bas¡­ Alyssa.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Rodger refused immediately, ¡°Sorry but no.¡± Ashton still wanted to say something, but his phone rang He picked it up, and Nina¡¯s voice came, ¡°Sir, Ms. Bauer said she was still ufortable. ¡°Ms. Shepherd hit her hard. Ms. Bauer has a lot of injuries. Do you need her toe over now? If it was any other time, since Helen said so, even if Ashton had an urgent matter, he would not insist on hering over. But this time, Ashton responded, ¡°Get the driver to send her over. If she is very ufortable, Nina, On the other side of the line, Helen was a little anxious She was not a fool. Ashton¡¯s sudden change of attitude was most likely because he had discovered something about her. She had done too many bad things, and she was not sure what Ashton had discovered. She was uncertain and did not dare to go over. Just as she was worrying, she heard Rodger¡¯s gloating voice from the other side of the line, ¡°Ms. Bauer, if you are guilty, don¡¯t find excuses. ¡°Just pack up your things and run away. Don¡¯t wait until you can¡¯t run even if you want to.¡± Helen nced at Nina. Nina could only answer, ¡°Sir, then I wille with Ms. Bauer now.¡± Ashton did not say more and hung up the phone. In less than half an hour, Jeff brought Helen and Ernest over. Helen looked extremely weak and was held by Nina as she walked in.. Helen noticed Rodger was also here and did not say a word. Ashton immediately yed the surveince video on his phone and threw it at Emest. ¡°Dr. Bauer, please exin.¡± When Ernest lowered his head to look at the two surveince videos, a trace of panic shed through his eyes. Ernest remembered he had deleted all the surveince videos after the incident so as not to leave any ws He looked at them carefully before raising his head and asking Ashton with a puzzled expression, ¡°Mr. Mullen, I don¡¯t quite understand what you mean. I don¡¯t know what to exin. When were the surveince videos in this hospital recorded?¡± Ashton remained silent. Jeff, who hade with him, said coldly. ¡°You were in charge of the examination on the day Mr. Mullen and Alyssa did the bone marrow matching test. The surveince videos were from that day* ¡°Oh, it was that day I remember now Emest thought for a moment and looked like he suddenly realized something ¡°The surveince footage shows Dr White changed the bone marrow sample, right? How could she do such a thing? She has no medical ethics. She should be severely punished!¡± Rodger sneered. ¡°Dr. Bauer, you are passing the buck. The surveince footage shows you secretly asked Dr. White to change the sample¡± Ernest snapped, ¡°Mr. Denard, you have been a doctor for many years. For a doctor, medical ethics are the most important¡± ¡°Dr. White¡¯s behavior is outrageous. Why am I to me? I did talk to her that day. But I reminded her the examination was important and asked her to arrange it earlier. I didn¡¯t say anything else!¡± Rodger smiled coldly. ¡°Is that so? You could have asked a nurse to send the bone marrow sample. You didn¡¯t need to have it done sooner or send it yourself, Dr. Bauer.* ¡°So, Mr. Mullen, did you call me over for this? Are you suspecting me like Mr. Denard? Ernest looked at Ashton in disbelief. ¡°I am confident | have a clear conscience. Mr. Mullen, if you want to prove me guilty with this surveince footage, then I have nothing. to say! Ashton yed another surveince video. ¡°What about this?¡± Emest nced at it, and his expression became even more puzzled. ¡°Helen is my cousin. I went to the ward to check her up and chatted with her. I don¡¯t understand. Is there a problem with this?¡± Ashton said in a t tone, ¡°What were you talking about to make you so happy?¡± Emest was about to exin when Ashton looked at Helen. ¡°Helen, you tell me.¡± Helen¡¯s eyes were red, and tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°Ashton, you even suspect me? Well, I remember that day, Ernest and I were talking about his promotion. ¡°The hospital wanted to promote a new director of the department, and Dr. Bauer became one of the three candidates. It was very likely that he would be the new director ¡°He became a doctor because of his passion for it against his family¡¯s objections. After working hard for so many years, he finally achieved something. He was thrilled, and I was happy for him.¡± Emest said angrily, ¡°Helen, I thought Mr. Mullen trusted you and loved you very much. I didn¡¯t expect that his trust in you was so fragile!¡± Ashton was a little uncertain for a moment. He asked Jeff, ¡°Did you ask Dr. White toe here? Have you checked it with her?¡± Jeff made a phone call and quickly walked to Ashton, whispering, ¡°I interrogated her. Dr. White admitted it and said Ernest wanted her to do it ¡°She also said she and Ernest were dating. Ernest and Helen promised to let her marry into the Bayer Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. family after she helped them with this.¡± Jeff¡¯s voice was low, but Ernest still heard it. Ernest said angrily, ¡°What nonsense! I have been a doctor for over ten years, and I have never been framed or humiliated like this! If this crime is valid, I would rather die!¡± Helen¡¯s tears fell, and she cried tofort Ernest. ¡°Ernest, don¡¯t be like this! A clear conscienceughs at false usations, and I will find a way to prove your innocence!¡± 1 Rodger looked over and was shocked. ¡°Helen, how did you lose your front teeth?¡± Helen immediately covered her mouth and cried her heart out. ¡°Ernest, if no one can prove your innocence, I will die with your Even Ashton doesn¡¯t believe me. It is meaningless for me to live!¡± Ashton couldn¡¯t help but be a little soft-hearted, but Jeff was reliable. If Jeff got the information from Gina White, it should have some truth in it. After hesitating for a while, Ashton softened his tone and said, ¡°I will do a paternity test with Alyssa again. I hope the result will be the same as the one Dr. Bauer was in charge of. ¡°If it¡¯s different, then Dr. Bauer, there can¡¯t be two coincidences. I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t escape the me.¡± Helen was still crying. Ashton walked straight out of the office. When he passed by Helen, Ashton stopped and said, ¡°Helen, you should know I hate being schemed against and lied to the most. No one can do that to me. There is no exception.¡± After he finished speaking, he did not look at Helen anymore and went out. As Rodger walked out, he instructed Jeff, ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you to keep an eye on these two. Before the paternity test results are out, do not let them leave here or contact anyone.¡± Jeff nodded. When Rodger also went out, Jeff went straight over and locked the door. Helen began to tremble. She lowered her voice and said in a panic, ¡°Ernest, what should we do now?¡± Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Alyssa, I Am Daddy After Ashton left Rodger¡¯s office, he went directly to Alyssa¡¯s word. Deborah had already settled the hospitalization procedures for Alyssa and took her to the ward to settle down When Ashton went to the ward, the attending doctor was telling Deborah that before Alyssa epted the bone marrow donation, she needed to do some preparations for chemotherapy and pay attention to other things. Ashton walked in, and the doctor had just finished speaking and walked out of the ward. Deborah was so tired. As soon as the doctor finished speaking and left, she looked at Alyssa, who was lying on the bed, and began to doze off, not noticing that Ashton hade in behind her. Ashton walked to the bedside and sat down. Deborah did not wake up Deborah had just started to sleep, but she seemed to be sleeping soundly. It seemed that she was extremely tired, and her spirit was very low. Ashton could not help but think back to all those years of marriage to Deborah. She did not seem to be like this in the past. What was wrong with her health recently? As he stared at Deborah in a daze, Ashton almost forgot what he had to do. It was not until Alyssa, who was lying on the bed, turned over in a daze that he came back to his senses, Ashton took theb from the bedside table and gently leaned over tob Alyssa¡¯s hair so that he could get her hair for paternity testing. Probably because of the bone marrow test results, Ashton had a faint feeling that Alyssa was his daughter. With this idea, he even took it lightly as he got her hair. Thinking back to how he had hurt this child before, Ashton felt very ufortable. Hebed her hair a few times, but before he could get her hair, Alyssa, who was asleep, was awakened. Alyssa opened her eyes and saw Ashton in front of her. She immediately became panicked and helpless and got up from the bed in a hurry. Ever since she was thrown out of the window by Helen, Alyssa was frightened and her head was injured. She could not speak, and something was wrong with her brain. The only thing she could barely remember now was that Deborah was her mother. As soon as Alyssa got up from the bed, she was anxious to reach out and shake Deborah awake. Ashton quickly stopped her hand andforted her softly, ¡°Alyssa, I am your father. Have you forgotten? The doctor just told you that I will donate bone marrow to you to treat your illness.¡± Alyssa was a little confused, but she stopped shaking Deborah. She remembered that the doctor did say that just now. At that time, Deborah was also there, and the doctor was not lying. Alyssa still looked uneasy. Ashton said in a good tone, ¡°You are sick. It doesn¡¯t matter if you forget it. You will remember it soon. Mom and I are good people. We will not harm you. Got it?¡± Alyssa looked at him and did not say a word for a while, as if she was thinking. A momentter, Alyssa looked less defensive and resistant. Ashton waved at her. ¡°Come closer to me. Daddy will help youb your hair. Justb your hair here. We don¡¯t go anywhere else. Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Alyssa looked at Deborah, who was lying on the bed, then looked at Ashton and obediently moved over to him. This was the first time Ashton had this feeling Seeing this childe closer, he felt his heart soften This feeling made him feel that Alyssa was definitely his daughter, and he could not treat her unfairly in the future Ashton sat behind Alyssa and helped herb her hair. He had gotten her hair, but he did not want to stop. He pretended to skillfully help Alyssa braid her hair When he was done, Alyssa tilted her head and looked at him. Ashton touched her head and said, ¡°You¡¯re so good, and you look pretty.¡± Alyssa let down her guard against him and revealed a happy smile. Ashton¡¯s heart skipped a beat. In the past, he felt that children were very troublesome, but now he felt that having a daughter was good Alyssa noticed the hair on his hand and looked at him with a strange expression. A trace of guilt shed across Ashton¡¯s face. He did not want Alyssa to know about the paternity test, so he exined, ¡°It fell down, I will throw it into the trash can outside.¡± Alyssa nodded. When Ashton got up and went out, Alyssa saw the trash can beside the bed and wanted to stop him, but she could not speak. Ashton strode out. Alyssa sat on the bed. She couldn¡¯t remember what happened before. She felt a little strange. Did she really have such a good father? Why did she only remember her mother after she fell? Ashton did not allow any mistakes to happen during the paternity test this time. Therefore, after he got Alyssa¡¯s hair, he put her hair and his into a small bag. Then he personally sent it to Rodger. Rodger handed it to the assistant doctor and asked him to bring it to the examination room. Ashton immediately stopped him. He looked at Rodger and said, ¡°Can you do that? When you do the test, you should also keep an eye on it and wait for the results toe out.¡± Rodger was stunned for a moment and sneered, ¡°You weren¡¯t careful when you should be. Now you are suspicious.¡± No matter what, Ashton didn¡¯t want the assistant doctor to intervene. If not for the fact that he couldn¡¯t enter the testing room, Ashton would have gone in and guarded the test. Although Rodger was a little impatient on the surface, he still got up and followed Ashton¡¯s instructions. He had a lot of things to deal with, but for the sake of this paternity test, he stayed in the testing room for three hours, staring at the doctor who was doing the test. In this way, it was impossible for a fly to fly in and cause trouble. After Ashton sent the hair sample to Rodger, he returned to Alyssa¡¯s ward. When he went back, Deborah was still not awake Somehow, when he saw Deborah recently, he felt a bit distressed. Ashton sent a message to Rodger. ¡°When the paternity test results are out, help Deborah do a body examination.¡± There was no reply from the other side. Rodger was still staring at the doctor who was doing the test without blinking. If the results still showed that Ashton and Alyssa were not biological father and daughter, then Rodger could quit his job! Ashton did not get Rodger¡¯s reply. He threw his phone aside and continued to stare at Deborah, who was sleeping. He could not help but say softly, ¡°If Alyssa was my daughter, I would not pursue the matter of you scheming against me back then.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Ashton was toozy to torment Deborah anymore. As long as she was obedient in the future, her days would not be too hard. He stared at Deborah for a long time before Jeff came in. ¡°Sir, the results are out.¡± Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Suleide Ashton immediately stood up and looked at Jeff. ¡°Give me the report. What is the result?¡± Jeff looked embarrassed. The list is still with Mr. Denard. Mr. Denard is arguing with the doctor who did the test in the testing room. He said that¡­ the result was definitely wrong.¡± Ashton¡¯s heart sank, and he strode outside. Walking to the examination room, Ashton found Rodger was indeed talking to the doctor who did the examination. Rodger was very emotional and said loudly, ¡°De. Cousy, I will say it again. The examination needs to be redone again! This kind of result is impossible. You must have made a mistake!¡± Burch Cousy, who did the examination, was questioned by Rodger and was somewhat unconvinced. ¡°Mr. Denard, I have made it very clear. That is the result. It can¡¯t be wrong! ¡°You have been here all the time. Even though you didn¡¯t trust me, I wouldn¡¯t have the chance to do anything! Rodger said angrily. ¡°That means there is something wrong with the hair sent over. I have an idea. Change it to a blood test and do the paternity test again.¡± Burch frowned, ¡®Mr. Denard, we are both professional doctors. We are very clear that DNA on any part of the human body is the same. ¡°Whether it is hair, blood, or other body tissues, the result will be the same.¡± Ashton strode over and said to Rodger in a cold voice. ¡°Hand over the results.¡± Rodger refused. He directly threw the report into the paper shredder and asked Ashton, ¡°What you brought over is not your and Alyssa¡¯s hair, right? ¡°Ashton, if you don¡¯t believe that Alyssa is your daughter and don¡¯t n to cooperate with the paternity test, don¡¯t waste our time!¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Ashton¡¯s eyes were even colder. ¡°The result is that I¡¯m not rted to Alyssa by blood, right?¡± Ashton was sure that nothing would go wrong with the hair. Worrying that there would be any mistakes in the process or someone would tamper with Alyssa¡¯s hair, Ashton personally got it and then personally brought it to Rodger. As for Ashton¡¯s hair, it was even more impossible to make a mistake. Helen and Ernest, who had been suspected to have tampered with the test, were now locked in Rodger¡¯s office and kept being watched by the bodyguards. They could not tamper with the test, nor could they contact the people outside for help. Ashton looked at the scraps of paper in the shredder and understood everything. He sneered, ¡°The truth is clear. Deborah schemed against me by getting pregnant. How could that bastard be my daughter?¡± Rodger¡¯s expression was very ugly, but at this moment, even he was uncertain. This DNA test could not be wrong. Could it be that Alyssa was not Ashton¡¯s daughter? But how was this possible? Ashton left immediately and instructed Jeff, ¡°Make a new copy of the appraisal results and bring them to the ward. Also, release Helen and Ernest.¡± When Ashton returned to the ward, Deborah had been woken up by Alyssa. Deborah sat by the bed and helped Alyssa peel the apple. Suddenly, Ashton rushed in from behind and threw a piece of paper at Deborah¡¯s face. She was The fruit knife in her hand slipped, and the sharp de cut the index finger of her left hand. Blood immediately flowed down and Deborah gasped in pain. Chapter 36 Suride Ashton said in a furious voice, ¡°Ah, she is indeed a bastard!¡± Alyssa, who was sitting on the bed, was frightened. She did not understand why her father, who was so gentle to her not long ago and helped herb her hair, became like this in a blink of an eye. Alyssa crawled to Deborah in a panic and took a piece of paper to stop Deborah¡¯s bleeding. Deborah reached out and held Alyssa in her arms. After seeing the paternity test sheet that showed that Alyssa was not Ashton¡¯s biological child, Deborah did not have much reaction. Deborah did not care at all about where the problem was and who did it. She looked at Ashton indifferently. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ashton was furious. ¡°Don¡¯t say you have been framed. Rodger watched the result done. Would Rodger harm you? Would he fake it?¡± Deborah was stunned. She did not expect that this examination would be done by Rodger. Deborah stared at the report for a while, and Ashton sneered, ¡°You have nothing to say, right?¡± Deborah looked away, and her expression returned to indifference. ¡°I have said everything that needs to be said. I have nothing to exin now. I¡¯ll only ask you. Is the deal still valid?¡± She would give Ashton a child on the premise that Ashton cured Alyssa¡¯s illness and let go of Alyssa. Ashton¡¯s face was cold. ¡°The evidence is here. You can¡¯t deny it, can you?¡± Deborah patted Alyssa in her armsfortingly and looked at Ashton. ¡°Ashton, why do you bother to confirm it? You already have an answer in your heart. Even if these examination results show that you are Alyssa¡¯s biological father, will you believe it?¡± Ashton was speechless. He angrily smashed the fruit knife and fruit basket on the bedside table to the ground. ¡°Deborah, I thought I wronged you! You are not good enough to marry into the Mullen family?¡± The fruit knife that was smashed to the ground made a crisp and harsh sound, bounced, and then fell back to the ground. Alyssa looked at the mess on the ground and revealed a terrified expression. It was as if she was drowning. Her mouth opened and closed from time to time as she struggled to breathe. Alyssa anxiously shook Deborah and pointed outside, wanting to leave this ce. Deborah felt as if something sharp stabbed into her head. Seeing Alyssa lose control, she got up and carried her, wanting to leave. Ashton blocked Deborah¡¯s way, his expression furious. ¡°You feel guilty. Where are you going?¡± Alyssa made a faint sound of fear. Her pale face slowly turned ashen. She could not ept such a huge change. A moment ago, her father, who spoke to her in a gentle voice, suddenly hurt her mother like a demon. He even smashed something and said evil words. Alyssa hugged Deborah¡¯s neck anxiously. With a pleading look, she was in a hurry to go out. Ashton reached out and pulled over Alyssa, who was in Deborah¡¯s arms. He said angrily. ¡°Let me ask you. Who is her father?¡± Alyssa struggled with all her might and let out rapid and disordered breathing as if she was too excited to breathe. Her pale face began to turn green and purple. In the dispute, the sharp sound in Deborah¡¯s head became more and more intense, and everything in front of her began to blur and sway. Deborah suddenly saw Ashton throw Alyssa to the ground. Alyssa, who had been short of breath a moment ago, waspletely silent. She fell to the ground and became a bloody mess. The blood on the ground quickly flowed in all directions and flowed to Deborah¡¯s feet. Deborah shakily picked up Alyssa and patted her gently. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Alyssa. Don¡¯t be afraid. Mom will take you home. We have a home.¡± Deborah carried Alyssa and walked outside. Ashton went forward to stop her. Deborah seemed to have not seen him. She bypassed him and went straight out. She still uttered words offort. Ashton looked at Deborah, who had gone out with a pillow, in disbelief. Her expression was nk, and it did not look like she was pretending. Ashton gazed at Deborah in a trance. It was not until Deborah walked out of the ward and walked to the end of the corridor that Ashton suddenly came back to his senses and chased after her. Jeff followed behind him. Ashton said in a confused voice, ¡°Jeff, why do I feel that something is wrong with Deborah¡¯s mind?¡± Just as he finished speaking, someone in Flora Vi called. Ashton left Alyssa in the ward. As he chased after Deborah, he picked up the phone. Nina cried, ¡°Mr. Mullen, Ms. Bauer just returned to Flora Vi andmitted suicide in her bedroom with a knife!¡± Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Your Suspicion Hurts Her Too Much Ashton¡¯s face suddenly darkened, and he hurried to the end of the corridor. When Ashton passed by Deborah, who was stopped by his bodyguard, he said coldly, ¡°Take her and that bastard back to Flora Vi¡± Deborah still looked crazy. She hugged the pillow in her arms tightly and coaxed in a daze ¡®Alyssa, don¡¯t be afraid. Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Ashton didn¡¯t even look at Deborah. He hurriedly entered the elevator and went to the parking lot. When Ashton returned to Flora Vi, he asked as soon as he entered the living room, ¡°Where is Helen?¡± The servant in the living room was pale and trembled. ¡°Mr. Mullen, Ms¡­ Ms. Bauer is in the medical room on the third floor. Dr. Wilson is doing emergency treatment for Ms. Bauer.¡± Ashton quickly went upstairs and entered the medical room on the third floor. Helen was lying on the bed with her eyes closed and her face pale. There was a needle on the back of her right hand and she was taking a drip. Her left hand was hanging by the bed and there was a conspicuous wound on her wrist. Andrew stood by the bed and observed the cardiac monitor instrument with a serious expression. Ashton walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed. He held Helen¡¯s injured hand tightly with a guilty look on his face. ¡°Helen, it¡¯s all my fault for being too careless. How can I even suspect you?* Nina said sadly, ¡°Mr. Mullen, Ms. Bauer has really made up her mind tomit suicide. She has always loved you since she was a child. Your suspicion simply hurt her too much. ¡°She locked herself in the bedroom as soon as she came back. If I hadn¡¯t felt that something was wrong and knocked open the door. Ms. Bauer might not have been saved.¡± Ashton also felt a lingering fear. ¡°Nina, thank you for your hard work.¡± Nina sobbed and said angrily. ¡°Mr. Mullen, there are some things that Ms. Bauer didn¡¯t want me to say. She was afraid that you would make things difficult for Ms. Shepherd. But this time, I really can¡¯t stand it. I have to show you these photos.¡± As Nina spoke, she turned on her phone, opened some photos, and handed the phone to Ashton. ¡°The female doctor who used Ms. Bauer and Dr. Bauer had a good rtionship with Ms. Shepherd¡¯s mother. The female doctor and Ms. Shepherd¡¯s mother were college ssmates and often yed cards together. ¡°Previously, Ms. Shepherd¡¯s mother went to the Bauer family to cause trouble and even brought the female doctor with her. Also, Ms. Shepherd¡¯s mother privately gave the female doctor money. There are photos as evidence.¡± Ashton looked at the photos one by one. He was so angry that he gripped his phone tightly. ¡°Deborah, you are really vicious!¡± ¡°Ms. Bauer is kind and always cares about Ms. Shepherd,¡± Nina said with a hint of pride in her eyes. ¡°Ms. Bauer actually knows everything, but she always says that Ms. Shepherd is young and ignorant. And she doesn¡¯t allow me to say anything bad about Ms. Shepherd. ¡°But Mr. Mullen, this time Ms. Bauer almost died in Ms. Shepherd¡¯s hands. I can¡¯t hold it back anymore!¡± Ashton asked angrily, ¡°Did Deborah and that bastarde back?¡± A bodyguard came in and replied, ¡°Mr. Mullen, I¡¯ve brought them back. They are in the living room downstairs.¡± Ashton clenched his fists and his eyes were full of anger. ¡°Okay, let them wait!¡± The bodyguard nodded and went out first. Ashton looked at Helen, who was still unconscious on the bed. Helen was so kind and merciful that she was harmed by Deborah to this extent. Too Much This time, even Ashton almost believed in Deborah and attacked Helen Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Ashton looked at Nina. ¡°Helen is kind hearted. If anything happens next time, don¡¯t listen to her. Tell me directly, do you understand? Nina nodded with tears in her eyes. ¡°I understand Thank you, Mr. Mullen, for believing in Ms. Bauer Otherwise, I really don¡¯t know who can prove Ms. Bauer¡¯s innocence I¡¯m afraid Ms. Bauer will really die of injustice.¡± Ashton said confidently. ¡°This kind of thing will never happen again Ashton grabbed Helen¡¯s hand and suddenly felt her hand tremble. Ashton looked at Helen, who was lying on the bed, and coughed a few times. Ashton immediately called out to her, ¡°Helen?¡± Helen coughed for a long time before she slowly opened her eyes. Her voice was weak, ¡®Ashton, am I dreaming? I am already dead, right? Otherwise, why would youe to see me?¡± Ashton¡¯s voice was full of self-me. I¡¯m sorry, Helen. It¡¯s all my fault. I already know everything I wronged you and made you suffer.¡± Helen¡¯s tears rolled down. She shook her head and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s impossible. You won¡¯t believe me. I must be dreaming.¡± Ashton looked at the wound on her wrist with worries in his eyes. ¡°I med you wrongly. I won¡¯t do it again next time. Don¡¯t do such silly things again in the future, understand? What if something really happens?¡± Helen choked and emotionally grabbed Ashton¡¯s hand. ¡°Ashton, it really is you. You really came to see me. I¡¯m not afraid of death, but I¡¯m afraid that you don¡¯t want me anymore. ¡°When I jumped into the water to save you, I thought about it. If I can¡¯t save you, I will die with you.¡± When Ashton heard Helen mention that matter, he thought of how she risked her life to save him. After the rescue¡¯s arrival, she asked someone to save him first, and she almost died in the deep water. Ashton felt even more guilty and regretful. Ashton apanied Helen. Afterforting her to sleep again, he got up and went to the living room downstairs. Deborah was standing in the living room on the first floor with Alyssa in her arms. She was still a little dazed and sleepy, and she was being watched by several bodyguards. Ever since Deborah was injected with those pink drugs to test the medicine for Helen, she had been emotional several times, and she would be temporarily unconscious. It was very simr to the disease that Andrew had mentioned about Helen. Once Deborah was stimted, she would have a mental illness and be delirious. Ashton walked down with a dark face and approached Deborah with a cold expression. ¡°Deborah, you are really ungrateful and don¡¯t cherish your chance to repent* Deborah looked at Asfiton with vignce. She hugged Alyssa in her arms and subconsciously retreated. Ashton reached out and pressed her shoulder. ¡°I have promised you that I will donate the bone marrow to this bastard and let her go. Why are you still not satisfied? Why do you want to force Helen to die?¡± Deborah reached out and tried to push Ashton¡¯s hand away. There was only an instinctive thought left in Deborah¡¯s mind. She wanted to break away from Ashton and run out with Alyssa. Deborah reached out and pushed. Ashton grabbed her wrist and shouted angrily. ¡°Take this bastard down and lock her up!¡± A strange and terrified voice came out of Alyssa¡¯s throat. She desperately hugged Deborah¡¯s neck to avoid the bodyguards. Deborah quickly lost control of her emotions and tried to wrap her arms around Alyssa like a pair of wings to protect Alyssa Deborah frantically used her arms and elbows to push the bodyguards. She pushed Ashton and bent down to wrap Alyssa in her amns. Deborah¡¯s voice was sharp. ¡°Get away, get away!¡± A bodyguard grabbed one of Deborah¡¯s arms and yanked her violently. Deborah lost her bnce and fell straight to the ground. Without any buffer, Deborah¡¯s body fell to the ground, making a heavy sound. Deborah endured the intense pain and did not let go of her hand. She still held Alyssa in her arms. Several bodyguards pressed her to the ground, and the other bodyguards almost tore her apart, snatching Alyssa from her arms. In fact, there was no need for so many bodyguards With Deborah¡¯s weak body, a bodyguard was more than enough to deal with her. However, Ashton still called over ten people and put in a lot of effort to make Deborah have no room to resist. Alyssa was taken away, and Deborah got up with a crazy expression and stumbled to chase after her. A bodyguard behind Deborah grabbed her and threw her back to the ground. The position of the fall this time was very bad. Deborah was standing on the edge of the sofa. When she fell down, her head mmed into the corner of the coffee table. There was a buzzing sound in her mind, and her vision suddenly turned ck, as if all the blood in her body was rushing into her brain. A strong smell of blood spread in Deborah¡¯s throat. She suddenly vomited, and the blood fell to the ground. Arge part of the light-colored carpet next to the sofa was instantly dyed dark red¡­ Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Be a Psychopath and Live on Streets Deborah spat out a mouthful of blood and grabbed onto the coffee table, trying to stand up. Ashton looked at the shocking red mass on the ground and froze. This was the first time Ashton had seen Deborah vomit blood and it was so much. If a normal person vomited, even a little bit of blood could be very serious. Ashton stood still for a long time before he came back to his senses and said, ¡°Get Dr. Wilson to inject her with a tranquilizer and check what¡¯s going on with her.¡± Deborah was already vomiting blood. It couldn¡¯t be that it was just a small problem like a cold. The bodyguard was obviously frightened and immediately went upstairs to call Andrew down. Andrew noticed the blood on the carpet at a nce. It was dark and there was a lot of blood. Deborah probably wouldn¡¯t live long. Andrew quickly withdrew his gaze and took Deborah upstairs to the medical room with Ashton. Ashton stood aside and waited for the result. Andrew examined Deborah and revealed a strange expression. He didn¡¯t speak for a long time. Ashton was a little impatient. ¡°What happened to her? If you can¡¯t find out the reason, I will take her to the hospital¡± Andrew said with a troubled face, ¡°Mr. Mullen, what Ms. Shepherd vomited doesn¡¯t seem to be blood¡± Ashton frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Andrew turned his back to Ashton, rummaged through the medicine box, and hid a small thing in his sleeve. Then Andrew took out a bag of swabs from the medicine box, dipped a swab in the blood on the corner of Deborah¡¯s lips, and took a closer look at it. Ashton felt very puzzled. What could it be if what Deborah spat out was not blood? It looked just exactly like blood. Ashton walked closer, and Andrew reached into Deborah¡¯s coat pocket and took out a small bag. ¡°Mr. Mullen, this should be a blood bag. I saw it at a friend who works in movies and television. Actors often bite this in their mouth, and it can cause the illusion of bleeding or even vomiting blood.¡± Ashton reached out to take the bag, and Andrew continued, ¡®Besides the blood bag, I checked Ms. Shepherd¡¯s current situation. ¡°Ms. Shepherd¡¯splexion was not bad, and there was no big problem after checking her body. But if one really vomits so much blood, it must be internal bleeding, which is under the condition that the body has a serious problem. ¡°It is obvious that no matter what, Ms. Shepherd¡¯s body could not be that seriously ill.¡± Ashton looked at the blood bag and then looked at the unconscious Deborah on the bed. His eyes were full of anger. Ashton threw the bag on the ground. The blood bag broke and blood sttered all over the ground. The anger in his heart rose even more. Andrew sighed. ¡°Mr. Mullen, frankly speaking, if Ms. Shepherd really wants to take her daughter away, why don¡¯t you let them go? Otherwise, Ms. Shepherd probably won¡¯t give up.¡± Ashton was furious. ¡°Helen almost died in her hands. If she wants to leave like this, she is dreaming!¡± Ashton ordered Andrew, ¡°Keep an eye on her and don¡¯t give her any treatment! Isn¡¯t she pretending to be unconscious and vomiting blood? I want to see how long she can pretend!¡± Alter Ashton finished speaking, he strode out and went downstairs to Helen¡¯s bedroom to take care of Helen. After Helen was treated by Andrew, she returned to her bedroom downstairs to rest. 173 Deborah was still lying on the bed in the medical room, in a painf Andrew sat to the side and watched Deborah lying on the bed in satisfaction. After watching for a while, Deborah got up, took out a pink medicine from the medicine box, and injected it into Deborah¡¯s body. Deborah¡¯s voice contained a strange madness. Ill add some more medicine to you. After a few more times, you will be a real psychopath¡¯ Deborah felt that her brain was about to explode. In a daze, Deborah seemed to hear Alyssa crying again. She heard Alyssa calling her in despair, ¡°Mom, mom.¡± Deborah suddenly woke up from bed. Andrew sat by the bed and watched Deborah wake up. He whispered to Deborah, ¡°Your daughter is in the basement. She is about to die¡¯ Deborah got up from the bed in a hurry and got out of bed. Like a walking corpse, she stumbled out of the room and went downstairs. Deborah¡¯s goal was very clear. She went to the basement and went to the room where she and Alyssa lived before. As expected, Alyssa was thrown inside. Deborah ran in a panic. Her legs went soft and she fell beside Alyssa. She reached out and grabbed Alyssa. She hugged her tightly in her arms. Nina followed Deborah in and advised her, ¡°Why are you still holding Alyssa and not leaving? Alyssa is going to die. Why don¡¯t you send her to the hospital?¡± Deborah got up in a panic and nodded uneasily. ¡°Yes, yes, we have to go to the hospital. I will take Alyssa to the hospital to treat her.¡± Deborah carried Alyssa out of the room and was about to go upstairs. She wanted to go out of the living room. Nina immediately stopped Deborah. ¡°How can you go upstairs? There are bad people upstairs. They will not let you go. You have to go from the back door.¡± Deborah thought of the men who had just robbed Alyssa and immediately stopped walking upstairs. She turned around and walked to the backyard of the basement. There was a small door in the backyard and they could also go out from there. Nina watched Deborah carry Alyssa through the back door and could not help but sneer. Andrew was really good at medicine. It seemed that the mother and daughter were both stupid. Nina looked at Deborah¡¯s back until itpletely disappeared outside the back door. Then she returned to the room in the basement and waited for Ashton toe over. Ashton did note quickly. He was in Helen¡¯s bedroom. Helen said that she was ufortable. Ashton stayed there for about an hour beforeing out of the bedroom. It was already nightfall. Ashton nned to go downstairs to give Helen dinner. When Ashton reached the stairs, he nced upstairs. For some reason, that uneasy feeling surged up again. Ashton subconsciously walked upstairs, wanting to see if Deborah was still acting When Ashton reached upstairs, he pushed open the door of the medical room, but there was no one inside. There was no one in the bed, and Andrew was also missing. Ashton felt something was wrong. He immediately turned around and went downstairs. Ashton didn¡¯t find Deborah anywhere in the living room. He turned around and quickly went downstairs to the basement. Just as Ashton reached the stairs of the basement, Nina and Andrew ran over in panic. Nina said anxiously, ¡°Mr. Mullen, it¡¯s all my fault. Ms. Shepherd disappeared with Alyssa!¡± Ashton said in a low voice, ¡°What happened?¡± Andrew exined uneasily, ¡°In the medical room just now, Ms. Shepherd suddenly seemed to be in extreme pain as if she couldn¡¯t breathe. She said that she wanted to see Alyssa immediately. ¡°I was afraid that something would happen, so I decided to bring her to the basement to see Alyssa first. ¡°As soon as we entered the room in the basement, Ms. Shepherd suddenly took out a knife and pressed it against her neck, saying that she would either take Alyssa away or die here.¡± Nina was so scared that she was about to cry. ¡°I was originally looking after Alyssa here, I wanted to let Ms. Shepherd take Alyssa out first, then ask you toe andfort her. ¡°But the moment Ms. Shepherd went out, she directly locked the door from the outside. Dr. Wilson and I spent a lot of time opening the door.¡± Ashton punched the wall fiercely. ¡°As expected, you have a guilty conscience and still dare to run!¡± Ashton turned around and walked out of Flora Vi. Ashton drove out to find Deborah. Not long after, Ashton saw Deborah and her daughter curled up outside a convenience store on the street. Jeff immediately stopped the car. Ashton pushed open the door and got out, walking straight to Deborah. Deborah was still very dull and uneasy. Seeing Ashton appear in front of her, she subconsciously hugged Alyssa and wanted to run. Ashton sneered. ¡°You acted very well.¡± Deborah held Alyssa and shrank back, her face full of horror. Ashton looked at Deborah coldly for a long time and said coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to run? Well, from now on, you and your daughter will live on the streets.¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Since Deborah didn¡¯t want to live a good life and wanted to leave him, Ashton wanted to see how long they could make after they left him. After Ashton finished speaking, he directly turned around and got into the car. Then the car drove off! The salesdy in the convenience store came out and drove Deborah away with disgust. ¡°Where did the beggare from? Go away don¡¯t affect my business here!¡± Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Deborah, Come With Me? The sales tady noticed Deborah did not respond and pushed her impatiently Deborah was afraid Alyssa would fall, so she could only stand up and leave with Alyssa in her arms. ¡°Baby, baby, don¡¯t be afraid Mommy will take you home.¡± The sky waspletely dark. Deborah was walking aimlessly on the street with shing neon lights. The ice and snow had yet to melt in the blink of an eye, it was raining heavily again. Alyssa was shivering in Deborah¡¯s arms, and Alyssa¡¯s little face was blue from the cold. Deborah walked and stopped. When she noticed a man passing by was leering at her, she immediately walked farther away from the road. She was almost walking next to the shops on the side of the street, slowly. The rain was getting heavier and heavier. It hit Deborah¡¯s body and face like ice dregs. Her face and neck quickly turned numb from the cold. The cold winter wind and the rain slowly made her head clear. Alyssa, who was in Deborah¡¯s arms, was breathing weakly. Deborah¡¯s body was stiff, and she was finally sober. Deborah stood on the street nkly and did not understand what was wrong with her. Why did she A taxi passed by her, and Deborah immediately reached out to stop it. Alyssa was in a bad condition, so Deborah had to go to the hospital. After she tried several times, a taxi reluctantly stopped beside Deborah. However, the driver did not unlock the door. Looking at Deborah¡¯s disheveled hair and messy clothes, he only opened the window and handed out a QR code with some disgust. ¡°Pay first. Where are we going?¡± Deborah felt so cold that her voice trembled. ¡°The People¡¯s Hospital.¡± As she spoke, she took out her phone to scan the code. The driver told her the price, but she found there was not enough bnce in her ount. Confused, Deborah exited the payment interface and tapped on the bnce. Unexpectedly, there was no money in it. She had thought even though she did not have much money left, it should be enough to pay for the fare. Deborah did not know what was going on and looked at the driver in embarrassment. ¡°Can you drive me to the hospital first? Il pay¡± The driver closed the window and stepped on the elerator. Deboral ed her fingers into her palms in embarrassment and anxiety. After hesitating for a moment, she called her mother. Lydia picked up the phone. She lost money from ying cards. So, she vented her anger at Deborah. ¡°Brat, I was winning, but your call ruined my luck! What do you want?¡± Deborah said anxiously, ¡°Mom, can you lend me some money? I really need it now¡­¡± Lydia sold Deborah¡¯s house but did not give her a single cent. Lydia was annoyed. ¡°I don¡¯t have any money! I was really stupid back then. Why did I take you in¡­?¡± Lydia realized what she had just said and stopped abruptly. Then, she hung up the phone in a panic. Deborah was anxious and did not listen carefully to what Lydia had said. When she heard the sound of the call ending, Deborah called again. Sure enough, Lydia blocked her number again. Deborah did not think too much about it and called her father Devon. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Devon quickly answered the call, and his tone was unexpectedly nice. ¡°Debby, why did you call me?¡± Deborah no longer cared about her hatred for the Bauer family and replied humbly, ¡°Dad, can you lend me some money? I have an urgent need and will return it to you as soon as possible.¡± Devon said in a distressed tone, ¡°Child, why are you begging me? I am your father. I just arrived at Mr. Mullen¡¯s ce and heard you and Helen were sick. I am very worried. ¡°Why did you run out with Alyssa? It¡¯s cold outside. Be good ande back quickly.¡± Deborah realized Devon was most likely acting in front of Ashton. Since Ashton was there, no matter what, he would definitely not let Devon give her money. Deborah clenched her phone, and Devon continued to persuade her, ¡°If youck money or something else, why don¡¯t you just ask Ashton for it? ¡°You are married. If I give you money, people will think Ashton mistreats you. I don¡¯t want to sow discord between you two.¡± Deborah couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and hung up the phone. Cars wereing and going on the streets. Alyssa groaned in Deborah¡¯s arms in pain. Deborah didn¡¯t know who else to talk to or what to do. She hesitated whether she should go back to Flora Vi. Even if she went back, Ashton would probably not care about Alyssa¡¯s life because he was angry. While Deborah was thinking, a familiar white car appeared in her sight and sped past her. Deborah instinctively wanted to call out to the person in the car. It was Zayne¡¯s car. Inside the car, Zayne and Theo sat in the back seat. The driver worked for the Gaige family. When passing by Deborah, Zayne also noticed her and immediately said anxiously, ¡°Stop the car!¡± Theo said in a deep voice, ¡°Continue driving. You are not allowed to stop.¡± The driver looked at the car window awkwardly. In the end, he followed Theo¡¯s instructions and continued driving. Zayne looked angry. ¡°Dad, didn¡¯t you see Deborah holding Alyssa? They must have been bullied by Ashton again. How can I turn a blind eye to it?¡± Theo didn¡¯t show mercy. ¡°Zayne, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want you to help her, but you saw what happened in the Gaige family recently. ¡°Your mother¡¯s and my future are not important, but you are still young, and your career has just started. We can afford to offend 1. Lean¡¯t watch your life be ruined.¡± some Zayne angrily looked at the driver in front of him. ¡°Onest time, I said stop the car!¡± The driver looked a little scared. Although he did not stop the car, he could not help but slow down a little hesitantly. Zayne¡¯s face was sullen, and he directly opened the door. The driver was shocked and immediately stepped on the brakes. Zayne pushed open the door and got out of the car, but the car still moved ahead for a while. As soon as Zayne got out of the car, he quickly stopped a taxi and turned around to look for Deborah. Deborah was still standing in the same ce. She was sure Zayne saw her but then watched his car leave. A trace of disappointment shed through her heart. She quickly came back to her senses. She had harmed the Gaige family enough. How could she still be so selfish and want Zayne to help her? It would be better if he left. Why would she need to drag another person down? Although Deborah thought this way, she still felt her heart turn cold. Looking around, she really didn¡¯t know where to go. Her phone was turned off. She unbuttoned her coat and wrapped Alyssa tightly. She turned around and continued walking forward. After walking for some time, a Benz passed by her and soon turned back. The car stopped beside her, and the rear window opened, revealing Joseph¡¯s smiling face. ¡°It really is you.¡± Deborah nced sideways at him. The memories of him carrying her to the hotel room that night and being pressed on the sofa by him flooded into her mind. Her face turned pale, and she immediately continued to walk forward. Joseph¡¯s car followed her slowly. There was a hint of ridicule in his voice. ¡°You really aren¡¯ting with me?¡± Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Deborah Is Pregnant? Ashton stayed in Flora Vi¡¯s study until midnight, but Deborah did note back to beg him. He was afraid she really froze to death on the street, so he called Jeff in with some frustration ¡°Go and see where Deborah and that bastard went?¡± Jeff immediately nodded and went out to do it. He quicklye back and said, ¡°Sir, we checked the surveince footage on the road. Ms. Shepherd is¡­ ¡°Speak!¡± Ashton said in a deep voice. Jeff braced himself and continued, ¡°Ms. Shepherd and her daughter got into Mr. ck¡¯s car by the street.¡± Ashton was just about to ask how Deborah and Joseph got together when he suddenly remembered she had slept with Joseph that night. She is so shameless. It seems they hooked up after that night! Ashton thought to himself. David Wood called Ashton and wanted to ask him about the document that Ashton had just returned. David intended to know where it needed to be revised. Ashton¡¯s face was sullen. He swept his hand across the desk, and theptop fell to the ground with a bang. Jeff stood where he was and did not even dare to breathe. ¡± Joseph brought Deborah and Alyssa back. The car stopped in the front yard of the vi. He looked at Deborah, who was sitting next to him with Alyssa in her arms. Both the women were asleep. Obviously, they were exhausted. Joseph knew Deborah wouldn¡¯t have gotten into his car if not for the fact that she had no choice and Alyssa was in a terrible condition. When Joseph let Deborah into the car, her face was ashen. But now, her face was as red as a cooked shrimp. Joseph reached out and touched her forehead. It was so hot. He clicked his tongue and did not care much. He opened the car door and got out of the car first. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. The few servants who came out saw he brought back a woman and child without a word. They did not know what to do. The driver knew Joseph well and was not nosy, but since Joseph brought Deborah and Alyssa back tonight, the driver did not intend to leave them in the car. The driver ordered the maids, Take them to the guest room and ask Dr. Evans to take a look.¡± Only then the maids dare to go over. They took Deborah and Alyssa to the guest room and called Ben Evans over. After Ben shed examining the two women, Joseph finished his dinner and slowly walked over. When Ben checked Deborah, she vomited in a daze. Seeing Josephe in, Ben said with a serious expression, ¡°It¡¯s not good. It seems she has been seriously stimted. Coupled with the effect of the medicine, her nerves have weakened. ¡°We have to wait for her to wake up and use the professional equipment from the hospital to examine her.¡± Joseph replied, ¡°Oh.¡± Joseph was obviously not concerned. He looked like he was watching a show. He turned around and was about to leave. Ben thought of something and asked, ¡°She vomited a lot just now. Could she be pregnant?¡± Joseph stopped in his tracks and turned around to look at a suspicious and gossipy Ben. ¡°You are the doctor, aren¡¯t you? Why are you asking me?¡± The desire for gossip on Ben¡¯s face grew even stronger. ¡°Isn¡¯t she your woman? Haven¡¯t you checked if she is pregnant?¡± Joseph lowered his head and swiped his phone. ¡°No, I picked her up by the roadside.¡± Ben obviously did not believe him. ¡°Don¡¯t hide it. You have to tell the doctor the truth. How could you just pick up some woman by the roadside?¡± Joseph impatiently shifted his gaze away from the phone screen and looked at Ben. ¡°Are you not going to exarnine her?¡± Ben then returned to his serious self and arranged for Deborah to be taken to the nearest hospital on a stretcher to do a full body examination. The hospital gave an urgent examination at night. When the results came out, it was midnight. Deborah was muddled from the fever. She was over 105 degrees Fahrenheit. From the moment Joseph let her into the car, she had been in a daze. She vomited a few times, unconscious. One time, she even spat out blood. After taking the results sheet, Ben brought Deborah back to Joseph¡¯s vi. Joseph was asleep. He felt he was stupid to bring Deborah and Alyssa back. Joseph was going to anger Ashton, but then he thought Ashton liked Helen, so what was the use of Deborah and Alyssa? Therefore, Joseph quickly forgot about Deborah and went back to his bedroom to sleep after finishing his work in the study. It waste at night when there was a sudden knock on the door of the bedroom. Joseph got out of bed with a dark face and put on a coat. When he went to open the door, he saw Ben standing outside with a sad face. As soon as he opened the door, Ben said anxiously, ¡°How can you still sleep? That youngdy has a terminal illness. It¡¯s liver cancer, and she is about to die! ¡°She also suffers from a severe mental breakdown. If she is not treated immediately, it is very likely she will be psychotic. ¡°And your illegitimate daughter, who haste leukemia, will not live for more than a month. She has to change her bone marrow immediately!¡± Joseph reached out and closed the door. He went back to bed and continued to sleep. What the hell? The phone on the bedside table rang, and Joseph was a little angry. He picked up the phone and was about to curse. But Ashton, who rarely talked to him, spoke, ¡°Is Deborah with you?¡± Joseph¡¯ for a moment. He looked at the caller ID and confirmed it was Ashton. It was half past midnight. Ashton called him in the middle of the night. For the first time, Ashton was asking about Deborah. Joseph was immediately stirred up with great interest. He answered, ¡°Yes, she is on my bed. Do you want her to answer the phone?¡± Ashton was unable to suppress his anger. ¡°Joseph, you are courting death!¡± Joseph almostughed out loud, as if he discovered something new and important. ¡°What do you mean? You gave Ms. Shepherd to me at Mauve Club. It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t slept with her. Why do you sound unhappy about it? Ashton was furious, ¡°Get Deborah to answer the phone!¡± Joseph shook the pillow beside him. ¡°Debby, Debby, wake up. You said you wanted to sleep with me, but you didn¡¯t tell Mr. Mullen Joseph shouted for a long time, but Deborah didn¡¯t say anything. Ashton said angrily, ¡°Joseph, do you think I¡¯m a fool? Where is Deborah?¡± Joseph sighed. ¡°It¡¯s my fault for banging her too hard She¡¯s tired, so she is soundly asleep. Wait a moment. I¡¯ll call her again.¡± As Joseph spoke, he covered his phone receiver, got out of bed, put on his slippers, and went into the guest bedroom beside him. The light in the guest bedroom was still on, and Deborah had woken up from her fever. She was sitting on the bed, staring nkly at Alyssa who was sleeping beside her. Joseph walked over and handed her the phone. ¡°You finally woke up. I didn¡¯t tell Mr. Mullen you came here. He called me. Deborah gritted her teeth. After a long while, she still took the phone. She had just had a high fever, and her voice was hoarse. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s me.¡± After she finished speaking, she realized her voice was hoarse and fuzzy. Ashton sneered a few times. Deborah could feel his fury through the phone. After a long time, she heard Ashton¡¯s cold voice. ¡°Come back.¡± Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Chapter 41 The Storm Deborah didn¡¯t say a word for a moment. On the other side, Ashton was very angry and hung up the phone. Joseph walked to the bedside and sat down. He looked at Deborah with a meaningful gaze. ¡°Ms. Shepherd, I suddenly be more and more interested in you. You seem to be more mysterious than I thought How about we make a deal?¡± Deborah said lightly, ¡°Because of Ashton?¡± From the first time she saw Joseph at night, she could tell that this man had a conflict with Ashton, and the conflict was not small. Joseph smiled and said, ¡°Ms. Shepherd, you are really smart. It seems that we are very suitable¡­¡± ¡°Mr. ck, you think too highly of me. Ashton only hates me. I am not as valuable as you think,¡± Deborah interrupted him and said bluntly. Joseph was obviously very confident. ¡°Ms. Shepherd, don¡¯t be in a hurry toe to a conclusion. I never do business where I will lose money. Since I think you are worth it, then you are definitely worth it. Why don¡¯t you listen to my condition first?¡± Deborah did not respond. Joseph continued with great interest, ¡°I will help you leave Ashton. I will take you and your daughter in and find the best doctor for you guys. You will have the best medical support. As a condition, you will ruin the Mullen family with me. How about it?¡± Deborah was stunned for a moment and could not help butugh, ¡®Mr. ck, are you serious?¡± A look of displeasure shed across Joseph¡¯s face. ¡°So, you don¡¯t want to consider it?¡± Deborah said honestly. ¡°My daughter can onlyst for more than a month. There¡¯s no time to find another suitable bone marrow. ¡°The only bone marrow that can save her life is in Ashton¡¯s body. So, Mr. ck, the best doctors and medical conditions were meaningless to us.¡± She only had two choices left. Either give up Alyssa and her life, or beg Ashton to donate his bone marrow. The former was a little cruel, and thetter had little hope. Joseph was silent for a long time, and a trace of pity appeared on his smiling face. ¡®Fine. The Mullen family is really hateful.¡± His n failed, and he was somewhat disappointed. He was not interested in Deborah, so he got up and left. Deborah also got out of bed and wanted to find Alyssa. Just as she took the coat and put it on, her stomach churned again. She rushed into the bathroom, and the things she vomited were still bloody. It should be because of her liver problem. Her recent nausea and abdominal pain were bing more and more frequent, and also more intense. After vomiting blood, she really couldn¡¯t hold on much longer. She went back to the bedroom to rest for a while, then went downstairs to find Alyssa, Jus le went downstairs, she heard a loud and abrupt p. She looked over and saw an old man with a walking stick in his hand. He retracted his hand and red at Joseph, who had just been pped by him. ¡°Bastard!¡± The corner of Joseph¡¯s mouth was bleeding. He raised his hand and slowly wiped it. Heughed in a low voice, ¡°Grandpa, are you sure you won¡¯t regret beating me up?¡± Robert ck said harshly, ¡°How dare you take away Mr. Mullen¡¯s wife and child! Mr. Mullen went to me in the middle of the night. You¡¯ve brought shame to the ck family!¡± Joseph looked at Robert with a face full of surprise. ¡°Does the ck family still have a reputation?¡± Robert was already angry. Now that Ashton was still standing behind him and watching, his voice was even more annoyed ¡°What the hell! You¡¯re just an illegitimate child. Don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t know who caused the death of your father¡¯s wife and your brother¡¯s disability! ¡°Do you really think that you have the final say in the entire ck family? What a joke!¡± As soon as he finished speaking. Joseph instructed the housekeeper beside him, ¡°Shawn, Mr. ck gets sick. Send him back to the old house. Tell the people over there to take good care of him.¡± The housekeeper brought a few bodyguards forward and dragged Robert out. ¡°Mr. ck, you are tired. Let¡¯s go back to the old house to rest first.¡± Robert¡¯s face was full of resentment. The few servants he brought with him followed out. No one dared to make a sound. Joseph looked at Ashton and said with deep meaning, ¡°Mr. Mullen, sorry. My grandfather couldn¡¯t intervene in anything in the ck family now.¡± Ashton sneered, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so cold to your grandfather.¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Joseph smiled, ¡°Mr. Mullen, you tter me. I can¡¯tpare with the Mullen family. My mother¡¯s soul is still in your second uncle¡¯s house.¡± Ashton was obviously extremely angry because of Deborah, but he still approached Joseph calmly. ¡°Second uncle? That¡¯s your father. He was talking about you two days ago. He missed you very much and said that he treated you like his own son.¡± As expected, Joseph lost his cool and threw a punch at Ashton. Ashton blocked his fist and raised his hand and threw a punch back. Ashton started to practice Taekwondo and boxing at the age of three. At the age of seven, he entered the underground boxing arena. Later, he took over the Mullen Group when he reached adulthood. He wanted to establish the image of a gentle and refined businessman, so he almost never went to boxing arenas again. If he really wanted to fight, even the professional bodyguards he brought with him were not his match. Inparison, Joseph had never learned these professional skills. He was wild and had been fighting with the hooligans on the street since he was a child. His attacks were ruthless, and it was difficult for anyone to beat him. They fought for a while. When Debor ¡°ent downstairs, she did not see Alyssa. Seeing that both of them were angry, she walked lightly and slowly walked outside. Sh .ed to go out to find Alyssa. When she finally reached the door, her shoulder was suddenly pressed down by someone. Deborah¡¯s heart jumped, and she took a deep breath. When she saw Ashton, she subconsciously pushed him away. Ashton ran out of patience. The hand on Deborah¡¯s shoulder was pushed away. He reached out to grab her hair and strode outside. Deborah felt as if her entire scalp was going to be torn off. The pain spread all over her body. She could not control her body at all. She could not resist and followed the direction where Ashton pulled her. Ashton threw Deborah to the back seat. Deborah got up and was about to go out when she saw the carpet between the front and back seats. Alyssa was tied up and curled up in the corner. Deborah¡¯s heart tightened. She immediately approached and picked Alyssa up. The moment Ashton entered, the driver in front immediately locked the car door and drove back to Flora Vi. On the way back, Ashton did not say a word. His face was gloomy. It was already one o¡¯clock in the moming, and the heavy rain outside had not stopped yet. The dark winter rain seemed to be colder than the heavy snow. When the car stopped at Flora Vi, Ashton instructed coldly, ¡°Leave this child outside. Deborah, and bring Deborah here for me.¡± He got out of the car and walked inside, ignoring the heartbreaking cries that were soon heard behind him. After returning to the bedroom, he took a bathrobe and entered the bathroom. When he came out again, he tied the bathrobe belt slowly. He saw Deborah, who was drenched in rain, thrown on the carpet of his bedroom with a pale face. Ashton nced at her, walked to the sofa, and sat down. He said lightly, ¡°Come here. Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Chapter 42 You Are Ashton¡¯s ve The tension was everywhere in the bedroom, but there was not even a hint of anger in Ashton¡¯s voice. Deborah gritted her teeth and did not say anything. He did not say anything more and took the phone from the coffee table to read the news The rain outside the floor to ceiling window was getting heavier and heavier. It was a rare heavy rain in winter, which made the leaves make a cracking sound. From time to time, the sound of branches being blown off by the wind was heard. Deborah¡¯s heart trembled when she heard that. There was a knock on the door outside the bedroom Jeff¡¯s anxious voice came in ¡°Mr. Mullen, that child has a nosebleed and her body is twitching The temperature outside is below zero and it is raining so heavily. Why don¡¯t we let her in?* Ashton did not respond and continued to look at his phone. Jeff mustered up his courage and spoke again, ¡°Mr. Mullen, we can¡¯t continue like this. I¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll really die.¡± Deborah¡¯s body trembled more and more violently, and she finally couldn¡¯t control her voice. ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± Ashton did not respond, as if he did not hear her. Deborah supported herself to get up and walk over. The man sitting on the sofa finally looked at her. ¡°Did I ask you to stand up?¡± Deborah¡¯s fingers were tightly clutching the carpet beneath her. The sound of rain was very loud outside, but she still moved over bit by bit and moved to Ashton. Ashton put his phone aside and said, ¡°Give me your hand.¡± Deborah struggled and reached out her hand after a while. Ashton grabbed her hand and let her hold the belt around his waist. ¡°You are very smart. You know what to do.¡± Deborah shook her hands and pulled the straps, then reached out to untie her clothes. Ashton looked at her mockingly. ¡°Did I say I was going to touch you?¡± Deborah stopped moving. Ashton suddenly reached out and pressed her head. ¡°Ugh!¡± Deborah could no longer hold on. She pushed Ashton¡¯s hand away and got up to rush into the bathroom. Ashton didn¡¯t force her anymore. He released his hand and looked at her calmly. ¡°If you vomit, then it doesn¡¯t count.¡± Deborah sat down miserably. Ashton¡¯s voice was sexually hoarse. ¡°Did Joseph do this to you too?¡± Deborah resisted nausea and soon felt a strong retch. She wanted to pull out her entire stomach and throw it away. She could longer suppress the surging hatred in her eyes. Her face was covered in a cold sweat. She hissed, ¡°Is that enough?¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Ashton snevied. Before he could speak, there was another urgent knock on the door. ¡°Mr. Mullen, the child fainted!¡± Deborah got up in a panic and stumbled out of the door. When Alyssa was sent to the hospital, the sky was bright. Alyssa was pushed into the emergency room. Deborah sat anxiously in the chair outside and waited. Ashton stood aside and watched her make a fool of herself. He still remembered that Deborah had told him not long ago that it was meaningless for Alyssa to live like this. She would rather die with Alyssa. But now, did she look like she was willing to let that bastard die? Ashton¡¯s lips curved into a mocking smile. When he looked at her, he couldn¡¯t help but recall the painful struggle she had in the bedroom. The door of the emergency room suddenly opened and Deborah stood up. A doctor came out from inside and said, ¡°Ms. Shepherd, your daughter must immediately arrange a bone marrow change ¡°Her condition has reached an extremely temble state. We only let her temporarily escape from the fetal danger, but she is still in aa with a high fever Has she found a suitable bone marrow?¡± Deborah¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. She turned around and looked at the indifferent look on Ashton¡¯s face. Then she looked at the doctor. ¡°Does she need to change now? Didn¡¯t you say that¡­ she can wait for more than a month?¡± The doctor exined anxiously. ¡°When leukemia is at the final stage, the patient¡¯s body is extremely weak. When she¡¯s extremely weak, she will no longer be able to bear the bone marrow transnt operation. Now, arranging the bone marrow is thest chance for her to live.¡± Deborah¡¯s face was pale. She could not care about anything else. She turned around and hurried to Ashton, ¡°Can you save Alyssa? Can you save her?¡± Ashton looked at her as if she was a joke and did not speak. Deborah waspletely flustered and her voice was incoherent. ¡°Save her, save her, please. I¡¯ll give you a child, okay? I can do whatever you want. Please.¡± Ashton asked her calmly. ¡°Who are you begging?¡± Deborah had lost all reason. She trembled and said, ¡°Ashton, Ashton, please help me. Please save Alyssa.¡± Ashton teased her unhurriedly. ¡°Who is Alyssa? What does it have to do with me?¡± Deborah said anxiously, ¡°Alyssa is your child. Ashton, she is your daughter.¡± Ashton looked unhappy and suddenly grabbed her neck. ¡°You are still talking nonsense. She is a bastard!¡± Deborah was stunned. Ashton shouted angrily, ¡°Say that she is a bastard and is not my child¡±¡± Deborah opened her mouth but could not speak. Her eyes were nk and helpless. Ashton let go of her neck. ¡°Say it!¡± Deborah¡¯s body was cold, but she still slowly said, ¡°She¡­ is a bastard, not your daughter.¡± Ashton raised his hand and pped her face. Deborah swallowed her saliva, her face burning with pain. She did not move. Ashton turned on the video on his phone and said coldly, ¡°Kneel down and say what you just promised.¡± Debu looked at his phone camera in a daze and slowly knelt down like a doll. ¡°I said if you ¡­ saved Alyssa. I¡¯d give you a child. In the future, I¡¯ll do whatever you want me to do.¡± Ashton finally showed a satisfied expression. He leaned over and touched her head like touching a pet. ¡°You¡¯ve learned your lesson.¡± Deborah gritted her teeth and did not speak again. Ashton patted her head. ¡°I¡¯m talking to you.¡± Deborah replied stiffly, ¡°I¡­ I will be good.¡± Ashton took back his phone and sneered, ¡°Deborah, you better remember what you said clearly. From now on, you are my ve.¡± Ashton looked at the stunned doctor outside the operating room and said, ¡®Where to donate bone marrow?¡± The doctor suddenly came back to his senses and responded, ¡°Mr. Mullen,e with me. I¡¯ll ask the doctor to arrange it for you.¡± The doctor led Ashton away. Deborah was still kneeling in thedor. Chill seeped into her flesh and bones. Her body that she could not move Alyssa¡¯s bone marrow transnt was arranged very smoothly. She had surgery that afternoon. She had undergone chemotherapy many times before, and she had almost met the conditions for bone marrow transntation. Although this was still a bit rushed, her body really could not wait any longer. Doctors could only immediately arrange the operation. After the entire operation waspleted, it took more than five hours. After the transnt waspleted, Alyssa was arranged to live in a stenle warehouse. In order to ept blood stem cells, her own blood stem cells and immunity had almost been After the transnt, her body had topletely rely on the blood stem cells from the donor. It was the weakest time for her, and she could not leave the sterile room for half a minute. If Alyssa wanted toe out, she would have to wait at least a month. However, Ashton would not be so kind as to let Deborah apany Alyssa. On the night when Alyssa finished the transntation, he took Deborah back to Flora Vi¡¯s bedroom and did note out until the afternoon of the next day. Helen did not sleep the whole night and was about to go crazy. In the afternoon, she finally could not help but knock on the door. Jeff was guarding the corridor outside the bedroom. When he saw hering over from afar, he immediately stepped forward to stop her. ¡®Ms. Bauer, Mr. Mullen is tired and needs to rest. He said that no one would disturb him.¡± Helen¡¯s expression was not good. ¡°Jeff, I am a little ufortable. I want Ashton to apany me to the hospital.¡± Jeff replied indifferently, ¡°Then I will send Ms. Bauer to the hospital, When Mr. Mullen has a good rest Helen was a little angry and wanted to go in directly. Jeff stopped her no matter what. After all, he was the housekeeper who had stayed in the Mullen¡¯s home for decades. Her words meant something. No matter how angry Helen was, she did not dare to show it directly in front of Jeff. She endured it and said, ¡°I understand. Then I will ask Nina to apany me to the hospital.¡± She turned around and left Flora Vi, racing out. If she didn¡¯t find a ce to vent her anger, she would really go crazy. Ashton kept saying that he loved her and hated Deborah, but she slept next to Ashton¡¯s bedroom every night. He had never touched her. Flora Vi was very soundproof but she could hear sounds from Ashton¡¯s bedroom from time to time at night. Helen stepped on the elerator and gritted her teeth. ¡°Joseph has fucked her. She¡¯s disgusting and hateful!¡± Her car sped all the way and finally stopped at the underground parking lot of Mauve Club. As soon as Helen pushed open the door and got out of the car, a handsome guy appeared out of nowhere. He hugged her and kissed her. ¡®Beauty, why haven¡¯t you been here for so long?¡± Helen stiffened and immediately pushed him in a flurry. ¡°You are crazy. We are outside! Go to the room first.¡± The manughed. ¡°What are you afraid of? There is no one here.¡± Helen was turned up and could not control herself. far away, the window of a ck car opened silently and a mobile phone camera was pointed in their direction. Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Helen¡¯s Pregnant Helen and the man kissed until they were inseparable. Her coat had been taken off by the man, and it was about to be broadcast live. Herst bit of reason made her temporanly push away the man in front of her. The man was a famous pimp in Mauve Club. His name was Mike Clegg, and he was very handsome. As long as he could earn money out of it, whether it was a man or a woman, he would serve him or her He met Helen half a year ago. Helen was afraid of getting chronically ill, so she gave him money and didn¡¯t let him serve others anymore Helen said, ¡°Go to the room.¡± She distanced herself from him and entered the elevator first It was actually not safe at Mauve Club. This was thergest nightclub in Richmond, and there were countless people from the upper ss who came to have fun. Ashton would asionallye over, not to mention many people he knew who woulde here. However, Helen felt that the most dangerous ce was the safest ce. Instead of sneaking to a remote clubhouse to y, if Ashton caught her, she would be at a loss for words. It was better to go to Mauve Club because Ashton had shares here and could be considered a boss. As she had said before, if she wanted to y with her friends, she coulde here and didn¡¯t have to pay. She could go to the private rooms at will. As long as she was not discovered to be with Mike, she would not be suspected by Ashton when she went in and out of here. Helen was annoyed recently, and she had been ying with Mike untilte at night, and her body was much morefortable. Mike was very good at coaxing people, praising her for being beautiful, rich, and generous, making her feel a little smug. Helen put on her clothes and makeup somewhat reluctantly. Before leaving, she couldn¡¯t help but see her face in the mirror. She still couldn¡¯t understand why Ashton could endure not having sex with her. She asked Mike to stay in the room for a while longer before leaving. She nned to go to the hospital and buy some medicine before returning to Flora Vi, lest Ashton found out. As she was thinking about it, she walked past the corner of the corridor and identally bumped into someone. At this time, Helen was feeling guilty, and she identally bumped into someone and was frightened. She looked up and saw clearly that the person in front of her was Joseph. Joseph was a y boy, so it was normal to meet him in this kind of ce. Helen had a guilty conscience. She smiled and said, ¡°Mr. ck, what a coincidence.¡± She immediately bypa ssed him and wanted to leave. Joseph smiled and took a step to the side, stopping her. ¡°Ms. Bauer¡¯s face is really ruddy. It seems that you have a good time.¡± Helen¡¯s heart ski ped a beat, and her face turned a little pale. ¡®Mr. ck, what are you talking about?¡± Josep riedly clicked on the video from his phone. ¡°A passionate kiss in the parking lot really makes me h o rny.¡± Helen looked over and froze. She could not imagine how Joseph was there at that time and how he had taken a video of her face. After so many years, she had only been caught by Rodger once. At that time, Rodger only saw it and did not even take a photo, so Ashton not only did not believe it but also fell out with Rodger. Helen was speechless for a long time. Joseph fuddled with the phone in his hand. ¡°If this video is released, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem to make some headlines, right?¡± Helen was a little scared silly. It was after a long time that she seemed toe back to her senses. Nolem¡¯s Pregnant Her face quickly turned pale Just say it. What do you want?¡± Joseph smiled. like open people like Ms Bs Ashton¡± I won¡¯t beat around the bush. I want you to get me a few documents from As he spoke, he opened a folder in his hand and showed it to Helen. ¡°About what the Mullen Group is fighting for and the cooperation with AM Group of France ¡°Ms. Bauer, you have also participated in the management of the Bauer Group. You should understand what I want, right?¡± ¡°You want me to go to Ashton to steal confidential documents? Helen raged ¡°I heard that cooperation is very important if something goes wrong, it may affect Ashton greatly, and it may even affect the next presidential election. I can¡¯t help you¡± Joseph nodded ¡°Oh that¡¯s up to you¡± He opened Ashton¡¯s Line and sent the video to Ashton right in front of Helen. Helen was so scared that she almost screamed. She rushed over ¡°Okay, okay! I help you!¡± Joseph pretended to click on the phone screen. ¡°How do I withdraw? I heard that the news can be withdrawn within two minutes. Why can¡¯t I withdraw it?¡± Helen¡¯s face was pale Beads of sweat appeared on her face. Her hands trembled as she pressed the video on Joseph¡¯s phone. She pressed it for a long time and then withdrew it. It was not until the video disappeared and showed that it was sessfully withdrawn that she sat down along the wall with a pale face, looking exhausted. Joseph smiled and put away the phone. ¡°Next time, remember to say yes earlier. It may not be withdrawn every time.¡± Helen¡¯s lips trembled. ¡°You lun atic! I¡¯ll get you the document you want, and you have to delete this video immediately¡± Joseph looked surprised. ¡°Is that what I said? Ms. Bauer, I hope you can do more things for me. I can¡¯t bear to delete such a good video.¡± Helen was so angry that her face turned livid. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Joseph turned around and left. He smiled and said, ¡°It means to have fun slowly. Give me what I want within a week. I will tell you something else I want in the future.¡± Helen slumped to the ground. She sprained her ankle in her high heels and could not get up for a long time. Joseph walked to the end of the corridor and turned back to look at her. ¡°Ms. Bauer, I have more than this video. You should be obedient to me.¡± Helen did not know whether she was angry or something. After leaving Mauve Club, her stomach was in turmoil. After driving the cap to the hospital, she got out of the car and could not help but vomit crazily. As si. nited, she suddenly thought of something wrong, and her heart was heavy. The more she thought about it, the more afraid she was. She thought that she should not be so unlucky. She didn¡¯t take the patulin back to deceive Ashton. She was very uneasy and went straight to buy a pregnancy test kit and went to the Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. bathroom. When the two lines appeared in front of her, her mind waspletely empty. Ashton had never had sex with her. If he knew that she was pregnant, she would be killed by him. Helen did not know how she returned to Flora Vi. It was almost midnight when she went back. She bought patulin from a pharmacy on the side of the road. She had thought about it and told Ashton that she went to the hospital to see a doctor herself. She came back a littlete because she was ufortable. When she returned to Flora Vi, Ashton was still in the bedroom with Deborah He had nevere out and did not know that she had gone out Helen took the medicine back to her bedroom and happened to bump into Andrew. She was so anxious that she was out of her mind. She immediately called out to Andrew in a low voice, ¡°Come to my bedroom.¡± Andrew took the medicine box and pretended to treat Helen. Then, he entered her bedroom. Helen showed him the medicine she bought. ¡°Show me how to take this medicine. I¡¯m pregnant. I have to get rid of it as soon as possible Can eat it tonight?¡± Andrew¡¯s face became gloomy. ¡°You¡¯re crazy! Helen, I¡¯ve already wamed you not to go too far. Don¡¯t go out and fool around. Don¡¯t drag me down with you if you want to die!¡± Helen was annoyed, and her tone was not good. ¡°What¡¯s the use of you shouting now? If others know this, you will also have a hard time I¡¯m pregnant now, so I can only abort it as soon as possible.¡± Andrew scolded in a low voice, ¡°You can¡¯t do anything but fail.¡± He took the medicine from Helen¡¯s hand and looked at it. After thinking for a moment, he said in a low voice, ¡°This medicine needs to be taken for at least a few days before the child can be aborted. It will also cause a lot of bleeding and abdominal pain. ¡°If you take the medicine and have a miscarriage, it will definitely attract Ashton¡¯s attention. Besides, isn¡¯t it a pity that the child is aborted?¡± Helen looked impatient. ¡°I know what you are nning, but Ashton has never made love to me. I can¡¯t say this child is his.¡± Andrew smiled evilly, ¡°You can have sex with him tonight.¡± Chapter 44 Chapter 44 Chapter 44 Ashton, I Feel So Bad Andrew opened the medicine chest and took out something from it. He made some blood on the ground beside the bed. After he was satisfied with the arrangement, he looked at Helen and said, ¡°Lie down on the bed and Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. pretend to be unconscious. call Ashton over ¡± Helen immediately understood what he meant and went to bed without saying anything Andrew went out. When he arrived at Ashton¡¯s bedroom, Jeff was still outside, not allowing anyone to disturb Ashton. Andrew hurried over with a panicked expression and said, ¡°Jeff, please tell Mr. Mullen that Ms. Bauer is suddenly in a bad condition. I don¡¯t know why she vomited blood and is unconscious. Her breathing is weak.¡± Jeff was a little perfunctory. ¡°Andrew, it¡¯s already midnight. First, Mr. Mullen is resting. It¡¯s not convenient for him toe out. You are a doctor. Since Ms. Bauer is not feeling well, it¡¯s your duty to go and treat her.¡± Andrew said anxiously, ¡°Jeff, I am just a doctor. Ms. Bauer¡¯s current situation is very bad. I don¡¯t dare to deal with it on my own. It is better to let Mr. Mullen decide to send her to the hospital for rescue.¡± Jeff responded, ¡°Is that so? Is Ms. Bauer so sick? If you don¡¯t dare to deal with it, then I will handle it. I will take Ms. Bauer to the hospital.¡± As he spoke, he called two bodyguards to guard the door and walked towards Helen¡¯s bedroom. A guilty conscience shed through Andrew¡¯s eyes. Afraid that Jeff would see through it, he immediately shouted at the top of his voice. ¡°Mr. Mullen, Ms. Bauer is in a critical situation now. She is likely to be in danger. She is unconscious. Mr. Mullen, pleasee out and take a look!¡± The bedroom door opened quickly, and Ashton walked out with a gloomy face. His upper body was naked, and he was wearing clothes as he walked towards Helen. ¡°What happened?¡± Andrew followed from behind. He nced at the scratches on Ashton¡¯s back and saw that they were bright red. A sinister look shed across Andrew¡¯s eyes. Andrew said anxiously, ¡°Ms. Bauer has been feeling unwell since the afternoon. She went to look for you. ¡°Jeff said that you were resting, so she went to the hospital. She might have been tired when she came back, and the situation was worse. She fainted and vomited blood.¡± Ashton said in a deep voice, ¡°Next time, when Helen is not feeling well, call me. I wille over if I have anything urgent to do.¡± Andrew thought that Helen had called Ashton for a long time in the afternoon. At that time, Ashton was probably busy in the bedroom and had never heard of it. Since Ashton said so, Andrew immediately responded, ¡°Okay.¡± Ashton rushed to Helen¡¯s bedroom and saw that Helen was lying on the bed motionlessly. Andrew followed in and said, ¡°Ms. Bauer came back from the hospital at ten o¡¯clock in the evening. I asked her. She didn¡¯t eat anythin whole day. When she came back, her head was full of cold sweat. Her clothes should be wet with sweat. *I asked Nina to make some food and send it in. How about you help Ms. Bauer change her clothes and eat with her?¡± After he finished speaking, he saw that Ashton had no intention of replying and went out first. The cooked food was ced on the table in the bedroom, and the fragrance was overflowing. Ashton looked at the sleeping Helen on the bed. Smelling the fragrance of the food, he felt hungry. After he brought Deborah backst night, he had tormented her in the bedroom until now. more Deborah refused to cooperate, the worse his mood became. After one day and night, he had not even taken a sip of water. He was actually hungry He picked up Helen from the bed and walked to the bathroom. When the bathtub was filled with water and he wanted to bathe Helen, he looked at the clothes on her body and suddenly felt a little awkward After thinking for a while, he camed her out and called two servants toe in to wash her. The servant took Helen into the bathroom. Ashton did not follow them. He was so hungry, so he sat on the sofa and ate a few mouthfuls of food Helen continued to pretend to be unconscious. She was carried into the bathroom by the servants. They took off her clothes and washed her body. Out of theer of her eye, she saw Ashton sitting outside eating. She was so angry that she was about to go crazy How many times had he slept with Deborah? Did he even have to call the servants in to bathe her and change her clothes? Ashton had originally nned to eat a few mouthfuls. He wanted to wait for Helen to wake up after taking a bath and then apany her to eat. However, he identally ate until he was half full. When he put down the te, he did not know why he felt so hot. After Helen was finished bathing by the servants, she couldn¡¯t pretend to be unconscious anymore. She opened her eyes and said, Tm fine now. I can wear clothes myself. All of you can go out.¡± The two servants who were about to carry her out of the bathtub were shocked when they saw her suddenly open her eyes and speak. The servants immediately nodded, turned around, and hurried out. Helen came out of the bathtub, opened the cupboard under the sink, and took out a nightdress that had been prepared inside. It was a ckce style. In this situation, Ashton had eaten food that had been drugged. She did not believe that he could still endure it. She looked in the mirror with satisfaction. Only then did she adjust her expression and recover her weak appearance. She opened the bathroom door and walked out Outside, Ashton was sitting on the sofa. His body was leaning against the back of the sofa, and his thumb was pressed between his eyebrows it was obvious that the medicine had taken effect Helen walked over and saw his eyes. Her breath was heavy Helen pretended to be weak and could not stand steadily. Her body swayed, and she fell beside Ashton and rubbed against his chest a few times *Ashton, I feel so ufortable. Am I really seriously ill? How long have I been unconscious?¡± Ashton was extremely dizzy. Helen could feel the rising temperature from his body through his clothes. She reached bull at his clothes. ¡°Ashton, I feel like my head hurts¡± Ashton couldn¡¯t hear her voice clearly. When he looked down at her, Deborah¡¯s face appeared in his mind. When Deborah was pressed down by him, she obviously hated him, but she couldn¡¯t control her instincts. Her face and her eyes were red. There was also her voice cursing him, biting him, and crying and begging for mercy. Her face and voice filled his entire mind, and then he heard Helen¡¯s pale voice. ¡°Ashton¡­¡± Ashton reached out and pushed Helen away. He got up and walked outside. ¡°Helen, I¡¯m going out for a while. You should rest first.¡± felen never thought that Ashton would be able to push her away at this time. She was even stunned for a long time before she came back to her senses. She immediately got up to chase after him, and Ashton left quickly Ashton wanted to go outside Flora Vi and get some fresh air to wake himself up a little He had not slept sincest night, and maybe he was tired, so he felt dizzy and hallucinated. As soon as he left Helen¡¯s bedroom, he was thinking of going outside Flora Vi, but he somehow walked into Deborah¡¯s room Deborah had just returned to her bedroom from Ashton¡¯s. Her entire body was drenched, and her clothes were stained with the blood she had spat out. She took off her shirt and was about to change it. As soon as Ashton entered, he saw her fair and smooth skin. He strode over. Deborah took the clothes on the sofa and was about to put them on when she suddenly felt someone approaching She was suddenly frightened and wanted to scream subconsciously. Her body was pulled by him and fell on the carpet. Helen chased after her and watched Ashton enter Deborah¡¯s bedroom from afar. She was so angry that her temples were throbbing, and she even lost her rationality. She reached out and pushed open the half-closed bedroom door. The moment the door opened, what she saw was a scene that made her blush. Hearing Deborah¡¯s terrified voice, Helen trembled, and her face turned livid. In the early morning, Jeff was called away by Hector from the old house. Hector said that Ashton had not returned to the old house for a long time and wanted to ask Jeff about the situation. After Jeff left, Helen could no longer keep her cool and tiptoed to open Deborah¡¯s bedroom door. Deborah was carried by Ashton andid on the bed. She was already unconscious. Because of the medicine, Ashton was also sleeping soundly. Helen couldn¡¯t wait any longer. She asked Nina toe over and get Deborah out. Then, she took off her clothes andy down next to Ashton. Ashton only woke up when it was almost noon. When he opened his eyes, the woman he saw was Helen, who was lying beside him, crying Ashton looked at her for a long time before confirming that he had not seen it wrong. He sat up from the bed and asked, ¡°Helen, why are you here?! Helen cried even harder, ¡°Ashton, I don¡¯t me you. It¡¯s just my first time. I¡¯m a little scared.¡± Ashton was still confused. Looking at the red color on the bed sheet, he finally understood what was going on. He did not remember what happenedst night. He looked around and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t this Deborah¡¯s bedroom?¡± Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Chapter 45 We Will Have Child Helen cried, looking like she could not speak at all. Ashton said in a gentle voice, ¡°Helen if I did somethingst night, I will be responsible Calm down first. What happenedst night? Tell me.¡± Helen cried, ¡°You came to find mest night and suddenly left I was worried that something might have happened, so I followed you After that, you directly entered Debby¡¯s bedroom and I followed you in. You¡­..¡± Ashton was indeed a little confused, but he felt like he remembered what had happenedst night. Ashton said in a deep voice, ¡°I remember entering this bedroomst night and seeing Deborah.¡± Ashton remembered that,ter, he slept with Deborah However, when Ashton woke up, the person lying next to him became Helen. Helen cried louder and choked, ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine. You must have been unconsciousst night. You don¡¯t have to feel sorry for me. I can pretend that what happenedst night never happened.¡± Ashton thought about it for a long time. Ashton thought, no matter what, Helen can¡¯t say something like this randomly I was so dizzyst night that i seemed to be a little dizzy. Speaking of which, I might have thought of Helen as Deborah and slept with Helen here. Since that was the case, Ashton could only appease Helen, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Helen. Don¡¯t worry, I will take responsibility for you. I will marry you soon.¡± Helen¡¯s crying slowly subsided and she leaned into Ashton¡¯s arms. Ashton apanied Helen for breakfast. He thought of something and called Andrew in private, ¡°Give Helen some oral contraceptive. The side effects should be the least.¡± Helen¡¯s expression froze for a moment, thinking that she had heard wrong. Helen thought, didn¡¯t he want a child? Ashton promises to donate bone marrow to Alyssa because he wants Deborah to give birth to a child that belongs to him. After Ashton finished speaking, he also realized that this was not appropriate. He exined to Helen, ¡°Your health is not good. Having a child will affect your body. If you want a child, we can talk about it when you are healthy.¡± Helen hid her panic. Andrew said, ¡°But Ms. Bauer¡¯s current situation is not suitable for taking contraceptive pills. No matter what it is, it will damage her health and the liver.¡± Ashton said guiltily, ¡°It was my faultst night. If you are pregnant, it will affect your body even more. Don¡¯t worry, I will never let you eat this medicine again pext time.¡± Helen¡¯s face was a little pale. She was silent for a while and then whispered, ¡°Ashton, I know you are doing this for my health. ¡°But ho Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. ild you forget that the hospital gave me a check-up before? My uterus is naturally abnormal and I can¡¯t be pregnant.¡± Ashton hesitated. Helen said in fear, ¡°Ashton, I am a little afraid of taking this medicine. Don¡¯t worry, my body can¡¯t get pregnant.¡± Ashton thought about it and felt that it was indeed the case. Seeing that Helen was very resistant to this medicine, Ashton did not try to persuade Helen anymore. In the blink of an eye, half a month passed. Alyssa still lived in a sterile cabin and her recovery was not bad. However, Alyssa had to stay for a month before she coulde out. Deborah promised to give Ashton a child. In the past half a month, Ashton slept with Deborah every day. Every three or five days, Ashton would take Deborah to the hospital for a check-up to see if she was pregnant. in the blink of an eye, it was almost New Year¡¯s Eve. Ashton had eaten breakfast in the morning and still took Deborah to the hospital for a check-up Helena vomited badly early in the morning and said that she might catch a cold again. Ashton thought that it was also on the way, so Ashton took Helen to the hospital to see a doctor. Normally, Ashton would be willing to apany Helen to the hospital. But this time, Ashton was here to check whether Deborah was pregnant. Ashton was worried that Deborah would y tricks, so he took Deborah to do the examination first and asked Nina to apany Helen first. Ashton asked Deborah to draw blood. It would take half an hour before the result came out. Ashton was worried about Helen, so he left Deborah and went to find Helen. As soon as Ashton walked over, he sat down next to Helen, and a nurse sent a result over. The nurse saw that Ashton and Helen were close, so she directly handed the paper to Ashton and said, ¡°Congrattions, sir. Your wife is indeed pregnant.¡± Ashton¡¯s ck eyes immediately showed surprise. When he took the paper, he was so happy that he unconsciously stood up. Ashton thought, it was worth it that I tried hard every day for the past half month. I finally wait for this day. Helen also stood up. She was unable to hide her joy and shyness. ¡®Ashton, do I sessfully give birth to this child?¡± Ashton held the paper and was reading it. When Ashton heard Helen¡¯s strange words beside him, he looked at Helen in confusion. ¡°What?¡± Helen blushed and said, ¡°I am not very healthy. Now I am pregnant. I am a little nervous.¡± Ashton was a little confused. He looked at the examination sheet again and saw the name on the top of the sheet. It was Helen. Ashton was a little confused. He was stunned and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you had a cold? Why did youe to check your pregnancy?¡± Helen understood at a nce. Ashton¡¯s happy mood just now was not for Helen at all. It was just a mistake. Helen pretended not to see it and whispered shyly, ¡°On the way here, I heard from Nina that nausea and vomiting might be symptoms of pregnancy, so I checked it. I didn¡¯t expect it would be so sudden.¡± The nurse who had sent the result left first. Ashton looked at Nina, who was beside him. ¡°Go over there and see Deborah. Tell her to Nina immediately nodded and left. With no one else around, Ashton finally said, ¡°Helen, Andrew said that you are not in good health right now. ¡°You vomited blood and fainted some time ago. Now you need to rest well. The matter of the child¡­ Helen¡¯s eyes turned red in an instant. ¡°Ashton, I hope to have a child that belongs to us. Don¡¯t you want a child too? It¡¯s already a life.¡± Ashton said risks. Have low voice, ¡°Helen, there will be more children in the future, but your body is the most important. You can¡¯t take any orgotten that when Deborah gave birth to Alyssa, she gave birth early and suffered difficultbor? She almost died.¡± Helen sobbed, ¡°Ashton, do you want me to give up this child? It is my child. I can¡¯t bear to.¡± Ashton advised Helen gently, ¡°If you want a child, I will ask Deborah to give birth to one for you. She is in good health. If anything happens, she will be able to endure it.¡± Helen cried and said, ¡°But Debby is also a human. You can¡¯t always let her take risks. ¡°Besides, I am also a woman. I want to be a mother and have a child that truly belongs to me. Please, let me keep this child, OK?¡± this for now. You are tired. Shall we go home and rest first?¡± Helen nodded with a sad face. ¡°Yes.¡± Nina brought Deborah over and brought over the results of Deborah¡¯s examination. Ashton looked at the sheet and found that Deborah was not pregnant. Ashton said useless to Deborah and took Helen forward. Nina followed Helen and deliberately spoke to Deborah, ¡°Ms. Bauer, you must walk carefully. Early pregnancy is the most important time to pay attention to. You can¡¯t make any mistakes.¡± Deborah was stunned. She noticed the examination results in Helen¡¯s hand and understood. Deborah thought about it and felt that it was not strange. Deborah thought, Ashton must have hooked up with Helen long ago. He hoped that Helen could give him a child. Deborah¡¯s expression did not change much, and she followed behind to the elevator. However, Helen stopped walking. She turned around and walked to Deborah¡¯s side, intimately holding her arm. ¡°Why did you leave Debby behind? Debby, when my child is born, do you think it will call you aunt, or recognize you as a godmother?¡± When Deborah thought of how Helen had made Alyssa mute, she could not help but pull her hand back. ¡°Let me go, I won¡¯t y along with you.¡± Deborah had just pulled out half of her arm when Helen suddenly staggered and fell backward with a scream. Ashton¡¯s face suddenly became cold. He immediately went over to support Helen. However, Helen took a few steps back and mmed her back against the wall. She squatted down with a painful expression. ¡°My belly, my belly hurts!¡±. Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Record the Evidence of Helen¡¯s Crime There was much medical staff in the corridor of the hospital. Seeing that Helen was holding her belly, they immediately pushed the bed aver and brought Helen to the emergency room. Deborah was dragged by Ashton¡¯s bodyguards and was forced to go outside the emergency room. Helen was pushed in. Ashton turned around and approached Deborah. His face was extremely gloomy and he grabbed Deborah¡¯s neck. ¡°You dare to attack Helen under my watch!¡± Deborah felt hard to breathe. Sheughed and said, ¡°Ashton, are you blind? Helen grabbed my hand. Before I could pull my hand out, she fell. How bad was she acting?¡± Ashton was furious. ¡°Did you pull your hand out? You pushed her with your arm!¡± Deborahughed and did not want to say another word. In the emergency room, Heleny on the bed and looked at the doctors around her who were trying to save her. Her voice was no longer weak and painful like when she was outside. ¡°Abort the child and say that I was pushed down and had a miscarriage. I am Ashton¡¯s woman. If you don¡¯t do it, I will make it difficult for you when I go out.¡± Ashton had a lot of shares in this hospital. Most of the medical staff here knew Helen and knew that Helen was very important to Ashton. Now, all the doctors and nurses in the emergency room knew Helen. A few of them were a little frightened and did not speak for a while. Helen looked at a doctor wearing a protective hat and sses mask. He stood at the front, and it seemed that he had the highest position. Helen said impatiently, ¡°Can¡¯t you hear me? You are the main doctor, right? Come and abort the child!¡± The doctor did not say a word and nced at the assistant doctor beside him. The assistant doctor understood what he meant. Although he was a little scared, he still said, ¡°Ms. Bauer8, this is against the rules. ¡°Your condition seems to be fine. We will transfer you to the ordinary ward and give you a check-up. We will give you some medicine. to stabilize the fetus.¡± Helen never thought that these doctors would dare to disobey her. It was because the attending doctor was unwilling to follow her wishes, so the other assistant doctors naturally had no right to speak. Helen looked at the male doctor angrily. ¡°If you dare not do it, I will immediately find out which doctor you are. Just wait, I will tell you to scram immediately! The male doctor did not even look at Helen. He turned around and went straight out, leaving behind a sentence, ¡®Push her to the ward.¡± Helen very angry and felt that the voice seemed a little familiar. However, Helen was angry and thought that Ashton did not want this child. Even if Helen did not use this child to frame Deborah, Ashton would let her abort it. That was not worth it. Helen was thinking about it. Although Helen felt that the doctor¡¯s voice was a little familiar, she did not have the mood to think about it carefully. Helen only thought about how to frame Deborah again next The male doctor left directly, and Helen was pushed into the ward by other doctors. As soon as Helen left the emergency room, she recovered her weak appearance. The doctor who pushed Helen out did not dare to speak too much, and only said to Ashton, ¡°Ms. Bauer is frightened for a moment. Her chlid and she are fine after the examination. ¡°You can go to the ordinary ward first, and then take a further examination Just have some abortion medicine, which should be enough.¡± Ashton finally let out a sigh of relief. He helped push the bed and followed Helena into the ordinary ward. Helen still had tears hanging from the corners of her eyes, looking very frightened. Ashton sat by the bed andforted Helen, ¡®Don¡¯t think too much. It¡¯s good that you¡¯re fine. I will make Deborah pay the price.¡± Helen sobbed, and her face was full of grievance and fear. The door of the ward was knocked on twice, and a male doctor in a white coat walked in. Helen looked at the pair of eyes. Helen calmed down now and suddenly realized who the male doctor she saw in the emergency room was. Helen thought, no wonder I felt familiar. No wonder I felt that the voice was familiar! Helen¡¯s face turned pale. Zayne strode in and said sarcastically, ¡°Ms. Bauer, wasn¡¯t you very well in the emergency room?¡± Ashton saw that it was Zayne who came in and said unhappily. ¡°What are you doing here? You are a surgeon, aren¡¯t you? Don¡¯t you need a gynecologist toe to see Helen?¡± ¡°Ms. Bauer wants a gynecologist to see her now,¡± Zayne answered. ¡°But she just had a stomachache. It happened so suddenly. I am a surgeon. Many types of operations and first aid can be taken over, so I just went there. As a result, I recorded some interesting things that Ms. Bauer said.¡± As he spoke, Zayne took out his mobile phone and was about to click on a recording. Helena¡¯s face quickly turned pale. Helen anxiously stopped Zayne and shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t nder me!¡± Zayne sneered, ¡®I haven¡¯t said anything yet. Isn¡¯t Ms. Bauer a little too sensitive?¡± ¡°I was in the emergency room just now. I heard you say that you were going to show something to Ashton and that you were going to reveal my true face. ¡°Dr. Gaige, I don¡¯t understand how I provoked you to make you so hostile to me.¡± Zayne looked at Helen with disdain. ¡°Ms. Bauer, don¡¯t be in a hurry to exin. Let¡¯s wait for Mr. Mullen to listen to this recording first. Then you can see if your exnation is still useful.¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Why¡­ why do you all treat me like this?¡± Helen seemed to be stimted ¡°Debby pushed me. What are you going to take out now? Do you not like me? Why?¡± As she spoke, Helen was about to get out of bed. ¡°I want to go. I don¡¯t want to stay here anymore. You are all bad people.¡± Ashton saw that Helen was stimted and sick. He immediately stepped forward to support Helen and said harshly. ¡°Get Zayne out of her ¡°In the future, don¡¯t let Zayne appear in front of me and Helen. I don¡¯t want to see or listen to anything he takes out!¡± Helen leaned in Ashton¡¯s arms and said in a helpless voice, ¡°Ashton, I¡¯m so scared. They all want to kill me and my baby, right? Ah, my stomach hurts, and it hurts!¡± A few bodyguards standing at the door came over and dragged Zayne outside. Zayne hurriedly turned on the recording, and Helen¡¯s voice came out from inside, ¡°Help me¡­¡± The recording had only been yed a few seconds when Ashton stepped forward, grabbed the phone, and smashed it into thedor outside. cord the Evidence of Helen¡¯s Crime Following that a few tall and sturdy bodyguards roughly dragged Zayne out. Helen was trembling crazily, and her expression was pained. Emest quickly rushed over and injected Helen with a tranquilizer. Only then did Helen fall unconscious. Mr. Mullen, Helen has always been the apple of the Bauer family¡¯s eye. She has not suffered any grievances, Ernest said with sadness. ¡°If your wife, Deborah, really can¡¯t tolerate her, why don¡¯t you let Helen go back to the Bauer family? Don¡¯t let her suffer this kind of torture again and again. Ashton said guiltily, ¡°I was careless. I didn¡¯t take good care of Helen.¡± Last time, Ashton punished the Gaige family severely. Ashton didn¡¯t expect that Deborah and Zayne would dare to join hands to hurt Helen. The more Ashton thought about it, the more he hated Zayne and Deborah. After Helen fell asleep quietly, Ashton angrily left the ward. Deborah was outside Alyssa¡¯s sterile cabin and wanted to sneak in to take a look. Deborah had not seen Alyssa for several days. Ashton said that when she was pregnant, he would allow her to see Alyssa every day. But Deborah could not give birth to a child for Ashton, and it would take a few days to act. Otherwise, if Deborah got pregnant too quickly, Ashton would be suspicious. Deborah was just about to find a way to sneak in to see Alyssa when someone grabbed her arm and dragged her to the elevator at t end of the corridor. Deborah heard Ashton¡¯s furious voice, ¡°Deborah, you are getting worse and worse. I have to teach you a lesson today!¡± Deborah¡¯s hand was almost broken, and she was directly brought to the Mauve Club by Ashton. When they entered a private room of Mauve Club, Zayne had already been brought over by Ashton¡¯s bodyguards. Zayne¡¯s face was full of wounds and he was in a sorry state. Ashton picked up a bottle of wine from the coffee table in the private room and smashed it to the ground with a bang. Ashton said coldly, ¡°Deborah, clean up the things on the ground. Or I will drag your daughter out of the sterile cabin now.¡± Deborah¡¯s pupils suddenly trembled. After a long time, she stood up numbly to get a mop. Ashton sneere d said, ¡°Did I tell you to use a mop Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Death Approaches Deborah looked at him nkly. She found it harder and harder to understand what Ashlon wanted her to do. The man sitting on the sofa was a little impatient. ¡°I will give you three minutes to clean up the floor with your hands. After three minutes, the remaining ss fragments will be the number of fingers that he, Zayne, will be cut.¡± Deborah¡¯s body trembled violently. Ashton said to the bodyguard beside him, ¡°Countdown.¡± The bodyguard quickly took out his phone and started the countdown with a cold expression. Zayne, pressed to the ground by bodyguards, shouted excitedly, ¡°Deborah, don¡¯t do that! With so many broken ss shards, your hand will be crippled!¡± Ashton did not say a word. He casually ced a hand on his thigh, his slender index finger tapping silently, like a stopwatch. Deborah gritted her teeth and began to quickly pick up the fragments on the ground with both hands. She almost fell to the ground. She desperately and anxiously used the faint light of the box to pick up those fragments. The smashed wine bottle and the ss fragments scattered everywhere, a lot of which were under the sofa and the table. Sharp broken ss pieces continued to cut her fingers. Some pierced into her fingers, unable to be taken out. While Deborah picked them up, her fingers bled. Then her hands were bloody. And her blood fell to the ground. The broken pieces were dyed scarlet red. Zayne could no longer control his anger and hatred. Suddenly, he exerted strength and broke away from several bodyguards who were suppressing him. He grabbed a bottle of wine from the table and smashed it toward Ashton¡¯s head. ¡°You bastard, Deborah has been with you for five years!¡± Ashton¡¯s expression could not be seen clearly in the dim light of the box. He quickly turned sideways and avoided the bottle. The bottle smashed on the wall behind him with a bang, and the pieces scattered on the sofa and the ground. Zayne was thrown to the ground by bodyguards, kicked, and punched. Ashton said to Deborah in a calm voice, ¡°Count this bottle. Pick up these pieces, too.¡± Deborah was anxious and in pain. Her fingers were dripping with blood. Cold sweat broke out on her forehead. She was panting heavily. She was suffering from a burning pain with the bloody smell, which was like a knife being stuffed into her throat. She seemed to be able to hear the countdown. Her fingers hurt so much that she couldn¡¯t use any strength. She simply pressed her palms and arms on the ground and swept the fragments over. Half of her arms and palms had turned blood red, and there was a shocking scarlet mass in the dark. She didn¡¯t have time to say a word or to groan in pain. She gritted her teeth and carefully picked up the fragments against the clock. She to Ashton¡¯s feet like a dog to pick up those fragments under the table and the sofa. Ashton sat leisurely without moving. The fragments on the sofa were swept away by Deborah on a te. Deborah was shaking all over. At this moment, other than pain and anxiety, she no longer had feelings of heartbreak and sadness. The bodyguards standing at the side respectfully told Ashton, ¡°Mr. Mullen, time¡¯s up.¡± Deborah seemed to have been scalded. She leaned close to the ground, anxiously groping with her hands. She was not sure if there were any missing pieces Ashton asked to turn on the lights. Soon, the lights in the box were turned on The dim environment was immediately lit up as if it was daytime Ashton saw Deborah lying on the ground with her pale face covered with cold sweat The ground could be seen clearly at once. Ashton signaled to the bodyguards toe over and check. Deborah noticed that there were two pieces beside his leather shoes Those pieces were very small but in a conspicuous ce beside Ashton¡¯s ck leather shoes. The bodyguards walked over in a few steps. Deborah suddenly reached out quickly and eagerly to grab those two pieces. The te in her hands had already been taken away by Ashton Deborah lowered her head and stuffed the two pieces into her mouth. Ashton noticed it and said in a cold voice, ¡°Spit it out.¡± Deborah gritted her teeth and did not say anything. She was anxious to swallow them. However, her mouth was too dry. She was sweating, but her mouth and throat were so dry that it seemed like she was going to breathe Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. mes. There was no saliva in her mouth. Thus, she failed to swallow the two pieces even though she tried hard. Ashton¡¯s face darkened. He reached out and grabbed Deborah¡¯s hair, forcing her to raise her head. Then he reached out to pry open her mouth. ¡°I ask you to spit them out!¡± Deborah¡¯s voice was hoarse. ¡°Nothing. There is nothing in my mouth. I was just wiping my mouth.¡± Ashton red at her with hatred. ¡°Deborah, just swallow them. I will immediately get the doctor to take them out of your stomach and then kill Zayne!¡± Deborah paused in her attempt to swallow, her eyes unfocused and helpless as she looked at Ashton. Ashton acted violently and dug out the ss shards from her mouth. ¡°Deborah, don¡¯t y such pitiful tricks! I warned you and Zayne not to challenge my bottom line!¡± He ordered the bodyguards angrily, ¡°Search carefully. Don¡¯t drop a single fragment!¡± Zayne was beaten badly on the ground by Ashton¡¯s bodyguards. He seemed to be at hisst gasp. The bodyguards were carefully looking for ss fragments around the table. They searched carefully under the coffee table, under the sofa, and in the corners of the sofa. Deborah watched helplessly as the pieces were dug out one after another. Great fear appeared on her face. Bodyguards ced the pieces on the table, along with the two pieces taken out from Deborah¡¯s mouth, together into a row. Ashton casually counted and then looked at Deborah. ¡°Seven pieces. Just gather them up. Cripple one hand.¡± Zayr was lying on the ground, said with difficulty, ¡°Ashton, you and Helen will die a terrible death.¡± Ashtonughed and waved to a bodyguard, ¡°His left hand. I am very merciful, right?¡± He looked at Deborah with a smile. The light in his eyes was like a poisoned knife, making Deborah¡¯s hair stand on end. Deborah begged him with a face full of despair and horror, ¡°Dr. Gaige has nothing to do with our business. Don¡¯t hurt him.¡± Zayne was a surgeon. If he lost one hand, he would never be able to operate. Ashton said helplessly, ¡°But he scared Helen today with some tape recording, which made Helen sick.¡± Approaches 9.2 Deborah still wanted to say something, but the bodyguards beside her directly held Zayne down. The baseball bat smashed down on his left arm, making a dull and shocking sound. Deborah heard that Zayne couldn¡¯t help but scream. She turned back and saw arge amount of blood on his arm, which was now bloody. Deborah copsed all over and opened her mouth, but she could not say anything. Zayne fainted. His left hand didn¡¯t seem to belong to him, drooping to the side. Deborah let out a desperate scream like a little beast. She crawled to Zayne¡¯s side with all her strength, trying to take the strike for Zayne. The bodyguard failed to stop swinging the bat. The bat, which was supposed to fall on Zayne¡¯s arm, hit Deborah on the back. Deborah felt that her internal organs were rushing to her throat. She vomited a big mouthful of blood and fainted. The blood that she spat out was shocking. Ashton was shocked. Andrew had told him that Deborah vomited blood several times because she used blood packs. But just now, Ashton opened Deborah¡¯s mouth and took out those broken ss pieces. He was sure that there was nothing else in her mouth. Ashton was stunned for a long time. Then he came back to his senses. Deborah spat too much blood. Under the light, arge part of the carpet was dyed red. At that moment, Ashton panicked. He felt that something had already been out of his control when he was not aware of it. He could not breathe, so he picked Deborah up from the ground and hurried out. Nina called Ashton¡¯s bodyguard. The bodyguard picked up the phone and quickly went out to tell Ashton, ¡°Mr. Mullen, Nina said that Ms. Bauer is awake but still delirious.¡± ¡°She struggled to take Alyssa away from the sterile warehouse and drove away. No one knew where she went.¡± Ashton only stared at the blood at the corners of Deborah¡¯s mouth. Her face was deathly pale. How could a healthy person be like this? There must be something wrong with Deborah. Andrew must lie to Ashton! The bodyguard was still waiting for Ashton¡¯s order. Ashton rushed into the elevator and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Let¡¯s go to the hospital to check on Deborah¡± Chapter 48 Chapter 48 Chapter 48 Ashton Lost Deborah Ashton took Deborah directly to the hospital Originally, he nned to go to Rodger¡¯s ce. He made a phone call and found Rodger had an urgent business trip abroad at that time The more Ashton looked at Deborah, the more uneasy he felt He asked the driver to go to Richmond Hospital, which was closer. Emest and several other doctors took Deborah into the emergency room. Ashton was waiting outside. He received a call from Nina As soon as he answered the phone, a terrified voice came from the other side. Sir, we found Ms. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Bauer ¡°She drove the car to the edge of a cliff. The car was now hanging on the cliff. Half of the car was suspended in the air. Ms. Bauer and Alyssa¡­¡± Ashton¡¯s face suddenly darkened. He immediately got up and walked to the end of the corridor. ¡°Where are you?¡± Nina reported her position while trembling. Ashton hurried into the elevator and said, ¡°I¡¯lle over immediately. You keep an eye on Helen. If anything happens to her, I¡¯ll make you pay with your lives!¡± After he finished speaking, he hung up the phone directly. When he arrived, he saw a car hanging on the edge of the cliff. Nina and Andrew, as well as a few servants of the Mullen family, were standing a distance away from the car, looking at the tottering car with extreme anxiety. Ashton rushed over and shouted angrily, ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry up and save them!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Helen¡¯s sharp and frightened voice came from the car. ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone else toe over. They are all bad people. I don¡¯t want them! Ashton, Ashton, save me!¡± Ashton signaled Nina toe over. Helen looked at the rearview mirror and screamed, ¡°Nina, don¡¯t Nina was just about to move, yet she was so scared that she did not dare to go. Ashton also had cold sweat on his forehead. He did not dare to take the risk and could only walk over alone. As he approached, he saw Helen sitting in the driver¡¯s seat. Her hand holding the steering wheel trembled, and she was crying. She looked like she wasn¡¯t sober. ¡°Ashton?1 Why would Ie here? I¡¯m so scared. I¡¯m so scared. It¡¯s so high down there.¡± Ashton tried his best to calm down andfort her. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Helen. Step on the brakes. Use your hand to pull the handbrake.* Helen sobbed, ¡°I don¡¯t dare to move. My hands are stiff. My feet are out of strength. I can¡¯t step on the brake anymore.¡± Ashton said in a low voice, ¡°Calm down. Take your time. Open the door, and I¡¯ll take you down.¡± Helen still did not dare to move. Ashton could only reach in through the half-opened window and slowly opened the car door from the inside. He retracted his hand from the window and grabbed Helen¡¯s arm from the opened car door. Helen seemed to be frightened by opening the car door and suddenly cried out, ¡°Help! Help!¡± Heli denly lost control of her emotions. Her feet loosened, and the car immediately moved forward a little. Helen had been shouting very loudly, and Ashton seemed to hear a little other voice. He ignored that. When he saw Helen could not step on the brake, and the car began to move forward, he worried. Helen cried louder and louder. Her face was pale, and her emotions abnormally unsteady. She was about to copse. Ashton panicked. He leaned in and grabbed one of Helen¡¯s hands. He hugged her waist and pulled her out. They rolled to the ground together. The car hanging on the cliff swayed and crashed down the cliff. Helen pressed on Ashton and cried desperately. Ashton heard another voice clearly this time. It came from the back seat of the car that fell off the cliff. Alyssa¡¯s sharp and desperate voice was heard. ¡°Mom! Help¡­¡± The weak voice was quickly blown away by the wind as if everything was just an illusion The car that had fallen off the cliff disappeared without a trace. Ashton¡¯s body waspletely frozen He clearly heard Alyssa, who had been mute for a long time, ask for help at thest moment. It was only then that he finally recovered from the worry. There was another person sitting in the car. Before Ashton came here, Nina had told him that Helen treated Alyssa as her own daughter and drove away with Alyssa Where was Alyssa? Alyssa was still in the car. She had fallen down, and Ashton had even forgotten her. This was the first time Ashton experienced this feeling. The blood that surged up from his feet rushed to the top of his head. His mind seemed to explode. It was he who dragged Helen out, causing Helen to let go of the brake and let the car rush down the cliff. When he leaned in, he could at least hold the hand brake, or open the back door to let Alyssa run out of the car. Ashton was lying stiffly on the ground. He did not react for a long time. He knew very well that he could do something for Alyssa. But now it was toote. Nina and the others cried and rushed to the edge of the cliff. They shouted at the bottom, ¡°Alyssa! Alyssa fell down!¡± Helen got up and wanted to jump down the cliff. ¡°My daughter! I¡¯m going to save my daughter!¡± Nina tried her best to hold Helen back. ¡°Ms. Bauer, please calm down. Ms. Bauer!¡± Helen turned around and cried bitterly. She rushed forward to punch Ashton. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault. It¡¯s all your fault! How could you not save my daughter? How could you just leave her in the car!¡± After she finished speaking, she fainted. Ashton called the police and bodyguards over and went down the cliff to find Alyssa, or rather, to find Alyssa¡¯s body. He took Helen to the hospital. When he arrived at the hospital, Deborah was pushed out of the emergency room. Ashton felt too guilty, so he asked Nina to take care of Helen while he went to Deborah¡¯s ward. Deborah had already woken up, and her expression was still a little dazed. Shey on the bed and did not make a sound for a long time. Ashton carefully sat down beside her bed and looked at her. He suddenly realized that Alyssa had died from falling off the cliff, and he lost Deborah. Debor ot know how long she had been unconscious. After half a day, she said very softly. ¡°Where is Dr. Gaige?¡± Zayne¡¯s left hand was definitely crippled. Deborah just wanted to know if he was still alive. Ashton¡¯s tone was unprecedentedly gentle. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Take a good rest first. Zayne was sent to the hospital. He¡¯s fine.¡± Although Zayne had lost his left hand, he had only himself to me. Deborahughed softly, ¡°He is fine?¡± Ashton stopped talking. The room fell into a dead silence. Deborah didn¡¯t know why, but she felt a pain in her heart for no reason. It was not because of Zayne. couldn¡¯t bear It. She waited silently for a while and then said, ¡°Ashton, it has been a long time. Let me see Alyssa in the sterile dom, okay? Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Deborah Has Liver Cancer Ashton took the fruit knife from the bedside table and wanted to cut some fruit for Deborah. When Ashton heard that Deborah wanted to see Alyssa, his hand shook and the fruit knife almost fell to the ground. Deborah immediately looked uneasy. ¡°Is Alyssa okay? Let me go see her now.¡± Ashton put on an annoyed and impatient expression. ¡°Deborah, are you trying to make things difficult for me? ¡°I have already donated my bone marrow to that bastard. I said that when you are pregnant, I will let you see her and take her away. Don¡¯t push your luck.¡± Deborah was really worried about Alyssa. ¡°I will just take a look. You can let me watch outside.* Ashton was very determined. ¡°Deborah, I always keep my word. Before you get pregnant, don¡¯t even think about it.¡± Deborah knew that she could not see Alyssa now. After a long silence, she could not help but ask, ¡°Then can I see Dr. Gaige?¡± Normally, Ashton would definitely not let her see the doctor. But now, because of Alyssa¡¯s death, Ashton was more or less very guilty. He reluctantly agreed and said, ¡°Just take a look. Don¡¯t waste too much time.¡± Zayne was lying in the ward of this hospital. His former colleague and college friend, Lucian Greene, was now standing by his bed and treating him. Lucian¡¯s face was full of regret and anger, ¡°Zayne, I told you not to get involved in Deborah¡¯s affairs. Look at you and your family now.¡± Zayne endured the pain and said unhappily, ¡°It¡¯s not Deborah¡¯s fault. It¡¯s Ashton¡¯s. Deborah is the most pitiful. I have to help her leave Ashton,¡± Lucian said excitedly. ¡°You did help her. Did you really help her? Your hands are crippled and your future is ruined. How are you going to live?¡± Before Lucian finished speaking, there was a knock on the door. Lucian looked back and saw Deborah standing outside with a pale face. Lucian also knew Deborah. He felt injustice for Zayne. He sneered at Deborah and closed the medical record book and went out first. Deborah walked in, and Zayne said a little awkwardly. ¡°Lucian is a little rash. Don¡¯t mind him.¡± Deborah walked in and sat down by the bed with grief. She didn¡¯t answer him and only asked him, ¡°How is your hand?¡± Zayne forced a smile and said, ¡°The right hand is still fine. It¡¯s not a problem to continue the consultation in the future. Others who don¡¯t have hands or feet can still live. There is nothing to live with a crippling left hand.¡± Deborah¡¯s heart tightened. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Dr. Gaige. I¡¯ve made you suffer again.¡± Zayne frowned and said in a deep voice, ¡°Deborah, the one who should say sorry has never been you.¡± Debr ll/silent, sitting at the edge of the bed and choking. She couldn¡¯t think of any suitable words. Zayne had suffered a lot for her, but she couldn¡¯t even protect herself and couldn¡¯t do anything for him. ¡°Deborah, don¡¯t be discouraged. The more ruthless Ashton is, the more you have to find a way to leave him,¡± Zayne said. Zayne continued, ¡°One day, you and your daughter can break away from his control and live a free and happy life. At that time, everything I do will be worth it. am trying to find a suitable liver for you. I believe I will find of the sterile ward soon. Now Alyssa has changed her bone marrow and will soon get out ¡°After you change your liver and leave this ce, you and your daughter will really have a good life.¡± Deborah whispered, I am just worried about Alyssa¡¯ Deborah could feel that the had not much time left It was not so easy to find a suitable liver. And it was hard to say how long a patient with liver cancer could live Moreover, there were many problems, a huge operation fee for the liver transnt, the risk of surgery, and too many things. Deborah knew very well that the hope of surviving was too slim. Seeing her like this, Zayne was a little excited and said, ¡°Deborah, you can¡¯t give up. Now that Alyssa has sessfully survived, she will be fine soon ¡°You have to wait until the appropriate liver. With yourpany, Alyssa can live well.¡± Thinking of Alyssa in the sterile ward, Deborah could not help but have confidence. She nodded seriously ¡°Yes, I will persevere, even if it is just to apany Alyssa. Thank you, Dr. Gaige.¡± Zayne looked at Deborah. Whenever he looked at her, he would blush a little. Zayne still remembered the first time he saw Deborah many years ago, he couldn¡¯t help but blush for a moment, thinking about how girl could be so good looking. However, Deborah didn¡¯t even know the slightest bit of herself. She didn¡¯t wear any makeup, and her expression always showed som inferiority. Later, when he saw Ashton publicly use Deborah of being useless, Zayne knew why Deborah felt inferior. Zayne thought of those things in the past, then looked at Deborah in front of him, and unnaturally turned his eyes away. Ashton just walked past the ward door. He happened to see that Zayne didn¡¯t dare to look at Deborah and that Deborah lowered her head shyly Ashton¡¯s anger was immediately provoked, and he took a few steps to drag Deborah out of the ward. ¡°I let you see him, not to let you flirt with him!¡± Deborah was already used to Ashton¡¯s changing temper. Now that she heard his unpleasant words, she did not have any reaction. Ashton dragged her back to the ward, and she regained her dead aura. She sat on the bed and stared at Alyssa¡¯s photo on the phone, Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. not saying a word When Ashton saw the photo on her phone and saw Alyssa¡¯s smiling face, his ears were filled with Alyssa¡¯s screams of despair when she fell off the cliff. His heart was trembling. He reached out and grabbed Deborah¡¯s phone, throwing it on the bedside table. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t look anymore. I have said that when you get pregnant, I¡¯ll let you pick her up. When the timees, you can watch her as long as you want Deborah did not get angry when Ashton snatched her phone away. She said softly. ¡°Then I won¡¯t look at the photo anymore. I¡¯ll sleep for a while.¡± Deborah was so obedient that she did not argue with Ashton because of Zayne. Is just waiting for the day when Alyssa left the sterile ward, waiting for the day when she left with Alyssa. She did not argue with Ashton because she did not care about Ashton at all. Ashton knew it very well, and he felt even worse. Alter thinking about it, Ashton felt that Deborah might need to find something to do now. Ashton thought when Deborah was busy and her mood was better, she might not think about Alyssa so much all day. king of this, Ashion said, ¡°The clothing brands under the Mullen Group are preparing for the design of the new summer dress your Haven¡¯t you participated in it before? Why don¡¯t you try to draw some designs now?¡± Deborah was now nodding at everything he said She agreed without hesitation, ¡°Okay.¡± Ashton immediately asked Jeff to bring her a pen, paper, and aputer and asked her to draw the design drafts. He saw that Deborah was in a stable mood and was a little worried about Helen. He left Deborah¡¯s wardte at night and went to Helen¡¯s ward. Ashton was a little absent minded, so when he went out, he even forgot to call a bodyguard to guard Deborah¡¯s ward. Deborah was originally sitting quietly on the bed, drawing the design drafts. She was concentrating on the design draft in front of her. As soon as Ashton got up and went out, Deborah immediately raised her head and silently put down the pen in her hand. At this time, it was close to midnight. She heard Ashton¡¯s footsteps getting farther and farther away. The inexplicable uneasiness in her heart was particrly strong. After thinking about it, Deborah had to see Alyssa before she could rest assured. She quietly got out of bed, put on her slippers, and walked out. When she walked out of the ward, there was not even a single bodyguard guarding the ward. Because it was veryte, there were almost no doctors or nurses in the corridor. Deborah quickly walked out and soon reached the end of the corridor. She entered the elevator and arrived at the floor where Alyssa lived Her steps were brisk and quick, and she walked directly to the sterile ward where Alyssa lived. Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Chapter 50 She Doesn¡¯t Like You Ashton sat beside Helen¡¯s bed and helped her peel fruits. But for some reason, he couldn¡¯t help but think about other things. Ashton thought about the scene that Deborah lowered her head to draw the design drafts in the ward Ashton also remembered the scene that Alyssa screamed in the car and fell off the cliff. Then he imagined how heartbroken Deborah would be after knowing that Alyssa had already passed away. He was absent-minded, Helen called him several times, but he did not respond. Helen reached out to pull his sleeve and said softly and uneasily. ¡°Ashton, do you hate me?¡± Ashton suddenly came back to his senses and looked at Helen, ¡°What did you say?¡± Helen¡¯s eyes were red and swollen. She said with a trembling voice, ¡°It was me who killed Alyssa. If I take my life to repay Debby, will she forgive me?¡± Ashton looked out at the sky. It was almost dawn. ¡± Alyssa fell off the cliff. In the blink of an eye, it was already yesterday, but it still seemed like it had happened at thest second. He pressed the space between his eyebrows. He seemed to have a headache andforted Helen, ¡°Helen, don¡¯t be silly. Things have alreadye to this. You weren¡¯t sober yesterday, so it was not you to be med.¡± Helen spoke until her tears started to fall. ¡°But Alyssa¡­ I want to apologize to Debby. If Debby hates me, I will repay her with my life.¡± As she was about to get up from bed, Ashton immediately stopped her. Helen looked at Ashton strangely, Ashton hesitated and said, ¡°Deborah¡­ She still doesn¡¯t know about this. Helen, don¡¯t tell her now. 1 will tell her when the time is right.¡± Helen sobbed and was stopped by Ashton. Thus, she did not insist on going to Deborah. Ashton thought about it for a long time. Perhaps the only way was to let Deborah get pregnant as soon as possible. When Deborah had another baby, she might be able to ept it when she knew the truth. In that case, Deborah had to care about the baby and would not be so upset about Alyssa¡¯s death. The more Ashton thought about it, the more confused he became. Suddenly, he remembered that he did not ask the bodyguards to keep an eye on Deborah. Not long after he stayed with Helen, he got an excuse to leave. When he went to Deborah¡¯s ward and saw that Deborah was still sitting on the bed and drawing the design drafts, he was relieved. Deborah had just gone to Alyssa¡¯s sterile room, but it was not allowed for family members to go in to visit. The doctors and nurses naturally ed Deborah from going in.. She tried to look inside through the door for a long time, but she could not see anything inside. She was worried that Ashton would find out, so she had no choice but to go back to her ward. The costume design draft in her hand was painted in the style of a child¡¯s winter dress without her notice. After hearing footsteps, she came back to her senses and tried to hide the things in her hands in a panic. Just as she was about to hide the paper, Ashton had already reached out and pulled away the paper. An uneasy expression appeared on Deborah¡¯s face. She was afraid that if she offended Ashton again, it would implicate Alyssa When Ashton saw what was drawn on the paper, a strange look shed across his eyes, but he did not show any signs of anger. He returned the draft to Deborah and asked in a good tone, ¡°Did you draw it for Alyssa? Are you going to make clothes for her?¡± Deborah answered cautiously. ¡°Yes, New Year ising. I reckon the day Alyssaes out from the sterile room will be about half a month after New Year.¡± She thought that when Alyssae out from the sterile room, Alyssa could be considered to have been reborn. At least, Deborah thought that Alyssa should wear beautiful and festive clothes to celebrate. Ashton forced him to be calm. ¡°I can get someone to customize the clothes. You can also do it yourself if you want to. I will ask Jeff to bring over anything you want.¡± Deborah replied with some expectation, ¡°Ask Jeff to buy some red fabric for me. Alyssa likes the color. ¡°I used to have a lot of expectations for Alyssa, but now she has escaped death. I only hope that she will be safe and sound for the rest of her life.¡± Ashton¡¯s face was a little stiff. ¡°Sure, shell be.¡± Deborah nced at him and felt that he seemed a little strange today. Deborah didn¡¯t know why, but she couldn¡¯t help but say. ¡°Whether you believe it or not, Alyssa is indeed your daughter.* Ashton did not get angry. He sat down beside the bed and said guiltily, ¡°Aren¡¯t you sleepy? It is dawn. Go to sleep for a while.¡± Deborah looked at Ashton and felt that he was suddenly so gentle as if he had be a different person. Or it could be said that Ashton had returned to the appearance of many years ago. Deborah was a little emotional. ¡°You are my only man. In the past, in my heart, you were the best. No one couldpare to you. Don¡¯t you really know why?¡± When Ashton saved Deborah at the foot of the mountain cliff and carried her to the hospital, Deborah was 13 years old. At that time, Ashton was 18 years old. Then after a year, when Deborah was 14 years old, she saw Ashton again and had deep feelings for thetter. Speaking of which, Ashton should have remembered Deborah at that time. Ashton did not think much about it at all. ¡°There are many things that you may like about me. Is it strange that you like me?¡± At the time, Ashton¡¯s parents died when he was 19 years old, and he returned to the country with Helen. When he first met Deborah in the Bauer family, Deborah couldn¡¯t help but keep looking at him. But Ashton had seen that kind of look many times, and countless women chased him. So he did not find it strange at all. But there was one strange thing. Other women, who were fascinated by him, all looked at his face. But Deborah was special. Ashton still remembered that the first time they me), Deborah had been staring at his hand. It might be because of shyness. Deborah. suddenly, Ashton, have you forgotten that when I was 13, you saved me?¡± Ashton felt that Deborah seemed to have a brain problem. He opened his mouth and tended to give her a negative answer coldly He went abroad with his parents when he was less than 3 years old. He never came back until his parents died when he was 19. Only then did Hector bring him back to the Mullen family. When Deborah was 13, he did not even know that there was such a person in the world, let alone save her. But before he said anything, he felt that something was wrong and changed his words. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Deborah thought back to the past. Even though Ashton had be like this, she would never forget those things. would only think that the old Ashton had already died, and it was also the old Ashton who let her live until today rather than die under that cold mountain. Deborah responded in a low voice, ¡°That year, Helen¡¯s mother left me in the mountain. I panicked and rolled down the mountain. When I was dying at the bottom of the cliff, you were the only one who came to save me. ¡°Ashton, I liked you before. Not for anything else, just because you saved my life that day. People like me have never felt any warmth, so you might forget about that in the blink of an eye, but I remember it very deeply¡± Ashton¡¯s face became pale and stiff. He digested the strange and huge amount of information in Deborah¡¯s words, and he could not say a word. After a long time, he asked, ¡°Then how did you recognize that I was the one who saved you?¡± Deborah said, ¡°I was brought into the Bauer family when I was 13. The Mullen¡¯s house was very close to the Bauer¡¯s house. I remember that you always came out of the Mullen¡¯s house at that time. Your face was injured, and you wore a mask. ¡°The day you saved me, your left wrist was scratched, and there left a scar. Also, I remember your voice.¡± After that, Deborah sneered lightly, ¡°Ashton, you have changed quite a lot. You have changed beyond recognition. ¡°I didn¡¯t know before that a person could change so much, like an angel turning into a hateful devil.¡± Ashton listened to Deborah and subconsciously wanted to put his left hand into the pocket of his coat. He suddenly understood why Deborah had not stared at his face for the first time when they met, but at his wrist. And he suddenly understood why Deborah had secretly asked Jeff about the injury on his face before. He thought that Deborah had looked at his wrist just because she was shy and just wanted to ask Jeff about him and approach him. Deborah had loved Ashton for 10 years since the neen-year-old boy met the fourteen-year-old girl for the first time. Ashton had believed this for 10 years. Ashton didn¡¯t put his hand in his pocket, but he couldn¡¯t help but hide his hand behind his back. He said in a low voice, ¡°How many years ago has it been? What is there to talk about? All right, have a rest. I¡¯m going out.¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. He didn¡¯t even wait for Deborah to say another word and directly stepped out of the ward. When he re the window at the end of the corridor, he took out a cigarette box from the pocket of his coat. He wanted to take out a cigarette, but several of the cigarettes in the box fell to the ground. He simply put the cigarette box on the sill and took out his cell phone to call Jeff. ¡®Find someone for me.¡± Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Chapter 51 The Person Deborah Truly Loves It took Jell a while to understand what Ashton said on the phone. Deborah recognized the wrong person. She had been thinking Ashton was her savior since ten years ago. And the reason why she fell in love with Ashton was only because she thought Ashton had saved her. Ashton now wanted Jeff to find out Deborah¡¯s real savior. Jeff was silent for a long while, then responded cautiously, ¡°Mr. Mullen, maybe there is no need to investigate this person. It should be very clear who it is.¡± Ashton had a lot on his mind. He didn¡¯t know why he couldn¡¯t ept the fact. He couldn¡¯t think anything straight and said impatiently, ¡®Just get to the point.¡± Jeff immediately responded with some panic, ¡°Mr. Mullen, the person who saved Ms. ck back then is probably Mr. Joseph ck.¡± Ashton froze momentarily and quickly said coldly, ¡°Are you serious?¡± Joseph was notoriously cruel in Richmond. Would he save people? What a joke. He did hurt a lot of people. It would be nice if he didn¡¯t kill people. Ashton thought of the ne crash and the death of his parents, hatred creeping over his eyes again. ¡± Joseph had been a murderer. If Joseph hadn¡¯t thought Ashton¡¯s uncle Wayne Mullen would be on that private ne, there wouldn¡¯t have been an air crash, causing the death of Ashton¡¯s parents. Jeff said in a muf fled voice, ¡°Mr. Mullen, Ms. Shepherd actually made it very clear. ¡°She said she saw that persone out of Mullen Manor many times. Do you remember? Before you returned to the country, Mr. ck¡¯s mother married Mr. Wayne Mullen. ¡°Thus, Mr. ck moved in Mullen Manor. When Ms. Shepherd was 13 years old, the fire killed Mr. ck¡¯s mother. Mr. ck was struck and went back to the ck family.¡± Jeff paused momentarily and continued, ¡°As for the mask, it can be exined. When Mr. ck was still living in Mullen Manor, Mr. Wayne Mullen often beat Mr. ck and his mother. ¡°Mr. ck¡¯s face was badly beaten and even burned by boiling water. He always wore a mask at that time. ¡°Later, Mr. ck¡¯s mother was killed in the fire in Mr. Wayne Mullen¡¯s vi, but Joseph believed that Mr. Wayne Mullen beat and killed his mother and then deliberately set fire to destroy the evidence. ¡°The Min family protected Mr. Wayne Mullen so that the police did not pursue it any further. In the end, the police determined his moth died in an idental fire. ¡°Therefore, Joseph formed a vendetta against the Mullen family. He has been working hard to destroy Mr. Wayne Mullen for many years. ¡°But since Mr. ck¡¯s mother¡¯s death, Mr. Wayne Mullen had a sudden personality change and has be more cautious in his life and business. Besides, the Mullen family has been very protective of Mr. Wayne Mullen. So Joseph has not been able to do something to Mr. Wayne Mullen whether in secret or in the open.¡± Ashton¡¯s hatred for Joseph deepened when he thought of those things and his deceased parents. Jeff continued, ¡°So it¡¯s as clear as day that it was Mr. ck who had saved Ms. Shepherd back then¡­¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Ashton burst into rage for no reason and interrupted Jeff with a cold voice. Jeff immediately stopped talking, and Ashton hung up the phone. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. With the window opened, the biting cold wind wrapped in snow kes came at Ashton immediately. Ashton finally lit a cigarette, the fire between his fingers flickering in the cold wind. He thought of the dead Alyssa. Alyssa was killed by Ashton. If Deborah knew that Ashton was not the one who saved her back then, what would she do? Ashton suddenly dared not to think about it. He never ran from things since he was a child, but now he didn¡¯t want to face Deborah¡¯s choice after she learned everything. He took a long pull on her cigarette, and his throat was dry and sore. Ashton said in a deep voice to himself, ¡°Deborah, you will never know. Don¡¯t even think about it.¡± Ashton became unsure if he could handle this. In the afternoon, he bumped into Joseph, who came to visit his elder, in the corridor of the hospital. Ashton didn¡¯t think they should stay in the hospital any longer. So he insisted on bringing Deborah and Helen back to Flora Vi that night. Jeff bought the fabric and other things that Deborah needed. As soon as Deborah returned, she went to the bedroom to make new clothes for Alyssa. Helen hugged Ashton¡¯s arm affectionately and went in, whispering weakly all the time, ¡°Ashton, I¡¯m so tired and don¡¯t have any strength at all. Can you take me back to the bedroom to rest?¡± Deborah didn¡¯t even look at them. Ashton got angry after noticing that Deborah hadpletely treated him like air. After sending Helen back to the bedroom, he coaxed Helen and said that he needed to go to the study to review the documents so that he could leave. As soon as Ashton closed the door, he went into Deborah¡¯s room. Deborah was looking at the design drawing, holding the fabric, thinking of how to make the clothes. Suddenly, the footsteps behind her interrupted her train of thought, and she couldn¡¯t help frowning. Deborah didn¡¯t know when she started to dislike Ashton. When she saw him approaching, she felt he was in the way and annoying. As soon as she heard his self-righteous and unreasonable words, she became increasingly impatient, even if she pretended to cooperate. Ashton reac! this hand, closed the design drawing, and said, ¡°It¡¯ste. Let¡¯s go to sleep.¡± Deborah was subconsciously displeased. But thinking that she would see Alyssa in just half a month, she held back her anger and said nothing. But Ashton didn¡¯t mean they would go to sleep literally. Although he said it waste, he kept Deborah awake until early morning and still wished there would be more sex. Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Whose Baby Are You Carrying? Deborah looked at the sun up, and all she could think about was that it was another day closer to seeing Alyssa When Ashton lowered his head to kiss her, he saw her wandering eyes staring out the window, obviously not paying attention to him. He was a little dissatisfied and deliberately touched Deborah¡¯s lower abdomen. ¡°Go to the hospital for an examination tomorrow. It should be soon, right?¡± said he. It took Deborah a long time toe back to her senses. She responded, ¡°If I¡¯m pregnant, you should fulfil your promise and let me see Alyssa and then send Alyssa away.¡± Ashton¡¯s face froze for a moment. He forgot about it. All he wanted was for Deborah to get pregnant so that she could have an attachment quickly. But Ashton forgot he had promised to let Deborah see Alyssa and send Alyssa away if she was pregnant. But now, how could she see Alyssa? Deborah said with a vignt look, ¡°You won¡¯t want to go back on your word again, will you?¡± Ashton looked unnatural and replied, ¡°I always keep my word. It¡¯s just a matter of whether you can get pregnant early.¡± Deborah didn¡¯t respond any more and turned her back to him to sleep.. However, Ashton felt uneasy. Tossing and turning, he couldn¡¯t fall asleep. So he got up, left the bedroom, and called Nina, who was sleeping downstairs. ¡°Bring a cup of warm water and put a birth control pill in it.¡± Nina soon brought the warm water up. The pills in the ss had already melted, so it was impossible to see what had been put in the water. Ashton took the ss and went back to the bedroom. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. As soon as he closed the bedroom door, Nina immediately went to Helen¡¯s room and told her the news triumphantly. Helen was in a bad mood. But the news swept away her unhappiness, and she burst intoughter. ¡°I just knew it. Ashton didn¡¯t intend to let her have a baby at all.¡± Ashton returned to the bedroom, walked to the bed, and woke Deborah up. ¡°Drink the water.¡± Deborah fell into a drowsy sleep, so she took the ss, drank water, and continued to sleep without saying anything. The next few days were very peaceful until January 11th. Deborah finally finished Alyssa¡¯s new clothes that day. She was desperate to see Alyssa and let her try on the clothes. When D h supposed it was the right time, she quietly called Rodger, ¡°Dr. Denard, can you fake a pregnancy test for me?¡± Rodger was delighted to hear that. ¡°Do you want a positive test or negative one?¡± Deborah responded, ¡°The positive one. Don¡¯t worry. If someone finds out, I will say that I edited and printed it out myself.¡± Rodger was not afraid of being discovered, but he was interested in deceiving Ashton. It was the first time Deborah had asked him to do this kind of thing. He agreed immediately without asking more. ¡°No problem. Tell me in advance when youe over.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± said Deborah. Then, she hung up the phone, changed her clothes, and went out Ashton had been waiting outside. He still took Deborah to the hospital for a check-up every few days. And today was the check-up day. Seeing Deborahe out, he asked, ¡°Why did it take so long to change clothes?¡± Deborah said with a calm face, ¡°If you¡¯re womed that I¡¯m doing something inside, you can always watch me from now on.¡± Ashton was at a loss for words, feeling he was too suspicious, so he stopped talking. Deborah specifically asked to go to Rodger¡¯s hospital, and Ashton naturally had no objection. Ashton took Deborah to see the doctor now and then just to prevent Deborah from bing suspicious. But Ashton knew very well that Deborah couldn¡¯t conceive. In the past half a month, every time they had sex, he gave Deborah a ss of warm water containing the melted birth control pill. After arriving at the hospital, Rodger came to receive them in person. After Deborah drew blood, Rodger enthusiastically asked Deborah to go to his office to wait for the results as usual. But he still turned a blind eye to Ashton, treating him as air. Displeased, Ashton followed Deborah into the office. Rodger asked Deborah, ¡°Is Alyssaing out of the sterile room soon? It¡¯s not easy for her.¡± Deborah responded, ¡°Yeah. The doctor said that she would stay for a full month. I can pick her up on January 15th.¡± Rodger sat opposite Deborah with a caring face. ¡°Good. You can rest assured. You don¡¯t look well. Have you taken a physical exam? You should take care of yourself * Ashton sat aside, pricking up his ears and waiting for Deborah¡¯s answer. In the box at Mauve Club before, when he disabled Zayne¡¯s hand, he saw Deborah vomit blood with his own eyes. After going to the hospital, Deborah had an examination. But she didn¡¯t show him the result and said he didn¡¯t care anyway. Ashton was unhappy at that time, so he replied, ¡°Who cares?¡± Therefore, he didn¡¯t know Deborah¡¯s examination results until now Deborah responded, ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. I just caught a cold¡± Rodger obviously didn¡¯t believe it ¡®I don¡¯t think so I¡¯m not like someone blind. You don¡¯t look like you have a minor illness.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, a nurse came in with a pregnancy test. It was naturally a fake rest that Rodger had prepared in advance. The nurse didn¡¯t know the situation. As soon as she came in with the test, she smiled at Deborah and said, ¡°Congrattions. You are pregnant¡± Ashton was choked unexpectedly and coughed several times. The nurse gave him a strange look, handed the test to Deborah, and went out Debora. Lended to be surprised and took the test. She looked at it a few more times before handing it to Ashton. ¡°As you wish. Can you let me see Alyssa now?¡± The moment when Deborah handed the test, she saw that Ashton¡¯s face had changed. He looked at Deborah as if he was convinced she would harm him, his eyes full of anger. He didn¡¯t ept the test, so Deborah put it on the coffee table. She repeated what she just said, ¡°Ashton, don¡¯t y dumb. Can I go see Alyssa now?¡± Ashton took the test and suddenly tore it in half. ¡°Whose baby are you carrying?¡± Rodger didn¡¯t expect Ashton to say this. Although he had forged the test, he was sure that Ashton couldn¡¯t see the w Rodger was mad at Ashton for humiliating Deborah. So he raised the sleeves and wanted to beat him, ¡°Crap! Ashton, that¡¯s a terrible Chapter 52 W cor Baby thing to say!¡± With a livid face, Ashton grabbed Deborah and walked outside. He nced at Rodger with gloomy eyes and said, ¡°Rodger, you don¡¯t know about the full story, so stay out of it.¡± After Rodger chased them out, Ashton had dragged Deborah into the elevator and left. Deborah was still very calm. After thinking about it carefully, she didn¡¯t think Ashton would see any ws. Being dragged by Ashton to the parking lot and getting into the car, she sneered, ¡°Ashton, what do you mean? I have been under your nose all this time. What do you doubt?¡± Ashton¡¯s face clouded with anger. But he couldn¡¯t tell Deborah he had been secretly giving her birth control pills for the past month. He was silent for a long time before saying. Your period was just over before New Year¡¯s Day, and it¡¯s only been more than ten days. Can pregnancy be tested so quickly?¡± Since Deborah intended to act, she was well-prepared. She responded without any hesitation, ¡°Is it strange that the pregnancy was tested after more than ten days of sex? The fastest way of getting the result of the pregnancy test is to test the blood, and the pregnancy can be tested after seven days of the sex. ¡°The test is before your eyes. Do you think I wrote it?¡± Ashton couldn¡¯t find a suitable rebuttal, so he angrily ordered the driver, ¡°Okay. Your daughter stays in Richmond Hospital. ¡°Go there now. I will let you see her as long as you check there if you are pregnant before seeing her. ¡± He looked at Deborah and said, ¡°It¡¯s a simple request. I¡¯m not making thing hard on you, am I?¡± Deborah concealed her guilty conscience and replied after a while, ¡°Then I want to see Alyssa and then go for a check-up. I¡¯m not making this hard on you either, right?¡± Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Killed Alyssa Ashton insisted coldly. Deborah don¡¯t bargain with me if you want to see your daughter, just do what I The driver drove directly to Richmond Hospital Deborah¡¯s palma broke out a light sheen of sweat secretly She still tried to stay calm, without panic heard in her voice ¡°Are you so distrustful of me? Why do you think that with my ability, I could get a fake pregnancy test in the hospital?¡± Ashton just repeated, ¡°Go to the hospital for a double check ¡® Debarah refused without thinking. ¡°No Just tell me if you don¡¯t want the child Ashton stared sideways at her for a while and sneered ¡°Deborah, do you think I don¡¯t know you for so many years? If you were really pregnant, would you be so evasive about a re-examination? It¡¯s no big deal. You will be able to see your daughter after that.¡± Deborah¡¯s face froze for a moment, and Ashton turned cold, ¡°Yeah. You couldn¡¯t get a fake test with your ability. Besides pretending to be pitiful and asking Rodger for help, how else could you get it?¡± Deborah growled, ¡°Ashton, how dare you!¡± Ashton said in a muffled voice, ¡°Okay, then go for a double check now. I promise you to let you take Alyssa away immediately if you are pregnant. But if you are not, don¡¯t me for doing something to your daughter¡± Deborah fell silent, and Ashton said angrily. ¡°Are you that lonely to show off your ability to seduce people?¡± There was nothing Deborah could do now She couldn¡¯t deceive Ashton She was really disturbed and always had a bad premonition. Alyssa hadn¡¯t seen Alyssa for many days and always had nightmares about horrible things. The worst was that she dreamed that Alyssa was dead, and before she died, she cried out ¡°Mom¡± in fear and asked Deborah to save her. Seized with anger, Ashton said, ¡°Do you want to go for a double check?¡± Deborah grasped her palms tightly, but in the end, shepromised. ¡°I¡¯m really worried about Alyssa. I will conceive the child as soon as possible. Will you let me take a look at Alyssa? I¡¯ll just take a look and won¡¯t do anything¡± Ashton growled, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. Jeff, go back to Flora Vi!¡± All the way back, no matter what Deborah said or begged him, Ashton never replied a word. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Deborah had no other choice. After returning to Flora Vi, she stayed in the bedroom and stared at the new clothes for Alyssa in a daze. She felt na and vomited again. The bloody vomit was washed into the sewer by the water silently. Due to liver cancer, nausea and vomiting usually happened to Deborah. She had lost so much weight after a short time. However, because the disease caused edema all over her body, others couldn¡¯t see she had lost a lot of weight. Her limbs were especially a little ederna and even looked a bit fat. Deborah couldn¡¯t eat much at all. It was not entirely because of her poor appetite, but she felt full after eating a little. Shey prone on the sink. Looking at the pale and swollen face in the mirror after vomiting, she smiled with self-mockery. Deborah had lost all her strength after vomiting. She felt worse and worse about her body, and her desire to see Alyssa grew stronger. The bedroom was so stuffy that she couldn¡¯t breathe. After rinsing her mouth, Deborah left the bedroom, thinking that she must tell Ashton that she had to see Alyssa She went out of the bedroom, assuming that Ashton should be working in the study as he always did at this time. As soon as she arrived at the study, the door just opened. Deborah saw Helen out with a sneaky expression holding a document or something Deborah¡¯s sudden appearance startled Helen, and all the documents in her hand fell to the ground. Deborah nced down and saw a fewrge characters, some of which stood out and said Runte Group Even for a top domesticmercial group like the Mullen Group, cooperation with Runte Group was significant And all the information and materials involved would be kept as group secrets and strictly prevented from being leaked. Helen¡¯s face was pale, and she hurriedly picked up the scattered papers, her hands shaking. Never had Deborah seen Helen in such embarrassment. Deborah chuckled and said, ¡°Are you stealing?¡± Ashton probably would never have guessed that the woman he cherished was a thief, like a If the international cooperation between the Mullen Group and Runte Group went wrong because of Ashton, even Ashton, the president of the group, would be in great trouble. As soon as Deborah finished speaking, footsteps wereing from the corner of the corridor, and the sound was getting closer. Deborah turned around and was about to leave. She didn¡¯t want to get herself tangled up. At the corner, she ran into Ashton, who was walking towards her with a straight face. Deborah walked around him and wanted to leave, but he grabbed her wrist. Ashton was just on his way to thepany when he suddenly remembered that he had left important documents on the desk and forgot to lock them, so he turned back. Ashton said in a bad tone, ¡°How did youe from there?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he noticed Helen, who was squatting outside his study door, picking up documents with an obvious panicked expression. Ashton narrowed his eyes and strode up to Helen regardless of what Deborah answered. He didn¡¯t squat down to help her. Instead, he said in an unprecedented cold and alienated tone, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Ashton always softly called her Helen, but now, he asked her bluntly. It couldn¡¯t be more obvious that he was boiling with rage and even got mad at Helen. Ashton Hlways separated his professional life from his personal life. Simrly, he had always clearly divided the people he private life from those he contacted in business contact He wouldn¡¯t allow people in private life, such as Helen, Deborah, and Flora Vi¡¯s nannies and servants, to get involved in his work. Simrly, people at work, such as secretaries, assistants, and other subordinates, would never meddle in his private affairs. If there must be aparison between the two, his work was far more important than private affairs. It meant that if Helen had any inappropriate idea about his business, he would not let her go. In particr, the documents picked up by Helen now were about Runte Group¡¯s information, and they were confidential. Helen was so flustered when picking up the documents that she didn¡¯t even notice Ashton approaching her. His sudden voice shocked Helen. She screamed in fright and suddenly looked up at Ashton. Ashton¡¯s expression was indifferent, and he asked coldly. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Helen stood up with a pale face, not knowing how to deal with the documents in her hands. When Deborah, who was not far away, was about to leave, Helen took a deep breath and said tremblingly, ¡°It was Debby. She got¡­ the documents messed up. I came here to look for you and saw here out¡­¡± Ashton didn¡¯t respond, and Helen calmed down a bit slowly, ¡°As soon as I came over, I saw Debby ¡°Debby might have identally dropped the documents. She just left, so I picked them up.¡± Ashton turned around and looked at Deborah with cold eyes, ¡°Is that so?¡± Deborah couldn¡¯t helpughing, ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll exin such boring things again and again?¡± Ashton approached her in a few steps and pulled Deborah to his side. ¡°You have no choice but to exin clearly now.¡± Deborah looked at him as if looking at a fool. ¡°Aren¡¯t the study your most precious? Don¡¯t you see the two cameras at the door? You should look at the surveince instead of talking bullshit with me here.¡± Ashton was in such a fury that he forgot there was surveince. He was about to call someone when Helen burst into tears and said, ¡°Debby, I know I killed Alyssa and made you hate me. But Debby¡­¡± Ashton¡¯s mind seemed to explode instantly, and he suddenly turned around and stopped Helen, ¡°Enough!¡± Deborah¡¯s face suddenly changed. ¡°What did you say?¡± Chapter 54 Chapter 54 Chapter 54 A p Deborah seemed to have lost her soul and approached Helen. ¡°Are you kidding? I won¡¯t believe you.¡± Alyssa wouldn¡¯t die. She had already received the bone marrow transnt. She had a healthy body and a bright future. She stayed in the sterile room now. The doctor said that even her family were not allowed to visit her. Ashton was going to use Alyssa to force Deborah to have a baby, so Alyssa would be safe, and Helen couldn¡¯t hurt her. Seeing that Helen stopped talking, Deborah said in a dazed voice, ¡°Why don¡¯t you continue?. You got nothing to make up, right? Your, Alyssa is alive.¡± Seeing that Deborah was about to approach Helen, Ashton stretched out his hand to stop her in a panic. ¡°Deborah, Helen is talking nonsense. Don¡¯t be like this.¡± Deborah¡¯s eyes turned red suddenly, and she pushed Ashton¡¯s hand away with great excitement. ¡°I want to see Alyssa Ashton, I want to see Alyssa, and I must see her now!¡± Ashton hugged her in a hurry, ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯ll take you to see her in a while. ¡°Listen to me. Alyssa has had her bone marrow reced, and she is fine. I sent her abroad to recuperate. You will see herter¡­¡± Deborah went crazy. She pushed him away suddenly and shouted hysterically, ¡°I want to see Alyssa! I¡¯m going to see Alyssa now! Ashton, you bastard! Get out!¡± She quickly lost control of her emotions and struggled, causing her hair toe down. Tears and cold sweat mixed with the messy hair stuck to her face, making her look like aplete lunatic. Helen cried loudly, ¡°Ashton, stop hiding it from Debby. How could Debby not know the truth? She¡¯s Alyssa¡¯s mother. She must have sensed it a long time ago. I will expiate my crime. Let me die!¡± Ashton¡¯s mind was about to explode, and he only felt Helen was extremely noisy. Deborah became a little out of breath. She screamed to see Alyssa, but Ashton stopped her fiercely. She crazily beat him and bit on. his arm. Helen still shouted, stirring fire in Ashton¡¯s heart for some reason. He couldn¡¯t hold his anger back, Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. stepped forward, and pped Helen¡¯s face. ¡°I said it was enough. Shut up!¡± It was the first time Ashton had beaten Helen. She didn¡¯te to her senses for a long time. She suddenly stopped talking and froze, dumbfounded. Nina rushed over and was about to fan the me. But as soon as she came and saw them, she immediately stopped, not daring to say anything. Deborah couldn¡¯t be intimidated by Ashton anymore. Without Ashton¡¯s obstruction, she rushed downstairs in a frenzy. Ashton just , .. Helen in the face. But he immediately turned around and chased Deborah out upon seeing her running. downstairs, regardless of Helen¡¯s reaction. Deborah stumbled downstairs. When she reached the stairs, Ashton caught up and grabbed her wrist. For the first time, he spoke to Deborah in a gentle and guilty voice, ¡°Debby, don¡¯t be like this. We will have our own children and live a happy life. ¡°Let the past be the past, and I won¡¯t pursue the matter that you plotted against me back then¡­¡± ¡°Bullshit! Alyssa is still in the hospital. I¡¯m going to find her!¡± Deborah pushed him with a pale face. Unable to push him away, she bit hard on his palm. Ashton let go of his hand in pain. He was about to grab Deborah with the other hand when she took a few steps back and went downsta After taking a few steps back, she turned around and saw a long staircase extending down The stairs before Deborah¡¯s eyes suddenly became white, like an endless maze, beginning to spin and shake She took a step forward, missed a step, and fell down Ashton hutted over. When he stretched out his hand to pull her, he only touched her fingertips and could only watch her quickly roll down the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs, Deborah¡¯s face turned pale, and she fell into aa¡­. When she woke up, she found herself in the hospital. There was dead silence all around, and it was already dark outside the window. Alyssa woulde out of the sterile room in three days. The new clothes Deborah made for her were still in Flora Vi¡¯s bedroom. A sharp pain of suffocation came from Deborah¡¯s heart. She grabbed the edge of the bed, and her nails snapped off, suffering excruciating pain. She opened her mouth but couldn¡¯t make a sound. The strong taste of blood filled her throat. Although she was in pain to the core, she didn¡¯t even shed a tear. Deborah¡¯s body seemed dried up, frozen, dead. Outside the door of the ward, there seemed to be a very vague voice. Deborah got out of bed. She was still on a drip but pulled out the needle without hesitation. The back of her hand began to bleed. The pain was nothing to her because she couldn¡¯t feel it at all now. She walked to the door and could vaguely hear the voice outside. It was Ashton talking to Jeff. Jeff said with regret, ¡°After the car fell off the cliff, it caught fire due to the violent impact. Alyssa¡¯s body was burnt beyond recognition, and there was only a lucky charm that was burned ck. ¡°The body is still frozen in the funeral parlor. Do you think it should be cremated so that Alyssa can be put to rest early, or let Ms. Shepherd take ast look?¡± Ashton said in a tired tone, ¡®Let¡¯s talk about the cremationter. What about Helen? What did the police say?¡± Jeff replied, ¡°You have already provided Ms. Bauer¡¯s mental illness diagnosis report. The police said that on the day of the incident, Ms. Bauer was delirious and drove Alyssa to the edge of the cliff. ¡°Later, you rescued Ms. Bauer, causing the car to fall off the cliff with Alyssa. It was considered an ident. In view of Ms. Bauer¡¯s mental illness, the police will not pursue her further.¡± Exhausted, Deborah slowly squatted down along the wall. Huge anger. ind unwillingness made her body tremble silently yet rapidly. Ashton answered the phone, then told Jeff, ¡°I have to go back to Mullen Manor. You stay here, and I will Soon, there was silence outside the door. Deborah squatted on the ground, unable to stand up anymore, her body shaking all the time. As soon as Ashton left, Helen couldn¡¯t wait toe over. She had been choking back her anger after being pped by Ashton. So she hurried to see how miserable Deborah was so that she could feel better. Immediately stopped her, ¡°Ms. Bauer, you can¡¯t go in.¡± The palm print on Helen¡¯s face was still a little obvious. She said, ¡°I just came here to apologize to Debby Jeff, Alyssa is gone, and I Just want to apologize. Doesn¡¯t that sound reasonable?¡± Jeff replied with a disgusted look, ¡°Ms. Bauer, I stopped you for your own good. You should understand that you can¡¯t take advantage of Ms. Shepherd.¡± Soaked in anger and sadness, Deborah was hopeless and didn¡¯t care about life or death. She no longer had scruples, weaknesses, and fear. Helen should be smart and hide as far away as possible now. Helen said impatiently, Jeff, Ashton asked me toe to apologize. I think Ashton only wants you to stay here and make sure nothing happens to Debby. He didn¡¯t say I can¡¯t enter, did he?¡± Jeff responded truthfully, ¡°No, but Ms. Bauer¡­¡± Helen opened the door and went in without saying any more. a As soon as she went in, she closed the door. She saw Deborah sitting on the ground desperately, with a hollow and hopeless expression. Helen was very satisfied to see that. She couldn¡¯t help squatting down in front of her, and whispered in her ear. ¡°I have warned you to get out with your daughter and not to mess with me. Look now. Aren¡¯t you bringing you and your daughter trouble on yourself?¡± Deborah was rubbing the de of a sharp fruit knife in the hand behind her back. She couldn¡¯t let Alyssa die alone, so she nned to use this knife tomit suicide so that she could apany Alyssa. But now, she suddenly changed her mind. Deborah whispered, ¡°I¡¯m telling you¡­¡± Helen got closer with a triumphant face, ¡°What?¡± 8$ We Are Even Chapter 55 Chapter 55 smile on Deborah¡¯s face, she slowly pressed the knife against Helen¡¯s neck. wounded Helen¡¯s neck up like a cold poisonous snake, suddenly giving her willies. Deborah¡¯s eyes were like stagnant water that could no longer stir up ripples. She smiled softly and said, ¡°I¡¯m saying you are asking for death Helen¡¯s whole body froze, and she quickly remembered that Deborah had put a knife on her neck like this not long ago Afterwards, Ashton got angry, picked up Alyssa, and threw her into the deep water. Deborah dropped the knife in horror when Alyssa was about to drown and suffocate. The fright on Helen¡¯s face quickly turned into disdain. ¡°Do you dare to kill me? Don¡¯t forget that Ashton has your daughter¡¯s body. If you dare to hurt me, Ashton will definitely crush your daughter¡¯s body to ashes. ¡°And your mother is still alive. My dear sister, don¡¯t you remember?¡± As soon as Deborah exerted force, the de immediately pierced Helen¡¯s neck, quickly opening a hideous wound, and blood flowed down immediately. Helen couldn¡¯t help but scream. The knife stabbed into her neck, and Deborah yelled, ¡°Stand up!¡± Outside the door, Jeff heard something was wrong. He immediately knocked open the door and saw Deborah standing behind Helen, with red eyes holding Helen hostage with a knife. Jeff had seen desperadoes before. He knew the irrational and desperate killing intent couldn¡¯t be disguised or hidden. Deborah wanted to kill Helen. She was determined and wouldn¡¯t care about any consequences. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Jeff took a deep breath and secretly scolded Helen as an ¡°idiot¡± in his heart. But he could only try his best to persuade, ¡°Ms. Shepherd, please calm down. The police will definitely give you a reasonable exnation for your daughter¡¯s matter. You will die for it, and it¡¯s not worth it.¡± Deborah looked crazy and said in a deep voice, ¡°Jeff, get out, or I will kill her right here.¡± Would the police give her a reasonable exnation? No. Deborah would never believe it again. Helen said in a trembling voice, ¡°Jeff, hurry up and call Ashton!¡± Jeff was hesitant for a while. The knife in Deborah¡¯s hand stabbed harder at Helen¡¯s neck. Jeff didn¡¯t have time to think about it. He stepped sideways and got out of the way. Deborah carried Helen to the end of the corridor and then took the stairs to the hospital¡¯s rooftop. Jeff, along with Ashton¡¯s bodyguards, followed closely behind. When Jeff followe. ie rooftop, he quickly called Ashton. Ashton hadn¡¯t left the hospital at this time. He had just arrived at the parking lot and answered a phone call, which dyed him for al while. When he hung up and was about to leave, Jeff called and said Deborah had taken Helen hostage and gone to the rooftop. It didn¡¯t take a few minutes for Ashton toe up with a livid face. Deborah had already held Helen hostage and walked to the edge of the rooftop. At the height of the fifth floor, Deborah tilted her head and looked down. In the gray sky of the evening, she couldn¡¯t see the bottom at a nce. Deborah thought of Alyan who fell from the cliff How did it feel to fall from such a high ce? She couldn¡¯t want to t At this moment. Deborah was no longer an anxioun trated the cald showly, Yalian, Alyssa is gone. You don¡¯t really and uselessse can threaten me do you?¡± Aik that a cold. Helen was forced to stand on the edge of the root if she slipped a fria bit and want a little father to the zida, she would lose her Tooting Her legs were trembling wildly, and her voice was weak in the cold wind. Don¡¯t forget your mother is 101l alive ¡°Mother? Deborahughed ¡°But my mother doesn¡¯t care about my life. She¡¯s not Mrs. Bauer who adores and cherishes you ¡°My mother bought me a huge amount of ident insurance every year since I was a child. She is probably the person who most wishes me to die ¡® Helen¡¯s voice was so trembling that she couldn¡¯t hear clearly ¡°She can¡¯t get insurancepensation for a non-idental death¡± Deborah¡¯sst patience was exhausted, and her voice was cold and empty Tm going to apany Alyssa I don¡¯t care who will die!¡± With a sudden push Helen¡¯s upper body hung in the air. She tightly gripped Deborah¡¯s arm and screamed with a pale face, sweat pouring down her forehead Ashton, who came up, said with a cold expression, ¡°Deborah, I will give you an exnation about Alyssa Stop that Deborahughed sadly. ¡°Exnation? Ashton, then go to hell and exin to Alyssa Ashton had never seen Deborah go crazy like this. He suddenly scared and said, ¡°Deborah, you still need to bury Alyssa properly. You have a bright future. She has gone, and you should stay positive Deborah looked at him, who she had loved deeply for ten years and who had saved her life from the bottom of the mountain. Deborah, pale as death, said, ¡°Ashton, you killed the person I care about the most, and I will let the woman you love the most pay. We will be even.¡± She pushed Helen violently, and Helen grabbed her arm tightly. Deborah didn¡¯t try to free the hand but fell down with Helen. ¡°Ashton, you saved me, and now I will give you my life back,¡± Deborah said to herself. Helen¡¯s horrified and desperate screams were quickly drowned in the howling cold wind in the evening. Ashton¡¯s face suddenly turned pale, and he rushed over like crazy. ¡°No! Deborah felt that she was relieved. After ten years of entanglement and years of marriage, she and Alyssa were finally freed. Her body flo own from the roof. With the wind blowing. Helen couldn¡¯t use any more strength, letting go of the hand holding onto Deborah¡¯s arm tightly. Her body fell rapidly, dissipating into the gray mist. It was the first time for Deborah to experience such a feeling. She was delighted but extremely calm. She fell down the roof, waiting for death peacefully, until the moment when she saw Alyssa. But when Deborah¡¯s body just fell off the roof, someone suddenly grabbed her arm. She was stunned momentarily. Deborah struggled to raise her head and saw Ashton with a ferocious expression, lying on the edge of the roof, tightly grabbing her arm, Char fell, but Ashtoni grabbed Deborah. abbed Deborah¡¯s hand, the veins on his arm popping out. He gritted his teeth and said hysterically. ¡°Deborah, I will skin you and rimp you. I¡¯ll make your life a living hell for Helen¡¯s death!¡± Hanging in the sky on the fifth floor. Deborah even seemed to start to hear the sounds of ambnces and police cars below, as well deafening and unusually noisy screams discussions, and cries Her calm and gentle eyes quickly turned scarlet again the moment she realized that Ashton was holding her back. Still holding the knife that held Helen hostage, Deborah yelled, ¡°Let go!¡± Ashton clenched his teeth and pulled her desperately. Behind him, Jeff and a few bodyguards rushed up, trying to help. Deborah frantically stabbed the knife into the back of Ashton¡¯s hand, keeping stabbing hard ¡°Let go! Let me go!¡± The bodyguards stepped forward to help. Ashton¡¯s hands were bleeding, and the back of his hands became bloody. Probably Helen, who fell, made himpletely lose his mind and couldn¡¯t feel the pain anymore. With a sudden force on his bloody hand, he pulled Deborah up and then mmed her to the ground. Without saying anything, he stumbled away from the rooftop with a dazed expression and rushed downstairs. Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Double Leg Amputation Ashton had no idea how he stumbled and fell from the fifth floor rooftop to the outside of the first floor. The scene reyed in his mind, when he rushed to the edge of the rooftop, he only managed to grab Deborah¡¯s hand, while Helen, pushed by Deborah, left him with a blurry figure rapidly falling down Helen died. In her final moment of life, Ashton saved Deborah but watched her fall to her death. Ashton would never forget that Helen had once risked her life to save him and had been the only one by his side during the darkest and most difficult years of his life. He felt both guilty and grateful towards Helen. As he ran down to the ground floor, he thought that if Helen had truly died, he would make Deborah suffer a thousand times more than death. When Ashton arrived at the lobby, Helen had already been lifted onto a stretcher and was being brought towards him by medical staff. Her face and body were covered in blood, and her left leg was bent at an unusual angle. Ashton¡¯s heart was in knots as he hurried over, his voice full of regret and guilt, ¡®How¡­ how is she? What¡¯s her condition?¡± One of the medical staff recognized him and replied urgently, ¡®Mr. Mullen, the patient is still experiencing weak breathing. We won¡¯t have more specific information until we get her to the emergency room.¡± A fall from the fifth-floor height would have been fatal if she hadnded on her head. As it was, she was lucky to have survived the fall, but her chances of recovery were slim. Her legs were severely injured, with fractures and breaks, and her internal organs were heavily shaken, possibly causing internal bleeding. Ashton¡¯s face was pale as he followed the doctor to the emergency room, saying, ¡°Do whatever it takes to save her. If there¡¯s anything I can do, please don¡¯t hesitate to ask.¡± Helen spent a whole night in the emergency room and was then transferred to the intensive care unit. She remained unconscious for almost half a month. Ashton stayed by her side constantly, even forgetting to confront Deborah. He didn¡¯t even ask where Deborah was for the entire half month. Jeff felt that something was wrong with Deborah¡¯s condition and had a hunch that something bad was going to happen. He took matters into his own hands and arranged for several maids to watch over her day and night. Deborah was trapped in the hospital room and had only spoken two sentences in over ten days. On the day Helen had the ident, the police came to find Jeff to learn about the situation. She spoke up and said, ¡°Officer, I confess. I killed someone, and I admit to all my crimes The police lo Jeff and she said, ¡°Can you arrest me and sentence me to death?¡± After that, the police left, and she never spoke again. She didn¡¯t drink or eat anything and when forced to, she vomited it all out. She was like an empty shell of a person. Jeff had no idea what to do, and he didn¡¯t dare to talk to Ashton about it. Ashton was already angry, and if Jeff mentioned Deborah, he might even kill her himself. In the end, Deborah began to dehydrate, and Jeff could only ask the doctors to give her sedatives and nutrient injections every day She hung on like this for half a month, until Helen woke up in the intensive care unit. In that half month, Deborah lost ten pounds Her face was so then that she looked unrecognizable. She stared at the bare branches outside the window day and night, unable to sleep Even the doctors said they had never seen anyone lose weight so quickly On the day that Helen woke up, it was an unusually sunny day. Spring had already amved, and the weather in early March had a hint of warmth. Ashton¡¯s gloom was swept away as he pulled open the curtains in Helen¡¯s hospital room, letting the sunlight shine in. He sat down next to her again and asked gently, ¡®Do you still feel any difort anywhere? Is there anything you¡¯d like to eat?¡± Heleny in bed with a thick haze in her eyes and asked, ¡°Ashton, am I already dead?¡± Ashton felt a lump in his throat and grew uneasy. ¡°Helen, it¡¯s all my fault for being careless and giving Deborah the opportunity to hurt you like that. You barely survived this time, and I won¡¯t let you suffer any more in the future.¡± Tears streamed down Helen¡¯s face like a broken faucet. ¡°I told Debby that I didn¡¯t mean to kill Alyssa, but she doesn¡¯t believe me. Shell never forgive me.¡± As he saw her crying and gasping for air, Ashton patted her back and said, ¡°Calm down, rest well, and don¡¯t think about those things anymore.¡± But before he could finish his sentence, Helen suddenly let out an excruciating groan. ¡°My foot hurts so much! It¡¯s so ufortable, why is it so painful?¡± This time it wasn¡¯t an act. As her consciousness and perception slowly returned, she began to feel intense pain in her thighs and knees. It was as if someone was hitting her bones with a heavy object and a knife was stirring inside her bones and flesh. Ashton¡¯s face darkened, and he immediately pressed the button to call the doctor. ¡°Is it very painful? Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. The doctor will be here soon.¡± Helen¡¯s forehead was covered in cold sweat and her face was as pale as paper. She gripped the edge of the bed in excruciating pain. The attending physician quickly rushed in with several medical staff and gave Helen a hasty examination before injecting her with painkillers and sedatives. Helen¡¯s sharp cries gradually subsided as she fell into another deep sleep. The attending physician¡¯s expression was very serious, and Ashton immediately had a bad feeling. Sure enough, the attending physician got straight to the point, ¡°Mr. Mullen, based on Ms. Bauer¡¯s current condition, we can only amputate both legs.¡± Ashton¡¯s face stiffened for a moment, and he quickly objected, ¡°No, Helenes from a dance background and she still runs her own dance studio. Her legs cannot have problems, and amputation is out of the question.¡± The attending physician looked helpless, ¡°I understand what you mean. Half a month ago, when Ms. Bauer had just had the ident, you said ne thing. ¡°But after half a month of treatment, Ms. Bauer¡¯s legs not only did not improve, but her condition has also clearly worsened.¡± Ashton¡¯s face looked grim, and he did not speak again. The doctor sighed, ¡°There are currently multipleplications, muscle atrophy, stubborn and severe pain. If this continues, it will be unbearable for her. ¡°Her legs are definitely not salvageable. If we don¡¯t amputate, theminuted fractures and bone fractures that have already urred, along with the trend of further inmmation and infection, will most likely lead to paraplegia and bedridden.¡± face Sightened, and it took him a long time to speak again Without her legt herter life will be nained The doctor ward in a deep voice. Tven if we don¡¯t amputate, given Ms. Baar¡¯s curent condition, her legs won¡¯t be able to wal nymore. As for dancing it¡¯s even lett possible Amputating the legs that here already test their ability to walk can at least avoid more serious consequences even including death¡± Helen, who had been lying in bed, woke up at some point She suddenly opened her eyes with a look of fear and despar ¡°No I don¡¯t want to have my legs amputated I would rather die than be a half body monster. Eving like then in the world Ashton didn¡¯t realize she had woken up and was caught off guard He quickly went over tofort her, saying ¡°Halen, calm down.¡± ma But the interpted him, No I don¡¯t want to have my legs amputated? Why won¡¯t you let me die? Let me dier Har emotions werepletely out of control. She pushed and shoved Ashton desperately, crying until her face was covered in tears and anot The doctor had no choice but to give her a higher dose of sedatives Helen went crazy, crying and struggling, and then fell unconscious after the drugs were injected into her body Ashton¡¯s immense pity and quilt quickly turned into huge resentment. It was all Deborah¡¯s faulti Yes, it was all Deborah¡¯s fault! Helen was sleeping in the hospital bed, with doctors and servants watching over her Half a month had passed since the incident, and only now did Ashton remember Deborah Deborah almost killed Helen, and now she was the reason why Helen would have to have her legs amputated. But where was Deborah now? Was she still living a good life? Ashton stormed out of the hospital room in a fit of anger, asked Jeff for information, and went straight to Deborah¡¯s hospital room. When he entered, Deborah was sitting on the bed with a vacant expression Ashton took a few steps forward, his eyes bloodshot as he grabbed her neck tightly. ¡°Helen is going to lose her legs, why do you get to be here and be fine?¡± Deborah didn¡¯t react at all. Even as he choked her, she didn¡¯t even move her gaze It was as if she couldn¡¯t feel the pain or the suffocation. Ashton looked clo could it be Deborah? nd for a moment he thought he had the wrong person. This thin and monster-like figure in front of him, how He was stunned for a fnoment, his face taking on a strange expression. ¡°How did you be this ghostly figure? Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Chapter 57 A Bunch of Monkeys Deborah stared nkly out the window without responding, seeming as though she couldn¡¯t hear Ashton¡¯s words. Ashton¡¯s expression was fierce, as if he wanted to strangle Deborah, ¡®Helen has been in aa for half a month. When she woke up, she was told that she needed a double leg amputation. ¡°She¡¯s your sister, and she also exined what happened with Alyssa. She didn¡¯t mean to do it. Deborah, how could you be so cruel?¡± Deborah finally reacted and suddenly turned her gaze back to Ashton, her deep, dark eyes staring at him intensely. Ashton didn¡¯t know what was going on, but when their eyes met, he felt a strange and inexplicable sensation, and for a moment, he even felt a chill run down his back. Deborah asked him word by word, ¡°She¡¯s not dead?¡± Alyssa fell off a cliff and her body was burned beyond recognition. Helen jumped from the fifth floor, but she was not dead? Ashton was seething with anger and disgust. ¡°Deborah, are you disappointed? Helen is a kind-hearted andpassionate person. She survived this ordeal because of divine intervention¡­¡± Before he could finish, Deborah suddenly got up from the bed and rushed out of the room, barefoot and without even putting on her shoes, her eyes bloodshot and frenzied Ashton was stunned for a moment, but quickly realized what she was about to do. He immediately got up and caught up with her in just a few steps, grabbing her by the hand. ¡°Do you still want to harm Helen? Do you want to die?¡± Deborah pushed and shoved him with all her might, but Ashton held her tightly and dragged her back to the bedside, throwing her onto the bed Deborah, if you every a hand on Helen again, Ill make sure you regret it.¡± Deborah fell back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling without any reaction for a long time After a while. Deborah sat up and startedughing uncontrobly like a madwoman. ¡°She¡¯s still alive! Hahaha, she fell from the fifth floor and she¡¯s still alive! It¡¯s divine intervention, hahaha, divine intervention!¡± Ashton frowned, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Deborah didn¡¯t hear what he said, she just keptughing uncontrobly. Jeff couldn¡¯t bear to see it and couldn¡¯t help but tell Ashton, ¡°Mr. Mullen, Mrs. Mullen hasn¡¯t eaten or drunk anything for half a month. ¡°I¡¯ve been watching her, and I¡¯ve seen her vomit blood a few times. Her body and mind may have problems. Should we do a check-up for her?¡± Ashton interrupted him angrily. ¡°She can survive without eating or drinking for half a month? Jeff, I know you feel sorry for Deborah, but you should know that she¡¯s not worth pitying for wanting to harm Helen.¡±) Jeff sym, zed. ¡°Mrs. Mullen could only survive with nutritional injections, and the fact that she¡¯s been vomiting blood these past few days is true ¡°That¡¯s enough, I don¡¯t want to hear anymore. Keep an eye on her and don¡¯t let her see Helen again ¡°Ashton had no patience left and left the ward, mming the door behind him. Deborah¡¯sughter persisted for a long time, and she couldn¡¯t seem to stop. She had not shed a single tear until now. Finally, she had a reaction, but it was an uncontroble fit ofughter. Sheughed and reached for her phone that was thrown aside. Jelf couldn¡¯t help but advise her, ¡°Mrs. Mullen, Ms. Bauer is also going to have both legs amputated. Her life is ruined. For your own. good, maybe you should stop now.¡± Deborah didn¡¯t respond, her fingers sliding across the screen of her phone Jeff thought there were probably many photos of Alyssa on her phone that he didn¡¯t have the heart to look at, so he just stood by her side and watched her After a while, his own phone rang, and it was a call from Helen¡¯s mother, Kinsley Jeff¡¯s face showed unease. Since Helen fell from a high building half a month ago, the Bauer family didn¡¯t know about it This call now made him feel a little uneasy He hesitated for a moment but answered the phone. As soon as he answered, Kinsley¡¯s hoarse, weeping voice came through, Jeff, is what Deborah sent me true? My Helen, did something really happen to her?¡± Jeff¡¯s face darkened as he immediately looked over at Deborah on the bed. Deborah still held her phone in her hand, but now she wasn¡¯t staring at it. Instead, she lifted her head and smiled at him. At that moment, Jeff began to feel uneasy. He walked over to Deborah and snatched the phone out of her hand. The phone screen was still on the chat interface. He saw that Deborah had sent two photos and a voice message. One photo showed Deborah holding a knife and holding Helen hostage on the rooftop. She had taken a selfie with the two of them. The other photo showed Helen lying unconscious on a stretcher, covered in blood and being rushed by medical staff and Ashton to the emergency room. As for the voice message, Jeff clicked on it, and heard his own voice speaking. ¡°Mrs. Mullen, Ms. Bauer is now going to have both her legs amputated, and her life will be ruined. Please stop now for your own good.¡± The words Jeff had just said to Deborah had been recorded and sent to Kinsley by Deborah, who was ying with her phone. Over the past half month, Jeff had thought that Deborah waspletely devastated, that she had lost all her ability to think and reason and wouldn¡¯t do anything. But now he realized he was wrong. Kinsley¡¯s voice, filled with grief and sorrow, continued toe through the phone. Jeff opened his mouth, but didn¡¯t know how to exin. The photos and voice message sent by Deborah had already revealed everything. The call was abruptly ended. Less than half an hourter, Kinsley and Devon rushed to the hospital together. Kinsley¡¯s makeup was ruined by tears, her hair was disheveled, and her face was filled with agony. The two of them rushed straight to Helen¡¯s hospital room, where they saw a pale-faced Helen lying on the bed and Ashton outside the room discussing amputation treatment options with the doctor. Kinsley rushed into the room and copsed onto the floor. ¡°My Helen, she¡¯s my only treasure. If anyone dares to amputate her, they¡¯ll have to kill me first! Ah just kill me now!¡± Deborah stood near, the hallway, insistent on seeing what was going on. Jeff couldn¡¯t stop her, but he was afraid she would lose control and cause trouble, so he had to stay by her side. She watched Kinsley wailing at the door of the hospital room, listened to Helen¡¯s piercing criesing from inside the room, and saw Ashton at a loss for what to do. Sheughed uncontrobly, her eyes and eyebrows bending. Kinsley was emotionally out of control, ¡°No! I won¡¯t allow! My daughter can¡¯t have her limbs amputated! Deborah who pushed my daughter down and caused her to be like this! I¡¯m going to call the police now, Deborah must go and be shot!¡± ahton had a splitting headache and fried to persuade her in a gentle voice, ¡°Mrs. Bauer, please calm down, Helen¡­¡± y screamed and wailed, ¡°Don¡¯t switch the topic! I want Deborah to go to jail for attempted murder! Even if she doesn¡¯t get the death penalty, she should be sentenced to life in prison and sit there until she dies. ¡°Where are the police? Devon, you have to help our daughter and call the police!¡± Ashton rushed to help Kinsley, tofort Helen, and to apologize to Devon. Deborah¡¯sughter became so loud and uncontroble that she couldn¡¯t stand up straight. Perhaps herughter was too much to bear, and Ashton, who was busy and sweating profusely, finally noticed her. Jeff looked fearful and said in a deep voice, ¡°Mrs. Mullen, please stopughing, stopughing.¡± Deborah couldn¡¯t stop, holding her stomach and continuing tough, ¡°It¡¯s so funny. Jeff, why aren¡¯t you Ashton was furious, and he approached Deborah with a few steps, staring at her with a cold voice, ¡°Shut up.¡± Deborah pointed at him,ughing uncontrobly, ¡°I brought the monkeys here.¡± Ashton¡¯s expression grew even uglier, and he covered her mouth with his hand. ¡°I told you to shut up, stopughing!¡± Meanwhile, at the end of the hallway, a passing figure quickly turned back. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Joseph felt a sense of familiarity when he caught a glimpse of the person. When he turned back, he realized that they were his old acquaintances. He chuckled and said, ¡°Shawn, there¡¯s a circus performance at the hospital today. What a coincidence that I came!¡± The Unknown fore delighted to see Ashtoni Aiment. He had an appointment with a therapist scheduled for today hot he no longer Teh in a hash to go He pulled over a chan, crossed hes long legs, and leaned back to enjoy the show From where he was sitting he had a great view of Ashton¡¯s face and Deboratrs back he looked forward a bit, he could even see Kinsley throwing a tantrum and Devon looking sad it was like having a VIP seat Shawn, the butter, didn¡¯t want to cause any trouble and tried to persuade Joseph, Mr Mullen, your doctor is still waiting for you. You shouldn¡¯t get involved in these family matters.¡± But Joseph waspletely absorbed in what he was watching and didn¡¯t pay any attention to Shawn¡¯s words Seeing this, Shawn turned to Ben Evans, who hade along with them Ben Evans was also amused and immediately took out his phone, saying, ¡°It¡¯s no problem. Il send a message to his therapist and reschedule the appointment for an hourter.¡± Shawn was speechless. Meanwhile, not far away, Kinsley had gotten up from her tantrum and was running towards Deborah, shouting. ¡°You wicked woman! You caused Helen¡¯s death and now you dare toe here! I¡¯ll kill you now, even if it means risking my own life!¡± She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a fruit knife, holding it up and advancing towards Deborah Just as the knife was about to stab Deborah, Ashton stepped forward and stopped Kinsley, saying, ¡°Mrs. Bauer, please calm down. Helen¡¯s fall was an ident. It was my fault, not Deborah¡¯s ¡± Kinsley¡¯s fury escted as she eximed, ¡®Ashton, what are you even saying?! Deborah sent me photos as evidence, and she even confessed to it! ¡°Helen couldn¡¯t have identally fallen from the hospital rooftop. It¡¯s not like tripping on the sidewalk or falling from a low building Falling from the fifth floor rooftop couldn¡¯t have been a mere ident!¡± Ashton stood in front of Deborah, his cold gaze turning to Devon. I made it clear that Deborah didn¡¯t push Helen off the rooftop. I¡¯ll give you both an exnation.¡± Kinsley cried out sharply, ¡°Ashton, you¡¯ve disappointed me so much! Helen poured her heart and soul out to you for so many years. If it weren¡¯t for my daughter turning out like this, I wouldn¡¯t be causing a scene like this! ¡°But you know best what two legs meant to Helen. This time, I won¡¯t let it go. I want to see the surveince footage from the day of the incident at the hospital. No one can protect Deborah and hide her crime!¡± In front of the crowd¡¯s gaze, Ashton¡¯s expression became ugly. Jeff stepped forward to exin, ¡°At the time, Mrs. Mullen did indeed bring Ms. Bauer to the rooftop. But ¡°Later, Ms. Bauer lost control and cried, saying she was sorry to Mrs. Mullen, that she had hurt Alyssa, and then she jumped off the rooftop herself.¡± Kinsley screamed, ¡°That¡¯s impossible. Unless I see the surveince footage with my own eyes and see the entire process!¡± Jeff called the hospital director over, who spoke kindly, Mrs. Bauer, the situation on that day was indeed like that. I went to the rooftop at the ind witnessed the entire process. ¡°But because it was evening and the weather was bad, there was only one surveince camera on the rooftop, and it didn¡¯t capture the location of the incident. The other camera was already broken and wasn¡¯t repaired in time.¡± Kinsley looked unhinged as she eximed, ¡°I won¡¯t believe it. You¡¯re all helping Ashton lie to me! My daughter has been harmed like Chapter 58 Chapter 58 Chapter 58 The Unknown Face this. Her life is over. What¡¯s the difference between being alive or dead? wont believe it. I report it to the police and investigate it thoroughly I won¡¯t let Deborah go Ashton looked at her and his voice became enlder, ¡°Mrs Bauer, are you doubting me?¡± Devon felt uneasy, knowing he couldn¡¯t alter what had happened to Helen The Bauer family still had to carry on, so he stepped forward tofort Kinsley, ¡°Calm down, Ashton cares deeply about Helen and would not speak against her Since he has said it like this, the situation must be true¡± Kinsley¡¯s face was full of sorrow and anger. She looked incredulously at Devon, ¡°Even you are saying this, even you are not standing up for our daughter? ¡°Fine, ITI go to the police myself, Ill seek justice for my daughter! No one can make my daughter suffer such injustice, not even the Mullen family!¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Devon¡¯s face darkened and he pped her across the face ¡°That¡¯s enough. Aren¡¯t you embarrassed enough to make a scene in front of so many people? What distinguishes you, the dignified Mrs. Bauer, from an unreasonable shrew?¡± Kinsley was taken aback, and half of her face burned with pain. Her body trembled and she suddenly rushed towards the wall next to her and mmed into it fiercely. ¡°This is unfair, I might as well die with my daughter!¡± Devon struggled in his mind for a moment, but ultimately decided not to intervene. Kinsley had truly hit rock bottom. There was a loud ¡°bang¡± as her body fell to the ground, blood streaming down her forehead. Anothermotion quickly erupted in the hallway as medical staff pushed a stretcher carrying the unconscious Kinsley towards the emergency room. With a dark expression, Ashton dragged Deborah along with him as they hurried towards the emergency room. Deborah¡¯sughter didn¡¯t stop, and when she saw Kinsley attempt suicide and pass out, being rushed Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. to the emergency room, her Ashton gritted his teeth and spoke with an angry tone, ¡°Deborah, I told you to shut up.¡± Deborah wasughing so hard that she was gasping for breath. ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired, Ashton? You act like an executioner and then try to y the good guy. Why can¡¯t you just send me to jail, considering I almost killed Helen?¡± Ashton grabbed Deborah¡¯s arm and shook with anger. ¡°Jail is too easy for you, Deborah. I want you to spend the rest of your life making it up to Helen every day!¡± The sound of Helen¡¯s painful and helpless crying could be clearly heard from the hospital room. Deborah continued tough maniacally and said, ¡°Listen, you made Helen cry so much that she jumped off the roof, but you imed she did it on her own.¡± Ashton dragged Deborah as they walked towards Joseph. To get to th .rgency room, they had to pass by Joseph¡¯s side and then go to the other side of the hallway. Joseph only saw Deborah¡¯s face clearly at this point, with her intense and recklessughter Joseph was stunned for a moment, thinking he must have been mistaken At this point, her beloved daughter had died, and she had also been charged with attempted murder. He thought she would at least. cry, how could she still beughing? Chapte 23 ing he had only seen Deborah two or three times. The first time was at the Mauve Club, where he carried her away and spent Iwith her in a hotel room next moming she thought he had slept with her, and with a look of grief and resentment, she smashed something against him, The second time they met, he found her on a snowy, rainy street and took her back to his vi, where they spent another night together. Both times he saw her, she was crying, helpless and desperate. But now she wasughing, and he had never seen herugh before. She wasughing so joyfully that it seemed like Alyssa wasn¡¯t the one who had died, but rather it was Ashton and Helen. Joseph was captivated by the spectacle before him and found himself momentarily distracted when he nced at Deborah. Recently, Joseph had been gued by nightmares in which his mother was burned to a ckened crisp Sometimes, he dreamed of a young, innocent face that would follow him,ughing. But whenever he turned around, the face would change into that of a stranger. He didn¡¯t recognize this person from his memories As Deborah passed by him,ughing. Joseph felt the unknown face and Deborah¡¯s smiling face merge together. Without thinking, he reached out and grabbed her arm in front of everyone in the corridor. Ashton was infuriated, thinking that Joseph was enjoying the drama, but he was taken aback when Joseph touched Deborah. His face turned ck with rage as he eximed, ¡°Let go of her arm!¡± The Smell of Blood Joseph was briefly distracted, but quickly regained hisposure and let go of Deborah¡¯s hand Ashton was still ring at him with anger, and Joseph felt like his recent hostility and suspicion towards him had only increased. But he knew he couldn¡¯t apologize or exin himself He chuckled and said. ¡°We¡¯ve already slept together, what¡¯s wring with touching her army?¡± Ashton was sessfully provoked and lost control, forgetting about Kinsley who was being taken to the emergency room. He reached out to grab Joseph¡¯s hand that had just touched Deborah Chapter 59 Chapter 59 Joseph reacted quickly, kicking the chair he was sitting on, causing it to crash into the wall before Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. falling to the ground His left hand moved to the side, avoiding Ashton¡¯s hand. Ashton was determined to beat up Joseph today, using this as an excuse. He couldn¡¯t let go of the fact that Joseph had slept with Deborahst time. But as soon as he grabbed Joseph¡¯s hand, he noticed the scar on Joseph¡¯s left wrist. Joseph didn¡¯t feel well recently, and the night before he had a strange dream for no apparent reason. So he woke up feeling very annoyed this moming and went straight to the hospital. Ashton¡¯s face immediately turned unnatural upon seeing the scar. He suddenly stopped. Joseph punched him in the face without hesitation. He didn¡¯t care that Ashton had suddenly be stupid. Seeing his fistnd sessfully, he continued to swing another punch. Ashton took a few hits and stumbled back several steps, before Jeff quickly stepped forward and stopped Joseph. Joseph sneered, ¡°What¡¯s going on today? Did you not get enough sleep?¡± Ashton seemed to be in a daze and took a while to snap out of it. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, but he didn¡¯t fight back and only said, ¡°I¡¯ll settle the score with you another day.¡± Ashton grabbed Deborah and left without another word. Joseph raised his voice provocatively behind him, ¡°Don¡¯t wait until another day. Today is just fine.¡± Ashton didn¡¯t respond and just left. Joseph was amazed. Ashton had just taken two punches from him and left without a fight? It was too strange. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder, ¡°Does he have some sort of problem today?¡± Ben chimed in, ¡°I think you were the one with the problem today. Why did you grab Mrs. Mullen?¡± Joseph couldn¡¯t exin his behavior and thought for a moment before saying, ¡°I was just trying to get under Ashton¡¯s skin. I didn¡¯t have any interest in her. She was as thin as a bean sprout.¡± Ben agreed an nighed as he watched Deborah¡¯s back, ¡°Mrs. Mullen is a pitiable woman.¡± Joseph didn¡¯t say anything more and walked toward the psychology room. Eleven years ago on a rainy night, he had rushed to the Wayne mansion and found his mother dead in a terrible fire. After that, he had fallen ill and forgotten most of what had happened before he got sick. His memory had be so poor that he couldn¡¯t remember people or events very well. But he kept remembering the night his mother died. He always had a nh??ing feeling that he had done som¨¢ting important bahore heated is the Wayne mansion. But he reddet temember what it was Josaph had a headache and Na mind was a mata. Ha tuddenly remembered Deborah a smile and his head hurt even incre It was as if he was under a spe He couldn¡¯t make sense of it all, so he stopped thinking about it Ashton immediately pulled Deborah away until Joseph was out of sight, then stopped and carefully examined her Deborah taughter had finally stopped and returned to a silent stat Ashton looked at her, thinking that she probably hadn¡¯t seen the scar on Joseph¡¯s wrist just now Even if she had seen it, what did it matter? Joseph could have identally injured his arm during a fight, or it could have been from being hit by Wayne when he was a child, or from ying sports like basketball or archery. Anything was possible He reassured himself intemally, and that uneasy feeling slowly dissipated He realized that now that Alyssa was gone, he needed to find some other leverage to keep Deborah by his side As he pondered this, Jeff walked over, appearing hesitant to speak. Ashton spoke up, ¡°If you have something to say, say it here¡± Jeff finally said. ¡°Mr. Mullen, Mrs. Shepherd called and said she owes some money from ying cards, and she wants to ask you for some money¡­¡± Ashton couldn¡¯t help but feel amused, as if he had a knack for attracting whatever he wanted. He nced over at Deborah, but she remained unresponsive. He asked, ¡°How much does she owe?¡± Jeff replied, ¡°She owes over 600 thousand dors. The creditor has kept Mrs. Shepherd in her residence, and she has requested your assistance.¡± Ashton nced at Deborah, who still remained silent. Suddenly, Ashton remembered that when Alyssa was still alive, if something like this had happened, Deborah would have begged him for help. At that time, she cared about Alyssa, her mother, Zayne, and many other people. Ashton could threaten her with just about anything and hold her in the palm of his hand like an ant. But now, he wasn¡¯t so sure. He grabbed Deborah and headed for the elevator, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look.¡± When th ved, they heard Lydia screaming in agony as they pushed open the door. Ashton took Deborah inside and saw Lydia lying on the ground, blood spilling from her mouth. Four or five men holding baseball bats surrounded her, with one man holding a bat poking her in the forehead. ¡°Lydia, paying off your debts is only right and proper. Give us the money quickly,¡± he said. Ashtonughed, ¡°Her daughter is here to give her the money.¡± The man in charge spun around at the sound of footsteps, and upon catching sight of Ashton, his expression quickly shifted to one. Char 2/3. beroness. What brings you here in person, Mr Matients nothing serious. I hope? Suddenly, he seemed to realize something ¡°What a fool I¡¯ve beat Lydia is your mother inw, I shouldn¡¯t haveid a hand on her. We deserve to die for our actions!¡± He hastily signaled to the other men surrounding Lydia. Tut down your weapons! It¡¯s only a small sum of money, and Mr Mullen himself hase to help Help Mrs Shepherd i Lydia, who had been gasping for breath on the ground, suddenly rallied Finally, somemon sense! Do you even know who my son-inw is? He wouldn¡¯t bat an eye at 6 million, let alone 600 thousand. If you dare toy a hand on me, you¡¯ll regret it The man in charge immediately wanted to go and help Lydia up, but Ashton chuckled, ¡°Didn¡¯t I say I came to repay the debt?¡± The man was confused and looked at Ashton Ashton sat on the sofa with an indifferent attitude. Tm not interested in cleaning up someone else¡¯s mess, but my wife is kind-hearted. She loves her mother and can¡¯t bear to see her suffer It took the man a while to understand, and he turned to Deborah with a smile. ¡®Mrs. Mullen, don¡¯t tease us like that. ¡°600 thousand is not enough for you to buy a bag and jewelry. Why don¡¯t you pay off her d?b??¡± Deborah remained expressionless and did not react at all The man felt a bit embarrassed and realized what Ashton meant. He ordered his men, ¡°Keep going. Mrs. Shepherd, you have no one to me but yourself!¡± Lydia had just managed to stand up when she was unexpectedly kicked to the ground again. She screamed in pain and trembled all over. The men continued to swing their clubs, and soon the woman lying on the ground couldn¡¯t even scream anymore, covered in blood and utterly unrecognizable. Ashton stared at Deborah, sitting next to him the entire time, showing no emotion, as if it had nothing to do with her. Ashton was getting agitated and pressed down on her shoulder hard. ¡°Are you stupid?¡± As he pressed her, Deborah¡¯s gaze turned to him, her dark eyes like an endless sea. Calm, hollow, and without a ripple. Lydia¡¯s blood flowed all over the floor, and the smell of blood filled the room. Ashton looked at Deborah in anger, and he even heard her chuckle. Theughter made him suddenly uneasy, and he red at her fiercely. ¡°Say something! Ask me for help!¡± Deborahug J again, and Ashton¡¯s eyes turned red. ¡°Stopughing, I said stopughing!¡± Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Mommy, Are You In Pain? Deborah found it difficult to control herughter and the more Ashton tried to provoke her, the harder sheughed To her, Ashton looked like a clown, jumping up and down and trying everything to get a reaction from her. Ashton was so angry his throat hurt, so he grabbed her shoulder and forced her to keep looking at Lydia Fine, keepughing! Watch your mother get beaten to death and keepughing!¡± Deborah was forced to look over, but she didn¡¯t r She watched as Lydia was beaten to the brink of death, but her eyes didn¡¯t even water. Ashton clenched his teeth and spoke through gritted teeth, ¡°Your mother has been gambling and now owes a significant amount of high interest debt if you don¡¯t plead with me to save her, she will face a gruesome fate.¡± ¡°The creditors will harvest her organs and extract all her value to pay off the debt.¡± The leader of the men who came to collect the debt chimed in, ¡°That¡¯s right, Mrs. Mullen. You better figure out a way to get the money to pay off your mother¡¯s debt, otherwise she¡¯ll suffer a lot.¡± Deborah finally spoke, looking indifferent and confused, ¡°I don¡¯t owe any money, why are you telling me all this?¡± The man collecting the debt became angry and ashamed, ¡®Are you so indifferent to your mother¡¯s life?¡± Deborah was surprised, ¡°Why should I care? If she dies, it¡¯s her problem. What does it have to do with me?¡± The man was at a loss for words, and then ordered the other men, ¡®Alright, beat her to death! See if there¡¯s anything useful in her body and take it out to exchange for money!¡± Lydia was almost dying, and was scared to the point of trembling. She cried out in fear, ¡°Deborah, you heartless person! What did you say?! ¡°I might not be a good mother, but I¡¯m the one who raised you through thick and thin! ¡°When you were thirteen and went to the Bauer family, they often threw you out, and it was still me who took you back in to continue raising you. You ungrateful girl!¡± Deborah looked at her coldly, listening to her words as if she were listening to a joke. Lydia was in both pain and anger, tears streaming down her face. ¡°Although I wanted to use you to get into the Bauer family, ask yourself how much I¡¯ve mistreated you since you were born and raised you for so many years. ¡°During the hardest and most difficult times, when Kinsley wanted to harm us, mother and daughter, it was me who fought to keep you safe!¡± Deborah still didn¡¯t say a word. The debt collectors couldn¡¯t control their anger anymore, and directly hit Lydia with a few swings of a club. Lydia vomited put a mouthful of blood, her body trembling, and then passed out. Ashton watched, feeling a bit numb, but Deborah still had no reaction. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. If they hit Lydia a few more times, she would probably die. Finally, Ashton stood up in anger, grabbed Deborah and left. Jeff couldn¡¯t bear to watch and secretly gave money to barely save Lydia¡¯s life. Ashton brought Deborah straight back to Flora Vi, tossed her into the bedroom and headed to the study to smoke. Once he left, Deborah immediately walked over to the bedroom door and locked it. Her hands were trembling as she locked the door. Suppressing her emotions, she felt dizzy and nauseous, her whole body feeling light and unsteady. She stumbled back to the bedroom sofa and took a deep breath before reaching for the drawer in the coffee table Inside the drawer, she found several medicine battles, three of which were painkillers One and a half of the painkiller bottles were already empty She grabbed the half empty bottle and clumsily twisted off the cap, pouring a handful of pills into her mouth. She dry swallowed the pills and felt cold sweat breaking out all over her forehead and hair, her whole body sticky with perspiration. Despite taking a handful of pills, the intense pain in her abdomen did not subside. If anything, it felt worse, with the dry pills exacerbating the difort. Deborah was in so much agony that her body shook and tingled. She grabbed the medicine bottle and emptied the remaining painkillers into her mouth, struggling to swallow them down. However, one of the pills got lodged in her throat, causing her to gag and vomit violently. She threw up arge pile of vomit in desperation. She couldn¡¯t tell how much blood she had vomited up, but the garbage can next to her was covered in bloodstains, and the intense smell of blood filled her nose and mouth, The blood seemed to have taken away all the heat in her body, leaving her feeling cold and mmy, shivering and sweating profusely. She pulled the nket from the couch and wrapped herself tightly, still shivering from the cold. Sweat dripped into her eyes, stinging them and blurring her vision, and she seemed to see Alyssa walking towards her in a daze. Alyssa sat beside her, gently patting her back and asking, ¡°Mommy, are you in pain?¡± Deborah just stared nkly, watching the blurry figure. She felt like crying, but her body seemed dead, her eyes dry, unable to shed tears. Her abdomen still ached and throbbed, and she couldn¡¯t swallow the painkillers. She took a pill and chewed it slowly. As she chewed, she felt like vomiting, so she stopped. When the nausea passed, she resumed chewing and slowly swallowed the crushed pill. She had almost finished a bottle, but couldn¡¯t understand why she was still in pain. When Zayne had prescribed the medication, he had said it was highly effective, and that one or two pills would be enough to relieve severe pain. She stared nkly at the bottle, wondering why she had taken so many and yet felt no relief. Unable to decide what to do, she stood up and walked outside, thinking of going downstairs to get some water and see if it would ease the pain. When she got downstairs, two maids were cleaning the kitchen. As soon as they saw Deborahe in, they immediately stopped what they were doing and hurried out, avoiding her like a snake. Deborah didn¡¯t pay any attention to them, went into the kitchen, and grabbed a cup to pour some water to drink She nced to the side and saw a few kitchen cleaning tools that the maids hadn¡¯t had a chance to put away yet After a quick nce, she poured the water and went back upstairs. Ashton had alreadye out of the study and gone back to the bedroom. He didn¡¯t see Deborah in the room, and was about to go out and find her when she pushed the door open and walked in, holding a ss of water.. Ashton felt uneasy about the situation. After what had happened with Helen, he had nned to get even with Deborah, but now he didn¡¯t feel like it anymore. Deborah entered the room with the water, passed him without acknowledging him, and sat down on the couch. She slowly shook the ss in her hand, staring at it, lost in thought. Ashton walked over and asked her, ¡°You just went downstairs to get water?¡± Deborah ignored him and continued to stare at the ss in her hand. Ashton became annoyed and took the ss from her hand. ¡°What¡¯s so interesting about a ss of water? I¡¯m asking you a question.¡± Deborah¡¯s gaze remained fixed on the ss, even as Ashton took it away from her, as if her eyes were glued to it. Ashton took the ss and drank half of the water, feeling a bit agitated. When Deborah looked at him, she smiled. Ashton¡¯s heart trembled inexplicably when he saw her smile, and he drank the remaining half cup of water in one gulp. ¡°I¡¯m thirsty too, I¡¯ll pour you another cupter,¡± he said. ¡°But there¡¯s no more water in the kitchen,¡± Deborah replied. For a moment, Ashton felt like Deborah was being a little coquettish with him. He softened his tone and said, ¡°It¡¯s just a cup of water, how could there be none left? I¡¯ll go pour you another cup.¡± He had just smoked a lot in the study, so drinking water now didn¡¯t taste like anything to him. But as he swallowed, he felt a prickling sensation in his throat. Maybe he had smoked too much just now and his throat was irritated. Deborah¡¯s smile widened even more as she watched Ashton finish the entire cup of water. Suddenly, Ashton realized that something was wrong. He tasted a strange vor in his mouth and throat, and felt a burning pain in his abdomen. Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Let Me Toke Deborah Away Athton¡¯s face darkened. He felt the pain in his abdomen getting worse and immediately took out his mobile phone and called Jeff. ¡°Come here! Then he asked Deborah in a cold voice. ¡°What have you put in the cup?¡± Deborah looked at him silently, and Ashton felt much worse. Jeft rushed over, and Ashton said angrily, ¡°Go get the car and take me to the hospital. Ask the maid to go to the kitchen to see what Deborah has touched ¡± Jeff saw the broken cup on the floor and then looked at Ashton¡¯s distorted face. He quickly understood. He immediately stepped forward to help Ashton. ¡®Sir, I will take you to the hospital.¡± Ashton walked to the door and turned around. ¡°Bring her too.¡± Jeff sent Ashton and Deborah to the car and asked the driver to drive to the hospital. Jeff didn¡¯t go with them but stayed in Flora Vi to check what was in the water. It wasn¡¯t difficult. He went to the kitchen to check around and asked the two maids. Soon he discovered that Deborah had touched the bottle of disinfectant. There was not much disinfectant left in the bottle, and the maids said if it was poured into a ss cup, it would fill the cup half full at most. But the disinfectant was highly toxic. If it was not diluted with water, even a little may cause gastric erosion, perforation, and even death. Jeff gasped and immediately called the hospital with a sullen face to inform them of the situation. He wasn¡¯t sure if Deborah had put anything else in the water. After leaving the kitchen, he immediately went upstairs to the bedroom. After rummaging around, he only found a few bottles of painkillers. Two of the bottles were empty and one was unopened. One of the empty bottles was left on the coffee table, and the medicine in it seemed to have just been taken. Ashton would not take this medicine. It could only be Deborah¡¯s. Jeff wasn¡¯t sure if Deborah had put painkillers in the water and given it to Ashton. He picked up all the bottles, turned around, and wanted to get out of the bedroom and go to the hospital immediately. But he caught a glimpse of the trash can beside him. The color in it was a bit conspicuous. The dark red stain caught his eye at once. Jeff leaned over and smelt the strong smell of blood in it. He couldn¡¯t help but recall that during the half month after Helen fell off the roof, Deborah stayed in the ward and vomited blood several times. Looking at such arge amount of blood in the trash can, Jeff had difficulty breathing How could Deborah vomit so much blood and take so many painkillers? What disease did she have? Jeff thought that he had to tell Ashton about it. He picked up the garbage bag, closed it, and took it to the hospital Ashton didn¡¯t believe itst time. Jeff thought he would believe it this time as long as he saw the blood. By the time Jeff arrived at the hospital, Ashton had already been sent to the emergency room for gastricvage, and the doctor said that it had caused gastric perforation. Deborah was forced to sit on the bench outside the emergency room with two bodyguards on each side of her Zayne hurried over to talk to Deborah. The bodyguards didn¡¯t stop him They just had to keep an eye on Deborah and not let her run away Zayne walked up to Deborah, his eyes filled with distress. ¡°Deborah, I¡¯m sorry for your loss. Alyssa would be very sad to see you like this After a long time, Deborah looked up at him nkly. ¡°She¡¯s dead. Dead people don¡¯t feel sad.¡± Zayne couldn¡¯t help patting her arm It was the first time he had hated himself for his ipetence. ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking. You want to give yourself up and be with Alyssa ¡°But it was Ashton and Helen who were wrong. Alyssa died, and they should pay. Why do you have to die?¡± Deborah¡¯s shoulders began to tremble slightly. Zayne said in a deep voice, ¡°Deborah, think about it. As long as Ashton and Helen live, you can¡¯t die. ¡°You have to watch them get punished for Alyssa and tell her all about it so she can rest in peace.¡± Deborah shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t take it anymore. I don¡¯t want to wait anymore. The pain is getting worse, and the painkillers are useless. I know I¡¯m cowardly, but I want to die because death would be a relief.¡± Zayne looked distressed. ¡°I can prescribe you a new painkiller, and there is news from abroad. Maybe I will be able to find you a perfect match soon. Deborah, trust me.¡± Deborah still shook her head. ¡°No need. I don¡¯t want it anymore.¡± Before Zayne could say anything else, the door of the emergency room opened, and Ashton was pushed out from inside. His face was pale. After the gastricvage, his condition improved, and he returned from the dead. Zayne hurried forward. ¡°Ashton, let me take Deborah away. Alyssa has already been killed by you, and Deborah is about to be tortured to death by you. Isn¡¯t it enough? ¡°Deborah is at the advanced stage of liver cancer and can¡¯t wait any longer. I have to take her abroad for a liver transnt!¡± A little weak, Ashton opened his eyes and looked at Zayne with disgust. ¡°You never learn.¡± Zayne said anxiously, ¡°What I said is true. I have a lot of Deborah¡¯s reports in my office. You¡¯ll know when you see them. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask a doctor to examine Deborah now. If you don¡¯t believe Ernest, you can ask Rodger to examine. her!¡± Ashton closed his eyes and ignored him. Ashton had really believed in Rodgerpletely before. He had also thought that since Deborah was not well, he would ask Rodger to give her a full body scan. But after Rodger helped Deborah make a fake pregnancy test reportst time, Ashton didn¡¯t believe any of Deborah¡¯s reports Rodger gave him. Ashton could only trust very few peoplepletely. If one of these few people deceived him once, he would never trust that person. again. Zayne chased after Ashton angrily. ¡°Ashton, what do you mean? I said Deborah is dying of liver cancer. Can¡¯t you hear me? ¡°You¡¯ve already killed Alyssa. Do you want to see Deborah die?¡± Ashton said a little irritably with his eyes closed, ¡°Get him away from me. If it happens again, get him out of the hospital.¡± The bodyguards went over immediately and stopped Zayne Ashton rebrned to the ward, and finally became quiet. ward, and it finally became quiet. He had just had his stomach pumped. When he thought that Deborah had poisoned him, he was so angry that his temples hurt badly. After a few minutes, Jeff came in and said in a deep voice, Sir, I think Dr. Gaige might have been telling the truth just found a lot of blood that Ms. Shepherd vomited in the trash can in Flora Vi as well as several bottles of powerful painkillers. There¡¯s really something wrong with her.¡± Ashton didn¡¯t say a word, and Jeff continued, ¡®Sir, if you doubt it, you can at least arrange a full body scan for Ms. Shepherd. Regardless of the result, it won¡¯t take long.¡± Chapter 62 Chapter 62 Chapter 62 Scissors in the Wrist Ashton looked very displeased. When he thought of theke paternity test report, fake pregnancy test report, and those liver cancer reports that Deborah showed him, he hated the so called examination now He said firmly and indifferently. ¡°No 1 know her body well Deborah had indeed lost a lot of weight recently. Ashton thought it was because she ate too little after Alyssa died As for her cancer, he thought he would have felt it if she was really dying. A dying woman didn¡¯t have the strength to push Helen off the roof, called Helen¡¯s mother over to make a scene, and poisoned him. Jell wanted to say something else, but Ashton interrupted him directly. ¡°Go out.¡± Jeff had no choice but to leave. Only Ashton and Deborah were left in the ward. Ashtony on the bed while Deborah stood motionless far away from him with an expressionless face. Looking at her, Ashton felt his head hurt even more. He really couldn¡¯t take it any longer. He didn¡¯t know if Deborah was terminally ill, but he knew that if she Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. went on like this, she would die of depression. Alyssa had been dead for so long. Deborah must be desperate, but she smiled every day without even shedding a tear. Ashton suddenly felt that he didn¡¯t know what to do with Deborah. He stared at her for a long time and called a maid over. ¡°Get a wheelchair and take her downstairs for a walk.¡± The maid was obviously a little afraid of Deborah. All the maids in Flora Vi knew that Deborah had done so many crazy things during this time. The maid didn¡¯t respond, and Ashton said impatiently, ¡°Go get a wheelchair. Can¡¯t you hear me?¡± Deborah hadn¡¯t eaten or drunk for half a month and had thrown up everything they forced her to eat. She was now half-dead. If she really walked downstairs, she would probably faint. The made came to her senses as Ashton yelled, and she had no choice but to go out and push in a wheelchair. Deborah didn¡¯t resist but voluntarily sat in the wheelchair and was pushed out by the maid. She didn¡¯t intend to go for a walk downstairs. She just wanted to stay as far away from Ashton as possible. Out of his sight, she might be able to find a chance to leave this world. When she poisoned Ashton in Flora Vi just now, she took a pair of scissors from the kitchen and hid them in her coat pocket. The pair of scissors were still in her pocket now. Zayne told her that he would find a perfect match for her and that she had to stay alive to see Ashton and Helen get punished. But she didn¡¯t want to live any longer. She just wanted to be with Alyssa and end the constant physical and mental torture and pain. Alyssa would feel lonely. The maid pushed Deborah out of the inpatient building and walked on the sidewalk outside. Ashton had always been so hypocritical. He asked Deborah to go for a walk to rx, but he forgot that it was almost midnight. It was early spring. It was very cold outside and the wind was bitter cold. The patients and their families hurriedly walked into the inpatient building. Only Deborah was pushed out in the cold air. The maid just did what she was told. She just pushed the wheelchair since Ashton asked her to push Deborah out for a walk and Deborah didn¡¯t say she was cold After a long time, the mard shivered from the cold and couldn¡¯t help asking Deborah, Ms Shepherd, shall we go back to the ward?¡± Deborah replied tly. Tim bored in the ward. The wind is great. I¡¯ll sit here for a while, and you can buy me soup over there* She pointed to the cafetena not far ahead. Patients had a lot of soup This hospital was big, so even though it was almost midnight, soup and other foods were still being sold in the cafeteria. The maid hesitated ¡®Ms. Shepherd, Mr. Mullen asked me to stay by your side.¡± Deborah looked unhappy. ¡°The cafeteria is so close. Do you think I can run away immediately or sink into the ground?¡± The maid could only agree. She thought that she could look back at Deborah on her way to the cafeteria and that Deborah really couldn¡¯t get away. She pushed Deborah to the side of the road and said, ¡°Ms. Shepherd, stay here for a while. I will be back soon.¡± Deborah didn¡¯t respond, and the maid ran to the cafeteria. As soon as the maid left, Deborah took out the pair of scissors from her pocket. With the cold wind blowing in her face, she hid her right hand, which was holding the scissors, in her sleeve, stared at his left wrist, and thought about where to cut. Suddenly, a voice said behind her, ¡°I didn¡¯t have toe and take a look at him in the middle of the night¡­¡± Deborah was stunned when she heard the voice, and her heart skipped a beat because it sounded like Ashton. The person behind her was on the phone and quickly passed by Deborah and walked forward. Then Deborah saw his profile. It was not Ashton but Joseph. It was the first time she had realized that Joseph¡¯s voice really sounded like Ashton¡¯s It wasmon for a person to look like another person, but it was umon for a person to sound like another person. The scissors in her hand pierced her wrist, but the person on the phone in front suddenly stopped, turned around, and walked toward her. Deborah¡¯s wrist started bleeding, and the next second, the scissors in her hand were taken from her. Deborah looked up at Joseph at once, and he taunted, ¡°It¡¯s really you. What are you doing here in the middle of the night?¡± Deborah looked at him coldly. ¡°Give it back to me.¡± Joseph shook the pair of blood-stained scissors. ¡°This?¡± Deborah reached for it, but Joseph threw it away. The scissors flew into the flower bed. Deborah got angry. Joseph squatted down in front of her and put his long arms on both sides of the wheelchair. ¡°Are you trying to kill yourself?¡± Deborah was so furious that her lips trembled with anger. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. Why did you throw my things away?¡± Josephughed. ¡°Come on, the scissors can¡¯t kill you. At best, you¡¯ll bleed out and lose consciousness, and then you¡¯ll be saved. Youll suffer for nothing.¡± Deborah fell silent and stared at him coldly. Joseph continued to chatter, ¡°Don¡¯t believe in TV shows where people die immediately by slitting their wrists with a knife or jumping. off the second floor balcony didn¡¯t die after falling off the fifth floor, and some people survive after cutting off their hands.¡± Deborah was stunned for a morhent. It was true that some people were still alive after losing their hands. Cutting the wrist couldn¡¯t kill Deborah was swayed by Joseph, but soon she came back to her senses. ¡°That¡¯s different!¡± Those were two different things. Joseph nced at the flower bed next to him. ¡°Then l get back the scissors for you. You can try again if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± Deborah¡¯s face turned livid, and she was so angry that she had a headache and forgot for a moment that she was going to kill herself. Joseph took out something from his coat pocket and waved it in front of her eyes. ¡°If I had known that you were going to die, I wouldn¡¯t have brought it to you.¡± Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Joseph Was In Love Deborah¡¯s eyes, which had been dull for the past hall month, lit up the moment she saw the thing in Joseph¡¯s hand. Her heart did aplete somersault, and she breathed fast as she jumped out of the wheelchair and reached for the thing in Joseph¡¯s hand It was a lucky charm Deborah realized that it was the one that Alyssa wore around her neck before. The wless silver lucky charm glowed in the moonlight. Joseph quickly raised the charm to avoid Deborah¡¯s hand. ¡®Why should I give it to you? You¡¯re going to die. Do you want to be buried with it?¡± While Deborah was anxious to get the charm, her mind was working fast. She remembered that Jeff had told Ashton that after Alyssa fell off the cliff, the lucky charm was burned ck. But the charm in front of her didn¡¯t show any signs of being burned. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. When she thought of a certain possibility, her heart started pounding. Seeing her jumping out of the wheelchair like a rabbit, Joseph was amused. ¡°You seem fine. I thought you were crippled.¡± Deborah¡¯s face was flushed with anxiety in the cold wind. ¡°I¡¯m not crippled. Give me the charm!¡± Joseph stopped teasing her, put down his hand, and handed the charm to her. Deborah wanted to ask him what he wanted, but she bit back the words, looked at Joseph warily, and then quickly took the charm. She thought Joseph gave her this charm on purpose in exchange for something. But now she didn¡¯t have time to think about it. She took the charm and checked it carefully at once. Alyssa¡¯s name was engraved on the back of the charm by Deborah herself. The charm could be faked, but Deborah had an impression of the name, which couldn¡¯t be imitated by others. Deborah stared at the charm for a long time before saying in a trembling voice, ¡°This is Alyssa¡¯s.¡± Joseph snorted. ¡°Of course. I have no reason to fake it.¡± Deborah grasped the charm tremblingly and looked up at Joseph, her eyes full of expectation and eagerness. ¡°Why do you have this? Is Alyssa still alive? Have you seen her?¡± Maybe because of the cold wind, Joseph felt that his brain seemed to have jammed, and he replied, ¡°How do I know? I just found it.¡± Deborah grasped the charm carefully with both hands. ¡°Can I take it away?¡± She tightened the sp on the charm as if she was afraid that Joseph would take it from her. Joseph looked at her with a frown. ¡°Would you give it back to me if I said no?¡± Hearing what he said, Deborah immediately put the charm into her pocket. She knew that Joseph would not help her without asking for anything in return, so she thought about it and said, ¡°You asked me to help you deal with Ashton. I can help you if you want me to get something for you.¡± Joseph¡¯s mind was all messed up, and he replied absently. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about itter.¡± Deborah was surprised by Joseph¡¯s reply. She thought that maybe he would make an offerter, so she didn¡¯t say anything more She put her hand into her pocket and stroked the charm. Distressed, she couldn¡¯t help asking Joseph again, ¡°Have you really not seen Alyssa? Alyssa wore this charm around her neck. Since this charm is intact, could she be¡­¡± ¡°I said I don¡¯t know.¡± Joseph became a little irritable for no reason, and he raised his voice to interrupt her Deborah, however, seemed a little dazed Maybe it was because the charm suddenly gave her hope Did you find it yourself? Where did you find it Did you see anything else around there? Can you take me there to have a look?¡± Joseph tamed to go without hesitation Deborah hurriedly chased after him ¡°Please tell me. These things are really important to me Alyssa may still be alive. Please Joseph pushed her hand imitably said I don¡¯t know I gave you the charm for nothing Let me got As he turned around, he saw that Deborah was in tears. As she spoke, tears flowed down her cheeks In the darkness of the night, Deborah looked extremely pitiful Joseph was stunned and suddenly felt sorry for her for a moment. Deborah chased after him with pleading eyes. ¡°Have you seen Alyssa? Is she still alive? Please tell me.¡± Joseph came to his senses slowly and said hesitantly, ¡°She¡¯s been staying at my ce. I took her home with me Deborah froze and stared at him with tears in her eyes. Joseph took out his mobile phone and showed her the video. ¡°She¡¯s doing well at my ce. She¡¯s seen by doctors twenty-four hours a day ¡°When I found her, she was wearing a seat belt. She took a hard hit to the head, and she couldn¡¯t remember anything. She¡¯s still alive, and the doctor said she would survive.¡± Deborah was stunned for a long time, gasped for breath from crying andughing, and grabbed Joseph¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Is it true? I¡¯m going to see her. But Ashton said the car caught fire and her body was burnt.¡± Joseph didn¡¯t dare to look at her for some reason, and he looked away. ¡°I don¡¯t know. She¡¯s still alive anyway. If you want to see her, Deborah was both happy and anxious, her face covered with tears. She wanted to say something else, but not far behind, Ashton called her coldly, ¡°Deborah.¡± Deborah¡¯s face froze immediately as if she had just woken up from a dream. Then she quickly let go and begged in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t tell Ashton.¡± Joseph didn¡¯t say anything. As soon as she let go, he turned around and headed to the gate of the hospital. The driver, Shawn, was waiting at the gate of the hospital. Joseph didn¡¯t stay in the hospital long before heading back to his car. Shawn was surprised. ¡°Mr. ck, you finished visiting old Mr. Mullen already?¡± Joseph sat in the back seat with a sullen face. He came back to his senses after hearing Shawn¡¯s words and said irritably. ¡°I didn¡¯t do 1. I forgot.¡± Shawn was stunned for a moment. ¡°Huh? Didn¡¯t youe here to visit old Mr. Mullen? What did you do?¡± Joseph became even more annoyed. ¡°I ran into Deborah, and I gave her the lucky charm.¡± Shawn said, ¡°Oh, that exins it. Did Ms. Shepherd agree?¡± Joseph was confused. ¡°Agree on what?¡± Shawn felt that Joseph was strange when he came back. Shawn replied, ¡°Didn¡¯t you spend so much effort to restore the burnt lucky charm? Didn¡¯t you want to lie to Ms. Shepherd that Alyssa is still alive and with you so that she could work for you?¡± baeph Really care back to his senses He almost forget his n He already made a decision, but for some reason, when he saw Deborah crying and taughing just now he had a strange feeling for a Like pits, gul, and a lime bit of regret In short, he felt sorry for her Thinking of this reph couldnt help leheng He had done countless had things and used countless tricks for so many years How could he have pity on a woman? Seeing that Joseph was absent minded. Shawn drove back to the vi without asking any further questions On the way, Joseph, who had been silent in the back seat, suddenly asked Shawn, ¡°Do you feel sorry for Deborah?¡± Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Bite Her Neck Hard Shawn thought he heard it wrong and looked at Joseph in the rearview mirror. ¡°Sir, what did you say?¡± Joseph came back to his senses and looked out of the car window ¡®Nothing¡± However, Shawn understood what Joseph meant and why Joseph was suddenly so strange Shaw¡¯s face darkened, and he said, ¡®Sir, I still remember clearly what the Mullen family did eleven years ago. Ms. Shepherd is Ashton¡¯s wife and a member of the Mullen family¡± Joseph looked displeased. It¡¯s none of my business There was hatred on Shawn¡¯s face. Recalling what happened many years ago, he still couldn¡¯t help feeling sorry for Joseph Shawn added, ¡°No one in the Mullen family is worthy of your affection and pity.¡± Joseph interrupted him impatiently. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Deborah was dragged back to the ward by Ashton. She still had Alyssa¡¯s lucky charm in her pocket. Afraid of being discovered by Ashton, she didn¡¯t struggle on the way. Alyssa came back from the dead. Deborah would do her best to protect Alyssa this time. Ashton was so angry that his face turned livid. As soon as they returned to the ward, he pushed Deborah up against the wall. ¡°Deborah, I thought you were crazy and didn¡¯t know how to shed tears. Why did you cry andugh in front of Joseph?¡± Deborah didn¡¯t say a word and only thought that after Ashton finished venting his anger and left, she would take out the charm and hide it as soon as possible. Ashton was annoyed by her silence as well as the tears and swollen eyes on her face. He was so furious that he almost gnashed his teeth and couldn¡¯t help asking. ¡°What did Joseph tell you? Did he tell you everything?¡± When Joseph rescued Deborah, Deborah was thirteen years old, and Joseph was eighteen years old. It was normal for Deborah to remember what happened then. Deborah froze immediately. ¡°Did you hear my conversation with Mr. ck?¡± Ashton held her shoulder tightly. ¡®Deborah, remember, I was the one who saved your life back then. ¡°I gave you your life, and you should listen to me. You¡¯d better not hook up with other men.¡± Deborah was relieved to hear that. Knowing that Asbron didn¡¯t find anything, she rxed a little and chuckled. ¡°When I jumped off the roof, I gave you my life back, but you didn¡¯t want it. ¡°Ashton, if you regret saving me back then, you can take my life now.¡± Ashton was so angry that he lowered his eyes and noticed the wound on Deborah¡¯s wrist. With a sullen face, he took her hand. ¡°What happened? Don¡¯t tell me you did it yourself.¡± Deborah withdrew her hand and wanted to put it in her pocket, but when she thought of the charm in her pocket, she put her hand to her side. Even though she deliberately hid it, her voice trembled a little. ¡°I hurt myself identally. ¡°Don¡¯t worry I¡¯m not going to kill myself as long as you and Helen are alive. I¡¯ll die with you two.¡± Ashton miamd a little and he enrted ¡°Don¡¯t th Aher waying the locked at the wound on Deborah wist and it had a bad feeling He always had a bad feeling recently as ifetting was going to happen. But he thought Deborah was tough and strong Although Alyssa¡¯s death dealt a blow to her, she wouldn¡¯t kill herself. Ashton said in a cold voice. Helena operation is scheduled for tomorrow morning and she will go back to Flora Vi to recuperate after the operation. You¡¯d better behave yourself. Don¡¯t appear before her or irritate her.¡± Deborah grinned. Is she having an amputation? One leg or tea? Or her lower body?¡± Ashton said angrily. Enough! If Helen is still emotionally stable and willing to see you after her operation, you have to apologize to her and take care of her.¡± Deborah was amused ¡°Ashton, do you really think that apologies can solve all the things in this world? ¡°Helen doesn¡¯t want my apology but wants me to be sentenced to death or life imprisonment ¡°If you tell her that she fell identally and let you apologize to her, you might as well just p her. Maybe she will feel better.¡± Ashton wished he could tape shut Deborah¡¯s mouth when he saw that she became so active after meeting Joseph. ¡°Deborah, you¡¯d better behave yourself, or there will be consequences.¡± Deborah giggled. ¡°Oh, really? What consequences? Alyssa is dead, and you threatened me with my mother, but it didn¡¯t work. Ashton, I really want to know what you can do to me now.¡± Ashton was stimted by her and his temples ached. He lost hisposure, pushed her onto the bed, and held her down. He knew Deborah was thin-skinned and timid. When they were just married, once he was drunk and kissed her in the corridor of the restaurant, and she cried in fright. The door of the ward was ajar, and there was a knock on it. Ashton stared fiercely at Deborah. ¡°Don¡¯t think if you pretend not to care about your daughter¡¯s death and your mother, I won¡¯t be able to find a way to torment you.¡± The knocking went on, but Deborah didn¡¯t panic at all. She didn¡¯t resist and just looked at Ashton. ¡°What do you want to do? Go ahead. We¡¯ve had sex anyway.¡± Ashton stared at her angrily for a long time, but he just bit her neck hard to vent his anger. He considered himself a sensible and well-educated person. In such a public ce, he just wanted to scare Deborah and wouldn¡¯t do anything outrageous. The person knocking on the door asked impatiently, ¡°Mr. Mullen, can Ie in?¡± Ashton got off the bed and straightened the loose tie around his neck with a sullen face. There was a hint of embarrassment on his face, but Deborah was very calm. She got up and sat on the bed looking at him teasingly. Ashton said impatiently, ¡°Come in.¡± The doctor outside opened the door and came in. Seeing Deborah sitting on Ashton¡¯s hospital bed, he was surprised and quickly looked away. ¡°Mr. Mullen, Ms. Bauer¡¯s operation is scheduled for nine o¡¯clock tomorrow moming. There are some things that I need to confirm with you onest time, and there are a few forms you need to sign.¡± Ashton didn¡¯t say a word and motioned for the doctor to go out with him. As soon as Ashton went out, Deborah on the bed immediately stopped smiling. She quickly took out the lucky charm from her pocket, look her bag, and put the lucky charm in thepartment of the bag to ensure that it would not be easily found After hiding the lucky charm, she quickly took out her mobile phone and sent Joseph a message Mr ck, are you ava tomorrow? Can I go and see Alyssa?] She had Joseph¡¯s number hecause the night she was taken by Joseph to the hotel room from Mauve Club, Josephi put it in her mobile phone in order to piss off Ashton Deborah thought that she had to see Alyssa with her own eyes before she could believe that Alyssa was still Now she only felt that it was like a dream. After sending a message, Deborah was worried that Ashton woulde back, and her palms sweated with anxiety Finally, Joseph replied. [Take it easy] Before Deborah sent another message to ask about Alyssa, Joseph replied again (There is always someone in my house, but can you go out?) Deborah replied: (I will find a way. I wille to your house tomorrow. Thank you!] Joseph didn¡¯t reply again. After deleting the messages, Deborah slept on the sofa in the ward in the second half of the night, but she tossed and turned without falling asleep at all. She was so sleepy that she fell asleep at five o¡¯clock in the morning. When she woke up, it was past eleven o¡¯clock in the morning. By the time she woke up, Helen¡¯s legs had already been cut off. As soon as Deborah got up from the sofa, she saw Ashton pushing Helen, who was sitting in a wheelchair, in the ward with guilt and sadness on his face. Chapter 65 Chapter 65 Chapter 65 A p in Ashton¡¯s Face Deborah looked over and saw that Helen was sitting in a wheelchair with a nket on her thighs and that her face was distorted with pain Aa Ashton pushed the wheelchair, the nket on Helen¡¯s thighs shook, and it was obvious that there was nothing under the nket. Deborah didn¡¯t understand why Ashton pushed Helen toward her. He probably thought that if Deborah saw it, she would feel quilty and apologize to Helen more sincerely. He had always been so opinionated and self righteous. Deborah looked at Helen and chuckled ¡°Are you half dead and half alive?¡± Helen¡¯s face trembled violently. Obviously, she was stimted by Deborah¡¯s words. She opened her mouth, but she didn¡¯t cry out and began to shake violently. Ashton leaned over, held her shoulders distressedly, and then looked at Deborah sharply. ¡°Apologize¡±¡± Deborah was confused. ¡°What do I have to apologize for? For choosing a floor so low that she didn¡¯t die?¡± Helen began to cry bitterly with great despair and grief. Ashton really felt sorry for her. He handed the wheelchair to Jeff and strode to Deborah. In front of Helen, he pped Deborah hard in the face. ¡°Apologize to Helen!¡± ¡°Bah!¡± Deborah spat directly on his face and pped him back. Anyway, Alyssa was dead. Deborah was not afraid to die. She was terminally ill and didn¡¯t have much time left. The ward fell into silence, and Ashton was shaken up by the p. Jeff was also dumbfounded. Even Helen, who had been crying all the time, stopped crying in shock. It took Ashton a long time to feel a burning sensation in his face. Deborah, who had always been extremely obedient to him, pped him back. He quickly raised his hand again. This time his hand shook a little. Deborah had be more and more reckless recently Deborah stood still, watching his hand coldly. As long as Ashton pped her again, she would definitely p him back again. Ashton¡¯s hand froze in mid air for a long time, but he finally took it back. He looked furious. ¡°For thest time, apologize to Helen if you don¡¯t want to die.¡± Deborah looked at him and said slowly, ¡°I won¡¯t apologize to a bastard even if you beat me to death.¡± Ashton¡¯s jaw was tense and his eyes were filled with anger as he met Deborah¡¯s calm and firm eyes. Helen cried in fear again. ¡°I want to be alone for a while. Can you get Debby out of my sight? I¡¯m afraid.¡± Deborah looked at her teasingly. ¡°Then you can die. You won¡¯t have to see me after you die.¡± Ashton grabbed Deborah and ordered Jeff while heading outside. ¡°Arrange another car and take Helen back to Flora Vi.¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Helen was still emotionally unstable. He couldn¡¯t let Deborah ride in the same car with Helen, or it would irritate Helen even more. The two cars, one after the other, returned to Flora Vi. Helen was carried out of the car and sat back in the wheelchair. When she turned her head, she saw Deborah get off from the car Chapter 65% p in Ashtoni¡¯s Face bahing Ashton went over tofort he with a sui Halen could?1 baten to tem at all and only looked at Deborah in error. ¡°Don¡¯t lt har cena over, pleaser¡± Abchen hurried out of flora V. Seeing this, he said in a deep voice, ar if¡¯s not surtable for Me Shepherd to live withi Ma. Bauer Aght now. Ms. Bauer has past nanewly escaped death the cant be stimted anymore.¡± Deborah didn¡¯t seem to hear what they said and walked up to Helen Helen cried to hard that the could barely breathe I don¡¯t want to see her. Ask her to leave Ashton could only look at Deborah Stand there and don¡¯te any closer¡± Deborah found it funny ¡°Didn¡¯t you bring me here?¡± Andrew said anxiously. ¡°Sir, Ms. Bauer couldn¡¯t be stimted anymore. Why don¡¯t you ask Mrs. Mullen to live in another ce for a while¡± Ashton was reluctant. He got nothing on Deborah What if she ran away? He ordered in a deep voice, ¡°Then arrange for Deborah to move back into the basement.¡± Helen screamed loudly. ¡°No! I¡¯m afraid¡± Deborah smacked her lips, wondering if Helen was tired of pretending to be a three-year-old. Andrew said with a serious face, ¡°Sir, the basement is also in Flora Vi. Ms. Shepherd and Ms. Bauer will inevitably run into each other.¡± Ashton held Helen¡¯s wheelchair. When he was lost in thought, Helen suddenly lost her bnce and fell from the wheelchair. The nket fell to the ground, revealing her terrifying thighs. Deborah was shocked when she saw them. Helen had just had an amputation. She was supposed to be recuperating in the hospital for a while. But she acted pathetic in front of Ashton and insisted oning back now. Ashton came to his senses when he heard the sound and hurriedly went to help Helen on the ground. When he touched her arm, he remembered that her legs had been cut off and that she couldn¡¯t even stand up. The maid immediately stepped forward to help and moved Helen back to the wheelchair. Ashton couldn¡¯t bear it anymore, so he directly told Nina, ¡°Arrange for Deborah to live outside.¡± Nina tried not tough and nodded immediately. ¡°Yes, sir. Ms. Shepherd, I will drive you.¡± Deborah didn¡¯t say anything and followed Nina into the car. It was naturally impossible for Nina to arrange a good ce for Deborah. She drove Deborah directly to the suburbs. It was far away from Flora Vi, and there was a vi owned by Ashton. Because it was too remote, he almost never came to live in it. Deborah originally thought that Nina would arrange for her to live there. After all, although Ashton didn¡¯t say it clearly, what he meant was that Nina should arrange for Deborah to live in his house. But Nina kept driving straight and took Deborah directly to a very old house. Deborah thought that she didn¡¯t shock easily, but when the car stopped outside the house, she couldn¡¯t help but freeze. Nina turned to look at her proudly. Ms. Shepherd, you¡¯re very satisfied with this ce, right? I heard that your stepfather died in this house and you have a lot of memories here.¡± Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Back then, Deborah¡¯s mother, Lydia, approached Devon deliberately But Devon had a noble family background, so he dumped Lydia who was pregnant. Later, after Lydia gave birth to Deborah, she married Simon Levin, a wealthy gambler. Later, Simon lost all his money, started using drugs, andmitted suicide in this house in front of Deborah In this house, Deborah stayed with his body for a day and two nights and watched his body grow maggots. The police found his bodyter Deborah suffered from autism because of this, and she never dared to think about what had happened in this ce. Deborah¡¯s hand on the edge of the seat trembled slightly, and she forced a smile. ¡°Nina, you have a lot of nerve. Aren¡¯t you afraid tha Ashton wille looking for me and know that you left me here?¡± Nina looked at her in surprise. ¡°Ms. Shepherd, didn¡¯t you hear that I answered Mr. Mullen¡¯s call on the way here? It¡¯s Mr. Mullen¡¯s orde I wouldn¡¯t dare to do it without his permission.¡± Deborah grasped the seat firmly, calmed down slowly, opened the door, and got out of the car. She also smiled. ¡°Oh, then thank him for me.¡± When she got out of the car, Nina opened the car window and told her, ¡°Mr. Mullen also said that you must live well in this house. Otherwise, he will send your mother¡¯s body over and let her apany you. I believe he meant it.¡± After that, Nina drove away. Deborah stood outside the iron gate. The house had been empty for so long that there were vines and dead branches everywhere. Her face was a little pale. All of those old memories came flooding back, and she slowly squatted down. She received a message from Joseph: [Are youing today?] Deborah fahan intensa teache The pa mughan way her mand She was forced to think of that hop a day and Nes tights many years ago Bead Simon hadid beside her And fija benedy had rehambered the bimut of rot and brood in the room. And she couldn¡¯t get out the caud anly watch the qued down to the ground. Then the bed to stand on but tha rout He cell phone rang again the slowly took out the phone and say several text messages from Joseph Thetest one if you don¡¯te now, you won¡¯t need toe today | Thinking of Alyssa Deborah gathered herself and replied to the message meeming now | There was a buzzing in her head. And when Deborah looked up, Simon¡¯s body appeared everywhere. She saw blood everywher When she got up her legs were trembling But she only knew that she had to see Alyssa now, So she could feel at ease The location here was very remote, but at least it was where she once lived, so Deborah was not so unfamiliar with the road conditions Walking along the deserted road until it was almost dark, she caught a taxi and went to Joseph¡¯s vi Along the way, her heart was beating violently And Deborah felt that because the learned Alyssa was alive, Deborah also gained a new life Thinking of seeing Alyssa soon, Deborah was so nervous that her palms were wet Deborah looked out through the wrought iron gate when she arrived outside the vi. The front yard was quiet, and there was no one. Deborah rang the doorbell, and soon a servant came out Seeing Deborah standing outside, the servant seemed to know her. He opened the door politely and said, ¡°Ms. Shepherd, please Deborah immediately followed and walked inside. Her heart was beating violently. Deborah wondered if Alyssa would suddenly rush out from inside and throw herself into Deborah¡¯s arms. It had been a month or so since the vehicle fell off the cliff. But until the servant led Deborah to the living room, Deborah still didn¡¯t see Alyssa Joseph calmly sat on the sofa and looked at theputer. He noticed that Deborah had arrived, and his expression didn¡¯t change much. He didn¡¯t mean to get up and tell Deborah where Alyssa was. Deborah began to feel a little disappointed. She asked anxiously, ¡°Mr. ck, where is Alyssa?¡± Joseph responded, ¡°You camete. She has already gone abroad with the medical team for treatment. The departure time had already been set, and they left about half an hour ago.¡± His words extinguished Deborah¡¯s hopes. ¡°Has gone abroad? So she¡¯s headed to the airport now? Is it still time for me to go and meet her?¡± Joseph said quietly. ¡°They left on a private jet. And they¡¯re in the air now. What do you think?¡± Deborah¡¯s face was gloomy. But she still had doubts about Joseph¡¯s words. ¡°You asked me toe and see Alyssa. Why are they suddenly in such a hurry to go abroad?¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Joseph raised his wrist to check the time. ¡°It¡¯s ten past eight in the evening. Almost three hours have passed since I sent you messages. ¡°What you said was you wereing now. I don¡¯t think you wille after so much time has passed.¡± Deborah wanted to exin that it was inconvenient for her toe here just now. She had walked a long way, taken a taxi, and got stuck in traffic Then she realized that there was no point in exining this. She was silent for a long time before she spoke again, ¡°Can I call her and listen to her voice? Joseph answered without any hesitation, ¡°No¡± ¡°Why?¡± Deborah frowned Joseph finally put down the documents in hand and looked at her sideways. ¡°Ms. Shepherd, you should be clear that I am a businessman like to talk about deals, not charity¡± This was quite clear, and Deborah understood. I see What should I do to hear Alyssa¡¯s voice and see her?¡± Joseph signaled to the s opposite. ¡°Don¡¯t stand. Sit down.¡± Deborah stood still without moving for a while. Joseph could feel her gaze on him. It was a weird feeling. He felt as if something heavy was pressing on him, making him a little breathless, and his irritability deepened. Deborah looked at Joseph for a long while and asked him, ¡°Mr. ck, is my Alyssa really still alive?¡± Joseph didn¡¯t answer. Deborah said softly. ¡°If you want to use me to deal with Ashton, I can promise you. But please don¡¯t lie to me with Alyssa, and don¡¯t give me any hope I shouldn¡¯t have.¡± Joseph still didn¡¯t speak And Shawn on the side said, ¡®Sir, Dr. Locke called and said that Alyssa¡¯s condition on the ne has stabilized, and the hospital abroad has also been contacted. He said you and Mrs. Mullen don¡¯t worry.¡± Deborah didn¡¯t seem to hear anything. She just looked at Joseph, waiting for his answer. Joseph finally nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to you. Alyssa is still alive.¡± Deborah¡¯splexion rxed for a moment. She felt that Joseph¡¯s eyes were not lying. Her voice was sincere and excited. ¡°Thank you.¡± Joseph said again, ¡°Sit.¡± Deborah sat down on the sofa opposite him. Joseph cut to the chase, ¡°Ms. Shepherd, listen to my conditions first. ¡°Before I let you see your daughter, you need to enter the Mullen Group, go to Ashton, and get what I need. ¡°I also want some things in Mullen Manor and Wayne¡¯s residence. When the time is right, I will let you get them.¡± Deborah was sj¨²nned for a while, then said cautiously, ¡°Mr. ck, I can¡¯t get in the Mullen Group. Ashton attaches great importance to business. Even Helen has never entered the Mullen Group building. ¡°As for Mullen Manor, the Mullen family don¡¯t like me. I have only been there once after marrying Ashton for so many years. As for Wayne, I don¡¯t even know where he lives.¡± Joseph was not surprised by her answer, and his tone was still calm. ¡°Mrs. Mullen, I¡¯m just negotiating a deal with you and giving me the conditions for you to see Alyssa. ¡°Of course, you can refuse. You can get up and leave now. Let¡¯s just pretend we never talked about it.¡± His voice was cold. Obviously, he didn¡¯t intend to give her room to bargain. Deborah remembered walking in on Helen stealing documents from Ashton¡¯s study. Sear W Deborah guessed correctly, Helen had also been instructed by Joseph. Deborah was a little confused, so she asked directly, ¡®Did you ask me and Helen to work for you at the same time, Mr. ck?¡± Joseph didn¡¯t hide it ¡°Helen doesn¡¯t seem smart, and she can¡¯t get what I want I n to ask her to do something else. I think maybe you can not let me down.¡± Deborah asked, ¡°If I refuse, will I still have a chance to meet Alyssa?¡± Joseph looked at Deborah with a smile. ¡°Of course, no chance. Deborah didn¡¯t hesitate and nodded. ¡°Okay, I promise you.¡± Joseph was satisfied. He got the answer he wanted, and his sympathy for Deborah no longer existed. Joseph stretched out his right hand towards Deborah. ¡°Then I wish us a happy cooperation, Mrs. Mullen.¡± Deborah stretched out her hand and shook his lightly. But at that moment, her eyes were attracted by Joseph¡¯s left wrist. ¡°Mr. ck, can I ask you how you got that scar on your wrist?¡± Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Captivity Joraph calmly put down the rolled up cuff on his left wrist and replied. ¡± identally injured myself some time ago He didn¡¯t like people noticing his scars because many were from childhood When his mother alive, she married Wayne and took Joseph to live with Wayne Waynes domestic violence had left many scars on Joseph¡¯s body that never faded away During that penod, Joseph had been kidnapped and sold by human traders for more than half a year. He had been beaten many times by the family who bought him. He had got all the scars from burns and falls. All of which he had heard from Shawnter However, the scar on Joseph¡¯s wrist did not seem to be caused by abuse Joseph couldn¡¯t remember how it got, and Shawn also couldn¡¯t tell Shawn had said that Joseph¡¯s mother had an ident that night. When Shawn had taken Joseph to Wayne¡¯s vi, Shawn had noticed Joseph¡¯s wrist was injured. But Shawn had had no time to ask where it came from. Later, Joseph saw his mother burned to death. And after a severe illness, he had forgotten everything before that So no one knew how he got the scar on his wrist. Seeing that Joseph didn¡¯t want to say more, Deborah didn¡¯t ask any more questions She felt momentarily that the scar was simr to the one on Ashton¡¯s wrist. So she couldn¡¯t help but ask. Deborah remembered when she was thirteen, Ashton had been injured trying to save her. After leaving Joseph¡¯s vi, Deborah stood outside alone for a long time. She didn¡¯t want to go back to the eerie ce Ashton had arranged for her. But she had no choice. Her mother was still in Ashton¡¯s hands. And Joseph made a deal to let Deborah meet Alyssa if Deborah helped him deal with Ashton. So now, Deborah had no way to confront Ashton. Deborah didn¡¯t know how long she stood there. And the night was getting darker and darker before Deborah walked to the front and took a taxi back to the house. As soon as she arrived outside the house, through the iron gate, she saw a conspicuous ck car parked in the front yard. Deborah got upset. She was very familiar with it. The car belonged to Ashton. While Deborah was trying to figure out how to exin where she went, Ashton got out of the car. He didn¡¯t look like he just arrived. He probably felt that the house was too unlucky, so he didn¡¯t go in, just sat in the car and waited for Deborah. Deborah immediately became nervous. Seeing him approaching, she stood still. Ashton suppressed his emotions and asked her, ¡°Where did you go?¡± Deborah held a stic bag and replied, ¡°I went to buy daily necessities¡± Ashton looked at the transparent stic bag in her hand, which contained a few simple things. He sneered. ¡°Just these two towels and toothbrushes need you to buy them from two or three o¡¯clock in the afternoon to ten thirty at night?¡± After seeing Deborah off in the afternoon, Ninained to Ashton, saying that Deborah didn¡¯t want to live in his house but insisted on living in this gloomy house. As a relu Deborah disappeared as soon as he came over. Ashton thought she had escaped, so he asked Jeff to go to the alport, train station, and all intersections out of the city to look for At that time of night, she came back by herself. Deborah¡¯s tone was still cany Thaven¡¯t here for many years, and many mads have been changed, so I went to the wrong ce.¡± Ashton looked her up and down aggressively, like examining something Ashton leaned closer and smelled her body, which was a very light woody perfume, Ashton immediately thought of Joseph Ashton¡¯s face immediately became cold ¡°Because you walked in the wrong ce, you got to hang out for eight hours? Deborahy let me tell you, don¡¯t dream about running. If I disagree, you can¡¯t get out of this Richmond. No one can help you¡± Deborah bypassed him and walked inside ¡®Whatever you think.¡± Ashton took out his mobile phone and called Jeff ¡°Deborah is back. Find out where she went.¡± After hanging up the phone, he turned around and walked inside with Deborah This house had not been lived in for many years. Ashton opened the door with the key and went in. The room was full of dust, even a lot of spider webs And it was gloomy everywhere. Ashton frowned and was disgusted, standing outside the entrance door. He was not even willing to take a step through the door. It could be used to make ghost movies. Deborah was crazy to ask to live in this crappy ce. Ashton couldn¡¯t stay for a moment and was about to ask Deborah to leave and take her to his residence nearby. Before he could speak, Jeff sent some photos to Ashton, which were just found out. Ashton took out his mobile phone and saw the photo. It was clearly captured that Deborah had been outside the vi area where Joseph lived, got off the taxi, and walked in It wasn¡¯t until after nine o¡¯clock in the evening that she came out of the vi area, stopped a taxi outside, and left. Ashton couldn¡¯t even imagine what she had done with Joseph for so many hours. Deborah had already walked into the living room. It was scary for her. But in front of Ashton, she was unwilling to show her fear, Because he knew that the more scared he looked, the more Ashton would force her to stay. Deborah was about to clean up the ce when footsteps approached behind her. Ashton grabbed her by the shoulders from behind and pulled her to face him Ashton turned the phone screen to her angrily. ¡°Is that what you mean when you just went shopping and took a wrong turn?¡± Deborah nced at the phone. What she saw was herself standing outside the vi area. That was Richmond¡¯s famous, wealthy neighborhood. And the people living there were rich or honorable. Deborah had obviously gone to Joseph. She was silent for a while, unable to find the right words. The silence was an obvious statement. Ashton was full of anger. He grabbed Deborah and walked upstairs. The house was full of umted dust, and he wasn¡¯t even fastidious at this moment. He dragged Deborah upstairs and kicked open a bedroom door. Thest time someone had lived in this bedroom was Simon when Deborah was twelve years old. In the middle of the night that year, Simon dragged Deborah into the bedroom and locked the door. Then he had an illness attack and died in front of Deborah After another day and two nights, the police came, disposed of Simon¡¯s body, and took Deborah away. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. After that, no one¡¯s been in this house Ashton pushed Deborah into the bedroom. She entered the old ce. Those memories that had been sealed for more than ten years. seemed to be released at this moment. All the past flooded into her mind and appeared before her eyes. The overwhelming sense of fear and suffocation rushed over her head like a flood. Deborah¡¯s face became pale quickly, and she turned anxiously to block the door that was about to close. ¡°Let me out.¡± The sound of the door being locked from the outside came together with Ashton¡¯s angry voice. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. I should have taught you a lesson long ago!¡± Chapter 68 Chapter 68 Chapter 68 She Gave up on Ashton The lights were not timed on in the bedroom. And Ashton took Deborah¡¯s mobile phone away, leaving her in darkness and fear. She knocked on the door desperately in a panic Let me out Open the door and let me out.¡± The sound of Ashton¡¯s footsteps outside the door gradually faded away until they could not be heard at all. In the darkness, Deborah fell that hideous man was approaching her from behind Simon¡¯s voice sounded eerily. ¡°I allow you and your mother to eat and live for free What¡¯s wrong with me ying you?¡± ¡°If you want to rely on me, you have to listen to me. You¡¯re a bitch. You are as cheap as your mother!¡± ¡°You dare to hit me. I will kill you today! Cough..¡± Deborah desperately stretched out her hands in the darkness and pushed her side. ¡°Get away. Get away!¡± She didn¡¯t know when the moonlight began to shine outside the window. The moonlight came in. And she saw arge ck mark at her feet. She remembered therge pool of blood that night. She remembered that Simon seemed to have died in this position. He forced her. And in desperation, she hit him with something. Then he had a heart attack and died Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. before her eyes. Blood flowed all over the ground to her insteps. There was blood all over her shoes and clothes. The memory and the reality began to be unclear. There was no sound from Ashton outside the door. Deborah sat down paralyzed, flinching, and retreating desperately. Her back pressed against the door. And her voice was panicked and desperate. ¡®Ashton, open the door. Open the door.¡± Her internal organs churned and stirred, causing her to twitch in pain. Trembling, she fumbled for the painkiller in her pocket but couldn¡¯t find it. There was not much left of the previous painkillers. And she left them in Flora Vi. Zayne had said to prescribe some new ones for her, ones with better pain relief effects. But he hadn¡¯t had time to give them to her yet. Her body convulsed with pain, and her breath was disordered and weak, ¡°Ashton, I hurt¡­¡± After Ashton locked Deborah in the bedroom, he drove away. The ce was so dirty that he could not stay another moment without feeling sick. Ashton thought about shutting Deborah up for one night and came back tomerrow to see if she knew she was wrong while he drove back to Flora Vi Deborah finally could not hear the sound outside at all. The bedroom was as noiseless as a vast cemetery. The moonlight shining in made it gloomier. She knew very well that Ashton had left and would note back to open the door for her. She would die here tonight if she couldn¡¯t get out by herself. Her internal organs were in severe pain, and she was probably about to vomit blood. Without painkillers, she couldn¡¯tst long A voice in her head screamed desperately. ¡°You can¡¯t die. You can¡¯t die. At least Alyssa is waiting for you!¡± Then came Joseph¡¯s voice. ¡°Mrs. Mullen, help me get what I need, and I will let you see Alyssa¡± Achton The headache made Deborah consciousness confused Intense pan and fear quickly pushed her to the brink of a nervous breakdown She couldn¡¯t wait any longer Deborah forced herself to move slowly to the bedroom window under the faint moonlight The window was old it took her some effort to open it. After pushing the window open with all her might, she sat down and panted heavily And her mouth full of the taste of blood She wanted to die like this, but she couldn¡¯t When she was desperate and wanted to die for relief, Joseph told her that Alyssa was still alive, and she couldn¡¯t die Sitting on the ground. Deborah tried to ignore those hallucinations and Simon¡¯s voice beside her ear. Then she propped herself against the wall stood up slowly, and looked down from the window There was grass below the window. The green grass of spring, covered with dew, glowed with moonlight in the night. For some reason, Deborah¡¯s mind was filled with Joseph¡¯s words again. ¡°Don¡¯t believe what other people say it¡¯s not true that people will die by jumping from the second floor. Look at Helen, who jumped from the fifth floor, and she is still alive.* Therefore, jumping off the second floor could not kill someone, right? Deborah cheered herself up, took the old sheet from the bed, twisted it into a long rope, and fixed one end to the window She nned to grab this and slide down. But the bedsheet was too old. It might break before she reached the ground. But it was better than jumping directly with nothing. Deborah took a deep breath, threw the other end of the sheet down, and with the remaining strength, she grabbed the sheet and flipped out the window. When shended on the ground, she fell. She must have been hurt and bleeding. The pain was severe Deborah tried to stand up slowly, then walked to the front yard slowly to the left She probably had never imagined that one day she woulde to this bedroom again, and she could calm down and jump out of the window enduring the pain, instead of being scared to death in that bedroom because of the nightmare many years ago. The cold moonlight sprinkled on her, and the surroundings were silent. She kept walking along the deserted road. Then her whole body became numb, and she couldn¡¯t tell where the pain was, and her consciousness became a little blurred. Ashton didn¡¯t care about her life and left her in this ce, not even leaving her cell phone, as if he was afraid she would call for help. The only lucky thing was that when she took a taxi back at night, she had identally misheard that the fare was four dors instead of ten dors The driver was honest. After seeing the ount information, he refunded her six dors in cash. Deborah didn¡¯t know how long she walked before she saw a store on the side of the road. She used the six dors to buy a bottle of water and make a phone call. In the past, every time something happened, she always thought of Ashton This time, she didn¡¯t consider calling Ashton in the first ce. At that moment, she suddenly realized she had given up on Ashton. Deborah dialed Zayne¡¯s number, not because she wanted to cause him more trouble, but because she only remembered the two numbers. As for the consequences, she knew very well, but she would bear it herself. 213 Zayne answered the phone quickly and came over quickly, too It was more than an hour¡¯s drive from Deborah¡¯s ce, and he got here somehow in less than half an hour. When Zayne came over, Deborah was sitting on the rest chair outside the convenience store, holding a bottle of water almost finished, and fell asleep with her head tilted. was Zayne got out of the car, hurried over, and patted her lightly. She immediately woke up as if she had been frightened. Her eyes were filled with panic for a moment. Zayne¡¯s heart hurt as he saw her this. And he took out the painkiller from his coat pocket. Is the pain severe? Do you want to take medicine?¡± Deborah was almost dying of pain here. She looked at the medicine in his hand, nodded, and reached out to take it. She took the medicine quickly. She lifted the cap and poured out half the pills. With many pills in her hand, she stuffed them into her mouth habitually Zayne was shocked. She had already swallowed a few pills when he immediately reached out to stop her. Because she swallowed pills urgently, she suddenly made a retching sound. Zayne was worried. ¡°It was just painkillers. Just one is enough. Spit them out!¡± Deborah resisted the desire to vomit and wanted to swallow a few more. But Zayne hurriedly said. ¡°Deborah, you can¡¯t take so many pills! Deborah looked a little embarrassed. At Zayne¡¯s words, she reluctantly spat out the rest of the medicine. She stood up staggeringly. ¡°Dr. Gaige, I¡¯m bothering you again at such ate night.¡± As soon as she stood up, she almost fell off. Zayne stood on her right and immediately reached out to help her, but couldn¡¯t lift his hand. He just remembered that his left hand was useless and wanted to use his right hand to help her. But Deborah had already got into the back seat with the car door. The car was not driven by Zayne, but by Tracy, the nanny of the Gaige family. Zayne¡¯s left hand was disabled, so he could no longer drive or undergo surgery. And he had to get used to many things. As Deborah sat in the car, she saw Tracy in front. But before Deborah could say hello, she couldn¡¯t hold herself back and fell into a Zayne sat beside Deborah. She fell asleep, and he didn¡¯t say a word. The night wind blew outside the car window, and his eyes were sore. Deborah had endured too much torture with Ashton. Zayne didn¡¯t need to ask what happened tonight, and she wouldn¡¯t tell either. Tracy was driving while searching the nearby hospitals. Zayne kept silent, suddenly saying, ¡°I want to take her away.¡± Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Ashton, What Are You Afraid of? Tracy, who was driving in front, was taken aback by Zayne¡¯s words. hur. Gaige, don¡¯t say that You and the Gaige family have suffered too much. I¡¯m sorry for talking too much. But it¡¯s best to leave Ms Shepherd alone Zayne was indignant ¡°Can we just let Ashton dictate everything in Richmond?¡± Tracy could only tell him the truth ¡°Mr. Gaige, this is the world like. The rich and powerful people can decide everything and ordinary people can do nothing to them. ¡°To be honest, the only one in Richmond who can fight against the Mullen family is the one of the ck family¡± But so what? The one who hurt too much people to get to where he was today, to take the ck Group into his own hands. Such a person, who could attack his own siblings, father, and grandfather, was ruthless How could he pity and help someone he didn¡¯t know well? Therefore, no one could save Ms. Shepherd but herself. Zayne said nothing with a sullen face. Seeing Deborah sitting beside him was pale, Zayne reached out and touched her forehead. It was hot Her calf was also obviously injured. And her clothes were soaked in blood. He brought a medical box with him. On their way to the hospital, Zayne gave Deborah some antipyretics and a simple wound treatment Deborah fell into a severea. She was sent to the hospital and then to the emergency room. Zayne sat outside the emergency room and waited. Although the hospital had not dismissed him, and he was still a surgeon in name, his title only existed in name. With one useless, it was inconvenient for hirm to work in the clinic. And there was not much that he could do. Tracy left quietly, went to the window at the end of the corridor far away, and called Ashton¡¯s housekeeper, Jeff. Zayne took Deborah to the hospital. Instead of waiting for Ashton to find it out by himself, it was better to take the initiative to say it now. Zayne maybe be less implicated. When Tracy called, it was already past twelve o¡¯clock in the middle of the night. Ashton quickly rushed over. When Ashton saw Zayne from a distance in the corridor, Ashton¡¯s face turned gloomy, obviously displeased. Tracy immediately went forward and exined, ¡°Mr. Mullen, it was your wife who called my Mr. Gaige, saying that she was unwell, and asked us to take ber to the hospital. ¡°After all, she¡¯s your wife, so as soon as we arrived at the hospital, Mr. Gaige asked me to contact you immediately in case you misunderstood.¡± Ashton was a typical person who preferred soft words. Although he still didn¡¯t say a word, his anger had dissipated a little. As soon as Ashton¡¯s face softened, Zayne, sitting outside the emergency room, immediately got up and approached Ashton angrily. ¡°Ashton, do you have any humanity left? Deborah is currently in the terminal stage of cancer. What did you do to her? Hurry up if you want to kill her, and don¡¯t force her to suffer alive!¡± Ashton looked at Tracy and sneered. ¡°He didn¡¯t want me to misunderstand?¡± Tracy immediately stepped forward to stop Zayne anxiously. ¡°Mr. Gaige, don¡¯t say that. Mrs. Mullen is Mr. Mullen¡¯s wife, and Mr. Mullen will take care of her.¡± terse kost ha tempel. ¡°Nonsense Tracy, you¡¯re afraid of him, but im not. Alyssa is dead Ashton, if you have any humanity left, let Aubon kooked at Zane¡¯s furious appearance indifferently for Aher a while Ashton said in a deep voice, ¡°Don¡¯t let me see him again.¡± Traga face tuned pale. Ashton¡¯s two bodyguards held up Zayne, and Zayne shouted unwillingly. ¡°Ashton, must you see Deborah die in front of you to be satisfied?¡± With a cuff button undone, Ashton looked at Zayne coldly. Dr. Gaige. I don¡¯t want to remind you a second time. Even if Deborah dies, is still mine and has nothing to do with you.¡± Zayne was taken away by bodyguards, and Ashton didn¡¯t listen to what else Zayne said. Ashton stood outside the emergency room. waiting for Deborah toe out. Inexplicably, Zayne¡¯s words echoed in his mind, ¡°Deborah is currently in the terminal stage of cancer¡± This was not the first time that Zayne had told Ashton so Ashton remembered that Deborah had also told him so before and showed him some so-called checklist- Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. What was written on it was advanced liver cancer How was that possible¡± After Deborah got out of the emergency room, she was transferred to a VIP ward. Then a doctor checked her and gave her fluids. And it was down soon. Ashton didn¡¯t like this hospital because Zayne was here, and Joseph¡¯s grandfather lived here recently. Zayne might meet Joseph Ashton¡¯s disgust and hostility towards Joseph now were more profound than that towards Zayne. Although Zayne annoyed Ashton, to put it bluntly. Zayne was not threatening to Ashton. But Joseph was different Ashton felt uneasy. Seeing that Deborah was not in danger, Ashton didn¡¯t let her go out of the hospital directly but took her to Rodger¡¯s hospital instead Rodger happened to be free today, so he checked Deborah himself Deborahs calf was injured, which was severe Rodger checked it, but fortunately, no bone was particrly injured. Ashton stood watching from the side and suddenly said, ¡°Zayne just went crazy again. He told me that Deborah has advanced liver cancer.¡± Rodger paused for Deborah¡¯s examination, looked at Ashton for a long time, and said, ¡°Are you so sure he is talking nonsense?¡± Ashton looked disapproving ¡°Isn¡¯t it? What an obvious thing! I can tell at a nce.¡± Rodgerughed. ¡°Then you are quite capable. You can tell things that can only be detected by so many professional instruments and doctors in the hospital at a nce¡± Ashton stared at the person on the hospital bed and said with displeasure, ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen with Deborah. I know her.¡± Rodger put down the inspection instrument in his hand and looked at Ashton. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just give her a thorough examination?¡± Ashton put Deborah¡¯s hand under the quilt and helped her cover the quilt well. Ashton¡¯s expression was a little unnatural. He looked at the person on the bed with slightly lowered eyes. ¡°No, no need.¡± Rodger looked sarcastic ¡°Ashton, what are you afraid of?¡± Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Chapter 70 He Learned the Truth Ashton knew Rodger was asking him what he was afraid of, but he did not answer What was he afraid of? Losing Deborah? Afraid that Deborah might really have some serious illness, and might leave himn one day? Ashton did not know what the answer was. His feelings for Helen were gratitude and a sense of responsibility. Ashton¡¯s parents were busy with work and neglected him when he was young, and he was not familiar with the things abroad when he was there. Even after staying there for many years, he still could not get used to thenguage, food, and customs there. Helen was the only close friend he had who came from the same ce and was about the same age. The two of them seemed to share a sense of sympathy for each other and also relied on each other. Helen was always with him in those years, they couldmunicate in the samenguage and had the same eating habits and hobbies. The two of them spent Christmas and Christmas Eve together for many years. Helen would always put up the Christmas decorations, prepare the presents, and cook Ashton dinner. Later, when Ashton¡¯s parents passed away, Helen was also the one who stayed by his side as he brought the ashes of his parents back to Richmond. Then, in Richmond, Helen risked her life to save him from the water. Therefore, although Jeff told Ashton multiple times that Helen had an ulterior motive for getting close to Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. him, that it was because the Bauer family wanted Helen to marry into the Mullen family. Ashton never listened nor believed Jeff. To Ashton, what was Deborahpared to Helen? Ashton and Deborah had been married for nearly five years, and they had known each other for far longer than that. Ashton always felt that he never liked Deborah, because Deborah¡¯s mother took away Helen¡¯s father. Plus, as an illegitimate daughter, Deborah shamelessly married into the Bauer family and became Helen¡¯s sister inw. But no matter how much he did not like Deborah, he had been married to her for as long as five years. Even though Ashton did not want to admit it, he realized he had gotten used to Deborah¡¯s existence and their marriage. He had gotten used to everything Deborah did for him. The taste of the food Deborah cooked, the way Deborah slept next to him, and the countless nights their bodies entangled This was apletely different feeling than what Ashton felt with Helen. If one day Helen was gone, Ashton would probably feel guilty, feel that he owed her for saving him and for all the years she spent apanying him. But what if Deborah was gone? Ashton thought about it, but could not imagine it. Suddenly, he realized that he did not dare to even think about it Rodger sneered beside him and said, ¡°Ashton, just because you keep escaping from some things, doesn¡¯t mean they don¡¯t exist. It¡¯s the same for Deborah, her body won¡¯t magically be fine just because you don¡¯t let her get checked up.¡± Ashton suddenly interrupted him angrily and said, ¡°I said, it won¡¯t happen!¡± Rodger turned and said coldly before he left the ward, ¡°Whatever you want to think.¡± Ashton¡¯s expression was grim, and Rodger, who walked to the door of the ward, turned back again. Ashton said in a hostile tone. You don¡¯t need to persuade me anymore, Deborah doesn 1 need to do any checkups Hodger¡¯s tone was not much better as he said. ¡®Im not interested in persuading you about these things I just remembered one thing. I went ahmad some time ago and consulted a medical expert Imay already ow why the results of that palemity test you took with Alyssa came back negative¡± Ashton looked at Hodger silently, and ilger continued, ¡°There Is a possibility that two sets of DNA may exist in one body For example, while still on the mother¡¯s wornb, one of the twins dies, forming a parasitic fetus. As a result, the one that survives can carry two different sets of DNA¡± Ashton¡¯s expression changed visibly Rodger sald calmly, ¡°I don¡¯t have to tell you the rest, do 17¡± Ashton had experienced the some situation. His mother was originally pregnant with twis boys. Later, when she went for an examination in the first trimester, only one fetus remained and the other died After a while, Ashton spoke with me difficulty, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say this earlier?¡± Rodger had a sarcastic expression as he said, ¡®Why don¡¯t ask yourself why didn¡¯t you check this earlier? If only back then you had the slightest faith that Alyssa was your daughter¡± Ashton was speechless, and Rodger asked him calmly, ¡°Do you still want to do the paternity test? Alyssa¡¯s hair sample is still with ¡°Of course, it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to do it. Since Alyssa is already gone, a person like you would probably wish never to find out the truth.¡± Ashton¡¯s expression turned grave, and his palms clenched at some point It took him a long time before he said firmly, ¡°Do it¡± Rodger responded, ¡°Thene out with me and get another blood sample.¡± Ashton followed, took a blood sample, and sat in the corridor waiting for the test results. Nervousness could be clearly seen on his face. At this moment, he was probably more afraid of the result than looking forward to it. If Alyssa was really his child, what kind of person would that make him? Even the most vicious animal would not hurt their own child What would all the hurt he had done to Alyssa mean? Ashton felt homble just thinking about it. He could not help but asked Rodger, ¡°Is what you said really true? Or did Deborah tell you to Say it?¡± Rodger¡¯s expression turned furious I shouldn¡¯t have proposed to give you a re test, you¡¯re really hopeless!¡± After Rodger said that, he took the medical records, turned around, and left. He did not want to spend another second with Ashton. Ashton was sick in the mind, and Rodger was afraid that might be contagious. Ashton could barely sit still it was rare for him to be this impatient, but he felt extremely anxious right now He stood up, could not help but took out a cigarette, lit it, and paced back and forth in the corridor A nurse passed by him and reminded, ¡°Sir, please don¡¯t smoke in the hospital corridor Ashton apologized, his mind was in a bit of a mess at the moment. He extinguished the cigarette, but he was now even more anxious than before He had dreamed of having a child with Deborah. How could he tell people that he was so out of his mind that he let his daughter fail. off a cliff and died? He walked faster and faster, and for some reason, even his palms became wet. Restless and distressed, Ashion waited for as long as several hours in the corridor, eager to see the result quickly. When he calcted the time and the result was about toe out, despite his anticipation earlier, he panicked a little. For some reason, he hoped that time would pass slower Suddenly, he was reluctant to see the result At the end of theidor, Rodger, who had been away for a long time, finally came back and walked towards Ashton with an indifferent expression. Ashton saw him at a nce. At that moment, he felt so guilty he subconsciously looked away, pretending not to see Rodger. Rodger approached a few steps, and handed him a slip with a cold expression. ¡°This is the test result, read it or not, believe it or not, I don¡¯t care ¡± Ashton suppressed his emotions, but still revealed a bit of anxiety, and reached out to take the slip Rodger¡¯s face was filled with mockery as he said, ¡°The result is what it is. If you don¡¯t believe it and want another re-test, don¡¯t look for me Rodger decided that if Ashton was so idiotic to still suspect something, he would put up a sign at the hospital entrance tomorrow that says ¡°Ashton Mullen and dogs are not allowed inside¡±. Ashton looked down at the report, and as he looked at it, his hands began to tremble. Rodger did not even bother to look at Ashton and left right away. Alyssa was dead, and Rodger did not want to see Ashton get sentimental and repent, it was disgusting. It was clearly shown on the slip that Alyssa was indeed Ashton¡¯s child. Ashton stood there dumbfounded for a long time, his eyes were filled with redness. The daughter Aston had dreamed of having, he had left her in the car and let her fall off a cliff to die! Jeff came over and saw that something was wrong with Ashton. Just as he was about to ask what was going on, he heard Ashton¡¯s painful and hoarse voice. ¡°Jeff, where¡¯s Alyssa¡¯s¡­ body?¡± Jeff was stunned for a moment, he was used to Ashton calling Alyssa ¡°bastard¡± all the time. Now that Ashton suddenly called Alyssa by her name, for a second there, Jeff did not even realize who Ashton was referring to. Jeff came back to his senses and replied, ¡°Mr. Mullen, Alyssa has been cremated at the funeral home. I¡¯ve given the ashes to Ms. Shepherd.¡± Since Ashton did not like Alyssa, Jeff felt if he gave the ashes to Ashton, Aston would throw them away anyways. Therefore, instead of doing that, Jeff thought it would be better to secretly give them to Deborah. Ashton¡¯s face twitched a little, and he strode towards Deborah immediately after hearing this. Deborah had already woken up in the ward, and was sitting on the bed when she saw Ashtoning in suddenly, approaching her with red eyes and asking, ¡°Where¡¯s Alyssa¡¯s ashes?¡± Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Why Were You Repenting? Deborah didn¡¯t understand what he meant for a while and asked him lightly, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ashton was obviously agitated. His eyes were wide open, and he said, ¡°I said, where did you put Alyssa¡¯s ashes?¡± Rodger came in from the outside and stopped Ashton in a cold voice. ¡°Ashton, if you still have some dignity, don¡¯t bother Deborah again at this time.¡± Ashton killed his own daughter, and now he was moring for the ashes. Even a bystander like Rodger found Ashton¡¯s behavior to be disgusting. Deborah ignored Ashton and looked at Rodger. ¡°Dr. Denard, what do you mean?¡± Rodger sighed, but he still told the truth. ¡°I used Alyssa¡¯s hair to do another paternity test for Ashton. ¡°The result shows Alyssa is his biological daughter. The previous result was wrong because Ashton carries two different sets of DNA, which is rare to see.¡± Ashton¡¯s face was a little distorted. The words he had nned to say to force Deborah to hand over Alyssa¡¯s ashes were hard to speak out of now. Deborah looked at him, acting like a fool, and smiled Ashton couldn¡¯t help feeling regretful and said with some guilt, ¡°Deborah, I misunderstood before. You just give me Alyssa¡¯s ashes. I will properly bury her, and I need to repent of my sins.¡± ¡°Repent my a s s Deborah looked at him with a smile, and her voice was very calm. Ashton¡¯s face was a little stiff, and he said again after a while. ¡°It¡¯s because someone tampered with it. It¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t take blood for a paternity test before ¡°I remembered that Ernest was the one who did the test that time, so it was obvious that he lied to me Don¡¯t worry. I will make him pay the price and give Alyssa an exnation¡± Deborah was really disgusted by his words and interrupted him. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just die?¡± Ashton stopped talking abruptly, and his throat was so dry that when he opened his mouth again, he was unable to say a word. Deborah looked at him indifferently ¡°Ashton, if you really want to repent, you can jump off the cliff by yourself. In that way, you and Alyssa will suffer the same pain. Then, you can apologize to Alyssa in person in heaven. That is repentance.¡± She paused and looked at Ashton with a pale face. Instead of standing here and still sparing no effort to push all the responsibilities and faults on an insignificant person.¡± To put it bluntly, what was Ernest? What was Helen? As long as Ashton paid slight attention or used his brain, what could they even do something with their weak troublemaking skills? There was surveince in the hospital, and there were Irrelevant people during the test, so the test could be done again in another hospital Even a bystander doctor could tell that Alyssa and Ashton looked alike The truth was basically written in front of Ashton¡¯s eyes. But he didn¡¯t look at it and he didn¡¯t believe it. He just preferred to close his eyes, cover his head, and be set up by others Now that the truth could no longer be concealed and was exposed, he ran over and asked regretfully. ¡°Where¡¯s Alyssa¡¯s ashes?¡± Ashton said with a deep voice, ¡°The matter has already happened, and I can only do my best to make up for it.¡± Deborah sneered ¡°Who needs it?¡± Ashton was a little speechless. ¡°Deborah, listen to me¡­¡± ¡°Who needs you to make up for it? Do you think the ashes need it, or me, who has one foot in the grave?¡± Deborah¡¯s voice was calm, without much emotion. In the past, she dreamed of the day when Ashton would admit Alyssa was his daughter. In her imagination, if that day came, she might cry with joy, feel extremely wronged, or even lose control of her emotions. But now, the truth was finally clearly presented to Ashton. But there were no changes in her heart or no emotional fluctuations. She just felt a little ridiculous, so she couldn¡¯t helpughing. Ashton said cautiously, ¡°Can you give me Alyssa¡¯s ashes? If you really don¡¯t want to, you can just let me take a look. I won¡¯t take it away. I¡¯ll just take a look.¡± What else could he do now? Alyssa had died, and her body was cremated. He could see nothing but her ashes That child had stood by his side countless times, carefully called him daddy, and looked at him pitifully with fearful and expectant eyes. There was one time he braided her hair, and it was all crooked, but sheughed so happily. But he had never even called her by name, and even when he donated bone marrow to her to save her life, he was trying to force Deborah to have a baby and then let Alyssa leave Flora Vi. Until she died, all she heard only was Ashton calling her a bas ta rd. Ashton had never called her by her name. Ashton still remembered that once when she had a fever, she grabbed the hem of her clothes and asked him in a low voice, ¡°Dad, can you give me a fly-up to the sky hug once? For other children, their dads would lift them high.¡± How did he respond then? He pushed her away, looked at her with disgust and said, ¡°Go away!¡± After going out, Helen fainted outside, and he immediately camed Helen up and left in a hurry At that time, he seemed to be able to feel Alyssa¡¯s lonely gaze behind him through a door. That was his daughter, his blood. Ashton couldn¡¯t ept this fact, looked at Deborah, and begged, ¡°Just let me see Alyssa¡¯s ashes please.¡± Deborah looked at him with a smile. ¡°When I just found out that you were going for a paternity test, I threw Alyssa¡¯s ashes in the trash can outside the door. It¡¯s in the corridor outside. Go and have a look.¡± Ashton looked at her sadly. ¡°I want to hear the truth.¡± Deborah still had the same expression. ¡°How many times have you told me this sentence? Ashton, I told you a long time ago. If you don¡¯t believe me, don¡¯t ask me.¡± Ashton panicked and immediately shook his head. ¡°No. I believe you. I¡¯ll go find it, and I¡¯ll bring it back.¡± He turned around and walked out of the ward. There was arge trash can in the corridor outside the Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. door with a ck trash bag. Hospital trash cans contained many things, including used tissues, swabs, medications, leftover food, and even blood and saliva. Ashton was such a noble person. When he had meals at home, if he saw some water stains on the tableware, he would leave the tableware and sk ip the meal. Then, he would fire the maid. Now it seemed like his brain was not functioning, and he started to rummage through the trash can in public. His slender fingertips and the cuffs of his coat were stained with something blo ody and dirty. Deborah felt a little nauseous looking at it, but Ashton still kept a calm expression, staring at the trash can and continuing to search. After searching for a while, he couldn¡¯t find the um. He looked up at Deborah with a nk expression. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to be there. Did you remember it wrong?¡± Deborah leaned back against the door when Ashton kept leaning over to dig through the trash can. For the first time, Deborah looked down at him with downcast eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t remember it wrong, but when I threw it away, I poured out the ashes. It¡¯s in the trash can. Why don¡¯t you pick out the ashes one piece by one piece?¡± Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Chapter 72 You Killed Her Without any hesitation, Ashton immediately continued to bend down, looking for ashes from the trash can. It didn¡¯t take long for him to realize something. He said with a depressed face, ¡°I can¡¯t find it. If the ashes are thrown in the trash can, how can I find it?¡± He had just rummaged through the trash can, and the ashes had already been sca tt ered in the trash can and stuck to the pile of trash, so how could he find it? Deborah smiled lightly. ¡°The ashes were lost a long time ago. Did you just realize it?¡± Ashton¡¯s face was trembling and turned pale. He approached Deborah suddenly and asked unwillingly, ¡°That¡¯s my daughter. Why did you throw her ashes?¡± Deborah looked at the lun atic man in front of her. ¡°What are you talking about? Didn¡¯t you call her bas ta rd all the time?¡± Ashton was speechless. The palms of his hands were tightly clenched into fists, and the veins on the back of his hands stood out. The word bas ta rd that he had said casually in the past had now be a thorn, piercing hard into his heart. He felt that his whole heart was curled up together, and the pain was so severe that he tasted blood. He lost his parents and finally had another rtive by blood, his biological daughter. That child was well-behaved and sensible. She would stick to him, calling him daddy timidly and fearfully. But she was dead, and Ashton looked at the long corridor in a daze, which seemed to be empty. After looking for a while, he seemed to see Alyssa again Desperation spread, and then he suddenly remembered one more thing. ¡°Her lucky charm. Where is that burned out lucky charm?¡± Those were the relics of the deceased. ording to the custom of the funeral parlor, things like this would not be cremated together with the body and would be kept as a memory for the family members. Jeff immediately called the funeral parlor, and there was a hesitant response. ¡°The lucky charm and the body were burnt to ashes together.¡± It had already been burned, and there was nothing else to do. After all, Ashton didn¡¯t exin that he wanted to keep something at the beginning Jeff hung up the phone, and he could only bite the bullet and tell Ashton the truth Ashton couldn¡¯t ept such a result. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it. I didn¡¯t see the ashes, nor did I see the lucky charm. There must be something wrong with it. The person who died may not be my daughter.¡± Impossible! He finally understood everything. His daughter was still by his side, and together with Deborah, the three of them would live a good life in the future. He looked at Jeff with a hint of hope. ¡°Go look under that cliff and send out a missing person notice with a big reward. My daughter is still alive. She must be alive and well.¡± His voice was in a trance. ¡°By the way, go to the funeral parlor to see if there is any hair or other body tissues left from the body. I want to test the DNA. That body must not belong to my daughter.¡± Jeff said helplessly. ¡°Mr. Mullen, Alyssa has indeed fallen off the cliff. You saw it with your own eyes that day. It has been more than a month since the day of the incident. It is impossible to find anything under the cliff. ¡°As for the funeral parlor, there are so many bodies that are transported and cremated every day. ¡°How could they still find the remaining hair of the body cremated more than a month ago and even get identified?¡± Ashton was imitable and interrupted him suddenly, ¡°I ask you to do it, so you just do it!¡± He frantically stared at Deborah again. ¡°My daughter is not dead, right? Why haven¡¯t you been so sad recently? Why don¡¯t you act up recently? You must know my daughter is still alive, right?¡± He suddenly stretched out his hand, trying to check Deborah¡¯s pockets to see if he could find anything. Just as he stretched out his hand, he got a sudden p on the face. Ashton was stunned for a moment, seeing Deborah¡¯s disgusted eyes. ¡°Ashton, is it that difficult to admit that you were wrong, and you can¡¯t make up for it?¡± Ashton finally stood still without making a sound. Deborah took a step back, and her voice was cold. ¡°Alyssa passed away, and I have already buried her. If you really want to make up for her, don¡¯t go to her again. Don¡¯t bother her. Just let her rest in peace. ¡°What you shouldn¡¯t do is act like this, trying to find out the slightest bit of her remains. You would even dig her out and force her to watch your crocodile tears.¡± Ashton shook his head in despair. ¡°She¡¯s not dead. Stop pretending.¡± Deborah said word by word, ¡°Whether she is dead or not, Ashton, you know best when you saw it with your own eyes that day. It¡¯s not that you don¡¯t know she is dead, but you just don¡¯t want to admit that you killed her.¡± Ashton¡¯s lips trembled, and finally, he didn¡¯t try to search Deborah¡¯s pockets again or let Jeff go to the funeral parlor to find things. They were right. It was such a high cliff, and he saw what had happened with his own eyes that day. Even the falling car and the lucky charm were all burnt, which he saw with his own eyes. He even looked at and identified Alyssa¡¯s body in person, which was burnt to the point of being blurred and horrific.. Alyssa was dead. Deborah was right. Ashton didn¡¯t know what to do, so he spoke again after a while, ¡°Deborah, let¡¯s have another child. This time, I will definitely treat her well.¡± Deborah looked at him indifferently. ¡°You are really hopeless.¡± She turned around and went straight back to the ward, ignoring him. Ashton stood nkly in the corridor, thinking about what he should do. What should he do to make himself feel better, to make himself feel less guilty, and to give Alyssa an exnation? He thought of Ernest. It was Ernest who falsified the result of the paternity test. Ashton took the blood and did the test. The N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. result should not show that Alyssa wasn¡¯t his kid. It was all Ernest¡¯s fault. Ernest deceived him, and Emest must be up to something. Ashton left the hospital and called Richmond Hospital but was told that Ernest asked for leave suddenly in the morning and left Ashton looked at Jeff, who was driving. ¡°Go back to Flora Vi. Send someone to find Ernest. No matter where he is, find him and bring him to Flora Vi!! After driving back to Flora Vi, Ashton went upstairs and saw Helen sitting in a wheelchair in Alyssa¡¯s bedroom. Nina pushed the wheelchair, and Helen acted like a hostess, ordering a few maids around. ¡°This stuff and those over there. Clear out all Alyssa¡¯s belongings. Throw them outside, and burn them!¡± The window in the bedroom was open and many things had been thrown out. A fire was lit in the yard downstairs, and many of Alyssa¡¯s clothes had been burned Helen had no intention of giving up at all and ordered the maids to throw away Alyssa¡¯s used towels, toothbrush cups, and even her bedding. A maid was holding a lot of things and was about to throw them out of the window,pletely oblivious to when Ashton hade in Before she could throw the thing in her hand, her body was kicked suddenly, and she fell and hit the ground heavily. The noisy bedroom fell into a deathly silence in an instant Jeff had already gone to the yard downstairs to put out the fire Ashton¡¯s face was gloomy, and when he got angry, he kicked Nina, who was pushing Helen¡¯s wheelchair. Nina fell and pushed the wheelchair down out of inertia. Helen, in the wheelchair, also fell to the ground with a loud sound awkwardly The swaggering look on Helen¡¯s face disappeared instantly, and her face turned pale Ashton looked at her with cold eyes. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Chapter 73 Chapter 73 Chapter 73 Helen Was Mad Helen¡¯s face was as pale as snow, and she couldn¡¯t say a word after falling to the ground for a long while Ashton approached her ¡°Didn¡¯t you always say that you treat Alyssa as your daughter? You can¡¯t bear a few relics now?¡± Nina went to help Helen up in a panic and secretly pinched Helen¡¯s arm. Helen felt pain and then suddenly came back to her senses Being supported back into the wheelchair, Helen looked at Ashton with a look of horror and bewilderment. ¡°What happened, Ashton? Is something wrong?¡± Ashton picked up a toy piano that had fallen on the ground like picking up a treasure and carefully wiped the dust off it In fact, this bedroom was spotless, and there was a carpet on the floor, so the toys were not stained with dust at all. But he still wiped it very carefully, as if he was treating a rare treasure Helen felt something was wrong when she saw this and quickly had a bad feeling. Ashton cleaned the toy piano and carefully put it back on the bedside table. Immediately, he picked up the other things that belonged to Alyssa on the ground and put them back in their original ces. Jeff walked in and wanted to help Ashton to pick things up, but Ashton refused. Helen was not a fool and quickly figured out what was going on. After all, the truth woulde to light sooner orter. Deborah must have thought of some way to let Ashton know Alyssa¡¯s true identity. Helen cheered up and said cautiously, ¡°Ashton, I¡¯m also very sad about Alyssa¡¯s death. I didn¡¯t want to do anything bad to her relics. ¡°I just heard people say that the relic should go with Alyssa so that Alyssa could rest in peace and have a better time in another world.¡± Helen didn¡¯t know if Ashton had heard her words. His eyes were only fixed on Alyssa¡¯s toy piano in a trance. It was a small toy. Although it could make sound, it was just a cheap toy, after all. sybles. The sound quality was very poor, and it could only be held in one hand and y a few very simple sybles. But even so, this was Alyssa¡¯s favorite toy of all time. When she was still alive, she liked to sing and y things that could make sounds A real piano was expensive, but Deborah once saved some money and bought one for Alyssa. A few days after buying the piano, Helen said that the sound of Alyssa ying the piano disturbed her sleep at night. After that, as soon as it got dark, Alyssa never dared to touch the piano again. A few dayster, Helen said again that she was woken up by the sound of the piano when she was taking a nap, and she had a severe headache. At that time, Ashton thought that Deborah and Alyssa must do it on purpose. Without saying a word, he threw the piano directly from the window on the second floor. The maids threw away the broken piano like a scrap. Ashton didn¡¯t think anything was wrong at that time, but now that he thought about it, he suddenly could clearly remember Alyssa¡¯s fearful and sad eyes at that time. Even for this toy, she only dared to hide in her room to y with it secretly and never look it out to y anywhere else. Ashton felt a strong pain in his heart He looked away from the toy no and looked at Helen with some hatred Helen¡¯s eyes were red, and she said, I¡¯m sorry¡¯ Ashton calmed down slowly, and after thinking about it, he couldn¡¯t think of what Helen had done anything wrong on purpose. After all, he couldn¡¯t bear to hurt her, so he said coldly, ¡°All of you. Out!¡± The maids were tembly frightened Hearing this, they all left the room as fast as they could, as if they were trying to escape from death Nina also pushed Helen out, and when they reached the door, Ashton suddenly said again, ¡°Helen, move to the bedroom next to my study ¡°When Alyssa was still alive, she didn¡¯t like you very much, so you should live away from her for the time being.¡± Nina thought she had heard it wrong. Ashton hadn¡¯t discovered any of those horrible things that Helen had done. He drove Helen to live in thater just because of a dead child The bedroom next to the study had been vacant for several years and no one had lived in it In the past, Ashton would asionally sleep in that bedroom when he had worked toote in the study. Later, the study was changed and turned into a suite with a bedroom and a bed, and he had never slept in the next bedroom since that. The bedroom, which had been vacant for two years, was beginning to fill with clutter, and it was no different from a cluttered utility room. Ashton used to treat Helen so well and would even think that letting her live in the second bedroom would wrong her. But now¡­ Nina tentatively said unwillingly, ¡°Mr. Mullen, that bedroom has been empty for a long time, and the dust should be quite a lot.¡± Sitting in a wheelchair, Helen also coughed weakly for a while. Ashton was sitting on the sofa, holding Alyssa¡¯s toy piano. Hearing this, he seemed to get annoyed being disturbed by others, so he said impatiently, ¡°Can¡¯t you get some water to wipe off the dust?¡± He remembered that when Alyssa was still alive, she had slept in the snow and even in the kennel. Alyssa had lived in all kinds of messy ces. She was his precious daughter, and she should have a very luxurious life. Helen was stunned, and she couldn¡¯t cough anymore. Nina knew there was no way to change this, so she pushed Helen away. Ashton looked at this bedroom in dismay. He had passed by this bedroom countless times when Alyssa stayed in this bedroom so alive. But he never once was willing to open the door and take a look at her. Now, he would never see what he hoped the most to see again. His voice trembled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Dad was wrong.¡± Helen was pushed into that bedroom by Nina, and once she entered, she saw there were sundries sc atte red all over the ce and the smell of dust was particrly pungent. Chapter 73 Ne as Mad Helen was so angry that her face turned gloomy. She would have thrown things to vent her anger if her legs hadn¡¯t been amputated so that she couldn¡¯t walk now Ashton was simply heartless and ungrateful! Talking about taking her as a savior and apanying her all these years, these were just all talk How could he let her live in such a hostile room? He started to treat her like this even now When he found out what she had done, would she still have a chance to survive? Helen¡¯s mind was full of anger, which slowly turned into a kind of great uneasiness Nina stood behind her, coughing repeatedly ¡®Even if this bedroom has been empty for a long time, it shouldn¡¯t be so messy, right?¡± Flora Vi was spotless everywhere. Even if it was a vacant bedroom, the maids would clean it every day N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. At most, there might be a few sundries because no one lived there. It was impossible for the room to be full of ashes, and the sundries were thrown all over the floor in a mess. Helen also felt something was wrong, and when she was wondering. Jeff¡¯s voice sounded behind her ¡°Mr. Mullen has already told you to move in Why doesn¡¯t Ms Bauere in? Do you think this bedroom is not good enough for your status. Ms Bauer?¡± Chapter 74 Chapter 74 Chapter 74 You Can Do Whatever You Want This obvious sarcasm made Helen tremble with anger. She realized something and looked at Jeff angrily. ¡°This bedroom has be like this, and I think you did it on purpose, right?¡± Jeff sneered. ¡°Ms. Bauer, what are you talking about? Do you really think that I deliberately made the bedroom dirty and messy to make your living ufortable?¡± Nina was Helen¡¯s people. Even though she was a just maid, she thought she was superior to others. Looking at this messy room, let alone Helen even Nina couldn¡¯t ept it. Nina said angrily, ¡°Mr. Mullen is still at home. Jeff, if you bully people like this, aren¡¯t you afraid that I will tell Mr. Mullen?¡± Jeff smiled. Please go ahead.* After he finished speaking, he turned and left. He wished that Helen would go to Ashton toint now. At this time, Ashton was feeling extremely depressed and suffering because of Alyssa. If Helen went to bother him at this time, she would be in the eye of the storm. Even if she was on the right side, she would definitely not get a good result. Nina was so angry that she wanted to find Ashton, but Helen stopped Nina with her hand. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Let it go this time.¡± Nina had no choice but to give up. Flora Vi¡¯s maids were all discerning. When they saw Helen¡¯s situation, there was no one to help her clean up. Nina was busy cleaning with water and towels, so Helen had no choice but to push the wheelchair into the messy bedroom herself. As soon as she entered, her phone rang. Helen took it out and saw that it was Joseph calling. It never rained but it poured. As soon as she answered the call, Joseph said with a bad tone, ¡®Ms. Bauer, where is the document I want?¡± Helen had something in Joseph¡¯s hands, so no matter how angry she was now, she could only hold back and say in a low voice, ¡°Mr. ck, something happened to me. It¡¯s really¡­¡± Joseph interrupted her impatiently. ¡°Whether something happened to you or not, it has nothing to do with me. Where is the document?¡± Helen could only bite the bullet and say truthfully, ¡°I haven¡¯t got it yet. I really can¡¯t do anything these days. Can I wait until next month?¡± Joseph¡¯s tone was non-negotiable. ¡°I won¡¯t continue to waste my time with you. Before tomorrow night, either I see what I want, or you see your love affair making headlines.¡± Helen was so angry that she almost couldn¡¯t catch her breath, but there was nothing she could do. ¡°I tried it. One time, Ashton bumped into me when I took the file out of the study.¡± There was silence for a while. Helen thought that Joseph had softened his heart and nned to amodate. The next moment, he said, ¡°Are you stu pid? Who told you to take out the file?¡± Helen didn¡¯t understand him for a moment. ¡°What do you mean? Don¡¯t you want the documents?¡± There was a little pity in the tone. ¡°I said I wanted to see the documents, but I didn¡¯t say I wanted to get the originals. When Ashton is not in the study, bring a cup of coffee in, open the camera of your phone, take pictures of the documents, and send them to me. *If he bumps into you again, tell him that you are just there to bring him coffee, ande out without seeing him. Do you understand?¡± Helen was stunned for a moment and suddenly understood. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say it earlier?¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Joseph sat on the couch in the living room and hung up the phone directly. He nced sideways at Shawn and couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°What kind of taste does Ashton have? For a woman like this, do you think she can even wipe the floor of your house?¡± When Joseph called Helen, he turned on the speakerphone directly. Shawn shook his head sincerely. ¡°Nope.¡± Joseph pressed the center of his brows because of a headache and asked after a while, ¡°How is Deborah? Has she got into the Mullen Group yet?¡± Shawn returned to his serious look and replied, ¡°Not yet.¡± Joseph leaned back, and when he closed his eyes, there were those messy things on his mind. His mother died, but Wayne was still alive, and everyone in the Mullen family was still alive. His voice sounded exhausted. ¡°Where is that kid from abroad? What¡¯s the situation now?¡± Shawn responded, ¡°The stic surgery has just been done. It will take at least a month for the stitches to be removed, and the traces to disappear. By then, there will be no difference between her and Deborah¡¯s daughter.¡± Shawn sighed, thinking that child was quite pitiful. Because of an ident, her face was severely disfigured. Her family couldn¡¯t afford the cost of stic surgery and follow-up medical treatment, so they asked for help everywhere. Joseph gave them the money, but not in vain. There was a condition. They should perform the stic surgery ording to Alyssa¡¯s look. In the bedroom in Flora Vi. It was already the next morning, and the people sent by Ashton had already found Ernest and brought him here. Ashton asked someone to bring him directly to Alyssa¡¯s bedroom and insisted on asking Deborah to watch him without any exnation. Ernest was so frightened that his face turned pale. Ashton looked down at him with uncertain emotions. Deborah was sitting by the side,cking in interest. She knew that Ashton was going to attack Ernest just to make himself feel less guilty. Alyssa was dead, and there must be someone to take the me. For such a selfish person as Ashton, he would not be willing to take the me, so he could only bring someone along. Ashton rubbed the de with his thumb, and he didn¡¯t even know where he got this scalpel. The de was glowing with a cold light, and just looking at it made people shudder. He looked sideways at Deborah. ¡°How about you do it yourself? You must hate him even more. You can do whatever you want.¡± Deborah looked at him with that kind of joking look again, and her voice was indifferent. ¡°I hate you even more, and I want-le-de- something to you even more. How about you let me do whatever I want to you?¡± Ashton handed her the scalpel in his hand. ¡°Okay. Do it.¡± Jeff¡¯s face darkened, and he immediately stepped forward to stop them. Ashton nced at Jeff. ¡°No one is allowed toe over.¡± Deborah was reluctant to do it, and Ashton knew it best. Deborah took the scalpel neatly, stood up and walked in front of him. She held a scalpel in one hand and stretched out the other hand to Ashton¡¯s neck. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she slowly groped his neck with her fingertips. Ashton was addicted to the feeling of her touching him and even felt that she was seducing him. Neen-year-old Deborah would seduce him and climb into his bed. She loved him to death. Deborah¡¯s hand rested on his neck, sliding. Ashton couldn¡¯t help it and unconsciously wanted to close his eyes. But when he raised his eyes, what he saw was the raging hatred and murderous intent in Deborah¡¯s eyes. Her hand was on his neck, and when she touched the throbbing artery, her hand stopped moving. She smiled lowly. ¡°You agreed, so don¡¯t run.¡± The scalpel in her hand stabbed towards him suddenly, and the hand on his neck quickly moved away The point of her scalpel didn¡¯t deviate at all. Without the slightest hesitation, she stabbed hard at the position she had just found. At that moment, Ashton had the taste of death approaching. He didn¡¯t want to but had to admit that Deborah really wanted to and would really kill him. At that moment, he suddenly turned his head away. Deborah¡¯s eyes were red, and seeing him move suddenly, she desperately wanted to hold his head down. Ashton didn¡¯t dare to try her anymore, and he didn¡¯t need to try again. He knew he lost the bet He used to have the most chance to win, but he lost this time. Ashton reached out and strangled the wrist of Deborah¡¯s scalpel holding hand. Deborah struggled like crazy with her eyes wide open and wanted to withdraw her hand. ¡°Why did you move? Ashton, be a man! Don¡¯t move. Why did you move? You should have died a long time ago!¡± Ashton¡¯s face turned paler, took the scalpel from Deborah¡¯s hand, and threw it on the ground. He forcefully pressed Deborah, who was struggling desperately, into his arms. Deborah¡¯s eyes were filled with dissatisfaction, and she roared like a trapped animal. Ashton held her tightly, and she struggled fiercely. His eyes couldn¡¯t help turning red. ¡°Don¡¯t do this. Chapter 75 Chapter 75 Chapter 75 Death Penalty It was chaotic in the bedroom. Taking advantage of Ashton¡¯s conflict with Deborah, Emest secretly wanted to get up and escape. After finally moving to the door carefully, Ashton grabbed his shoulders from behind. Ashton was angry with Deborah at this time, and he was worried that he had nowhere to vent his anger. Then, Ashton pulled Emest hard, and Ernest was thrown to the ground. Ashton grabbed Emest¡¯s neck with one hand, stretched out the other hand, and found the scalpel on the ground. Emest was so frightened that he lost his head and shouted, ¡°Helen, get your a s s here! I¡¯m in trouble now, so don¡¯t even think about hiding in there!¡± Previously, he could still stay calm. In the past, no matter how suspicious Ashton was, he didn¡¯t investigate carefully, and he didn¡¯t get any real evidence. As long as Emest said he hadn¡¯t done it angrily, and Helen cried sadly, Ashton¡¯s heart would soften. But this time it wouldn¡¯t work. Ashton was serious, and he even let someone investigate it carefully. Ernest falsified the paternity test results and tampered with Alyssa¡¯s treatment, all of which were directly found out by the director of the hospital. When a man was going downhill, everyone would give him a push. Several colleagues who used to be in the same boat as him all came forward to use him, saying that he had lost his mind and lost his medical ethics long ago. In order to keep themselves safe, those colleagues were all anxious and provided all the evidence of his bad deeds. In the current situation, not only Ashton wanted to revenge on him, but many family members of patients and other social figures gathered outside the hospital, holding signs and marching to send him to prison and receive the death penalty. When a doctor attacked his patients, it was really easy to arouse public anger. After all, everyone would be sick and hospitalized at some point. Who knew if they would meet such a vicious quack doctor one day? Ernest was hated by everyone now, and he knew very well that this time he really wouldn¡¯t get away with it. Helen was actually standing outside the bedroom at this time. Ernest was caught, and she was worried that she would be sold out by him. But at this very moment, how could she go in? Ernest was in the bedroom, crying while being beaten up by Ashton. A loud cry came out. ¡°Helen, if you don¡¯te and help me get out of this, don¡¯t me me for saying something.¡± Helen sped her hands together. She was terrified and couldn¡¯t hold her breath anymore. Then, she looked helplessly at Nina beside her. People like Ernest had many ideas usually, but they were not tough, and they couldn¡¯t bear to be beaten. If it went on like this, let alone selling Helen out, he would even confess all the bad things that the Bauer family¡¯s ancestors had done for generations. Nina also panicked and lost her mind for a while. Gritting her teeth, Helen could only bite the bullet and push the wheelchair into the bedroom. Ernest was about to say something. ¡°I have no grievances with that Alyssa. Why would I do anything to hurt her? If it was not because of He¡­¡± Helen went in and interrupted him. ¡°Ernest, what¡¯s done is done. Since you did it, you should take responsibility yourself.¡± She nced over and saw that Emest had been beaten to badly that his nose was bruised and his face was swollen. He had also been stabbed twice in the abdomen, and his body was covered in blood The blood and sweat on his face made it hard for him to keep his eyes open Helen didn¡¯t expect that Ashton would be so ruthless, and her scalp tingled for a while After all. Emest was a man, and he was considered physically strong If it was Helen going through all this, she would have died long ago. Emest was panting heavily in pain and couldn¡¯t stand it any longer, so he stopped scolding Hearing Helen¡¯s voice, he said slowly, ¡®Helen, we are cousins. I don¡¯t want to say what shouldn¡¯t be said, but you can¡¯t disregard our rtionship. You have to do something to save mel Helen gasped and looked carefully at Ashton ¡°Ashton, my cousin must have learned his lesson. How about..¡± ¡°Get out!¡± Ashton¡¯s face darkened, and he interrupted her directly. Seeing Ernest struggling and trying to get up, Ashton kicked Ernest hard again Emest¡¯s body fell again, and this time he didn¡¯t even have the strength to move Helen¡¯s forehead was dripping with cold sweat, and she was afraid that Ernest would tell the truth, so she could only try to speak again. ¡°Ashton, if you keep beating him, he will be beaten to death. Even though my cousin deserves to die, it¡¯s not worth it for you to She dissuaded sadly and cried again. ¡°Ernest, I will not leave you alone.¡± Ashton¡¯s face was full of anger. ¡°Helen, let me say it for thest time. If this matter has nothing to do with you, don¡¯t get involved.¡± Helen couldn¡¯t stay any longer, so she could only go out first. Before leaving, she nced at Ernest, and her eyes signaled him to calm down and stop talking nonsense. Emest was brought here early in the morning and was dragged out until near noon, half-dead. The internal and external injuries were very serious, and he was basically unconscious. As soon as he was thrown out, he was quickly found by the police and brought to prison. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. He was punished for several crimes, and what awaited him was the death penalty. When Ernest was dragged away, Helen was sitting at the dining table downstairs having lunch. A person covered in blood was dragged away in front of her eyes. She was not a fool, and she knew Ashton more or less showed her this on purpose. Otherwise, there were plenty of back doors in Flora Vi, and Ernest was covered in blood, so there was no need to drag him away through the living room. After all, Ernest had a close rtionship with her, so Ashton might also feel a little suspicious of her. But at any rate, he would not do anything to her casually, and he would not casually express his suspicions in consideration of his fnendship for so many years. It was just a warning to her, telling her not to cross the line. Helen found the meal tasteless, and her mind was full of Ernest¡¯s blo ody image. It happened that there was Chicken Ciatore on the dining table, and she couldn¡¯t help but feel sick when she saw it. Joseph sent another message to her, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll only wait until seven o¡¯clock this evening. Ms. Bauer, you still have seven hours.¡± Helen hurriedly replied to the message. ¡°Ashton should have suspected me now. I really can¡¯t do anything these two days. My cousin was almost beaten to death by him.¡± The message seemed to remain a dead letter. There was no reply to her at all. Helen stared anxiously at the screen of the phone, and suddenly a voice sounded behind her. ¡°I don¡¯t want to take lunch. She makes me sick, and I can¡¯t eat.¡± Helen raised her head abruptly, only to see Deborahe to the dining table at some point, and Ashton was standing beside her. Both of them were looking at her. Helen was still holding her phone, and the message from Joseph was disyed on the screen. Helen was shocked and almost screamed. The phone in her hand fell to the ground and fell to Ashton¡¯s feet. Helen almost died of fright, and she even forgot that she was in a wheelchair. Then, she immediately got up and rushed toward Ashton¡¯s feet. Chapter 76 Chapter 76 Let Me Go Helen¡¯s legs were amputated. She would never stand up for the rest of her life. She fell face down on the floor with a bang andy at Ashton¡¯s feet Deborah didn¡¯t expect Helen would suddenly in upon them. She immediately took a few steps back to distance herself from her. Ashton was stunned for a long while. He didn¡¯t understand why Helen reacted all that much. She looked nervous as if she had been frightened by something. It wasn¡¯t until Nina rushed over to help Helen on the ground that Ashton before he came back to his senses. He immediately squatted down to help Helen¡¯s face was pale. When she saw the mobile phone screen on the ground turned dark, she realized it was a false rm. Then, she breathed a sigh of relief. Ashton felt that Helen looked weird. But seeing she was tired, he didn¡¯t ask any more questions. After Helen sat back in the wheelchair, Deborah turned around and was about to go to her bedroom. Ashton stopped her. ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten yet.¡± Deborah looked at him and Helen with disgust. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m afraid she will fall to my feet againter, ¡®I don¡¯t want someone to misunderstand me.¡± Helen¡¯s face turned red. Ashton asked her, ¡°Helen, have you finished eating?¡± Helen nodded immediately and said in a low voice. ¡°The weather outside is good today.¡± Since she broke her legs, Ashton hadn¡¯t gone out with her. Ashton nced out the floor-to-ceiling window. He didn¡¯t understand what Helen meant. He nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s a rare sunny day. Nina, ask the serv ant to take Helen out for sunshine.¡± Helen¡¯s expression froze. After Ashton finished speaking, a ser vant stepped forward and pushed Helen¡¯s wheelchair away. Helen was a little angry. She heard Ashton speak behind her, ¡°Make some light dishes. Deborah and I haven¡¯t eaten yet.¡± Helen¡¯s back fraze for a while. She felt bitter. She only took a few bites of these dishes on the table. Did Ashton feel sick about what she ate? Ashton was a fanatic for cleanliness. But in the past, he would never ask someone to remove the food she had eaten when she was still present. Helen couldn¡¯t help ncing back and saw Ashton serving soup to Deborah. Helen suddenly felt a little regretful. It might be a mistake to attack Alyssa. She was too impulsive. If Alyssa was alive, the situation would not have developed like this. Ashton would not have changed his attitude toward Deborah and started to treat her kindly because of guilt. Then, Ashton would not have neglected Helen. The ser vant pushed Helen out. Deborah still felt angry. She put the soup Ashton gave her aside and picked out the food he put on her te. But Ashton continued to put food on her te as if he had not seen Deborah¡¯s indifference. Finally, Deborah lost her patience. She looked at Ashton coldly and asked, ¡°Is it interesting?¡± The smile on Ashton¡¯s face faded. He put down his fork in embarrassment. Deborah said softly, ¡°Ashton, why don¡¯t you just let me go? What else do you want? Do you want everyone to have a bad time?¡± Ashton¡¯s eyes darkened. He felt upset. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that. If you leave here, where do you want to go?¡± Before Deborah answered him, he continued, Joseph is not a good person like you imagined. Don¡¯t be stu pid and believe what he sald. He is coaxing you.¡± Deborah looked annoyed. ¡°Ashton, I¡¯m a human being. Even a pet can go out asionally. But I have to ask you for your permission repeatedly if I want to have a walk outside.¡± Ashton thought it was not an option if let things continue like this. He was not at ease these days. He always thought Deborah would leave as soon as she left his sight. But no matter what, he could lock Deborah in a room. She was a human being but not his pet. Rodger had told Ashton that Deborah would have a men tal problem if he continued to treat her like this. It was rare for Deborah to soften her voice. Ashtonpromised and asked her, ¡°Tell me, where do you want to go? What do you want to do?¡± Deborah said lightly, ¡°I used to have a job and friends. I want to live the same life as before. Isn¡¯t that too much?¡± Ashton was shocked. He paused for a moment. ¡°Are you willing to go out to work?¡± Deborah looked at him indifferently. ¡°Why not? If I said that I want to go out of the city, go abroad, go on a journey, or do other things, would you agree?¡± Ashton¡¯s eyes shed with a hint of guilt. The limit he could ept was to let Deborah stay in N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Richmond and find a stable job. The closer to him, the better. To put it bluntly, even if he controlled Deborah in another ce, he would feel at ease. Ashton tapped the dining table with his fingers. After thinking about this for a while, he thought it was eptable. He asked her, ¡°Where do you want to work? Maybe you can send your resume first.¡± Deborah responded, ¡°Before I resigned, I worked in Facundo Design Studio. I think I can go back and work there.¡± Ashton frowned and rejected without thinking. ¡°That studio is in the south of the city. It has tens of kilometers away from here.¡± Besides, the studio was close to the airport. Deborah would buy a ne ticket and go abroad suddenly. If she left, it would be hard for him to find her. Ashton had asked some people at the airport and railway station to keep an eye on Deborah. He also took away Deborah¡¯s passport. However, there were always idents. Deborah¡¯s face turned cold. ¡°What do you mean? It is not far away from here!¡± Ashton coughed with some guilt. ¡°I did that for your own good. With such a long distance, you will spend more than two hoursmuting. The low sry isn¡¯t worth you being so hard.¡± Deborah put down her fork on the table and stood up abruptly. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to let me go out, just tell me. There¡¯s no need to say these to blunt me.¡± Ashton sincerely wanted to be reconciled with her. He immediately stood up to stop Deborah. ¡°Change anotherpany. I will definitely agree with you.¡± Deborah was impatient. ¡°Then go to Jingron. I¡¯ll submit a resume. Jingron is also a well-known fashion designpany. It¡¯s only a few kilometers away from here.¡± Ashton didn¡¯t say a word for a long while. Deborah was about to leave when he finally said, ¡°Joseph became a shareholder of Jingron at the beginning of the year. It¡¯s his ce now.¡± Deborah¡¯s face darkened. She looked at him coldly. ¡°So what? What do you mean?¡± After all, Ashton was guilty. ¡°Joseph has other intentions for you.¡± Deborah looked at him irritably. ¡°Enough! Are you going to let me be your secretary and bring you coffee every day?¡± After Deborah finished speaking, she went straight upstairs. Ashton stood there for a while. He suddenly remembered something. He chased after Deborah and said, ¡°It sounds good. But serving coffee unworthy of your talents. There is a design position in the Mullen Group. I will take you to join the job tomorrow. Someone will guide you.¡± Chapter 77 Chapter 77 Chapter 77 Hug Her Deborah refused Ashton without looking back ¡°No.¡± Ashton was always like that. The more Deborah was unwilling to do something, the more he wanted her to do it If she agreed to work in the Mullen Group without hesitation, Ashton would be afraid of being cheated. After all, there were many people who held evil intentions and thought of ways to sneak into the Mullen Group every day Seeing that Deborah refused to go. Ashton insisted even more ¡°You don¡¯t have to have any scruples. In thepany, you will be busy with your work. I have no time to bother you. You still need to go through the normal entry formalities before joining thepany. I won¡¯t give you privilege ¡± Deborah walked into the bedroom. Ashton immediately reached out and held the door to stop her from closing the door. After a stalemate for a while, Deborah reluctantly replied to him, ¡°Whatever.¡± Ashton took his hands off the door, and then Deborah mmed the door with a bang. He called Jeff over ¡°Edit a copy of Deborah¡¯s resume and send it to my email.¡± Jeff stood beside Ashton. Anything rted to the Mullen Group was not a trivial matter He couldn¡¯t help reminding, ¡°Mrs. Mullen may have other ideas of joining Mullen Group. Please think twice, Mr. Mullen.¡± Deborah hated Ashton. If she joined Mullen Group, she might cause trouble. Everyone could guess it. Ashton said impatiently, ¡°Just go and do it. I allowed her to join Mullen Group. She did not propose it In addition, he knew Deborah¡¯s temperament best. She was soft-hearted, unambitious, and simple-minded. After she joined Mullen Group, she would do her own work. In addition to this, she couldn¡¯t make much trouble. Jeff wanted to say something else, but Ashton had already stood up and walked straight to the study. As soon as Ashton entered the study, he received a call from Hector. He answered the phone. Hector¡¯s tone was not good. Hector asked straight to the point, ¡°Jeff told me that you decided to let Deborah join Mullen Group. Is that true?¡± Ashton didn¡¯t expect Hector would know this so soon. He was displeased. ¡°Yes.¡± Hector was angry. ¡°Are you crazy?! Have you forgotten how Deborah plotted against you five years ago? Now, she is your wife Deborah upied the position of Mrs. Mullen of the Mullen family. If she dares to bring trouble to Mullen Group again, I will be the first to disagree!¡± Ashton was polite to H¨¦ctor. After all, Hector was his only family in this world. Ashton exined it to Hector, ¡°Deborah doesn¡¯t have that much skill. She has no right in Mullen Group. After she joins thepany, she will paint and do some design. Under my management, she can¡¯t y any tricks.¡± Hector didn¡¯t believe it. He said, ¡°You have forgotten how she plotted against you five years ago.¡± ¡°What kind of good character can a mistress¡¯ daughter have? You don¡¯t need to bother to waste your time to keep an eye on her in Mullen Group.¡± Ashton¡¯s voice was calm, but his attitude was firm ¡°Grandpa, I will pay attention to her. There will be no problems with Mullen Group. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Hector sighed and continued, ¡°You are the head of Mullen Group. I am old. I don¡¯t want to interfere in your affairs.¡± ¡°But you must know one thing Your parents had passed away, and I¡¯m old now. All matters of the group depend on you.¡± ¡°There are plenty of people out there watching over you. If something happens and someone catches N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. you in the wrong ce, the Mullen family¡¯s century old heritage will be destroyed¡± Ashton said in a deep voice, ¡°Grandpa, I understand. I will be careful. Thepany will not have any problems.¡± Hector snorted ¡°I hope so. Don¡¯t just focus on your work. Remember to have dinner with me at Mullen Manor when you are free. You rarelye here and see me.¡± It meant that Hector allowed Deborah to join in Mullen Group. Ashton¡¯s frowned brows rxed a little. He responded, ¡°Okay. This weekend, I¡¯ll bring Deborah to¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bring her here. I just want to see you,¡± Hector interrupted Ashton. ¡°Whether it¡¯s Helen or Deborah, I don¡¯t feel at ease when I look at each of them. Both of them have their intentions. Don¡¯t bring them to annoy me.¡± Ashton nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Seeing Ashton¡¯s good attitude today, Hector didn¡¯t me him anymore. Then, he hung up the phone. Ashton sat at the desk and lit a cigarette. He seldom got depressed because he didn¡¯t even have that time to feel depressed. His parents passed away ten years ago. As soon as the news spread, Mullen Group was in crisis immediately. Ashton brought his parents ashes back to the Mullen family. As soon as he joined Mullen Group, he took charge of thepany as the president. It was only in the past two years that he asionally had sound sleep. Since Ashton¡¯s parents died in an ident, they hadn¡¯t even left thest word to him. Manypany secrets and information were still in the hands of many senior executives and directors of the group. Mullen Group was in the face of internal and external troubles. Everyone wanted to take advantage of the chaos to get some benefits. Ashton hurriedly returned from abroad. After Hector knew the news of his son¡¯s death, he had no time to adjust his grief. He went to Mullen Group to deal with countless sudden troubles. At that time, Hector was in his sixties. He tried his best to clean up the mess of Mullen Group and dealt with many troublemakers. In that year, Ashton was only neen years old at that time. Before he could figure out how many branches the Mullen Group had at home and abroad, Hector appointed him as the president of Mullen Group. Many senior executives and directors in the group looked down upon Ashton. They secretly yed tricks on him and waited to see his jokes. In those people¡¯s eyes, Ashton was just a 19-year-old kid who didn¡¯t even understand management, But he became the president of such arge multinational group. This thing liked a kids game. Everyone in the groupughed at Ashton in private. Those senior executives and directors didn¡¯t want to teach Ashton how to manage apany. They even wished that he couldn¡¯t do everything well. They wanted someone else to take over the position of president of Mullen Group. It was Hector who taught Ashton to manage thepany day and night. At that time, the funeral of Ashton¡¯s parents was held in the front hall of Mullen Manor. Ashton and Hector sat in the study and dealt with arge pile of documents. Hector was mad because of these idents. Ashton couldn¡¯t help crying when he heard someone crying in the front hall. When he shed tears, Hector pped him. Hector scolded, ¡°Your parents are dead! You are the only one in the Mullen family. From now on, you are not a child anymore!¡± Hector was right. Ashton got a firm position in Mullen Group. He was the respectful president of Mullen Group. No one dared to offend him on the surface. But many people kept making trouble secretly. They wanted Mullen Group to be deep in crisis. Ashton came back to his senses. It was getting dark outside. He nced at the watch. It was almost five o¡¯clock. Somehow, he suddenly wanted to see Deborah. Ashton thought, ¡°It¡¯s better to keep her at home. Whenever I want to see her, I can see her anytime.¡± Ashton left the study and went to the bedroom. The bedroom door was closed. Ashton thought Deborah was sleeping, so he opened the door softly. When he opened the door, he saw Deborah standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window and calling. Ashton didn¡¯t speak. He walked to Deborah quietly The room was carpeted. There was no sound when people walked on it. Deborah didn¡¯t hear any sound. She continued to talk to Joseph, ¡°Well, I will go to Mullen Group for an interview tomorrow. You¡­¡± Before she could finish speaking, Ashton suddenly hugged her from behind. Ashton leaned over and pressed his face against her neck. ¡°Who are you calling? You are so engrossed.¡± Deborah¡¯s back tensed up suddenly. Ashton had already noticed the name on the screen. His face darkened in an instant Chapter 78 Chapter 78 Chapter 78 Advanced Liver Cancer Deborah calmed herself down in an instant. She frankly handed the phone to Ashton and said, ¡°It¡¯s Joseph.¡± Her indifferent reaction made Ashton pause for a moment. He had no choice but to hold back his anger On the other end of the phone, Josephughed. ¡°Hello, Mr. Mullen. Well, Debby, let¡¯s talk about it again when Ashton is not here. Think carefully about what I said.¡± Deborah said indifferently, ¡°I have nothing to talk to you about.¡± Ashton took Deborah¡¯s mobile phone and said angrily. ¡°Joseph, I warned you a long time ago! You¡¯d better stop contacting Deborah!¡± Joseph didn¡¯t say a word. He smiled and hung up the phone. Ashton looked at Deborah with a cold face. ¡°What do you want to exin?¡± Deborah was puzzled. ¡°Exin what?¡± Ashton tensed his face. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to be innocent. You have been in touch with Joseph You can¡¯t wait to tell him the news that you are going to join Mullen Group. Are you going to ask him for help and deal with me?¡± Deborah got angry when she heard this ¡°You have persecution paranoia I suggest you go to the hospital and treat it as soon as possible. Didn¡¯t you ask me to join Mullen Group? I don¡¯t want to go yet. If you doubt me, I won¡¯t go there!¡± Ashton calmed down a little. Then, why did you secretly call Joseph?¡± Ashton¡¯s face was cold Deborah¡¯s face darkened when she heard his words ¡°I didn¡¯t call him secretly! I heard the sound when you opened the door if I called Joseph secretly, I would have hung up the phone when you entered the room!¡± Ashton was stunned. ¡°Did you ! meing in? Deborah said. ¡°The sound was loud How couldn¡¯? I hear it? Do you think I¡¯m deaf? I don¡¯t want to talk nonsense with you I won¡¯t work in Mullen Group¡± In fact Debora sound Ashton came in Ashton finally agreed to let her join Mullen Group. Deborah couldn¡¯t wait to tell Joseph about this news, then she could ask him to let her see Alyssa sooner Seeing her angry look Ashton thought did But he always thought something 1. He looked at Deborah doubtfully Deborah said coldly. ¡°Joseph always calls me because he wants to win me ?ver to deal with you. Does he have any trouble with you? Did you do something to offend him?¡± Ashton looked a little embarrassed His uncle, Wayne had made a mistake in those years. Joseph¡¯s mother was actually identally beaten to death by Wayne But a fire covered up the truth. Except for the Mullen family, no one the truth about the ident N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Of course, Ashton would never tell Deborah about these things. He said perfunctorily. ¡°It happened many years ago. You don¡¯t need to know this He felt a little guilty But soon, he realized that Deborah seemed to change the subject on purpose. Deborah was about to leave the room, but Ashton grabbed her took her mobile phone Then, Ashton deleted all the contact information about Joseph on her mobile phone He also cklisted Joseph¡¯s phone number After that, he handed the phone to Deborah ¡°Don¡¯t contact him again.¡± Thope what happened today is just as you said. You have to be clear that you can¡¯t interfere with my business. Otherwiga Deborah looked angry. She did not take her mobile phone and wanted to leave directly. Ashton grabbed het, pushed her against the wall, and kissed her suddenly Deborah didn¡¯t understand what was wrong with Ashton. He doubted her and warned her at thest moment, but now, he suddenly kissed her. The instinct made her struggle. ¡°Are you crazy? Get out!¡± Ashton held her shoulders. He breathed heavily and said, ¡°You are my wife. Isn¡¯t it normal to kiss you? Deborah, what do you mean? How long has it been since I touch you?¡± It had been a long time since Alyssa passed away. He felt quilty because of Alyssa¡¯s death. Deborah didn¡¯t want him to touch her, so he didn¡¯t force her. But it had been a long time. Everything had a bottom line. Ashton also felt sad about Alyssa¡¯s death. He cared about Deborah¡¯s sadness. However, as a man, he couldn¡¯t limit his desires. He wanted her. Deborah couldn¡¯t Ashton away. She was instantly on the alert. Im on my period today.¡± Ashton didn¡¯t want to give up. He hugged her and kissed her neck. ¡°Your menstrual period is not today.¡± ¡°It¡¯s today. L..¡± Before Deborah finished speaking, Ashton suddenly took off his hand from her shoulder. Before she could react, he touched her waist and then moved down. ¡°You are lying. Your menstrual period is not today.¡± Deborah came back to her senses suddenly. She felt disgusted. ¡°You are crazy. Get out of my room!¡± Ashton didn¡¯t know what stimted him. He seemed to be crazy. He kissed her and pushed her onto the bed. The moonlight outside the window spread into the room. With the faint moonlight, Ashton looked at Deborah¡¯s face. The more he looked at her, the more anxious he felt. Deborah¡¯s delicate face was covered with sweat. It made her look even more emaciated. Her face had always been pale recently. It seemed that only at this time, there would be a hint of rosiness. Her blushed face proved that she was still alive. Ashton couldn¡¯t help but move his hand down and touch her wrist and arm. He didn¡¯t know how Deborah became so skinny like this. Ashton patted her face gently, woke her up, and asked her, ¡°Did you really get sick?¡± Deborah didn¡¯t even bother to open her eyes to look at Ashton. She answered him indifferently, ¡°Liver cancer. I told you before.¡± Ashton said in a deep voice. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. I¡¯m asking you seriously.¡± Deborah still answered indifferently, ¡°Advanced Liver cancer. It¡¯s incurable.¡± Ashton¡¯s face turned cold. He sat up and stretched out his hand to force her to open her eyes. ¡°Be serious.¡± Deborah didn¡¯t close her eyes on purpose. She felt hurt. Her condition was getting worse and worse. She even felt tired after walking a few steps. After having sex with Ashton, she felt her bones falling apart and her internal org ans throbbing. Every time she felt the unbearable pain, even the painkillers couldn¡¯t suppress it. She would feel But now, Ashton forced her to open her eyes. She could only look at him expressionlessly and said word by word. ¡°Liver cancer. Even if you ask me a hundred times, the answer is the same.¡± Ashton didn¡¯t believe her. He kept asking, ¡°Be serious. How can you get liver cancer? Stop joking. Do you think I will believe your nonsense?¡± Deborah lost her patience. She said angrily, ¡°Then, stop asking mel Ashton was angrier than she was. The more he looked at her, the angrier he became. He grabbed her neck and said coldly, ¡°Be serious!¡± Deborahughed. ¡°Even if you strangled me, it is true.¡± Ashton didn¡¯t know what to do. He looked at her angrily for a long time, then turned over andy down beside her without saying a word. Suddenly, Deborah got off the bed and walked quickly to the bathroom. Ashton shouted behind her angrily, ¡°Where are you going?¡± Deborah tasted a blo ody smell in her throat. She replied to Ashton without looking back. ¡°Go spit blood.¡± Ashton was so angry that he grabbed an ashtray on the bedside table and mmed it toward the floor- to-ceiling window. The ashtray was broken. There was a harsh cracking sound. Deborah trembled. She was hanging out in pain now. If Ashton hit her with anything again, she would fall and die. After rushing into the bathroom, Deborah didn¡¯t close the door. She threw herself on the sink and vomited desperately. This time, she was trembling with pain probably because of Ashton, vomitus and blood burst through her throat. When the pain reached a certain level, people would feel numb. The only thing Deborah could feel now was the cold. The chill prated her bones and internal or ga ns. Deborah vomited in the bathroom. Ashton was lying on the bed. He probably heard her vomiting sound. He asked, ¡°Why are you vomiting again? Are you pregnant?¡± Deborah didn¡¯t say a word. She supported her hands on the sink and breathed heavily. There were a few days left for Deborah. She had to talk to Joseph and ask him to take her to meet Alyssa before she died. Ashton got out of bed and went to the bathroom. His voice sounded behind her again. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?! Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Suspect Helen Deborah heard Ashton¡¯s footsteps approaching the bathroom, but she still grabbed the sink without any response. She didn¡¯t even have the strength to stand up straight. If it weren¡¯t for Alyssa, Deborah would have tried to suicide. Compared to living in pain and enduring a dying life, death was the best choice for her now Ashton quickly walked to the door of the bathroom. He said in a deep voice, ¡°If you have any illness, you don¡¯t need to go to Mullen Group. You¡¯d better stay at home and maintain good health.¡± Deborah immediately reached out, turned on the faucet, and flushed the vomit. When Ashton walked into the bathroom, there was nothing in the sink. But there was still a strange smell in the air. He frowned, looked at Deborah, and asked, ¡°What are you doing bending over the sink?¡± There was water in the sink. Deborah was still bending over. Her pajamas were wet. Deborah still didn¡¯t move. ¡°It has nothing to do with you. Get out.¡± Actually, she had never hidden her illness from Ashton. Because Deborah knew that he wouldn¡¯t care about her, so there was nothing to hide her illness from him. On the day when she was diagnosed with liver cancer, she gave Ashton the diagnosis report as soon as she left the hospital. Later, Deborah felt ufortable. Ashton had asked her several times. She told him she got liver cancer. Besides, she answered him truthfully when she got up and came to the bathroom just now. But Ashton always thought she was talking nonsense. He didn¡¯t believe her words at all. Ashton approached her and leaned over to look at her pale face. ¡°Are you really serious? Why does it smell like blood?¡± Deborah didn¡¯t say anything else. She was exhausted, so she closed her eyes. Ashton reached out to pull her up. ¡°Stand up. Go back andy on the bed.¡± Deborah vomited hard just now. As soon as she closed her eyes, she couldn¡¯t control herself. Then, she fell into a semi-consciousness. Ashton pulled her. But Deborah did not move. She bent over the sink without responding to him as if she was dead. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Ashton put forth his strength and pulled her again. ¡°Go back to the bedroom. You look weak. I¡¯ll take you to the hospital tomorrow.¡± Ashton pulled Deborah up. She couldn¡¯t stand still. The next second, she fell to the side. Ashton¡¯s face darkened. He immediately reached out and held her. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to be dead. Stand still!* Ashton held her shoulders. Deborah didn¡¯t respond. She followed his strength and fell to him weakly. Ashton couldn¡¯t believe Deborah could fall asleep in a few seconds. He thought she was pretending to be weak, so he carried her back to the bed and called her for a long time. But Deborah still didn¡¯t respond at all. ¡®She doesn¡¯t have a fever. Maybe she is just asleep.¡± Thinking of this, Ashton leaned close to her lips and smelled it. There was a smell of blood. Ashton didn¡¯t believe Deborah vomited blood Just now. Deborah fell asleep. But Ashton looked at her and could not sleep. Somehow, he always felt uneasy whenever he looked at Deborah as if the ident would happen. Ashton felt uneasy and imitated. When he was nearly asleep, he vaguely heard a loud noise outside. After a while, the noise became louder and clearer. It seemed to be Jeff¡¯s voice. Jeff had a calm temperament. It was early morning. If nothing serious, Jeff wouldn¡¯t have made such a loud noise. Ashton got up, put on his coat, and went out. The voice came from the study room, mingled with Helen¡¯s voice Ashton walked over with a sullen face and heard Jeff¡¯s angry voice. ¡°Ms. Bauer, stop making a pretense of ignorance. It¡¯s early morning now. You said you entered the study because you thought Mr. Mullen was in the study. Do you think your exnation makes sense?¡± Ashton approached them and heard the two of them talking without saying a word. When Helen saw Ashtoning, the grievance on her face immediately became more intense. Tears rolled down her cheeks in an instant ¡°Ashton, I thought you were in the study. I didn¡¯t find you in your bedroom. The study¡¯s door is open, and even the light is on, so i entered the study.¡± Ashton asked Helen with a sullen face. ¡°What are you doing in the study?¡± Helen choked with so bs. I suddenly had severe pain in my legs. I thought it might be because I didn¡¯t go to the hospital to recuperate after the amputation. I was worried that something was wrong with the wound, so I wanted toe to you to ask for help.¡± Ashton looked at her hand. ¡°What are you holding?¡± Helen showed the mobile phone in her hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s my mobile phone.¡± Ashton¡¯s expression remained cold. ¡°You came to see me in the middle of the night. Why do you still have your cell phone?¡± Helen felt wronged. She exined, ¡°I wanted to go to the hospital with you. When I pushed the wheelchair out, I took my mobile phone. I need to use the mobile phone when we go to the hospital.¡± Ashton nced at Jeff. Jeff immediately understood his meaning. He walked toward Helen and said, ¡°Ms. Bauer, please give me your phone.¡± Helen¡¯s eyes were full of tears. She unlocked the screen lock and then handed it over. Jeff checked the chat history and photo album. There was nothing wrong Ashton looked at the surveince camera at the door and told Jeff, ¡®Go and check the surveince video. Remember to check the previous video together.¡± About a month ago, Ashton bumped into Helen and Deborah at the study¡¯s door. He also saw that the document had been taken out from the drawer and dropped on the floor. Deborah told him that it was Helen who had entered the study. But Helen said that it was Deborah who had taken the documents out. At that time, Ashton nned to check the surveince video, but Deborah lost control of her emotions when she learned about Alyssa¡¯s death. After that, Deborah took Helen to the rooftop and pushed her down. It resulted in a miscarriage and the amputation of Helen¡¯s legs. Everything was in chaos these days. Ashton also forgot about the surveince. But now, he remembered it again. Jeff nodded and immediately went to check the surveince video during this period. After Jeff left, there were only Helen and Ashton. Ashton stood outside the study, kept a distance from Helen, and stared at her coldly. It seemed that ever since Ernest had been investigated, Ashton couldn¡¯t help suspecting Helen. His trust in her plummeted. If he hadn¡¯t cared about his previous affection for Helen and saving his life, he would have chosen to let Helen leave in case of the ident. Chapter 80 Chapter 80 Chapter 80 Helen Committed Suicide Helen sat in the wheelchair and cried. She secretly rejoiced in her mind. Fortunately, when she was taking pictures of documents in the study, she vaguely heard Jeff¡¯s footsteps outside the door. After she sent these photos to Joseph, she immediately deleted the chat history and photos. Otherwise, Ashton would kill her. As for the surveince video¡­ Jeff came back soon. He walked to Ashton and said in a low voice, ¡®Mr. Mullen, since a month ago, the surveince camera hasn¡¯t captured anything. It has been broken by someone.¡± As for who broke the surveince camera at that time, it was the one who had sneaked into the study. Helen and Deborah were both suspected at that time. Without the surveince video, it was impossible to determine the suspect. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Ashton looked at Helen and warned. ¡°I hope you tell the truth. If it were you, I could pretend to think you were confused for a while. Maybe I can consider giving you a chance.¡± What Ashton said was gentle, but his eyes were full of grimness. He didn¡¯t intend to make anyone an exception at all. Helen finally stopped crying. She looked at Ashton with a nk expression and said. ¡°I understand. You still chose to believe in Debby.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. How can someone as kind as Debby sneak into your study to get things? So you think it is me. Since you don¡¯t believe me, I have nothing to say.¡± Ashton didn¡¯t say a word. After all, there was no surveince video. Without evidence, he couldn¡¯t doubt anyone. Helen said softly. ¡°Ashton, I don¡¯t want to embarrass you. I can leave. If you think it will be simple for me to leave, you can do whatever you want to me.¡± Ashton remained silent for a while. Then, he said softly, ¡°Go back to your bedroom and rest early,¡± Helen lowered her head and returned to her bedroom with a frustrated expression. Helen stopped crying and arguing. It made Ashton suddenly feel that he wronged and misunderstood her. Actually, Ashton doubted Helen during this period. Even if there was no basis for it, he treated her indifferently. But he didn¡¯t know one thing. The serv ants in Flora Vi didn¡¯t treat Helen respectfully because of his attitude. Ashton felt agitated. He turned back to Deborah¡¯s bedroom. Deborah had already woken up for a while. After she vomited blood in the bathroom, she fell asleep for a while because she was exhausted. But there was a loud noise outside. After Ashton got up and went out, she woke up when she heard the sound. Deborah didn¡¯t care about what had happened outside just now. She reached for the phone on the bedside table and wanted to look at the time. But she identally took Ashton¡¯s mobile phone. Deborah paused for a moment. Then, she tried to unlock the phone. Deborah had seen Ashton¡¯s password before. The password was the day his parents passed away. She quickly entered the password. But the password was wrong. It was still noisy outside. Ashton would note back in a short time. Deborah thought for a while and entered the date of Alyssa¡¯s ident. The screen unlocked. She breathed a sigh of relief. After knowing Ashton for many years, Deborah knew his personality well. Ashton was the kind of person who was hypocritical. He was good at pretending to be affectionate. He was the one who killed Alyssa, but during this penod, he pretended to be sad. Ashton wished to engrave the mark of Alyssa on everything around him to show how sad he was and how deeply he loved his daughter. After unlocking the screen, Deborah quickly checked the email and chat history. Except for these unread emails, she could only check other emails to avoid being noticed by Ashton. Ashton had called someone yesterday. Deborah heard that the person in charge of Runte Group would afternoon. What Joseph wanted most was getting cooperation with Runte Group. Ashton also didn¡¯t want to lose the golden chance. Deborah found something important in the chat history. After she finished reading it, she heard footsteps outside the door. Deborah immediately exited the application, restored the phone to its original state, and put it on the bedside table. Ashton opened the door and walked into the room quietly. He walked to the side of the bed, leaned over, and touched Deborah¡¯s cheek. He considered whether he should take her to the hospital sooner. Ashton thought, ¡°Deborah passed out in the bathroom just now, and she is still sleeping. Could it be that something is wrong?¡± But he thought again that he had to go to the study to check if Helen had touched his documents. With this in mind, Ashton took his mobile phone from the bedside table and left the bedroom. As soon as the door was closed, Deborah immediately opened her eyes. ¡°He went out again at this time. He must have gone to see Helen. Maybe he won¡¯te back again.¡± Thinking of this, Deborah took her mobile phone and sent Joseph a message. [Steven Moxley, the president of Runte Group, will arrive at Richmond Airport at 1:20 tomorrow afternoon.] Ashton deleted Joseph¡¯s contact information. However, he didn¡¯t know that Deborah had Joseph¡¯s email, and it was not named Joseph. It was early morning at this time. Deborah didn¡¯t n to wait for Joseph¡¯s reply. She deleted the email record and was about to sleep. But just as she closed her eyes, she received Joseph¡¯s reply. ¡°Good job.¡± Deborah immediately replied to Joseph. [I want to see Alyssa.] But this time, Joseph didn¡¯t reply to her. Ashton walked directly to the study. When he walked to the study¡¯s door and was about to open the door, he noticed Helen¡¯s bedroom door was utched. It was quiet inside. Ashton recalled Helen¡¯s deste expression before she returned to the bedroom. He suddenly felt something was wrong. He held the doorknob of the study¡¯s door. But the next second, he took his hand back. apter BGNglen. Committed Suicide Ashton turned around and walked to the door of Helen¡¯s bedroom. He knocked on the door and asked, ¡°Helen, are you sleeping?¡± There was no response inside. Ashton felt a little nervous. He opened the door suddenly. Then, he saw Helen lying on the floor. The wheelchair fell over next to her. A fruit knife fell from her hand. The wound on her wrist was clear. The blood was still flowing out. The carpet under Helen¡¯s hands was stained red. Ashton hurned over. He suddenly felt regretful at this moment. He was so stu pid. He doubted Helen. Helen¡¯s life had been ruined because f him, but he still doubted her recently. Ashton panicked. He hurriedly picked Helen up and said, ¡°Helen, why didn¡¯t you tell me well? How could you hurt yourself?¡± He carried her out of the bedroom and went downstairs. Helen¡¯s face was covered with tears. She cried, ¡°Why do youe to see me again? You don¡¯t believe me. Will you believe me after ! die?¡± Ashton¡¯s voice was full of guilt. I¡¯m sorry, Helen. I have caused you too much grievance because of Alyssa¡¯s death. It will never happen again in the future. Hold on. I will take you to the hospital now.¡± Helen cried in his arms. When Ashton hurriedly went downstairs. Jeff came over. Jeff¡¯s voice was urgent. ¡°Mr. Mullen, I suddenly received a call from my family. Something happened to my mother. I have to ask for a leave. I can¡¯t go to the airport tomorrow to pick up Mr. Moxley.¡± When Jeff finished speaking, he noticed Helen in Ashton¡¯s arms, and Helen¡¯s wrist was bleeding. Jeff was startled. He hurriedly stepped aside. Ashton was worried about Helen, so he didn¡¯t have time to think about it. He said, ¡°You can ask someone else to pick up Mr. Moxley. Let Chad go.¡± Anyway, it was just a pick-up at the airport. After Steven arrived at Mullen Group, Ashton would receive him in person. Jeff was not at ease. He couldn¡¯t help turning around and asking, ¡°Can Chad do it? After all, he is just a driver. The cooperation with Runte Group is important. If something goes wrong, we¡­¡± When it was another time, Ashton might have to think about it. But Helen was in an emergency. Ashton didn¡¯t have time to think about it. While Ashton was in a hurry to get into the car, he replied, ¡°It¡¯s just picking up someone. Nothing will happen. Tell Chad about this.¡± Chapter 81 Chapter 81 Chapter 81 Dr. Galge¡¯s Hand Is Disabled Ashton took Helen to the hospital. On their way to the hospital, Helen kept crying in Ashton¡¯s arms. ¡°I know I¡¯m not as smart as Debby and can¡¯t make you happy like her. I shouldn¡¯t stay here. Please let me go.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t like me, you don¡¯t have to force yourself. I won¡¯t me you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to feel guilty because I have been with you for so many years and then saved you. Ashton, I am willing to do all these. It should not be a burden for you¡­¡± Helen almost cried andined like this all the way. At first, Ashton felt sorry for her, because he was indeed guilty. Now he felt a little headache when he heard Helen¡¯s murmuring, and his ears were buzzing. He couldn¡¯t help interrupting Helen, ¡°Helen, why don¡¯t you have a rest first? We¡¯ll get to the hospital soon.¡± Helen just stopped crying, but tears streamed down again when she heard Ashton¡¯s words. ¡°Ashton, do you think I¡¯m annoying and don¡¯t want to talk to me anymore?¡± Ashtonforted her patiently. ¡°No, don¡¯t think like that. You are injured and bleeding now. You should have a good rest.¡± Helen sobbed and finally stopped talking. When they arrived at the hospital, they checked in and were led to the ward. Soon it was morning, and the sky was bright. Helen¡¯s eyes were swollen from crying The doctor checked her wrists and found that she didn¡¯t lose much blood. Then the doctor checked the cut of her amputation and said that it was not well treated and might be a little infected. The doctor was not sure how serious it was before he got the result of the examination. The infection after an amputation might even lead to death. The doctor said seriously. ¡°You went home just after you finished the amputation. It¡¯s not a good idea. Now you must be hospitalized for treatment and recovery. You can¡¯t leave the hospital for at least a week.¡± Tears welled up in Helen¡¯s eyes Ashton replied, ¡°Thank you She¡¯ll listen to your words.¡± As soon as the doctor went out, Ashton sat on the edge of the bed. Helen fell asleep soon. Helen had been with Ashton for the past few years. Those days kept shing over Ashton¡¯s mind. She was suffering from intermittent me ntal disease, and now she had lost two front teeth and one leg, which made her look so pitiful. Anyway, Ashton felt sorry for Helen. There was something important in thepany, and the team of the Runte Group woulde in the afternoon. Ashton had to make some preparations. But seeing Helen¡¯s pitiful look, he couldn¡¯t leave and had to stay with Helen. He sent a message to his assistant and asked the assistant to prepare the files and negotiate with the business partners. More than an hourter, the doctor finally got the result of Helen¡¯s check-up The doctor came in with a much more serious look on his face. ¡°There is a serious infection on the amputation cut. Ms. Bauer, You must have a further amputation ¡°Otherwise, the infection will worsen and spread, which will make it difficult to keep the rest of the leg, and even cause other serious consequences.¡± Comforted by Ashton, Helen just calmed down and was about to have breakfast before the doctor came Stiges Hand ls Disabled Hearing this, she screamed excitedly, ¡°No! I¡¯ve already had my leg amputated once. If I have amputation again, I will lose the whole leg! I¡¯d rather die!¡± The doctor had a headache and said, ¡°Ms. Bauer, that¡¯s all I can do. You just had an amputation, and we have repeatedly advised you to stay in the hospital for some time ¡°But you insisted on leaving the hospital and said that you wanted to go home. Now your wound is not well treated.¡± Helen shivered with fear. She had to have an amputation again. Then she would lose the whole leg. It was painful and miserable. How could she endure that? She was worried that Deborah would seduce Ashton and let Ashton ignore her, so she went back to Flora Vi as soon as the amputation was finished. She had to keep an eye on Deborah and stayed with Ashton, Helen had been resisting fiercely. The doctor had no choice but to look at Ashton helplessly. ¡°Mr. Mullen, please do something.¡± ¡°We have tried our best. We will ask the best doctor to perform the second amputation.¡± Helen also knew that it was useless to make trouble When she heard ¡°the best doctor, thest glimmer of hope immediately appeared in her eyes. ¡°I want Zayne Gaige to perform the operation for me! I don¡¯t want other doctors! Ashton was stunned In fact, Helen was not a fool When Ernest was still in this hospital, he knew the capability of surgeons best Helen had heard a lot from Emest As a matter of fact. Zayne i the best surgeon in this hospital Although Zayne was still young, he wi very talented in this field. He was also a student of the world famous surgeon, Dr. Sanchez If it weren¡¯t for his ordinary far background, he would have been much more famous than he was now Besides, Helen knew that Zayne hated her very much because of Deborah. But Zayne was a righteous doctor, so he wouldn¡¯t hurt any of his patients for anyone. If he performed the operation, he would definitely try his best After a long silence, Ashton asked. ¡°Do you really want Zayne to perform the surgery for you?¡± With a quilty look in her eyes, Helen nodded and said. ¡°Yes, I heard that Dr. Gaige is a good doctor¡± Although Ashton was a little unhappy, he agreed, ¡°OK, I find him right now.¡± Ashton went out and looked for Zayne. He was told that Zayne was on holiday today and wasn¡¯t in the hospital. He called Zayne, but no one answered Although Ashton was reluctant, he was worried about Helen. He couldn¡¯t waste any time, so he called Deborah He knew that Zayne would definitely agree to perform the surgery if Deborah asked Ashton called Deborah and said directly. ¡°Come to the Richmond Hospital now. I have something to tell you.¡± Even if Zayne didn¡¯t answer the phone, Deborah might know where he lived or went On the phone, Deborah said impatiently. ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me to have an interview at the Mullen Group today? I¡¯m on my way there.¡± Ashton said in a deep voice, ¡°You don¡¯t have to go there. The HR department told me that you have an excellent can directly work there without an interview. And I agreed ume and that On the other side of the line, Deborah sneered, ¡°Thest time I found a job was two years ago. In the past two years, I didn¡¯t even have a job. Why is my resume excellent?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Ashton was choked by Deborah¡¯s words and said angrily, ¡°Don¡¯t waste my time. Come here now, and this is an order. If you like the interview so much, I¡¯ll let you have one another day After hanging up the phone, Deborah came to the ward half an hourter. Helen sat on the bed, crying. Her wrist was obviously injured. Deborah looked at Helen and then at Ashton. Instinctively, she took two steps back because of her vignce. ¡°I didn¡¯t touch her!¡± Ashton came straight to the point unhappily. ¡°Nobody says you touched her. Ask Zayne toe here. The cut of Helen¡¯s amputation is infected and she needs another amputation. Ask Zayne to perform the surgery for her.¡±. Deborah looked at Ashton and confirmed that he was not joking. ¡°Do you want Zayne to perform surgery on Helen?¡± Ashton replied in a serious voice, ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t waste my time. Call him over now.¡± On the bed, Helen was also a little anxious. Deborah looked at Ashton and smiled. She even burst intoughter. Ashton¡¯s face turned sullen. ¡°What are youughing at? Is there anything wrong?¡± Deborah¡¯sughter gradually stopped. With her cold eyes staring at Ashton, she sneered. ¡°Zayne can¡¯t do that, because his hand is disabled.¡± Chapter 82 Chapter 82 Chapter 82 Ashton Is Cu ck olded Helen stopped crying and looked at Deborah in fear.. Ashton frowned and said, ¡°What are you talking about? He¡¯s fine and still works in the hospital. How could his hand be disabled?¡± Now the doctors in the hospital worked withputers, and the doctors had to check the patients, so a doctor with disabled hands couldn¡¯t work there. Deborah looked at Ashton with colder eyes and said, ¡°You did that. When Alyssa was still alive, she just finished the bone marrow transnt and stayed in the sterile room. You took me to the Mauve Club Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. and let me see with my own eyes that you disabled one of Zayne¡¯s hands¡± Ashton was confused. Apparently, he didn¡¯t remember it. It took him a long time to remember what had happened. He vaguely remembered that it was Deborah who pushed Helen to fall. Helen was pregnant at that time and was seriously injured. It was Zayne who saved Helen. Later, Zayne told Ashton that he wanted to show Ashton a recording to reveal Helen¡¯s true face. Ashton didn¡¯t even take the record. In a fit of anger, he took Deborah and Zayne to the Mauve Club. In the private room, he asked Deborah to pick up the broken ss on the ground. When Zayne defended Deborah, Ashton asked the bodyguards to beat Zayne. Oh, Ashton remembered that he had indeed said that he would disable Zayne¡¯s left hand. Later, the bodyguard hit Zayne¡¯s left hand with a golf club. After Deborah passed out, Ashton took her to leave. Ashton had already forgotten whether Zayne¡¯s hand was disabled or not. In fact, the recording Zayne wanted to show to Ashton was still saved in Deborah¡¯s phone. Deborah had never thought of showing it to Ashton, because she knew very well that even if Ashton listened to it, he would not believe it. But now, she couldn¡¯t help but feel heartbroken at the thought of the miserable past, Zayne¡¯s disabled hand, and the bright future Zayne should have had. Deborah took out her phone and yed the recording. It was Helen¡¯s voice, ¡°I must have an abortion¡­¡± As soon as the recording started, Helen screamed, ¡°Ashton, why does Debby do this to me? Ah! It hurts!¡± Deborah looked at Helen coldly and sarcastically. ¡°Helen, Dr. Gaige said that you reacted the same way when he wanted to y this recording that day. After that, Ashton broke Dr/ Gaige¡¯s mobile phone and disabled one of his hands.¡± Helen was still crying. Deborah said in a calm voice, ¡°If you repeat the same trick, it won¡¯t work again. It¡¯s too obvious.¡± Helen shrieked, ¡°Ashton, I don¡¯t want to listen to it. I¡¯m so scared.¡± Obviously, Ashton was a little absent-minded. He reached out for Deborah¡¯s phone and said, ¡°That¡¯s enough, Deborah. Don¡¯t provoke Helen.¡± Deborah took a few steps back and looked at Ashton coldly. The recording had been yed once in the chaos. She clicked it again to let it y a second time. It was still Helen¡¯s voice, ¡°I must have an abortion. Then tell others that I have a miscarriage because of something. I¡¯m Ashton¡¯s woman. If you don¡¯t do as I say, I¡¯ll make you suffer.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t do it, I will find out who you are as soon as I go out. Wait and see. I will get you fired immediately!¡± Every word in the recording was clear. Helen¡¯s face turned deadly pale. She cried and exined, ¡°Ashton, it¡¯s not like that. I was just afraid of having a baby at that time, and I didn¡¯t dare to tell you. You told me that Debby had a difficultbor and almost died I admit that I was cowardly and just scared.¡± Ashton¡¯s face turned sullen with hesitation. Deborah looked at Ashton and smiled sarcastically. ¡®Helen has been sleeping with gigolos in Mauve Club for many years. The baby she was carrying was not yours. That¡¯s why she was in a hurry to get to your bed and yed all kinds of tricks to lose the baby.¡± Helen cried loudly. Ashton approached Deborah and warned, ¡°Deborah, that¡¯s enough.¡± Deborah smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know you won¡¯t believe me. I just want to tell you the truth and wait for you to know everything one day. You will know you have been so close to the truth, and you are so stu pid to ignore it. ¡°Sooner orter, you will find that you are so silly that you have been cu cko lded and fooled by a stu pid woman for years.¡± Ashton became angry and embarrassed. He raised his hand and was about to p Deborah. Deborah reached out and stopped him.. Ashton was used to Deborah¡¯s endurance. When Deborah stopped him, he was stunned. Deborah shook off Ashton¡¯s hand and left the ward. Ashton was filled with inexplicable anger and was about to go outside. Helen said in a trembling voice, ¡°Ashton, don¡¯t you believe me? Are you leaving?¡± Ashton held back his anger and said, ¡°No. Helen, you can have a rest first. I¡¯ll go out and call another doctor for you.¡± Helen nodded tearfully. Ashton didn¡¯t look at her anymore and went out directly. When Ashton went out, Deborah had already left. She had disappeared at the end of the corridor. Somehow, Ashton felt a little lonely. He walked to the window and smoked quietly. The contract with the Runte Group was to be discussed in the afternoon in the meeting room of the Mullen Group. Helen would have her second amputation surgery tomorrow morning, and she didn¡¯t let Ashton go. It was not until one o¡¯clock in the afternoon that Ashton called a serv ant here and went back to the After he entered the building of the group, Kevin followed him into the elevator and reported the schedule for the afternoon to him. Ashton suddenly interrupted Kevin, ¡°Is Deborah here?¡± Kevin was stunned for a while and asked, ¡°Sir, who is Deborah?¡± New employees wereing to thepany every day, but it seemed that Kevin hadn¡¯t heard of anyone who was sent here by Ashton in person these two days. Ashton realized that he and Deborah had been married secretly. He had a clear distinction between business and his private life. No one here knew about Deborah. Last night, Ashton said that he wouldn¡¯t help Deborah in thepany, so only the HR director knew that Ashton sent Deborah¡¯s resume to the HR department in person. Ashton answered, ¡°Nothing. Go to the design department.¡± Kevin immediately replied, ¡°Yes, sir.¡± And he reached out to press the button. The elevator opened. As soon as Ashton arrived at the door of the design department, he saw Deborah following the design director inside. Deborah looked obedient. Ashton snorted. Deborah had a bad temper at home recently, and she even kept a bad attitude toward Helen But now, she was obedient in thepany. The design director was a man. Ashton said to Kevin, ¡°The director has a lot of work to do. Find another employee to teach the new employee Kevin was confused. When he was about to answer, several people suddenly rushed out from the other side of the corridor. It was Hector, who hadn¡¯t been to thepany for a long time, striding with his walking stick. With anger all over his face, Hector went straight to Deborah and suddenly pped her in the face. The director, who was standing next to Deborah, was shocked. After a while, he came to his senses and said, ¡°Mr. Mullen. What¡¯s¡­¡± All the people in the design department were busy with their work. When they heard the noise, they all looked over Ashton¡¯s face was sullen, and he strode over. Hector scolded Deborah angrily, ¡°You ungrateful bit ch!¡± In fact, Deborah had vaguely guessed what was going on, but she still looked confused and innocent. In the design department, there was a burst of whispers ¡°Why did the chairman p that woman? Did she seduce the CEO?¡± ¡°Most likely, a neer hasn¡¯t gotten her work yet it¡¯s definitely not about work.¡± Deborah was pped and almost fell. Ashton only nced at her and then held Hector¡¯s arm ¡°Grandpa, don¡¯t be angry What¡¯s going on?¡± Hector was so angry with a sullen her work in thepany He threw several photos to Ashton and said, ¡°Look at them. She betrayed us, but you still let In the photos, Joseph walked out of the airport with Mr. Moxley from the Runte Group with a smile on his face There was still no news from the driver of the Mullen Group who was sent to pick up Mr. Moxley Hector was furious ¡°Listen, the traitor can only be her She must pay the price!¡± Chapter 83 Chapter 83 Chapter 83 Humbler Than A Dog Hector ordered the bodyguards, ¡°Take her to the lounge!¡± He believed that Deborah had allied with the outsiders and betrayed the Mullen Group When the bodyguards were about to pull Deborah Deborah said in a calm voice. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but I have never done anything to betray the Mullen Group¡± Ashton stood aside and looked at Deborah doubtfully. Deborah would never admit that she texted Joseph about the arrival time of Mr. Moxley from the Runte Group Ashton was tolerant sometimes when he was in a good mood But when it came to business, like Hector, Ashton didn¡¯t allow any betrayal No matter who the traitor was. Ashton would be strict In fact, Ashton and Hector were strict in thepany because they didn¡¯t have a sense of security Ashton was young, while Hector was over eig years old. The two of them had run a big group well But it was not easy against so many opponents Therefore they ar ard aga and even feared any betrayals and those who entered thepany with bad intentions. Once they found it they would pu strictly Deborah looked into ton¡¯s eyes and said. Tve told you that I don? the Mullen Grove Hector did Ashton to what¡¯s going on. I juste here and know nothing about nation to others You ropile. He asked the bodyguards to drag Deborah to the lounge and asked Hect fool me is the first day stered the Mullen Group but i have been staying in Ashton¡¯s a long ¡°There are a lot of confidentu cumants en fes house and on his mobile phone. As long as int you can get them easily!¡± Ashton reca night and today The t of Runte Group sent ! five o clock yesterday afternoon At that time, he was study and ent to Deborah¡¯s bedroom to have a rest In the middle of the night used Helen of ing into the study Helen cried and said she was innocent. After that Ashtr took Helen to the hospital to Deborah jedroom, took away his phone from the table, and Ashton thought about fully and found that only Deborah Helen could get his phone Not long ago. Jeff Ashton¡¯s mind was a mess. He didn¡¯t want to suspect Helen Helen had been aggrieved and morning I pointed out that Helen had entered the study without Ashton¡¯s permission. But it didn¡¯t mean the tractor should be Deborah. wanted tomit suicide this Hector ordered the bodyguards angrily. Don¡¯t let her speak. Beat her up and send her to the police station. ungrateful ba st ard! She married into the Mullen family with bad intentions. I must teach her a lesson Mal bodyguards pressed Deborah the ground before Deborah could ex Deborah struggled angrily, ¡°I said I didn¡¯t. Ashton, what are you waiting for? I¡¯m your wife anyway! ¡°I passed out in the bathroomst night. When I woke up, I didn¡¯t even know where you were. What document could I get?¡± Ashton kept a straight face and felt a little sorry Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. In fact, the only chance Deborah could get his phone was when he went out to see Helen in the middle of the night. But it was not a long time before Ashton went back to the bedroom quickly and took his phone away. Deborah, who was in aa, did not seem to wake up at that time Seeing that Ashton didn¡¯t say anything, the bodyguards didn¡¯t dare to hit Deborah hard. They hit Deborah mercifully with the clubs. Ashton knew that Deborah didn¡¯t seem to be in good health recently. The bodyguards didn¡¯t hit her hard, but she was still trembling Hector snat ched the club and was about to hit Deborah in person. ¡°Get away. Why are you guys so merciful to her?¡± When the club was about to hit Deborah, Ashton stepped forward and stopped Hector, ¡°Alright, Grandpa. It¡¯s not her. I didn¡¯t sleep in her roomst night. She didn¡¯t touch my phone.¡± Hector looked at Ashton in disbelief and said angrily, ¡°Ashton, you are so stu pid! The Mullen Group is the family business of the Mullen family, and it is the fruit of your parents lifetime efforts. ¡°This woman has a bad intention. If you keep her here, the Mullen Group will be destroyed Aren¡¯t you feel sorry for your parents?¡± Hearing his roar, Deborah yelled with red eyes. ¡°Ashton, I have been with you for five years and gave birth to our daughter, but you don¡¯t believe she¡¯s your daughter and don¡¯t trust me. I¡¯m even humbler than a dog!¡± Hector was so angry that he gasped, ¡°What a cun ning woman she is!¡± Deborah red at them and said, ¡°Since you believe I did it, you can just beat me to death.¡± With the walking stick in one hand and a golf club in the other, Hector approached Deborah again. ¡°That¡¯s just what I want!¡± Deborah didn¡¯t even stand up. She just stayed there, waiting for death. Ashton had a terrible headache. Heforted Hector in a soft voice, ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯ve told you that it wasn¡¯t her. ¡°I will check this matter carefully. I won¡¯t be confused by her. If she is really suspected, I won¡¯t defend her.¡± Ashton still remembered that every time Deborah lied, it was obvious. Deborah didn¡¯t dare to look at him when she lied, and everyone could tell that she was lying. So, Ashton didn¡¯t believe Deborah was lying now. Hector finally left. Before feaving, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t let me catch her again. She must die if she dares to do anything again.¡± Ashton came back after he sent Hector out of thepany and into the car. Deborah was still in the lounge. The blood on her mouth was probably from the wound caused by the p. She waspletely in a mess. When she saw Ashtone in, she asked coldly. ¡°Can I leave now?¡± Ashton walked over and touched Deborah¡¯s swollen face. ¡°Let me check your wound. Chapter 84 Chapter 84 Chapter 84 Did He Hit You? Deborah pushed Ashton away and said, ¡°Leave me alone. You make me feel sick.¡± Ashion was annoyed by Deborah¡¯s push. ¡°Deborah, you¡¯d better not y tricks on me. I barely believe you this time, but I won¡¯t believe such a coincidence again.¡± Deborah walked to the door and said without looking back, ¡°Whatever.¡± Ashton said in a cold voice, ¡°Be careful. If you get involved in such things again, no matter how my grandfather punishes you, I won¡¯t stop him.¡± Deborah didn¡¯t say anything and went back to the design department Ashton didn¡¯t ask her to leave, she wouldn¡¯t leave, though she was punished by the chairman in public. She finally came to the Mullen Group but still did nothing Ashton looked calm. In fact, she couldn¡¯t have been so calm in the lounge just now. Now that she was finally out of Ashton¡¯s sight, she finally couldn¡¯t pretend to be strong. As soon as she got out of Ashton¡¯s sight and went back to the design department, she immediately went to the bathroom. Her internal org ans ached. When she vomited, she was almost exhausted. There was blood in the sink. She didn¡¯t care about it and habitually turned on the tap to wash it. When she returned to the office, all the employees in the design department were deliberately avoiding her. Deborah didn¡¯t care and sat down to do her own job. She was thinking about how to get into Ashton¡¯s office and get what Joseph wanted. She was absent-minded the whole afternoon and finally got off work at five o¡¯clock in the afternoon. When Deborah was about to take a taxi home after leaving thepany, she suddenly heard a voice beside her. ¡°Ms. Shepherd, Mr. ck wants to see you.¡± Deborah looked around and saw Joseph¡¯s driver, Shawn. Fortunately, she had left thepany and waited for the car on the road far away from the building. The employees of the Mullen Group should not have seen her. Deborah asked, ¡°When?¡± Shawn pointed at a ck car parked on the road not far away. Deborah didn¡¯t say anything more and followed Shawn. When they got to the car, Shawn opened the door for her. Joseph was sitting inside. Seeing that Deborah was stunned, Joseph waved his hand and said, ¡°Come in. What are you waiting for?¡± Deborah got in and said, ¡°Mr. ck, please don¡¯te to thepany directly when you want to see me next time. If Ashton sees you, I¡¯m afraid I will no longer be able to get what you want.¡± Looking at Deborah¡¯s serious face, Joseph smiled and said, ¡°You look so nervous. I¡¯ve parked my car so far away. Ashton can¡¯t see me.¡± Deborah didn¡¯t want to joke with Joseph at all. She felt very ufortable now, but she didn¡¯t have enough painkillers. She just wanted to go to the hospital to get the medicine as soon as possible. Joseph smiled, but Deborah didn¡¯t. She just looked at Joseph and asked, ¡°Mr. ck, can I see Alyssa?¡± Joseph took two small ck things from his pocket and handed them to her. ¡°You will see Alyssa sooner orter. Take the two bugs. You can install one in Ashton¡¯s office and the other in his study. Put it near the desk in a secret way¡­ Before Joseph finished his words, Deborah interrupted him, ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Joseph was stunned for a moment and smiled, ¡°What happened today? Why do you look so angry?¡± With a cold face, Deborah said, ¡°I have to see Alyssa first. Otherwise, I won¡¯t do anything for you.¡± Joseph felt a little guilty, but he still kept a calm face. He turned to look at Deborah¡¯s left face and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your face? Did Ashton hit you?¡± As he got closer, Deborah immediately moved away and said, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. Don¡¯t waste my time. Anyway, if I don¡¯t see Alyssa, I won¡¯t continue the deal.¡± She vomited blood a little bit more frequently in the past two days. She couldn¡¯t wait any longer and had a bad feeling. She felt something was wrong with Joseph since Joseph didn¡¯t allow her to see her daughter. After a long silence, Joseph said, ¡°You will¡­¡± Deborah reached out and was about to open the door. ¡°Then we will talk about the dealter.¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Joseph immediately grabbed Deborah¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Alright. Do you have to see her now?¡± Deborah¡¯s eyes lit up. She turned around and nodded vigntly. ¡°Yes, right now.¡± Joseph looked at her with his deep eyes which were bottomless with something that Deborah couldn¡¯t understand in them. Joseph was not a good man. Deborah knew it at the first sight of him. That was why she was more eager to see Alyssa and bring Alyssa back. She was clear that if she died one day and Alyssa was still under Joseph¡¯s control, Alyssa would have a hard time. Joseph was not a kind man. If Deborah died, Joseph would definitely threaten Ashton with Alyssa Joseph pretended to be calm and sighed, ¡°OK, but I have to make it clear to you that she is still receiving treatment abroad. ¡°You can only see her through the video. Moreover, her face is seriously injured because she has fallen off the cliff and hasn¡¯t recovered yet. You will feel ufortable if you see it.¡± ¡°No matter what my daughter¡¯s face bes, it won¡¯t make me ufortable,¡± Deborah said in a firm voice. Joseph looked at her with a smile. ¡°Then let¡¯s go to my home.¡± Deborah didn¡¯t expect that Joseph, this cun ning man, would agree to let her see her daughter. Deborah lost her calmness. She nodded without hesitation. ¡°Great.¡± Joseph didn¡¯t say anything more. He turned on theputer and continued to read the documents. He was in a good mood today. He pretended to run into Steven at the airport and had a talk with Steven. Definitely, Steven was vignt. Besides, if Steven knew that Joseph wanted to attack Ashton, Steven would certainly hate Joseph. So Joseph just chatted with Steven casually. Ashton¡¯s driver didn¡¯t arrive in time, so Joseph sent Steven to the hotel They didn¡¯t talk about business, so Steven was grateful to Joseph. This was a good start. As for the contract, Joseph had to wait for the right time. On the way to Joseph¡¯s house, Deborah fell asleep. Joseph looked at Deborah in surprise. He sneered and said, ¡°I thought she should be excited, but in fact, she can still sleep. ¡°She doesn¡¯t look well,¡± Shawn said. ¡°Really?¡± Joseph said indifferently. ¡°How¡¯s the investigation about the Moxley family and the Moxley Group?¡± Shawn replied, ¡°We can¡¯t find anything more about the Moxley Group. The Moxley Group has a good reputation and wide connections. ¡°As for the Moxley family, old Mrs. Moxley only has one son, and then three grandsons, including Steven.¡± Joseph asked, ¡°Doesn¡¯t she have a daughter or granddaughter?* Shawn answered, ¡°No. Steven is the eldest grandson and has two younger brothers, Norman and Adrian. Norman is a world-famous professor of the orthopedics department and an expert in bone surgery. He is sophisticated and low-key. ¡°The youngest one is Adrian. You may have heard of him. He just won the prize for the best actor at the beginning of this year. He seems to be more yful than his two brothers¡± After thinking for a while, Joseph said, ¡°Go and check where Norman is working. When you find him, make an appointment with him. I¡¯ll meet him as a patient.¡± With a hesitant look on his face, Shawn said, ¡°Dr. Norman is an orthopedic surgeon It was not hard to pretend to be a patient with an ordinary disease. But it was indeed hard to pretend to have bone diseases. Joseph got close to Deborah and looked at her slightly swollen face. He said, ¡°Just do as I say.¡± Joseph remembered something and asked. ¡°By the way, I heard from Dr. Evans that Deborah is sick Shawn didn¡¯t remember much about it either After thinking for a long time, Shawn answered, ¡°Liver disease, like liver cancer?¡± Chapter 85 Chapter 85 Chapter 85 BSI Will Have Nightmare Joseph was staring at Deborah¡¯s face. Hearing Shawn¡¯s words, he was shocked and asked, ¡°What?¡± Shawn replied, ¡°Dr. Evans seemed to say that Ms. Shepherd had liver cancer. He also said that she was a poor woman.¡± From the mirror, Shawn saw that Joseph seemed to be shocked, so he added, ¡°Maybe I remember it wrong¡± After a short silence, Joseph said in a deep voice, ¡°She indeed doesn¡¯t look well.¡± It was hard for a sick person to pretend to be strong. Deborah indeed looked seriously ill. At least Deborah was sleeping so soundly in someone else¡¯s car in such an unfriendly environment. Joseph had been talking to Shawn for a long time, but Deborah was still sleeping with her head tilted to one side. She didn¡¯t respond at all. When the car was about to arrive at the front yard of the vi, a car suddenly rushed out. The vi was Joseph¡¯s private house. A car rushed out of the house by ident, and Shawn was not prepared for it. Shawn immediately drove aside to dodge the car and hit the brake. The car that was rushing toward them immediately stopped beside their car. The driver¡¯s window was opened, revealing Ben¡¯s yful face. ¡®Oh, Shawn, did I scare you?¡± Joseph put one hand in front of Deborah to protect her head. He opened the window and nced at Ben. ¡°Why are you in such a hurry?¡± Ben yawned and said, ¡°Nothing. This is just my driving style. Ie to see you, but you are not home. This da mn ce is so remote. I didn¡¯t expect you toe back just in time.¡± Joseph replied, ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± Ben was about to leave, ¡°No, I don¡¯t have anything important to say. I¡¯ve just made an appointment with someone. I¡¯lle another day.¡± As he spoke, he reached his head out of the window and took a look at Deborah. ¡°Oh,st time when you took her back, you just said she was a stranger to you. What a coincidence! You bring her back again!¡± Ben seemed to be very interested in this topic. ¡°I¡¯m really curious. Do you want to use her to attack Ashton, or do you just like her?¡± Joseph interrupted Ben, ¡°Stay here and do me a favor. Check her body. You can make an appointment with your friend another day. I¡¯ll pay the bill for you.¡± Ben was about to say, ¡°I¡¯m not your on-call ser vant¡± But after Joseph finished his words, Ben immediately added, ¡°But I should help you. Will you really pay the bill for me?¡± Joseph took p¨²t a bank card and handed it to Ben. ¡°Check her body. Didn¡¯t you tell Shawn that she had liver cancer?¡± Ben took the card with satisfaction. As soon as he got the money, he continued to tease Joseph. ¡°I¡¯ve checked her before, and I forget what her disease is. But It has nothing to do with you. She is Ashton¡¯s wife, not yours.¡± N?velDrama.Org content rights. ¡°If she is dead, nobody else can do her job for me,¡± Joseph replied indifferently. Ben didn¡¯t find anything wrong. He put away the card and turned the car back to the vi. Ben didn¡¯t take any cancer check-up equipment to the vi, but he had taken Deborah to the hospital for a check-up before. He brought back the report and gave it to Joseph. At that time, Joseph didn¡¯t care about It. Now he forgot where he put the report. Maybe it was thrown away by the serv ants as rubbish. Ben already took the money and had to do the job. He rummaged Joseph¡¯s vi for the report. Finally, he found the thick stack of report paper. Deborah was sleeping on the bed and couldn¡¯t wake up Joseph took her to the bed in the bedroom. Ben took the report in and put it on the table. Then he sat on the sofa and looked through it carefully. After reading it, Ben looked up at Deborah in surprise. ¡°Why is she still alive?¡± Joseph came over and sat opposite Ben. ¡°Is it serious?¡± He asked. With a serious look on his face, Ben said, ¡°The examination was done a long time ago when you took her here. The report is very terrible. She would die in at most three months from that time.¡± Joseph was stunned for a while and asked with a strange feeling, ¡°You mean it can¡¯t be cured, can it?¡± Ben sighed, ¡®It can¡¯t be cured. Joseph, she¡¯s so pitiful. You shouldn¡¯t have lied to her about her daughter.¡± Joseph replied subconsciously, ¡°I didn¡¯t know.¡± Ben didn¡¯t say anything more. He reached out and sorted out the report paper. There was no need to say anything more. Ben knew that Joseph wouldn¡¯t ask him to treat Deborah. Deborah was dying of a terminal illness. Ben knew Joseph would only feel a little sympathy for her, but that was all. Joseph wouldn¡¯t do anything to help Deborah. Besides, Deborah was nominally Ashton¡¯s wife. Ben stood up and said, ¡°She is suffering from liver cancer. It¡¯s incurable. I don¡¯t have to check her again. ¡°The medicine I bring here is to treat some minor diseases. It¡¯s useless for her. I¡¯ll go.¡± Joseph reached for the water cup on the table, took it, and then put it down. ¡°I gave you the bank card to pay the bill for you. You can¡¯t just leave like this.¡± Ben stopped. He turned around with a serious face and asked directly. ¡°What do you mean? ¡°I¡¯m a doctor. As a doctor, I can¡¯t control myself from feeling sad for an incurable patient. If you still want to use Deborah to do something, don¡¯t ask me for help. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have a nightmare at night.¡± Ben took out the card Joseph gave him, put it on the table, turned around, and left. All of a sudden, Joseph stood up and took a few steps forward. ¡°What will happen if I tell her the truth about Alyssa?¡± Ben sneered, ¡°Of course, she will die earlier.¡± Deborah almost died when she heard the news of Alyssa¡¯s death. But anyway, she managed to get through it. Joseph gave her hope and surprise again. If Deborah knew the truth one day, she would lose hope, and nobody knew if she could get through Ben went downstairs and left. Joseph stood still for a long time again. He had made a deal with a lot of people over the years. He was good at catching the weaknesses of all kinds of people and letting them do things for him. But he didn¡¯t seem to have made a deal with a terminally ill patient It was still an unfair deal. He kept asking Deborah to bring him something he wanted, but he would never really give Deborah what she needed. Alyssa was dead. Joseph saw Alyssa¡¯s body with his own eyes that day in the funeral home. He bought Alyssa¡¯s lucky charm at a high price. Then he asked Shawn to find a way to remove the burned mark on the lucky charm and restore it to its original appearance. Deborah was such a gullible woman. That night, Joseph showed her the lucky charm and shook it in front of her eyes. Deborah was so happy as if she had been hypnotized that she agreed to do anything for Joseph in exchange for Alyssa. She always said ¡°thank you¡± to Joseph, as if Joseph was really a merciful savior who saved her daughter. A sudden sound of vomiting from the bedroom pulled Joseph back to reality. Joseph turned around and walked in quickly. He saw Deborah vomiting at the bedside. Deborah threw up a lot on the floor, and the sticky things with blood stained the carpet. A strange smell of blood filled the bedroom. Sweat stuck to Deborah¡¯s forehead, and her eyes turned red. Hearing the footsteps approaching, Deborah looked flustered and guilty. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll clean it up for you. And¡­ I¡¯ll pay you.¡± Since she made the carpet dirty like this, she might not be able to clean it. Standing in front of her, Joseph looked down at her and asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask Ashton to treat your disease?¡± Chapter 86 Chapter 86 Chapter 86 He Can¡¯t Turn Back Deborah said in a faint voice. ¡°Im not sick, just a little tied ¡± Joseph¡¯s gaze was fixed on her as if he wanted to see through her. *Just being tired can cause you to cough up blood? Deborah, do you think I am a fool?¡± Deborah looked embarrassed And she couldn¡¯t find a reasonable answer, so she didn¡¯t say anything. Deborah tried to get out of bed to clean up the mess on the floor. But her body was so cold and weak that she couldn¡¯t get up, no matter how hard she tried. She felt as if she was pressed down on the bed by something heavy. The most significant physical reaction of liver cancer was constant nausea and vomiting. Deborah had been throwing up like this for a long time, but her body still couldn¡¯t adapt. Every time she finished throwing up, she would feel cold and painful all over, and she would tremble uncontrobly. Seeing Deborah was so weak, Joseph called a serv ant to clean the carpet. Joseph asked, ¡°So why don¡¯t you let Ashton take you to get treatment?¡± Deborah didn¡¯t respond. She was too weak and didn¡¯t want to say anything. What could she say? What was the point of telling Joseph she was sick? Even if Joseph sighed with pity and said, ¡°You are so pitiful,¡± what good would it do for her? Joseph¡¯s expression was inexplicable, ¡°Really? Can¡¯t believe that even though you have a terminal illness, Ashton won¡¯t take you to a doctor? You and Ashton may not be getting along, but there isn¡¯t such a big grudge between you?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Joseph also knew about Deborah¡¯s rtionship with Ashton. Joseph had secretly investigated the Mullen family and Ashton. After that, he wanted to take advantage of Deborah, so he investigated the rtionship between Deborah and Ashton. It was said that Deborah had set a trap on Ashton, slept with him, and got pregnant with his child. However, even though Ashton slept with Deborah and had a daughter with her, it would not hinder him from taking care of other women. Deborah was like a free babysitter, And there was no reason that Ashton hated her so much. At the very least, as his nominal wife with a terminal illness, Ashton should use his medical connection and find a way to help Deborah. Even if a stranger had an incurable disease, someone could donate something to express their love. Deborah didn¡¯t want to respond, but Joseph kept asking her as if he had gone insane. After a long time, Deborah replied, ¡°He doesnt believe me.¡± Joseph was truly shocked and pointed to therge bloodstain on the floor. ¡°How can he not believe you when this happened?!¡± Joseph believed that if Ashton saw therge bloodstain on the floor, he would trust Deborah. Deborah was annoyed by Joseph¡¯s constant questioning and decided to tell him the truth. ¡°I was in a threw up blood, he said I had used a blood pack to fool him.¡± She looked up at Joseph after finishing her words. ¡°Do you have any more questions?¡± Joseph was stunned for a long time and asked thest question, ¡°What¡¯s a blood pack?¡± Deborah¡¯s voice was calm as if she was discussing somethingpletely unrted to herself. ¡°It¡¯s a prop used in film and television. You put it in your mouth and bite down on it, and then you can spit out something that looks like blood.¡± Joseph was confused. ¡°What nonsense¡­¡± Deborah interrupted him. ¡°Mr. ck, I¡¯m not here to make a fool of myself. You don¡¯t have to worry about me. I¡¯m here to see Alyssa.¡± Joseph was silent Deborah looked straight at him and asked, ¡°Mr. ck, you¡¯re not tricking me, are you?¡± Joseph was usuallyposed, never showing any emotions on his face. But today, he seemed to be acting strangely, and Deborah sensed something was off. Deborah smiled and spoke as if she was joking, but her words were serious. ¡°If you¡¯re lying to me, I won¡¯t let you go even if I be a ghost¡± Joseph¡¯s heart suddenly ski p ped a beat. He suddenly felt like he regretted something. That night, Deborah had smiled at him in surprise under the moonlight, her eyes shining brightly. But he told her such a cruel lie. The person who always appeared in his dreams also smiled at him like that. Her eyes were bright, and her whole body seemed to be shining. Realizing that he was absent-minded again, Joseph suddenly came to his senses and said, ¡°I¡¯m not lying to you. If I must find someone to deal with Ashton, I don¡¯t have to find you.¡± But why did Joseph just happen to find Deborah and deceive her? Deborah stared at him and said, ¡°I want to see Alyssa.¡± Joseph took out his phone and made a video call to his man in the hospital room. Joseph knew that he couldn¡¯t turn back, and he suddenly hated himself for thinking that he was regretful. Deborah was the perfect person to deal with Ashton, Joseph¡¯s greatest wish was to destroy the Mullen family. Deborah was nothing. Who was she? What did her incurable disease have to do with him? What did it matter if Deborah hated him when she found out the truth in the future? Joseph tried to push those strange emotions out of his mind. Deborah was only focused on staring anxiously at the screen of his phone and impatiently grabbed it from him. Finally, the call was answered, and a male doctor¡¯s face appeared, and he greeted Joseph politely. Seeing Deborah on the screen, the doctor did not know her and was taken aback. Joseph said, /Show her the child.¡± The doctor turned the phone camera, aimed at the bed, and moved closer. The little girl lying in the hospital bed had her eyes tightly shut. Her small face was almost covered with gauze, only revealing a pair of closed eyes and a pale mouth. Even the bridge of her nose was almostpletely covered. Deborah could vaguely recognize that the girl was Alyssa. Deborah¡¯s breathing suddenly quickened, and her eyes were red. Her voice was anxious and excited, but she tried her best to lower her voice as if she was afraid of disturbing Alyssa Chapter 86 Can¡¯t Turn Back. ¡°Has she not woken up yet? Why hasn¡¯t she woken up after such a long time?¡± The doctor replied, ¡°Alyssa has just undergone many treatments and surgery, so she¡¯s exhausted. She has been sleeping a lottely, but she is notatose She has woken up for over a month now.¡± Deborah couldn¡¯t help but cry as she desperately tried to suppress her so bs, hoping to keep her voice clear. ¡°Is her face seriously injured? Is there any other injury? Is she in a good mood? Did she say anything? Can she eat anything?¡± After Deborah asked all the questions, the doctor replied to her one by one. The doctor told Deborah that Alyssa¡¯s body was no longer in danger, but her face was severely injured, and had undergone stic surgery. At present, the surgery was very sessful, and all aspects of the body recovered quickly. Joseph sat next to her, silently ¡°Tranting¡± the doctor¡¯s words in his mind. Telling Deborah that Alyssa had undergone stic surgery because the child still did not have the same appearance as Alyssa. Telling Deborah that Alyssa had not woken up to prevent Deborah from detecting anything amiss. Even though Joseph had made the child try her best to mimic Alyssa and Deborah only looked at her through a phone screen, Joseph still felt extremely nervous. Joseph just felt that Deborah was different; she was Alyssa¡¯s biological mother. She had such deep feelings and familiarity with Alyssa. Even if the child imitated Alyssa perfectly, perhaps Deborah could still spot the mistakes in her eyes, speech, and behavior. Joseph couldn¡¯t sit still anymore and got up to leave the bedroom, leaving Deborah to continue talking. Joseph went downstairs and sat on the sofa in the living room. After about half an hour, Deborah came downstairs. Deborah handed the phone back to Joseph without saying a word.. Seeing Deborah keep silent, Joseph stared at his phone and felt uneasy. Joseph was afraid Deborah would find out something wrong. Chapter 87 Chapter 87 Chapter 87 Hypnotherapy Joseph looked up and saw Deborah¡¯s tearful face. Deborah sat down opposite him and hastily wiped away the traces on her face. Joseph¡¯s expression was stiff. He looked away and stopped looking at her. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve seen your daughter, you should feel relieved. It¡¯s your turn to be satisfied with my requirement now.¡± Deborah¡¯s expression had calmed down a lot. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to meet your requirements. You can ask for whatever you need, but don¡¯t hurt Alyssa Joseph replied, ¡°Of course, as long as you help me get things done Why would I waste my time hurting a child?¡± The rtionship between Joseph and Deborah was just a transaction. Joseph should speak like that without any emotions or feelings. Deborah was silent for a while and suddenly asked him, ¡°Can I know why you want to deal with Ashton?¡± Joseph looked at her with a smile and said in a calm tone, ¡°Because eleven years ago, Ashton¡¯s uncle killed my mother. The Mullen family protected his uncle and ssified my mother¡¯s death as an idental fire.¡± Deborah was a little sensitive to the time point ¡°eleven years ago.¡± It was the same time when Ashton carried her on his back to the hospital when she was dying under a cliff. Deborah couldn¡¯t help saying. ¡°At that time, Ashton was still a good person.¡± Over the years, Ashton had hurt her so much. Deborah had to admit that when she was thirteen years old, Ashton had been good to her for a long time. Josephughed, ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe you still think Ashton was a good person now.¡± Deborah corrected him in a deep voice. ¡°I¡¯m talking about that time, not now. He saved me at that time. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have married him.* Joseph¡¯s face lit up. ¡°He saved you eleven years ago? Are you sure?¡± If Joseph remembered correctly, Ashton only returned to the country ten years ago. Before that, Ashton had been living abroad with his parents. Deborah didn¡¯t answer, and she could tell Joseph was making fun of her. Joseph was a cun ning businessman. The reason why he asked this was that he wanted to pry into the rtionship between Deborah and Ashton. It was all for the sake of bringing him benefits one day. With his hatred for Ashton, Joseph couldn¡¯t believe that Ashton used to be a so-called good person. Seeing that Deborah didn¡¯t want to say anything more, Joseph smiled and didn¡¯t ask anymore. At the time, Joseph¡¯s assistant, Morton Hinton, called and said, ¡°Mr. ck, I have checked it. Dr. Norman has been practicing at Richmond Hospital recently. But he only ns to stay for half a month, and all his appointments for this half month are full. But¡­* Morton suddenly paused. Joseph asked angrily, ¡°But what?¡± Morton continued, ¡°I asked the director of Richmond Hospital. Dr. Norman is still working in the psychology department tonight.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t be an orthopedic expert?¡± Joseph asked in confusion. Chapter 87 Hypnotherapy It was understandable that Dr. Norman could treat other surgical diseases as well. But how could he also can treat psychological diseases? N?velDrama.Org content rights. Morton exined, ¡°The Moxley family members are not ordinary people. Dr. Norman is naturally gifted in medicine. He¡¯s very good at treating orthopedic diseases. I heard that he also studied psychology in his spare time and became a specialist in the psychology department This was a rare opportunity that Joseph didn¡¯t want to miss it. Joseph immediately got up, instructing Morton to book an appointment with Dr. Norman. When Joseph took the suit jacket from the serv ant, he remembered that Deborah was still sitting on the sofa. Only then did he turn around and look at her. ¡°What are you going to do? Go to the hospital with me, or should I ask someone to send you back?¡± Deborah answered truthfully, ¡°I need to pick up some medicine at Richmond Hospital. I¡¯ll take a taxi myself.¡± Deborah had nned to go to the hospital right after work as she was running out of painkillers. If she didn¡¯t keep some extra on hand, she wouldn¡¯t be able to endure the pain when it strikes. Joseph waved to her and motioned for her toe over. ¡°I¡¯m heading in there too. Let me take you there.¡± By the time they arrived at the hospital, it was already quitete at night. Joseph pushed open the car door and got out. Deborah got out from the other side. As Deborah was just out of the car, a car suddenly rushed towards her from behind, almost like an intentional murder. The car was moving too fast, and Deborah couldn¡¯t even see it clearly. She immediately retreated a few steps. The car braked and stopped where she had been standing. She could finally see that it was Ashton¡¯s car. The way he came, it seemed like Ashton had been following them for a while. Ashton had driven himself over. Ashton got out of the car in a rage. Deborah¡¯s face was a little pale, but she remained calm. Joseph walked around from the other side of the car with a smile and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on, Mr. Mullen? Are you so angry because I brought Debby to the hospital for treatment?¡± Ashton sneered, ¡°I heard Dr. Norman is on duty in the psychiatry department tonight. Mr. ck, are you here to see a doctor or to visit someone?¡± Josephughed, ¡°Mr. Mullen, you also know about it. If you¡¯re also here for psychological treatment, we can go up together.¡± Ashton pulled Deborah over and pushed her into the car. ¡°Joseph, don¡¯t be too smug. The Moxley family won¡¯t fall for your tricks.¡± Joseph smiled and said, ¡°Who knows? Mr. Mullen, don¡¯t always vent your anger on a woman. It¡¯s not what a man should do.¡± Ashton ignored Joseph, got into the driver¡¯s seat, and quickly reversed the car, then sped away. Joseph¡¯s smile disappeared. With a gloomy expression, he watched the car speed away. Joseph had important things to do, so he couldn¡¯t spend too much time thinking about Deborah. He turned and went into the hospital It waste at night, but many people still came for Norman¡¯s fame. Although Joseph had connections and a stake in the hospital, if he wanted to approach the Moxley family for business, he had to maintain the decorum of a gentleman. So Joseph didn¡¯t want to meet Norman directly through his connections. What¡¯s more, Norman had his own norm at work. Norman hated it the most when people pretended to seek medical help only to use it as an opportunity to get close to the Moxley family, wasting medical resources and his time. In the past, some people tried to do this before, but they all exposed their ws and ended up losing more than they gained. Joseph sat outside the consultation room, waiting patiently. He wasn¡¯t afraid of exposing his ws; he did have a psychological illness. It was not the first time that he hade here to see a psychologist before. After his mother passed away, he forgot too many things before that. Over the years, many fragments of memories that seemed true or false had constantly tortured him, reminding him of many vague. things, but none of them were clear. Especially that girl. Her face always appeared vaguely in front of him. The girl¡¯sughter and crying were sometimes distant and sometimes close in his mind. When Joseph was a little absent-minded, Norman¡¯s assistant doctor came out and called him, ¡°Mr. ck, it¡¯s your turn.¡± Joseph immediately came back to his senses and got up to go in. Chapter 88 Chapter 88 Chapter 88 Memory Recovery There were very few people in Richmond who didn¡¯t know Joseph. The assistant doctor¡¯s attitude was clearly chilly, and it was evident that he saw through Joseph¡¯s true intentions foring to seek medical attention. As Joseph entered, he greeted Norman with a smile. Norman sat at his desk and said bluntly, ¡°Mr. ck, you may havee to the wrong ce. I¡¯m here to treat patients.¡± Norman was wearing a white coat and a pair of gold-rimmed sses. He had a cold and elegant temperament. The Moxley family¡¯s genes were excellent. Norman was not as chiseled features as his brother, Steven, but both were equally impable. Norman¡¯s grandfather was from Ynda, and his grandmother and parents were all domestic nationals. The three brothers¡¯ features were all very distinctive and attractive. Such looks were naturally valuable and marketable, just like Adrian, whozily wandered about the entertainment circle without any ambition. Even without relying on the Moxley family¡¯s background, he could easily seed by his appearance, effortlessly winning the best actor award. Joseph calmly pulled out a thick stack of medical records and handed them to Norman. ¡°I have been gued by men tal illness for many years now, and I have seen many doctors here before.¡± ¡°Dr. Norman, please do not misunderstand me. I am sincerely asking for your help today.¡± Norman took the records skeptically, looked them over, and looked incredulous. Norman quickly apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. ck. I am narrow-mindedness and speak rashly.¡± Joseph smiled and replied, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± He knew in his heart that he had ulterior motives to But since Joseph had pretended toe for treatment, he had to put on a show. Joseph had seen psychologists for so many years, but he had never been cured, and his memory had never recovered. If Norman couldn¡¯t find a way to treat him this time, Joseph would have sufficient reason toe back Norman carefully reviewed Joseph¡¯s medical records, asionally asking him a few simple questions. Joseph answered Norman¡¯s questions politely. And then, heined, ¡°Over the years, I always remember the day my mother had her ident¡± ¡®The thing that bothered me the most was that I had a feeling that I had done something important before I rushed to the scene of my mother¡¯s ident. And there was also someone else significant for me that I can¡¯t recall.¡± Norman listened intently, and Joseph continued, ¡°It may not even be something that important or someone so significant.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that my brain can¡¯t stop thinking about it, and that¡¯s what¡¯s been truly troubling me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need toplete my memory. So my requirement is, If I can¡¯t recall my memory, is there a way for me to forget that memory and stop being troubled by it?¡± Norman replied sternly. ¡°Since you always can¡¯t help thinking about it, it¡¯s very likely that you subconsciously know that it¡¯s very important.¡± ¡°Mr. ck, why do you want to forget? Don¡¯t you fear missing out on something that you care about?¡± Joseph joked, ¡°Dr. Norman, you probably know me, I am a businessman, and I only care about benefits. The person and incident from eleven years ago are not that important to me.¡± Furthermore, Joseph had tried recovering his memories for the past eleven years and had seen countless psychologists, all to no avail. Since that was the case, forgetting everything cleanly and living in peace was a better option for Joseph. Norman nced at the time and said, ¡°If you¡¯re not in a hurry to leave, I can try hypnosis on you and see if it helps recover your memories?¡± ¦²¦¥ Joseph didn¡¯t mind, and he nodded. ¡°We can take a try. Thank you, Dr. Norman.¡± Joseph¡¯s primary motivation was not toe for treatment, so he didn¡¯t care. Furthermore, Joseph didn¡¯t expect Norman could cure his illness. And he thought it would be ridiculous if Norman could help him to restore his memory after 11 years. Joseph stood up and followed him into the treatment room. Norman was going to hypnotize him. Joseph was already familiar with the process. With the help of the hypnosis, his consciousness slowly dissipated. Norman said something next to him. Joseph felt a familiar sense of sinking, and his body seemed to be slowly falling down. The sound of crying began to ring in his ears again. This time, it wasn¡¯t just crying. He also heard her voice. ¡°She left me on the mountain, and I watched them drive away.¡± ¡°The rain was too heavy. I couldn¡¯t see the road and fell.¡± ¡°I want to sleep, and I can¡¯t keep my eyes open.¡± The sound of the strong wind and rain became clearer and clearer. Joseph even began to feel the chill of the wind blowing on his body and the wetness of the raindrops hitting his face. Her tears fell on his neck, and the warmth turned into wisps of coolness, flowing down his neck and into his clothes. She couldn¡¯t stop crying and kept sobbing in his ear. ¡°She said my mom was a bad person who took my dad away, so she wanted me to die on the mountain. No one likes me, not even my mom.¡± Those crying and talking voices were fragmented but exceptionally clear. Suddenly, Joseph heard his own voice again, ¡°Don¡¯t fall asleep. If you die, they will live happily. You have to live well and watch them die one by one.¡± ¡°But I want to sleep. My eyelids are drooping. Can you sing to me? My mom never sang to me.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to sing ¡± ¡°Hasn¡¯t your mother sung you a song before?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll teach you a song. Don¡¯t fall asleep.¡± ¡°Are you hungry? When we get to the hospital, I¡¯ll buy the soup for you from your favorite restaurant.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± His memory suddenly became clearer, and then a turn in the scene, Shawn¡¯s voice suddenly sounded. ¡°Pleasee back quickly. Something happened to your mother.¡± And then, he saw some memory fragments about the spilled soup and the chaotic fire. Under hypnosis, Joseph¡¯s emotions showed signs of difort and resistance. Norman continued to hypnotize Joseph and try to stabilize his emotions. Joseph began to remember many things again. In school, those boys who were his age or older didn¡¯t like him. Joseph fought with them, but he was outnumbered. They hit him badly, and he was on the verge of death. Then, a soft voice came from behind. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ve called the police! Even if you¡¯re the student, you¡¯ll be criminally responsible after 16. If you want to go to jail, just stay here!¡± The boys aroundughed and walked in the direction of the voice. Joseph opened his eyes, the voice was so familiar, but he saw her face clearly for the first time. It was Deborah¡¯s face. How could it be Deborah¡¯s face? Deborah stared at the boys, holding her phone up, looking resolute. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe that I called the police, try hitting him again¡± ¡°Are you sure there are no surveince cameras here? Wait and see, and the police will arrive soon!¡± The boys looked surprised. After a moment of hesitation, they cursed her and left quickly. Deborah hurried over to Joseph and tried to help him up. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go to the hospital.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stare at me. I did not call the police. I just want to scare them away.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t panic, and I¡¯ll donate blood for you. I have type O blood, which is universal. It¡¯s amazing, right?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that expression on your face? You bled so much from being beaten. I was afraid you¡¯d die, so I let the nurse take more blood from me. I don¡¯t know that I would faint. Now that I¡¯m awake, everything is alright.¡± ¡°No one in my family is good to me. Will you lie to me and hurt me in the future?¡± It wasn¡¯t until nearly midnight that Norman finished hypnotizing Joseph, When Joseph woke up, his expression was ugly. Norman was used to it and packed up the medical equipment, preparing to leave work. Joseph¡¯s face was strangely pale, and his usual cun ning andposure were nowhere to be seen. Joseph got out of bed and put on his shoes. Without saying a word, he walked out in a daze. Chapter 89 Chapter 89 Chapter 89 The Date of Helen¡¯s Death Joseph walked out of the office, followed by Norman, who spoke up, ¡°The hypnosis process to restore your mernory went smoothly. I¡¯m curious, Mr. ck, why were you unable to recover your memory before?¡± Norman did not think that his psychological treatment skills were so good. Not to mentionpared to the other psychologist at home and abroad. There were psychologists who were better than Norman at Richmond Hospital As soon as Norman finished speaking, a inan at the end of the corridor hurried over with an anxious look. As the man approached, Joseph saw that it was Shawn. Shawn had always been the calmest person. He had rarely lost hisposure. But now, it was very strange. Shawn approached. When he saw Joseph¡¯s expression, he understood everything. Shawn didn¡¯t expect that Joseph would suddenlye to see Norman and treat his me ntal illness. By the time he arrived, it was too Shawn nervously approached. ¡°Are you okay, Mr. ck?¡± Joseph could tell at a nce that something was wrong with him. The businessmen were very good at reading people¡¯s expressions. He quickly guessed what was going on. Shawn did not dare to look at him. Joseph looked at Shawn indifferently and asked, ¡®Did you do something to the psychological treatment I received before?¡± Norman was a world-famous orthopedic doctor, but he was not an experienced psychologist. Shawn looked uneasy. He wanted to defend himself, but he withdrew his words. Joseph was not easy to fool. Besides, he had alreadye to this point, so Shawn did not want to hide anything anymore. Joseph understood everything and sneered at him. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it. Shawn, you are the person I trusted the most all these years.¡± For these past few years, Joseph had been suspicious of everyone, but he had never suspected Shawn. That¡¯s why he always had Shawn book appointments with psychological therapists and handle many things for him without ever questioning details. Shawn couldn¡¯t say anything. N?velDrama.Org content rights. Joseph leaned against the wall, and he felt it was very satiric. He walked toward the end of the corridor. Shawn turned around and quickly followed. ¡°Mr. ck, are you going to look for her?¡± ¡°Now is a critical time. You have established a rtionship with the Moxley family and have seen important documents. You must think twice about what to do at this time¡­¡± Joseph stopped and looked back at him coldly. ¡°Why did you lie to me? Why didn¡¯t you let me remember Deborah?¡± Shawn spoke gravely, ¡°Mr. ck, your mother has passed away. You have more important things to do, and Ms. Shepherd is now by Ashton¡¯s side. She is the best pawn you can use.¡± Joseph turned and entered the nearby lounge. When Shawn followed in, he mmed the door shut, blocking the outside view. Joseph punched Shawn in the face, his eyes red with rage. ¡°That¡¯s why you kept me in the dark and let me fool with Deborah like that!¡± ¡°Let me deliberately provoke Ashton with Deborah and make her bear the consequences when Ashton loses control.¡± Death ¡°You made me use her dead daughter to deceive and manipte her. When she finds out the truth, she will dier Deborah thought her daughter was found again. But in fact, her daughter had already died How could Deborah endure the pain of losing her daughter again? Shawn was punched and did not move at all. Shawn let Joseph scream, rage, and lose control until the person in front of him slowly fell silent, slumping onto the sofa with a pained expression and burying his face in his palms. Shawn had expected this day for a long time After Joseph lost his memory due to his mother¡¯s ident, Shawn actually went to investigate what had happened before that But he didn¡¯t want to tell Joseph because he knew Joseph was already in a difficult situation. Facing his mother had died, Joseph insisted that his mother¡¯s death was not an ident. The Mullen family drove him out in anger. Joseph wanted revenge and had to turn to his biological father, Gerald, whom he hated the most. But Gerald already had a wife and son. Although Joseph returned to the ck family, he didn¡¯t have much status. His father¡¯s love went to his stepmother, and the ck family¡¯s business went to his half-brother. Joseph returned to the ck family, and he would only be able to make a living. As for avenging his mother and dealing with the Mullen family, he could forget about it. Under such circumstances, if Joseph regained his memory and became involved in the mess of Deborah, the illegitimate daughter of the Bauer family, his life would only be more difficult. Perhaps the ck family would drive him out. That was why Shawn had chosen to hide it. Later on, to take revenge and obtain the real power of the ck Group, Joseph used a lot of underhanded means and paid a lot of effort. Only Shawn and himself knew how much he had paid. In the blink of an eye, it was already eleven yearster. Later on, Joseph did not ask Shawn if he had done anything before his mother¡¯s ident because he always had strange dreams. If Shawn did not say that, no one would know, and no one could find out. Joseph didn¡¯t investigate further because he had already forgotten, thinking it wasn¡¯t an important matter. Over the years, Shawn had secretly asked the psychologist to give Joseph false hypnosis to prevent him from regaining his memory. But now, the truth couldn¡¯t be hidden anymore. Joseph suddenly stood up and walked out. ¡°I¡¯m going to find Deborah and take her away from Ashton.¡± Shawn hurriedly followed him, ¡°Mr. ck, are you sure you want to tell Ms. Shepherd? Ms. Shepherd thought that it was Ashton who saved her back then. The cruelty of Ashton over the years has caused her so much pain.¡± ¡°And now you want to tell her that the real person who saved her, even at the cost of using her dead daughter to deceive her and use her against Ashton. Do you really want her to die of despair again?¡± Joseph stopped in his tracks and clenched his fists tightly, and blue veins stood out on the back of his hands. Did Joseph still have the courage to meet Deborah and tell her the truth about what happened back then? Deborah still did not know that Alyssa was dead. It was Joseph who had lied to her. Joseph left the hospital with a gloomy face and drove back to the vi alone. The car stopped in the front yard. As soon as Joseph got out of the car, he saw a car following him. Chapter 89%e Date of Helen¡¯s Death The car stopped behind him, and Nina got out of the driver¡¯s seat. Nina greeted him. Joseph looked at her coldly and did not respond, waiting to see what tricks she was going to y. Nina went around to the back of the car, took the wheelchair down, helped Helen out of the back seat, and helped her into the wheelchair Josephughed sardonically. He had almost forgotten about Helen. Helen had caused Alyssa¡¯s death and Deborah¡¯s terminal illness. Helen used her wheelchair closer to Joseph with an angry look. ¡°Joseph, what do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already taken pictures of the documents for you. Didn¡¯t you promise me that you would make Mike disappear from Mauve Club? Why did I hear that he¡¯s still working in Mauve Club?¡± Helen kept calm on the surface, but she was still a little afraid of Joseph and kept him distance. Joseph walked up to her and suddenly bent down to look at her. Helen¡¯s face turned red, unable to hide her embarrassment. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Before she finished speaking, the man in front of her suddenly raised his hand and pped her, causing her to fall off the wheelchair. Joseph ordered Shawn, ¡°Drag her inside the house for me.¡± Chapter 90 Chapter 90 Chapter 90 Unveiling the Truth She Must Die Nina didn¡¯t expect Joseph to suddenly turn on them. She was shocked and tried to stop him. ¡°Mr. ck, what are you doing? ¡°Ms. Bauer has a disability in her legs. If you drag her like this, she will get hurt. If Mr. Mullen finds out¡­¡± Joseph took off his suit jacket and draped it over his arm. As he unbuttoned his shirt cuff, he strode inside and said, ¡°Then i¡¯ll deal with that when Mr. Mullen finds out.¡± Helen couldn¡¯t climb up with her broken leg and was pulled roughly inside by several tall bodyguards, moving like a dog on the ground. She was caught off guard andpletely bewildered, hurting, and scared to the extreme. Trembling, she screamed shrilly. ¡°Help, help! Joseph, are you crazy? Nina, save me! Call Ashton!¡± Nina trembled as she took out her phone. Before she could unlock the screen, she was kicked to the ground by Shawn. The mobile phone flew far away and fell into the grass, disappearing from sight. Helen was dragged into the living room and thrown to the ground like a sandbag. Joseph looked at the bodyguards who had dragged Helen in and asked calmly, ¡°Why are you so polite? Are you afraid that she¡¯ll die?¡± The bodyguards understood Joseph¡¯s meaning and picked up a few clubs, no longer holding back their strength. After several swings, Helen¡¯s right hand was broken, and her face was deathly pale, drenched in sweat. She could barely scream anymore, her angry voiceing out like a hum. *Joseph, are you still a man? How could you hit a powerless woman?¡± Joseph chuckled, ¡°You are not counting a woman.¡± The surrounding bodyguards and ser vants quickly caught on and burst intoughter with Joseph. Joseph took a club from the bodyguard, pressed one end of it against Helen¡¯s broken leg, and slowly pressed it into the wound. Joseph said sarcastically. ¡°You have no teeth or legs. You are more like a ghost than a living person. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . How dare you call yourself a woman?¡± As the club bore down, Helen could not bear the pain, shivering and sweating profusely. Not only did she have to endure the intense physical pain, but also the huge embarrassment and humiliation from Joseph¡¯s insults. She had undergone two amputations, leaving less than half of her thighs, and only half of her body remained. The two missing teeth that Deborah knocked out were never reced because the doctor said that dental imnts would take three to six months after the teeth fell out. It would take a long time for the tooth transnt process to bepleted, so it had not beenpleted yet. Broken legs and teeth were the two most humiliating things to Helen. In the past, whenever someone mentioned her teeth or legs. she would fly into a rage. But now, Joseph hadpletely uncovered her sore spot, and there was nothing she could do about it. The onlyfort she could find in her mind was to let Ashton help her to get revenge on Joseph in the future! Before she could think further, she was brutally beaten again. Helen was in so much pain that she couldn¡¯t breathe. She struggled to ask Joseph, ¡°What did I do to offend you? Don¡¯t you want to make our deal anymore?¡± Didn¡¯t Joseph still want to use her to deal with Ashton? So far, their cooperation had been quite smooth. Why did Joseph suddenly fall out with her? Helen really couldn¡¯t understand. Joseph was such a profit-driven person, threatening her to deal with Ashton would have been enough. What was the point of doing this to her? Joseph picked up the club and knocked on her head. ¡°What deal? I want to kill you.¡± Joseph looked casual, but he knocked with great force. Helen was struggling to take a breath. After being hit on the head by Joseph and being hit by a few clubs by the bodyguards, she couldn¡¯t help spitting out blood. Joseph seemed to have been stimted by something. When he saw the blood, he became even angrier. Joseph ordered the bodyguards to step aside and grabbed a club, and started beating Helen fiercely. Helen waspletely drained of strength. She fell to the ground, her face covered in blood. Her hands were both broken, and there were countless fractures and internal injuries on her body. Joseph took out a file bag and opened it. The bag was facing down, and a pile of photos fell in front of Helen like snow kes. It was like Joseph had put his eyes on Helen, capturing every single detail of her life in countless photos There were high-definition bed photos of Helen and Mike, pictures of her and other pimps hiding in corners of nightclubs while having sex. There were photos taken from her car of when Helen took Alyssa to the cliff. There were photos of Helen mimicking Ashton¡¯s handwriting to sign donation documents. That document was now somewhere in that pile of photos, and Helen knew its contents all too well. Deborah had originally agreed to donate 30% of her liver, but Helen had changed it to 70%. In one of the photos, Helen shoved Alyssa to the ground and left Alyssa unconscious on the hospital hallway floor. Helen looked at the photos and documents all over the ground, and her mind went nk. Joseph¡¯s brutal beating had caused her immense pain and hatred, but now, seeing these photos, all she had left was fear and panic. Joseph looked down at her and said, ¡°I originally nned to scare you with these things over time.¡± He had found out that Ashton really cared about Helen. Since he was going to use Helen to deal with Ashton, he had to be fully prepared. A few pieces of evidence of Helen¡¯s guilt were not enough. If Helen made up a sad story and pleaded with Ashton, Ashton would soon forgive her. Therefore, Joseph installed cameras and spies in every aspect of Helen¡¯s life. The countless things he had collected gave him enough confidence that Helen would always follow his order. But now, perhaps these things would serve a different purpose. Shawn could guess what Joseph was going to do and stepped forward to stop him. Lowering his voice, Shawn said, ¡°Mr. ck, this is not the time for impulsiveness.* Helen trembled and struggled to move to Joseph¡¯s feet like a dog. She pleaded, ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever you want, really, anything Just tell me what to do, and I promise I¡¯ll do it for you.¡± There was blood in her mouth, and it was difficult for her to speak as she was injured. Her voice was vague, and her tone-was desperate and ttering Joseph coldly ordered Shawn, ¡°Get out.¡± Shawn stood still, and Joseph continued, ¡°Shawn, I won¡¯t pursue what happened before, but I have my own ns now. You had better not interfere too much.¡± Hearing this, Shawn had no choice but to leave. Joseph then ordered the ser vant, ¡°Pick up all these things and pack them up nicely. I¡¯ll send them as a gift to Mr. Mullen.¡± Helen grabbed his trouser leg like crazy. ¡°Please, let me go. I really don¡¯t know what I did wrong. ¡°Was there something wrong with the photos of the documents I gave you before? I really don¡¯t know. You can ask me to do anything. and I¡¯ll do it for you. Just tell me what you want.¡± Joseph kicked her in the stomach, and Helen¡¯s body flew out. Joseph reminded her, ¡°Every photo here has a clear video behind it. I¡¯ll send all those videos to Ashton as well.¡± Helen¡¯s face was full of despair. ¡°Why did you do this? Didn¡¯t you want to deal with Ashton? What benefits can you get from killing me?¡± Joseph frowned and said, ¡°Take her away. She¡¯s so dirty.¡± He didn¡¯t want to kill Helen directly; he couldn¡¯t find a suitable reason to exin why he suddenly wanted Helen dead to Deborah. Joseph felt he was useless. He didn¡¯t even have the courage to confess to Deborah now. He treated Deborah like that. One day, when she knew the truth about Alyssa, Deborah would hate him. Helen was thrown out and fainted. Nina, standing outside, had no idea what was going on. She hurriedly took Helen to the hospital and immediately called Ashton. ¡°Mr. Mullen, Ms. Bauer was injured by Joseph Mr. ck. She is unconscious and may be in danger. Pleasee to the hospital and see her quickly.¡± On the other side, Ashton was scolding Deborah, asking her why she went to see Joseph after work, but upon hearing this, he immediately left Deborah and went to the hospital. However, when he arrived outside the emergency room, a nurse at the nurse station brought him a parcel before he could say anything. ¡°Mr. Mullen, this is a gift Mr. ck sent to you.¡± Chapter 91 Chapter 91 Chapter 91 Threatened Ashton with Alyssa Ashton directly pushed away the box in front of him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to look at it. Take it away.¡± Helen was injured by Joseph and was still being rescued in the emergency room. Ashton didn¡¯t think Joseph would send something good. Ashton hadn¡¯t gotten even with him yet, let alone see the package he sent The nurse had no choice but to leave with the box When she wanted to contact Joseph to take back the box, she bumped into Jeff. Jeff walked over from not far away and saw the nurse talking to Ashton, so he asked, ¡°Is this for Mr. Mullen?¡± The nurse nodded and said, ¡°Yes, Mr. ck¡¯s men brought it over. They let me hand it over to Mr. Mullen when he came over. They also said this was a big gift for Mr. Mullen.¡± Jeff looked at the box and felt there should not be gifts in it. Helen was beaten badly by Joseph, and Joseph suddenly sent someone to send the box, which was very strange. Jeff stretched out his hand and said, ¡°Give it to me. I¡¯ll give it to Mr. Mullen.¡± The nurse looked a little embarrassed. ¡°But Mr. Mullen said¡­¡± Jeff replied, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll give it to him. You can go to do your work.¡± The nurse hesitated for a while. She looked at Ashton, who was sitting anxiously outside the emergency room, and handed the box to Jeff. Ashton didn¡¯t pay attention to them at all. He just stared at the door of the emergency room, and his face darkened. He was very worried about Helen. Jeff opened the box directly. Holding the box by its side, he unwrapped the tape. He didn¡¯t expect that there was almost a box of photos inside. As the tape was torn off, the photos fell to the ground profusely The doctor who was passing by was startled. He almost stepped on the photos on the ground and immediately paused. Jeff squatted down to pick up the photos and a few documents. He apologized to the doctor. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± The doctor in the white coat looked at the photos sc at tered all over the floor and wanted to help pick them up. Suddenly, he saw one of them was a private photo. The doctor looked a little weird. He was afraid of prying into other people¡¯s privacy, so he got up and left. Jeff picked up the photos and documents and sorted them out. When he was about to talk to Ashtoh, the door of the emergency room opened. The doctor inside pushed Helen out and informed Ashton of the situation. ¡°The patient is out of danger. She will be transferred to the wardter, but we also need to pay close attention to her emotional and physical condition¡­¡± Ashton listened and responded to the doctor. Then he pushed Helen to the ward together with the doctor. When he passed by Jeff, Jeff immediately chased after him. ¡°Mr. Mullen, what¡¯s in the package is about Ms. Bauer. It¡¯s a little important. Could you¡­¡± Ashton gave Jeff a cold look but said nothing. His meaning was obvious. He didn¡¯t want to look at what was inside the box. Joseph had just injured Helen and sent the box about her at this time. He must want to nder Helen. Ashton had seen a lot during this time. Deborah and Zayne used Helen before. Now it was Joseph. Ashton wouldn¡¯t listen to one side of the story unless he really saw Helen doing something she shouldn¡¯t do one day. Ashton pushed Helen away. Jeff took the box and followed them silently. Helen was hurt badly by Joseph. She nearly died this time. Although she was worried that Ashton would find something when she came out of the emergency room, she couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and fell asleep quickly. Ashton stayed with her in the ward. Jeff knocked on the door, but he didn¡¯t respond. Jeff pushed open the door and walked in. Looking at Ashton¡¯s angry face, he said, ¡°Mr. Mullen, there are still some things in this box about Alyssa¡¯s death. Her death was not just an ident.¡± Ashton said coldly. ¡°Do you know what you are talking about?¡± Jeff handed over the box and said, ¡°I don¡¯t dare to say more, but everything inside is very clear. Mr. Mullen, you should see it for yourself.¡± Helen, on the bed, had a nightmare and coughed a few times in pain. Ashton looked at her weak face. If he took the box, he always felt he betrayed Helen. He wavered slightly, but he quickly restrained himself. He said in a deep voice, ¡°I said take it away. I don¡¯t want to look at it.¡± Jeff seemed determined to fight against him. He stood still and continued, ¡°Mr. Mullen, Alyssa is also your daughter. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°Now, the things in this box are rted to her. You always said that you feel sorry for her, but now you are not even willing to look at this box for her?¡± Ashton¡¯s face was livid. ¡°Are you threatening me with Alyssa?¡± Jeff replied, ¡°I dare not threaten you. I just hope you can take a look at the thing in the box. After you look at it, you can still believe Mr. ck lied to you, and Ms. Bauer is a kind person¡­¡± Ashton interrupted him angrily. ¡°She has always been kind!¡± Jeff didn¡¯t say anything more, and Ashton also fell silent. He admitted he was a little panicked. Ashton didn¡¯t want to look at the box, not only because he felt sorry for Helen, or because he didn¡¯t trust Joseph. He had a bad feeling and instinctively didn¡¯t want to see it. There were many things he wouldn¡¯t know if he didn¡¯t see them. If he didn¡¯t know them, nothing would happen. Jeff put down the box and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go out.¡± After he finished speaking, he left the ward and closed the door behind him. There was no one else in the ward. Helen was already asleep on the bed. Ashton looked at Helen. His eyes fell on the box somehow. He decided to take a nce to see what ridiculous things Joseph would use to fool him. While thinking, Ashton poured out all the contents of the box without hesitation, A lot of photos were s cat tered on the quilt. The first things that caught his attention were some photos of Alyssa. One of them showed Alyssa in the car. Helen was driving, and Alyssa was sitting in the back seat, whose face was weak and frightened. That should be the day when Alyssa had an ident. Helen was delinous that day. She took Alyssa away from the aseptic ward and drove to the edge of the cliff. When Ashton rushed over at that time, Helen was dazed and at a loss. But in the photo, Helen seemed to be very sober. Her expression even looked a little vicious. While he was staring nkly at the photo, Joseph happened to send some videos on his phone. Ashton didn¡¯t hesitate this time. He turned on his phone and clicked on thest video. The video happened to be recorded in Helen¡¯s car, matching the photo Ashton just saw. In the video, Helen was sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, looking at the weak and trembling Alyssa in the rearview mirror. She said viciously, ¡°When I kill you, I will send Deborah to apany you in hell Don¡¯t worry. You are sitting in thater. When your father rescues me, he will not find you, let alone remember you¡­¡± Helen, on the bed, had a horrible nightmare. The nightmare was so real that she woke up suddenly. As soon as she opened her eyes, Ashton¡¯s face appeared in front of her. He sat on the edge of the bed, leaning over to look at her. His eyes made Helen have a chill down her spine for a moment. Before Helen had time to speak, her neck was suddenly strangled. Chapter 92 Chapter 92 Chapter 92 Deborah Was Pregnant Helen was about to be strangled to death by Ashton. She struggled to beg for mercy. ¡°Ashton, let me¡­ let me go.¡± Ashton just stared at her gloomily. ¡°My daughter was killed by you.¡± He didn¡¯t ask anymore but directly stated his judgment Those photos were all sc att ered on the quilt, and some slipped beside Helen¡¯s head. Helen saw it and knew that Ashton knew everything. But it was impossible for her to admit it. Ashton seemed to have an exceptional preference for her, but he was ruthless to everyone. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. He wouldn¡¯t spare anyone who made him mad or deceived him. Ashton lost his affection for Helen. He pulled her up and threw her to the ground regardless of her weak body. Then he threw that photo to her. ¡°Were you really delirious that day?¡± Ashton didn¡¯t even suspect that a men tally ill and delirious person could pass so many traffic lights and intersections and pass so many pedestrians and vehicles safely. Helen could even drive the car smoothly to the edge of the cliff so far away. In this photo, Helen was sinister and didn¡¯t look delirious at all. Helen trembled and tried to exin. These photos are fake. Ashton, you have to trust me. You know I¡¯m not that kind of person, right?¡± Ashton clicked on the video on his phone. He held the phone in his hand, and the voice in the video came out clearly. Helen said viciously that she would kill Alyssa and Deborah, Her every word was clear. Ashton sat on the bedside and looked at Helen coldly, who fell to the ground with a painful expression. ¡°Keep lying.* Helen¡¯s lips trembled. She tried to tell herself to calm down and to act innocent and puzzled. But the more she tried to, the more she couldn¡¯t hide the panic on her face. She was shaking all over. Even her voice was trembling. ¡°Ashton, this voice must be processed. I have never said such a thing. I remember clearly the day Alyssa had an ident. I didn¡¯t say I wanted her and Debby to die. I told Alyssa not to be afraid and said nothing would happen.¡± Ashton became more indifferent. He kicked Helen back to the ground when she was moving over to pull him. Helen spit out blood suddenly. Ashton¡¯s kick was really hard. This man had always been so ruthless. He said a moment ago that he would treat her well and pamper her at any time. But what about now? Ashton asked her coldly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you don¡¯t remember what you have done or said every time you have a me ntal illness? Why did you still remember you didn¡¯t say those words to Alyssa andfort her after such a long time?¡± Helen froze for a moment. Her words became incoherent for a moment. ¡°I¡­ Alyssa had an ident that day. I was stimted, so I remembered what I said when I was ill.¡± Ashton turned his phone screen to Helen and clicked on the video After Helen was shocked and then finished watching it with fear, he said, ¡°It¡¯s pity that your excuse is some. What I just showed you is not a recording that can be processed. It¡¯s a real time survei which cannot be fake¡± video that recorded sound and picture. Helen¡¯s face tumed pale. She suddenly thought of some words to defend herself 1 was sick Right 1 that I shouldn¡¯t say Ashton, I was delirious at the time, so I said that i wanted Alyssa and Debby to die ¡± ¡°How dare you still deny it¡± Ashton stood up abruptly. He pulled Helen up and strangled her ne sick, so i said those words ¡°How did I treat you before. Helen? Alyssa is my daughter. How many things have you done to hurt her without letting me know?** As Ashton spoke, he suddenly remembered many things Once he became suspicious of Helen, everything became out of control He suddenly discovered too many things in the past were rted to Helen Was the really innocent ve the pretended to be? ¡°When you pretended to be ill and asked me to break Alyssa¡¯s piano, did you really ha an illness? When you fell and almost had a miscarriage, you said Deborah pushed you, but you¡¯re right in front of me. Did Deborah really push you? Oh I remembered another thing Helen shuddered and looked at Ashton in terror as if looking at a demon in hell She had always been confident in fooling Ashton around, and she also felt very proud and fulfilled. But now, she was desperate for the first time She felt it was useless to say anything She knew very well how many things Joseph had brought, and each of those things was solid evidence. Joseph made full preparations, leaving no room for her to arque. Ashton stared at her fiercely and said, ¡°Also, I clearly remembered I slept with Deborah that night. How could it be such a coincidence that youy next to me the next day? And you were pregnant after a few days?¡± He suddenly thought of a possibility Violent nausea surged in his heart. He let go of the hand that was holding Helen¡¯s neck and pushed her away abruptly He had only seen a few of the photos on the bed. Ashton went back to the bed and looked at those photos carefully He also received many videos sent by Joseph Each one w like a bomb Ashton suppressed his nausea and great anger, forcing himself to watch them all. Except for a few documents, they were thrown aside, and Ashton didn¡¯t have time to look through them. Helen in those photos waspletely different from the person that Ashton once thought he knew in several photos, Helen was dating various men Most of them were men in nightclubs Among them, Helen dated frequently was Mike, and Ashton had seen him once Ashton was a little impressed by him because Mike had no bottom line and self-respect for the sake of money When Ashton went to a work party before, he saw Mike kneeling down in front of a fat middle-aged boss and licking his shoes for a check of ten thousand dors The boss got drunk and said if Mike licked the shoes of everyone in the box, he would give Mike 100 thousand dors. Mike didn 1 feel annoyed at all. He was overjoyed and immediately followed with a smile. His eyes were full of greed. 213 Ashton felt disgusted and left early The assistant, next to the boss who was drunk, immediately came out to apologize in a panic, saying his boss was really drunk. Ashton didn¡¯t care about it and thought it had nothing to do with him, no matter how disgusting Mike was. But Ashton couldn¡¯t imagine that Helen date that disgusting man and even slept with him. Ashton had always thought Helen was clean and pure He felt it really disgusting! With hatred in his eyes, Ashton looked at Helen, who was shivering on the ground. He said, ¡°Do you think what I should do to let you pay back Alyssa¡¯s life?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Rodger called him. It was rare for Rodger to call him, so it might be something important. Although Ashton was enraged, he still answered the phone. He felt Rodger might say something important to him. An excited voice came from the phone. ¡°Deborah had a checkup at my hospital. She is pregnant. She left quietly. Go find her and let your people keep an eye on her!¡± Chapter 93 Chapter 93 Chapter 93 He Was Wrong Get Bonus Helen was still begging for mercy in horror, which overwhelmed Rodger¡¯s voice t Ernest collided won the phone. Ashton couldn¡¯t believe it and asked again, ¡°What did you say?¡± Rodger said anxiously, ¡°Why are you still asking? Go find Deborah. You should know how much she hates things rted to you, right?¡± Deborah definitely couldn¡¯t ept carrying Ashton¡¯s child. She couldn¡¯t be willing to keep the child. She might even put herself in danger. As Deborah¡¯s liver cancer was at an advanced stage, she couldn¡¯t keep the child, but the abortion operation also must be done with caution. Ashton suddenly came back to his senses. He kicked Helen away, who had crawled to his feet, and strode out of the ward in a panic. He used to dream that Deborah would carry his baby, but now, he felt scared. Jeff and a few bodyguards were standing outside. Ashton said to the bodyguards, ¡°Keep an eye on her. She can die, but don¡¯t let her run away.¡± The bodyguards didn¡¯t know much about the situation, and they were a little startled. After a moment, they realized Ashton was talking about Helen from her cries in the ward. Ashton left in a hurry and called someone to find Deborah. His first reaction was to call Nina. Over the years, he trusted two people in Flora Vi the most. One was undoubtedly Jeff, and the other was Nina, who was brought over by Helen. But now, he suddenly understood everything that had been hiding from him. In the past few years, Nina had been respected by others in Flora Vi, and the only family doctor was Andrew. Among the servants, the one with the highest status was also personally selected by Helen a few years ago. Ashton had never thought about this question before, but now he suddenly felt Flora Vi was controlled by Helen. But as Flora Vi¡¯s hostess and his wife, what did Deborah have in Flora Vi? She had nothing. As long as Ashton took Jeff out, Helen could do whatever she wanted to Deborah in Flora Vi. Ashton suddenly felt a little startled. He was afraid to imagine what Deborah and Alyssa had suffered when she was alive. Get Bonus Ashton¡¯s mind was in a mess. He went straight into the elevator to the parking lot. He got in the car and drove to look for Deborah On the way, he called the police. It was almost one o¡¯clock in the morning, and Deborah had not been gone for a long time. Vance was a bit embarrassed and reluctantly let the police go to look for her. Ashton asked Jeff to drive around to look for Deborah. He suddenly realized he didn¡¯t know Deborah well. They had married for more than four years, but it seemed he didn¡¯t know where Deborah usually liked to go or what she liked to do or cat. Right now, he didn¡¯t know where to find Deborah. Jeff sent people to Zayne and Joseph, but Deborah was not there. Deborah didn¡¯t return to the Bauer family either because her mother was still in Ashton¡¯s hands. Jeff drove around shopping malls and other ces. Ashton felt very uneasy and flipped through the documents at a loss. Those documents were sent to him by Joseph, along with those photos. Ashton only looked at the photos but didn¡¯t look at the documents. He noticed his name on thest page of his document, and it looked like his handwriting. But he recognized it was not his handwriting after looking at it carefully. On the day Deborah donated her liver to Helen, it was Ashton who signed her donation agreement. Deborah agreed to donate as long as he signed it. Ashton noticed a problem in this document. It said that Deborah nned to donate seventy percent of her liver. But the document signed by Ashton clearly stated that Deborah only donated thirty percent. Ashton took the document and looked at it. Suddenly, his hands began to tremble. He realized this document should be handed over to the doctor in the end. He remembered Zayne held a scalpel and wanted to kill him after that operation. Zayne said Deborah had seventy percent of her liver removed, and she might not live long. He also remembered after the operation, Deborah looked weird. Herplexion was swollen, and her body lost weight quickly. He had seen her vomit blood and had seen her pass out several times. Zayne had told him before that Deborah got liver cancer because of hepatic failure. Deborah had also shown him the diagnosis paper. Git Bonus Deborah once told him that Ernest had collided with Helen to let Deborah donate seventy percent of her liver. She also said that Helen drugged her, which elerated the liver disease and led to the final liver cancer. Ashton stared at the document and froze. The sudden chill spread through his limbs and bones. His body¡¯s instinctive repulsion and resistance made him afraid to dig the truth. He didn¡¯t know how many things and truths were hidden from him. He started to dig for the truth but found there were so many things hidden in it. The further he investigated, the more cruel truth he found. He felt a great loss and fear. He stared at that donation number and looked at Jeff after a long time. ¡°The surgery that Deborah donated a liver to Helen¡­¡± Jeff knew what Ashton had discovered, so he responded calmly. ¡°Mr. Mullen, after that operation, Dr. Gaige had a fight with you with a scalpel. ¡°I said maybe you should take what he said seriously and check it out. We all trust Dr. Gaige¡¯s medical ethics. He will not and dare not make irresponsible remarks.¡± Ashton panicked. ¡°So I was wrong? Did I do everything wrong?¡± Jeff said, ¡°Mr. Mullen, you are grateful to Ms. Bauer for apanying you and saving you. That kind of gratitude has blinded you. In fact, many things are not so difficult to see the truth.¡± Helen¡¯s methods were not that clever, and she was not that smart. She had shown her true colors countless times, but Ashton had always chosen to believe her. Ashton stared at the document desperately. He did think he was wrong. But it was useless. It wouldn¡¯t change anything. N?velDrama.Org content rights. Even if Ashton killed Helen and everyone rted to her, he still couldn¡¯t retrieve those things that had happened. Jeff suddenly stepped on the brakes, pulling Ashton back from his thoughts. Across the street, it was an outdoor restaurant opposite them. There were still many people in the restaurant at this time. In the crowd, Ashton saw Deborah being held down by two of his bodyguards at a dining table and struggling violently. He immediately opened the car door and hurried to the opposite. At that moment, he thought he could apologize, even if he was wrong. He wanted to apologize to Deborah sincerely. Chapter 94 Chapter 94 Chapter 94 Something Happened to Ashton When Ashton crossed the street in a hurry, he saw a familiar car out of the corner of his eye. He nced sideways. It was Joseph¡¯s car, driving over from not far away. He had a premonition at that moment. Ashton suddenly wondered why Joseph sent him that box tonight. Joseph must have had Helen¡¯s criminal evidence long ago. But he suddenly showed all those things to Ashton, intending to let Ashton kill Helen. Helen¡¯s death would do Joseph no good. The evidence he took pains to collect would be of no use to him. Joseph was a treacherous businessman. He would not do those things which were useless for him. Ashton quickly thought of one point. Joseph remembered Deborah. Deborah still believed it was Ashton who saved her back then. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. But now, Joseph, who lost his memory back then, had restored his memory. Ashton decided at that moment that he must take Deborah away as soon as possible. He would never give Deborah a chance to meet Joseph again. Even if Deborah had mistaken the wrong person, so many years had passed. She couldn¡¯t have any other choice. She already belonged to Ashton. Ashton quickened his pace. He looked at Joseph¡¯s car with vignce and hostility. Joseph parked his car on the side of the street not far away. Obviously, he also came to look for Deborah, but he didn¡¯t get out of the car. Ashton didn¡¯t have time to think too much. He went directly to Deborah. Several bodyguards were still pressing down on Deborah. She was clearly out of control. Ashton stretched out his hand to pull her over. He was afraid to pull her hard for fear that she would fall apart. There were also many men sitting next to her. Seeing a young and beautiful woman being bullied, some of them say some words to defend Deborah. But Ashton¡¯s bodyguards were all tall and strong, wearing ck suits like gangsters. The bodyguard looked over with a cold look, and those men fell silent. The bodyguard didn¡¯t see who pulled Deborah away. He thought that someone around wasing to meddle, so he stretched out his hand and punched Ashton After the bodyguard punched Ashton, he finally realized the personing over was Ashton. The burly bodyguard, who was six meters tall, was as cowardly as a quail. He hurriedly withdrew his fist and took a step back. Ashton kicked him with a dark face. The bodyguard stepped back and mmed onto the dining table behind him. The dining table was overturned and smashed. His sturdy body fell down and made a heavy sound. Ashton said angrily, ¡°I asked you to find her. Who told you to touch her!¡± Those bodyguards did not dare to say a word and felt wronged. Deborah had also gone out before. Sometimes when Ashton couldn¡¯t find her, he always rudely dragged her back. When he let his men find Deborah, he always tacitly agreed on no need to be polite to her. Ashton felt very guilty. He could still see Joseph¡¯s car on the street side not far away from the corner of his eye. He always felt Joseph would get out of the car the next moment ande to confess everything to Deborah. Then Deborah would go with Joseph recklessly. Ashton pulled Deborah to leave. He said, ¡°It¡¯s cold outside. Let¡¯s go back and talk if you have anything to say.¡± As Deborah struggled just now, her hair was down, and she looked like a mess. Her eyes were red, and she ruthlessly shook off Ashton¡¯s hand. ¡°I won¡¯t go back. Go away!¡± Ashtonforted her with guilt, ¡°Don¡¯t be so excited. You¡¯re pregnant. You should take care of yourself.¡± Deborah suddenly stopped struggling, and her face became dull. She slowly turned to him and looked at him with deep eyes. ¡°You knew it?¡± Ashton suddenly didn¡¯t dare to look her in the eyes. ¡°Yes, Rodger told me. Don¡¯t stress about it. I will take good care of you in the future. Also, I know all the things Helen has done¡­¡± Before Ashton finished speaking, Deborah interrupted him. ¡°I don¡¯t want the child. Ashton, it¡¯s impossible.¡± Ashton felt as if he had been stabbed in the heart. He knew Deborah was very weak now. Seventy percent of her liver had been cut off, and she hadn¡¯t been able to take good care of her body to recover, so she was not in good health. But Ashton really wanted this child since Deborah was pregnant. If the child was born, he might be the bond between them in the future. The child might also bring hope to the rtionship between Ashton and Deborah. Ashton said to Helen with patience, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have seen Helen¡¯s true colors. Get Bonus ¡°I will let her and everyone rted to her in Flora Vi pay for the price. Let¡¯s keep this child and treat it as Alyssa¡¯s return.¡± Alyssa couldn¡¯te back, but Ashton never epted the fact that Alyssa had died. Ashton thought Alyssa might return to this word in this way. He thought Alyssa must be reluctant to part with Deborah and him. Ashton wanted to take this chance to make up for it, so it could make him feel better. As soon as he finished speaking, Deborah smacked him on the face with her eyes widened. She asked viciously, ¡°How shameless are you?¡± In Deborah¡¯s heart, no one could rece Alyssa. Seeing her losing control, Ashton frantically hugged her. ¡°Let¡¯s get in the car. We¡¯ll talk when we get home. It¡¯s cold outside. The oily smoke is heavy and dirty.¡± He has never been able to understand Deborah, who always liked to eat at those small outdoor restaurants. It was messy and dirty. Arge group of people sat together. They smoked and spat everywhere. Ashton would definitely have no appetite to eat here. But Deborah preferred those small restaurants and refused to go to high-end restaurants with an elegant environment. After being married to him for so many years, she still liked toe to such ces whenever he was not paying attention. Ashton suddenly thought if Deborah really got some serious illness, it might have something to do with eating these things all the time. Deborah resisted him violently. Ashton looked at Joseph¡¯s car not far away, and he was a little impatient. Heforted Deborah with patience, but he couldn¡¯t help carrying Deborah in his arms. He pressed her into his arms and strode across the street. Joseph still didn¡¯t get out of the car even at this time. Ashton had an intuition that Joseph must be in the car. But he felt it weird that Joseph still didn¡¯t get out of the car. Deborah was so weak. No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn¡¯t get out of Ashton¡¯s arms. She was carried by him all the way into the car across the street. Ashton ignored her resistance and took her back to Flora Vi. When he was almost home, the bodyguard he had left at the hospital called him. Get Bonus Ashton answered the phone. The bodyguard said anxiously, ¡°Mr. Mullen, Helen was taken away by old Mr. Mullen. ¡°It seems Joseph sent something to old Mr. Mullen. He scolded Helen for sellingmercial secrets and said he would kill her.¡± Ashton replied and hung up the phone. Now that Deborah was pregnant, he couldn¡¯t get away. Although Ashton hoped to torture Helen personally, he was also afraid something would happen to Deborah if he was not careful. He had to apany Deborah during this period of time, so he thought he might as well let Hector deal with Helen. But if Helen was killed directly, it would be too easy for her. Thinking of this, Ashton called Hector. Ashton just said, ¡°Grandpa, don¡¯t let Helen die. I will use her for other things.¡± He remembered Andrew told him before that it would be best to use living people to test the medicine. Helen also had liver problems. If Deborah had liver disease, it would be best to test the medicine on Helen. Or Ashton could let Helen give Deborah the liver directly. As soon as Ashton finished speaking, old Mr. Mullen yelled angrily, ¡°You still have the nerve to call me! ¡°Someone anonymously infiltrated the ck Group¡¯s board of directors and senior management group. He sent all relevant evidence that Helen stole the ck Group¡¯s secrets and handed them over to Mike to the group. ¡°She has been doing this for almost a year, but she is the most precious person to you! ¡°Now the board of directors and executives are furious. They didn¡¯t know if you were really stupid or if you intended to collide with Helen to sell the group and the hard work of so many directors and shareholders. ¡°You don¡¯t want Helen to die, huh? You¡¯d better think how to save yourself!¡± Ashton frozepletely. Hector said angrily, ¡°Get back immediately. Thepany is holding an emergency meeting. They will fire you!¡± Chapter 95 Chapter 95 Chapter 95 Marry the Moxley Family¡¯s Daughter After Hector finished speaking, he hung up the phone directly. Ashton was stunned for a long time. He found many things were far from being as simple as he imagined. He originally thought Mike was just a man in a nightclub who happened to hook up with Helen. Ashton had only suspected before that Helen had stolen his documents for Joseph. But he thought it didn¡¯t matter before. He didn¡¯t care if Helen dated other men. As for the copy of Runte Group¡¯s documents in his study, it was not confidential. It would have no impact even if they were spread out. But now, Mike was rted to the thing that Helen stole the ck Group¡¯s business secrets, which showed Mike was not that simple. Besides, Helen and Mike had been in contact for more than a year. The document Ashton thought that Helen had stolen for Joseph now appeared in the group chat of the ck Group¡¯s executives and directors, which became strong evidence of Ashton¡¯s ineffective supervision. It turned out Joseph and Helen secretly stole the Mullen Group¡¯s documents a year ago. But during this year, she stayed by Ashton¡¯s side safely. In this way, people in the group would not believe Ashton, with such a careless character, could be a good CEO and manage arge group well. Ashton¡¯s face was livid. His phone kept ringing. The senior management group was asking him for an exnation. He didn¡¯t answer any of the calls. After a long time, he looked sideways at Deborah and said, ¡°Did Joseph do it?¡± Deborah was stunned. She couldn¡¯t helpughing and said, ¡°Are you asking me?¡± She was not pretending to be stupid because she really didn¡¯t know about it. If Joseph really wanted to deal with Ashton, he wouldn¡¯t tell Deborah the details. Ashton was furious. ¡°Deborah, Joseph is not a good person. Don¡¯t be deceived by him.¡± Deborah was puzzled. She said, ¡°What do you mean? Are you ming me when something goes wrong?¡± Helen went to Ashton¡¯s study to steal documents and was caught by him once. At that time, she told Ashton the truth. But Ashton didn¡¯t believe her and didn¡¯t want to suspect Helen. Deborah had also reminded him at that time to check the surveince cameras inside and outside the study room so that everything would be clear Ashton still didn¡¯t check it, so that thing ended with no results Helen was really stupid With to many people in Flora Vi, she directly rushed into the study to steal the documents. She didn¡¯t notice the big camera hanging above the study door, so she went in and came out with the documents in her arms. Even kids who stole were not as stupid as her But Ashton was even more stupid. He didn¡¯t check the surveince. As long as Helen cried, he immediately gave up. So when Ashton became the target of the ck Group¡¯s criticism, he couldn¡¯t me anyone. He could only me himself for what happened today. Ashton¡¯s face turned blue with anger. He didn¡¯t answer the calls all the time. Hector angrily sent a message again. ¡°You have known Mike for a long time?¡± Ashton opened the message and saw the video sent by Hector. It was recorded a long time ago when Ashton joined a work party at Mauve Club at night. A boss in the box got drunk and asked Mike to drink with him. Ashton had always disliked these barmaids or bartenders. Whenever he was at a work party, others would not let bartenders drink with them. But that boss was drunk that day and called another man in. When Mike came in a suit and leather shoes, Ashton thought he was some kind of executive from a smallpany, so Ashton didn¡¯t say much. However, not long after Mike came in, the drunken boss pulled Mike on his body and threw a check to let Mike lick has shoes Ashton happened to have a fight with Deborah that day. He was not in the mood, so he left directly. Ashton didn¡¯t know what happened after that. As for Mike, Ashton never saw him again. Ashton was looking at that video After Ashton got out of the box, he got into the elevator Mike quickly came out of the box. He looked around vigntly, followed Ashton, and entered another elevator Get Bonus Many people sent messages in the group chat of the ck Group. [Mr. Mullen should have known Mike for a long time, right? How could a real bartender get into Mr. Mullen¡¯s box?] [Old Mr. Mullen, Mr. Mullen and you hold 70% of the shares in the Mullen Group. You have the final say. Even if you want to sell thepany, we can¡¯t say anything.] [But please return our share. We will withdraw from the Mullen Group now and will not interfere with your decision.] Several major shareholders echoed one after another, and their tone was firm. Although those executive directors did not speak harshly, their words were aggressive. [That¡¯s what we meant. Since it has happened, we suggest Mr. Mullen rest for a period, so we can suppress the public anger.] The implication was to let Ashton step down from the CEO¡¯s position. In that case, he would not be the CEO anymore. The veins in Ashton¡¯s forehead popped out. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . The people in thepany had been looking forward to this day for a long time. They finally caught his fault and wouldn¡¯t let him so easily. Ashton opened the car window, trying to calm himself down by getting some fresh air. He had seventy percent of the Mullen Group¡¯s shares, which means he had veto power. In other words, no one except him was qualified to directly change the CEO. On the contrary, he could directly rece all other shareholders of thepany, as well as the board of directors and senior management. But this would undoubtedly be a huge loss. There were too many senior staff in the group. If those people left one after another, Ashton would not be able to run apany alone, no matter how capable he was. As for hiring people, it couldn¡¯t be done in a short period. Moreover, the outstanding top talents were the targets ofpetition among enterprises. They had already scattered to the major leading enterprises. It was almost summer at this time. The wind blowing in from the car window was not cool and seemed to be sultry. Ashton felt more upset and irritable. The phone in his hand seemed to be broken by him. He mmed the phone out of the car window. The phone fell into the bush. The endless ringing of the phone finally stopped. Get Bonus Jeff nced sideways and habitually remained silent. Those people quickly called Jeff. Jeff didn¡¯t have the guts to hang up the phone or throw it away. He had no choice but to answer it. Hector¡¯s angry voice came from the phone. ¡°Let Ashtone to Mullen Manor. Tell him if he doesn¡¯t There was a violent coughing sound, followed by a chaotic noise. Jeff hurriedly said, ¡°Old Mr. Mullen, calm down. I¡¯ll tell Mr. Mullen right now.¡± Ashton had no choice. Hector was his only family. He didn¡¯t want Hector to die. Ashton was also worried about Deborah, so he took her together to Mullen Manor. No one in Mullen Manor liked Deborah. Deborah had gotten used to it and sat on the sofa after following Ashton in. Hector asked Ashton to go upstairs to the study. Ashton didn¡¯t go up until he asked the servant to keep an eye on Deborah. After he entered the study, Hector was enraged and didn¡¯t have the patience to beat around to bush. ¡°You should marry the daughter of the Moxley family.¡± Ashton felt that he might have been stimted too much today and heard something wrong. He asked, ¡°What?¡± Chapter 96 Chapter 96 Chapter 96 Ashton Wouldn¡¯t Divorce Deborah Hector knew that Ashton had heard clearly and said in a deep voice, ¡°It¡¯s exactly what you heard.¡± Even when things turned out to be this, Ashton still couldn¡¯t helpughing. ¡°Grandpa, what are saying? Who from the Moxley family do you want me to marry? The three grandsons of the Moxley family?¡± Donna Moxley had only one son. He was Kolt Moxley, the current president of the Moxley Group, who had three sons. Ashton thought that Hector might be confused because of being angry with him. Hector¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change at all, and he was very sober now. ¡°After Mrs. Donna Moxley gave birth to Mr. Moxley, she was in poor health and could not reproduce. But she adopted a daughter, and ¡°However, the adoptive daughter was not lucky. Not long after she got married, something happened to her husband¡¯spany. Thepany rapidly worsened, so she could only rely on the Moxley family. To please the Moxley family and Mrs. Donna Moxley, the adoptive daughter let her daughter be surnamed Moxley. ¡°The child¡¯s name is Reba Moxley, and it is said that she has lived directly in Moxley Manor these years. She is very close to people from the Moxley family as if she is the granddaughter of Mrs. Donna Moxley.¡± Ashton sneered. ¡°So what? Her mother is just the adoptive daughter of the Moxley family. How close can Reba be to the Moxley family?¡± Hector pped the desk again angrily. ¡°Shut up! As long as the Moxley family treats her as the granddaughter of Mrs. Donna Moxley, she has the ear of Mrs. Donna Moxley! ¡°You try to date her first and treat her well. Then, your marriage will gradually be as a matter of course.¡± Ashton refused without hesitation, ¡°Grandpa, it is bigamy. My wife is still sitting downstairs.¡± Hector coughed uncontrobly. ¡°Then, divorce Deborah! Don¡¯t you know how often Deborah has kept in touch with Joseph recently? Don¡¯t y dumb in front of me! ¡°If you don¡¯t break up with her early, she will hurt you worse than Helen in the future!¡± Ashton put away his indifferent attitude and said coldly, ¡°I won¡¯t divorce her.¡± He wanted to tell Hector that Deborah was pregnant, but thinking about what Hector might do to her, he held back and didn¡¯t say it. Hector was furious. ¡°You bastard! The matter hase to this point. How can you end it? ¡°Deborah has a lot of contacts with Joseph, which may have been discovered. The evidence may spread in the Ashton, the president of the Mullen Group, let his mistress steal confidential information about the Get Bonus shareholders believe that nothing would happen? If Deborah was still with Ashton, she would bring Ashton danger anytime. Ashton insisted on his idea. ¡°I won¡¯t get a divorce. I will settle the deal with the Moxley Group, and I won¡¯t let Joseph take the lead. Grandpa, don¡¯t worry. I will handle everything.¡± He turned around and directly left, and Hector behind him was heartbroken and said, ¡°The foundation of the Mullen family for so many years is not used to be your bet. ¡°The person who sneaked into the chat group of thepany and spread the photos is still unknown. That person is in the dark, and we are in the light. If you don¡¯t make a decisive decision now, it will be toote when the situation gets worse¡­¡± Ashton didn¡¯t say anything more and went downstairs to leave. The voice behind him was far away and gradually disappeared, and it turned into Hector coughing with difficulty. Ashton¡¯s heart trembled a little when hearing it. Hector was over eighty years old. If Ashton¡¯s parents hadn¡¯t passed away early, Hector wouldn¡¯t have had to be so worried about Ashton now. Ashton knew well that thepany couldn¡¯t take risks now. Some senior executives already handed in their resignation letters angrily, and the situation was rapidly deteriorating. What was worse, he heard that Joseph had invited Steven to dinner again. Ashton had already half settled the deal with the Moxley Group. If it still failed in the end, probably Ashton would take all the responsibilities. In fact, he knew in his heart that the person behind it was probably Joseph. But there was no evidence. The ck family was not easy to deal with. Without evidence, no matter what he said, he could do nothing to Joseph. Ashton¡¯s mind was in a mess, and when he walked down the stairs, his emotions had all restrained. Deborah was still sitting on the sofa downstairs and ying with her mobile phone. Ashton approached her to hold her hand to let her get up. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± Deborah nced sideways at him, looking him up and down. She seemed to be a little surprised that he looked safe and sound. Ashton concealed a trace of displeasure. Seeing that she was sitting still, he added some strength to his hand Chapter 96 Ashton Wouldnt Divorce Deborah 47 75% Get Bonus and pulled her up. After getting into the car, Ashton remained silent. He was typing on theptop. With a long face, he was probably discussing countermeasures with his assistant or something. The car was almost home, and Deborah intentionally made him unhappy. ¡°I just heard it from the servants in Mullen Manor.¡± Sure enough, Ashton¡¯s face turned even darker, and he looked sideways at her silently. Deborah smiled. ¡°Your grandfather wants you to marry the granddaughter of the Moxley family. Then when will you divorce me?¡± Ashton looked at her coldly. ¡°You want to divorce me. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Deborah smiled morefortably. ¡°Of course. It¡¯s the same as asking me if I like to get something of nothing.¡± Ashton closed theptop at hand with a bang. ¡°Deborah, don¡¯t dream about the divorce. Even if I can¡¯t bear it anymore, and the sky falls to kill me, I won¡¯t divorce you.¡± Deborah tut-tutted lightly. ¡°What you said is somehow touching.¡± Seeing her sitting far away, Ashton stretched out his hand irritably to pull her to his side. ¡°You are pregnant, and I don¡¯t want to quarrel with you. I was wrong in the past, and I will make it up to you. I saved you once, Deborah. Give me another chance.¡± When he said this, he kept calm, and he said it as a matter of course. Sure enough, Deborah¡¯s face was in a trance for a moment. After all, she couldn¡¯t remain indifferent. Ashton could tell that she didn¡¯t know the truth yet. He was finally relieved and said with more confidence, ¡°I have done many bad things to you in these years, but it can¡¯t be denied that I saved you. ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to forgive me. I just hope that you are willing to stay and give me a chance to make up you.¡± for Seeing his boastful appearance, Deborah slowly sneered. ¡°Ashton, have you forgotten? I have paid you for you saving my life. back ¡°That night, when I jumped off the roof of the hospital, I said I paid you back. You refused, but we¡¯ve settled it long ago.¡± The car arrived outside the gate of Flora Vi, but a car parked at the gate blocked the way in. The gate was very wide, and it was not impossible to go in if Jeff went around it. Get Bonus But Ashton said, ¡°Stop the car.¡± Jeff stepped on the brakes immediately. The driver¡¯s door of the horizontal car ahead opened, Joseph got out of the car and walked over. Ashton pulled Deborah over and pushed her against the corner of the car door. He pressed Deborah¡¯s shoulder with one hand and pushed open the car door beside him with the other hand. Deborah struggled. He held her down and leaned down to kiss her hard. Joseph didn¡¯t expect Ashton to be so shameless. He strode over, and through the opened car door, he saw Deborah being pressed down and kissed by Ashton. Ashton expected that Joseph would shrink back from difficulties or leave with anger. Or Joseph would be more impulsive. He would drag Ashton so that they would have a conflict or even fight. Joseph was indeed a little impulsive, but when he reached in, he grabbed Deborah. Ashton didn¡¯t expect that. He thought that Joseph was going to beat him up, so he let go of Deborah and was about to fight back. However, Deborah, who was being held down by him, was dragged out of the car by Joseph. The corner of Deborah¡¯s mouth was bitten to bleed, and the blood stained her lips. Now that she was caught off guard and dragged out of the car by Joseph, she couldn¡¯t help blushing. It was five o¡¯clock in the morning, and it was still a little dark. Joseph¡¯s face was shrouded in the shadows. His mood was unclear. He lowered his eyes and wiped Deborah¡¯s lips with his fingertips. Deborah was probably a little frightened, so she didn¡¯t react for a moment and let him do it. Ashton punched Joseph furiously. ¡°Get your dirty hands off her!¡± Joseph pulled Deborah behind him and looked at Ashton with a smile. ¡°Mr. Mullen, you are having a hard time recently, aren¡¯t you? You are about to lose your position as the president of thepany. How about this? You let me take Deborah away, and I stop fighting against you?¡± Get Bonus Chapter 97 Chapter 97 Chapter 97 Deborah Pierced Her Lower Abdomen When Joseph said that he wanted to take her away, Deborah was stunned for a moment. But soon, she reacted. Joseph had always liked to use her to make Ashton angry. He treated her like a toy, and he had done this several times. He had a good time, but every time she was the one who endured Ashton¡¯s anger in the end. She was the only one who got hurt. Ashton was so angry that he punched Joseph hard. ¡°Joseph, are you tired of living? Do you think you can bring anything serious to me with your stupid tricks?¡± He punched Joseph with his fist, and Joseph immediately blocked it with one hand, while still holding Deborah with the other hand. Deborah didn¡¯t doubt that Ashton¡¯s fist would hit her when he was furious. She didn¡¯t want to act with Joseph, so she stretched out her hand to push Joseph¡¯s hand away from her. Joseph seemed to be taken aback for a moment, wanting to look back at her. Ashton took the opportunity and punched Joseph in the face. Joseph couldn¡¯t control himself and took two steps back. After a very brief moment of stupefaction, he quickly swung his fist to fight back. Deborah nned to go in directly. Anyway, she couldn¡¯t run away. Compared with expecting Joseph to take her away, she would more like to pray. When she was just walking towards the front yard, she vaguely heard sirens. Ashton¡¯s vi was located remotely. No one else would know about the dispute between him and Joseph here. Now that the police came, most likely Ashton or Joseph called them in advance. Deborah suddenly remembered that on the way back, she nced at Ashton¡¯sputer screen. It seemed that he had sent a message to someone, and she nced at it at that time. She seemed to see ¡°Officer Lamb¡± or something. Joseph was obviously surprised when he heard sirens. He quickly sneered at Ashton. ¡°Are you cowardly? Do you have to call the police for such a small matter? Are you afraid that Deborah will go with me?¡± Ashton looked at him and sneered. ¡°I want you to realize the reality.¡± The police car quickly arrived in front of them and stopped. It wasn¡¯t just the police car that came. Three ck cars followed it closely behind. The scene was not ordinary. Ashton smiled. ¡°On the way back, I watched the surveince and knew that you wereing. So, I invited more guests.¡± Vance and another policeman got out of the front police car. More people got out of the three cars behind. They were Gerald, Joseph¡¯s father, Robert, Joseph¡¯s grandfather, and a group of bodyguards in ck. Thest one to get out of the car was a man in his thirties. He wore a pair of sses, dressed meticulously, and looked gentle. He was helped out of the car by a bodyguard and sat in a wheelchair with a nket covering his legs. Deborah quickly thought of something. She heard that Joseph had hit and broken his half-brother¡¯s legs to enter the ck family. The man was probably Joseph¡¯s half-brother. Sure enough, the man pushed the wheelchair towards Joseph and gently stopped Gerald and Robert who were about to beat Joseph. ¡°Grandpa, dad, calm down. Joseph is still young, impulsive, and ignorant. Let¡¯s talk about it when we go back home. There are so many people here. We should not make him look bad.¡± Gerald didn¡¯t care so much. He approached Joseph with a long face and hit Joseph¡¯s arm with a cue in his hand. ¡°Bastard! What are you doing? Are you crazy?¡± He raised the cue and wanted to hit Joseph again. But Joseph stretched out his hand to hold the cue. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Stay out of this. It¡¯s none of your business.¡± Gerald was furious. ¡°I know I was sorry for you and your mother back then, so I have allowed you to do whatever you want all these years. But you are getting more and more presumptuous now, and the ck family will not allow you to act like this! ¡°If you insist on going your own way, I will let your brother go to thepany tomorrow. Don¡¯t think that you have gotten your footing in the ck Group. Thepany was founded by your grandpa and me. Even in a few decades or a hundred years, I can get you out of thepany!¡± Joseph sneered and looked at his elder brother. ¡°Just do it. I don¡¯t want your things.¡± Shawn was terrified, approached anxiously, and reminded Joseph in a low voice, ¡°Sir, calm down. You have gotten through a lot in these years.¡± Get Bonus It was the first time that Gerald got so angry that he said that he wanted to let Joseph¡¯s brother Joseph managed to get to where he was today to avenge his mother. go to the Now Wayne was still atrge. If Joseph¡¯s power was gone, everything would be back to the original point. Joseph didn¡¯t say anything, and his face was tense. After a while, he looked at Deborah. ¡°Do you want to trust me and go with me?¡± Deborah looked at him calmly. ¡°Why should I believe you?¡± She dreamed of being saved by someone capable and willing to take her away from Ashton. She had counted on Zayne before and even went with him desperately. As a result, in just two days, the Gaige family was tossed into a mess, and Zayne fell to where he was today. Who else could she dare to count on? What about Joseph? Joseph made it very clear from the beginning that he wanted to use Deborah to deal with Ashton. Both Joseph and Deborah knew it very well. Joseph suddenly said, ¡°In fact, Alyssa¡­¡± Deborah just looked at him like that. Joseph was silent for a while and gave up. ¡°Forget it. I don¡¯t have good intentions, so I won¡¯t make you get into trouble.¡± For some reason, Deborah felt a little disappointed. She didn¡¯t know why. She obviously didn¡¯t want to count on him. She knew early that Joseph, like Ashton, was not a good person. But she couldn¡¯t figure it out. When Joseph said ¡°Forget it¡±, she was suddenly a little disappointed. Vance did not expect the matter to be resolved so smoothly. He made a formal statement, ¡°Mr. ck, Mrs. Mullen is Mr. Mullen¡¯s wife. Your behavior tonight is very inappropriate. You should mind your behavior next time.¡± Joseph didn¡¯t speak anymore, got into the car, and drove away directly. Gerald politely apologized to Ashton, ¡°Mr. Mullen, I¡¯m sorry that my son caused trouble to you tonight.¡± After he finished speaking, he nced at Deborah. His eyes were a little gloomy. Then, he turned around and left with a group of people. The lively scene disappeared. A row of cars drove away. Deborah stood there watching this as if it was an illusion. Get Bonus Ashton reached out to pull her to his side. He sneered, turned around, and strode inside. Joseph was a little too impulsive tonight, which made Ashton feel extremely unhappy and more and more uneasy. He was not himself. After taking Deborah back to the bedroom, he touched her belly expectantly. Deborah didn¡¯t like him to touch her, so he didn¡¯t bother her too much. He got up and went into the bathroom. After taking a quick shower, he went out. He saw Deborah lying on her side on the sofa as if she was asleep. He approached and seemed to smell blood in the air. Ashton¡¯s eyes suddenly sank, and he suddenly realized something was wrong. He lowered his gaze and suddenly saw Deborah weakly holding the handle of the knife in her hand. The tip of the fruit knife had been hidden in her belly. The smell of blood came from the blood that quickly slid down her lower abdomen. Get Bonus Chapter 98 Chapter 98 Chapter 98 Deborah Disappeared The carpet was stained red with blood, and Ashton¡¯s eyes were also red after seeing this. Deborah was pregnant with their child, and he said he wanted this child. How dare she? Ashton was so angry that his hands shook, and he stretched out his hand to pull Deborah up. ¡°Deborah, you are asking for death! If there is something wrong with the child, I will make you suffer!¡± He stretched out his hand to pull her, and Deborah who was weak on the sofa slid down to the ground along the sofa. Deborah lost blood and fell into aa. When Ashton entered the bathroom, she stabbed herself with a knife. There was cold sweat on her forehead, and she seemed to be lifeless. Ashton suddenly felt terrified. He suddenly thought, ¡°What if Deborah doesn¡¯t want to live anymore?¡± Even though he could keep an eye on her and stay with her all the time, he could be careless sometimes. He reached out to pick her up, hugged her horizontally, and walked outside anxiously. After getting in the car to go to the hospital, Ashton sat in the back seat holding Deborah in his arms. Something suddenly fell out of Deborah¡¯s coat pocket andnded on the back seat. Ashton noticed the things. Without looking at them carefully, he recognized that they were two bugs. In recent years, Ashton had managed thepany and had seen many shady gadgets. He had seen tiny bugs, pinhole cameras, and things simr to them. The bugs dropped from Deborah¡¯s pocket were not ordinary. She couldn¡¯t get them by herself. Ashton didn¡¯t even need to think carefully. He could guess that they were given by Joseph. Everything was clear. Deborah was teaming up with Joseph to deal with him at work. What Ashton couldn¡¯t tolerate the most was that one dealt with him by attacking his business. No one was an exception in these years, and he believed that Deborah would not be an exception either. His anger and hatred that rushed to the top quickly made him unable to control his emotions. No wonder, recently, she had secretly been in touch with Joseph, and they were getting closer and closer. No wonder, on the surface, she entered the Mullen Group reluctantly. He clenched his palms into fists uncontrobly. He still hugged Deborah in his arms, but the knuckles of his clenched fingers turned white. Get Bonus He suddenly said in a deep voice, ¡°Stop the car!¡± Jeff, who was driving, looked in the rearview mirror in disbelief. ¡°Sir, why¡­¡± Deborah was in great danger. She was covered in blood. If she wasn¡¯t sent to the hospital as soon as possible, she would die. Ashton lost control of his emotions and suddenly thought, ¡°Helen betrayed him. Deborah betrayed him too. They both deserve to die!¡± He yelled impatiently, ¡°I said stop the car!¡± Jeff had no choice but to pull the car over to the side and stepped on the brakes to stop. The car stopped suddenly, and Deborah was thrown onto the seat by Ashton. Her mind was buzzing for a moment. Her stomach was overwhelmed, and she woke up in pain with a pale face. Ashton patted her face angrily and waited until she struggled to open her eyes. He stretched out the two bugs in front of her and asked her, ¡°Joseph gave them to you?¡± Deborah took a look and vaguely recognized what Ashton was holding. She said nothing and closed her eyes again. She wasn¡¯t surprised at all, which meant she obviously knew them beforehand. Such a reaction could be regarded as acquiescing to what Ashton said. Ashton¡¯s face turned blue with anger, and he suddenly reached out to push open the car door. He got out of the car and stretched out his hand to drag Deborah out of the car. Deborah¡¯s body fell onto the sidewalk by the side of the street. Her body tensed from the pain. Her eyes were so dark that she opened her eyes to confirm that she was thrown out of the car by Ashton, and her eyelids seemed to be fighting again, so she couldn¡¯t help closing them. Ashton looked at her with furious eyes. ¡°Ask Joseph to save you!¡± Deborah couldn¡¯t utter a word and heard the sound of him getting into the car and closing the car door with a ¡°bang¡±. The car drove away, and she curled up on the ground, unable to even move. She originally stabbed her lower abdomen with a knife because she didn¡¯t want this child. What happened to Alyssa was already a tragedy. Even if she was cruel now, she wouldn¡¯t let the child be another tragedy after the child was born. But she just didn¡¯t want this child. She didn¡¯t intend to die. After all, Alyssa was still alive. Get Bonus She didn¡¯t stable too deep. Probably she was a little reluctant to part with the child. But now, she was left here like this. The location was so remote. She didn¡¯t think she had a choice. Probably the death of a pregnant woman was the only result. Due to blood loss, Deborah¡¯s body was very cold, and she tried to curl up into a ball. When she was half unconscious from the pain, she felt a car stop beside her. Someone got out of the car and roughly dragged her into the car. She was almost unconscious, but her instinct still told her that the car was filled with a dangerous atmosphere. She was taken away just like that, unable to open her eyes and not knowing where she was going to be taken. Ashton¡¯s car didn¡¯t drive far. After turning a corner ahead, he ordered Jeff to stop in a cold voice. The car was parked on the side of the road, and he was staring at his phone. He thought that if Deborah didn¡¯t call to beg him, he would simply let her and the child die there today. He was really furious. She knew that he couldn¡¯t ept others plotting against him in business the most. The car was parked on the side of the road for nearly ten minutes, and Jeff couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°Sir, Ms. Shepherd may not be able to call you. ¡°She looks badly hurt. She will be in danger while pregnant. Something may happen.¡± Ashton didn¡¯t say a word, staring at the silent mobile phone. After a few minutes, he said irritably, ¡°Turn around and go back.¡¯ Jeff let out a long breath and immediately drove the car back. Turning a corner, they returned to the original ce. Deborah, who was thrown by Ashton on the side of the road, disappeared. In this remote ce, it was difficult to see even a car or a pedestrian. Ashton just left for just about ten minutes. Ashton¡¯s expression froze. He abruptly opened the door and got out of the car. On the long street and the sidewalk, there was no trace of Deborah. Ashton couldn¡¯t believe that Deborah would leave in such a short time. He even felt that Deborah hid in the bushes next to him, so he searched for her in the bushes. Get Bonus Jeff also got out of the car and searched everywhere, but he didn¡¯t find her. Ashton¡¯s face became darker and darker. It was just about ten minutes. No cars or people passed by. Deborah lost so much blood that she couldn¡¯t even stand up. How could she disappear? Jeff thought about it and tentatively said, ¡°Sir, could it be that Mr. ck¡­¡± Not long ago, Joseph went to Ashton¡¯s vi and said that he would take Deborah away. It seemed that no one else would act so fast except for him. Ashton remembered that when he threw Deborah out just now, he said, ¡°Ask Joseph to save you.¡± She was obedient! N?velDrama.Org content rights. Ashton got in the car with a dark face. ¡°Go to Joseph¡¯s residence!¡± Jeff immediately drove to Joseph¡¯s residence. The vi was quiet. A servant came out. Ashton asked coldly, ¡°Where¡¯s Deborah? Let here out and tell Joseph not to ask for death!¡± The servant had a confused expression. ¡°Mr. Mullen, Mrs. Mullen is not here. Mr. ck followed Mr. Robert ck to ck Manor and hasn¡¯te back yet.¡± Ashton said angrily, ¡°Stop pretending. Tell Joseph to send her out!¡± The servant was at a loss. ¡°Mr. Mullen, Mrs. Mullen really didn¡¯te here. ¡°Mr. Robert ck and Mr. Gerald ck got very angry and took Mr. ck to ck Manor. Mr. ck couldn¡¯t have time to find Mrs. Mullen. If you don¡¯t believe me, juste in and look for her.¡± The servant stepped aside to make way for Ashton to enter. Jeff immediately went in to look for Deborah. Quickly, he came out and said, ¡°Sir, she is not inside. Joseph is not home. I let someone check it out. He has indeed gone to ck Manor.¡± Ashton said with a sullen face. ¡°Find her somewhere else.¡± Jeff nodded and drove away from this ce. At that moment, Ashton suddenly thought of something. Hector said to him, ¡°Deborah must leave. You divorce her and then marry the granddaughter of the Moxley family.¡± Deborah wasn¡¯t taken away by Joseph because Joseph was taken away by his grandfather and couldn¡¯t get away for a while. Ashton felt chills all over at the thought of some possibility. He said suddenly, ¡°Go to Mullen Manor.¡± Chapter 99 Chapter 99 Chapter 99 Deborah Was Sent to the Hospital Deborah felt that she was being taken away to a ce far away. She was half asleep and half awake. She could only feel a slight bump, and no one was talking in the car. After an unknown amount of time, the car stopped, and she was dragged out of the car. After being dragged for a distance, her body was roughly thrown onto the ground. She finally heard a voice. It was very familiar. Helen was talking gloatingly. ¡°Deborah, I have already told you that I will not die alone.¡± Immediately, Deborah heard Hector¡¯s voice. He said, ¡°Kill her! Ashton is fascinated by her. I will never allow him to make mistakes again. Kill the bastard in her belly!¡± She was in Mullen Manor. Deborah couldn¡¯t move. When Ashton threw her on the side of the road, she already had no strength. Now that she had been suffering all the way and was brought here, she was no different from a dead person. Helen had been beaten to be at the gate of death. But now seeing that Hector was stimted to ask his men to catch Deborah here and almost beat Deborah to death, Helen felt very happy. Even the severe pain in her body seemed to be gone. Her eyes were dyed with a crazy light, and she closely watched those people beating Deborah. A weird Deborah had almost lost all consciousness and vaguely felt that her body was like a punchbag. She was pulled up and thrown down. Her face was pped. Those people used sticks to hit her on the head, back, and belly. She quickly couldn¡¯t tell which part of her body was beaten and which part hurt. The blood poured down, and she smelled it. The smell of blood didn¡¯t seem to belong to her but seemed toe from a ce far away. All she could see was scarlet, and she heard Helen still saying excitedly, ¡°I told them that you are pregnant. ¡°When Ashton beat me, I just heard him answer Rodger¡¯s call. Rodger told him that you are pregnant. Deborah, don¡¯t think that you will live a good life if I die. You wish!¡± Before she finished speaking, the bodyguard next to Hector stepped forward and hit her several times with a stick. Helen fell onto the ground. This time, shepletely couldn¡¯t speak. Deborah didn¡¯t know how ruthless the other people from the Mullen family were besides Ashton before. Get Bonus In her memory, she remembered that Joseph said that if one fell into the hands of the people from the Mullen family, he will be no different from being dead. She didn¡¯t understand it before, but now, she experienced it most deeply. This ce was no different from hell. Before her consciousnesspletely dissipated, she heard the sound of approaching footsteps and Ashton¡¯s furious voice. ¡°Who allowed you to bring her here?¡± How ironic. He coulde just in time every time. He had a hypocritical appearance. It was obvious that he was the source of everything, but every time, he looked the most innocent. Deborah fainted on the ground. When she was about to die, she could even feel the life that had just formed in her lower abdomen slowly disappear. She should have stabbed hard to let the baby in her belly die directly with her knife. So, it would not have been so torturous. Helen probably heard Ashton¡¯s voice. Eager to see how miserable Ashton was, she woke up again even if she was badly hurt. Shey on the ground, turned her head sideways to look at Ashton, and let out an ear-piercingugh like a ghost. Ashton kicked her fiercely, and every word he uttered trembled. ¡°Wait and see. I will let you and the Bauer family pay for this!¡± Blood flowed out of Helen¡¯s mouth. After being kicked by Ashton, she spat out a mouthful of blood. But she stillughed happily. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you kill your grandpa? Deborah was hurt by your grandpa. Ashton, you are ipetent, stupid, and useless. Without the Mullen family, you are nothing.¡± Ashton clenched his palms into fists and picked up Deborah who was on the ground. Hector said angrily, ¡°Put down her! I have found out that she joined forces with Joseph to deal with the Mullen Group. I have already warned you. If I got on her again, she would die!¡± With a tense expression, Ashton turned around and strode away with Deborah in his arms. Helen seemed to be crazy. With blood all over her head and body, she gasped withughter. ¡°You are N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. trash, ha-ha, trash.¡± The car drove directly to the hospital, and Deborah was pushed into the emergency room. A doctor quickly came out of the emergency room with a sheet. ¡°The baby cannot be saved, and the life of the pregnant woman may be in danger at any time during the rescue process. ¡°Death and other results cannot be ruled out. This is the notice. Please sign it.¡± Get Bonus Ashton¡¯s face was pale, and he didn¡¯t even have the strength to take the pen. Thest time he signed a sheet in the hospital was also when Deborah had an operation. At that time, Deborah was undergoing a liver transnt. The doctor said that her life might be in danger and suggested that the operation should be terminated. Later, he insisted on signing the sheet and asked to continue the operation. Then, Deborah lost 70% of her liver. Ashton didn¡¯t want to sign the sheet at all right now, so he said in a dazed way, ¡°Just do your best. I don¡¯t want to sign this.¡± It would be fine if nothing happened. If something happened, even if he signed it, he would also mess with the hospital. The doctor looked a little speechless. ¡°Sir, this is the hospital¡¯s regtion. If you don¡¯t sign it, we will not be able to proceed with the surgery. Otherwise, our hospital will not be able to bear the responsibility for certain consequences.¡± When Ashton heard this, he became furious. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about the signing and the consequences. I used to sign a sheet to agree to let my wife donate 30% of her liver. ¡°In the end, your hospital removed 70% of her liver, and I haven¡¯t made your hospital pay yet!¡± The doctor in front of him was confused and didn¡¯t know what he was talking about. Different doctors were in charge of different operations. The doctor didn¡¯t know what Ashton said. But the doctor was shocked. How could a man sign the agreement to donate his wife¡¯s liver? How ridiculous. The doctor was really anxious. ¡°Sir, why don¡¯t you sign it first? Your wife inside is in a hurry for surgery, and she can¡¯t afford to dy¡­¡± 11 Now was not the time to chatter and find fault. A voice sounded at the end of the corridor. ¡°I¡¯ll sign it.¡± Ashton looked over with a sullen face and saw that Lydia, who was locked up by him, was brought here by Joseph somehow. Lydia was led over by Joseph and said to the doctor, ¡°I am the mother of the patient. I can sign it.¡± The doctor was very anxious, so he couldn¡¯t care too much. After hastily confirming her identity information, he immediately handed the notice to her and asked her to sign it. After taking the signed notice, the doctor returned to the emergency room without dy. Ashton red at Joseph. ¡°You¡¯ll never learn, right? What? You want to be beaten by your father again?¡± Joseph suddenly punched Ashton, and Ashton, who was defenseless, took two steps back. Joseph looked at Ashton who was in a bit of embarrassment with cold eyes. ¡°I thought highly of you. I thought you still had a conscience. ¡°This time, even if I will lose everything, I will tell her everything and take her away.¡± Get Bonus Chapter 100 Chapter 100 Chapter 100 Deborah Lost Her Uterus Ashton snorted coldly. It was Hector who order people to beat Deborah, and Deborah¡¯s condition was still unknown in the emergency room. So, Ashton was unavoidably uneasy and guilty. He didn¡¯t argue with Joseph and sat back on the seat outside the emergency room. Joseph led Lydia to the seat far away from where Ashton sat. His voice was rarely gentle. ¡°Ms. Shepherd, please sit down.¡± Lydia had been used to being bullied over the years. She was Devon¡¯s shady mistress. Devon¡¯s wife didn¡¯t want to let her go and made it known to everyone. So, everyone who saw her outside would look at her in disgust. Later, she gave on herself and squandered her life outside. As a result, more people showed no respect for N?velDrama.Org content rights. her. She had heard of Joseph for a long time. He was vicious and unpredictable, and he treated everyone cruelly. Now he brought her here and let her sit down so politely, which made Lydia a little ttered. She sat down quickly and said ¡°Thank you¡± repeatedly. Ashton had a look at them, and his face was full of sarcasm and disdain. Joseph wanted to please Deborah by ttering Lydia. But he made a wrong move. Deborah obviously didn¡¯t care about her mother at all. Ashton had tested it before. Deborah would rather watch her mother being beaten half to death than beg Ashton. It could be seen that her mother was not important in her heart. That was why even though Ashton locked up Lydia, he didn¡¯t ask his men to keep an eye on her carefully. He knew that Lydia was of little use to him. So, Joseph seized the opportunity to save Lydia and brought her here. Ashton sneered. Lydia was just a waste, but Joseph thought he got a useful card. Joseph ignored Ashton¡¯s expression. He saw that Lydia was so nervous that she even trembled a little while sitting next to him. He knew that he didn¡¯t have a good reputation outside, and there were even rumors outside that he killed people at will. Chapter 100 Deborah Lost Her Uterus 49.62% Those rumors were going too far. No wonder Lydia was afraid of him like this. Joseph couldn¡¯t help softening his tone tofort her, ¡°Ms. Shepherd, don¡¯t be so nervous. Deborah and 1 are old acquaintances. I have no ill intentions towards her, nor will I have any ill intentions towards you.¡± Lydia became even more nervous when she heard what he said. ¡°You you and she are old acquaintances? Did the damn girl borrow money from you? Lydia was anxious and muttered, ¡°Even if you turned to usury, how could you turn to him?¡± If Deborah borrowed money from others, she just needed to repay the money and, at most, pay some more interest. If she borrowed money from Joseph, she had to use her life pay for the money. Lydia¡¯s face turned pale, and she asked him again, ¡°How much did she borrow from you? She entered the emergency room like this. Is it because.¡± Joseph knew that he had a bad reputation, but he didn¡¯t expect it to be so bad. He exined carefully, ¡°Deborah didn¡¯t borrow any money from me. She and I are really just old acquaintances. When Deborah first entered Bauer Manor at the age of thirteen, I lived in Mullen Manor which is very close to Bauer Manor. ¡°We used to go to and from school together at that time. I was not easy to get along with at that time, and she took care of me a lot in school¡± Lydia became confused after hearing it. ¡°Aren¡¯t you from the ck family? Why did you live in Mullen. Manor?¡± Joseph was silent for a while. ¡°It¡¯s a long story.¡± Lydia let out an ¡°Oh¡±. Then, she said, ¡°Debby told me that when she first entered Bauer Manor, she always followed a boy to go to and from school, and heter rescued her at the bottom of the mountain.¡± Joseph¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°She still remembers it?¡± ¡± So many years passed. He thought that he still cared about those things because he had just recovered his memory. But Deborah might have gradually forgotten them after so many years. Those things happened when she was thirteen years old. Most people should hardly have too many impressions of things that happened over ten years ago. Lydia looked him up and down strangely. ¡°Of course, she remembers. She told me that the person is Mr. Mullen. She is a straightforward person. It was because the person saved her once that she fell in love with Mr. Mullen and married him.¡± Ashton sat not far away. His eyelids twitched for no reason as if something would happen, and he somehow felt guilty. He couldn¡¯t help looking sideways at Joseph. He wondered if Joseph was speaking ill of him. Joseph couldn¡¯t say anything good about him. A filthy mouth couldn¡¯t utter decentnguage. Joseph¡¯s face froze, and after a long time, he said, ¡°Why did she think Ashton is the person?¡± After saying that, Joseph suddenly remembered that Deborah had told him about it once before. She said that Ashton was a good person before and saved her. Get Bonus Lydia said inexplicably, ¡°Mr. Mullen is the only person in Mullen Manor who is about the same age as Debby. ¡°Moreover, Debby confirmed it with Mr. Mullen. Mr. Mullen said that he is the person. He asked her to forget about it as the thing happened so many years ago.¡± ¡°What the fuck?¡± Joseph got up angrily and couldn¡¯t help swearing. Because of this misunderstanding, Deborah was deceived by Ashton and married him. Seeing his reaction, Lydia trembled in fright. She was afraid that she might have said something wrong, so she didn¡¯t dare to say anything again. Thinking of Deborah who was still in the emergency room, Joseph endured it first and didn¡¯t find Ashton. The door of the emergency room remained closed, and the three people sitting outside fell silent. Ashton felt that he was so anxious that he was going to be crazy. The child he was expecting was gone, and if something happened to Deborah, he didn¡¯t think he could bear it. If someone else had hurt Deborah like this, Ashton would have killed that person thousands of times. But Hector, his grandfather, did it. No matter what, he could do nothing to Hector. He couldn¡¯t sit still anymore, so he got up to ask the doctor about the situation. As soon as he stood up, the door of the emergency room opened. The doctor pushed the pale Deborah out. Deborah was awake, but her eyes looked terribly cold. Ashton felt his heart ache suddenly and immediately got up to walk to the bed. Seeing Deborah¡¯s paleplexion, he found it difficult to say anything. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. My negligence caused you to suffer this.¡± While he was speaking, Deborah just looked at him without saying a word. Ashton didn¡¯t know how tofort her, so after thinking for a long time, he said, ¡°We will have another baby in the future.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he regretted it. When Alyssa passed away, he said the same words to Deborah, When Deborah was pregnant this time and wanted to give up the baby, he said that he would definitely protect her and the baby this time. Chapter 100 Deborah Lost Her Uterus 49.87% Get Bonus But in the end, he¡­ Deborah didn¡¯t say anything as if everything had nothing to do with her. The doctor on the side couldn¡¯t help reminding Ashton, ¡°Mr. Mullen, in the emergency room just now, Mrs. Mullen¡¯s uterus has been removed.¡± Deborah was pushed into a ward and moved from the wheeled bed to the hospital bed. Ashton was about to reach out to cover Deborah up with a quilt. He was stunned when he heard this. He quickly became furious. ¡°What did you say? Who allowed you to remove her uterus? Are you crazy? Did I agree with it?!¡± Chapter 101 Chapter 101 Chapter 101 Takes Deborah Away The doctor exined without any emotion, ¡°Mrs. Mullen¡¯s mother signed the consent form. ¡°Due to severe abdominal trauma, Mrs. Mullen¡¯s uterus ruptured, causing internal bleeding. In such a situation, removal of the uterus was necessary to save her life.¡± Ashton couldn¡¯t keep calm. ¡°But removing the uterus means she can never have children!¡± The doctor, who was a newly appointed head of gynecology, couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Mr. Mullen, is that really important?¡± For women and couples, having children was indeed important. But could it bepared to life? Did they need to make a choice? Ashton had nowhere to vent his anger, and he angrily questioned Lydia, who followed him, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me? What right do you have to make decisions and sign the form?¡± Lydia didn¡¯t know where she got the courage from. Maybe it was seeing Deborah¡¯s lifeless face. After all, Lydia had raised Deborah for many years, treating her like her own daughter. It was her maternal instinct. She looked at Ashton with hatred and no longer with fear. ¡°Because I wanted my daughter to live a few more days! If you had not signed the form, it would have meant death!¡± If Joseph hadn¡¯t brought her here in time, Ashton would still be arguing with the doctor about whose fault it was that Deborah donated her liver when she was close to death. Lydia, with red eyes, loudly asked him, ¡°What does my daughter owe you? She gave birth to your child, and you didn¡¯t care about their lives. ¡°Now her second child was killed by you again, and she was almost beaten to death by your grandfather. ¡°After she barely survived, you me her for not keeping her uterus to have children. Do you have a conscience? Even an animal wouldn¡¯t be as heartless as you!¡± She said that and then hysterically rushed towards Ashton. Ashton tried to stop Lydia, but Joseph thought Ashton was going to hit Lydia, so he threw a punch to Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. help. Lydia was truly angry and, unable to beat Ashton, went crazy, grabbing his clothes and biting and pulling him. Ashton couldn¡¯t shake her off, and Joseph stepped in again. Ashton took two hits, stumbled back, and fell to the ground, looking embarrassed. Deborah, on the hospital bed, erupted into a violent fit of coughing, causing the quarreling group to pause. It was only then that Ashton began to realize that something was amiss. Get Bonus Deborah had lost the fetus in her womb, and her uterus was also removed. She was even injured by Hector to such an extent. However, even after being out of the emergency room for so long, she hadn¡¯t said a word and had shown no expression or reaction. Shouldn¡¯t she be sad or angry? Shouldn¡¯t she be screaming hysterically and cursing that Ashton and Hector are not human beings? Ashton felt uneasy. His anger over Deborah¡¯s hysterectomy had been cast aside for the moment. He cautiously approached her bedside and asked, ¡°Is there anything you want to eat or any difort you¡¯re experiencing?¡± Deborah just stared at him, her eyes unblinking. After a while, she looked towards the doctor on the side and spoke calmly and softly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to see him.¡± Ashton felt frustrated, but disregarding Deborah¡¯s resistance, he walked over to her. ¡°If you have anything to say, you can tell me directly. I¡¯m right here. I know you have resentment in your heart. ¡°My grandfather was in a hurry because you meddled in thepany¡¯s affairs. This time it was him who went too far, and I will discuss it with himter.¡± Deborah¡¯s breathing became rapid, and she suddenly started to gasp for air. Her pale face quickly turned into a suffocating shade of blue. She was enduring great pain but did not want to show it. Joseph angrily lowered his voice. ¡°Get out. She doesn¡¯t want to see you. Are you deaf?¡± Ashton¡¯s face turned sour, and he stood still, unwilling to move. Suddenly, the head doctor spoke up, ¡°There¡¯s one more thing. I don¡¯t know if anyone is aware of this yet. I just checked Mrs. Mullen¡¯s medical records, and she was diagnosed with advanced liver cancer at the end ofst year. ¡°Other doctors said they remembered that Mrs. Mullen used toe and pick up her medication herself. Mrs. Mullen should have already known, so there was no need to hide it from anyone, right?¡± Ashton suddenly spoke up and stopped him mid-sentence, ¡°You¡¯re making things up. That¡¯s impossible!¡± The new chief physician didn¡¯t know Ashton yet, and his expression was bing increasingly grim. ¡°Mr. Mullen, are you really her husband? Why do you always show such abnormal reactions to her situation?¡± His wife had to have her uterus removed to save her life, but he did not feel grateful that she had survived. Chapter 101 Takes Deborah Away 50.25% Get Bonus Instead, he angrily criticized the decision to remove her uterus. When his wife was diagnosed with liver cancer, he did not react with shock or sadness. Instead, he immediately interrupted the doctor without hesitation. Ashton couldn¡¯t remain calm and insisted in a raised voice. ¡°I know her body. It¡¯s impossible for her to have cancer.¡± The chief physician responded coldly, ¡°It seems to me that you are not a qualified husband. ¡°Your wife is currently experiencing severe psychological trauma and needs calmness instead of being further stressed. ¡°My personal rmendation is for you to leave her for now and provide her with a peaceful environment to rest. At the same time, she should seek a suitable liver for transntation as soon as possible. If she can find one fast enough, there might still be hope.¡± Ashton disregarded the physician¡¯s advice and stood by Deborah¡¯s side. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to the doctor. He¡¯s just an rmist. I¡¯ll be here to take care of you and help you recover.¡± The chief physician could not bear it any longer and handed Deborah¡¯s medical records to his assistant physician, saying, ¡°Please take a look. I¡¯ll go check on the patient next door.¡± As the chief physician was leaving, Deborah seemed to have lost herst straw, and her face suddenly showed a panicked and anxious expression. She began to breathe heavily and looked at Ashton as if he were a devil. Suddenly, she retched and vomited arge amount of blood. Ashton stood beside her, his coat stained dark red by the blood. It was the first time he had seen Deborah vomit blood up close. The chief physician urgently shouted, ¡°Quick, administer a sedative!¡± He then scolded Ashton angrily, ¡°Do you still think I¡¯m exaggerating?¡± Ashton was stunned. The chief physician pushed him aside and made him take two steps back, making room for Deborah¡¯s bed. The doctors surrounded the bed, injecting Deborah with a sedative and attaching her to an oxygen machine. Lydia was so distraught that she was in tears while Joseph stood by her side, giving water to Deborah and wiping her sweat. He also tried to calm Lydia down and told her not to panic. Everyone was in a frenzy except for Ashton, who stood on the sidelines like an outsider. When things calmed down, Joseph coldly looked at Ashton and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take her to another hospital to recuperate, and you shouldn¡¯t see her again anytime soon. Instead, use your time to help find a suitable liver for her.¡± Ashton was still in denial and said, ¡°She doesn¡¯t have a terminal illness.¡± Chapter 101 Takes Deborah Away 50.37% Get Bonus Joseph sneered. ¡°You¡¯re the one who looks like you have a terminal illness with your cereber atrophy.¡± Ashton was stunned and only spoke after a long time had passed, ¡°Do you remember what happened back then?¡± Joseph replied coldly, ¡°What do you think? You¡¯ve been usurping this ce for so many years.¡± Ashton didn¡¯t say anything for a long time, and it was only after a while that he spoke again, ¡°Fine, you can take her away. But it¡¯ll only be for a limited time. Once she¡¯s feeling better, I¡¯ll bring her back. ¡°Her mother will have to stay with me, and don¡¯t forget that she hasn¡¯t divorced me yet.¡± Joseph didn¡¯t want to waste any more time with him and instructed Shawn, who was standing nearby. ¡°Go arrange for her transfer to another hospital. I¡¯ll take Deborah with me.¡± Chapter 102 Chapter 102 Chapter 102 Helen Wants to Die Get Bonus Joseph was preparing to take Deborah away, and Ashton acted unusually and did not try to stop him. Instead, he got up and went to the French windows to make a phone call with Rodger. He wanted to confirm how urate the news of Deborah having liver cancer was. After Rodger conducted his investigation and provided Ashton with a definite response, it was confirmed that Deborah had liver cancer. Her time was running out, and finding a suitable liver was an extremely difficult task. If one was not found, there would be no other options. Ashton stood in front of the French window, not knowing when Rodger had finished speaking or when he hung up the phone. He sat on the couch in a daze, not even reacting when Josephpleted the paperwork and took Deborah away on a gurney. Because Ashton had requested that Joseph take Deborah away for a period of time, Jeff naturally did not object. Lydia, however, was concerned about Deborah, and with red eyes, she wanted to go with them. Jeff then spoke up to stop her, saying. ¡°You cannot leave. Mr. Mullen said that you are Mrs. Mullen¡¯s mother and must stay with him so that Mrs. Mullen can leave for a while.¡± Joseph retorted in a cold tone, ¡°Whether it is Deborah or her mother, Ashton has no right to interfere with their personal freedom. If you stop them, should I call the police, or do you want me to bring more people?¡± He gestured towards the door, and immediately four or five bodyguards came in. They faced off against the several bodyguards that Jeff had brought in. Jeff said in a low voice, ¡°Mr. ck, Mr. Mullen has already conceded and allowed you to take Mrs. Mullen away for a while. ¡°Mrs. Mullen is, after all, Mr. Mullen¡¯s wife. Her mother can stay with him and be taken care of by Mr. Mullen¡¯s maids. There is nothing inappropriate about this.¡± Joseph was about to say something angrily when Shawn stepped forward and whispered, ¡°Mr. ck, let¡¯s just leave it at that for now. People sent by Mullen Manor are still watching over you.¡± Gerald had just had a heated argument with Robert, and if there was any moremotion here, it might invite interference from the ck family¡¯s elders, causing even more trouble. Joseph didn¡¯t want Lydia to stay with Ashton. After all, she was Deborah¡¯s mother, and he was afraid that Ashton might give her a hard time. Chapter 102 Helen Wants to Die 50 67% Lydia spoke up, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll just stay here. Mr. ck, please don¡¯t worry. Nothing will happen. Please take good care of my daughter.¡± Ashton still sat by the French window, lost in disbelief after learning that Deborah had a terminal illness, paying no attention to the dispute at the door. In the end, Lydia stayed there. Joseph took Deborah and left. Ashton sat by the window, and it wasn¡¯t until night fell outside that he snapped out of his trance. He turned around and found only Jeff standing behind him. Ashton looked at the empty ward and, after a long pause, asked, ¡°Did they leave?¡± Jeff replied, ¡°Yes. After you called the doctor this afternoon, Mr. ck took Mrs. Mullen away.¡± Observing Ashton¡¯s silence, Jeff spoke cautiously after a while, ¡°Hector has asked if you could visit Mullen Manor. What do you think?¡± Ashton responded evasively, ¡°Go and find a suitable liver for Deborah at all costs. Also, keep an eye on Joseph and make sure he doesn¡¯t take Deborah anywhere.¡± Jeff nodded and repeated, ¡°Understood.¡± Jeff repeated, ¡°Hector said that you need to visit Mullen Manor.¡± Jeff felt a bit nervous as he sensed Ashton could explode at any moment. Surprisingly, Ashton remained calm and collected. ¡°I won¡¯t be going to Mullen Manor anymore. Tell Grandpa that if there is a next time, he will no longer have a grandson. He can deal with the consequences himself.¡± Jeff murmured in response. Even if he had a hundred times the courage, he still would not dare to convey this message. Ashton stood up and headed towards the door. ¡°Have someone bring Helen to Bauer Manor and call all the members of the Bauer family back. I will reunite them tonight.¡± When Ashton drove to Bauer Manor, the bodyguards had already taken Devon and Kinsley back to the house and dumped them in the living room. Jeff arrivedter with Helen, who was still at the Mullen family¡¯s Mullen Manor. Hector tried to stop them, and Jeff had to work hard to get Helen out. However, Helen had no strength left in her when Jeff brought her into the living room. Her body was soaked in blood, and not a single piece of good flesh remained. The Bauer Manor was only purchased four years ago. It had five luxurious levels. Chapter 102 Helen Wants to Die 50.75% Get Bonus In those years, Devon relied on Ashton to expand the business and made a lot of money. A mere luxury vi was not even worth mentioning. Ashton reminisced about the night when Deborah took Helen to the hospital rooftop in a moment of despair. It was also on the fifth floor where she pushed Helen off the edge. Later, Deborah found out that Helen had miraculously survived, and Ashton still remembered the look of incredulous pain on her face. At that time, Deborah sarcasticallyughed and said, ¡°Helen fell from the fifth floor and still managed to survive. It¡¯s a miracle.¡± Thinking back on these events, Ashton looked down at Helen on the ground and said, ¡°I want to try again. Does God really exist? Can someone survive falling from the fifth floor again?¡± Kinsley was so scared that her face turned pale, and she almost screamed. ¡°Ashton, please spare my daughter. She has loved you for so many years. Please, I beg you! ¡°It¡¯s all my fault, and everything bad she did was because I ordered her to. Come at me, but please spare my daughter!¡± Ashton ordered the security guards to take the entire Bauer family to the rooftop on the fifth floor. Once they reached the rooftop, Ashton turned to Kinsley and said, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault? If you want to take the me for your daughter, then tell me the truth. Let¡¯s see if I believe you.¡± Helen spoke anxiously, ¡°I am responsible for my own actions, and my mother doesn¡¯t know anything! Ashton, if you hate me so much,e after me alone and kill me. I¡¯m not afraid, anyway.¡± Helen had already lost her legs, and her hands were now severely injured. Her face was also disfigured from the beating. Living was no longer as satisfying for her as dying would be. Anyway, what she had hoped for was no longer possible. Either Helen lived with dignity, or it was better for her to just die! Ashton sneered. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid? Fine, just for you.¡± He nced at the nearby bodyguard, and the bodyguard immediately dragged Helen toward the edge of the rooftop. Kinsley screamed. ¡°No, please! It was all my doing. I¡¯ll confess to everything I¡¯ve done. Please let my daughter go!¡± Ashton looked impatient. ¡°You talk too much. None of your words are useful.¡± Kinsley gritted her teeth. If Ashton was so ruthless, he probably already knew everything that Helen had done. Get Bonus N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Kinsley decided to spill everything, ¡°I was me who put the drug in Deborah¡¯s water when she got into your bed. I made Helen serve it to her without knowing what was in it. ¡°After that, I forced Helen to pretend to have liver cancer, so you would treat her. Otherwise, I would have. sent her overseas and never allowed her to see you again. ¡°Deborah donated so much liver tissue, and Alyssa¡¯s treatment was disrupted, all because I threatened the doctors to do so, and Helen didn¡¯t know. And also¡­¡± She seemed afraid of leaving anything unsaid that might displease Ashton and proceeded to reveal everything she could think of. In the end, she was in an attempt to make Ashton hate her and have her take the me for Helen. She confessed to thest thing. ¡°Eleven years ago, I deliberately took Deboral to the mountains and left her stranded in the deep forest, causing her to fall off a cliff and almost die. I wanted her dead. She deserved it!¡± Ashton suddenly stood up, his face turning terrifyingly sullen, and kicked Kinsley hard. Kinsley fell to the ground, blood oozing from the corner of her mouth, and begged for her daughter¡¯s life, banging her head on the ground. ¡°Please spare my daughter¡¯s life. She¡¯s young and ignorant. ¡°She listens to me for everything, she genuinely likes you, and she¡¯s not really bad at heart.¡± Ashton¡¯s voice trembled as he spoke, ¡°Did you drug Deborah and send her to my bed all those years ago? Was Helen¡¯s liver cancer a fake?¡± Kinsley¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°You¡­ Don¡¯t you know yet?¡± What did Ashton know to make him want to destroy them like this? Ashton approached Helen. ¡°You acted your fake illness so convincingly. You wanted to die, so I¡¯ll oblige you Chapter 103 Chapter 103 Chapter 103 Tasted Everything Get Bonus Kinsley lunged forward like a mad woman, tightly grasping Ashton¡¯s trousers. ¡°Don¡¯t touch my daughter. I¡¯ll die for her! ¡°You wanted to know if someone would die falling from the fifth floor. I¡¯ll show you. Spare my daughter¡¯s life!¡± Ashton walked up to Helen and looked down at Kinsley, who was begging at his feet. ¡°Don¡¯t just talk the talk.¡± Kinsley burst into tears and eximed, ¡°Helen, I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯ve led you astray, ruined your life, and put you in this situation. I deserve to die!¡± Kinsley abruptly stood up and rushed toward the edge of the rooftop. Helen¡¯s face turned pale with terror, and she screamed, ¡°No!¡± Helen desperately wanted to stop Kinsley but was physically unable to do so due to her disability. Helen watched in horror as Kinsley jumped off the fifth-floor rooftop, falling and disappearing from sight. Helen¡¯s mother, who had raised her for over twenty years, took all the me for her daughter¡¯s troubles. However, Kinsley failed to realize that even if she sacrificed herself in this way, Ashton would still never let Helen off the hook. Helen crawled frantically toward the edge of the rooftop, moving like a worm, but it still took her a long time to reach it. Jeff had already gone down to check and soon reported to Ashton, ¡°Mr. Mullen, she is dead.¡± Ashton had no intention of letting the Bauer family off the hook tonight, but he was somewhat surprised by Kinsley¡¯s decisive and resolute suicide. He thought she would pretend to be desperate like her daughter and use it as a ploy. Helen appeared to have gone insane, first crawling to the edge of the rooftop, shouting and screaming at the top of her lungs, and then crying andughing hysterically. Devon had already been beaten unconscious by the bodyguards when he was dragged up. It was only then, upon hearing Helen¡¯s piercingughter, that he suddenly woke up. As soon as he opened his eyes, he realized he was somehow on the rooftop. Kinsley, who had just been brutally beaten alongside him on the ground, was nowhere to be seen. Devon saw Helen crouching at the edge of the rooftop, looking manic below, and he suddenly guessed what had happened. A huge fear welled up in his eyes. The bodyguard stopped pressing him down. Devon rushed to the edge of the rooftop in a panicked state but Chapter 103 Tasted Everything. Get Bonus stumbled along the way. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. When he reached the edge of the rooftop, he vaguely saw a body lying on the ground and was struck by the horrifying sight of blood. Devon slumped down in shock and disbelief, looking at Ashton. ¡°You killed her! You¡¯ll be sentenced to death for murder!¡± Ashton looked at him indifferently. ¡°Kinsley invited us up here to enjoy the view. She identally fell down. She had a diagnosis of mental illness, which is really regrettable.¡± Kinsley did indeed have a diagnosis report of mental illness, which she obtained from the hospital herself. After Helen fell from upstairs, she pretended to have an intermittent mental illness. To make things seem more realistic, Kinsley went to the hospital for a check-up and brought back the report, saying that she also had an intermittent mental illness, which was inherited from her family. So that was why Helen easily developed the same illness after her own fall. Devon eximed in anger, ¡°You¡¯re lying. She¡¯s not sick!¡± Ashton dropped a pile of files andmanded, ¡°Devon defrauded a significant investment through his fraudulent means andmitted a significant amount of tax evasion. Take him to the police station.¡± Devon looked at the documents, realizing that he did indeed present false profit reports and other documents to Ashton in order to secure investments. However, both parties knew full well that Bauer Group couldn¡¯t possibly earn that much money. Despite this, Ashton was still willing to invest simply because of his affection for Helen. Devon was still feeling self-satisfied, and when heter approached Ashton for investment, he would simply provide Ashton with some perfectly forged documents, hyping up the profit situation and development prospects of the Bauer Group. But it turned out to be a scam. Devon¡¯s face trembled as he finally spoke up after a long pause, ¡°You are ruthless!¡± Ashton looked at him with a smile that didn¡¯t quite reach his eyes. ¡°I was being quite polite, actually.¡± Devon was taken away by Jeff and handed over to the police. Helen couldn¡¯t bear the humiliation any longer and climbed to the edge of the rooftop, tears streaming down her face as she contemted jumping off. However, the bodyguard grabbed her just in time. Ashton approached her and looked at her, saying, ¡°Dying directly is too easy for you.¡± Helen looked up at him and, after a moment, burst outughing. Get Bonus Slowly, she began to speak, ¡°Ashton, there¡¯s something very important that you don¡¯t know. Actually, I wasn¡¯t the one who saved you in the water all those years ago. You¡¯ve been grateful and kind to me all these years, but you¡¯ve been mistaken about who saved you.¡± At that time, Ashton didn¡¯t care at all about her life-saving favor. However, he was still stunned when she spoke. In fact, he had been suspecting Helen for a long time, and he could not bear it any longer until now when he finally took action. It was only out of gratitude for her saving him that he hesitated. Helen couldn¡¯t stopughing. ¡°You¡¯re really foolish. I never saved someone like you. I followed you overseas back then because I was infatuated with your wealth and used you. It¡¯s ridiculous to see you being yed like a fiddle¡­¡± Ashton squatted down and suddenly grabbed her neck tightly. ¡°Who is that person?¡± Helen looked at him and smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t tell you. Go ahead and strangle me. Someone as stupid as you would never be able to guess it in your whole life. So go ahead and keep guessing.¡± When he found out that the person who had really saved him was treated like an enemy by him and was tortured so much that her life would be worse than death, Helen didn¡¯t know how he would feel. Ashton kept squeezing his palm tightly, but Helen refused to speak. She was determined to die and waited for Ashton to strangle her. She was gasping for herst breath, and her face turned red. Suddenly, Ashton released his grip and sneered. ¡°Stop dreaming. There are many interesting things waiting for you.¡± He stood up and ordered, ¡°Take her back to Flora Vi. I¡¯ll make her try everything that Deborah has tasted.¡± Helen struggled desperately but was still taken back to the basement of Flora Vi. Ashton sat in front of her and slowly helped her recall, ¡°Seventy percent liver, drug testing, liver cancer, miscarriage¡­ Helen, you have to pull yourself together. Let¡¯s go one by one. But the miscarriage¡­¡± As he spoke, he looked at Helen¡¯s t belly. Helen suddenly felt a chill down her spine and subconsciously wanted to shrink away. Chapter 104 Chapter 104 Chapter 104 He Caressed Deborah¡¯s Head Get Bonus Ashton got up and had the bodyguards bring a few homeless people in. ¡°I apologize for the next thing,¡± he said. He left immediately, and Helen¡¯s desperate screams of horror followed him. ¡°Ashton, you scum! You¡¯re not human!¡± Jeff closed the door, and after Ashton left, he remembered something and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t she Deborah¡¯s half- sister from a different father? ¡°The possibility of liverpatibility is high. Have a doctor check and see if she can donate her liver to Deborah.¡± Jeff replied, ¡°Okay.¡± Ashton left the basement and went straight to his bedroom upstairs. This used to be his and Deborah¡¯s bedroom, and he remembered that for many years, every time he came back and opened the door, Deborah was often inside. Sometimes he came back early and found Deborah curled up on the sofa next to Alyssa, or sitting at the coffee table with herputer, drawing design ns. When she didn¡¯t see him, Deborah was rxed, always smiling whether she was drawing or ying with Alyssa. As soon as she saw him, Deborah would always stand up immediately, looking reserved and scared. At times, he woulde homete, sometimes even well past midnight. When he entered the bedroom, Deborah would already be asleep in bed, yet she would immediately wake up, get up, and draw him a bath while fetching his clothes. If he did not initiate conversation, Deborah would not dare speak. Ashton was convinced that Deborah was scared of him, making him believe that when she first slept with him, it was a deliberate ploy to take advantage of him. This fear made him even more sure of her guilt. However, he would always forget that when she first arrived there, she was only neen and still in her second year of university. Deborah was scared of him because she was still too young and inexperienced in matters of love, and she was even more terrified of lying in bed with him. Ashton recalled how he loathed her and dreamed of her leaving. Despite being his wife, she always carried herself in a manner lower than the housemaids. Her presence still lingered throughout the bedroom, but he had already sent her away. Although they had agreed that it was only temporary, he still felt uneasy and ufortable. Get Bonus Everywhere was empty and cold, and there was no one to draw him a bath in the middle of the night, no one to lie beside him, anxiously holding him close. After spending more than five years together, Ashton was ustomed to Deborah¡¯s habits, and they had be ingrained in him. Ashton sat on the bed, feeling out of sorts and not bothering to turn on the lights. Suddenly, he wondered what Deborah and Joseph were doing at that moment. She must be worried about her mother. Her mother was still here, and in a few days, she would likelye back on her own. Ashton reassured himself in his mind, but after a while, he pulled out his phone and scrolled to Deborah¡¯s number. Just as he was about to call her, his phone rang. Ashton answered and heard Jeff¡¯s anxious voice on the other end. ¡°Mr. Mullen, something has happened. Lydia is not Mrs. Mullen¡¯s birth mother, and Mrs. Mullen may not even care about her.¡± Ashton¡¯s face darkened, and he stood up immediately. ¡°What do you mean?¡± He had let Deborah go, and Lydia was his only bargaining chip left. Ashton had known Lydia since Deborah was fourteen, and she had always been her birth mother. This couldn¡¯t possibly be wrong. How could it not be? How could it be possible? Jeff responded, ¡°I brought Helen to the hospital for a check-up to see if she could donate a liver to Mrs. Mullen. It turned out that the liver wasn¡¯t a match. ¡°Upon further investigation, I found out that Mrs. Mullen is not Lydia¡¯s daughter at all. Mrs. Mullen was adopted by Lydia shortly after birth, and they, along with the Bauer family, have no blood rtion. whatsoever.¡± Ashton¡¯s heart trembled more and more, and after a long pause, he asked, ¡°Does Deborah know?¡± Perhaps she did not know, or even if she did, maybe she would not care about Lydia. After all, Lydia had raised her for so many years. She must still care about her, right? The more Ashton tried to console himself, the more anxious he became. Jeff responded uncertainly, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if Mrs. Mullen knows.¡± Ashton could not control his emotions any longer and marched out of the bedroom. ¡°Bring Deborah back now.¡± Jeff sounded worried. ¡°I sent someone to Joseph¡¯s vi, but they¡¯re not there. Maybe he took Mrs. Mullen somewhere quieter to recover N?velDrama.Org content rights. Get Bonus ¡°After all, Lydia had raised Mrs. Mullen for so many years. Mrs. Mullen wouldn¡¯t just abandon her like that.¡± Ashton could no longer hear the words and yelled angrily, ¡°Then look elsewhere and bring her back to me!¡± He hung up the phone and called Deborah immediately. Deborah was lying in bed at Joseph¡¯s residence, still asleep. On the bedside table, her cell phone repeatedly rang. Joseph brought in water and pushed the door open, and as he approached, he saw that the caller ID was Ashton. He reached out and hung up the call directly, but Ashton immediately called again persistently. Deborah, who was lying in bed, was annoyed by the noise and frowned. Joseph reached out and answered the call, and Ashton¡¯s rapid-fire voice came through the phone. ¡°Deborah, where are you? I¡¯ming to pick you up. ¡°We can handle this ourselves. Let¡¯s talk. Joseph is not a good person, and you shouldn¡¯t be staying with him.¡± Joseph responded, ¡°Deborah is doing fine now. She¡¯s sleeping in bed. Don¡¯t look for her these next few days. Let her rest, and when she decides where she wants to go, I¡¯ll respect her wishes.¡± Ashton shouted in anger, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid? Do you think I don¡¯t know about Lydia?¡± He stopped in the middle of his sentence, and Joseph asked, ¡°What about Lydia?¡± Ashton fell silent for a moment before saying, ¡°Nothing Just send Deborah back to me right away.¡± Joseph retorted, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it,¡± and hung up the phone. Ashton continued to call, but Joseph added him to the cklist. Soon after, a new number sent Deborah a message: [She muste back before tonight.] Joseph replied: [You¡¯re insane.) and added the new number to the cklist. As he put Deborah¡¯s phone back on the bedside table, Joseph noticed that Deborah had awakened. She wanted to sit up, but her body was seriously injured, and she had just had a miscarriage, so she couldn¡¯t use the strength She could only lie there and look at Joseph warily. ¡°Why am I here, and why did you take my phone?¡± she asked. Joseph casually put down Deborah¡¯s phone and said, ¡°A real estate agent kept calling, trying to get you to buy a house, so I hung up for you.¡± Deborah was skeptical and asked again, ¡°Is this your house? How did I end up here?¡± Joseph observed her cautious expression and responded solemnly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear? I already spoke with Get Bonus Ashton earlier and convinced him to let me take you away. With that, I won¡¯t argue with him anymore. ¡°He¡¯s been having trouble with his businesstely and is on the verge of losing his CEO position.¡± Deborah asked, ¡°And then what happened?¡± Joseph reached out and gently stroked her head. ¡°He agreed to send you with me.¡± Get Bonus Chapter 105 Chapter 105 Chapter 105 What Are You Afraid of? Deborah gazed expressionlessly at Joseph. ¡°Don¡¯t kid around.¡± As much as she dreamed of Ashton letting her leave, she knew Ashton well enough to know he wasn¡¯t that kind-hearted. Especially given his history with Joseph, Ashton would never hand her over to him. Deborah was feeling anxious, recalling that she saw her mother when she came out of the emergency room. Regardless of Joseph¡¯s intentions, if he had secretly brought her here, Deborah¡¯s mother could be in danger. Deborah was eager to get out of bed, but she didn¡¯t have the strength. Her face was full of urgency as she asked, ¡°Where is my mother? Is she still in Ashton¡¯s ce?¡± Joseph had only been joking with her, wanting to improve her mood. Now that Deborah was getting anxious, he had to tell her the truth, ¡°It was Ashton who asked me to take you away and let you rest for a while. Your mother is still with him, and she will be fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Deborah didn¡¯t have a good impression of Joseph and didn¡¯t trust him much, so she was skeptical of his words. She took out her mobile phone and called Lydia directly. She took out her phone and called Lydia directly. Joseph didn¡¯t stop her. Even though Lydia was still with Ashton¡­ He probably didn¡¯t restrict her from answering the phone. Deborah dialed the number, and it didn¡¯t take long for Lydia to answer. Lydia¡¯s guilty voice came through the phone. ¡°Debby, you¡¯re awake.¡± Deborah breathed a sigh of relief and asked, ¡°Are you with Ashton? Is he bothering you?¡± Lydia replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine here. Don¡¯t worry. Take care of yourself¡­¡± Before Deborah could respond, a chaotic noise suddenly came through the phone. Then Ashton¡¯s voice came on the line. ¡°Deborah,e back now. Don¡¯t forget that your mother owes a high- interest loan, and I paid it off for her. If you don¡¯te back, your mother will suffer.¡± Deborah was taken aback. ¡°Mr. ck said that you agreed to let me leave for a while.¡± Ashton denied it. ¡°I didn¡¯t agree. Come back now. Do you understand?¡± Deborah was unhappy. ¡°I can¡¯t move because of my injury. I don¡¯t want to go to your ce, maybe in a few days.¡± Ashton¡¯s anger grew. ¡°Then you can wait and see what happens to your mother¡­¡± ¡°Suit yourself,¡± Deborah interrupted him and hung up the phone without waiting for him to say anything Chapter 105 What Are You Afraid of? 52.12% more. Sebes Q Ashton was the kind of person who would cause trouble the more if Deborah cared about someone. After experiencing the incidents with Alyssa and Zayne, Deborah realized that she needed to appear indifferent. Although she thought so, Deborah couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy after hanging up the phone. Ashton had a bad temper and could do anything when he was angry. Joseph had a servant bring a wheelchair for Deborah and help her get out of bed. Seeing that she was still absent-minded, he waved his hand in front of her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll help you. Can you get out of bed and sit in the wheelchair? I¡¯ll take you downstairs to eat something. Or I can have the servant bring the food up for you to eat in bed.¡± Deborah came to her senses and replied, ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll sit in the wheelchair and go down myself.¡± Deborah did not have the habit of eating in the bedroom, let alone at someone else¡¯s house. She felt even more ufortable. Joseph reached out to support her back, and Deborah instinctively wanted to avoid him. Joseph half-jokingly said, ¡°Injured people with limited mobility should not be so concerned.¡± Deborah felt a bit embarrassed but could only let him half-embrace her and slowly move from the bed to the wheelchair. Joseph pushed her downstairs and talked to her, ¡°The doctor said you are under a lot of stress, so staying in bed all the time is not good. Going out for a walk can improve your mood.¡± He was very gentle when he spoke, which was strange to Deborah. She remembered that he was not like this before. Everything he did had a purpose, including approaching her and rescuing Alyssa. It was all just to use her to deal with Ashton. Deborah couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Mr. ck, I may not be as useful as you think.¡± Joseph suddenly became so good to her. Perhaps he thought that Ashton was really concerned about her, so he felt he could use her to his advantage. Joseph understood what she meant but still smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate yourself. I think you are very useful.¡± Deborah did not respond. She was well aware that Joseph¡¯s kindness towards her now was all for the sake of repayment. When they arrived at the restaurant downstairs, Joseph¡¯s phone rang. It was a work-rted matter. Get Bors ? He walked away to take the call, and the maid came over to take care of Deborah and enthusiastically served. her food and soup. But Deborah was extremely cautious and kept insisting on doing things for herself. During the meal, seeing the maid standing aside, she said, ¡°I can eat on my own. You can go do something else.¡± Deborah was not used to being taken care of, and she was not sure what Joseph¡¯s intentions were. She could not bring herself to ept these acts of kindness. Seeing that Deborah was clearly tense, the maid could only smile and nod before leaving to work in the kitchen. Deborah had injured her right hand and was struggling to hold her bowl with her right hand while the maid was present. Now that the maid had left, Deborah was using her left hand to hold her spoon, eating her food with some clumsiness and eagerness. Deborah hadn¡¯t eaten anything all day and had just woken up from a fainting spell. She was now so hungry that her stomach was growling. With the maid gone and the butler not paying attention to her, Joseph was on the phone with his back turned to her¡­ She wanted to finish eating quickly, and she didn¡¯t want anyone to see her in such an embarrassing state before someone noticed her. As she was halfway through her meal, Joseph¡¯s voice suddenly sounded next to her. ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush. Nobody¡¯s going to take it from you.¡± Deborah was suddenly startled and lost her grip on the spoon in the bowl, causing it to slip and push the bowl to the ground. The porcin bowl shattered into pieces as it hit the ground. She recognized this set of tableware. It was the antique porcin from a previous auction that was said to be very valuable and aged. Although she couldn¡¯t recall the exact details, she knew it was expensive. When Ashton took her to that auction, Helen was there andmented that the cutlery set was beautiful. Ashton decided to bid on it, but Joseph saw him and raised his paddle topete with him. After the bidding war drove the price up to an outrageous amount, Hector got wind of it and called to ask Ashton to let Joseph have it as a personal favor. Ashton was not happy about it at all, but somehow he ended up conceding. When the bowl fell off the table, Deborah only had one thought in her mind. This small bowl was worth more than her life. N?velDrama.Org content rights. Get Bonus Her face turned pale in an instant, and she hurriedly tried to bend down to pick it up, only to end up falling onto the floor from her wheelchair. Joseph never imagined that Deborah would be so eager to retrieve a bowl. By the time he reacted and tried to stop her, she had already fallen to the ground. He couldn¡¯t understand why she had such a strong reaction over a bowl. Joseph immediately squatted down to help her up, but Deborah had already sat up on the ground, her face full of anxiety as she kept retreating backward. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I broke your things. I¡¯llpensate you.¡± There was a throbbing pain in her mind. How could she afford to pay for that? She remembered that Joseph had paid 4 million dors for this cutlery set at the time. Joseph was genuinely amused by her. ¡°Are you out of your mind? Why did you go to such lengths to pick up a bowl?¡± He stretched out his hand to help her again, only to see that her face was pale with fright, and her eyes were filled with real fear. ¡°Why are you so scared? What are you afraid of?¡± Joseph was taken aback. The maid heard themotion and came out of the kitchen. When she saw the broken pieces on the ground, she couldn¡¯t help but feel heartbroken and walked over to Deborah with a reprimanding tone. ¡°Mrs. Mullen, why weren¡¯t you more careful? ¡°I told you that I would take care of your meals, but you insisted on doing it yourself. Look at this. This cutlery set is a precious collection of Mr. ck¡¯s.¡± Get Bonus Chapter 106 Chapter 106 Chapter 106 She Won¡¯t Come Back Joseph¡¯s gaze remained fixed on Deborah, who looked terrified. He was angry, but his voice was not too loud, probably to avoid scaring her. ¡°Get out.¡± The maid sighed and came over to pull Deborah up. ¡°You should leave now. Mr. ck is angry.¡± Joseph nced at the maid and said, ¡°I told you to get out.¡± Shawn happened to walk in and heard Joseph speaking. After looking at the situation in the dining room, understood what was going on. With a serious face, Shawn walked over and led the confused maid out, then promptly fired her. he Joseph finally realized that Deborah had probably recognized the dinnerware he had bought at the auction to provoke Ashton. He tried to reassure her. ¡°This dinnerware isn¡¯t worth much. I intentionally inted the price topete with Ashton and make him angry.¡± Deborah still looked uneasy. ¡°I¡¯llpensate youter.¡± Joseph saw that she had calmed down a bit and reached out to help her up onto the couch. Over the years, Ashton had treated Deborah badly, causing her a lot of stress and fear, which Joseph could now clearly see. Otherwise, Deborah wouldn¡¯t have been so scared by a broken bowl. In the past, when he went out to socialize, he had heard people in private rooms joking that to tell if a woman had been abused at home, one just needed to suddenly raise one¡¯s hand in front of her, If the woman immediately cowered in fear, it was a natural instinctive reaction because she had been hurt. before. Deborah had a terminal illness and had been bullied by Ashton for many years. Now that she was nearing death, she had yet to experience any warmth. At that moment, Joseph suddenly felt that he could no longer keep it a secret. He squatted down in front of Deborah, took off the watch from his left wrist, and showed her the scars on his wrist. He looked into her eyes and said, ¡°Do you really not remember me?¡± Deborah looked stunned for a moment but quickly regained herposure and said, ¡°You told me that the scars on your hand were from a recent ident.¡± Joseph could not hold back anymore and told her the truth, ¡°You forgot that when you were thirteen, I carried you under the cliff and took you to the hospital. ¡°Ashton was still abroad at that time and did not return to the country until you were fourteen. Back then, my mother married Wayne, and we sat together in Mullen Manor.¡± Deborah was speechless for a long time, and soon her face was full of suspicion. ¡°You¡¯re lying. The person who saved me back then was Ashton. How could it be you?¡± Deborah¡¯s phone rang, but she didn¡¯t answer it. She said she didn¡¯t believe Joseph¡¯s words, but she unconsciously waited for Joseph to continue speaking. Joseph didn¡¯t want to wait anymore. Deborah had a terminal illness and didn¡¯t have much time left. He didn¡¯t want her to continue living in such a bleak situation. He continued to speak, ¡°You¡¯re mistaken. Ashton was not in the country when you had your ident. That night, I took you to the hospital and promised to buy you food to take to the ward. Later, my mother had an ident, and then¡­¡± His expression changed, and he tried to control his emotions as he told Deborah all the details and everything that had happened. He didn¡¯t want to hide it anymore. He wanted her to know that he would take her to get treatment. Back when he was going through a difficult time in his life, it was Deborah who gave him warmth, and many times, she helped him and saved him. Now, he wouldn¡¯t watch her die. She should feel the warmth and live a good life. He slowly continued speaking, but he didn¡¯t know that his voice was also being heard on Ashton¡¯s at the same time. Ashton had nted a listening device on Deborah, initially seeking revenge against Joseph. This was because Joseph had given Deborah the listening device to nt in Ashton¡¯s work area, which Ashton had discovered. Ashton had only intended to listen in on Joseph¡¯s instructions to Deborah and hear how Joseph nned to deal with the Mullen Group and the Mullen family. However, he ended up hearing something else entirely from the listening device. Ashton sat at his desk in the study, listening as Joseph revealed the truth to Deborah. Ashton¡¯s face turned pale as he urgently called Deborah to try and stop her from continuing to listen. But she didn¡¯t answer the phone at all, and Joseph continued to reveal the truth from eleven years ago to Deborah. Ashton¡¯s shameful thoughts have now been exposed, and his deceitful act of pretending to be Deborah¡¯s savior has been uncovered. Ashton sat at his desk, feeling helpless as the listening device had no tracking capabilities, leaving him Get Bonus unaware of Deborah¡¯s whereabouts. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . A voice in Ashton¡¯s head reminded him that Deborah now knew the truth and would never return. Joseph was the one who saved her in the past, and she would leave with him. She would leave, no doubt about it! Ashton clenched his fists tightly and forcefully pressed them onto the desk. Unable to contain himself any longer, Ashton smashed the desk hard and sent theptop crashing to the floor. However, Joseph¡¯s voice still rang clearly from theptop. ¡°Deborah,e with me. I¡¯ll take you to get treatment, find you apatible liver, and let you live a good life¡­¡± Ashton stood up and kicked theptop on the floor with all his might. His sullen and furiousplexion became hideous. ¡°You¡¯re dreaming, all of you!¡± Jeff¡¯s voice sounded from outside the door. ¡°Mr. Mullen, Lydia refused to cooperate and call Mrs. Mullen. She doesn¡¯t want to contact Mrs. Mullen toe back. ¡°I used a little trick, and she seems to have a bad heart. She suddenly gasped for breath and passed out. Should we take her to the hospital¡­¡± Ashton shouted angrily, ¡°Don¡¯t give her treatment! Nobody is allowed to take her for treatment! Take a photo of Lydia and send it to Deborah. If Deborah doesn¡¯te back, let Lydia die!¡± Jeff remained silent for a moment before responding, ¡°Okay.¡± When Deborah saw the message on her phone, Joseph leaned over and hugged her. ¡°Deborah, I¡¯ll take you to get treatment. I won¡¯t let you suffer anymore,¡± Joseph said. Deborah stared at the message on her phone, which did not disy its contents, but she had a bad feeling about it. Joseph hugged her tightly, and she had never seen him like this before. Joseph told her everything about his life before adulthood. He had never had a good life, never been cared for, and had be ustomed to indifference and ruthlessness. This was why Joseph had such deep feelings for Deborah, who had been the only person who had ever treated him kindly. Deborah was held so tightly by Joseph that she could hardly move her hands. Eventually, she managed to use one hand to unlock the phone screen and open the message. It was a close-up photo. In the picture, Lydiay on the ground, pale and motionless. Ashton sent another message: [She probably had a heart attack. I don¡¯t know if she died suddenly. When will youe back alone? She will go to the hospital when you do.] Deborah suddenly stood up and pushed Joseph away. ¡°My mother is in trouble. I need to go to Ashton¡¯s ce.¡± Joseph immediately snapped out of his previous mood and followed her outside. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Deborah said anxiously, ¡°No, Ashton wants me to go alone. My mother is in critical condition, unconscious, and still at Ashton¡¯s ce.¡± Joseph knew he couldn¡¯t stop her anymore. Deborah had to make sure Lydia went to the hospital and was properly treated without any issues. They could deal with everything elseter. But one thing was certain. Joseph would definitely take Deborah away this time. ¡°I¡¯ll drive you there. It¡¯s not easy to find a taxi around here,¡± Joseph said as he went to the car. Deborah hesitated for a moment, thinking that she could get off nearby, and agreed to his offer. Ashton was really ruthless. When Deborah arrived, Lydia was still lying on the floor in the guest bedroom. Ashton was sitting on the side, watching coldly, without any reaction. Deborah rushed in, her eyes red, and hurried to Lydia¡¯s side. But when Deborah reached out to check on her, Lydia had already passed away. Chapter 107 Chapter 107 Chapter 107 Lied to You Get Bonus Ashton sat on the couch and sneered. ¡°Deborah, if you hade back anyter, you would be preparing to collect your mother¡¯s corpse.¡± Deborah came back fairly quickly, showing that she still cared for her mother. However, she probably did not yet know that Lydia was not her biological mother. Thinking about this, Ashton breathed a sigh of relief, d that Deborah was still under his control. But as Deborah crouched down beside Lydia and touched her breath, her emotions became uncontroble. She trembled with fear and cried out, ¡°Mom¡± in a desperate sob, frantically trying to lift Lydia up. But she couldn¡¯t do it, as she was heavily injured and had just had a miscarriage. She was so weak that she couldn¡¯t even stand up. When she tried to lift Lydia, she fell to the ground and began to breathe rapidly, struggling to catch her breath. Ashton noticed that something was amiss and got up to investigate. He found Deborah, with a face as white as paper, looking extremely frightened. Lydia was only unconscious, so why was Deborah reacting so strongly? Ashton reached out to check Lydia¡¯s breathing but realized that, for some reason, she wasn¡¯t breathing anymore. He then understood why Deborah had reacted that way and immediately raised his voice. ¡°Jeff,e in here!¡± Jeff, who had been standing, guard outside, rushed in when he heard the urgent call. Several servants and bodyguards also quickly followed suit when they realized that something was wrong inside. Ashton¡¯s confident demeanor vanished, reced by a hint of panic. He ordered Jeff, ¡°She¡¯s not breathing. Get her to the hospital right away!¡± Jeff looked stunned for a moment but quickly instructed the servants and bodyguards nearby to send Lydia to the hospital. Deborah had just rushed in, having already exhausted all her energy. She was now anxious and in pain, unable to summon any more strength. She was desperate to go to the hospital with Jeff, but her body gave out, and she fell to the ground. Ashton picked her up, thinking that she already knew the truth about what had happened back then, and said in a harsh tone, ¡°I called you back, but you didn¡¯te. If you hade back, your mother wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this.¡± Ashton carried Deborah outside, his mind in a state of confusion, wondering if Lydia could really be that fragile. He only had this one bargaining chip in his hand, and Lydia had always been in good health. In the past, when she gambled and borrowed money, she often got beaten up because she couldn¡¯t repay her debts. She had experienced days without food or water and had nowhere to stay. She had gone through so much hardship, so how could she die so easily? Deborah red at him with eyes full of hatred, grinding her teeth. ¡°I won¡¯t let you go. I won¡¯t let you go!¡± She struggled as Ashton impatiently held her down. ¡°Enough, just keep quiet. How was I supposed to know your mother would stop breathing so quickly? We¡¯ll get her resuscitatedter. Just behave yourself from now on, and 53.165. everything will be fine.¡± Deborah relentlessly berated Ashton, but it seemed to have little effect on him Despite Deborah¡¯s efforts, she had little strength left to harm him. With all her might, she used her heads, feet, and mouth, but even in his embrace, she any harm. Ashton personally drove Deborah to the hospital and helped her into the passenger seat before locking the cet end heading inside Once there, he learned that Lydia had already been taken to the emergency room The doctors worked tirelessly to perform emergency CPR on Lydia, and after a while, they managed to get her breathing again, though just barely. When Ashton heard the news, Ashton¡¯s worries and anxieties dissipated instantly He had believed it himself. Lydia was a strong and healthy person. It was unlikely that she would die so easily Lydia didn¡¯t emerge from the emergency room until early the next morning when she was transferred to a regulet hospital room. Deborah hadn¡¯t slept all night, and her eyes were bloodshot from exhaustion. Ashton tried to convince her to get some rest, but she refused She simply sat there motionless, refusing to sleep or speak until she knew for sure that Lydia was alright. It wasn¡¯t until Lydia was transferred to a regr hospital room that Deborah finally spoke up. ¡°Mom, are you still feeling ufortable? Lydia sat on the bed, her face filled with guilt. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m always causing you trouble.¡± Deborah ced a food container and water bottle in front of her on the small table. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t say that. Just eat and drink something ¡± Over the years, Lydia had struggled with gambling and borrowing money, never seeming to be able to live a peaceful life. But Deborah knew that she had once been a good mother who loved her daughter very much and N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. worked hard to earn a living. Deborah was actually a child adopted by Lydia and Devon, and the three of them enjoyed many happy years together as a family. But when Devon went away to do business, he became rich and began an affair with a wealthy heiress, who was also Helen¡¯s mother. Lydia was no match for them, and Devon turned on her, iming Lydia was just a bar girl who slept with him and then demanded he marry her because of an illegitimat As a result, people outside the situation used Lydia of having no shame or boundaries. Later on, Lydia took Deborahi to visit Devon at the Hauer Manor. Alter much pleading, Devon finally epted Deborah, but Lydia was never allowed inside the Bauer Manor¡¯s gate. Devon¡¯s wife and daughter had be the mistress and illegitimate child. Chapter 107 Lied to You Get Bonus It was around this time that Lydia¡¯s personality took a drastic turn, and she became careless and reckless. Reflecting on these events, Deborah served Lydia a bowl of soup. Lydia suddenly turned to her and sald, ¡°Debby, I no longer want to keep this from you. The truth is, you are not Devon and my child. Shortly after you were born, I adopted you from a welfare institution.¡± Deborali continued to serve the soup, her hand trembling, but she remained silent. Lydia¡¯s eyes welled up with tears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for deceiving you all these years and causing you so much pain. It was your father¡¯s fault. But you are the one who has suffered the most.¡± Chapter 108 Chapter 108 Chapter 108 Death Get Bonus Deborah ced a bowl of soup in front of Lydia and calmly stated, ¡°I¡¯ve known about this for a long time.¡± Lydia¡¯s face froze in surprise. ¡°You¡­ You knew?¡± How could Deborah know about something Lydia had never mentioned to her? Deborah replied, ¡°When I was a child, you and Devon had an argument about me not being your biological child. I overheard it several times.¡± Lydia was stunned for a long time and didn¡¯t know what to say. After a while, she finally spoke, ¡°So how did you¡­¡± Deborah remained calm and said, ¡°My family abandoned me shortly after I was born. You adopted me and took care of me all these years. Even if you didn¡¯t give birth to me, you¡¯re still my mother.¡± Lydia couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing, and tears streamed down her face. She stretched out her arms, hugged Deborah tightly, and said, ¡°My dear child, I¡¯m sorry. I adopted you, but I haven¡¯t taken good care of you all these years. I¡¯ve been a burden to you for so long.¡± Deborahforted her softly. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Why do you say that? You¡¯re not a burden.¡± Lydia hugged her tightly and suddenly said, ¡°You need to take care of yourself too. Don¡¯t just focus on others. I won¡¯t let Ashton bully you anymore.¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Deborah didn¡¯t say anything more, and Lydia hugged her and chattered on for a long time. Deborah stayed with her until almost noon when Lydia said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go get us some lunch and Deborah was hesitant, afraid that Ashton would bother Lydia again when she left. ¡°Maybe I should call the hospital cafeteria to deliver the food,¡± she suggested. Lydia was not feeling well and was picky about her food. ¡°The hospital food is not good. You can go to the restaurant across the street from the hospital to buy some food. And buy some toiletries too. The doctor said I need to stay a few more days.¡± Deborah hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded and got up. ¡°Okay, Mom, take a nap. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Lydia smiled and waved her hand, letting her go. Deborah walked to the door of the ward, and Lydia suddenly called out to her. Deborah turned back, and Lydia smiled at her and said, ¡°Take your time. You¡¯re not feeling well yet. I am not in a hurry.¡± Deborah remembered that Lydia hadn¡¯t been so gentle and smiled at her like that for many years. At that moment, she felt a bit sour in her heart but also a warm feeling. She realized she wasn¡¯tpletely alone. She still had Alyssa and Joseph, who had saved her when she was a child. Moreover, she had a mother. Deborah replied, ¡°Okay,¡± and left the ward. When she reached the lobby downstairs, she saw a patient covered in blood being hurriedly pushed on a stretcher by Get Bonus. doctors and nurses, pessing by her towards the elevator. The patient¡¯s abdomen was severely injured, and the injury looked serious. Suddenly, Deborah remembered something, and her face turned pale. She quickly turned back and ran towards the derator The doctors and nurses had already pushed the stretcher into the elevator, and the doors closed in front of Deborah. Anxiously, she reached out to stop the doors, and a doctor inside waved his hand at her, indicating that the elevator was already crowded, and they couldn¡¯t let anyone Deborah, in a state of panic, im hadn¡¯t gone down pet. unt to the elevator next to her. The elevator was still on the upper floor and Unable to weit, she stood outside the elevator for a moment before turning around and anxiously heading towards the staircase. Lydia¡¯s room was on fourth floor, and truggled to climb the stairs. Her legs were trembling, and cold down her When finally made it to the fo ng to darken Le sing against the ell for support, she made he towar steps feeling uneven. A doctor in the hallway noticed her palepletion and approached her with concern. ¡°Miss, are you okay?¡± he Breathless, Deborah replied. ¡°Could you please help me check on the patient in rooms and see it she is okay?¡± The doctor immediately called over a nearby nurse to assist Deborah riedly ran towards room When Deborah arrived at door of the room, chaos had already erupted inside The first thing she heard was the urgent voice of a doctor shouting, ¡°Quickly, send her to the emergency room!¡± In a hurry, Deborah rushed in and immediately noticed a consp gory bloodstains fruit knite on the floor. Its de was covered in The hospital bed sheets, originally white, were now stained withrge patches of red from Lydia¡¯s blood. She was carried by doctors and nurses onto a gurney, her face liteless. Deborah struggled to breathe, watching the doctors hastily wheel Lydia¡¯s gurney past her and out of the room. Ashton arrived and questioned the servant who had been left behind. ¡°Didn¡¯t you promise to keep an eye on her?¡± The servant¡¯s face turned deathly pale, and she trembled ¡°Mrs. Mullen¡¯s mother wanted to speak with her. She asked me to leave and wait outside. ¡°After Mrs. Mullen left, her mother said she wanted to sleep and didn¡¯t want anyone nearby. So I continued to wait outside.¡± The servant continued to speak, her voice bing more frantic, ¡°I waited outside the whole time. There wasn¡¯t a sound from inside. I never imagined she would do something so drastic.¡± Deborah¡¯s face was pale as she stumbled towards the door. Ashton pushed the servant aside and followed Deborah toward the emergency room. Get Bonus He couldn¡¯t understand why Lydia, a selfish and decadent person, would choose tomit suicide. How could she bear to do it? It hadn¡¯t been long since the emergency room door had closed, yet the doctor came out.. Deborah stood there, staring at the doctor who emerged from the room. ¡°Doctor, my mother¡­¡± They had only been inside for less than half an hour when the doctor came out. Maybe everything was okay now? As soon as Deborah finished speaking, several other doctors rushed out of the emergency room. Herplexion turned pale for a moment, and she didn¡¯t know where to put her clenched hands. The doctors stood in front of her and bowed, saying, ¡°We¡¯re sorry. We did everything we could. Please ept our condolences.¡± Deborah shook her head with a forced smile and said, ¡°That¡¯s impossible. She just scratched herself with a knife, and I left for less than halt an hour.¡± The doctor exined with a grave expression, ¡°Your mother cut her wrist artery, and the wound was very deep.¡± Cutting the artery could cause death within ten minutes. Deborah stood there, looking helpless and about to copse, as she spoke to the doctor, ¡°You can¡¯t be serious, right?¡± The doctor replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss. Please ept my condolences.¡± Deborah was left standing there,pletely stunned and unable to react.. Just moments ago, Lydia had been holding her and promising not to let anyone hurt her again. But now, Lydia¡¯s face was covered with a white cloth, and even her hair was hidden from view. Deborah¡¯s mind went nk, and she had no idea how Lydia had been taken away. The doctor informed her that the body could not be left there and needed to be temporarily moved to the morgue. There were also documents that Deborah needed to sign before Lydia could be taken to the funeral home. Everyone kept saying that Lydia was gone, and Deborah heard someone beside her say, ¡°Deborah, please ept our condolences.¡± The man tapped her shoulder, but Deborah forcefully pushed his hand away. ¡°Get lost!¡± As she turned around, she realized that the person beside her was Joseph. Feeling a great sense of unease, Ashton walked over to drive Joseph away. ¡°This is none of your business, Joseph. Deborah is with me.¡± Joseph punched him in the face. ¡°Ashton, it¡¯s as you wanted. From now on, you have no way to threaten Deborah to stay with you.¡± Ashton was bewildered. ¡°But I¡¯mn married to her, and we¡¯re not divorced yet.¡± ¡°So what?¡± Joseph¡¯s voice was cold, and he found it amusing to look at Ashton. Joseph took Deborah away. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you to take care of other matters.¡± Ashton watched them leave. Even though Deborah looked empty inside, she followed Joseph when he said he would take her away. Ashton looked at their backs as if he had made a big decision. Suddenly, he spoke out loudly. Get Bonus ¡°Deborah, do you really believe in Joseph? Did he tell you that he saved you back then? Did he also say that Alyssa is actually still alive and with him?¡± The Matching Livet Has Been Found Deborah stoppest abruptly, tumest around, and looked at Ashion ¡°Is you know abom Alyssa?¡± Ashton wanted to continue. Even if Deborah hates him to the rest of hes life, he would beep Deborah by his sile, and Joseph couldn¡¯t take advantage of the chaos and steal her away. Ashton sakl, ¡°Do you think Joseph sakl that Alyssa ¡± Joseph interruptest Ashton angrily, ¡°Ashton, what else do you want to say? Look what you¡¯ve done to Deborah Won¡¯t you stop until she dies The doctor was waiting on the side with the document for Belson alt to sign so that he could deal with Lydia¡¯s funeral Ashton looked at Deborah and saw that she had dark circles under her eyes because of sleep deprivation, exhaustion, injury, and miscarriage In fact, he had investigated. There must be a reason for Deborah¡¯s sudden In After careful investigation, it tuned out that Joseph went to the tumeral parlon and took away the lucky charm from the deceased Alyssa Ashtonter found out that loseph led to Deborah that Alyssa was still alive and made a deal with her, asking her to help him deal with the Mullen family Ashton didn¡¯t reveal the truth because he thought that Deborah was too depressed at that time, and it didn¡¯t harm to let het have some hope But now, he coul stand it anymore. Ashton continued without hesitation, ¡°Joseph lied to you Alyssa died after falling off the cliff. ¡°How could she survive after falling off such a high chift? The lucky charm that Josephi showed you was a copy of the burnt one.¡± Deborah stared at Ashton without blinking Right atter Ashton spoke, Deborah shook violently and tell down. Joseph¡¯s tace darkened. He quickly went to support Deborah and caught her by the waist before she fell to the ground. Only then did Ashton realize what he had said. He only thought of stopping Deborah from going with Joseph and forgot Deboral¡¯s current condition and that her mother had just passed away. Ashton hurried over and said. ¡°Take her to the emergency room.¡± Joseph carried Deborah with his arms and looked at Ashton furiously. ¡°Not seeing you is better than any emergency room Joseph carried Deborah straight to the elevator, and Ashton chased after them with a sullen face. Joseph said angrily, ¡°She is dying. If you want her to die now, continue to follow us.¡± Ashton stopped and did not move. After Joseph carried Deborah into the elevator, Ashton looked at them with red eyes and said, ¡°Stop you pretending to be a good man. Didn¡¯t you lie to her with ulterior motives about Alyssa? Did I say anything wrong? Chapter 109 Chapter 109 Chapter 109 The Ma Has Been Found Joseph Ignored Ashton and stretched out his hand to press the button, closing the elevatost dont As Joseph took Deborah back, he couldn¡¯t help but repeat Ashton¡¯s words in his mind. Ashton was right. He did lie to Deborah about Alyssa Ashton didn¡¯t lie joseph did that. Ashton has told Deborah the truth. How should be exin to her after Deborah woke up? Her mother had just passed away, and her daughter had died long ago How could Deborah take the Wow! 1. When he drove home, Shawn took a call and told him, ¡°Mr.Gerald ck took M Joseph ¡°Mr. Gerald ck said you hadn¡¯t por and manage thepany for you. thepany for days, so he asked Mr. Chandler ck to be the interim C30 Joseph didn¡¯t say a word, carrying Deborah in his arms and striding into the house Shawn followed him anxiously and said, ¡°Mr. ck, let¡¯s go back to ompany. You can¡¯t continue like this. Mr Chandler ck seems unambitions, but he has been coveting your position long ago Joseph carried Deborah upstairs and said, ¡°Let¡¯s put those things aside for now. Shawn said anxiously, ¡°How can you put it aside? Mr. Chandler ck has joined thepany. You¡¯d better go ther quickly ¡°As for Ms. Shepherd, you can let her stay outside and arrange a few malds to look after her. You¡¯d better not let Mr. Robert ck and Mr. Gerald ck know about her.¡± Joseph said impatiently, ¡°Shawn, leave me alone,¡± Shawn said emotionally, ¡°Mr. ck, don¡¯t you want to avenge Mrs. ck? She¡¯s your mother. You had a hard time over the years, and you can almost deal with the Mullen family.¡± Joseph nced at him and said, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Deborah, I would have died long ago. At that time, his half brother wanted to get rid of Joseph and purposely ordered the teenagers inside and outside the school to bully him. They didn¡¯t start small fights. They attempted to kill Joseph. Even if they killed him, those teenage boys could avoid being punished byw because they were underage Deborah saved Joseph several times. Deborah always remembered he saved her once back then. But she probably forgot that she had saved him more times. Shawn said, ¡°If you are grateful to Ms. Shepherd, you can arrange a secluded ce for her and find a few maids to take care of her. Mr. Robert ck and Mr. Gerald ck won¡¯t know about this, nor will they get angry with you.¡± Joseph put Deborah on the bed and said firmly, ¡°She will stay here. I won¡¯t keep her in the dark.¡±. When Shawn tried to persuade him, Joseph said, ¡°Go out and ask Dr. Evans toe.¡± Shawn had no choice but to leave. Ben soon came with the medical kit on his back. Ben entered the room and saw Deborah on the bed, shocked. ¡°How could she get injured like this?¡± Chapter 109 The Catching Liver Has Been Found Joseph answered, ¡°She was injured yesterday morning. Her mother passed away, and she fainted after taking a blow.¡± While examining and treating Deborah, Ben sighed. ¡°She is a terminally Ill patient and can¡¯t suffer any injuries. Whoever did It is really beastly.¡± Joseph stood on the side and asked absent mindedly, ¡°Should I tell her the truth about Alyssa?¡± Ben quickly objected, ¡°Of course not. When her health and mood are more stable, you can tell her about it. ¡°She¡¯s injured, and her mother passed away. Another blow will be thest straw that breaks her down.¡± Joseph asked again, ¡°Can¡¯t we tell her the truth. Ashton told Deborah that Alyssa was dead, and I lied to her when we were in the hospital.¡± Ben said in a deep voice, ¡°Did she faint after receiving the blow?¡± Joseph nodded and said, ¡°Kind of.¡± N?velDrama.Org content rights. Ben said with a solemn face, ¡°When Deborah wakes up, tell her that Ashton was talking nonsense, and Alyssa is still alive. In her current condition, she will break down even if she won¡¯t die after suffering multiple blows.¡± Joseph frowned and said, ¡°She will know about it sooner orter.¡± What he regretted the most now was that he told Deborah such a cruel lie when he didn¡¯t remember her before. Ben said, ¡°Yes, she will know about it sooner orter, and we should let her knowter, not now. By the way, I have something to tell you.¡± He put down the medicine and turned around, looking at Joseph. ¡°We¡¯ve found the liver that matches Deborah¡¯s.¡± Chapter 110 Chapter 110 Chapter 110 She Is My Wife Joseph paused for a while before saving with delighted surprise, ¡°Have you found it? to it real?¡± Ben put the medicine aside and turned around, saying, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve post got the news from abroad. So don¡¯t upset Deborah at this moment ¡°We should get her to have a liver transntation as soon as possible and tell her about it after the surgery ¡® Joseph was so excited that he didn¡¯t even know where to put his hands. He stood up immediately and said, ¡°What are we waiting for? I¡¯ll take Deborah abroad now to wait for the liver transntation. Ben stopped him. ¡°The donor is in Ashwich, the capital of New Richcester. ording to Deborah¡¯s current condition, she can¡¯t travel soch a long way. Why don¡¯t you get in touch with the donor and tee if she cane here? Joseph looked at Ben as if he was an idiot. ¡°The liver can only be donated after death. If the agrees to donate, that means she¡¯s dying. ¡°And you ask her toe to a foreign country and wait for her end just to donate her liver?¡± thought about it and agreed. ¡°That¡¯s right. You have to take good care of Deborah if she has to take such a long flight. Will Ashton let her go? Ashton was a suspicious man. Would he believe that Joseph took Deborahi ab transntation? at this time to give her a liver Joseph called his servants toe in and do the packing for him. ¡°I don¡¯t care what he will think I¡¯ll take Deborah abroad first.¡± The donor in Ashwich had received a critical illness notice, and the liver transntation should be carried out as soon the donor died. If it went fast, the transntation surgery would bepleted within a day or two. Ben reminded, ¡°I¡¯ll give notice to the hospital in Ashwich. You have to be careful of Ashton. He might go crazy. Why don¡¯t you just tell Ashton the truth? I don¡¯t think he will stop Deborah trom going abroad.¡± Joseph answered while packing up. ¡°Don¡¯t tell him for the moment. If he knows about this, he won¡¯t believe it. Even if be believes it, he will take Deborah abroad by himself ¡°It will upset Deborah a lot if she sees him at this time. It something goes wrong, the surgery will be dyed.¡± Ben nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡± wake up until evening When she opened her eyes, she sa two suitcases in the bedroom. Joseph was sitting next to her, staring at her. He was anxious to leave the country as soon as possible, fearing that something might happen in Ashwich, but he wanted Deborah to sleep a little longer Therefore, he sat by the bed and waited for her to wake up eagerly. Deborah stared nkdy at the suitcases and asked, ¡°Are you going on a business trip? Joseph got to his feet immediately and asked, ¡°How do you feel? Can I take you abroad? We¡¯ve found ayer that matches yours there.¡± Deborah couldn¡¯t think clearly. She hadn¡¯t gotten over the grief from Lydia¡¯s death. She felt she was still the hospital hallway and watched Lydia being pushed away under a white cloth. It took a while for her to speak. ¡°Have you found a liver that suits me?¡± Get Bonus Joseph nodded and said, ¡°Yes, the donor is in New Richcester, and she has been issued a critical illness notice. Let¡¯s go there early. When she dies, you will have the liver transnt operation right away.¡± Deborah was overjoyed for a moment, but she soon thought of the reality. ¡°My mother¡¯s funeral has not been settled, and she has no other rtives. I can¡¯t go abroad yet. I have to make arrangements for her funeral.¡± Deborah was grief-stricken. When she spoke, her voice trembled. Joseph persuaded her patiently, ¡°I have asked someone to take care of your mother¡¯s funeral. Don¡¯t worry. Everything will be taken care of. ¡°I know you¡¯re in a bad mood right now, but this opportunity is rare, and you might not be able to wait for the next chance ording to your current condition. It¡¯ll take one or two days to finish the surgery. We¡¯lle back after that.¡± Deborah couldn¡¯t calm down so quickly. Her eyes turned red, and she didn¡¯t want to leave. ¡°My mother has just left. I don¡¯t want to leave her behind.¡± Joseph moved closer to her and put his hands on her shoulders, looking at her, ¡°Deborah, you can only live well after you have a liver transntation. You forgot that Alyssa needs your care. ¡°I promise you that your mother¡¯s funeral will be well taken care of, and there will be no problems.¡± Deborah¡¯s eyes were nk. ¡°Ashton said you lied to me about Alyssa.¡± Joseph couldn¡¯t tell her the truth. At this moment, he could only make Deborah care about her life by saying that Alyssa was still alive. Ben said that Deborah couldn¡¯t the fact that Alyssa was dead ording to her current condition. Joseph struggled inwardly for a while before forcing himself to say, ¡°Trust me. I didn¡¯t lie to you. Alyssa is safe and sound. Do you know that I won¡¯t lie to you?¡± Deborah stared at him in silence for a long time before nodding. ¡°I believe in you.¡± Although Joseph was a little afraid to meet Deborah¡¯s eyes, he forced himself to do that. A servant pushed a stretcher into the room. Deborah sat up with difficulty. She had no strength to move anymore. Joseph stooped and carried her. Deborah felt she was losing bnce, so she subconsciously wrapped his neck with her arms. Ben said that Deborah couldn¡¯t move, so Joseph carried her downstairs and pushed her out with the stretcher. He carried her into the private jet on thewn without letting her take a step. The private jet left that night. Late at night, Ashton checked the content of the bug he installed on Deborah and heard the conversation between Deborah and Joseph. Joseph said that he found a matching liver for Deborah and told Deborah to take a liver transntation for Alyssa and live a good life. Deborah believed Joseph and followed him abroad. When he turned on theputer in the study and heard this, Ashton was so angry that he tossed the things at hand. to the ground. He had been looking for a matching liver for Deboralt for so long, but there was no progress. How could Joseph find it so quickly? In the recording, Joseph was using Alyssa as an excuse and led to Deborah. It could be seen that the ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . matching liver was also a lie. Now that dia was dead, Deborah had nothing to worry about Joseph coaxed Deborah to leave the country. How could shee back? Sure enough, they couldn¡¯t wait any longer. Once Lydia dled, Deborah would nevere back! Ashton smashed the things in the study to the ground, his face full of anger ¡°Jett! Jett! Come here!¡± Jeft opened the door and came in. He was shocked when he saw the mess all over the floor. Ashton yelled and smashed things. His anger was gradually reced by fear and anxiety. He said in a trembling voice, ¡°Joseph took Deborah to New Richcester. Lydia is dead, and Deborah will nevere back¡± Jeff was silent for a while. He couldn¡¯t help persuading ¡°Mr. Mullen, forget it. Let Mrs. Mullen go.¡± Deborah was seriously ill, and her end was approaching Ashton didn¡¯t expect Jell to say that. With scarlet eyes, he picked up an ashtray by his feet and threw it at Jeff. Are you out of mind like her? She is my wife. How can I let her go with another man? There is no such thing in the World!¡± Jett didn¡¯t dodge. He was hit on the forehead, and blood flowed down his eyebrows. Looking at Jett, Ashton telt even more furious. ¡°Make arrangements for me. I¡¯m going abroad now. Ashwich is not big, and I will search every inch of it to find her.¡± Chapter 111 Chapter 111 Chapter 111 Adrian¡¯s Mysterious Illegitimate Daughter It was afternoon when Deborah and Josephnded in Ashwich Get Bonus Joseph Insisted on carrying Deborah off the ne. After that, he drove to the hospital where the donor was. When the car stopped outside the hospital, a blond male doctor was waiting at the entrance of the inpatient building. When he saw them, he walked toward them. Joseph pushed open the car door and tried to carry Deborah out of the car. There were many people at the hospital, and Deborah pushed his hand away with embarrassment. ¡°¡­ I can walk by myself.¡± Joseph stood outside the car door, brainwashing her solemnly. ¡°You are a patient now. You should ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . consume less energy. ¡°I have carried you such a long way. Why don¡¯t you let me carry you into the hospital? If you tumble and fall, you will affect the transntation, and the consequences will be very serious.¡± When Deborah hesitated, Joseph got her out of the car and carried her into the hospital. The doctor who came to meet them came over and saw this,ughing and booing. Joseph scolded the doctor in French, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you push a stretcher here? You have the nerve to Deborah couldn¡¯t understand. She was tricked at the age of neen and was forced to drop out of school. She moved to Flora Vi, got pregnant, and gave birth. When she turned twenty, she and Ashton got a marriage certificate. Deborah went to college for less than two years. and didn¡¯t learn French well She didn¡¯t understand thisnguage except for the greetings. Joseph carried Deborah casually as if he was holding a pet, not caring about the gazes on him at all. While he walked, he talked with the doctor about the hospitalization and surgery arrangements. Deborah was embarrassed. She was a grownup, not a child. Everyone looked at her on the way as she was being carried into and out of the elevator. She couldn¡¯t walk, nor could. she stay in his arms. Deborah was so embarrassed that she wished to disappear into the air. When she finally arrived at the ward, Deborah¡¯s face was as red as a beetroot. She was extremely embarrassed. The doctor said, ¡°Joseph, your girl¡¯s face is so red. Is she running a fever?¡± Joseph looked down and saw that Deborah¡¯s face was red. He immediately put Deborah on the bed and touched her forehead with concern. ¡°Why is your face so hot? Do you unwell? Why don¡¯t you tell me?¡± The doctor was amused andughed, going out with the medical record. Deborah anxiously pushed away Joseph¡¯s hand. When Joseph saw the doctor smile and walk away, he finally knew from her reaction that Deborah blushed. On the way to the ward, Joseph had been talking intently to the doctor and asking about Deborah¡¯s hospitalization Chapter 111 Adrian¡¯s Mysterious illegitimate Daughter feel 55.16% ¡¤ and surgery as well as the condition of the donor Indeed, he had forgotten that Deborah would be embarrassed in his arms. When Joseph came back to his senses at this time, he felt a little embarrassed. He was not that close with Deborah in the current stage. He cleared his throat softly and immediately withdrew his hand. The attending doctor seemed to let them have a quiet time together and left with all the doctors and nurses. The two of them were left alone in the ward. Deborah came here mainly to wait for the liver transntation, so she didn¡¯t need special care from the doctor for the time being. Now that Joseph and Deborah were left in the ward, it was too quiet. Joseph tried to entertain Deborah and turned on the TV. ¡°You¡¯ve been sleeping on the ne for so long. Do you like to watch TV? I¡¯ll tune you to a domestic channel¡± He tuned a few channels, either financial or serious news. After shuffling a few times, he finally switched to an entertainment channel, where the host was enthusiastically talking about some gossip. Joseph asked Deborah, ¡°How about watching this?¡± Deborah nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± After one piece of entertainment news was finished, it switched to the next one. ¡°Yesterday, the best actor Adrian¡¯s image as a sunny straight boy was suspected to have copsed. He¡¯s suspected of having a mysterious illegitimate daughter.¡± In a short video that was released, Adrian was looking sideways at the camera pic king shells on the beach. He was wearing a casual short jacket and shorts. He was tall and thin with a handsome face, He held a four or five-year-old girl by his hand and put the seashells he picked into the basket that the little girl was carrying. The little girl was wearing a beautiful dress and a beige hat. The brim of the hat covered her face, and she was wearing a mask. She was well protected by Adrian. It was a beautiful scene on the beach. Joseph looked at the TV and said with a smile, ¡°It seems that Mr. Moxley will be busy again.¡± Deborah didn¡¯t watch the news carefully because she didn¡¯t have much interest in watching the entertainment gossip now. When she heard Joseph¡¯s words, she said, ¡°Mr. Moxley?¡± Joseph replied, ¡°Yes, Steven Moxley, the CEO of the Runte Group, is the elder brother of Adrian. ¡°However, it is said that Adrian has a romantic temper and has constant news of having a girlfriend or an illegitimate child. That upsets the Moxley family a lot.¡± Deborah suddenly remembered something and said, ¡°Is the second son of the Moxley family Norman? Is he a famous Chapter 111 Adrian¡¯s Mysterious legitimate Daughter 55.33% orthopedic surgeon?¡± Joseph was taken aback ¡°Yes Do you know about that?¡± This was something that Joseph had just found out some time ago. The Moxley family kept a low profile, and Norman was even more low key Most outsiders thought he happened to have the same surname and disha¡¯t have anything to do with the famous Moxley family Deborah said honesty, ¡°I heard about it from Ashton before. A friend of mine injured his hand. I don¡¯t know if he can be cured. I want to find a good orthopedic doctor to help my friend¡± Joseph quickly understood. ¡°You moan Zayne?¡± Deborah Asoked sad and nodded. ¡°Yes¡± In tact, Joseph didn¡¯t know Norman very well. Norinan was aloot and not keen on socializing However, Deborah had asked him to help, and Joseph wanted to soothe het, so he quickly promised. ¡°I know Norman. After you finish the surgery, I will contact him when we go back I¡¯ll ask him to take a look at Zayne take a look. Maybe it¡¯s not a big problem. Deborah¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Can you really get Dr. Norman?¡± Zayne¡¯s hand was ruined, and Deborah had been teeling very guilty But Deborah couldn¡¯t protect herselt, let alone help him. It was not easy tot het to find the well-known orthopedic surgeon Norman, but Ashton had been watching over her. and she didn¡¯t even have a chance to see Norman If Zayne¡¯s hand could be cured, his tuture might be bright. Joseph handed her a ss of water andforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll get in touch with him for you. What you have to do now is not to think about anything. Take the liver transntation first. Everything will be tine.¡± Deborah said with red eyes, ¡°I hope so.¡± Joseph sat by the bed and looked at her. ¡°After you have the surgery and recover, what do you n to do?¡± Chapter 112 Chapter 112 Chapter 112 Ashton Came Get Bonus Deborah said with expectations, ¡°When I get better, I want to see Alyssa, bring her to my side, and then divorce Ashton ¡°I will find a better cemetery for my mother and bury her. Then, I want to find a stable job and let Alyssa go back to kindergarten. ¡°During the day, she goes to school, and I go to work. When I get off work, I will pick her up from school, cook dinner tor her, and sleep with her.¡± Deborah stopped speaking. When Joseph saw that she stopped talking, he asked, ¡°No more?¡± Deborah looked a little embarrassed and said, ¡°Is it too much?¡± Joseph telt sad in his heart. How could Deborah be so careful even in her dreams? Could it be that Deborah didn¡¯t expect much? She never got such a simple and ordinary life. Joseph smiled and asked her, ¡°Can I help you take care of the child with you at that time?¡± Deborah¡¯s expression froze for a moment. ¡°Why do you want to help me take care of the child?¡± Joseph smiled and didn¡¯t say anything. Deborah said seriously, ¡°I can¡¯t afford to hire you. I can find a N?velDrama.Org content rights. housekeeper if I¡¯m too busy.¡± Joseph was amused by her. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s prepare for the operation first. We will discuss theseter.¡± The nurse came in with food, and when Deborah was about to eat something, another call came in on the phone that had just been turned on. It was an unfamiliar number, and Deborah answered it without thinking too much. Ashton¡¯s impatient voice came from over there. ¡°Deborah¡­¡± Joseph¡¯s face changed, and Deborah was about to hang up the phone directly. Ashton seemed to have guessed what she was going to do, and he immediately said, ¡°Don¡¯t hang up. Joseph is ying tricks on you, and I have evidence.¡± Outside the ward, a doctor hurried in and said, ¡°The donor passed away suddenly. Please prepare quickly. The liver transnt operation will start soon.¡± The doctor¡¯s voice was a little anxious, and Ashton heard the doctor¡¯s voice when it reached the phone. Joseph was so excited that he got up immediately and said, ¡°Deborah, hang up. We should prepare for the operation. Don¡¯t waste time.¡± Ashton¡¯s sneer came from over there. ¡°Stop acting. Joseph, do you think you can fool Deborah for the rest of your life? If you don¡¯t send her back to me today, I will let her know everything you lied to her.¡± Joseph reached out to take the mobile phone in Deborah¡¯s hand and hung up the phone. After the call was over, Joseph exined to Deborah, ¡°There can¡¯t be any mistakes in this operation. Let¡¯s talk about it after the operation.¡± For some reason, Deborah felt particrly uneasy. She looked at Joseph and said, ¡°Did you really not lie to me? Is Alyssa well?¡± Joseph stretched out his hand and patted Deborah on the shoulder. ¡°Deborah, trust me, I won¡¯t lie to you. Complete the operation first, and after the operation, I¡¯ll taler you to see Alyssa, okay?¡± Deboralt looked uneasy, but seeing Joseph¡¯s sincere appearatice, she nodded. The operation was quickly arranged When Deborah was pushed into the emergency room by the doctor, Joseph apanied her to the door of the operating room. Deborah was nervous. Holding the edge of the bed with her hands, she couldn¡¯t help shaking. As Joseph stretched out his hand, his warm palm covered Deborah¡¯s chilly hands. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. Cooperate with the doctor. After the operation is sessfullypleted, I will bring Alyssa to you soon, okay?¡± Deborah felt that unreliable feeling in her heart rose to its peak She suddenly grabbed Joseph¡¯s hand and begged in a flustered tone. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me, please.¡± Alyssa was the only motivation for Deborali to persevere. For Deborah now, she just wanted to receive a liver transnt and live a good life with Alyssa. Deborah¡¯s mother had died, and Deborah had just lost a fetus. Without Alyssa, such a dark life would have long been meaningless. joseph nodded and said, ¡°Well, I promise yon. I won¡¯t lie to you.¡± Deborah had to sessfullyplete the operation first. As long as she got a healthy liver, she would have a long life and countless hopes. Deborah still believed Joseph. Her face calmed down, and she let go of his hand. As the doctor pushed Deborah into the operating room, the intense tension and panic in Deborah¡¯s heart dissipated at Tot. The liver transnt operation took four to six hours. Joseph sat outside the operating room and waited. He didn¡¯t care about anything now. As long as Deborah could survive after the operation, he would be satisfied. Deborah would know the truth about Alyssa. At that time, Deborah would hate Joseph very much, and she would be disappointed. It was past eight o¡¯clock in the evening when the operation started. Joseph sat outside and waited until midnight, but the people inside hadn¡¯te out yet. Shawn brought the food over and asked Joseph to eat something, but Joseph didn¡¯t eat it. Joseph was worried that something was wrong with Deborah, and he couldn¡¯t even imagine what Deborah would do. when she learned the truth about Alyssa¡¯s death.. Joseph had done a lot of bad things over the years, but there was nothing he regretted. However, the lie that Alyssa was still alive made Joseph regret it very much. Joseph wished he could go back to that night when he was talking nonsense to Deborah. He wanted to p himself hard to wake himself up. But he had said and done it, and it was useless to regret it now. Chapter 112 Ashton Came 55.83% Shawn persuaded Joseph for a long time, but Joseph didn¡¯t eat anything. Joseph was restless and absent-minded. Until one o¡¯clock in the morning, there was finally some movement. However, it wasn¡¯t the people from the operating room who came out, but Ashton, who was far away, appeared here. It would take twelve or thirteen hours at the fastest to fly here. When Joseph saw Ashtoning from the end of the corridor, he couldn¡¯t even recover for a moment. He didn¡¯t know how Ashton came here so fast. Sometimes, Ashton was stupider than a child. However, sometimes Ashton would meddle in something he shouldn¡¯t meddle in. Ashton would always make things worse, As Ashton looked at Joseph¡¯s surprised expression, he exined with some pride, ¡°I installed a bug on Deborah¡¯s body. As soon as you left, I boarded the ne and came over, ¡°When I called Deborah, I found this ce by tracking the location of her mobile phone.¡± Ashton sneered and said, ¡°Joseph, do you think you can take Deborah away with this trick?¡± Joseph stood up and looked at Ashton with cold eyes. ¡°Deborah is receiving a liver transnt inside. Ashton, you¡¯d better go as far as you can and don¡¯t interfere.¡± Ashton seemed to have heard a joke. ¡°Liver transnt? Are you kidding me? You were in a hurry to take her away, and she was sick, so she was sent to the hospital, right? ¡°She should stay by my side, and 1 will let her rest well so that she will never suffer so much.¡± While Ashton was speaking, the bodyguards he brought over all came over and almost surrounded Joseph. Chapter 113 Chapter 113 Chapter 113 Come Here Get Bors Joseph came here because he was in a hurry to take Deborah for a liver transnt, so he didn¡¯t bring any bodyguards with him. Joseph only brought Shawn with him, and Shawn was in his sixties. Shawn could help him take care of some things, but he couldn¡¯t help much when fighting. Ashton looked at Joseph with a smile and said, ¡°Are we chatting here to rm everyone in the operating room, or go outside the hospital and discuss slowly?¡± Seeing that Joseph didn¡¯t move, Ashton took out his mobile phone and clicked on a video. ¡°Is this Alyssa you mentioned? I brought her outside the hospital. ¡°Why does she call another woman¡¯s mother? Do you know where the birthmark on Alyssa¡¯s body is? Are you sure this child looks like her?¡± As Joseph clenched his palms into fists, he couldn¡¯t control his anger. But when Joseph thought of Deborah who was still lying in the operating room, he tried his best to calm down. Joseph told Shawn, ¡°You stay here, and I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Ashton¡¯s eyes were full of disdain. In his opinion, no one could snatch Deborah from him. As Joseph walked to the elevator at the end of the corridor, Ashton led a group of bodyguards to go there too. When they got outside the hospital, Joseph asked coldly, ¡°Where is the little girl?¡± Joseph Just received a message saying that the little girl who had undergone stic surgery to look like Alyssa had indeed disappeared suddenly. Ashton looked at Joseph mockingly, and a group of bodyguards quickly surrounded Joseph. It was only at this time that Joseph realized that he was too impulsive. As soon as he heard that Ashton had brought the child here, he was very worried that Ashton would bring the child to Deborah, and then expose his lies, which would irritate Deborah. Ashton didn¡¯t lie to Joseph. He asked a bodyguard to bring down a little girl and a woman in her thirties from a car not far away. The little girl was the one who had undergone stic surgery to look like Alyssa. Joseph recognized her at a nce, and his face turned cold. The woman said in fear, ¡°Mr. Mullen gave us some money and promised to make my daughter look like she was before. ¡°Mr. ck, my daughter is only five years old. I don¡¯t want her to wear someone else¡¯s face and be someone else¡¯s puppet for the rest of her life.¡± Joseph looked at her coldly and said, ¡°You agreed the deal before. Now in order to get more money, you agreed to let your daughter have stic surgery again. Are you ying tricks on me?¡± When the little girl was seriously injured, Joseph happened to do charity and helped several children, including this little girl. Later, the little girl¡¯s injury recovered. When Joseph saw that her facial features resembled Alyssa¡¯s, he asked her mother if she wanted to make a deal Even if the girl¡¯s mother didn¡¯t agree, Joseph would still pay the girl¡¯s medical expenses. However, the woman immediately agreed and asked for twice the price Joseph offered. Now, ording to her words, she was wronged as if Joseph threatened and forced her. Get Bonus A trace of guilt shed across the woman¡¯s face, and she said, ¡°I was confused for a while. I can¡¯t do this to my daughter. It¡¯s unfair to her.¡± Joseph sneered. ¡°Really? I think you see another opportunity to make money, right?¡± Joseph had given her the money. Now that she saw that Ashton was willing to give her money, she agreed to do something for Ashton. Ashton interrupted their conversation and looked at Joseph sarcastically. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to be a good ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . person at this time, okay? ¡°I will give you two choices, either you get in the car now, or I will take them to find Deborah and tell her the truth.¡± Joseph stood there silently, and his face was ugly. As Ashton winked, his bodyguards immediately stepped forward to take the woman and the girl into the hospital. building. The woman looked a little flustered. ¡°Will Alyssa¡¯s mother beat my daughter? My daughter is weak. Can I exin it to her alone?¡± Ashton looked a little impatient. ¡°Bring them in.¡± The bodyguard was no longer polite. He asked the woman directly, ¡°Do you want us to take you there, or will you go there by yourself?¡± The woman was a little scared. She had offended Joseph, and there was no turning back, so she could only lead her daughter inside. Joseph, who had been silent for a long time, saw that they were about to go in, and suddenly said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave here now. ¡°Ashton, Deborah is really doing liver transntation. You¡¯d better do what you say and don¡¯t provoke her. Otherwise, I won¡¯t let you go.¡± Ashton smiled with satisfaction and said, ¡°I will take good care of Deborah. You don¡¯t need to meddle in it.¡± Joseph got into the car and sent a message to Shawn: [Contact me if anything happens.] As soon as Joseph got into the car, the driver sitting in front immediately locked the door and drove away. After Joseph left, Ashton walked into the hospital building. He was worried that something might happen again, so he decided to take Deborah out as soon as possible. It was dangerous to let Deborah stay outside. Joseph clearly had ulterior motives. Ashion wanted to bring Deborah back to Flora Vi, and he wouldn¡¯t let here out casually in the future. He walked a few steps inside, then stopped, and turned to look at the woman and the girl. ¡°Follow me. Why are you still standing there?¡± The woman was stunned for a moment and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that after Mr. ck left, you wouldn¡¯t take us to Mrs. Mullen?¡± Deborah was undergoing a major operation. It Ashton took them there at this time, Deborah would be angry, right? Ashton was very Impatient and said, ¡°Just do as I say, follow up.¡¯ The woman knew now that Ashton broken his promise. She had no choice but to take her daughter to follow Ashton, tip. It was midnight this time. Ashton took the woman nd th girl back to the floor of the emergency room just now. Deborah was no longer in the emergency room, but stayed in the ward. Ashton spected. It was really a show. Not long ago, Deborah was in the emergency room and had a liver transnt operation. However, after Ashton left, Deborali When Ashton walked to the door of the ward, he saw Deborah lying on the bed awake. She looked pale and weak, but she had been in this state recently, so Ashton didn¡¯t think it was strange. The intuition in Ashton¡¯s mind was that Deborah was acting to deceive him. He led the woman and the girl in When Deborah heard the movement, she looked over. Deborah was so weak that it was hard for her to even open her eyes. However, she suddenly became agitated when she saw the little girl who came in. She struggled to sit up, and her face changed suddenly. The nurse was giving her an injection. When Deborah struggled violently, the needle on the back of her hand was deflected, and some blood flowed out. The nurse was in a hurry to stop the bleeding, but Deborah knocked over a tray beside the hospital bed. Deborah¡¯s eyes were red, and she shouted anxiously and pleasantly, ¡°Alyssa, Alyssa!¡± The scene became chaotic, and the attending doctor said sharply, ¡°Ma¡¯am, please calm down! Don¡¯t be too excited after the operation. fit will easily lead to wound rupture and bleeding.¡± Deborah pushed them desperately, staring at the little girl with tearing eyes. ¡°Alyssa,e to me.¡± Chapter 114 Chapter 114 Chapter 114 ident Hearing Deborah calling her, the little girl jumped into the arms of the woman beside her in fear. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m scared.¡± As the woman stared at Deborah vigntly and uneasily, she hugged the little girl and patted her on the back Deborah¡¯s emotions became even more out of control, and she shouted, ¡°Alyssa, she¡¯s not your mother. Come here quickly¡± Ashton looked at the panicked appearance of the doctors and Deborah who was weak on the bed. He said calmly. ¡°Deborah, stop acting. Haven¡¯t you seen it yet? Joseph lied to you. This Alyssa is fake.¡± Deborah¡¯s face was pale She had faintly sensed something, but that possibility was something she couldn¡¯t bear. The doctor hurriedly drove Ashton away. ¡°Sir, please take your people and leave immediately. Thisdy has just finished the operation, and her body may be in danger at any time. Don¡¯t you see that she is in a bad mood?¡± Deborah stared at Alyssa who was curled up in the woman¡¯s arms without blinking, and kept shaking her head. ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense Joseph won¡¯t lie to me.¡± Deborah suddenly found that Joseph was gone. He said that he would wait for her to finish the operation. After the operation, he would bring Alyssa to see her and stay with her. Ashton was lying to her! Joseph would tell her the truth! Deborah¡¯s face was terribly pale, and she raised her trembling voice. ¡°Where is Joseph? I want to see Joseph, I don¡¯t believe you!¡± She screamed and pushed away the doctors who tried to reassure her and give her injections. Outside the ward, after Shawn hastily sent a message to Joseph, he heard Deborah¡¯s voice inside and immediately strode in. Ashton brought so many people, but Shawn was alone. Joseph had note back, and Shawn was very worried. Shawn couldn¡¯t calm down, and he was a little panicked. When he entered the ward, he tried to drag the woman and the girl away with a sullen face. ¡°Why are you here? Get out of here quickly! Do you understand?¡± The woman hugged the little girl in her arms at a loss, and looked at Ashton for help. Shawn¡¯s voice was very low, but Deborah saw the flustered expression on his face. Shawn¡¯s expression proved that this was not the first time he had met the woman and the girl. Deborah¡¯splexion turned pale, and her eye sockets were sunken. She stayed motionless on the bed. Ashton was still immersed in the exhration ofpletely exposing Joseph¡¯s true face and didn¡¯t even pay much attention to Deborah¡¯s strangeness. Didn¡¯t Deborah want to leave with Joseph? Didn¡¯t she trust and rely on Joseph so much? Today, Ashton must let Deborah see Joseph¡¯s true face clearly and give uppletely so that she would live with him in the future. In this world, there was only one person in this world who wouldn¡¯t use her or hurt her. That was Ashton! Det Bonu Shawn couldn¡¯t drive away the woman and the girl, but he was controlled by Ashton¡¯s bodyguards. A doctor in the ward used Ashton angrily. ¡°Sir, this is a hospital. If you continue to use violence regardless of obstruction, we will call the police.¡± Ashton was fully prepared and took out the marriage certificate he brought over. ¡°She is my wife. Because of a quarrel with me, she went abroad with another man and came here. *Before you call the police, please exin to me first. If my wife has undergone some major surgery, is ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . it legal for you to operate on her without the signature of her family?¡± Ashton believed that Deborah was acting and didn¡¯t have the surgery. Since she wanted to act, he would follow it. The doctor was obviously stunned. He nced at Ashton and then at Deborah on the bed. ¡°Isn¡¯t Mr. ck who came with you before your family member?¡± Deborah was extremely distraught, and she didn¡¯t listen to the doctor¡¯s words at all. She just kept staring at the little girl, repeating those words. ¡°I want to see Joseph. I want to see him now.¡± Ashton took out his mobile phone, clicked on a video, and handed it to Deborah. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, watch it.¡± In the video, Joseph was making a deal with the woman and the girl. It was clearly captured. In a ward, Joseph was holding a photo of Alyssa and talking to the woman. ¡°It must be exactly the same as in the photo, and I will teach your daughter how to speak and behave¡­¡± Joseph¡¯s voice was so calm and indifferent as if it was a matter that didn¡¯t matter at all. Deborah could hear and see his every word, every movement, and expression clearly. As Deborah watched the video, she had no reaction at all, and her expression gradually turned pale. After reying the surveince video several times, Deborah finally raised her head and looked at the little girl. ¡°Let me take a closer look at her, okay?¡± The girl looked at Deborah in fear, still hugging her mother tightly. Ashton walked over, pulled the little girl out of the woman¡¯s arms, and pulled her to Deborah without any mercy. He sneered. ¡°You think Joseph is a good man, but he has always used everything to achieve his goals. A five-year-old child has been made like this by him. Deborah, he really deserves your trust.¡± As the little girl stood by the bed, she cried in fright, trembling all over. Deborah stretched out her hand to the girl and said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I just want to take a look at you.¡± She gently pulled down the clothes on the little girl¡¯s left shoulder, and looked behind her left shoulder. It was clean without birthmarks. In this world, only Deborah and Ashton knew that Alyssa had a birthmark on this ce. In fact, even if Deborah didn¡¯t look at the girl¡¯s shoulder, the moment the girl walked up to Deborah, Deborah knew it. How could Deborah not tell that this child was not Alyssa? Deborah had raised Alyssa for so many years, and she had long been familiar with Alyssa¡¯s facial features and every move. It couldn¡¯t be copied by a person with the same facial features. Deborah withdrew her hand and said softly, ¡°Let them go.¡± Ashton was a little flustered. He was afraid that what he said was too straightforward. If Deborah got too excited, something would happen to her. But Ashton couldn¡¯t bear it anymore. Seeing that Deborah had calmed down now, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe Deborah had expected it a long time ago. After all, she might not trust Joseph so much. Ashton thought From now on, Deborah would give up on Joseph and stay with him. Ashton didn¡¯t embarrass them anymore. Alter he gave the money to the woman and the girl, he asked them to leave. Deborah was very calm. She didn¡¯t cry but obediently agreed to follow Ashton back home. She didn¡¯t mention the operation before. She just said that she was a little tired, and she couldn¡¯t get out of bed, and Would feel ufortable if Ashton hugged her. When Ashton saw that she was well-behaved, his attitude improved a lot. He brought her a push bed and carefully pushed her onto the ne. Afternding, the servant brought Deborah back to Flora Vi. After Deborahy in Flora Vi for half a month, she began to get out of bed and move around. It was in summer, and the weather was getting hotter every day. Ashton tried every means to find a suitable liver for Deborah and persuaded Deborah to live in the hospital. But Deborah refused, saying that the smell of medicine in the hospital was too strong, and she was not ready. Ashton agreed. If Deborah was willing to live in Flora Vi, he would feel at ease with servants to take care of her. Ashton didn¡¯t worry about Joseph¡¯s matter anymore. After asking Joseph to get into the car that day, Ashton asked the bodyguards to lock the door, and there was medicine in the car. After that, Joseph fell into aa, and the ck family took him away. Ashton didn¡¯t know where Joseph was locked up, and he didn¡¯t care about it. In short, in this short period of time, Joseph would not get involved in Deborah¡¯s affairs. Ashton felt that everything was improving recently. Joseph didn¡¯te to make trouble, and Deborah became docile. Besides, there was news about the adapted liver. But for some reason, Ashton became more and more restless day by day. Ashton went to thepany in the morning, and before noon, the uneasiness in his heart reached its peak. Chapter 115 Chapter 115 Chapter 115 ident 56.87% He couldn¡¯t stay any longer, so he got up and left the office. He intended to go back directly to see Deborah. Ashton would feel at ease if he saw Deborah. He even nned to change the meetings in thepany to video conferences recently. After Deborah sessfullypleted the liver transnt, he would return to thepany. Ashton got into the elevator and went to the underground parking lot. When he was about to get in the car, the phone rang. It was Deborah¡¯s number on it. Ashton was a little overjoyed. Deborah hadn¡¯t taken the initiative to call him for a long time. He immediately pressed the answer button. Because he was happy, he said in a good tone, ¡°Debby.¡± However, a serious and eager man¡¯s voice came from the other side. ¡°Mr. Mullen, I am Vance Lamb. Your wife had a serious car ident¡­¡± Ashton He thought he stayed in the office for a long time, and he was worried about Deborah, so he wes not sober sow What was this person talking about? Ashton raised his hand and pressed his temple to wake himself up slowly. Ashton salt, ¡°Sorry, this is my wife¡¯s number. Who are you?¡± The anxious voler of an over there founded again clearly ¡°I am Vance Lamb from Richmond Police Station ¡°Your wife was hit by a truck outside the main entrance of Global Harbor and lost her breath. We have conten hospital Pleasee here immediately.¡± When Ashton door, he realized that his hands were shaking Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. After pulling the door several times, he sat in the driver¡¯s seat and began to gasp uncontrobly. Ashton thought what the man said was outrageous, but his hands and feet couldn¡¯t help shaking He was a little exhausted, and it took him a long replied, ¡°My wif home the is sick to start the car. As he drove away from the parking lo After saying this, Ashton immediately remembered something When he left Plora Vi in the morning, Deborah rarely got out of bed and said that she felt much better. During the half month when she rested at home, Ashton never touched her. Ashton thought that maybe he had treated her better recently and started to respect her, so she no longer repelled him so much After she got up, she took the initiative to help him tie his tie She said that she felt very stuffy recently. Today, it cloudy day and the temperature was good, so she wanted to go out for a walk. When she aid that, she was standing on tiptoe in front of him, so close to him that he could even feel her breathing Ashton thought he didn¡¯t want to trap her at all. They were ple, restricted her from going out and asking so many servants to stare at her every day. She was ufortable, and he was not happy. When she helped him tie his tie, she said she wanted to go out, even with a bit of ttery in her words. Ashton die iink about it at all, and he said to her, ¡°Go out for a walk Don¡¯t go too far. If you don¡¯t have the you can ask a servant to apany you.¡± As he spoke, a servant who was helping him with his briefcase stood nearby and overheard their conversation. Ashton originally wanted to say that if Deborah went out, the servants must follow her. But after half a month, they got along very well, and now Deborah was looking at him eagerly. Ashton didn¡¯t say those tough words. After thinking about it, he said, ¡°You can ask a servant to apany you ¡± He thought, even if Deborah went out alone, so what? Get Bonus Where could she go? Now Joseph was trapped, and Ashton had arranged some people at the airport station. Wherever Deborah went, Ashton could easily find her. Deborah was so calm during this time, and Ashton forgot that she might not only escape but also die. Ashton¡¯s heart suddenly began to ache. It was he who let her out. He was so confident and stupid that he had ignored the worst and the most terrible possibility. The temperature in midsummer was high, and when Ashton drove there, his eyes turned white, and his whole body seemed to be soaked in sweat. Sweat dripped into his eyes, causing them to burn. His mind was nk and nk. The car had stopped at the ce the police said. There was chaos on the street ahead, and the ambnce had arrived, parked alongside the police cars. Ashton got out of the car and walked over staggeringly as if he was stepping on deep mud. He walked into the crowd and saw Deborah who was covered in blood. Af if her whole body was transparent, she was carried on a stretcher. The blood flowed all over the ground, making Ashton¡¯s eyes dazzling. The blood spread to his feet like snakes, wrapped around his neck, and choked his breath. On the verge of suffocation, he began to gasp uncontrobly and fell down. The doctor held the cardiopulmonary resuscitation equipment and pressed hard on Deborah¡¯s chest. Deborah¡¯s body was light and undting under the impact of the instrument. Then she returned to deathly stillness. and motionless on the bed. Several doctors nced at each other and shook their heads with great regret. When Ashton staggered to the side of the bed, his feet softened, and he knelt down on his knees. ¡°Deborah, stop acting. Don¡¯t you want to leave? I¡¯ll let you go. I¡¯ll let Joseph take you away. ¡°I lied to you. Alyssa is still alive. Your daughter is still alive. I¡¯ll ask Joseph to tell you personally that Alyssa is really still alive.¡± Jeff rushed over with a few bodyguards. Ashtonmanded in a trembling voice, ¡°Go quickly and call Joseph over. Tell him to take Deborah to Alyssa. I won¡¯t stop them.¡± Jeff asked a bodyguard to do it. The doctor exined with great pain, ¡°Mr. Mullen, your wife has died.¡± Get on Chapter 116 Chapter 116 Chapter 116 Why Are You Crying? Ashton couldn¡¯t call the doctors, so he said to Jeff, ¡°You drive. Let¡¯s take Deborah to the hospital.¡± Jeff had no choice but to drive the car out of the garage and open the back door for Ashton. Many passers-by were watching. A woman wiped her tears and said sadly, ¡°He is such a good and affectionate husband. It¡¯s a pity that his wife doesn¡¯t have the luck to enjoy the blessings.¡± Ashton got into the car with Deborah in his arms, and Jeff drove to the hospital. Along the way, Ashton kept urging Jett to hurry up. Hallway, he said, ¡°Deborah¡¯s body is very cold. Turn on the heating and turn up the temperature.¡± Jett¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t help turning red. Not because Ashton moved him but because he felt sorry for Deborah. Because of Ashton, she lost everything. Her daughter, her mother, her future, her lover, her friends¡­ Everything was destroyed by Ashton. In the end, she would die because of him. Ashton hugged Deborah tightly and urged, ¡°Turn on the air conditioner. She¡¯s cold.¡± Jeft couldn¡¯t hold back but puncture Ashton¡¯s fantasy. ¡°Mr. Mullen, the outdoor temperature is more than 86 ¡°F now. Ms. Shepherd can¡¯t be cold. She is like this because of you. Why do you pretend to care now?¡± Ashton trembled all over. His face was ferocious, and he roared. ¡°You are talking nonsense. Shut up!¡± Ashton couldn¡¯t help getting angry and quickly calmed down when he thought of something. He patted Deborah in his arms. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I wasn¡¯t ming you. I won¡¯t do that ever again.¡± Jeff didn¡¯t say anything. The car stopped outside the hospital. The back seat of the car was covered in blood. Ashton hugged Deborah, who was covered in blood, out of the car. A passing-by doctor was shocked. When he saw the seriously injured person, he immediately called the medical staff toe over with a bed on wheels. Ashton carefully put Deborah on the bed. His whole body was shaking, and his face turned pale strangely. He said to the doctors who came over, ¡°She is injured. Take her to the emergency room quickly! Please hurry up, doctor!¡± A doctor checked Deborah¡¯s heart rate with a device. A nurse anxiously wiped Deborah¡¯s blood to stop the bleeding. and put her on a venttor. The doctor holding the device suddenly stopped and went to listen to Deborah¡¯s heart rate after a while. Immediately, he showed an expression of disbelief. Then, he tested Deborah¡¯s heartbeat and breathing and checked her pupils. He checked the temperature of Deborah¡¯s skin and then looked at Ashton with a heavy look. ¡°Sir, the injured person passed away long ago. Her body is getting a little cold.¡± He brought the person to the hospital all the way. Didn¡¯t he realize that the person was already dead? Ashton¡¯s face was full of bewilderment and despair. He felt as if his body was suspended mid-air, light and void. His mind waspletely empty. Get Bonus Deborah was dead. How could Deborah be dead? Doesn¡¯t she still have¡­> Ashton thought about it and realized that everything had gone. Deborah had nothing. She got nothing left. His voice trembled, ¡°She is cold, so her body is cold. She is often like this. You can¡¯t just make a decision so quickly. Take her to the emergency room for a check. You have to try to save her first.¡± The doctor looked at him with a serious expression. ¡°Sir, the dead cannot be rescued. It¡¯s a pity. I¡¯m sorry for your loss.¡± Ashton tugged at the doctor desperately. His knees softened, and he knelt down. He pleaded, ¡°Doctor, please save her.¡± Ashton had never knelt before, but today he knelt twice. In the past, Deborah knelt down to beg him without hesitation for the sake of Alyssa and the people she cared about. In the past, heughed at her for being cheap and scolded her for being spineless. Now, for the first time, Ashton realized the feeling of being hopeless and frightened. Self-esteem and dignity had be unimportant. Ashton didn¡¯t believe it. He thought Deborali was still alive. The doctor could rejuvenate her. She would be fine. The doctor was very helpless. He could only look at Jeff. ¡°Please persuade this gentleman. I¡¯m sorry. There is nothing we can do.¡± The medical stat! advised Ashton to calm down. A body was ced at the entrance of the inpatient building. The patients who passed by were terrified. Ashton didn¡¯t care. He knelt at the door. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Any doctor or nurse who came forward to persuade him, he would ask them to save Deborah. Ashton was in a trance, and his eyes were ck. He was apparently abnormal. The medical staff had no choice but to leave one after another. Jeff stepped forward, trying to push the push bed to the side, at least not block the door. As soon as he reached out to touch the bed, Ashton stood up abruptly. His eyes were scarlet. He punched Jeff twice. Ashton seemed to be crazy and hissed, ¡°Don¡¯t touch her. No one is allowed to touch her!¡± Jeff got hit and fell to the ground. He heard hurried footsteps approaching behind him. Jeff turned around and saw Joseph approaching in a daze. Jeff hadn¡¯t seen Joseph for many days, but he could imagine Joseph having a bad time. Joseph must have thought of many ways to go out and find Deborah. But that day abroad, Ashton forced Joseph into the car and drugged him, making Joseph unconscious. Bonua. Then, Joseph was taken to the ck Manor by his family and was imprisoned in the room. Joseph¡¯s people were also controlled by Gerald ck Jeff heard that Joseph escaped once. But Joseph was caught back by Gerald ck. Joseph¡¯s leg was injured, and the injured leg was severely beaten by Gerald ck¡¯s people, which directly resulted in a broken leg. Jeff watched Joseph walking over. He obviously couldn¡¯t use his one leg and almost limped over. It had only been half a month. Joseph had stubble and many scars on his face. He looked a lot older and haggard. Jeff had a hunch that Joseph would beat Ashton, so he immediately got up and stood beside Ashton, staring at Joseph vigntly. But Joseph didn¡¯t seem to see them at all. He just went straight to Deborah, who was lying on the bed. Ashton begged the doctor and shouted at Jeff to vent his emotions. But when he saw Joseph approaching, he suddenly couldn¡¯t speak a word. That day, Joseph told him, ¡°Ashton, don¡¯t take the mother and her daughter to see Deborah. She can¡¯t bear it. She will die.¡± Joseph also told him, ¡°Let Deborah go. Will you only stop after she dies?¡± Now that Deborah was really dead. She only had a corpse left. Joseph came over. Ashton didn¡¯t have to ept this fact until this moment. Deborah was dead. She was dead. There was no more her in this world. Ashton tried his best. He thought he was smart andcent to snatch her from Zayne and Joseph. In the end, he had Deborah, but she died. Joseph didn¡¯t speak. He walked to the side of the bed and slowly squatted down. He stretched out his hand and grabbed Deborah¡¯s pale blood-stained hand. He was so gentle, as if he was afraid that he would break something precious. Deborah was hit so severely that her facial features could no longer be distinguished, which made it hard to bear to look directly at her. Joseph gently rubbed the back of her hand with his fingertips. ¡°Deborah, you are free.¡± Ashton suddenly seemed to have been drained of all his strength. He sat down slumped, sobbing in a panic and helpless. Joseph turned around to look at him and then smiled. ¡°Ashton, why are you crying when she dies?¡± Chapter 117 Chapter 117 Chapter 117 The Scary Scar Ashton sobbed uncontrobly. He couldn¡¯t figure it out. ¡°I found a suitable liver for her, and she promised to wait until the day of the operation. She has been fine for the past half month. Why did she suddenly behave like this?¡± Ashton couldn¡¯t ept such a result. He looked at Joseph with scarlet eyes while talking, ¡°Did you tell her something again? ¡°Joseph, if it weren¡¯t for you, she wouldn¡¯t have gone abroad. Her body wouldn¡¯t be so weak that she didn¡¯t want to get out of bed for hali a month!¡± Since returning from abroad, Deborah¡¯s body had greatly deteriorated in the past half a month. She was fed in bed. Joseph looked at Ashton with empty and pitiful eyes. ¡°Ashton, do you know why Deborah didn¡¯t get out of bed for half a month? Do you know why shemitted suicide today?¡± Ashton¡¯s expression was dull. He didn¡¯t know and couldn¡¯t figure it out. Joseph said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t you like to install surveince everywhere? Go to the bedroom where Deborah lived and check the surveince content of the past half month. ¡°Believe it or not, half a month ago, she had a liver transnt abroad.¡± Ashton¡¯s whole body seemed to be frozen. It took him a long time to say, ¡°You are talking nonsense. When she came back that day, she admitted that she lied to me about the liver transnt. Later, I told her that I found a suitable liver. She was happy too.¡± Joseph didn¡¯t seem to hear what Ashton had said and continued as if talking to himself, ¡°She didn¡¯t seek death until today, just because she couldn¡¯t move at all after the operation in the past half a month. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, she had a new liver, a healthy body, and a brand-new future.¡± Ashton opened his mouth. His throat was dry. He wanted to say something, but he couldn¡¯t say a word. It wasn¡¯t until Joseph was about to push the bed and take Deborah away that he finally reacted. Ashton immediately got up and stopped in front of the bed. ¡°She is my wife. You have no right to take her away!¡± Joseph looked at him and suddenly felt that he was pathetic. ¡°Deborah didn¡¯t want to stay by your side. She would rather die than be with you. Now you don¡¯t want to let go of her remaining corpse?¡± Ashton stretched out his hand to hold the bed. His eyes were dead silent, and he stared at Joseph defensively. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t lied to Deborah that Alyssa was still alive, Deborah wouldn¡¯t have died at all. ¡°What¡¯s more, the car ident was an ident. She was my wife. No one can take her away!¡± Joseph¡¯s eyes were red. Heughed out loud. ¡°ident? Ashton, you are really hopeless.¡± Ashton panicked. He must have Deborah¡¯s body. This was thest thing that belonged to her. As long as her body was there, she was there. Ashton felt Joseph was about to rob her, so he couldn¡¯t wait to tell Jeff, ¡°Call the police! Call the police! This is my wife. Mine!¡± He talked a little crazy as If something went wrong with his mind. Ashton took out the wedding picture from his wallet and hurriedly handed it to Joseph as if he feared that Joseph would not believe it. In the picture, Deborah was smiling happily. That was Deborah, who was just twenty years old. At that time, she was full of hope, thinking that she, Ashton, and Alyssa would have a bright and happy future. It was only four years, but she and Alyssa both passed away. There was nothing left. Jeff called the police, and the police rushed over quickly. Because of Deborah, Joseph had fallen entirely out with the ck family and left the ck Group, giving up the power in his hand. People were snobbish. At this time, no one would stand by his side anymore. What was more, even if the police handled the case impartially, from a legal point of view, Ashton and Deborah were still husband and wife. Now that Deborah had passed away and had no other rtives, Ashton should take care of her funeral. Joseph was forcibly taken away by the police. He was agitated and insisted on taking Deborah¡¯s body away. He scolded Ashton angrily. Ashton watched them leave until their figures disappeared from his sight. He returned to the side of the bed, leaned over, and hugged Deborah on the bed tightly. ¡°No one will take you away anymore. I won¡¯t let them take you away. Let¡¯s go home, and I will never let anything. happen to you again.¡± Ashton took Deborah¡¯s body back and put it on the bed they used to sleep on. At night, her body was already icy cold. Ashton didn¡¯t seem to feel it. He poured warm water and carefully wiped off the blood and stains on her body and said softly. ¡°Debby, you¡¯ve been sleeping all day. I¡¯ll wash and change your clothes for you, and then I¡¯ll take you downstairs to eat.¡± Her body was so cold that Ashton kept putting the towel in hot water and then covered her body when the towel was warm. While wiping her abdomen, he lifted her blouse. He saw a hideous scar of nearly fifteen centimeters on the upper right side of her abdomen. Ashton¡¯s hand froze. The blood all over his body seemed to be frozen. The scar was too long, and the impact it gave him at that moment was too significant, making him to move for a moment. Ashton felt that he had an illusion. After a long time, he raised his hand and rubbed his eyes. The scar was still there, which was shockingly long. His throat seemed to be strangled suddenly, and he couldn¡¯t breathe at all. Chapter 117 The Scary Scal 53.25% He touched it trembly. He could clearly feel the unevenness of the scar with his fingertips. Ashton¡¯s breathing quickly became rapid. He suddenly supported the bedside table beside him, trying to stand up. The violently shaking hands overturned the basin on the bedside table. The basin was overturned, and water sshed onto the bed. He frantically wiped it and tell to the ground. He suddenly remembered something, got up suddenly, and rushed out of the bedroom. He went into the study. After sending a message to Rodger, Ashton turned on theputer and checked the surveince video of Deborah lying in the bedroom for halt a month. He watched clearly. After he left, Deborah put her hands on the bed again and again, trying to get up, but failed again and again. He watched him leave the fruit knite on the bedside table, got up and went into the bathroom. Deborah struggled to reach out to get the knife, but she couldn¡¯t reach it. Her expression was depressed. When he came out of the bathroom, she quickly retracted her hand and returned to her usual appearance, even with at hint of a smile. She looked at him as it nothing had happened. In ces he didn¡¯t see, she wanted to get up countless times and tried to kill herselt countless times. This morning, she finally got out of bed smoothly. She said that she wanted to go out for a walk. She had already prepared to die, but he didn¡¯t notice anything and agreed to let her go out. Rodger sent him a message: [1 checked, Deborah had a liver transnt in New Richcester half a month ago.] Rodger didn¡¯t even want to call him back. He didn¡¯t want to say a word to Ashton but told him the cruel fact clearly. Rodger told Ashton what a stupid thing he had done all this time. Ashton sat nkly at the desk until the phone rang again. This time it was Deborah¡¯s phone. It was a musical instrument store. Ashton pressed the answer button with trembling hands. A man¡¯s voice came from the phone, ¡°Ms. Shepherd, the piano you asked for has been prepared for you. You said that you woulde to pick it up in the morning. Did something dy you?¡± Ashton didn¡¯t know when the phone was hung up. He suddenly remembered that shortly after Alyssa fell off the clitt, Deborah said sadly, ¡°I promised to buy a new piano for Alyssa, but I haven¡¯t bought it for her yet.¡± Alyssa¡¯s first piano was broken by him, Ashton. But this time, Deborah might want to make up for this regret before she died. But she failed in the end and left before she could buy the piano. Ashton looked out of the window. In the dark night, there would never be a ray of light in the future. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. He was drowning in hypoglycemia, just like back then. His mouth opened in pain, but he couldn¡¯t breathe anymore. This was karma. Joseph said that Deborah was relieved. But he, Ashton, would not be able to relieve his whole life. Chapter 118 Chapter 118 Chapter 118 She Just Fell Asleep The Mullen family was in chaos. Joseph reported under his real name that Wayne had insulted several teenage girls. The youngest among them was under the age of fourteen. Before the Mullen family could take any countermeasures, the irond evidence had already been spread on the Inte. Including chat records, transfer records, and lots of pixted photos and videos. The famous Mister Wayne Mullen¡¯s public persona copsed. Although he had always kept a low profile these years and no longer participated in the group¡¯s affairs, he was still the Mullen family¡¯s second son and Ashton¡¯s uncle. After the irond evidence of what he had done spread, his heinous action caused a flood of abuse. By the time the Mullen family wanted to suppressed, the Inte was already full of raging discussion. Joseph didn¡¯t give the Mullen family a chance to respond, nor did he give the ck family a chance to stop him. He put all the evidence directly on the Inte. ¡°The Mullen family¡±, ¡°Insult¡±, and ¡°Teenage girls¡±, those words were like a series of blockbuster bombs that made a big ssh. The scandal had already been exposed, and it was impossible to be suppressed. It would only be more and more lively. The whole country was shocked. The superior bureau directly issued an order to Richmond Police Station. The police went to Mullen Manor that night and arrested Wayne. Wayne was still confused. He didn¡¯t know how Joseph got the evidence. Ever since Wayne killed Joseph¡¯s mother that year, he had been extra cautious in doing things all these years, for fear of revealing any ws and being caught by Joseph. However, the more he felt rmed, the more he wanted to do something exciting to vent it. These years, insulting teenage girls had been a part of his daily life. Some victims¡¯ families were afraid of the power of the Mullen family, and some were greedy for money. There was no one dared to sue Wayne. asionally, some had a tough attitude and insisted on seeking justice, but they all ended to nothing. No one believed that a man from the Mullen family needed to y such shady and dirty tricks to get girls. However, it was Joseph who presented the evidence this time. The piles of evidence were so clear, and no one doubted it again. Being seized by panic, Hector found a bunch of paid posters, trying to suppress public opinion on the Inte, saying that this was a well-designed frame-up. However, just as the paid posters posted those opinions, they were gged off like anything. Some paid posters were even found sockpuppets, and their ounts were banned within half an hour. Public opinion was mounting, and gradually, the guardians of the victims came forward and spoke out painfully about what happened to their kids at that time. They cried for the ruined future of the kids, and the confused mental state of Get Borus the girls. Public outrage was rampant, and the incident intensified. Wayne was finally arrested and detained by the police. There were spontaneous crowds who had no ce to vent their anger gathered outside Mullen Group¡¯s head office, holding banners and shouting slogans, yelling, ¡°Fuck the group that shelters and defends the rapist and pedophiliac.¡± Some innocent employees of Mullen Group were beaten for no reason when they went to work The stock price of Mullen Group plummeted at a speed visible to the naked eye. Hector was pissed off. He couldn¡¯t bear it any longer, so he went straight to Flora Vi. For two days, Ashton didn¡¯t eat or drink or go out. He shut himself and Deborah in the bedroom, sat by the bed with a zed face, and apanied Deborah who was lying on the bed. Hector threatened the servants and bodyguards with his life, so they no longer dared to stop him. They could only let him in. When Hector went upstairs and pushed open the bedroom door, Ashton suppressed his anger and roared, ¡°Get out. No one is allowed toe in!¡± Holding a cane, Hector¡¯s face was dark with rage. He approached Ashton tremblingly. ¡°I told you a long time ago that you shouldn¡¯t mess with Joseph! He¡¯s insane. I have reminded you have let Deborah go, but you just didn¡¯t listen! that you should ¡°Now that Deborah is dead, and that psychotic is going against the Mullen family. Look what the Mullen Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. family is like now!¡± Ashton looked at Hector calmly. Hector was stunned in ce under Ashton¡¯s gaze. He felt that his grandson¡¯s expression was a bit creepy. And then Hector noticed the thing on the bed. It turned out to be Deborah¡¯s corpse. Deborah died yesterday morning, and Ashton still had the corpse on his bed. now! Hector was thinking about why Ashton¡¯s house was so gloomy mixed with a strange smell. And now he knew it. The corpse had been left here for two days, and it began to dpose. Hector was so angry that he almost had a heart attack. He shouted, ¡°Are you crazy? Someone! Throw this dead thing out quickly!¡± Ashton stared at Hector with gloomy eyes and said, ¡°Debby is still alive. She just fell asleep. Get out. Don¡¯t make me say it again.¡± Hector looked at Ashton in disbelief. ¡°Is this how you talk to me? I¡¯m your grandfather. Show some respect!¡± Ashton didn¡¯t say anything. He stood up expressionlessly, carried Deborah who was on the bed up, and walked out of the bedroom. Hector was not only angered but also frightened. Beforeing here, he was very worried about Wayne and Mullen Group, so he wanted to find Ashton and figure it out with him. lot how he was indre worried about Ashton Ashton was Hector¡¯s grandson and his most proud inheritor He could manage thepany well by himself and act decisively. How cou man b Hector didn¡¯t evene back to his senses for a long time. When he realized it, Ashton disappeared. Hector chased him out, just in tin to see Ashton going. he guest room next to his bedroom. However, the door of the Ashton brought Deborah into the bedrooin. There was no doubt that he would put the girl who had been dead for two days on the bed. He was like golong crazy because of Deborah¡¯s death! Hector staggered and fell in Ashton locked the door of the guest to again the inside. No matter how snafu the outside was, he never came out Hector had no choice but to call Gerald and Robert Gerald just came back from abroad After he learned about these things, he went to Joseph¡¯s vi. When receiving the call from Hector, Gerald had just arrived outside Joseph¡¯s vi. He answered the phone and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Mr. Mullen. ¡°I¡¯ve been abroad these days and didn¡¯t know what my bastard son was doing. I¡¯m at his ce now, and it must all be a misunderstanding ¡°I will let Joseph exin and deal with it. And I promise Mister Wayne Mullen will be released as soon as possible. Also, I will do my best topensate for the loss of the Mullen family, and I wille to the door to apologize in person some other day.¡± ck Group and Mullen Group were both toppanies in Richmond, and they only minded their own business. After all, they were both tough families, and both sides had each other¡¯s handle in their hands. Gerald was about to go crazy because of the incident his son caused this time. Now that Gerald was sincere in apologizing, Hector secretly heaved a sigh of relief. He said coldly. ¡°It¡¯s better to be what you said. Please settle the matter as soon as possible, otherwise, don¡¯t me our Mullen family for ying hard.¡± Gerald responded, ¡°I know. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Hector then hung up the phone. The wrought iron gate of Joseph¡¯s vi was not closed. Just as Gerald was about to walk into the vi, he saw Josephing out from inside with a suitcase in his hand. Gerald¡¯s face was livid. When Joseph approached him, he scolded angrily, ¡°You bastard! Look what you have done! No one knows how much handle the Mullen family has against our ck family. Don¡¯t take the entire ck family to be buried with you for your personal grievances!¡± Joseph walked up to Gerald indifferently. He stopped and said without looking at Gerald, ¡°I have already handed over all the work at ck Group. The ck family has nothing to do with me in the future. Be careful.¡± Chapter 119 Chapter 119 Chapter 119 Took Deborah away After Joseph finished his words, he walked past Gerald and left. All the servants in the vi had been dismissed. Gerald saw that even Shawn was not with Joseph. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Gerald chased after Joseph and said furiously, ¡°What are you talking about? The ck family has raised you for so many years, and this is your reward?¡± Joseph was blocked by Gerald. However, he just looked at Gerald indifferently and said, ¡°I made a lot of money for the ck family, but I have never used a penny of the ck family. I don¡¯t owe you. *As for what I¡¯m doing now, I remember I told you about it on the first day I went back to the ck family. I said I would make Wayne pay what he owed my mother. ¡°I nned to wait for more evidence so that he could get the death penalty, but now something happened, and I don¡¯t want to wait any longer.¡± When Joseph¡¯s mother passed away, she left him a fortune. In addition, when he became an adult, he started his own business except for managing the ck family, so he had never spent money from the ck family. Gerald stood where he was and couldn¡¯t find anything to refute. After saying that, Joseph put the suitcase into the trunk and then opened the car door. Gerald knew that he couldn¡¯t persuade Joseph, not to mention the fact that the evidence had already been exposed and the public opinion was overwhelming. Even if Joseph said it was false at this time, no one would believe it. This case was significant, the top officials had already paid attention to the progress of the case, and even many foreign media were paying attention to it. The whole country was hotly discussing it, so the news was impossible to be suppressed. And it was inevitable for the Mullen family to retaliate against the ck family. Gerald sighed. He looked at Joseph who was getting into the car and asked, ¡°Did you make up your mind to leave?¡± With his mother¡¯s cinerary casket in his hand, Joseph got into the car without looking back. ¡°I won¡¯t mother hates this ce.¡± After being abandoned by her ex-husband and forced to remarry, she was abused all year round by her new husband and was killed by domestic violence. She was even announced that she died in a fire after her death. So, even though there were only her ashes, she must be very unwilling to stay here. Now that Wayne was in prison, it was time for Joseph to take his mother¡¯s ashes away. Just as Joseph reached out to close the car door, Gerald stopped him. His expression turned guilty and lonely. ¡°Believe it or not, I didn¡¯t force your mother to marry Wayne back then. ¡°Later, she also told me that she was doing well. If I knew she had endured that kind of torture, I wouldn¡¯t¡­¡± With disgust on his face, Joseph interrupted Gerald, ¡°Shut up.¡± Gerald still wanted to exin. ¡°After your mother passed away, you said she didn¡¯t die in the fire but was killed by Wayne. ¡°I didn¡¯t believe it because I heard from your mother that Wayne was good to her. When you presented the evidence, I finally saw Wayne¡¯s truece clearly. Maybe the truth about your mother¡¯s death was like what you sakl.¡± Joseph didn¡¯t have the patience to listen to Gerald, so he pushed away Gerald¡¯s hand blocking the car door. Gerald said sadly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your mother. Please stay with me. If the Mullen family makes things difficult for you, I will deal with it for you.¡± Before Gerald could finish his words, Joseph mmed the car door and drove away. Joseph went to the remote vi, where Lucien was waiting for him. When Lucien saw Josephing in, he sighed. ¡°Are you really leaving? Are you even not taking Shawn with you?¡± Joseph didn¡¯t say anything. He strode upstairs and went directly to the bedroom. Opening the bedroom door, he finally let out a long breath when he saw the girl lying on the bed. This y exhausted him. Ashton was not so easy to fool, so Joseph couldn¡¯t show any ws. His every move, every word, and every expression must be watertight. the past two days, he acted so into the y that even had the illusion that Deborah was really dead. Since yesterday morning, when he took a person who passed away from an operation and acted that y, he hadn¡¯t He acted inplete despair in front of Ashton, fought for the corpse with Ashton in grief and anger, put the evidence of Wayne¡¯s crime on the Inte, and left the ck family and the ck Group. Everyone would firmly believe that Joseph didn¡¯t want anything and didn¡¯t care about anything because of Deborah¡¯s death. Undoubtedly, this time, even Ashton who was so suspicious believed it. And even Joseph himself had the illusion that Deborah seemed to have passed away. When he thought of that, he couldn¡¯t bear the feeling that his heart was held by someone. He couldn¡¯t breathe for a moment because of the pain, and he even copsed to the ground. But now, he finally deceived everyone and dealt with everything. He could finallye here to see Deborah. Standing aside, Lucien sighed, ¡°When you made the scene with Ashton at the gate of the hospital yesterday, I even had the illusion that the dead lying on the bed was Deborah.¡± Joseph didn¡¯t reply to what Lucien said. He hurried to the bed, squatted down anxiously, and held the hand hanging by the bed. It was warm. Joseph¡¯s heart which was hanging high finally had anding. After slowly calming down, he responded to what Lucien said, ¡°I told Shawn that Deborah had passed away, so I wanted to go abroad and would nevere back. I just asked him to leave. ¡° Shawn has a prejudice against Deborah and thinks she hinders me. If he knows about Deborah¡¯s fake death, I¡¯m afraid he will leak some news.¡± Lucien said with his eyes widened, ¡°Don¡¯t you even believe Shawn?¡± 40 224 Joseph stared at Deborah who was lying on the bed and said, ¡°t don¡¯t want to make any mistakes this time, so to be honest, I don¡¯t want to belleve anyone. do¨¦tor ¡°It I hadn¡¯t had to find a doctor to take care of Deborah, I wouldn¡¯t let you know that Deborah is still alive.¡± Lucien joked, ¡°You won¡¯t kill me afterward, will you?¡± Joseph¡¯s mood was better now, so he said, ¡°That depends on your future performance.¡± Without further dy, Joseph carried Deborah up, left the bedroom, and went downstairs to the backyard. Lucien helped him carry the luggage and followed him to the backyard. Joseph didn¡¯t bring anyone else with him. Lucien not only could take care of Deborah but also worked as a pilot before and could fly a private jet. The less person who knew that Deborah was still alive meant less risk. Joseph tried to minimize the risk. Joseph didn¡¯t take Deborah abroad because Deborah said before that she was notfortable with the environment andnguage barrier in a foreign country. He took Deborah to Oceanview City, the city farthest from Richmond in the country. No one knew them there. Deborah was in aa for a long time. She had made up her mind to die, but she was saved by Joseph at thest moment. However, due to the excessive emotional ups and downs and the infection of the surgical wound, she fell into aa for several days. Joseph settled down in Oceanview City. One day, when he worked by Deborah¡¯s bedside as usual, he suddenly felt something was wrong. When he looked up, he saw Deborah who had been in aa, looking at him with her eyes open. t?o Amnesia. When Joseph met Deborah¡¯s eyes, his heart suddenly skipped a bit, and he was so guilty that he didn¡¯t even dare to look at her. He led to Deborah about things concerning Alyssa, su it was inceivable that Alyssa must hate him to death Even if Joseph rescued Deborah now, she had to intention of living anymore, so she would definitely leave Joseph desperately and continue to seek death Alyssa was gone, and everything Deborah cared about was gune, so she didn¡¯t want to live anymore. I Joseph didn¡¯t know where to start, but Deborah on the bed spoke first, ¡°Who are you?¡± Joseph was stunned for a moment, thinking that he had heard wrong. ¡°What?¡± Deborah still looked at him with nk and defensive eyes and looked around the bedroom. Her eyes slowly fell back to him, and Deborah repeated the same sentence, ¡°Who are you?¡± Joseph got up and approached her, and looked at her in dishellet. ¡°Deborah, are you feeling well?¡± As soon as he approached, Deborah immediately sat up from the bed and backed away from him in a pante. ¡°What¡¯s the rtionship between us?¡± Seeing her resistance, Joseph stopped approaching her and sald guiltily, ¡°Deborah, don¡¯t be like this. If you hate me, just scold me whatever you want to say, and don¡¯t say such things.¡± She must have hated him so much that she simply pretended that she didn¡¯t know him. Deborah couldn¡¯t understand what he said and frantically looked around for familiar traces, only to find that her mind waspletely empty. Deborah didn¡¯t know what was familiar to her. Everything was strange to her, even herself. Her eyes fell on herself, and she noticed the diamond ring on her ring finger. Her vision waspletely confused. ¡°Am I married?¡± Joseph finally realized that something was wrong. Deborah¡¯s words and deeds didn¡¯t seem to be pretending. To be exact, she didn¡¯t seem to pretend not to know Joseph because she hated him. Her bewilderment and panic were real, and she had be strange to everything. She obviously noticed it herself and said over and over again with an uneasy expression, ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± Joseph suppressed his emotions andforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t panic, and I¡¯ll let the doctore in to treat you.¡± Deborah still looked defensive, and she retreated to the corner of the bed and stared at him. Joseph recalled the day when she had an ident a few days ago. At that time, she was walking towards the middle of the street in a daze when a car honked sharply, stepped on the brakes but still approached her out of inertia. When Joseph rushed over to pull her away, she struggled desperately and fell to the ground. After Joseph took her into the car, she was unconscious with a pale face. Obviously, she had gone through a lot of ups and downs in her mind. But Joseph was very sure that her wound was not too serious. At least certainly, it was not to the point of breaking her brain and causingplete amnesia. He called Dr. Garza in and said in a deep volce, ¡°Deborah doesn¡¯t seem to remember anything.¡± Dr. Garza thought he was joking and replied neatly, ¡°Isn¡¯t it a good thing for you?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Deborah, on the bed, became more defensive. Seeing her like this, Dr. Garza regained his serious expression and approached the person on the bed. ¡°How could it be? Did she really forget everything? Didn¡¯t she just fall down normally?¡± Joseph was a little worried. ¡°I¡¯m also surprised.¡± Dr. Garza stared at Deborah on the bed for a long time before he was basically sure that she was not acting. He turned to Joseph and said, ¡°You go out first, and I¡¯ll check on her.¡± Joseph was worried. ¡°Since you are not a psychiatrist, I¡¯m afraid you can treat her in the right way with a little knowledge about psychic medicine from books.¡± Hearing this, Dr. Garza carried the medicine box and was about to leave. ¡°You can find another one to help you.¡± Joseph had no choice now, so he could only make do with it. ¡°Please have a look at her, and I¡¯ll go out.¡± As he walked outside, Deborah subconsciously stared at him, wanting to get out of bed and follow him. She forgot everything, but she felt a little more familiar with Joseph and felt that he was more believable. Joseph walked to the door and turned to look at her. ¡°I¡¯ll wait outside the door. Deborah, let the doctor nurse you. Don¡¯t worry, and there will be no problem.¡± Deborah didn¡¯t say anything, and Joseph half closed the door. He waited outside the door for nearly an hour, eager to know what happened inside. He was just about to knock on the door to ask about the situation when the door was opened from the inside. Dr. Garza came out from the inside with a rare serious expression. ¡°Deborah has lost her memory indeed.¡± Joseph was stunned for a moment, then frowned. ¡°This is unreasonable.¡± How could it be possible to lose memory after such a fall, not to mention her head was barely hit? Dr. Garza exined, ¡°I consulted a psychologist colleague about Deborah¡¯s situation. Deborah¡¯s amnesia is not entirely caused by the fall. ¡°umting depression leads to her sickness. She has been overly depressed over a long period of time, and she decided to seek death, but that was stopped by you. ¡°It led to her emotional breakdown, which was regarded as a psychological self-protection mechanism, blocking those memories that would lead her to death.¡± Joseph was somewhat puzzled, and Dr. Garza continued, ¡°In short, it¡¯s her body¡¯s self-protection that made her lose her painful memories.¡± Joseph said in a deep voice, ¡°But she seems to have forgotten everything before.¡± Chapter 120 Chapter 120 Chapter 120 Amnesia 59.83% As soon as the words were spoken, Joseph suddenly understood. Deborah¡¯s painful memories were all the memories of her past. Ruthless husband, dead daughter, and passed mother. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. There was also the father who didn¡¯t love her at all, and the stepmother and her half-sister Helen who framed her. Joseph, who had rescued her once, also lied to herter, saying that Alyssa was still alive. There was no memory that could make her happy, so she forgot everything. Joseph¡¯s expression turned dark, and he was rendered speechless for a long time. Dr. Garza looked at him. ¡°It¡¯s okay for her to forget everything. Only by forgetting those can she continue to live. Also, I told her that you are her fiance¡± Joseph looked at Dr. Garza suddenly, making sure he was not joking. His face turned cold, and be immediately pushed the door open to go in and exin to Deborah. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? I have lied to her once and almost killed her, and I will never lie to her again in the future.¡± Dr. Garza didn¡¯t stop him but reminded him calmly, ¡°Okay, then, don¡¯t lie to her. Tell her that she has a daughter and a mother, both of whom are dead. ¡°Her daughter was killed by her husband, and her mother was forced to death by her husband. Then let her go to find Ashton and die with him, or let her jump into the river in despair.¡± Joseph stopped pushing the door and stopped him in a cold voice. ¡°Keep your voice down, and don¡¯t say these words again.¡± Dr. Garza looked at him and smiled. ¡°She will ask you these things sometime about her family background and about the ring on her finger. It you don¡¯t lie to her, how can you tell her?¡± Joseph was speechless. If those cruel pasts were told truthfully to Deborah, it would undoubtedly drive her to a dead end again. Dr. Garza stretched out his hand and patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Joseph, you are a smart person. Since Deborah forgets everything, just let it go. She has lived too hard for the past 20 years, and she should taste some happiness. ¡°If you treat her kindly in the future, You wouldn¡¯t feel guilty about her. As for Ashton, he is far away from Deborah, and he must think that Deborah is dead.¡± Joseph stood where he was without saying a word. Dr. Garza said in a low voice. ¡°Deborah has you in her subconscious mind. You see, just now, when you were about to go out, she was staring at you for tear of you leaving. ¡°In the bedroom just now, she asked me where the ring came from, and I said you were engaged to her. Maybe this made her teel at ease, and she was quite happy heating that.¡± Dr. Garza saw that Joseph was hesitant and said, ¡°You think about it yourself. If you tell Deborah something you shouldn¡¯t say on the spur of the moment, it will make her seek death again. At that time, don¡¯t ask for my help.¡± Get Hous Chapter 121 Chapter 121 Chapter 121 Three Years Later After Dr. Garza finished speaking, he left with the medicine box on his back. Although Deborah lost her memory, she was not so easy to fool. Dr. Garza showed her many photos, all of which were photos of her and Joseph. Joseph took her in before and even carried her into the bedroom when she was unconscious. And a few days ago, when Deborah walked into the middle of the street in a daze, and when she was almost hit, Joseph pulled her back. After she struggled and fell, it was also Joseph who hugged her into the car.. Dr. Garza kept these photos. He originally nned to show Deborah these photos when she resented Joseph, telling her that Joseph had actually done a lot for her.. Unexpectedly, it had now be evidence of their ¡°love¡±. Except for lovers, no one would carry the opposite sex into their bedroom and put them on their own bed. A bunch of photos, together with Dr. Garza¡¯s eloquent narration, convinced Deborah finally. Joseph was still standing outside the bedroom in a daze, and the bedroom door was opened from the inside. Joseph¡¯s body froze suddenly, and he stood where he was, not even daring to look sideways. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Deborah hade out of the room. Deborah walked straight in front of him. Because of Dr. Garza¡¯s exnation and counseling, the panic and bewilderment on her face obviously faded a lot. She looked at Joseph. ¡°Why are you still standing here? Has that doctor left?¡± Joseph suppressed his uneasiness, came back to his senses, and responded, ¡°Yes, Dr. Garza has something to do at the moment, so he has toe backter. You haven¡¯t recovered yet, so I¡¯ll help you go in and lie down for a while.¡± Deborah epted his support slightly defensively. Joseph didn¡¯t know how much effort he had to use to pretend to be so skillful and natural to support her. Joseph¡¯s heart was beating like a drum, and his arms were stiff, but he still didn¡¯t show any abnormality in his look. As if this was such a normal thing, and he had done it countless times. Probably his acting skills were really wonderful. After helping Deborah to the bed, she not only didn¡¯t chase him away but also took the initiative to continue talking to Joseph. ¡°The doctor said that we used to have a good rtionship. Is that true?¡± Joseph¡¯s back was about to break out in cold sweat, and he felt more nervous now than in any previous negotiation sitting at the conference table. He lowered his head to tidy the quilt for her and cleaned up the things on the bedside table while replying to her. ¡°We had a marriage contract before, and we were engaged. But we don¡¯t have parents, and we don¡¯t have witnesses from both parents, so the engagement ceremony was rtively simple. We just bought a ring and invited friends from both parties to witness.¡± Deborah was stunned for a moment. ¡°No parents? Are you and me orphans?¡± Joseph nodded. ¡°Yes, we met in the orphanage. There are still many things in the past, and I can exin them to you slowly in the future. Deborah was silent for a while. Since they met in the orphanage, it is not too much of a coincidence that both of them are orphans Joseph acted on the spot, not sure if he had attracted her suspicion. Just as he was thinking about what he had said, Deborah questioned him, ¡°But why didn¡¯t I see the ring on your hand?¡± N?velDrama.Org content rights. Deborah looked at Joseph¡¯s slender fingers. He was helping her tidy up things, and his hands and fingers were empty. Joseph buried his head in tidying up for a long time, and his emotions were almost adjusted in the right way, and he calmed down. He sat by the bed, looked Deborah straight in the eyes, and exined to Deborah, ¡°I put the ring in the safe. ¡°Last week, I had a party and almost lost my ring after drinking too much. You got so mad at this that you temporarily locked the ring. Deborah kept looking at him, probably thinking about the credibility of his words. Joseph said in a deep voice. ¡°You just got sick and lost your memory. It¡¯s normal to feel uneasy and suspicious about everything around you. It¡¯s okay. I will not only exin many things to you but also slowly prove them to you.¡± Deborah almost blurted out, ¡°How can this be proved?¡± It Joseph were married, they could go to check the marriage certificate or something else. But it was only a verbal engagement, and they didn¡¯t even have blood-rted parents, so they couldn¡¯t find the most trusted blood rtives to ask the truth. Joseph thought for a long time before saying, ¡°I will treat you as well as betore, and I will prove that we were really together before, and I am sincere to you.¡± Looking at his serious appearance, Deborah thought he seemed to be an honest and responsible person, but not the one who was untruthful and fraudulent. Besides, she intuitively felt that this man was familiar, credible, and reliable. Now she had lost all her memories, and it was hard to go or do anything. The person in front of her seemed to be someone she really knew very well, so she decided to ept him and observe Joseph first. Joseph sat upright beside her, and Deborah couldn¡¯t helpughing. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so nervous. I really forget everything, but I feel good now, so how about going out for a walk in a few days and looking around?¡± Joseph nodded immediately. ¡°Okay, then I can go out with you on vacation. There is a nanny at home for the time being. If you are not used to her, you can let her go. ¡°If one nanny is not enough, you can find a few more people toe in ording to your request. Oh, by the way¡­¡± He took out the wallet from the pocket of his suit, took out the card and cash, thought for a while, and gave the wallet directly to her. ¡°You take it. When I¡¯m not at home, you can ask a nanny to go out. You were injured in an ident and lost your wallet. It has been reported as lost, and the bank card will take a few days to get back.¡± Deborah hesitated for a long time but still took it. Joseph just took her to settle down in Oceanview City. Deborah was still suspicious in nature. After a long time, although she and Joseph had always gotten along. harmoniously, she was still wary of Joseph. After half a year, she said she was going out to look for a job. Joseph said that she hadn¡¯t recovered well and advised her to stay at home for a few more days. In fact, it¡¯s not a matter of her health. Joseph was worried that Ashton would have found her if Deborah had gone out and had been exposed to the public. But she was utterly persistent, probably because Deborah guessed that Joseph was trapping her on purpose. Therefore, she decided to go out to work with a firm attitude. Joseph could only agree that and agreed to let her find a job by herself without interfering with her too much. As a result, Deborah had been working for a week. While she was socializing with her boss, the potbellied man in his fifties tricked her and trapped her in a box. Joseph rushed over and brought her out and sent that man to prison for several years. The night he brought Deborah out of the box, Deborah curled up in his arms for the first time, shivering and crying in fear. That incident was like a dividing line. Their rtionship had been tepid before, and it quickly became close after that. Deborah let go of her guard against him and began to trust and rely on him. Deborah offered to join a design branch under hispany. On the first day of the interview, the personnel asked her, ¡°Ms. Shepherd, do you have any other requirements for this job?¡± Deborah carefully said to her, ¡°There is nothing else, but can you try not to make me work overtime? I want to go back. early every day.¡± She had no sense of security. Leaving Joseph, she was not so at ease wherever she stayed. Deborah also wanted to find a job so that she could have a career and a life of her own because she was afraid that Joseph would abandon her one day. A boss happened to pass by, and when he heard the interview, he turned around and teased Joseph, ¡°Where did you find such a clingy beauty?¡± With a serious face, Joseph didn¡¯t respond to him. He turned around and canceled the overtime work at his head office that night. Three yearster. ¡°This morning, the current designpetition sponsored by Runte Group hase to an end. The designer of the winning work did not show up. It is rumored that the mysterious designer is the favorite student of Master Ann, who has long been well-known in the industry.¡± Chapter 122 Chapter 122 Chapter 122 Ashton Came Here In the studio on the twelfth floor of Jingron Fashion Design Building, a woman in her twenties was watching entertainment news with interest on her mobile phone. The host of the news was also in high spirits. He had just finished talking about the mysterious designer winning the designpetition and soon began to broadcast the next news. ¡°Mr. Mullen, the CEO of the Mullen Group, held a press conference yesterday afternoon, expressing his hope that the acquisition of Jingron Design will be sessful in the next quarter. ¡°It is reported that Jingron Design is a subsidiary of Jingron Group. Jingron Group is currently operating well and has strong assets. The total market value of the group has exceeded 20 billion dors. ¡°Mr. Mullen publicly stated that he intends to offer a purchase price of nearly 2 billion dors to express his sincerity in the purchase. If the acquisition is sessful, this will be the seventeenth design The news was pressed to pause, and the woman threw the phone back on the desk with a shocked expression. ¡°It should not be the truth, as ourpany won¡¯t really be sold by the boss. What background does Mr. Mullen have? Why can he afford to buy a subsidiarypany at a price of 2 billion dors? Is he crazy?¡± Deborah sat in her seat, with her slightly curly long hair tied behind her head at random, and she took a pencil to revise thest details of the design draft. His eyes nced at the time on the phone from time to time, but she didn¡¯t pay attention to Simone¡¯s exmation beside her. Mona, who was sitting on the other side, dropped herputer after hearing the words and came over. ¡°Really? Paying 2 billion dors to acquire Jingron Design?¡± Simone handed her the news in excitement. ¡°Yeah. If Mr. Mullen is not out of his mind, there must be fraud in it. ¡°Jingron Design is just one of the hundreds of branches under Jingron. No matter how famous it is, it is not worth 2 billion dors.¡± Mona stared at the news for a long time and said mysteriously, ¡°You don¡¯t understand this, as you don¡¯t read much about the entertainment gossip of the affluent ss. ¡°I heard that Mr. Mullen is a fool but with a lot of money, and he had acquired more than ten design Simone looked surprised. ¡°I didn¡¯t know it before. But even though his dead wife was in design, why is he spending so much money to buy designpanies?¡± Mona murmured, ¡°ording to the reliable information I have inquired, he fantasized that his wife woulde back from the dead and go to work in another designpany. ¡°It is also impossible for him to investigate everypany, so he searched for some key suspect Simone was very fascinated when she heard it. ¡°ording to what you said, he bought ourpany at a sky-high price of 2 billion dors. Couldn¡¯t it be that he found his dead wife, who was in our Mona nced at her in disgust. ¡°Bah! What does it mean that his dead wife is in ourpany? What a romantic story, and why does it look like a horror movie to you?¡± Simone grinned. ¡°Anyway, if I were the boss, if there was such a good thing, I would definitely be willing to sell the Chapter 122 Ashton Came Here 60 625 bubbly There are a breve they Who ¡®t want a Magenta si borah, who working on the merit, ant castingly, ¡°The theme of us bought shares here. I fingren weigh a resily held a batos Ashes, that can we alus share de multe os ten million million urah, who had by one ¡® desam about that, as the bees Mbona kickend at han in vorgeler. ¡°How do you know? ing Deborah po up and caked to bag, and dhe mbile phone¡¯s wit guest¡¯s half past five, and it¡¯s just time to pet oft work, so I¡¯ll be leaving firer Mona vaid yfully. ¡°The woman in love is really crazy he would have thought that gron¡¯s famous and mysterion chief designer fears her husband and leaves work on time every day? I ¡°Deborah, ten to my advice. Such a man is too possessive As he even let you shone your face in front of the media, he is not suitable for you.¡±. Deborah expand her previous words and joked, ¡°since you¡¯re thigle, you don¡¯t understand it. Mona got pissed off by her, and that made Simoneugh Nisa was thinking about how to win the debate when Deborah¡¯s cell phone rang She answered the phone, and the gentle and deep voice of the man over there came over. ¡°Have you done your work? I¡¯m downstairs. Deborahughed so much that water overflowed from her brows and eyes. She quickened her steps and walked directly outside ¡°Well, I¡¯m done, and I¡¯ming down now/ Mona said indignantly. ¡°One day, I hope to find a man who loves me deeply and only has eyes for me. Samone packed up her things and was about to leave, teasing her, ¡°Since you are at this age, it is all right to be just single and pass your life with patience. I believe you can deal with it Mona looked at Deborah¡¯s back, and her anger quickly turned to the desire to gossip. ¡°But I saw Deborah¡¯s husband driving a Bentleyst time. ¡°The one worth nearly 4 million dors is very simr to a car photographed by the media of the boss of fingron Grump ¡°Do you think there is a possibility that this rich woman who stays with us every day is our boss Simoneughed out loud ¡°You might as well write a book For such a big group as fingron, the big boas must be in his fifties How could the boss¡¯s wife be as young as Deborah Mona retorted, ¡°Just like a CEO and his little wife in some romantic noveb Simone interrupted her. ¡°Little girl, watch less goofy dramas. In real life, the big bosses are middle-aged and elderly people, usually with potbellies, squinting eyes, and baldness.¡± Mona was so angry that she picked up her bag and left. Simone followed her with a smile, and they left together. When they arrived downstairs of thepany, as soon as the two of them went out, they saw Deborah walking briskly towards a man from a distance. Get Bonus The man boasted a tall and straight figure, with a gentle smile shown by his brows and eyes, and his face was enchanting enough to make any woman fall for him. He carefully draped the coat on Deborah¡¯s body, holling her waist and leaving together. Deborah seemed to say something to him, and the man immediately turned his face, bent slightly, and lowered his head to listen to het. They didn¡¯t know what the two of them said. Then the manughed and raised his pahn to touch Deborah¡¯s head. Mona let out a long sigh. ¡°I can¡¯t take it anymore, and I¡¯m going to suffer from insomnia again tonight.¡± Joseph opened the co-pilot¡¯s car door and protected Deborah¡¯s head with his palm, waiting for her to get in the car first. After closing the co-pilot¡¯s door, he noticed the sight not far away. The gentleness between his eyebrows disappeared, and he nced sideways indifferently. Mona and Simone were taken aback by his eyes and immediately turned their eyes away and walked forward. Joseph was relieved after seeing clearly the people who were looking at him. He couldn¡¯t help being a little suspicious these two days because after getting the news that Ashton insisted on the acquisition of Jingron for somewhat reason. Joseph founded Jingron Design a few years ago andter increased investment. He did all of this mainly for Deborah Now Deborah was happy working here, and she had made some achievements. He managed to create an opportunity for Deborah to meet Master Ann through Steven. Then Deborah fought for it on her own, and Master Ann agreed to ept her as a disciple. For the past three years, Joseph has noticed her hard work. So, in any case, it was impossible for Jingron Design to be sold, no matter how high the price was given by the other party. Deborah just asked Joseph about this and said yfully that if thepany was sold, would she lose her job? Joseph smiled and replied that it was impossible for him to sell it and patted her head. He would never agree to sell thepany just because Deborah liked to be here. In order to make her stay here happily, Joseph secretly made a lot of arrangements. For example, he fired or transferred many of Deborah¡¯s colleagues to make her cheerful. Some employees were thoughtful and scheming. If they stayed with Deborah, he would always be worried that Deborah would be wronged. As for Simone and Mona, who was staying now, in addition to their extraordinary ability, they also had a good personality, and they were suitable for getting along with Deborah. In the past few years, he had made a lot of adjustments and improvements in bits and pieces and finally made this ce the most suitable ce for Deborah to work Deborah would not want to leave or change ces, and she would never let her down or let her change. But Ashton seemed to want to get in his way. Ashton tried every means to buy thepany even if Joseph didn¡¯t want To sell it The bid had been raised all the time, and until now, it was a billion dors. Joseph drove Deborah back. Thinking about these things, he was a little absent-minded. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Deborah was also a little tired from work today and soon fell asleep while lying on the co-pilot. When they got home, Joseph carried her in and put her down on the bed in the bedroom. Morton quickly called him, ¡°Mr. ck, I found out suddenly that Mr. Mullen hade to Oceanview City and arrived at Oceanview City Airport half an hour ago.¡± Get Bonus Chapter 123 Chapter 123 Chapter 123 See You Tonight? Joseph¡¯s hand holding the phone tightened suddenly. In the three years since Deborah faked her death and left, this was Ashton¡¯s first visit to Oceanview City. The news that Joseph disclosed before was that he went abroad. But in the past year, Jingron¡¯s branch in Oceanview City had be bigger and bigger, and after it had sessfully negotiated cooperation with Steven of Runte Group, the group¡¯s profit increased rapidly. Joseph had never appeared in front of the media in recent years, and he has never disclosed who Jingron¡¯s real boss was. But after all, when the group grew bigger and it started to attract attention. Some toppanies slowly began to find out that Jingron was Joseph¡¯s industry, and Joseph hadn¡¯t gone abroad at all in the past few years but stayed in Oceanview City, wantonly developing the market. Now when it came to Jingron Group, everyone in the business world knew that thepany had been established for less than ten years but had grown extremely fast. Naturally, it was also impossible for Ashton to have been kept in the dark. Joseph said in a deep voice, ¡°Have you detected clearly? Are you sure that Ashton hase to Oceanview City?¡± Morton responded, ¡°Mr. ck, I¡¯m at Oceanview City Airport right now. I checked the surveince cameras. It¡¯s indeed Mr. Mullen from Richmond who came¡­ Wait a moment. I seem to have seen Mr. Mullen.¡± Joseph frowned and fell silent, thinking about whether to take Deborah abroad for a while. It was just that based on Ashton¡¯s temperament, once he became suspicious, he might be relentless. The more Joseph hid, the more Ashton insisted on finding something- The voice on the other side of the phone was a bit noisy, and soon, it changed to Ashton¡¯s voice. ¡°Joseph, I haven¡¯t seen you in a few years, so how about having a drink together tonight?¡± Since three years ago, Joseph had long blocked Ashton¡¯s number, and Ashton had never contacted him either. Since Deborah had left, there was no need to contact him. Joseph wanted to hang up the phone for a moment, but Ashton¡¯s voice came over quickly. ¡°If it¡¯s not convenient for you, I¡¯lle to visit in person tonight. The vi in the south of the city you live in is pretty nice.¡± They hadn¡¯t seen each other for three years, but Ashton was still aggressive, as always. The vi where Joseph lived now was in the south of the city. Few people knew about it, but since Ashton went to Oceanview City, it would not be too difficult to find a way to find this house. Joseph looked very disgusted and was about to reply that it was impossible to see him, but the door of the study was opened from the outside. Deborah had already woken up and walked in from outside the study with still bleary eyes. Seeing that Joseph was on the phone, she walked towards him without making a sound. On the other side of the phone, Ashton¡¯s voice continued. ¡°I know you are low-key and don¡¯t like to show up Chanter 123 See You Tonight? 61.16% everywhere. So, why not go to Jingron Club? It is your own ce. We just have a ss of wine, so would you please do me a favor?¡± Joseph watched Deborahe to him, and she stretched out her hand to y with her finger with a ring on her left hand. His throat tightened, and he quickly replied, ¡°Okay.¡± Ashton was stunned for a moment, then quickly said, ¡°Then eight o¡¯clock tonight?¡± Joseph still replied, ¡°Okay.¡± Joseph was extremely nervous, but Deborah didn¡¯t notice anything unusual and waited for him to finish the call patiently. It was rare for Ashton toe to Oceanview City. The branches of the Mullen Group here also had a lot of things to deal with. Since Joseph readily agreed to his invitation, Ashton didn¡¯t say anymore and quickly hung up the phone. Deborah was still stroking the diamond ring on Joseph¡¯s hand. Seeing that he had finished his phone call, she said, ¡°It¡¯s time for dinner. The maid had finished the meal.¡± Over the past few years, Deborah had been used to eating dinner at home with Joseph. Joseph saw her touching the ring with nostalgia. He was used to it before, but now he felt strangely ufortable. After Deborah¡¯s ident, Joseph forgot to take off the ring on her hand, and when she woke up, she saw it. Joseph said at the time that it was their engagement ring. Afterward, without telling Deborah, he bought another men¡¯s ring that was a pair with Deborah¡¯s ring. The diamond ring was very ordinary, not a custom-made one, and it was easy to buy the same one. When Deborah and Ashton got married, Ashton was reluctant, and Deborah bought the ring by herself. A pair of rings cost less than 15 thousand dors. But Deborah still spent all her savings and borrowed money to buy them. The one Joseph was wearing now was naturally exactly the same as the one Ashton was wearing. Joseph held Deborah¡¯s hand, not letting her touch it again. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just fall asleep? Why did you wake up so soon?¡± Deborah replied with a slight sound, and when she was led out of the study by Joseph, she lowered her eyes and looked at the ring. Joseph couldn¡¯t help but say in a warm voice, ¡°Debby, why don¡¯t we change a pair of rings another day? This one is too simple, and I¡¯ve been wearing it for so many years.¡± Deborah immediately looked away, raised her eyes, and looked at him solemnly. ¡°I won¡¯t. It is unlucky to change the wedding ring, and the engagement ring is the same.¡± Joseph tried to persuade her, ¡°You¡¯re too superstitious about this¡­¡± Before he finished speaking, Deborah immediately interrupted him. ¡°I won¡¯t change that. At most, I will change a pair of wedding rings when I get married again.¡± Chapter 123 Sep You Toni 61.33% Joseph¡¯s face was a little stiff, and he could only say vaguely, ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll don¡¯t change it for now He regretted mentioning this, as that made Deborah mention marriage again. Seeing that he didn¡¯t react much, Deborah was obviously a little disappointed. Three years was a long time, and Joseph even started to have an illusion that he and Deborah were an N?velDrama.Org content rights. ordinary unwed couple. When the right day came, they could take it for granted to hold a wedding and get married. Sometimes he even couldn¡¯t help thinking about where and how to n his wedding with Deborah. But he quickly realized that this was impossible. Deborah was married a long time ago, and her marriage had not yet ended. Deborah didn¡¯t know it, but Joseph had to know. Because of the topic of marriage, Deborah went downstairs to eat, obviously in a low mood. Joseph coaxed her and prepared vegetables and soup for her. Then he asked her how her work was today, but she didn¡¯t respond too much. After the meal was over, Joseph had no choice but to say to her, ¡°I have to go to the club and make an appointment with a partner to talk about work there.¡± Deborah felt a little ufortable because of the marriage, so she asked about his affairs, which was rare before. ¡°Why do you go to the club to talk about cooperation? Didn¡¯t you always go to thepany to talk about it?¡± Joseph didn¡¯t think much about it just now. Ashton proposed to go to the club. Seeing Deborahe in, Joseph immediately agreed. Joseph responded, ¡°That is because the club is closer than thepany from here, so I can go and return at an early. time. Oh, by the way, as for the ne 1 asked Jesse to keep for youst time, he called me and said that it had arrived. ¡°I¡¯ll let the maid apany you to pick it up. When you pick it up, I should be back too.¡± The ne was a new design by a jewelry designer whom Deborah took a fancy to. Since Deborah liked it, Joseph ordered it for her. The finished product had just been made, and it was shipped by air immediately. Deborah was still not in a good mood. Over the years, she and Joseph had been getting along very well. But they were still not married yet, and every time she mentioned marriage, Joseph would pass it with a few vague words. Deborah said suddenly, ¡°I¡¯ll get the ne another day. I want to apany you to the club. Chapter 124 Chapter 124 Chapter 124 Deborah Is Angry Involuntarily, Joseph replied in an instant, ¡°No.¡± With that, he and Deborah were both stunned. In the past three years, this was the first time that he rejected Deborah¡¯s request so simply and neatly. Deborah suddenly felt a wave of grievance and uneasiness. It had been three years. Couldn¡¯t Joseph really see that she wanted to get married? Since she had forgotten about him in an ident, they had lived together for three years without getting married. For the first time, the invisibly umted emotions made her feel like a boulder was being pressed on her back, making her suddenly out of breath. She had never doubted it before, but now she couldn¡¯t help but wonder for the first time whether Joseph had no intention of marrying her at all. He cared for her in every possible way, but he never intended to marry her. He didn¡¯t make her public, keeping her from being photographed. To this day, she had won countless trophies and honors, but her name cannot even appear in front of the public. When the media mentioned her, she was referred as ¡°y¡± or ¡°Master Ann¡¯s disciple¡±. The outside world said she was mysterious, but she didn¡¯t like being mysterious at all. After so many years of hard work, every time she won an award, she hoped to stand on the stage, hold the trophy high, and enjoy the flowers and apuse. She wanted to tell everyone that she was not the mysterious designer, not called Y, and that she had a name, her name was Deborah. But she couldn¡¯t, because Joseph didn¡¯t want her to stand on the stage. Deborah still remembered that once, her side face was identally snapped when a new newspaper took a picture of her design draft. Later, she heard Joseph calling in the study in anger, saying that he didn¡¯t want to see that newspaper again. The newspaper was involved in awsuit the next day and soon disappeared in Oceanview City. Deborah didn¡¯t want to dwell on those things and didn¡¯t want to think about who was the one Joseph wanted to hide her from. She knew that many of the businessmen that Joseph had worked with had mistresses. A rich and powerful man could give everything except marriage to his mistress. Before her emotions broke down, Deborah put down her fork in a panic, stood up anxiously, and turned upstairs. As she went upstairs, she said, ¡°Okay, I see. Go ahead.¡± Joseph felt a sting in his heart as he immediately got up and chased after her. He knew exactly what she had misunderstood, but he couldn¡¯t exin it.. Deborah walked quickly. Knowing that Joseph was chasing her, she almost ran into the bedroom in a panic. When Joseph chased to the door of the bedroom, there came the sound of the door being locked. Joseph anxiously stretched out his hands to twist the door, only to find it couldn¡¯t be opened. Deborah¡¯s emotions must not get out of control, which was a reminder from Dr. Garza long ago. She had a liver transnt, a miscarriage, and lost a lot of memory, all of which had a permanent effect on her body. Joseph tried every possible way to speak to her for a long tinje outside the door, but there was no response from Inside. Not being able to see Deborah made his heart sink. While knocking on the door, he called Dr. Garza, As soon as the call got through, Joseph said, ¡°Come to my ce. I had a fight with Deborah. She is in a bad mood and locks herself in the door.¡± Dr. Garza, who didn¡¯t believe it at all, sneered, ¡°You two had a fight? You want to trick me into witnessing PDA. Not gonna happen!¡± He knew Joseph and Deborah were an affectionate couple who stuck to each other all day long. Deborah couldn¡¯t stand a minute away from him. How could it be possible that they fought? After finishing speaking, Dr. Garza was about to hang up the phone. Joseph said in a deep voice, ¡°It¡¯s true. Just hurry over here.¡± He was talking when the door inside was suddenly opened. Deborah looked at him with red eyes. ¡°I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t bother Dr. Garza.¡± Seeing hering out suddenly, Joseph spoke incoherently, ¡°Ah, okay, then don¡¯te. It saves you the trouble.¡± Without saying anything more, Deborah turned around and went in again. Afraid that she would lock herself again, Joseph immediately hung up the phone and followed inside. Deborah seethed silently and sat on the sofa without saying a word. Joseph sat down next to her. ¡°I¡¯m worried that you¡¯ll be bored. Why don¡¯t I ask the manager to arrange a private room. for you next door where you can eat some snacks, and we¡¯ll go home together after my work is done.¡± Deborah said lukewarmly, ¡°I won¡¯t go.¡± Joseph coaxed, ¡°Come with me. On the way home after work, I¡¯ll take you to bring the ne back together.¡± ¡°When youe back, the jewelry store has already closed,¡± replied Deborah, not looking at him. Joseph smiled and said, ¡°No, I asked the store manager over there and was told the store doesn¡¯t close until twelve o¡¯clock tonight.¡± Deborali still turned her eyes away from at him. Joseph took her hand and held it in his palm. ¡°I just said something wrong, and I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Deborah stood up and said, ¡°I won¡¯t go with you. I¡¯m going to take a shower and go to bed.¡± Joseph held her hand tightly and said, ¡°Sleep when youe back, and you can sleep over there. I will carry you backter. I¡¯ll be worried if you are alone at home.¡± Deborah was finally worn down and went out with him. In the past few yours, she had been dependent on Joseph, and she was not difficult to be roaxed. After getting by the car, she suddenly said, ¡°I heard from Mona that Mr. Green, who was talking to you about cooperation a few days ago, has a temale celebrity as his mistress, and he¡¯s married with kids.¡± Joseph, whose mind was on seeing Ashtonter, responded in an absent way, ¡°The rumor seems to be so. I¡¯m not sure about it They were just business partners who wouldn¡¯t pole theh noses into other¡¯s private lives. Deborah askest, ¡°He has a wife and keeps a mistress. Isn¡¯t it tired that he shuttles between them?¡± Joseph finally sensed something was wrong and looked at her with add eyes. ¡°Why do you suddenly care about this?¡± Deborah tried to dodge his sight and said, ¡°Just checking¡± Seeing that she was sitting far away, Joseph stretched out his hand to grab her to his side, raised his hand and tapped her forehead with the knickles of his index finger. ¡°What are you thinking about? I have to talk to you nonsense.¡± ector some other day, and warn Mona not to tell you this N?velDrama.Org content rights. Deborah snorted coldly and said, ¡°Mona said you men are all the same The driver in front tailed to suppressughter, and after Joseph gave him a cold look through the rearview mirror, he immediately shut up and focused on driving. Joseph said, his expression growing serious, ¡°Debby, about getting married, I do have some difficulties. ¡°But I promise you that I love you wholeheartedly. I¡¯ve done property notarization apanied by a Deborah looked sideways out of the window and ignored him. She didn¡¯t say a word until the car stopped outside the Jingron clubhouse. Joseph took her out of the car and took another passage with her, saying that there were too many people at the main entrance. Deborah didn¡¯t find it strange. This was Joseph¡¯s property, and he woulde over asionally to inspect it. Usually, he wouldn¡¯t go in through the main entrance as he was ufortable with being followed or being the locus of attention. The manager quickly greeted him and said respectfully, ¡°Mr. ck, Mrs. Mullen. Mr. Mullen¡¯s here waiting for you in the private room NO. 1 on the third floor. ¡°As you instructed, the room next door is reserved for Mrs. Mullen, with fruits and drinks.¡± Joseph nodded, and took Deborah up to the special elevator. The room reserved for Deborah was next to room NO. 1, but the directions to the exits were just opposite Joseph took Deborah in first, ced cushions and nkets for her, and let her sleep on the sofa for a while when she was tired. Knowing that he had business to discuss, Deborah urged him as soon as she entered, ¡°I¡¯ll just stay here by myself. Do your work.¡± Joseph left the driver here to take care of her and told her not to run around before going out. Pushing open the door of the box next door, as soon as he entered, Ashton¡¯s eyes shot straight to him as he asked, ¡°Mr. ck, are you here alone?¡± Get Bus Chapter 125 Chapter 125 Chapter 125 She Doesn¡¯t Die Joseph walked straight over and sat down on the sofa opposite Ashton. Joseph looked indifferent without giving Ashton a nce. ¡°Just go straight to the point. I¡¯m very busy and don¡¯t have time to talk nonsense with you.¡± While speaking, Joseph thought of something, covered the palm of his right hand with his left hand, and took off the diamond ring on his ring finger calmly. For some reason, Ashton couldn¡¯t help but nce at the door of the private room. On second thought, he didn¡¯t think Joseph would bring someone here. Joseph put away the ring and then took a glimpse at Ashton opposite. He was a bit surprised. Ashton¡¯s tone was calm, and Joseph thought someone as cold as Ashton might have long moved on from the pain of losing Deborah as it had been three years. Unexpectedly, Ashton looked a little unrecognizable. He grew visibly thinner and haggard, no longer as high-spirited as he was before. Ashton stared at Joseph with dim eyes and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing else. I sincerely mean to take over Jingron Design and offer a high price of 2 billion dors. Mr. ck, why are you still displeased?¡± Joseph sneered impatiently, ¡°You came so far just to say such nonsense to me? 1 don¡¯t want to sell my things to you, for no reason.¡± Ashton said with a smile, ¡°Oh, is there no other reason? Mr. ck, as far as I know, you¡¯re interest- oriented. There¡¯s no reason not to make easy money, right?¡± Joseph looked sideways at him with utter disgust in his eyes. ¡°Ashton, don¡¯t try to beat about the bush. Well, are you still fantasizing about Deborahing back from the dead and being hidden by others, hidden by me?¡± Ashton¡¯s body froze obviously, and after his thought was seen through, the smile on his face finally faded. Joseph said coldly, ¡°You spent so much money in acquiring so many designpanies just to show how affectionate you are. Drop the act in front of me. It¡¯s disgusting. I¡¯d rather throw or donate my thing than sell them to you.¡± Ashton sat there with a lump in his throat, unable to speak a word. Over the years, he told herself and forced him to believe that Deborah was gone and lost. So he was going to get her back, and he convinced himself that she was in a design studio somewhere, and that was the job she loved. No one would ever expose his self-deception. He just deceived himself like this, ignoring Deborah¡¯s body, ignoring Deborah¡¯s ashes, and looking for Deborah for three years. Until now, he realized that he had deceived himself too much, thinking that Deborah must have run away with Joseph. So he came to Oceanview City to ask for her from Joseph. He deceived himself to forget that Deborah was dead. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. When she died in front of his eyes that day, he asked Rodger to personally carry out an autopsy on her and identified 62.16% her DNA The post-mortem revealed that the body belonged to Deborals. But he still didn¡¯t believe it. Ashton believed that Rodger was lying to him and helping Deborah escape. So Jett said to him, ¡°Mr. Mullen, how about getting another coroner to do the test?¡± Ashton refused without thinking about it, ¡°No, forget it. Anyway, this corpse doesn¡¯t belong to Deborah. It doesn¡¯t.¡± He quickly had the body cremated and scattered the ashes into the sea. When he returned home, he imed that Deborah had disappeared and started looking for Deborah all over the world. The reason why he didn¡¯t give up managing the Mullen Group was that he needed to carn money and power. Only in this way could we continue to acquire designpanies, throw money, and try every possible means to find Deborah. He was trying to find someone who could never exist again. Joseph got up directly and said, ¡°Ashton, you are ridiculous. I have made it clear what should be said, and I think we should have nothing to talk about.¡± He walked outside, and behind him, Ashton got up and called him, ¡°If Deborah really died, why don¡¯t you feel sad? ¡°You seem to have been doing well in the past few years. Deborah passed away three years ago, and you left decisively without caring about her body or her mother¡¯s funeral.¡± Joseph suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned around. He seemed to be at the limit of his patience, and suddenly approached with a few steps, and punched Ashton hard in the face. Ashton was obviously in a trance now, slower in reaction. When the punch hit his face, he didn¡¯t react at all. He staggered and sat back on the sofa. Joseph gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Because I¡¯m not interested. It¡¯s meaningless to snatch a dead body from you! ¡°Deborah is dead, Ashton, when she was alive, you had her for your own, and when she died, you snatched her body away. What qualifications do you have to ask her from me?¡± Ashton¡¯s face trembled as he sunk into the sofa dejectedly. He muttered to himself, ¡°She¡¯s not dead. Don¡¯t y games. You must have hidden her. Your business has been booming in the past three years. If she really died, can you live well as if nothing happened?¡± Joseph stared at him with scarlet eyes and snapped, ¡°Just dream. Live in the dream forever! So what if I hide her? ¡°The person she wanted to choose from the very beginning was me. She made a mistake, and you tricked her into believing you. If she hadn¡¯t mistaken you for me, she would¡¯ve been with me and we would¡¯ve gotten married and had kids. You would¡¯ve got a shot!¡± Ashton shook his head in despair and said, ¡°I am the one Debby loved. We¡¯d been married for more than four years, and our rtionship is the result of getting along day and night for so many years. It¡¯s not because of the fact that you saved her, no,¡± Get Bonus Joseph looked at him and found his words ridiculous. ¡°You¡¯d spent a lot of time together. ¡°But it¡¯s you who killed her daughter and mother, crippled Zayne¡¯s hand, and made her suffer a terminal illness and have a miscarriage. Because of you, she lost her liver and her womb. Is this the way you two got along?¡± The color drained from Ashton¡¯s face. It was so long ago, so long ago that he began to forget that he had hurt Deborah so much. It turned out that the marriage between him and Deborah which he thought so happy was so miserable that he couldn¡¯t bear to recall Joseph snorted lightly, ¡°She should indeed have endless feelings for you, endless despair, and endless resentment. I guess she couldn¡¯t rest in peace because she didn¡¯t kill you.¡± Ashton¡¯s face was overcast with sadness. ¡°I regret it. If I could have been earlier¡­¡± Joseph interrupted him, ¡°Keep acting and acquiringpanies, and live in your dream.¡± With that, he exited the private room. Chapter 126 Chapter 126 Chapter 126 The Mysterious Wife of Mr. ck After Joseph went out, Jeff walked in from the outside. Ashton was still copsing on the sofa with his hands covering his face and remained silent for a long time. When Jeff finally couldn¡¯t help but want to express his concern, Ashton suddenly raised his head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t believe Joseph¡¯s nonsense. ¡°You contact the manager of Jingron Design and don¡¯t let Joseph know. Tell the manager about the cooperation and I Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. need to visit theirp There were too many branches under Jingron, and it was impossible for Joseph to personally handle all the matters of each branch. The affairs of eachpany, including product development, marketing and sales, negotiating contracts, and many other matters, could be done without disturbing the president. Managers of the branchpanies or other persons in charge could get these things done. Jett nodded and called Bill of the Jingron Design. Bill was very pleasantly surprised that Ashton personally made an appointment to discuss the cooperation and said that he would go to Jingron Design to have a look in person. He immediately agreed without hesitation. Being able to cooperate with the Mullen Group would be of great benefit to Jingron Design. As the general manager of the branch, Bill could also get great benefits. After a few words of Jeff, they agreed to meet each other at ten o¡¯clock the next morning. After the agreement was made, Jelt specially instructed, ¡°Mr. Wand, please keep this from Mr. ck for the time being. Mr. Mullen will visit Jingron Design first. ¡°We¡¯ll check thepany¡¯s situation before negotiating a partnership with you.¡± Bill agreed with a smile, ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll see you guys at ten o¡¯clock tomorrow morning.¡± Jeff replied ¡°OK, Mr. Wand¡± with a smile and hung up the phone. He turned around and walked in front of Ashton. ¡°Mr. Mullen, it¡¯s settled. The appointment is made at ten o¡¯clock tomorrow morning.¡± Ashton nodded absent mindedly and said, ¡°Well. I don¡¯t think Jingron Design is simple. When Joseph first founded Jingron, thepany¡¯s focus was not on clothing design at all, but mainly on research and development and sales of high-tech products. ¡°This is not even close to fashion design. Speaking of which, it was three years ago that Jingron Design suddenly saw such huge progress.¡± Three years ago was when Deborah passed away. Jeff knew that Ashton suspected that Joseph had taken Deborah away. As for the Jingron Design, it was Joseph¡¯s workce for Deborah. Jelf persuaded, ¡°Mr. Mullen, you were very clear about Ms. Shepherd¡¯s death back then. It¡¯s been so many years. You really should let it go.¡± Ashton stood to his feet and interrupted him, ¡°Enough. I don¡¯t want to hear this. Since we have an appointment tomorrow morning, let¡¯s go back now. I want to rest early.¡± Chapter 126 The Mysterious Wife of Mr. ck 62.62% After so many years, Ashton still habitually expected that he would finally see Deborah again the next day, at the next moment. She must not like his exhausted appearance. The next morning, Ashton arrived outside the building of Jingron Design at nine o¡¯clock. Joseph had a meeting at the head office in the morning, so he left after sending Deborah to work early in the morning. Ashton¡¯s car just stopped outside the building of Jingron Design, and someone quickly sent a message to Bill Bill was surprised that Ashton would arrive so early, and he hurriedly stopped what he was doing and brought his assistant down to meet him. Ashton didn¡¯t talk much about the cooperation but just look around in thepany. The entire building of Jingron Design had 21 floors. He visited each office area from the first floor. When he came to the tenth floor, Bill was tired from walking and couldn¡¯t help suggesting. ¡°Mr. Mullen, in fact, there is an internalyout and employee roll, as well as real-time monitoring screens of each office area. How about I show you?¡± Ashton gave a dip of his head after a brief thought. ¡°Works for me.¡± Jeff immediately answered, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Wand. Mr. Mullen would like to know about the situation of yourpany¡¯s employees.¡± Bill was left a little puzzled. If Ashton hadn¡¯t said in advance that he woulde to visit thepany before negotiating cooperation, he would have thought that Ashton was here to find someone. Otherwise, why would he take the trouble to visit every office on every floor? Bill, who was in the position to make it clear, immediately ordered the assistant beside him to go to the personnel department to get the employee roll. Ashton went to the general manager¡¯s office with Bill. When someone delivered the employee roll, he sat and read the booklet page by page. Jeff was by his side, helping him turn page by page. There were thousands of employees of this branch in this roll. Bill looked a little dumbfounded, unable to believe that Ashton was checking them one by one. He said that he would like to know about the employees, but he basically turned the next page with a nce without paying attention to the information. At that speed, he could only catch a sight of the photo and then the name. Bill was smart enough to notice that something was wrong. The purpose of Ashton¡¯sing here was probably not to negotiate cooperation. It took quite a long time for Ashton to flip through the roll, although he was very fast. After finishing reading it, Ashton looked at Bill and asked, ¡°Are all the employees of yourpany in the roll?¡± Chapter 126 The Mysterious Wife of Mr. ck 62.75%. A little guarded, Bill still nodded and said, ¡°Yes, Mr. Mullen.¡± Get Roul Ashton asked, ¡°Are you sure there are no missed, or new employees whose information has not yet been put in this booklet?¡± Bill said firmly. ¡°No, every employee¡¯s information in ourpany will be entered into the employee roll from the first day of employment. ¡°It¡¯s the same case for interns, as long as they don¡¯t leave thepany.¡± There was only one person¡¯s information that wasn¡¯t included in the roll. The information sheet about the mysterious wife of the president was taken out separately. Bill was personally instructed by Joseph that the information about his wife must be kept a secret no matter who asked to check it. Under specific situations, it could be revealed with his permission. Bill thought Ashton had reason to check Deborah since he didn¡¯t know her. Ashton asked, ¡°Jingron Design is well-known in the industry, and there must be a lot of outstanding designers, right? Why didn¡¯t I see any designers just now?¡± As he spoke, he found a piece of employee information. ¡°This Simone impressed me a little. She won an award in the designpetition before. It is said that she is a very good designer, isn¡¯t she?¡± A trace of wariness appeared on Bill¡¯s face, and Ashton exined, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, Mr. Wand. I¡¯m a man of principle. I won¡¯te here to poach yourpany¡¯s employees. ¡°It¡¯s just that there¡¯s an order for clothing design, and I want to hand it over to yourpany. I¡¯m quite demanding. I hope to personally appoint several designers.¡± Bill heaved a sigh of relief. It turned out this was Ashton¡¯s purpose. Bill immediately ordered the secretary, ¡°Go and call Simone over.¡± Ashton said, ¡°I also hope to have the opportunity to meet other outstanding designers.¡± Bill nodded immediately and said, ¡°Okay. Ms. Lee, call Mona, this one, and this all over.¡± As he spoke, he named a few people on the roll. Ashton looked a little displeased. These people¡¯s information was all on the roll, so it was a waste of his time to bring them here to meet. He got up calmly and said, ¡°Please don¡¯t bother. Where is your design studio? I can go over and have a look.¡± Bill didn¡¯t think too much at the moment, assuming that Ashton mighte to discuss cooperation because of Simone¡¯s reputation. Simone was very famous in the industry. In a previous designpetition, she was only ranked below Deborah. Bill stood up and said, ¡°Okay, this way please. I¡¯ll take you there.¡± Ashton followed Bill to the outside of the design room, opened the door, and went in. There were a lot of people working inside, and it was ten o¡¯clock in the morning, which was a busy time. The designer¡¯s work was rtively free, and they could sit wherever they wanted. Deborah was sitting in the back corner, immersed in drawing design drafts when Mona beside her gave a pull of her ¡ê9 074 clothes. ¡°Look, look, the rich Mr. Mullen who wants to spend 2 billion dors to buy ourpany is here!¡± Get Bonus Chapter 127 Chapter 127 Chapter 127 He Saw Deborah Deborah was drawing design drafts seriously. Hearing this, she raised her head and nced at the door rather perfunctorily, then looked away. Mona shook Deborah excitedly and said, ¡°This is crazy! He can buy apany for 2 billion dors, and he¡¯s so young and handsome! Oh, my heart! I¡¯ve never seen such a perfect man!¡± Deborah talked to Mona without raising her head, ¡°You¡¯ve said the same thing about a dozen men you¡¯ve had a crush on.¡± Mona blushed and said, ¡°I used to be really short-sighted! Those men before arepletely iparable. You should take another look at him!¡± Mona anxiously stretched out her hand to turn Deborah¡¯s head, and asked her to take a look, ¡°Did you not see him clearly? How else could you be so calm? Haven¡¯t you seen how crazy the other female colleagues are? ¡°Deborah, don¡¯t always be immersed in your boyfriend¡¯s world. You have to learn to see the charm of other men.¡± Deborah couldn¡¯t stand being disturbed by Mona, so she could only look up. Even though, Deborah still couldn¡¯t see clearly. That man was tall, but his face was blurred. It was a little far away, so she couldn¡¯t see clearly. To be precise, in her eyes, except for Joseph, other men were all indistinct. Their noses were just noses and eyes were just eyes to her, and she really could not tell whether they were handsome or not. But Joseph was different. His lips were soft, and there were stars in his eyes. When Joseph smiled, there was her reflection in his eyes, and his nose and jawline were so perfect that it was charming. As Deborah was gradually distracted, she thought of Joseph and smiled, which seemed a bit stupid. When Mona saw Deborah smiling, she thought Deborah felt the same way she did and immediately asked, ¡°How is it? He¡¯s no worse than your boyfriend, isn¡¯t he? Are you also fascinated?¡± Deborah came back to her senses and scolded Mona seriously, ¡°Don¡¯tpare others with my boyfriend.¡± Mona was speechless and said, ¡°All you care about is your boyfriend! Sounds like you can¡¯t live without him for the rest of your life.¡± Deborah stopped talking to Mona and was about to lower her head to continue drawing when she suddenly saw Joseph¡¯s figure appearing at the door from a distance. This time she saw very clearly that it was Joseph who came in. Deborah was taken aback, for she never expected that Joseph woulde here directly. The rtionship between Deborah and Joseph had always been kept secret, and no one in the design studio had seen the real face of the boss. Deborah said before that she didn¡¯t want her colleagues in thepany to know about her rtionship with Joseph, or she might be treated differently. And she wanted to work quietly. So for the past three years, Joseph came to pick her up every day and rarely got out of the car. A few times when he got off the car, Shinone and Mona saw him. But they only saw him briefly, so they didn¡¯t know that Joseph was the boss. When Joseph strode in, he had a serious face, extremely serious. He wore a ck overcoat, and his brows were cold, making him extremely indifferent. Deborah thought for a moment that she had an illusion, and that she had mistaken someone else for Joseph. After another look, she could make sure that it was Joseph. It was the first time Deborah had seen his expression like this, for she had always seen Joseph in a gentle or smiling manner before asionally, when his expression turned dark, Joseph would apologize to Deborah and sincerely reflect on his attitude Deborah didn¡¯t know what Joseph was doing here, but she had a hunch that something might have happened. The design studio was very big, so she immediately lowered her head, trying to hide in the crowd and not wanting to cause trouble for him. Deborah also didn¡¯t want to be sensed by her colleagues. Ashton hadn¡¯t noticed yet that Joseph hade over. After entering the design studio, for a split second, Ashton telt as it he caught a pair of tamiliar eyes in the crowd. The teeling of that moment was so tamiliar that it made his heart tremble. But when Ashton looked again, he couldn¡¯t find that familiar eves anywhere. The space inside was huge, amodating nearly a hundred people, and there were tall partitions on many workstations. Ashton felt that the blood all over his body seemed to be rushing to the top of his head, so he hurried forward and walked towards the middle of the design studio. He even couldn¡¯t help raising his voice, ¡°Deb¡­¡± Before Ashton could utter a single word, his shoulder was suddenly held down from behind. Ashton turned around and saw Joseph who was on the verge of losing control with red eyes. ¡°Get out.¡± Joseph was visibly furious, but his voice was kept low. Ashton¡¯s jaw was tense, and his fists were clenched violently. He said, ¡°I saw her.¡± Joseph directly ordered the security guards who were brought by him, ¡°Send Mr. Mullen out. Our Ashton pushed Joseph¡¯s hand away suddenly and said, ¡°Why are you acting so badly? Would you have to act like that if she wasn¡¯t here? You didn¡¯t react like that at the clubst night.¡± Joseph gritted his teeth and said in a low voice, ¡°I will warn you onest time. If you want to go crazy and act affectionately, change the ce, and don¡¯t challenge my bottom line again.¡± As Joseph spoke, he looked at the flustered security guards and Bill, and then the bodyguards he had brought with him. ¡°I told you to send Mr. Mullen out. Are you deaf?¡± Bill didn¡¯t know what was going on. He had never seen Joseph get so angry, and it was the first time he saw Josephe to the design studio directly. In the past, Joseph never came to the design studio for Deborah to work peacefully. Bill turned pale with fright and nodded repeatedly. ¡°Yes, yes, Mr. ck.¡± Bill walked towards Ashton and signaled the direction outside the door. ¡°Mr. Mullen, pleasee this way.¡± As Bill walked in front of Ashton, Ashton pushed him away, still trying to search for Deborah in the design studio. ¡°Joseph, I don¡¯t mind tearing this ce apart today until I find her.!¡± There were murmurs in the design studio, ¡°Joseph? Isn¡¯t Joseph our boss?¡± ¡°It seems to be. I just heard Mr. Wand call him Mr. ck.¡± ¡°Oh, dear, I can¡¯t believe it! I actually see the real version of the boss! Whoever asked for leave today in our design studio must be regretful tomorrow!¡± The discussion quickly spread to the back, and Mona was going crazy with excitement. ¡°What day is it today? It¡¯s fine N?velDrama.Org content rights. your fianc¨¦?¡± to see Mr. Mullen, but it¡¯s indeed surprising to see Mr. ck! But¡­ Why does Mr. ck look a bit like Mona had seen Deborah being picked up by her fianc¨¦ downstairs. At that time, she had only caught a glimpse of the man, who seemed very simr to Joseph who now appeared. Deborah¡¯s head was still lying on the table, her body trembling a little, but she replied softly, ¡°How is it possible? You see it wrong.¡± Mona didn¡¯t think much about it, considering that maybe she was wrong. She hadn¡¯t seen Deborah¡¯s fianc¨¦ a few times, but Mona only remembered that he was also very handsome. Mona nced sideways and noticed Deborah¡¯s strangeness. Taking a closer look, Mona found that Deborah¡¯s head was lying on the table and trembling all over. Mona was taken aback and immediately asked with concern, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Are you all right?¡± Get Bonus Chapter 128 Chapter 128 Chapter 128 Human Traffickers Deborah said that she was fine, but her voice trembled uncontrobly. She couldn¡¯t stand to see these chaotic scenes before, and sometimes she would get a headache when she bumped into other people arguing on the road. It was a real headache, and once she almost fell into aa and was sent to the hospital by Joseph. And those people who were quarreling were frightened by her, and they werepletely confused. Joseph told Deborah that it was because Deborah was injured in a car ident before that she couldn¡¯t bear the slightest stimtion. As long as Deborah tried to avoid seeing these asions, she would be fine. As for her own family, Joseph never quarreled with Deborah. And when Joseph saw her face look a little bit bad, his tone would immediately slow down a lot. In three years, they never quarreled. Mona was very worried and said, ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be fine like this. You are sweating. Are you sick? Can you still stand up? How about I help you go to the hospital to have a look?¡± Deborah kept her head on the table without moving, and her face was pitifully pale. She also felt a little strange. The difort she felt this time seemed to be worse than any time before. Mona rushed to call Simone. ¡°Simone,e and help. Deborah suddenly felt ufortable and couldn¡¯t stand up. You are strong. You can carry her to the hospital.¡± A male designer sitting near Deborah immediately came over to help. ¡°Deborah, I¡¯ll carry you down.¡± Because of the previous dispute, there was some confusion in the whole studio. Many people stood up. Some were watching the dispute, hesitant to join in, while some went directly to dissuade Joseph and Ashton. In the chaos, Deborah got up slowly against the table and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. You can go about your business. I¡¯m going to the bathroom.¡± Behind thisrge studio, there was a small studio. The space was not big, but it could iste the noise from the outside, making it more silent. It was also used to draw drafts for designers, and for employees to take short breaks. There was an independent bathroom inside. Deborah got up, walked backward, opened the door, and entered the small studio, and then she staggered into the bathroom. After locking the bathroom door, she put her hands on the sink, looked at her pale face in the mirror, and sighed helplessly. Joseph was involved in the dispute, and Deborah didn¡¯t know why. Unrted employees could go forward to help and say something, but she couldn¡¯t do anything. If she went out, she would be his burden. Deborah simply stayed in the bathroom, waiting for the dispute outside to stop. Outside, Joseph was still in conflict with Ashton, preventing Ashton from looking for Deborah. Get fonus Joseph deliberately blocked Ashton¡¯s sight, because, from a distance, Joseph vaguely saw Deborah getting up and entering the small studio. They could not argue it out and almost fought. Jett supposed that Ashton must have hallucinations again, so he stepped forward to dissuade him anxiously, ¡°Mr. Mullen, calm down. It¡¯s not appropriate to make trouble here. When old Mr. Mullen finds outter, he will get angry again.¡± Ashton was stopped by Jeff and surrounded by Joseph and others, he growled, ¡°I saw Deborah, Jeff. I can¡¯t leave before I turn this ce upside down today to find her!¡± Bill on the side was shocked. Deborah? Ashton was looking for Deborah? What was the rtionship between Ashton and Deborah? What kind ofplicated situation was this? Ashton brought a few bodyguards and stood guard outside the door. He directly called the bodyguards in, and it seemed that Ashton would not stop unless he found Deborah. Some employees couldn¡¯t bare it. There was no reason for their boss to be bullied on his own territory. Although they didn¡¯t know what was going on, many employees wanted to help. This was the design studio, and most of the employees were female. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Joseph didn¡¯t want to get them injured, so he said in a deep voice, ¡°Sit down, everyone. Don¡¯t interfere.¡± Ashton looked determined to act wildly, so Joseph stopped preventing him and said in a cold voice, ¡°I don¡¯t want to scare my employees. ¡°Ashton, look for what you want now and get out when you¡¯re done. From now on, you will never step into my Ashton didn¡¯t care why Joseph stopped preventing him suddenly and immediately said to Jeff and the bodyguards, ¡°Search carefully. Deborah must be here.¡± As Ashton said that, he began to look around himself. Every location was carefully searched, and everyone was carefully checked, even under the workstations. Some employees were angry and said in a low voice, ¡°That¡¯s rude. It turns out that Mr. Mullen from Richmond is more like a rascal.¡± ¡°Exactly. After all, Mr. ck allowed Mr. Mullen to run amok here because he was kind and worried we would be scared. If Mr. Mullen thought there was something hidden here, why didn¡¯t he just call the police?¡± Ashton turned a deaf ear, looking for Deborah with a dark face. There were hundreds of employees in the design studio, and Ashton looked carefully at every face. He was worried that Deborah had been slightly altered because of her injuries, so he thought that even a lookalike could have been her. But of all these people he had not seen a face that even resembled Deborah¡¯s. Joseph looked at him indifferently and said, ¡°Can you get out now?¡± Ashton looked incredulous, but he was sure that what he had seen was not an illusion. Chapter 128 Human Traffic 49744 He looked around the design studio and quickly noticed the door at the back. Joseph still didn¡¯t stop him, but the moment Ashton walked in and pushed open the door, Joseph¡¯s heart skipped a beat. At that moment, Joseph thought, it was meaningless to stop Ashton. If Deborah was really inside, then at worst, Joseph would have to talk to Ashton alone and tell Ashton the truth directly. Anyway, at this point, Ashton couldn¡¯t let it go. Deborah would be found sooner orter. What was more, it was Ashton who had done things wrong before, so why should Deborah be the one hiding and running away? The door was pushed open, and Ashton strode in. Joseph then went in, and there was no sign of Deborah in the small studio where he had a panoramic view. At that moment, Joseph subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief. There was nowhere to hide anymore, for the design studio had only walls on all sides. Ashton¡¯s heart sank, and he raised his hand unwillingly to knock on the wall. Joseph sneered and said, ¡°What? You¡¯re worried the walls are vacuum and could be used to hide people??¡± Ashton¡¯s face was tense, and he didn¡¯t say anything. Joseph urged Ashton to leave and said in a cold voice, ¡°My patience has a limit. Onest time, get out, or you will see whether the thousands of employees in thispany can drive you away.¡± Ashton went out reluctantly and searched carefully in therge studio outside again. In the disgusted and dissatisfied eyes of all the employees, he finally had no choice but to give up. Joseph waited coldly for him to leave. Ashton¡¯s expression was extremely stern. ¡°This is your ce. It¡¯s not difficult for you to hide someone. But I¡¯m sure I see her, and I will definitely find her.¡± Ashton left and ordered Jeff, ¡°Check the monitoring. The road monitoring, shopping mall monitoring, and hospital monitoring in Oceanview City. Check all the monitoring that can be found.¡± Although Joseph could hide Deborah now, Ashton was sure Joseph couldn¡¯t have never let Deborah out in all that time. When Ashton finally left with a group of people, Joseph immediately walked to the small studio and said, ¡°Bill, take the employees here to a meeting.¡± Bill didn¡¯t understand immediately and said, ¡°Mr. ck, there is no staff meeting scheduled today.¡± As soon as Bill finished speaking, Morton reminded Bill, ¡°Then Mr. Wand, please arrange one now.¡± Only then did Bill understand, and he immediately said to all the employees, ¡°Come on, everyone, get ready and follow me to the conference room for an impromptu meeting.¡± Joseph quickly stepped into the small studio. He knew that he couldn¡¯t hide Deborah from Ashton any longer. If Ashton went to check the surveince, he would definitely find Deborah. For three years Joseph had never restricted Deborah, and she was free to go wherever she wanted. Therefore, whether Deborah was shopping, eating, drinking,muting to work, or going to the hospital, wherever there was surveince, there must have been these images. As long as Ashton tried to check the monitoring and information, he would find Deborah easily and quickly. Joseph knew very well what he would face soon. Given Joseph¡¯s knowledge of Ashton, it was highly likely that Ashton would sue Joseph directly for abducting his wife. And make no mistake, the evidence is overwhelming. This was not a small crime, and if the sentence was heavy, the sentence could be equal to that given to the human traffickers. In the small studio, there was a row of newly designed clothes. Joseph walked over and removed the row of clothes, revealing a door with the same color as the wall. He pushed open the door, and inside was the bathroom. Deborah squatted in the corner next to the sink, looking at a loss. And hier entire face was pale, and her forehead was dripping with cold sweat. Seeing Josephing in, her eyes lit up immediately, and she got up anxiously and rushed towards him. Joseph hugged her, touched her hot forehead, picked her up, and walked out. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital.¡± Chapter 129 Chapter 129 Chapter 129 He Was Crazy Deborah leaned into Joseph¡¯s arms and let him carry her out. She also forgot to consider whether there was anyone outside. She just couldn¡¯t stop shaking and didn¡¯t say a word. It wasn¡¯t until Joseph carried her into the elevator, and then went to the underground parking lot to get in the car, that Deborah came back to her senses a bit. Joseph got into the back seat of the car and put her down. Deborah asked weakly, ¡°Where are the people in the studio?¡± n¡¯t look Joseph was visibly upset, and he didn¡¯t look at her when he spoke. ¡°Bill called them to a meeting. I asked for leave for you. Let¡¯s go to the hospital first.¡± The more Deborah looked at Joseph, the more uneasy she felt. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Was everything okay just now?¡± Joseph looked sideways at her, and said in a very serious tone, ¡°Debby, everything will be all right.¡± Deborah stretched out her hand and caressed the center of his furrowed eyebrows. ¡°Emotions are written on your face. You have never been like this before. What on earth did Mr. Mullen¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± Joseph interrupted her, and his brows tightened uncontrobly again. Deborah couldn¡¯t help frowning along with him.. Joseph said again. ¡°Stop mentioning that person. Don¡¯t worry, he won¡¯t bother you and the people in the design studio again.¡± Deborah instinctively felt that something must have happened. Joseph had always been extremely calm. So if something made him feel a bit overwhelmed even in front of her, it must be a big deal. But she never pressed him for anything. Joseph would take the initiative to tell Deborah most of the things. Now that they had left thepany, Joseph who stayed by her side had returned to his usual gentle appearance, and Deborah felt that the difort had almost disappeared. She looked at Joseph and said, ¡°I feel better now. Why don¡¯t you send me back to thepany instead of going to the hospital?¡± But Joseph insisted and said, ¡°I think we¡¯d better go to the hospital. You still have a low-grade fever. And the doctor said that we must pay more attention to your health.¡± What was more, Joseph was very worried that Ashton woulde back for Deborah again if he sent Deborah back to thepany at this time. After all, the car stopped outside the hospital, and Joseph took Deborah into the clinic building. Lucien was here for a consultation today, so Joseph went to him directly. Deborah still looked pale. After Lucien checked her in the ward, Lucien called Joseph out. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is she sick with a cold or is she irritated?¡± Josephi frowned and said in a low voice, ¡°Ashton went to thepany for her.¡± Lucken was taken aback and asked, ¡°What? Didn¡¯t Ashton juste to Oceanview City! It is said that he just came here for business How can he Hud out where Deborah is?¡± kuph was oh hously in a bad mood, so he didn¡¯t respond for a while is askest, ¡°No, did they Joseph frownest and replies, ¡°Kind of Forget it, stop talking about It Is Deborah all right now since you checked her?¡± Lucien responded, ¡°For the time being, there is nothing wrong with her Joseph, this is not a trivial matter. What are to do it Ashton finds Jeph wait lightly, ¡°No bless I¡¯ll see ¡± Listen sighe and said, ¡°I Ashton wa make trouble for you, ¡°No, don¡¯t worry about it¡± Joseph interrupted him, turned around, and went back to the ward directly. At the office on the top Hoor of the branch the Muller in Oceanview City Ashton sat at his desk, scanning news on his obile phone In front of him, across the desk stood a high level executive reporting work Ashton listened, thinking about how to find Deborah He felt that he might really be crazy, and he had delusions many times over the years. Many times, Ashton felt that he saw Deborah and heard her voice, so he frantically went to her. But every time he came up empty. Ashton knew very well that this time it would be the same in all likelih But he still couldn¡¯t help looking for her. Only at this time, with expectations, would he feel better. Just thinking that Deborah might still be alive and that she was still somewhere, he could feel his heart beating like at drum, feeling that he was still alive rather than being a living corpse. At this time, Jeff called Ashton, ¡°Mr. Mullen, we are not very familiar with Oceanview City. It is said that surveince is rted to privacy and is not allowed to be shown to others. ¡°But it is also possible that Joseph said something so that we barely have ess to surveince anywhere.¡± Jett paused for a moment and then continued, ¡°However, there is someone who may be able to help. Do you still remember Reba, the granddaughter of Mrs. Donna Moxley?¡± Ashton looked at the executive standing in front of him and said, ¡°Stop here, we¡¯ll continueter. You go out first.¡± The executive immediately put away the document, nodded, and backed out. Only then did Ashton reply to Jett, ¡°Say it, and make a long story short.¡± Jett had already arrived outside the office. He hung up the phone and walked in. ¡°Mr. Mullen, it was Miss Reba Moxley who got the news that you came to Oceanview City to look for someone. ¡°So she took the initiative to contact us and said that there is a way to get you the surveince video, but the condition. is that you will apany her to Mrs. Donna Moxley¡¯s birthday banquet another day.¡± Chapter 129 He Was Crazy 64.33% ¡¤ Ashton used to avold Reba, but now he didn¡¯t even think about it and said, ¡°No problem. Let her get the surveince video ande here.¡± Jeff immediately replied to Reba, and without hesitation, Reba sent Ashton some of the videos she had got at once. The videos were straightforward and clear, with the time of the shooting disyed at the bottom. In the first video, Deborah took Joseph¡¯s arm and walked affectionately into a vi. Ashton knew that vi. He had already found out that it was the ce where Joseph stayed most often in Oceanview City. Ashton stared angrily at the video, at Deborah, who had died three years earlier and was now alive in front of his eyes. And then the second video, the third video¡­. At the bottom of thest video, which showed Joseph and Deborah in the hospital, the time was now. Ashton finally dropped the phone, lost control of his emotions, got up, and lett the office abruptly. When Jett chased Ashton out, Ashton had already entered the elevator directly, and the elevator door closed before Jeff entered. The elevator stopped on the first basement floor, and Ashton was a little dizzy. He stumbled out with his Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. hand against The wall. When driving to the hospital, his feet were a little weak, and he almost hit other cars several times. Reba was afraid that Ashton would not be able to find the right ce, so she sent another message and directly told him Deborah¡¯s ward number. Chapter 130 Chapter 130 Chapter 130 I Am Your Husband The car stopped outside the hospital. Ashton got off the car immediately and hurried into the clinic building. When he entered and got out of the elevator, his mind waspletely empty, and he didn¡¯t even know how he got to the door of that ward. Reba stood in the corridor outside the ward, facing Ashton Obviously, she came here to watch a good show. With a smile on her face, Reba watched Ashton rushing forward and even staggering The thought of how excited, flustered, and out of control Ashton, who for three years had been expressionless and emotionless, would soon be, made Reba expectant and thrilled. Ashton didn¡¯t look at Reba, and when he was almost in front of Reba, he turned and entered the ward. There was no one else inside. Deborah was sitting on the bed alone, watching television while eating an apple that Joseph had just peeled. Joseph went out to get her medicine. Deborah heard the rapid footsteps outside the door, thought it was Joseph who came in, and immediately looked sideways, but saw a somewhat strange man. After being stunned for a moment, Deborah thought about it in her mind and got a little impression. It seemed to be the person they called Mr. Mullen. Deborah was wondering whether she should greet Ashton, but thinking about the conflict between Ashton and Joseph not long ago, her tace and tone became a lot colder. ¡°Mr. Mullen, have you gone to the wrong ce?¡± Deborah pondered that Ashton must havee here because he still wanted to argue with Joseph. She believed that Ashton couldn¡¯te here for her. And Deborah thought that Ashton in front of her would go out directly since he didn¡¯t see Joseph. But much to her surprise, Ashton showed a look of surprise and pain and strode towards her directly. His voice was flustered and full of disbeliet, ¡°Debby.¡± He was very different now from the arrogant man who had shed with Joseph in the design studio today. Ashton looked gentle and cautious as if he was afraid of breaking some beautiful dream and scaring the person as unreal as a bubble in front of him. Deborah didn¡¯t react for a moment until Ashton came to her and suddenly stretched out his hand to rub her face with his fingertips. ¡°Debby¡­ Is it true? Or am I in a dream?¡± Deborah was startled and then came to her senses. She was flushed with anger, and regardless of the drip on her hand, she pped Ashton in the face angrily. ¡°Are you crazy? Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Ashton was beaten unexpectedly. And because he didn¡¯t expect that at all, he took a step back in embarrassment. Deborah hated him, and Ashton knew it very well. Get Bonus And this p made him feel more truly that the person in front of him was real and vivid, and it was Deborah who hated him so much. Ashton¡¯s eyes turned red instantly, and he tried to grab Deborah¡¯s trembling hand, ¡°It didn¡¯t hurt. Just hit me again if you want. Debby, I¡¯m the one who hurt you so badly, I¡¯m a jerk, and I¡¯m so sorry for that. Hit me if it makes you feel better. I¡¯m so d that you¡¯re alive. You¡¯re alive¡­¡± Deborah could tell that the person in front of her was really out of his mind. At this moment, she had no time for her irritation now, for one of her hands was caught in his grip. So in a panic, she immediately rang the bell with her other hand. Ashton stared at her. Deborah hit him, but she didn¡¯t seem to hate him. Instead, Deborah gave Ashton a totally uprehending and unfamiliar look. She never looked at him with such eyes before, no matter when she loved him or hated him. But with this look, it was as if Ashton was a passerby who had nothing to do with Deborah, aplete stranger who appeared out of nowhere. Deborah pretended to be calm and angrily reprimanded, ¡°Get out. If you dare toe closer, I will call the police, and you will definitely end up badly!¡± Ashton seemed to be stimted by her reaction. The more Deborah resisted, the more Ashton tried to approach again. Deborah got off the bed in a panic, and she was about to put on her slippers and run out when Ashton pulled her into his arms. ¡°Debby, it¡¯s so good to see you alive. You¡¯re alive¡­ I am really going crazy in the past three years.¡± Deborah struggled frantically and shouted incoherently, ¡°Help, help! Joseph, Joseph! Joseph, help!¡± Reba stood outside the ward. With excitement in her eyes, she turned on her phone camera to take pictures as if watching a wonderful movie. Seeing the person at the door of the ward, Deborah seemed to have grasped a ray of hope, ¡°Miss, please call the medical staff for me. I don¡¯t know him. He seems to be out of his mind!¡± Ashton finally started to notice something was wrong. He let go of Deborah and looked down at her in disbelief. ¡°Debby, what are you talking about?¡± At the door, Reba gloated andughed. ¡°Ashton, you haven¡¯t noticed yet? Deborah forgot about you. In the past three years, she has regarded Joseph as her husband.¡± Deborah could see that the two were probably working together. They were both lunatics and not a ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . word they said made sense to her. A doctor outside heard the movement and came in. Deborah was hugged by a strange man, and couldn¡¯t help but feel nauseous. But Ashton became even more offensive. He suddenly pressed Deborah¡¯s shoulder directly, leaned over, and bit her lips. Deborah finally reached for the fruit knife on the bedside table. Ashton felt the warmth on Deborah¡¯s lips, and atst, he felt at ease. ¡°Debby, I am¡­¡± Before Ashton could finish speaking, there was a sharp pain in his shoulder. Deborah trembled wildly, and she plunged the knife into his shoulder and arm fiercely. The doctor rushed over and pulled away Ashton, who was wounded and looked dazed. Deborah was still holding the blood-stained knife, her face was pale, and her red eyes were staring at Ashton as if she was wary of him lunging at her and biting her again. Joseph hurried in from the outside, and what he saw was already a chaotic scene. The knife in Deborah¡¯s hand was still dripping blood, and when she saw Joseph, tears came down immediately. The knife fell to the ground, and Deborah used in a crying voice, ¡°I stabbed this lunatic because he kissed me!¡± With a dark face, Joseph punched Ashton hard. This time, Ashton didn¡¯t take it but stretched out his hand to block Joseph¡¯s fist fiercely. Ashton stared at Joseph with his eyes as deep as an abyss and said, ¡°What makes you think you have the right to hit me?¡± Lucien also rushed in. Seeing this scene, his expression quickly turned dark. He tried to mediate and said, ¡°Deborah can¡¯t be stimted now. If you have something to say, go out, or say itter.¡± Ashton clenched his fists and stepped forward suddenly, trying to pull Deborah to his side. Joseph immediately stopped him, and Deborah held Joseph¡¯s arm at a loss and stood behind Joseph. Ashton didn¡¯t approach any further and looked at Joseph from a distance of two steps. ¡°I¡¯ll give you onest chance. Since my wife doesn¡¯t seem to be hurt, get the hell out of here and let me take her away.¡± Maybe I can let go of the past three years.¡± Joseph stood in front of Deborah, without moving or making a sound. In that silence, Deborah quickly began to faintly notice something. Her hand that was holding onto Joseph¡¯s arm trembled violently, and her face was as pale as paper. ¡°No, don¡¯t let me go.¡± Ashton looked at Deborah. seeing her hiding behind Joseph, Ashton¡¯s eyes turned red. ¡°Debby, I am your husband, not him. Chapter 131 Chapter 131 Chapter 131 Call the Police After a long silence, Joseph said, ¡°Ashton, let her go. She has been living a good life for the past three years. Haven¡¯t you hurt her enough? Why do you have to push her to this point?¡± His tone was even a little humble, which Deborah had never heard before in her memory. How was it possible for Joseph to speak in such a humble tone? Deborah was surprised. How could it be possible for Joseph to beg an unfamiliar man to let her go and acquiesce to what this man had ald? Deborah couldn¡¯t hide the fear and panic in her eyes. She grabbed Joseph¡¯s arm and said softly, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Don¡¯t stay in the hospital anymore. Let¡¯s go home.¡± Deborah didn¡¯t want to stay here at all, nor did she want to listen to these inexplicable words that had nothing to do with her. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only In the past, Joseph would try his best to fulfill any of Deborah¡¯s requests. Sometimes when Deborah was sick and didn¡¯t want to stay in the hospital, Joseph would take Deborah back home and have a family doctore to check on her. In the past few years, Deborah had been picky and willful, and Joseph had always been obedient to her. But this time, Joseph didn¡¯t take Deborah away ording to her instructions. Joseph simply held Deborah¡¯s hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± But Joseph didn¡¯t seem to have confidence in his own words, Seeing the situation, Dr. Garza called the other doctors out. In the spacious ward, only Ashton, Deborah, and Joseph were left. Joseph wanted to let Deborah leave as well, but Ashton didn¡¯t allow it. Deborah had been hidden by Joseph for three years, while Ashton had beenpletely deceived during that time. This time, he would never let Deborah leave his sight again. If she left again, she might disappear for another three years, five years, or even longer. Deborah was anxious to prove something and reached out to touch the diamond ring on Joseph¡¯s ring finger. ¡°We have wedding rings. We¡¯re going to get married soon.¡± Only then did Ashton notice that Joseph was wearing a ring. Joseph¡¯s diamond ring was exactly the same as his. The rings on Deborah and Ashton¡¯s fingers were a pair, which Deborah had managed to buy with her own savings and loans. There was no doubt that Joseph had deliberately bought the extra one to deceive Deborah. Ashton red at Joseph with anger. ¡°You are despicable! My patience is limited. If you keep interfering with Deborah, I¡¯ll call the police!¡± Joseph had lost the protection of the ck family, but even if he had a lot of power now, or even if he could dominate the business world, it was impossible for him to escape punishment for stealing someone else¡¯s wife, and it was impossible for him to sentence someone else¡¯s wife to him. Chapter 131 Call the Police Deborah finally noticed the tnond ring on Ashton¡¯s finger. It was exactly the same as the one in Joseph¡¯s hand. Deborah couldn¡¯t utter a single word. That enormous feeling of helplessness and feat was like a tide that was about to devour her. Deborah had never considered what would happen if Joseph had deceived her and she had to leave Joseph. How could she continue to live? For three years, Deborah had slowly gotten to where she was today, bing the most renowned designer. All Deborah wanted was to hold up her trophy and share her achievements and joy with Joseph. Deborah wanted to be excellent enough to stand beside Joseph with confidence. But she was wrong. It seemed that, in an instant, everything was wrong. Joseph held Deborah¡¯s hand, and his knuckles slowly turned pale. He said in a humble voice, ¡°Let her go, Ashton. Give her a way out. I beg you.¡± That day, Deborah really wanted to die. If it weren¡¯t for Joseph showing up at thest moment, stopping Deborah when she was already in the middle of the street, she would have died. Ashton¡¯s temples were throbbing, and the strange and disdainful look from Deborah, along with her obvious trust and dependence on Joseph, ignited him, causing his rationality to quickly disappear. For three years, Joseph had made Deborah forget himpletely and had lived with Deborah day and night like a married couple. During these three years, they stayed in the same house, so how many intimate moments did they share? Had Joseph even taken Deborah to get a uterus transnt? Was it possible that they even had a child together? Ashton had to admit that he was jealous. Just thinking about it was enough to drive him crazy. Three years was almost as long as the time he had spent with Deborah after getting married. He, Joseph, had no right to do so. What right did he have? Finally, Ashton couldn¡¯t control himself anymore. He shouted, ¡°Jeff, call the police! Let¡¯s see if the police in Oceanview City know how to do their job!¡± Jeff was waiting outside the door and immediately took out his phone to call the Oceanview City police station upon hearing Ashton¡¯s words. Joseph remained calm. There was nothing else he could do but listen to Ashton.. However, he would never voluntarily give up Deborah. Dr. Garza lost his cool, pushing open the door and shouting at Ashton, ¡°Ashton, have some conscience! ¡°Joseph has taken care of Deborah very well these past three years. Ask anyone who has been by Deborah¡¯s side, and they¡¯ll tell you how happy she was! ¡°Take a moment to think back to the days when she was with you, Ashton. Those were the days when she was treated worse than an animal.¡± Ashton couldn¡¯t find any words to argue. All he could say was, ¡°Deborah is my wife, and Joseph took her away and Chapter 131 Call the Police 65.33% deceived her. That¡¯s illegal.¡± Dr. Garza sneered, ¡°Yes, Joseph went too far and has done something illegal. But Ashton, if it weren¡¯t for him and what he has done, your wife would have died three years ago.¡± Ashton looked away and said disdainfully, ¡°I don¡¯t want to waste my time arguing with you. You¡¯re twisting the truth.¡± Ashton called in several bodyguards. He was a little impatient waiting for the police toe and wanted to take Deborah away directly. Deborah was terrified and held onto Joseph tightly. After thinking about it, Ashton drove the bodyguards out again. The police arrived quickly, and within half an hour, a few police officers came over. Ashton had carried around their marriage certificate with him wherever he went for all these years. Besides that, Ashton¡¯s phone was filled with photos of him and Deborah, who was in her wedding gowns, and there were many past records that could be used as evidence. The policeman checked these things carefully and asked some more questions. There was no way to cover up this matter any longer. For three years, Joseph had not even changed Deborah¡¯s name, and Deborah still looked like the same person she was three years ago. Now, with this investigation, the truth was as clear as day. The police asked Ashton, ¡°Mr. Mullen, how do you want to handle this matter?¡± Ashton replied coldly, ¡°I demand a thorough investigation into why my wife lost her memory and what has happened between her and Joseph these past three years. ¡°But for now, I want to take my wife home. She¡¯s still recovering, and her mental state is not yet fully clear.¡± The police officers looked at each other and nodded, saying, ¡°This request is reasonable. Mr. ck, please cooperate and let Mrs. Mullen leave with Mr. Mullen. ¡°As for you, Mr. ck, if Mr. Mullen uses you now, you need toe with us. Chapter 132 Chapter 132 Ashton took out his marriage certificate and other evidence, such as his photos with Deborah. Ashton showed them to the police and asked the police to show them to Deborah. Although it was difficult for Deborah to ept, she began to calm down. Deborah to face the fact that she and Ashton had been legally married three years ago. After that, something happened, and Joseph took her away, deceiving her that they were engaged. In the past three years, she had never known the truth. Now, all the truth appeared suddenly and cruelly in front of her. The policeman tried to persuade Deborah, ¡°Mrs. Mullen, we have contacted Richmond. ¡°We learned that you and Mr. Mullen got married seven years ago. Except for these three years, you have always lived in Richmond with your daughter.¡± Ashton¡¯s expression changed immediately. He interrupted the police and said, ¡°She can¡¯t ept so Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. much information at once. Some things can be kept from her for now. ¡°Debby, you just need to know that you are mywful wife, and now you should go with me. And Joseph, he has been deceiving you for all this time.¡± Lucien angrily eximed, ¡°Don¡¯t you have any shame? If you have the guts, let the police continue speaking and reveal everything. Why are you afraid, Ashton?¡± The police could not continue and advised, ¡°Mrs. Mullen, you should leave with Mr. Mullen first. We will investigate everything and inform you of the result as soon as possible.¡± Joseph held Deborah¡¯s hand tightly, on the verge of a breakdown, and said, ¡°Ashton, don¡¯t be so aggressive. You know very well what will happen if you force Deborah to leave with you.¡± However, Deborah slowly calmed down. Her previous anxious and restless mood had almost disappeared. She turned to Ashton and said calmly, ¡°In that case, I can leave with you first. But before leaving, I want to talk to Joseph alone.¡± Thinking of something, she added, ¡°And Dr. Garza.¡± Lucien was straightforward, and Deborah believed that Lucien would be willing to tell her the truth about many things. Deborah had a feeling that although she and Ashton were husband and wife, Ashton was not a good person. Otherwise, why would she have suddenly lost her mind three years ago and almost killed herself on the road? At that time, Lucien showed her the surveince video to prove that Joseph had saved her. Deborah was sure that in the video, she walked to the middle of the road with a certain demeanor as if she wanted to end her life deliberately. It was not an ident. When she woke up from aa, she learned from the doctor that she had lost her uterus, had a new liver, and her body was seriously injured with bruises all over. At the time, Joseph exined that because she had always been in poor health, she had undergone several surgeries. But now Deborah realized that the truth was probably not that simple. Get Bors In terms ofw and morality, it Ashton was indeed her husband and Joseph had lied to her, then she should follow Ashton and leave instead of persisting in following Joseph, despite her husband¡¯s grief. However, if, in reality, the injuries on her body were caused by Ashton, and her husband was a man with a serious. tendency towards violence, then she must find a way to end such a marriage. She still had a lite waiting tor her. She couldn¡¯t be bound by a marriage certificate and endure a painful marriage. Ashton said in a deep voice, ¡°Joseph is a liar. Debby, there¡¯s nothing to talk about with him. You should leave with me now.¡± Deborah insisted, ¡°I said I just wanted to talk to him alone for a few words. After that, I will leave with you. ¡°Since we are husband and wife, don¡¯t you even have this basic trust in me? Or are you afraid that I will know something?¡± Ashton was momentarily at a loss for words, but after a moment of silence, he nodded his head and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wait for you outside.¡± Joseph¡¯s expression was tense. ¡°Deborah, you can¡¯t go with him.¡± Deborah pulled on his sleeve and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Ashton took everyone out, leaving only Deborah, Joseph, and Lucien in the ward. Ashton¡¯s mood got better when Deborah agreed to go with him. As he walked out, Ashton even took the initiative to close the door. Deborah was right. As husband and wife, he shouldn¡¯t have been so mistrustful of her. In the ward, Deborah looked calmly at Joseph. At that moment, Joseph felt extremely guilty and subconsciously looked away. Deborah simply asked him, ¡°Is what Ashton said true?¡± Even though everyone outside was using Joseph of deceiving her and abducting her, Deborah still instinctively wanted to believe Joseph¡¯s words. After three years of being together, Deborah was fully trusting and dependent on Joseph. Joseph felt a dull pain in his heart. He was silent for a long time, and his expression was full of pain. After a long time of silence, he nodded and told the truth. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true. Three years ago, I deceived you. You and Ashton got married seven years ago.¡± Deborah clenched her fists unconsciously and asked, ¡°Why did you do that? I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve gained anything from lying to me in the past three years.¡± In the past three years that they had been together, there wasn¡¯t any physical intimacy between them. Not even a real kiss. It was not that Deborah was unwilling but that Joseph never attempted to initiate anything In the past, Deborah had found it strange that Joseph never touched her or proposed to her. Now, she roughly understood. Get Bonus Joseph couldn¡¯t get past his own conscience because he knew that everything was fake and didn¡¯t dare to touch her. It was impossible for them to get married. Joseph remained silent for a long time until I ucien became agitated and spoke up. ¡°Joseph, if you don¡¯t say it, I will. Deborah, three years ago, Ashton pushed you to the brink of despair, and you wanted to kill yourself. was Joseph who rushed over to save you and took you away. When you woke up, you had lost your memory, and I suggested that since the pain that Ashton caused you was too great, recalling it would only make you want tomit suicide again ¡°I asked Joseph to lie to you and take care of you, so you canve a better life.¡± Deborah was still calm None of this was particrly surprising to her, and in fact, she was kind of prepared for it. ask, ¡°What did Ashton do to me?¡± Chapter 133 Chapter 133 She contin Joseph immediately interrupted, ¡°Lucien, don¡¯t tell her those things.¡± Deborah myself an him off, ¡°I want to hear it. I have the right to know the truth. If you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll find a psychologist lly restore my memory.¡± Joseph cried out anxiously, ¡°No, you can¡¯t.¡± Deborah turned to Lucien and said, ¡°Please tell me the truth, Dr. Garza.¡± Lucien couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and, ignoring Joseph¡¯s obstruction told her everything. Joseph took out all the evidence on his phone and showed it to Deborah. However, he was a doctor, and he In¡¯t go too far. He didn¡¯t mention anything about Deborah¡¯s deceased mother or the dead girl named Alyssa. This would be too much for Deborah to handle. Knowing so much in such a short time, she could hardly bear it. Lucien showed Deborah the evidence. ¡°Ashton forced you to donate your liver, and his mistress injected you with ngs that caused your liver cancer. ¡°Later, his grandfather beat you until you miscarried and had uterine bleeding. You had no choice but to have your uterus removed.¡± Lucien tried to keep it brief and vague, afraid that Deborah would be further traumatized by hearing too much detail. Joseph tried to stop her several times in the middle, but Deborah still insisted on listening. When she heard thest part, she couldn¡¯t help squatting down and vomiting. The life that Lucien said was far beyond what she had experienced in the past three years. Someone knocked on the door outside, and Ashton¡¯s impatient voice came in, ¡°Debby, are you done?¡± Joseph patted Deborah on the back and scolded Lucien angrily, ¡°I told you not to tell her!¡± Lucien was furious. ¡°Why can¡¯t I say it? What I said is not even one-tenth of what Ashton did. You want to be a hidden hero, but I can¡¯t stand it!¡± Deborah slowly stood up after vomiting, and her face quickly returned to calmness. She turned around and touched Joseph¡¯s face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be fine. And I won¡¯t let you go to jail.¡± 65 875 After that, Deborah went straight outside. Joseph immediately reached out to pull her back, but he only reached her fingertips and had to watch her leave Deborah opened the door and went out. She looked at Ashton and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go Announcing Good News to the Outside World When Ashton got is the cat with Deborah, he felt like he was dreaming. He thought that Deborah would not want to leave with him, even if she really had amnesia. After all, she had been with Joseph for three yours But now, Deborah was sitting right beside him in the back seat of the car Ashton c resist and reached out to hold her hand. Deborah immediately avoided his hand and looked at him coolly. ¡°Are you that impatient?¡± Ashton was stunned for a moment. He didn¡¯t expect her onds. He immediately withdrew his hand and exined carefully, ¡°Debby, I just feel like this is not real. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t make you do anything you don¡¯t want to do ¡± In the way he spoke, it was as it he was not the person who had forced her to leave Joseph. Deborah didn¡¯t remember Ashton, but when he spoke so warmly and gently, she instinctively felt repulsed and disgusted. Deborah kept her distance from him, and Ashton didn¡¯t try to get closer to her, afraid that it would make her more resistant Deborah took out her phone and casually scrolled through it. At this moment, Ashton naturally wouldn¡¯t peek at her phone He seemed to trust herpletely. Not only did he not stop her from ying with her phone, but he also looked out of the window on the other side to give her enough space. Deborah sent a message to Lucien, [Dr. Garza, can you send me the evidence you showed me earlier? I want to take a good look at them.) Lucien thought she didn¡¯t believe him and was afraid that Ashton would sweet talls her into leaving Joseph and staying with Ashton, so he immediately sent all the evidence to Deborah, including recordings, videos, photos, hospital diagnosis records, and some surgical signature records. There were too many things. Lucien packed them into a tile and sent it to Deborah¡¯s mailbox. After a long pause, Ashton spoke again, ¡°Debby, 1 tound out that the famous mysterious designer Ynda on the inte is you. ¡°I¡¯m not mistaken. Your talent and potential in fashion design are amazing. I¡¯m very happy that you can have today¡¯s. achievements.¡± Deborah continued chatting on her phone. She didn¡¯t even raise her head and replied, ¡°Well, don¡¯t get too excited yet. Most of these things have nothing to do with you.¡± It was hard to say how long their marriage couldst What¡¯s more, her achievements today didn¡¯t depend on her talent but on her own efforts, as well as Joseph¡¯s thoughtful support and help. Ashton was at a loss for words andughed awkwardly. ¡°Debby, you¡¯ve changed a lot in three years. You¡¯re more talkative now.¡± Deborah also smiled, but her eyes were still cold. She said lightly, ¡°Have I changed? In my memory, I¡¯ve always been like this. I can say whatever I want. Why did I have to be cautious when I was with you before?¡± Every word Deborah said was very casual as if she was really chatting with him. However, every word Deborah said made Ashton feel as if a huge stone was pressing down on his back. Ashtonughed dryly, ¡°It¡¯s all in the past. Don¡¯t mention it again.¡± Deborah sneered silently, thinking, ¡°Is it that there¡¯s no need to mention it again, or that he doesn¡¯t dare to mention It again?¡± She looked at the two documents that Ashton had signed on her phone. One was to agree to donate her liver to a woman named Helen, ording to Mona, this name sounded like an angelic bitch. Another document was about Deborah¡¯s critical condition during the liver donation process. It needed the family to sign to decide whether to continue the surgery. The document was signed with the name ¡°Ashton¡± at the bottom. Ashton signed it so smoothly that it was obvious that he didn¡¯t hesitate at all. Deborah thought, ¡°My husband? What a joke!¡± Deborah clenched her fists, quickly turned off her phone, and put it back in the pocket of her coat. Ashton craned his neck to sneak a peek at her phone, but he was too far away and couldn¡¯t see anything. It wasn¡¯t until Deborah put away her phone and looked at him sideways that he immediately withdrew his gaze and coughed slightly, feeling guilty. Just then, his phone rang, breaking the awkward moment. Without even looking at the caller ID, Ashton answered the call. As a result, he received a phone call that he didn¡¯t want to answer. It was from Hector. Hector asked, ¡°Are you out of town? ¡°Tomorrow is your birthday, and I¡¯ve already thrown a big feast. You muste back tonight, or how can I exin it to our guests?¡± Hector¡¯s voice was loud and agitated, so Deborah could hear everything he said. Deborah recalled what Lucien had told her before about how she was beaten by Hector, resulting in a miscarriage and loss of her uterus. Ashton looked embarrassed, considering that Deborah was sitting beside him. He suppressed his emotions and responded, ¡°I have some business to attend to here and won¡¯t be able toe back tomorrow. ¡°Grandpa, please cancel the birthday party. It¡¯s just a birthday. There¡¯s nothing to celebrate.¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Hector, on the other end of the phone, angrily retorted, ¡°It¡¯s easy for you to say. I¡¯ve already sent out all the invitations, so how can I cancel now? Besides, this isn¡¯t just about your birthday. ¡°You haven¡¯t been attentive to thepany in the past three years, and the senior members of the group have already started to resent you. This is an opportunity to maintain yourwork. Do you not understand this?¡± Ashton was getting impatient and said, ¡°I really can¡¯te back.¡± 66.33% Unexpectedly, Deborah suddenly spoke up, ¡°Birthday is important. Since your grandfather went to all the effort of hosting a banquet for you, there¡¯s no need to disappoint him Ashton was stunned for a moment. He didn¡¯t expect Deborah to talk to him Thinking about how he had finally found Deborah after three years, he thought he could take this opportunity to announce the good news to the world. He changed his mind and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯lle back tonight or tomorrow morning. I have some good news to share with you.¡± Chapter 134 Chapter 134 Chapter 134 We Can Do Something More Interesting Jeff, who was driving, couldn¡¯t help coughing. For Hector, Deborah¡¯s resurrection was definitely not a good thing. Deborah remained calm and had no reaction. Ashton hung up the phone and looked at Deborah cheerfully. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go back to Richmond together tonight? That is our home, and you will definitely like it there.¡± Deborah said tly, ¡°Do you want to distract me, so you can go after Joseph?¡± Ashton was surprised and immediately defended himself. ¡°How is that possible? Joseph took care of you for me for three years. I don¡¯t intend to pursue the matter at all. ¡°I will invite him to my birthday party too. We are all friends and don¡¯t need to be picky about things.¡± It was impossible for Ashton to invite Joseph to his birthday party. However, Joseph would know that Ashton asked him toe just to let him see Ashton and Deborah¡¯s affectionate behavior. In this way, Joseph wouldn¡¯t attend his birthday party. If Joseph did note, Deborah could not me Ashton. Seeing that Deborah didn¡¯t believe him, Ashton called his assistant directly. ¡°Kevin, go to Joseph¡¯s ce now. Deliver an invitation to him for my birthday party tomorrow.¡± After receiving a positive response, Ashton hung up the phone. He then turned to Deborah and exined, ¡°That was my assistant. He¡¯s also in Oceanview City. I don¡¯t have time to go find Joseph in person, and he will invite Joseph for me. It¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s go back and have a rest. Shall we go straight back to Richmond?¡± Deborah looked out of the window and did not say anything. At least she didn¡¯t make any sarcastic remarks, which made Ashton feel a little relieved. That night, he took Deborah straight back to Flora Vi in Richmond. After three years, he could hardly imagine that he could bring Deborah back here. He decided not to investigate Deborah¡¯s fake death three years ago for fear of displeasing her. Anyway, Deborah was back now. Ashton wanted to live a good life in the future and didn¡¯t want to pursue the matter anymore Two years ago, Helen died from multiple abortions due to promiscuity, so no one would ever hurt Deborah again. As soon as Ashton brought Deborah back to Flora Vi, a servant immediately greeted them. When the servant saw Deborah, she was so scared that she took a few steps back and fell to the ground in a panic. Deborah had died three years ago. At that time, Ashton couldn¡¯t ept it and brought her body back, leaving it in the bedroom for a few days. Was this person now a ghost? The servant waspletely scared out of her wit. When the other servants in the living room heard the noise and 66.65% 1 came over to see what was going on, they were also shocked. Get Bonus Ashton¡¯s face darkened. Just as he was about to ask the fallen servant to get out, he thought of Deborah and sald gently, ¡°Be careful when you walk.¡± He turned to Deborah and exined, ¡°Some servants are new and easily frightened. Don¡¯t mind them. It¡¯s not because of you.¡± Suddenly, Deborah remembered that there were not so many servants where she and Joseph lived. Deborah didn¡¯t like living in a ce where others were constantly watching her every move. She even felt ufortable when she coughed and sneezed. If she felt embarrassed when getting close to Joseph at their own home, wouldn¡¯t that be ridiculous? She didn¡¯t like it but didn¡¯t say anything. Seeing that she didn¡¯t speak, Ashton assumed she was satisfied with this ce and took her upstairs. As soon as they entered the bedroom, a nanny came in and asked what dishes Deborah would like to eat, what soups. she would like to drink, and if there was anything she couldn¡¯t eat. Then, another servant came in, asking if she was used to the decorations and items in the bedroom and if the clothes. and daily necessities were suitable for her. Ashton followed closely behind her with a concerned look on his face. ¡°You must be tired and hungry after such a long journey. Let¡¯s eat something first, and then I¡¯ll apany you to rest. This is our home, so don¡¯t be too formal.¡± Deborah opened her suitcase without paying attention to Ashton¡¯s words. ¡°I have everything I need. You don¡¯t have to prepare anything else for me. I want to rest for a while, and I¡¯m not hungry now. Can you please go out first?¡± Ashton watched as Deborah unpacked her luggage, taking her time to take everything out. Ashton struggled to contain his frustration and anger. Many of the clothes Deborah took out had cute cartoon characters printed on them. Ashton was not a fool, and he could tell that those characters resembled Joseph. Some characters wore round sses and had gentle and cute appearances. Joseph asionally wore sses when he was in meetings or working due to his slight nearsightedness. But Ashton had perfect vision and had never worn sses before. When Deborah was packing, she didn¡¯t pay much attention, and now, as she opened her suitcase, she found a men¡¯s sweater inside. There was also a cartoon figure in the lower left corner of it. The figure looked like Deborah. Ashton tried his best to suppress his emotions, constantly reminding himself that Deborah had just returned after three years, and he shouldn¡¯t be so forceful anymore or engage in conflicts with her. Ashton thought, ¡°It¡¯s just a few pieces of couple clothing anyway. In the future, Deborah will belong to him alone. A few clothes are nothing.¡± Deborah continues to take out other items from the suitcase, including a cup and towel with an image of Joseph and skincare and makeup products with the same image of Joseph on the packaging. Ashton¡¯s expression twisted slightly as he said, ¡°The staff has prepared new ones for you. You didn¡¯t R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only have to bring these all the way here.¡± Deborah replied with a snort and continued to sort her things. ¡°I¡¯m nostalgic and used to using my own things. I can¡¯t use other people¡¯s things.¡± Ashton couldn¡¯t suppress his emotions anymore. ¡°Debby, I¡¯m your legal husband. I¡¯m yours.¡± He realized that his attitude was getting worse again, so he tried his best to suppress it. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s not important. If you brought them, use them.¡± However, Deborah did not care about his emotions and took out a bra. There was also an image of Joseph printed on the part close to the heart. Ashton was certain that Deborah couldn¡¯t make so many things in a short time just to make him angry. These were the things she had been using for the past three years. The surrounding servants were stunned and couldn¡¯t help ncing at her. Deborah looked up at them and said, ¡°I really don¡¯t need your help. Aren¡¯t you guys ufortable staring at me like that?¡± Finally, Ashton couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and said in a low voice, ¡°Let¡¯s go out first.¡± The servants immediately left. Ashton¡¯s head started to ache. He squatted down and watched Deborah sort her things, trying to soften what he was about to say, ¡°Did you have someone design the pattern on this clothing? It¡¯s quite interesting.¡± Deborah replied, ¡°I designed them myself. I have more at home that are even more interesting than these.¡± As Ashton looked at Deborah, his smile slowly faded away. Ashton suddenly reached out and grabbed Deborah¡¯s hand, saying, ¡°Debby, more interesting things are things between husband and wife, not the childish things you have with Joseph.¡± Chapter 135 Chapter 135 Chapter 135 Deborah Kissed Him Deborah¡¯s wrist was suddenly grabbed, and she suddenly felt dangerous. The only thing Deborah knew about Ashton was what Lucien had told her. She knew that Ashton had hurt her many times before and that he wasn¡¯t a good person. But beyond that, she didn¡¯t remember anything else. Deborah¡¯s face changed in an instant, and she anxiously tried to pull her hand away. But when Deborah struggled, Ashton¡¯s grasp tightened, and he didn¡¯t give her a chance to break free. Ashton¡¯s deep eyes fixated on Deborah like he was watching prey. Deborah¡¯s bra stilly on top of her luggage, with the small Joseph pattern on it, which reflected in Ashton¡¯s eyes. It destroyed thest bit of restraint Ashton was trying to maintain. A desire that had been suppressed for too long began to rise in him as he looked at Deborah. Looking at Deborah in front of him, he wanted her and longed to possess her again. He wanted to make her cry and beg him. Ashton didn¡¯t like how Deborah looked now; she treated him like air and challenged his bottom line in a cold manner. Deborah couldn¡¯t withdraw her hand, so she tried to stand up. But Ashton rose up with her, grabbing her wrist and pulling her into his arms. The faint hint of mint on his body abruptly and clearly entered her nose. Deborah never thought anything could be so nauseating. Although it was a good scent that could stimte one¡¯s senses, at this moment, it made her feel sick more than anything else. Ashton¡¯s desire and jealousy quickly clouded his mind, causing him to lose control and act recklessly. Ashton hugged Deborah, pressed against her shoulders, and pushed her backward. Deborah resisted with red eyes, but Ashton pressed down on her and bit her mouth. He bit down on her hard as if he wanted to take a bite out of her flesh, making her eyes go dark with pain. Joseph would never have done this to her; he never did in the three years they were together. What a husband! Ashton was just an animal! Deborah pushed him like crazy, mumbling and cursing him with every vile word she could think of. Ashton did not budge. He pushed her to the edge of the bed and pressed down on her shoulders. Deborah lost control of her body and fell back onto the bed. Ashton pressed Deborah¡¯s wrist onto the pillow and asked her angrily, ¡°His face is painted on your bra. Did foseph touch you?¡± Deborah struggled desperately, and sweat covered her head. ¡°Get off me! Even if we¡¯re married, this is still rape. I¡¯ll definitely sue you!¡± sed her ferociously, his dark eyes full of madness and desire. ¡°Debby, I love it when you¡¯re like this. You ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Eknow how many times I¡¯ve dreamed of you like this over the past three years. You see, this is the real you. If you want to cry, cry; If you want to curse, curse.¡± Deborah suddenly reached out and touched the knife in her coat pocket. However, Ashton Immediately noticed that before the knife in her hand could touch him, he had quickly pressed down on her hand. Deborah thought Ashton hadpletely lost control, but he saw she was trying to take the knife. Ashton held Deborah¡¯s hand and then exerted some force to open her palm and take the knife away. ¡°You still like to use the same methods even after losing your memory. How cute,¡± Ashton said. ¡°When you hated me, you always liked to secretly take a knife and hurt me. Debby, I still remember it very clearly. Sometimes, I dreamt that if I could ever see you again, you would do the same thing.¡± Deborah couldn¡¯t move, so she kicked him desperately. ¡°You lunatic, get away from me!¡± Ashton threw the knife to the ground, losing patience, and leaned in to kiss Deborah, cing his hand on her waist. Deborah¡¯s head started buzzing, feeling too weak to struggle, breathing rapidly. Ashton slowly realized that something was wrong when he saw Deborah struggling to breathe, her face turning pale and slightly bluish. Ashton¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Deborah remained silent, still gasping for breath. Deborah no longer looked at Ashton with a pained expression on her face. Ashton immediately got up and wiped the sweat off her forehead, asking, ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡± Deborah remained silent. Shey on the bed, trembling as if she was cold. Ashton regained his sanity and dared not touch her again, urgently calling for the family doctor toe in. Deborah finally spoke, ¡°I¡¯m fine, just go outside.¡± Ashton looked at her pale face, feeling guilty. He hated himself. Even though he had endured it for three years, now was not the time to be hasty. Deborah hade all the way to Richmond with him. Now, she would hate him even more. Ashton felt remorseful and said, ¡® ¡°I¡¯m sorry, T¡­¡± ¡°Get out,¡± Deborah interrupted him, looking sideways at him. Ashton wanted to exin, but seeing him not leave, Deborah gritted her teeth and struggled to get up. Only then did Ashton say, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go. You rest, and I¡¯ll have the servant bring you some foodter.¡± After saying that, Ashton walked straight out. As he reached the door, he suddenly heard Deborah¡¯s cold voice, ¡°Ashton, it¡¯s your birthday tomorrow; I¡¯ll give you a gift then.¡± Ashton felt a surge of joy in his heart, immediately turning back to ask her, ¡°Really?¡± Deborah smiled ambiguously. ¡°Yes, really. Now go out.¡± Ashton lett, and Deborah sent a message to Joseph: [Remember toe tomorrow.] Because of the gift Deborah mentioned, Ashton stayed in the bedroom all night and couldn¡¯t fall asleep. The next morning, Ashton took Deborah to Mullen Manor for his birthday banquet. The banquet was grand, and Ashton had sent out invitations to everyone he knew, and there were countless guests present. Hector was puzzled. Ashton had refused to hold or attend any party in the past three years, always looking sad and uninterested. This time, however, Ashton had gone against his nature and invited many people. It wasn¡¯t until Hector saw Ashton bring Deborah to Mullen Manor that he finally figured out what was going on. At first nce, Hector almost had a heart attack on the spot, At first, he was scared by Deborah. He remembered that Deborah had died a long time ago. On the other hand, he was angry with Deborah. She had actuallye back to cause trouble for Ashton again. But no matter what, with so many guests present today, Hector could only pretend he hadn¡¯t seen anything and continued to greet the guests with a smile. As soon as Ashton entered, he was surrounded by people. Afraid that Deborah wouldn¡¯t like it, Ashton deliberately arranged for Deborah to sit in a quiet corner and eat something. He didn¡¯t let her apany him to socialize. Deborah looked around and quickly saw Joseph, who was also surrounded by people. Deborah nced over. Joseph seemed to have sensed it and immediately looked in her direction. Deborah got up and walked to the bathroom upstairs. As she expected, Joseph quickly caught up with her. Deborah walked to the corner, leaned against the wall, and stopped. When Joseph turned the corner and came towards her, Deborah raised her hand to stop him. ¡°Come here,¡± she said. Joseph did follow Deborah here, but on such an asion, he knew that Deborah was here as Ashton¡¯s wife. Joseph wasn¡¯t sure what Deborah was thinking, so he didn¡¯t want to openly get close to her, afraid of causing her trouble. Joseph had only followed her secretly because he couldn¡¯t resist seeing her. Now that Deborah had caught him, he looked a little uneasy. Deborah said again, ¡°Come here.¡± Joseph couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer. He approached her and pressed his hands against the wall beside her. He looked down at her and said, ¡°Debby.¡± Deborah suddenly raised her hand, hugging Joseph¡¯s neck and kissing him on the lips. On the big screen in the hall downstairs, the scene suddenly changed into a hot scene outside Chapter 136 Chapter 136 Chapter 136 using Ashton of Domestic Violence & Imprisonment Deborah was aware of the filming. She noticed when headed upstairs, that not only Joseph, but Reba also followed her up. Reba wanted to be with Ashton, unclear whether it was because she liked him, or something else. Deborah took notice yesterday when Ashton forcibly took her away from the ward, with Reba looking on excitedly from outside. And Deborah knew Reba, the granddaughter of the Moxley family, for a long time. She panicked in the ward yesterday and did not recognize her, but then she quickly remembered. What would Reba do if she saw Deborah making out with Joseph? Undoubtedly, she would make sure everyone knew about it, even if it was thest thing she would do. Deborah¡¯s arm flung around Joseph¡¯s neck. She closed her eyes and kissed all over his face. Joseph finally couldn¡¯t hold it anymore. He took her hands and pressed her wrists onto the wall. He got close to her and pressed her against the wall. Then he bent over and bit her firmly. Deborah shuddered as her lips met with his teeth. Reba was so excited she could pass out; she didn¡¯t stop at taking pictures from her phone camera. The party was on downstairs. And everyone from Richmond¡¯s upper ss was here. Ashton suddenly went out of his way to throw such a big birthday party. It wasn¡¯t hard to figure out that he was announcing the return of his wife. His precious wife kissing other men at a ce like this. Reba felt like she just hit the jackpot. She turned on her phone projector and projected what she filmed on the phone to the projector downstairs in the living room. The soft musical images on the living room screen instantly switched to Deborah and Joseph kissing. Ashton didn¡¯t notice at first and was talking delightfully to some men in suits. ¡°That¡¯s right; I brought my wife over. ¡°It makes me overjoyed to find her after three years. I¡¯ll bring her up the stage and share this good news with everyone and all media present soon.¡± He made preparations, and everyone present was either top yers in the business or several media reporters of Richmond. Several of them had already got the message and prepared their filming equipment as they came in, ready to receive the scoop firsthand. When news got out, Ashton would announce that he had found his wife, Deborah. After this, all contact between Deborah and Joseph would be considered immoral in the public¡¯s eyes. ¡°Congrats to you,¡± said several men to Ashton in adtion. Ashton was in a good mood today. He tried to say something. But then he found the living room fell into a weird silence. Get Bonus The men he just talked to suddenly changed their faces and looked behind him. And then their adtion quickly turned into sympathy. Ashton felt weird and turned to look. But then the men hurriedly spoke. N?velDrama.Org content rights. ¡°I¡¯ll just sit over there. Carry on, Mr. Mullen.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll sit over there too.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll grab some drinks.¡± They hurriedly spoke and bolted. Ashton turned around and saw a couple kissing fiercely on the big screen on the wall behind him. He was slow to react momentarily and thought he saw it wrong. Was somebody ying tricks on him, or did he identally switch the channel to a TV drama? Ashton¡¯s mind went nk momentarily, and he did not recover himself. The silence in the living room quickly turned into hisses and gossip. Ashton froze still for a while before finallying to his senses. It was no TV drama. That was Deborah and Joseph up on the screen! He then looked towards the corner of the living room where Deborah sat silently, now nowhere to be found. The reporters were also dumbstruck. This was big. If words got out, it would trend fast on all social media. But no reporter dared to get the news out. However, others did dare. Most of the guests present were businessmen, who were, most of them, cunning and deceitful. In in sight, they were all friends, but they were steadily at each other¡¯s throats, and many of them wanted the others out of the game. Plus, if this gets out, it¡¯ll be the ck family on one side and the Mullen family on the other. The two families taking it out on each other would have damage on both sides, and the others would benefit from it. It was chaos in the living room. Someone soon recorded the big screen and posted the video anonymously online. And thework was instantly stirred up. The anonymous video quickly trended. Hector tried to stop this, but there was nothing for him to stop. It was a riot online. The wife of the Mullen group CEO, making out with the former CEO of the ck group. What the hell is going on? Ashton went upstairs with a darkened face. As he turned around the corridor, he saw Deborah still holding on to Joseph¡¯s neck, kissing fiercely. And there was Reba filming on the side with her phone and projecting it live on the big screen downstairs. Ashton strode forward and took away Reba¡¯s phone from behind. Then he walked directly to Deborah and pulled her away from Joseph¡¯s arms. Reba¡¯s phone was taken away, and her fun was spoiled; she protested angrily. ¡°What was that for? Can¡¯t a girl have some fun filming some kissing?¡± Ashton would dly grab and throw her out the window had she not been from the Moxley family. Ashton grabbed Deborah¡¯s arm and headed back downstairs. He was about to bust a cap. ¡°Well done, you! From here on out, Deborah, don¡¯t ever dream about me taking you out again. As for Joseph, I will sue him and throw his ass in jail in no time!¡± Deborah allowed him to yank her around. She did not struggle and followed him downstairs. ¡°Oh, yeah?¡± She smiled. ¡°No need for you to press charges, Ashton Mullen. I¡¯ve already called the police. They¡¯d be here soon.¡± Ashton stopped in his tracks and looked back at her in disbelief. ¡°What?¡± At that moment, police arrived downstairs, showing their badges, and they entered the living room. The police that arrived knew the Mullen family quite well and felt uneasy talking the call here. ¡°The Richmond Police Station received a call from a Ms. Deborah Shepherd¡­¡¯ Ashton was stunned momentarily and didn¡¯t realize when did he let go of Deborah¡¯s hand. Deborah rushed downstairs and answered in front of everyone. ¡°I¡¯m Deborah Shepherd, and I called the police.¡± All the guests present were astonished. The big screen was just showing how Deborah cheated and kissed Joseph upstairs. And now it felt like she was shifting the me and bringing the police over to sue her victim? Ashton couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. ¡°Deborah, what the hell are you ying at? Is this the birthday surprise you were nning for mest night?¡± Deborah looked at him with a smile. ¡°Of course. Enjoying the big surprise?¡± Then she stated to the police before Ashton could have a chance to reply. ¡°I called you here to use Ashton Mullen of his domestic violence three years ago, and then, three yearster, he attempts to imprison me.¡± Shocks and hisses rang among the guests. Quite a few people were gloating. With so many eyes watching, Ashton suppressed his anger and embarrassment, and tried to exin calmly to the police. ¡°My apologies for the misunderstanding. My wife suffered amnesia from an injury three years ago and was abducted. Now I finally found her three yearster. She might be a little deluded.¡± Deborah looked at him in astonishment. ¡°Amnesia? Deluded? Howe I don¡¯t get a word you¡¯re saying?¡± Chapter 137 Chapter 137 Chapter 137 She Could Jall with Joseph for Two Years Ashton¡¯s face froze. He didn¡¯t expect Deborah would deny her amnesia. He looked at Deboral. ¡°Debby, you lost a lot of memories three years ago. What other reasons would have brought you to Oceanview City with Joseph all these years?¡± But Deborah only looked at the police. ¡°I never lost my memories or went delusional. I suffered abuse from my husband¡¯s domestic violence three years ago, and I wanted to divorce him. ¡°But he refused, so I snuck to Oceanview City with Joseph to escape from Ashton. Such is my will. And everything that happened between me and Joseph waspletely consensual.¡± ¡°My memory is intact,¡± she reiterated, ¡°so is my mental state. I take full responsibility for my actions.¡± ¡°My wife lost her memories for three years,¡± said Ashton angrily. ¡°She¡¯s still a bit delirious right now. I never imprisoned her, but merely fulfilled my responsibility as a husband for my mentally unstable wife.¡± The police were hard to make judgments with so many people watching. Joseph silently came down the stairs and walked behind Deborah. Deborah reached out her hand and held on to Joseph¡¯s in front of everyone. She didn¡¯t even tell Joseph about what she was doing today, leaving h unprepared. He just lost control upstairs when Deborah hugged and kissed him. He never expected Deborah to go public with it like this. Ashton and Deborah¡¯s marriage was still recognized byw. Deborah¡¯s actions would undoubtedly nail her to the wall in public view, and she would be shunned and scorned by everyone. Joseph didn¡¯t want her to be like that. If Ashton really was to press charges and be unreasonable. It would be Joseph ck who tricked Deborah, and it had nothing to do with her. He never wanted her to bear for anything. Whether it was being scorned, ruining his career, or going to jail, he would have Deborah far away from all these. Of course, that was Ashton¡¯s n as well. So he was nning to use Joseph of kidnapping and avoid mentioning Deborah¡¯s cheating. But now Deborah had kissed Joseph, then held his hand in front of everyone. Joseph instinctively tried to take back his hand. He didn¡¯t want to drag Deborah into any of these and tried to speak on her behalf. Deborah, however, was not letting go, and she looked back at him. ¡°What are you afraid of, Joseph? We did nothing wrong. There is no need to feel threatened or afraid.¡± She looked at the police calmly. ¡°I went willingly. Joseph did not trick me.¡± The police couldn¡¯t help but remind her. ¡°Ms. Shepherd, you should be aware that what you¡¯re doing is marital infidelity, a direct vition of the Marriage Law.¡± ¡°I am well aware of this,¡± Deborah replied. ¡°But I don¡¯t believe a woman should still uphold the marriage Chandor 197 Oba N. she was abused and vited by her husband. ¡°A marriage certificate justifies two people living together, not a man beating up his wife.¡± Ashton¡¯s face went cold, and he tried to grab Deborah. ¡°Let go; that¡¯s enough. You should be aware of the situation right now.¡± Deborah threw away Ashton¡¯s hand, then took out her phone and showed the documents to the police. ¡°These are the evidence from three years ago when Ashton signed my liver donation paper. ¡°He then signed to force-continue the operation when I was in critical. His grandfather beat me into miscarriage; here¡¯s the recording.¡± Dr. Garza provided her with the files. As for the recording, ording to Dr. Garza, Ashton was being paranoid at the time, and he bugged Deborah. The recording yed out loud, and Hector Mullen¡¯s voice came out clearly. ¡°I will not allow the fruit of the Mullen family to be born from your womb and be your bargaining chip. You and your child can go to hell together!¡± The recording was from three years ago; Hector didn¡¯t even recall himself doing something like that. But then it quickly came back to him. It was in this very front yard of the Mullen Manor three years ago when he ordered his bodyguard to beat Deborah hard with a club, causing her miscarriage. Hector couldn¡¯t hold it anymore. He stepped in furiously to put a stop to this. ¡°This is a nder! The recording was fake. With all the good I¡¯ve done my whole life, I¡¯d never heard a fly, let alone my own child!¡± Deborah ignored his reproaches and brought up another recording. ¡°I recorded thisst night. I had hoped that Ashton would mend his ways after three years, but he¡¯s still that bastard he had always been, and he forced me to be intimate. He also told me to stay inside the Flora Vi and not to go out without his permission.¡± The record yed, and Ashton¡¯exined. ¡°Debby, I was a little impatientst night, and I was only joking about not letting you leave. Plus, it¡¯s for your own good.¡± Deborah looked at him coldly. ¡°I went out with you yesterday, not because you threatened me; I wanted to see what became of you after three years. ¡°Butst night, you forced me to be intimate with you, almost suffocating me. And then you told me to stay inside Flora Vi and never to go out without your permission. Reality check. You¡¯d never change.¡± Actually, Deborah did lose her memories. She¡¯d like to see for herself what herwful husband was like. And it turned out exactly as Dr. Garza said; Ashton threatened her, forced her, disregarded her health N?velDrama.Org content rights. conditions, and showed no respect for her. Deborah didn¡¯t remember what she was like three years ago. But Deborah Shepherd now would never resign herself to such a husband. The police then asked. ¡°So about the issue with Ms. Shepherd¡¯s amnesia and mental health¡­¡± ¡°Never happened,¡± said Deborah. As long as she kept her foot down about not having amnesia or mental breakdowns, there would be no case for Chapter 137 She Could Joseph for Two Masre. Joseph¡¯s abduction charges. Even if Ashton pressed charges, it could only be for Deborah¡¯s marital infidelity with Joseph. And the court could only convict them of bigamy with less than two years of the sentence. Deborah believed she could stand for two years in jail. She also believed that Joseph could as well. ¡°I never intentionally harmed or abused her,¡± said Ashton sulldly. ¡°We just had a few fights from our misunderstandings ¡°And now my wife has indeed lost part of her memories, and she was not in her right mind. She has to stay with me.¡± The police looked at Joseph. ¡°Mr. ck, what¡¯s your take on this?¡± Deborah gave him a look ¡°Speak the truth, Joseph.¡± Joseph changed his statement as he saw Deborah looking at him. ¡°Deborah never had any amnesia or mental breakdowns.¡± Ashton was furious. ¡°You lie!¡± ¡°Since you insisted,¡± Deborah asked Ashton calmly, ¡°why don¡¯t you show us some proof? Or are you suggesting that the medical technology today could not tell it a person had anmesia?¡± Get Bonus Chapter 138 Chapter 138 Chapter 138 Little Alyssa Ashton looked at his family doctor nearby, who came at once and reminded him. ¡°Mr. Mullen, amnesia is not easy to diagnose. And we¡¯re unable to check for mental health problems unless at a certain stage.¡± Even if Deborah were diagnosed with something wrong with her head that could cause amnesia, it would still remain only a possibility. As long as Deborah put her foot down and said she did not lose her memories, she didn¡¯t. Ask for mental health issues; there was no doubt that Deborah had none. If Ashton went to falsify reports with doctors, with thebined strengths of Deborah and Joseph, they could still put up a fight. If Ashton went to falsify the reports, Joseph could also tell the truth to the doctor. ¡°I¡¯m done talking,¡± said Deborah directly. ¡°Will this evidence be enough to press charges against Ashton and Hector Mullen?¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°I¡¯m afraid audio recordings would be inadmissible in court, Mrs. Mullen,¡± said the police truthfully. ¡°First of all, audio records are easy to falsify. Secondly, if you recorded in secret, your recording may not be what the -others were truly trying to say. ¡°Others might joke or say something impulsively without knowing themselves being recorded.¡± Deborah nodded. ¡°Understood. So that¡¯s a no, then. No matter. I will gather the evidence I need. ¡°So, can I press charges for divorce and separate from my husband during the procedure for personal safety? Is that alright?¡± Ashton suddenly could not recognize the Deborah Shepherd in front of him. She wasn¡¯t like this before at all. Since when did she be so eloquent and calctive at every move? Deborah leaving with him yesterday, her helpless obedience¡­ All of it was just an act. She used to be quite a coward. The Deborah he knew would never stand up to him like this. Ashton panicked and desperately tried to grab onto Deborah. ¡°No, I will not allow you to leave. You¡¯re me.¡± Deborah reacted quickly and avoided his hand. Then Dr. Garza squeezed through and walked straight to her. ¡°Ms. Shepherd, it urred to me that you¡¯ve had a stomachache these days, and we¡¯ve made an appointment to fetch the drugs. If it¡¯s okay with you, thene on.¡± The guests had their fun. They were quite shocked with the recordings Deborah just yed and are starting to feel scared about the Mullen family. They started exiting the party, and Hector¡¯s face went as dark as it could be. Deborah was leaving with Dr. Garza when Ashton stopped them furiously. ¡°Drop the act, Dr. Garza! You¡¯ve been in all this with Joseph ck! ¡°You¡¯re trying to take Deborah away now and bring her over to Joseph¡¯s ce, aren¡¯t you? We¡¯re not divorced yet, you know!¡± Get Bonus have the freedom to move around, you know,¡± Deborah said in a toneless voice. ¡°I confess to my marital infidelity. If you sue me now, I¡¯ll go with the police immediately. ¡°If not, then I¡¯ll be on my way. I reserve my right to live separately from you during the divorcewsuit. ¡°Of course, it was my fault I cheated on you,¡± she added. ¡°I¡¯ll ask for nothing on the division of property in divorce. I¡¯ll even throw in a considerablepensation for mental damage should you need it.¡± Veins appeared above Ashton¡¯s head. ¡°Deborah, you¡¯ve alreadymitted bigamy living with Joseph all these years. Don¡¯t think for a second that I wouldn¡¯t put you in prison for this!¡± Hector came and berated Ashton. ¡°Enough! Let them leave. You¡¯ve already brought enough embarrassment to your family. Just finalize your divorce and get this whole thing over with!¡± The evidence Deborah just brought out was not enough for her to press charges and lock away Ashton and Hector. But such recordings would be more than enough to ruin the Mullen family¡¯s reputation. Only fulfilling Deborah¡¯s demands and finalizing the divorce would make her stop. The sooner, the better. Ashton clenched his fists. Deborah smirked. ¡°I will cooperate when you sue me about the bigamy. I¡¯ll take my leave now. ¡°I am making the divorce. You can be sure of that. I will also gather evidence of the Mullen family abusing me. Then we¡¯ll see about who will go to prison first.¡± She then strode out. The living room was all but emptied; only Adrian and Reba remained to gawk on. Reba had her eyes set on Ashton. She did all this so she could have him. Of course, this satisfied her. And Adrian, however, had his eyes set on Deborah. Adrian remarked in amazement after seeing Deborah leave. ¡°Quite the character. Still keeping her head up while cheating. My aunt taught her well.¡± The driver hurriedly reminded him. ¡°Let¡¯s just get out of here, Mr. Adrian. No need to pay heed to other people¡¯s privacy.¡± Adrian saw everyone else leave and stood up to leave. The Mullen house was already in chaos, and no one came to serve him. Adrian left directly. ¡°How¡¯s my Alyssa? How did the contest go?¡± He asked. ¡°Just came in,¡± the driver smiled. ¡°She defended her crown in the piano contest.¡± Adrianughed. ¡°Excellent. Let¡¯s throw her a celebration party tonight.¡± He walked out in a good mood, passing right by Deborah, got in the car, and left. Deborah got out and was about to get in Dr. Garza¡¯s car when Hector followed her outside. Deborah thought he was out to scorn her more, but the old man kept it low when he walked up to her. ¡°I apologize on behalf of Ashton about what happened before. I assure you, Ashton will be divorced from you soon, and I hope you can forgive us for what happened before.¡± Get Bonus Deborah was stunned for a bit. Then she realized Hector heard her recordings and was scared she had gotten more. He got a guilty conscience about what he did, which means that he admitted to everything ¡°Heh,¡± Deborah scoffed at him in disdain. She got in the car and left without saying anything else. Dr. Garza drove in front. Deborah got in, and Joseph hopped in the back with her. Ashton broke free from Hector¡¯s bodyguards and came out, trying to stop them. Hector turned around and pped him hard on the face. ¡°You bastard! I already told you Deborah was no easy girl you could fool around with. This ends right now! The Mullen family cannot afford any more mishaps!¡± Ashton¡¯s face darkened as he watched Dr. Garza¡¯s car leave. Discussions stirred up on the Inte, most of which were on Ashton¡¯s side. They said that Deborah cheated on Ashton. That she left with Joseph while she was still married to Ashton and lived together illegally for years. And now, with everyone knowing they were kissing, Deborah became desperate, so she forged the recordings and evidence to stab Ashton in the back. The public still couldn¡¯t believe that Ashton would do something so ridiculously cruel to Deborah as she said he did. The discussion quickly turned into a hurling of abuses at Deborah. The society had always been harder on women. Joseph, on the other hand, received fewer abuses. Many people even imed that Deborah was frivolous, not content to just be with Ashton, and sought excitement by seducing Joseph Deborah sat in the backseat, looking at the news on the phone. Joseph tried to stop her. ¡°Stop watching these at a time like this, Debby.¡± Deborah was quite calm. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter I don¡¯t give a damn about how many tires people throw at me. You, on the other hand, wouldn¡¯t this fiasco affect Jingron?¡± They still needed the fiasco, though. Deborah needed to reveal to the public that what happened between her and Joseph was consensual betore Ashton pressed charges against Joseph for kidnapping. That way, there would be no case for the kidnapping. The worst they could get would be two years for the bigamy. Joseph took her hand and ced it in his palm. ¡°It won¡¯t. I never revealed it to anyone. Jingron¡¯s my business, And the only ones aware of this are the fewpany executives. They won¡¯t talk¡± As he spoke, he realized several members of the ck family were also aware of this. Gerald discovered it when Joseph founded Jingron. He used Joseph of ying with tire over dinner at Mullen Manor. Several members of the ck family, including Gerald¡¯s current wife, Joseph¡¯s half-brother, and Robert, were all present. Joseph was starting to have a bad feeling about this when Morton Hinton, his assistant, called on the phone. ¡°Mr. ck, I just got word that your brother epted an interview from the media and revealed that fingron was your business. He also pointed out that the Renowned Designer Ynda was Ms. Shepherd.¡± Get Bonus Chapter 139 Chapter 139 Chapter 139 Warm Breath on Her Face Deborah sat on the side and heard Joseph¡¯s call. She was stunned for a bit. ¡°Aren¡¯t you an orphan? Didn¡¯t we meet at the orphanage? Howe you have a brother?¡± Morton sent Joseph a news link and was about to say something. He then heard Deborah¡¯s voice. Morton quickly stopped talking and fell into silence. Joseph already instructed that no one should mention his family in front of Deborah. He lied to Deborah from the start that they were both orphans. Growing up in an orphanage with no parents or rtives. Morton didn¡¯t expect Deborah to be listening. He stayed silent for a bit and then said in a hurry. ¡°Mr. ck, I¡­ I¡¯ll be off now.¡± Then he nervously hung on the phone. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, Joseph¡¯s phone rang again. This time it said ¡°Gerald ck.¡± Joseph answered. And the voice of a strict father rang out. ¡°How much longer are you nning to keep this up with Robert? Now that you¡¯re back in Richmond, dinner with the family at Mullen Manor tonight. We¡¯ll talk things out.¡± Joseph felt like his head was about to explode. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you at home tonight,¡± The person over the phone said this and hung up. Deborah red at him furiously. Joseph panicked and tried to exin. ¡°Debby, I can exin¡­¡± ¡°Liar,¡± said Deborah in a toneless voice, looking at him coldly. Dr. Garza tried to ease the tension. ¡°Um, Joseph, how about wee clean with her?¡± Deborah gave him an ¡°I¡¯ll hear what you have to say¡± look. ¡°You have three minutes.¡± Joseph wasted no time. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing. Three years ago, you went through plenty of unpleasant experiences. You weren¡¯t thinking straight, almost ended up in a car ident, and you lost your memories. I feared you¡¯d try to kill yourself again if you got your memories back, so I lied about¡­¡± ¡°You lied about where you came from,¡± Deborah interrupted him, ¡°saying that you and I were both orphans, we met in the orphanage, and we liked each other. ¡°Then we grew up to be together as if it was meant to be. The engagement ring on my finger was from you, and we¡¯d ¨C live a happy life.¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Dr. Garza concurred. ¡°Something like that, yeah.¡± Deborah snorted. ¡°Three years, Joseph. You really thought this through and through, didn¡¯t you? Dr. Garza, pull over at the hotel up front!¡± Joseph really panicked. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault, Debby. I apologize. I was the one that lied to you, for whatever it¡¯s worth. ¡°You were right, and I was shifting the me however I exined myself. But you¡¯ve got no memories of Richmond. And I worry about leaving you by yourself.¡± Deborah put her foot down and looked out at the hotel nearby. ¡°Dr. Garza, pull over!¡± Dr. Garza didn¡¯t give her an inch and hit the brakes as soon as they reached the hotel. Joseph tried to grab Deborah¡¯s arm. But Deborah pushed him and opened the door on her side. Joseph was afraid that he might hurt her and backed away from her push. As Deborah put on her mask and got out, Joseph tried to open his side of the door. But Dr. Garza quickly locked them. Joseph almost jumped. ¡°What the hell are you doing, Lucien? Open the door right now; Debby¡¯s not safe on her own!¡± Dr. Garza looked into the rearview mirror, speechless. ¡°Enough with the ¡®Debby¡¯ already,¡± he reminded Joseph. ¡°Think about me, would you? Deborah already knew about your family. I told her on the phone yesterday.¡± Joseph was stunned and looked to the front. A moment of silence. Then he started pushing the door again. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it. Open the door. I need to exin it to her.¡± Dr. Garza sighed. ¡°Joseph, do you remember what you used to be like? Where¡¯s your calm and self- restraint? Did you use to go around and ¡®Debby¡¯ all the time? ¡°Deborah is not your oxygen tank; you don¡¯t need to keep her around or talk about her all the time. I¡¯ve had just about enough of you two.¡± Joseph became so furious his face warped. ¡°Open the door right now! Debby¡¯s already at the gate. I won¡¯t be able to find her soon!¡± Dr. Garza sighed and exined. ¡°Soon as Deborah learned about Ashton, she figured there must be much more she didn¡¯t know. She asked mest night on the phone, and I told her everything. ¡°Deborah left alone because she wants you to return tonight to the ck family and the ck Group. If you want to be with her, to stand against Ashton Mullen, then take over the ck Group once more. It¡¯s the best way.¡± Joseph finally calmed down a bit and asked in doubt. ¡°Seriously?¡± Dr. Garza got so angry he went all out. ¡°Either that, or she was mad that you lied to her, so she left and dumped you, okay?¡± Joseph was still not at ease. ¡°You¡¯d better not lie to me. And will she be safe staying in this hotel on her own?¡± Dr. Garza snorted. ¡°I own the hotel. Ashton¡¯s men cannot sneak in. Plus, it¡¯s not part of your business, and the media got nothing on it. She¡¯ll be safe here.¡± Joseph finally believed him¡­ barely. ¡°So be it. Take me to my house. I¡¯ll head for Mullen Manor tonight.¡± Dr. Garza drove Joseph to his vi. Back in the hotel, the receptionist did not recognize Deborah through her mask. During this special time, plenty of people were on the streets wearing masks, and no one would feel weird about her. The receptionist arranged for Deborah a room, and she went straight in. She brought nothing and entered empty-handed. She took a shower and started to check her phone on the couch. Thements were all spitting hates at her. Even her identity as Renowned Designer Ynda was exposed, and people started to defame her past works. Get Bonus Deborah looked at them for a while and then started to think about how to gather proof that Ashton abused her. She needs to divorce soon and find out about Ashton¡¯s past wrongs, which could also prove that it was not as simple as marital infidelity. If she kept this up, then her own career would be ruined, even if Joseph wouldn¡¯t be jailed for kidnapping. Deborah thought about the fiasco she brought up at the birthday party and felt quite tired now. Mr. Sandman came quickly. Then, before she knew it, she fell fast asleep on the couch. Suddenly she woke up. She felt as if a small pet¡¯s warm breath was hitting on her face. Her eyes flung open, and she saw Joseph crouching beside her couch. He was looking at her sleeping. Deborah was startled and jolted right up. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Chapter 140 Chapter 140 Chapter 140 You Shall Be the CEO Again Get Fonus When Deborah stood up, she realized that it was already dark outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. When she came to the hotel, it was noon, and now she had slept through the entire afternoon. Joseph looked guilty. ¡°I was worried about you. Remembering that you didn¡¯t bring anything with you, I brought you some clean clothes, living supplies, and food. Have you eaten?¡± Deborah nced at her phone. It got dark early in winter, and it was just 5 pm now. She suddenly remembered something. ¡°Didn¡¯t your dad ask you to go home for dinner tonight? Why are you still here? Go back.¡± Deborah¡¯s head was still a little dizzy. She went into the bathroom to wash her face. Joseph followed and stood far away at the bathroom door, feeling uneasy. ¡°Do you hate me?¡± Deborah leaned over the sink, scooped up some warm water and sshed her face. When she stood up straight again and looked at Joseph from the side, there were water droplets sliding down her eyebrows, cheeks, and jawline. Her face looked alluring under the light. Joseph nced at her and couldn¡¯t help swallowing. He immediately felt deep guilt and looked away. Deborah wiped her face with a warm towel to dry it. She then reached out and caught some cold water. She walked over and pped Joseph¡¯s face slightly a few times with her hands. ¡°Wake up. Why would I hate you? ¡°Hate you for saving me from distress three years ago? Hate you for deceiving me so I could live to this day? Hate you for taking care of me for three years so I could achieve what I have today and say goodbye to the tortured self I was in the past?¡± Her marriage to Ashton was nothing. The old her would have epted her fate, suffered in silence, and thought she could never fight back in the end. But now she only acknowledged one fact, she would not ept a husband like Ashton. No matter how difficult, she would definitely divorce him and choose what she wanted- the career she wanted, the man she wanted, the life and circle of friends she wanted. Instead of telling a man who had once abused and mistreated her like an animal, ¡°Don¡¯t treat me that way anymore, okay?¡± As for Joseph, if he hadn¡¯t saved and deceived her, she would probably still be in Ashton¡¯s hands now. Joseph suddenly reached out and grasped the hands that had gently pped his face. He lowered his head, his burning eyes staring at Deborah. ¡°Really?¡± Deborah grasped his hands in return and then gently pushed them away. ¡°Go back. Didn¡¯t your dad ask you to have dinner? Then go. Now that your brother has revealed our affairs to the media, if he really gets the ck Group, won¡¯t he bully you even more?¡± Lucien had told her all this. When Joseph¡¯s mother was still with Gerald, Gerald had left her shares. Even after they separated, those shares had always remained in Joseph¡¯s mother¡¯s name. After Joseph¡¯s mother passed away, the shares were naturally inherited by Joseph. Three years ago, Joseph went to Oceanview City and gave up everything, including the shares to Gerald. Over the past three years, his stepmother and half-brother had tried every means to get those shares into their own hands. Joseph held her hand reluctantly, seeming reluctant to let go. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take you with me.¡± Deborah pushed his hands away impatiently and urged him, ¡°Go quickly. Take me there? I haven¡¯t divorced Ashton Vet. ¡°Going with you to attend a family banquet will make me aughingstock. It will allow your stepmother and brother to mock you even more in front of your father?¡± Joseph said stubbornly, ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± Deborah¡¯s tone became serious. ¡°But I do. With the media in an uproar now, we should minimize contact outside before my divorce. As for your family, it¡¯s even more impossible for me to go.¡± Joseph left reluctantly. His eyes seemed unable to leave her. Deborah pushed him out the door and mmed it shut. Through the peephole in the door, she saw Joseph standing outside looking rather aggrieved. His voice came from outside. ¡°I brought you food. It¡¯s on the coffee table inside. Eat it.¡± Deborah said, ¡°Okay¡±. Joseph stood outside, still reluctant to leave. She couldn¡¯t helpughing until she saw him answer the phone and finally turn to leave. Outside the door, Joseph answered the phone as he entered the elevator. Gerald¡¯s slightly solemn voice sounded, ¡°Where are you? The food is ready. We¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡± Joseph said, ¡°Still on my way, I¡¯ll be there in half an hour.¡± Gerald¡¯s tone was a bit unnatural. Over the years, themunication between father and son had been pathetic. Gerald knew Joseph hated him. To be honest, he hated himself too. ¡°No rush. I had the maid keep the food warm. Drive safely.¡± Joseph said, ¡°Okay¡± and hung up. In ck Manor, Gerald looked at his phone and sighed. About half an hourter, Joseph arrived. The whole family was waiting in the living room for him alone. As soon as Joseph came in, his stepmother Jane came up, ¡°Joseph, you¡¯re back. It must be freezing outside. Your dad has been worrying about you.¡± Get Bonus As she spoke, she was about to take Joseph¡¯s coat, but Joseph ignored her and handed it to a nearby servant. Jane¡¯s smile froze, and she awkwardly followed him back to the dinner table. Chandler, smiling graciously in his wheelchair, said, ¡°You look thinner, brother. There was your favorite soup tonight. Come back and have more.¡± Joseph only whispered a greeting to Gerald and Robert, ¡°Grandpa, Dad.¡± Over the years, his attitude toward the ck family had been cold. Needless to say, over the past three years, he had taken Deborah to Oceanview City and cut off contact with the ck family. Even Robert was ttered, ¡°You¡¯re back. That¡¯s good. You¡¯re back. That¡¯s good!¡± Gerald¡¯s eyes reddened. Pretending nothing was wrong, he told a servant, ¡°Bring some warm water to wash his hands. And pour him hot water to warm up.¡± The servant immediatelyplied. With the whole family present, the atmosphere was unusually harmonious. In the past, whenever Joseph came back, there was always conflict or stony silence. The servant brought the hot water over and offered to wring out the towel for Joseph. But he said, ¡°I can do it myself.¡± Gerald and Robert were obviously satisfied, sensing less of the hostility Joseph used to have. Chandler and Jane exchanged a nce, looking apologetic. Chandler said, ¡°Brother, I owe you an apology. Leaving the office today, reporters suddenly surrounded me, asking about you and Ms. Shepherd. ¡°At the time, I didn¡¯t know what happened at Mr. Mullen¡¯s birthday party today. I spoke carelessly and revealed. Jingron and that Ms. Shepherd is now a renowned designer.¡± Joseph just scoffed without responding much, leisurely wiping his hands with the hot towel. Chandler went on, ¡°I was thinking you¡¯ve made Jingron so big, with over 20 billion in assets really amazing. ¡°And Ms. Shepherd¡¯s aplishments in design are also brilliant. Telling the media is a good thing, nothing to hide. 1 really didn¡¯t expect rumors outside about you and Ms. Shepherd¡­¡± Joseph finally put down the towel and nced at him. ¡°Stop overacting.¡± Chandler looked puzzled. ¡°Joseph, what do you mean? I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Anyway, it was a slip of the tongue. I apologize.¡± Josephughed coldly. ¡°You really didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Few knew Jingron was my venture, yet you had a clear grasp R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only of it. ¡°The fact Deborah is designer Ynda was never public, known to only a select few, yet you investigated thoroughly. ¡°Since these were not publicized, you must have known they were intentionally concealed. Why reveal them to the media?¡± Chandler paled. ¡°Brother, are you using me of doing it on purpose?¡± Gerald said solemnly, ¡°Enough. Chandler, I know your intentions. Don¡¯t assume your grandfather and I see nothing. Now that Joseph is back today, I have something to discuss with you.¡± Chandler¡¯s hand below tightened abruptly. His face remained obedient. ¡°Dad, please speak.¡± Gerald looked at Joseph solemnly, ¡°You were gone for three years. Chandler has been handling the ck Group¡¯s affairs during that time. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve returned, you shall be the CEO again. What do you guys think of that?¡± Chapter 141 Chapter 141 Chapter 141 Does Deborah Know What You Were Like? Chandler could not stand it anymore. ¡°What do you mean? I worked for Joseph for three years?¡± Chandler thought. When Joseph left three years ago, he directly said that he would note back. Afterwards, Chandler naturally took over as the CEO of the ck Group. In order to show his dignity, he said at the group meeting that he was not as capable as Joseph and that he would temporarily manage thepany in ce of Joseph until Joseph returned. But he assumed that everyone knew he didn¡¯t mean it. Joseph had never said that he woulde back at all, and Chandler had been in the position of CEO for three years. The senior executives in the group had already epted the fact that Chandler hadpletely reced Joseph as the CEO. Gerald looked at Chandler, who didn¡¯t say a word. Obviously, Chandler was too shocked. Jane was calmer. She quickly said, ¡°Since Joseph is back, he should indeed continue to take the position of CEO in the ck Group. It¡¯s just that Jingron is so big now, and Joseph is its owner. I¡¯m wondering if he still has the energy to take care of the ck Group.¡± Seeing his mother talking, Chandler came back to his senses and immediately echoed in a gentle voice, ¡°Jingron is also a bigpany with tens of billions of assets. It¡¯s not easy for Joseph to manage it alone, right? If he has to take care of the ck Group as well, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s a bit¡­¡± He thought of something and then turned to Joseph. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s up to you, Joseph. You can do whatever you want, and I have no objection.¡± Three years ago, Joseph left everything behind for a woman. He went to Oceanview City and stayed there for so many years. Chandler did not believe that Joseph would still want to return to the ck Group. He guessed that all Joseph could think about was how to be affectionate with that woman. Joseph nced at Chandler with a half-smile, and Chandler suddenly had a bad premonition. Sure enough, the next moment Joseph said, ¡°I¡¯ll listen to you, Father. It¡¯s just that something happened, and the public opinion outside is raging now. If I take over as the CEO at this time, I¡¯m afraid it will have a bad influence on the ck Group. It¡¯s better not to disclose it to the public. I haven¡¯t been back for three years, so I¡¯ll have to familiarize myself with the group again. As for me taking over as the CEO, let¡¯s talk about itter.¡± Robert nodded with satisfaction. ¡°Well, you are very thoughtful. You can familiarize yourself with the group for some time and show the senior executives and founding members of the group how capable you are again. After a while, the public opinion against you will be gone. Then, we¡¯ll find a suitable time for you to take over the position of CEO and announce it to the public. It would be best.¡± Joseph got up and went over to pour a cup of coffee for Robert. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I mean. It¡¯s been so many years since I left. Thank you for thinking about me, Grandpa, and Dad. Deborah was right. A family will always be a family.¡± As he spoke, he poured a ss of wine for Gerald. Robert said solemnly, ¡°You didn¡¯t have such an attitude before. This time, you have changed a lot. Deborah wanted you toe back?¡± Joseph didn¡¯t say much. He just nodded and said, ¡°Yes.¡± Get Bonus The atmosphere fell into a strange silence. Chandler and Jane were expecting Robert to scold Joseph. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. But Robert sighed, ¡°Forget it, you have always been stubborn and have your own opinions. You have been with her for three years. I believe you have your own reasons for loving her. I have only one thing to tell you. Before she breaks off her rtionship with Ashton Mullen, she must not enter the ck family.¡± Deborah had suffered a lot because of Ashton, and Robert knew it. But no matter what, Deborah was not divorced yet, and the ck family could not take care of her family affairs. If Deborah was not divorced, it was morally and legally wrong for her to be with Joseph. Joseph responded, ¡°Okay.¡± Gerald didn¡¯t say anything. Obviously, he had the same attitude as Robert, If Deborah was divorced, the ck family would ept her rtionship with Joseph. Jane could not believe what she had heard. Resentment and anger almost made her go crazy. Gerald looked at Chandler and said, ¡°Then starting tomorrow, you can take Joseph into thepany and gradually hand over the business to him.¡± Chandler looked a little stiff. ¡°I will, Dad.¡± Gerald didn¡¯t say any more about it. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, and your grandpa needs to go to bed earlier. Just leave after dinner. Will you stay here tonight, Joseph?¡± Joseph was a little hesitant. Robert said, ¡°The public opinion has been raging fiercely these days, so don¡¯t go to Deborah for the time being. I heard that Ashton was nning to sue you. It¡¯s better for you to avoid the attention for a few days.¡± Joseph agreed atst, ¡°Okay.¡± It was a harmonious dinner. Robert had a bad appetite these years, but he ate a lot this time. It was Jane and Chandler who finally had nothing more to say. They were almost silent the whole time and kept gritting their teeth. After dinner, Gerald helped Robert upstairs, who went to bed. When Joseph was about to go upstairs to his bedroom, Jane stopped him. ¡°Joseph, your brother and I have something to talk about with you.¡± Gerald and Robert were no longer there, so Joseph turned around without hiding the disgust on his face. ¡°Stop talking to me like that. It¡¯s disgusting.¡± Chandler said gently, ¡°I know you have prejudices against my mother and me. But we have lived together for so many years. We have long been a family. Maybe we should have a good talk and clear up some misunderstanding.¡± ¡°Misunderstanding?¡± Joseph sneered. ¡°Chandler, you¡¯re so hypocritical. Let me tell you the truth. I didn¡¯t n to return to the ck Group, but you shouldn¡¯t have revealed in front of the media today that Deborah is the designer Ynda. I will definitely not let you get away with it.¡± Chandler¡¯s face froze. Joseph walked a few steps closer to Chandler and looked down at him in the wheelchair. Get Bonus You are no match for me, but since I left three years ago, I have had no intention of fighting against you again. Since you want to make things difficult for me with Deborah, then I¡¯m here today, and it is your fault.¡± Joseph chuckled lightly, ¡°Just wait and see, I¡¯ll take the time and y with you from now on.¡± After that, Joseph turned around and left. Chandler¡¯s voice suddenly came from behind him. ¡°Does Deborah know what you were like before?¡± Chapter 142 Chapter 142 Louisa had been in theplicated entertainment circle for years, so she was naturally more open- minded. ¡°Lumma, don¡¯t lower your head and meditate. Talk to us about your husband.¡± Nancy was usually under the supervision of Jeff, so she couldn¡¯t do anything. Now, she was finally free, so she couldn¡¯t wait to join in the fun. ¡°Out with it quickly. I also wonder if all the men are as overbearing as Jeff and his friends.¡± Only Keeley looked at Lumma quietly, neither urging nor asking. The hot spring was too hot, so Lumma¡¯s face was burned because of the steam. She couldn¡¯t say that she didn¡¯t know about Lucas. ¡°Maybe he is quite domineering¡­¡± The three other women said at the same time, ¡°Maybe?¡± Their eyes were on Lumma once again. They didn¡¯t urge her, but their eyes showed everything. Lumma knew that they would never let her go unless she told them everything. ¡°I, L¡­¡± Lumma could say that she hadn¡¯t stayed with him before. But she was smart. ¡°I don¡¯t know how other men treat their wives. There is noparison. How can I know how he is.¡¯ Anyway, they didn¡¯t know the real situation between her and Lucas. And they couldn¡¯t meet Lucas, so she could make up any story. When Nancy heard this, she nodded hard. ¡°Lumma, what you said is right. We haven¡¯t had the chance to get to know other men, so how do we know our husbands¡¯ temperament?¡± Louisa clicked her tongue a few times. ¡°Nancy, don¡¯t be too picky. Jeff¡¯s temperament is better than that of Adam, Callum, and George. If you still feel dissatisfied, think about Adam¡¯s temper. He is always serious and must be a very boring person in life. I guess that¡¯s why his wife wants to divorce him.¡± Hearing her mention Adam, Nancy shook her head in fright. ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of Adam. I have the guts to provoke anyone except for him.¡± They were going too far. They even made fun of Adam. As Adam¡¯s qualified assistant, Lumma felt that she should maintain the image of Adam in time. ¡°Mr. Hills and his wife won¡¯t divorce. And Mr. Hills is a nice person. After getting along with him for a long time, you will find it.¡± The other three women seemed to have heard something unexpected, especially Nancy, She exaggeratedly plucked her ears. ¡°Lumma, say it again. Who did you say is a nice person?¡± Lumma was extremely firm. ¡°Mr. Hills.¡± Get Bonus money?¡± Lumma smiled and said, ¡°Although he has both, if I have to choose one, I¡¯ll choose his money.¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . She worked for Adam, and Adam paid her, so if she wanted to maintain Adam¡¯s image, of course, she was blinded by his money. The other three women were amused by her answer, and they didn¡¯t notice that another person was behind them. Jeff¡¯s calm voice sounded. ¡°Beautifuldies, what makes youugh so happily?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Seeing him, Nancy was so angry that she picked up water and poured it on him. ¡°Damn it, Jeff, why are you here? How dare you eavesdrop on us?¡± The smile on Louisa¡¯s face disappeared in an instant. Since Jeff came here, it meant that Callum, that bastard, muste here too. What bad luck! Why couldn¡¯t he let her to y with her friends? He followed her wherever she went. Did he think she could escape from him? ¡°If I don¡¯te, you will abandon me.¡± Jeff directly picked Nancy out of the water, carried her on his shoulder, and patted her buttock gently with his big palm. ¡°Nancy, you dare to have your cake and eat it. I¡¯ll fix you today.¡± Nancy was so angry that she bit his shoulder hard. ¡°Boohoo. You beat me. Let go of me. Stop using domestic violenc Chapter 143 Chapter 143 Chapter 143 Spare No Effort to Destroy Joseph Flora Vi. There was no light in the study, and Ashton had been sitting at the desk all afternoon. On theputer screen on the desk, the scene of Deborah and Joseph kissing was disyed repeatedly. Ashton was immersed in the darkness, staring at the screen in front of him like self-abuse. Ashton wanted to spot some problems in it, such as Deborah being forced by Joseph, Deborah being drunk, or Deborah being forced to act on her own. But it was not any of the above. Ashton couldn¡¯t understand why Deborah had be like this. Deborah had been married and she had a husband. Ashton told her all of this yesterday. But Deborah took the initiative to kiss another man on an asion like that where there were so many guests. Ashton clenched his fists, loosened them, and then clenched them again. After watching the kissing scene for the whole afternoon, Ashton suddenly discovered a very frightening fact. In the past three years, Deborah already had feelings for Joseph. With such feelings, Deborah probably wouldn¡¯t mind Joseph deliberately lying to her and getting along N?velDrama.Org content rights. with her as her fianc¨¦ three years ago. Why Joseph could forgive Joseph but couldn¡¯t forgive him and won¡¯t give him a chance to repent when Joseph and he both harm her?> Ashton thought about it, and the only exnation he came up with was that Deborah lost her memory. If Deborah hadn¡¯t lost her memory, she would have remembered that she had loved me even more deeply. Then she wouldn¡¯t have betrayed and humiliated me as cruelly as she did at my birthday party. If Deborah hadn¡¯t lost her memory, she would be unable to let go of me.> Ashton felt that he had finally found a reasonable reason. Ashton reached out his hand abruptly and closed theputer, making the studypletely dark. He stretched out his hand to open the drawer, took out a cigarette, and lit it. After hesitating for a long time, Ashton called Deborah. Ashton thought Deborah just forgot everything, so he couldn¡¯t me her. He would get her back and stay with her as she slowly recovered her memory. Then everything would be fine. The phone call was made, and Deborah answered it without defense. Ashton¡¯s number was not stored in Deborah¡¯s phone. Because Deborah was a designer and asionally took outside orders, she didn¡¯t refuse to answer the unfamiliar number. Deborah had just finished eating the meal that Joseph brought her, very much to her liking. After eating and drinking, Deborahy down on the sofa and touched her belly. When she saw the phone ring, she picked it up. G Get Bonus was a long list of cell phone numbers and Deborah thought it might be from a client who asked for a design appointment from her, so Deborah sat up from the sofa. Deborah held herself back from burping so as not to tarnish her image as a well-known designer. But Ashton¡¯s voice came from the other side, ¡°Debby, tell me where are you, and I¡¯ll pick you up.¡± Deborah was frozen, and she really didn¡¯t expect Ashton to have such a good mental quality. Not long ago, in full view of everyone, Deborah cheated on Ashton. It hadn¡¯t been long since then Ashton called her as if nothing had happened. Deborah didn¡¯t want to say anything to him, so she put the phone in front of her and was about to hang up the phone. Ashton seemed to have guessed what she was going to do, continuing, ¡°Debby, if youe back now, I¡¯ll pretend nothing has happened. Otherwise, I will never let Joseph go. In addition to letting him go to jail for two years for bigamy, I will have gone bankrupt.¡± Deborah was sessfully provoked by him, and sneered repeatedly, ¡°Then go ahead and do it. If Joseph goes to jail, I will stay with him until the day he is released from prison. At that time, I will spend the rest of my life with him.¡± Asifon was so angry that his temples were throbbing, but still softened his tone, ¡°I do not want to do this. We have been a couple for so many years, and there is no need to make it look too ugly. I admit that I was the one who was sorry for you before, but now if youe back, I promise to spend the rest of my life making it up to you.¡± Deborah on the other side of the phone couldn¡¯t bear it anymore, ¡°Pah! Ashton, you can do whatever you like. Whether it is for me to go to jail or Joseph to go to jail, we can all afford it. When we finish our jail time, even if Jingron is bankrupt and my career is gone, I¡¯m willing to live with Joseph. And whether it¡¯s poverty or wealth, I¡¯m not willing to live with you! || Ashton said in a deep voice, ¡°Debby, you must be like this? I have known you for more than ten years, and we have been together day and night for four years after we got married. You just forgot that the person you loved the most before was me. If you hadn¡¯t lost your memory, you wouldn¡¯t be willing to treat me like this. ¡± Ashton said with emotion, ¡°I still remember, when we first got married, you liked to follow me everywhere, and you always said¡­¡± Deborah interrupted Ashton impatiently, ¡°That¡¯s enough, I don¡¯t want to hear it at all. I¡¯m not curious at all about. how I used to be so blind, unable to see you clearly andpromising to you.¡± Ashton said anxiously, ¡°Debby, it¡¯s just because you forgot everything.¡± Deborah said coldly, ¡°There¡¯s no possibility between us anymore. Just hearing what you did to me before, I feel chills.¡± After Deborah finished speaking, Deborah hung up the phone directly. Before Ashton could send his long-winded text message, Deborah swiftly blocked his number. Ashton called again, only to hear the automated phone prompt that it could not be connected. Ashtonpletely went furious and mmed the phone against the wall. Get Bonus Ashton was not only angry but also felt sudden panic and anxiety. He felt that Deborah really wouldn¡¯t change her mind this time. Deborah had been determined to choose Joseph and divorce Ashton. In the past three years, Ashton thought that if Deborah could reallye back to life, then he would definitely respect all her ideas. No matter what Deborah wanted to do, he would definitely respect herpletely. Even if he couldn¡¯t only see her asionally from a distance, he would be content. But now, when Deborah was really alive, and appeared in front of Ashton, Ashton changed his mind and the once possessive desire for Deborah quickly came alive again. Ashton still didn¡¯t want to let Deborah go. Ashton clenched his fists and pressed hard on the desk. After a long silence, he said loudly, ¡°Jeff,e in.¡± The maid outside the door immediately called Jeff, who quickly entered the study. Ashton made up his mind, and ordered in a deep voice, ¡°Go now and help me file awsuit in court against Joseph for bigamy. And then spare no effort to make Jingron bankrupt. In addition, continue to spread online rumors, using Joseph of being hical and preventing him from entering, the ck Group. ¡± In this way, Joseph couldn¡¯t fight with Ashton, and couldn¡¯t take Deborah away from Ashton. Jeff was silent for a moment, trying to dissuade Ashton politely, ¡°Mr. Mullen, Ms. Shepherd is currently working for the designpany under Jingron. If we deal with Jingron, I¡¯m afraid it will have a big impact on Ms. Shepherd.¡± Ashton said impatiently, ¡°It¡¯s not important. If Deborah wants to work, there are many ces for her to work under the ck Group. It doesn¡¯t matter wherever she works. She just wants to make drawings and I will let her draw as many as she wants.¡± Jeff couldn¡¯t take it anymore, ¡°Mr. Mullen, that is Ms. Shepherd¡¯s pursuit and dreams for many years, not a matter of a few drawings. Ms. Shepherd has worked hard for the past three years to get to where she is now, and that¡¯s not something that can be earned by just staying anywhere and painting anything. ¡± Ashton said displeased, ¡°Jeff, are you using me of not understanding or respecting her?¡± Jeff couldn¡¯t say it outright, but thought in his heart, ¡°Isn¡¯t it so?¡± Different from Ashton, Joseph would respect Deborah. And he would never use such a contemptuous and indifferent tone to evaluate Deborah¡¯s dream and career, ¡°Just a few drawings.¡± Ashton said impatiently, ¡°Alright, just do as I said.¡± Ashton thought, ¡°Joseph wasn¡¯t my match. Now that Deborah had been found by me, she will only belong to me.¡± Jeff couldn¡¯t help but wanted to dissuade Ashton, but suddenly a maid knocked on the door outside, and said anxiously, Mr. Mullen, Mr. Moxley¡¯s car is outside. He brought a little girl with him, saying she wants to see you. Get Bonus Chapter 143 Dad or Mr. Mullen? Ashton let the maid in impatiently and asked, ¡°What little girl?¡± The maid responded, ¡°It¡¯s a little girl who looks seven or eight years old. I saw her from the outside of the car. The little girl sat in the passenger seat. She didn¡¯t get out of the car. Mr. Moxley sat in the driver¡¯s seat with the window open.¡± After that, she added in a low voice with some trepidation, ¡°The little girl looks a little¡­ familiar.¡± The maid had been in Flora Vi for many years, so she knew Alyssa. She wanted to say that the little girl she had seen just now really looked like Alyssa, although the little girl was a little far away and Adrian blocked half of the girl¡¯s face. It was just that the name Alyssa had been taboo in Flora Vi for the past three years, so no one dared to say it. Ashton didn¡¯t take it seriously. He said in a low voice, ¡°It has long been rumored that Adrian has an illegitimate daughter who was born to an unknown actress. Well, what do they want from me?¡± Ashton and Steven Moxley had some contacts asionally. After all, they were both businessmen. Runte Group came to Richmond to explore the market. They cooperated with the Mullen Group. However, Adrian was a big star and yboy who indulged in eating, drinking, and pleasure-seeking. He had nothing. to do with Ashton. They had never been in contact with each other. The maid asked cautiously, ¡°Then how about I go out and say that you are not at home?¡± She thought Adrian was probably just there for fun. With his current mood, Ashton might not be interested in dealing with Adrian. Jeff said, ¡°Mr. Mullen, he is from the Moxley family after all. Since he hase here, it¡¯s better for you to meet him.¡± Ashton got up with a sullen face, took the overcoat beside him, and strode out of the study. Outside the iron gate of Flora Vi, there was an ostentatious white Shelby. The little girl in the passenger seat had her golden hair braided and neatly tied behind her. She was seven or eight years old, with exquisite facial features and extraordinary temperament. Her brows showed the same arrogance as that of the man next to her. She had juste from the performance scene. Her white dress was ced in the back seat of the car, and she was wearing a simple and casual gray outfit. Adrian looked at the little girl sideways. ¡°Alyssa, why do you want to see Ashton? Let me tell you, this man is very boring. It¡¯s better for you to go to Mauve Club with me and meet some handsome boys.¡± Adrian really didn¡¯t like to associate with Ashton. He hated such a serious and posturing man the most. He coaxed, ¡°What do you say? Shall we go?¡± The little girl who had been silent finally said, ¡°My mother is Deborah, Adrian.¡± As if struck by lightning, Adrian coughed violently for a while, almost choking to death on his own saliva. ¡°What did you say? Isn¡¯t Deborah Ashton¡¯s wife who cheated on him?¡± Adrian had just watched a scene in the morning where Ashton¡¯s wife put her arms around another man¡¯s neck and kissed that man passionately Seeing that scene, Adrian couldn¡¯t help but feel excited, But he suddenly realized something and stared sideways at the girl beside him. ¡°Alyssa, you are kidding me. If Deborah is your mother, then Ashtoji is your father?¡± The little girl nodded calmly. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here to see him now.¡± Adrian¡¯s throat seemed to be clogged with paste. He couldn¡¯t say a word for a long time. He didn¡¯t know this girl well yet. Although she was only a few years old, she was much more mature than her peers. She seldom joked, and she knew very well what jokes were not allowed. For example, she would not take just anyone as her parent. Adrian rescued and adopted her three years ago. He had been coaxing her to call him dad. After all, who would not want such a smart and beautiful daughter? But after so many years, Alyssa just wanted to i him Adrian. When Adrian was heartbroken, Alyssa said seriously, ¡°Unless my mother marries you in the future, I will not call you dad¡± Adrian asked, ¡°Then who is your mother?¡± Alyssa fell silent immediately, not saying a word. asionally, she would say to Adrian. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to keep me anymore, I can go to the orphanage.¡± Adrian was so frightened by her that he never dared to ask about her parents again. He asked her to use his surname. As for her first name, she said that she used to be called Alyssa, so Adrian named her Alyssa Moxley. Adrian had always been extremely wilful in his life. As a man determined not to get married, he had never wanted to have a child with any woman. But he really wanted this little girl he had rescued. For some reason, he liked her very much. Alyssa didn¡¯t want to tell him about her family members, so he just kept her by his side. It had been so many years in a blink of an eye. Spending most of their time abroad before, they had juste back here recently. Speaking of that, it was Alyssa who wanted toe back. It took Adrian a while to ept the tact. He said with grief on his face, ¡°So you are going to leave me now for your real family? Alyssa, I have raised you for three years after all. You are so cruel!¡± After that, he covered his face with his hands and wept bitterly Alyssa was amused by him. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Stop it. You didn¡¯t even shed a tear. It¡¯s so funny.¡± Adrian calmed down and looked at her seriously. ¡°Then are you going to get back to Ashton and live with him in the future?¡± Alyssa looked out of the car window. Through the iron gate, she watched as Ashton came out from a distance and walked down the steps towards them.. Cat Bonus She stared over there in a daze and replied, ¡°If I had nned to live with him, I would havee here long ago. I just came to talk to him. We¡¯ll leave after that.¡± Adrian was pleasantly surprised. He said, ¡°Really? That¡¯s good. I thought I had raised Ashton and Deborah¡¯s daughter for three years for nothing.¡± He didn¡¯t really want to force Alyssa to stay with him. It was illegal to abduct a child like this. It was just that Alyssa had been around him for three years. He was really reluctant to give her back to her parents. Alyssa pushed open the car door and looked back. ¡°Well, Adrian, I¡¯m going in now. I wille out soon.¡± Adrian gave her a pitiful look. ¡°I¡¯ll be right here waiting for you.¡± Alyssa got out of the car and looked at Ashton who was walking over from the front yard. She walked towards Ashton, looking neither haughty nor humble. Ashton concealed his impatience. He had toe out because of the Moxley family. Then, he noticed only a little girl walking towards him. When she was a few steps away, he saw exactly what she looked like. His whole body froze suddenly, and his steps seemed to be frozen for an instant. ¡°Am I hallucinating he wondered. Alyssa also stopped in her tracks, with a faint smile in her bright eyes. She said lightly, ¡°Dad, or should I call Get Bonus Chapter 144 Chapter 144 Chapter 144 Will You Forgive Me? Ashton stood there, motionless, staring at the girl who was only a few steps away from him. The girl had bright eyes and a confident and assertive look. She has exactly the same eyebrows, eyes, and facial features as Alyssa, but was, by temperament, very different from her. Ashton stared at her and was silent for a long time. In the past three years, he had fancied so many times that it Alyssa was alive, he would raise her up and she would just look the way this girl looked like. He would make her outgoing and confident, just like the little girl in front of him. Instead of being timid and shy, always looking fearful and apprehensive, with a fragile body and all kinds of diseases as she was before. When he saw this girl, he felt as it his dream hade true. Alyssa was as good as he had fancied, but she was not brought up by him. Alyssa stared straight at him, then she became sarcastic. ¡°It seems that you¡¯ve forgotten me.¡± Every word she chose sounded very polite, but the ridicule and contempt in her tone overflowed uncontrobly. Ashton came back to his senses suddenly and tried to pull her toward him. ¡°Are you Alyssa?¡± Alyssa shunned Ashton¡¯s hand without hesitation. ¡°I don¡¯t like people touching me.¡± Ashton stared at her in disbelief. ¡°I have been regretful for the past three years and missing you every day. I¡¯m so happy that you are back. I willpensate you in the future and will never let you suffer anymore.¡± He could hardly believe that Alyssa was alive and he saw her again. But it made sense because she was his daughter. She woulde back as long as she was still alive. Ashton still remembered how Alyssa had always secretly called him ¡°Dad¡± before and that she always hoped that he could hug her and spend more time with her. She had always hoped that he would love her. He would make up for her in the future. And since Alyssa was back, could Deborah stop hating him so much? Is it possible for them to go back to the days when they were a family of three? Ashton was so excited that he felt a little overwhelmed. When Alyssa shunned his hand, he thought that she was just not used to it for the moment since they hadn¡¯t seen each other for three years. If she stayed at home for a few days and gradually got acquainted with him again, she would no longer feel unfamiliar with him naturally. After all, she was just a child of seven or eight years old, and she had probably forgotten about what happened three years ago. She must have been back for his sake, and she must be longing for a home. Ashton immediately took a step sideways and said excitedly. ¡°Alyssa, let¡¯s go in first. It¡¯s cold outside. Let¡¯s go in first and talkter. I will spend more time with you in the future and will promise you everything¡± Alyssa was still expressionless the looked back at Adrian, who had gotten out of the car, and signaled him not to follow of worry about it Then she looked away, passed by Ashton, and strode in The servants in the living room were shocked when they saw Alyssa walking in Yesterday Deborah, who was supposed to be dead, came back. Now Alyssa, who was supposed to be dead, too, also returned The servants had experienced too many shocks They couldn¡¯t help wondering whether Flora Vi was haunted. Alyssa ignored their terrified and shocked expressions, walked in directly, and sat down on the sofa in the living room. She has been cultivated very well by Adrian and taught by excellent professional teachers in the past three years. The low self esteem and cowardly temperament conce had is gone Ashton followed from behind and walked up to her, a little finstered. Alyssa looked at him and motioned him to sit on the sole opposite her. ¡°Mr. Mullen, sit down please.¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Ashton couldn¡¯t ept her way of addressing him and he said, ¡°Alyssa, I¡¯m your father, you should call me Dad, instead of Mr. Mullen.¡± Alyssa asked softly and unhurriedly, ¡°Do you mean the one who loved only his mistress and forgot me in the car, made me fall into the abyss and be in aa in the hospital for three months? She paused for a second and then continued calmly. ¡°Is he whom you¡¯re talking about? Ashton felt deep pain and remorse, ¡°Alyssa, I was sorry for what happened back then. I have always med myself these years. From now on¡­ Alyssa interrupted him. ¡°Please sit down. You don¡¯t need to exin. I didn¡¯te to you today to listen to your false confession. I just want to persuade you about one thing.¡± Ashton finally sat down on the sofa opposite her. Alyssa was much more mature than children of the same age when she was only four years back then. Now after three years had passed, her calmness and intelligence made Ashton even feel ashamed. After he sat down, Alyssa said straight to the point, ¡°Mr. Mullen, please don¡¯t make things difficult for my mother. Divorce her and make her free.¡± Ashton was stunned. ¡°Have you seen your mother?¡± Based on what Alyssa had said, she must have seen Deborah. Ashton changed his question. ¡°Did Deborah see you? It was a pity that Deborah had lost her memory. If she didn¡¯t, she would definitelye over after knowing Alyssa was here. Alyssa said quietly, ¡°My mother doesn¡¯t know that I¡¯m alive. I dare not let her know it for your sake. She leads a very peaceful and happy life now, and I am happy for her.¡± Ashton tried to persuade her, ¡°Alyssa, if your mother can remember the past and know that you are still alive, she will definitely be happier. 71 93% ¡°she need to love you the most. How about I take you to see her now?¡± Get Bonus Alyssa exposed his thoughts without haste, ¡°Take me to meet her and let me be your bargaining chip to control her and torture her ¡± Ashton¡¯s expression froze when his insidious and evil thoughts were exposed, and he could hardly maintain his smile. It was surprising that Alyssa saw through him. Alyssa holos straight into his eyes. ¡°Three years have passed, do you still remember what kind of life my mother and 1 lived here back then? Can you see how happy my mother and I are now?¡± Ashim said in a hearse volee, ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten. Alyssa, all those people who bullied you and your mother back then were punished, especially Helen and those who worked for her. Both Helen and her mother died, and the others either died or were imprisoned. None of them escaped.¡± Ashton looked at her and begged her. ¡°Alyssa, don¡¯t be as cruel as your mother. I knew I was wrong, but everyone errs. ¡°Did the teacher teaches you to be forgiving? Give me a chance to repent, will you?¡± Chapter 145 Chapter 145 Chapter 145 Ashton Agree to Divorce Alyssa had been calm and polite, but now she couldn¡¯t help bing impatient and disgusted with him. ¡°Why can¡¯t you understand that you are the sole source of pain and suffering that my mother and 1 had gotten? You hurt us and allowed other people to hurt us. Your ignorance killed me, then you forced my grandmother to death and made my mother desperate¡± Ashton didn¡¯t dare to look into her eyes anymore. He pressed his fists on the sofa and tried to defend himself. ¡°I was deceived. Helen and her fellows were too insidious and cunning.¡± Alyssa interrupted him angrily. ¡°Enough! Three years have passed. Why are you still so stupid and so hopeless? My mother and I have endured so many cruel and inhuman tortures at your hands. What rights and qualifications do you have to excuse yourself? How ridiculous you¡¯re to expect that my mother and I wille back to this hell house, toe back to you to court death!¡± She got up, walked over to Ashton out of control, and talked about the painful happenings one by one, which she had been reluctant to think of over the years. ¡°When I had leukemia, you offered us no help. In order to get enough money for my treatment, my mother had to sell foo much blood to the extent that it damaged her health. I have seen her suddenly go into aa in front of me, and I have also heard her call to inquire about the ck market that selling organs or selling her corpse, in which way can her daughter get more money. What were you doing then? Were you shopping for clothes and bags with your mistress, or were you cursing my mother, thinking about ways to make her surrender and insult her?¡± Ashton felt hopeless, keeping his head down and unable to retort. He didn¡¯t know that Deborah had sold blood before. Nor could he imagine that she had been so desperate that she inquired the ck market about selling organs or her body. He was unwilling to give money to Deborah and pay Alyssa¡¯s medical expenses back then because of Helen¡¯s instigation. But he always thought that Deborah must have asked Zayne for help back then. Weren¡¯t there many people she could turn to? The Bauer family, Zayne, and those she had flirted with would offer help. Alyssa looked at him coldly and continued in an indifferent voice, ¡°My mother would do anything to keep me alive. But you also would do anything to kill us. ¡°I call you Mr. Mullen respectfully now because of the etiquette that Adrian has taught me. But isn¡¯t it ridiculous that you expect me to call you dad and my mother to view you as her husband?¡± Ashton sat on the sofa and looked sideways at her. ¡°Alyssa, it¡¯s my fault. I was to me back then.¡± Alyssa said word by word, ¡°Then divorce my mother and make her free if you have any regrets, conscience, and morals.¡± Ashton was relictant. ¡°Alyssa, I truly love your mother.¡± Alyssa interrupted him impatiently. ¡°Don¡¯t be so disgusting!¡± Get Borus She didn¡¯t want to stay here any longer, because she found that even though Ashton had witnessed her and Deborah¡¯s deaths many years ago, he was still as depraved as before and hardly repented. She said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ve finished what I have to say. It¡¯s up to you to decide whether to divorce or not. If you refuse, I will do my best to help my mother get rid of youpletely. Anyway, I won¡¯t let you hurt my mother again.¡± After she finished speaking, she walked out and left. Ashton saw that she was about to walk out of the entrance and disappear from his sight. He got up anxiously and chased after her. ¡°Alyssa, this is your home. Don¡¯t you want to stay for a few days?¡± Alyssa didn¡¯t look back and went down the steps quickly. ¡°No, I value my life.¡± Ashton was at a loss for words for a while and realized that Alyssa was more and more like Deborah now. Everything she said just now was probably what Deborah wanted to say to him. Ashton suddenly wondered what was the point of his continuing to deceive himself in this way when even a child can see the truth so clearly. Deborah had changed in the past three years, and Alyssa was also different from how she was like three years ago. They would note back to him, nor ept him. Now the Moxley family adored Alyssa, and Joseph would protect Deborah by all means. Even if he shamelessly tried to get them back, would he possibly seed? It was very likely that he wouldn¡¯t be able to see them again for the rest of his life if he continued to N?velDrama.Org content rights. harry them. It was already dark. Alyssa walked down the steps.. Adrian stood outside the car. When he saw here out, he immediately strode over to greet her. It urred to Ashton that, being her father, he had never greeted Alyssa like Adrian did these years. It seemed that every time Alyssa came back and greeted him, he was unhappy and treated her coldly. Ashton looked at Alyssa¡¯s back and suddenly asked, ¡°If I divorce your mother and make her free, can I see you in the future?¡± Alyssa paused and turned back. Her shadow was elongated under the street lights. She looked at Ashton from a distance and said, ¡°Richmond is my hometown as well as my mother¡¯s. No one is willing to leave her hometown behind. If you stop pestering us endlessly, I don¡¯t think we are traveling thousands of miles to shun you. Ashton was silent for a moment and said in a deep voice, ¡°Alyssa, I will ponder over it. I don¡¯t want to be a hateful father and husband.¡± Alyssa stared at him for a while, weighing the credibility of his words. She was mawkish for a moment, but then she snorted coldly. ¡°Who knows if you meant it or not? I don¡¯t care.¡± After she finished speaking, she got into the car with Adrian, Adrian was sitting in the drlyer¡¯s seat and looking sideways at Alyssa. He thought it was such a relief and yet so unbelievable to see her return to him. ¡°Alyssa, are you sure that you are not going to stay with your father?¡± Alyssa looked at him. ¡°Do you want me to stay?¡± Adrian immediately kicked the elerator and left, fearing that Alyssa would regret it the next moment. He had taken care of Alyssa for so long a time and had viewed her as his daughter. ¡°Alyssa, let¡¯s go to get something tasty!¡± Ashton was still standing in the front yard until Adrian¡¯s carpletely disappeared from his sight. After standing there for a long time, he turned back to the living room. Sitting on the sofa, he found Alyssa didn¡¯t even take a sip of the milk the servant had served her. Alyssa disliked this ce. She disliked it so much that she doesn¡¯t even want to drink anything here. Ashton stared at the ss of milk in a daze. After experiencing, countless disappointments, Deborah and Alyssa¡¯s deep affection for him has already beenpletely exhausted in the slow passage of time. After a long time, he finally reached for the mobile phone on the coffee table and called Deborah. ¡°Debby, I agree to divorce you. But I hope that you can continue to live in Richmond after divorce.¡± Chapter 146 Chapter 146 Chapter 146 Let Go Deborah was full and fell asleep lying on the sofa. She answered the phone in a daze and suddenly heard Ashton agree to divorce. She thought she was dreaming. She almost woke up with a start and immediately put the phone closer to her eyes. Then, she saw an unknown number disyed on the screen. She had blocked the number that Ashton had used to call her not long ago. Deborah felt that she might actually be dreaming right now, so she asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± This time, Ashton¡¯s voice became clear. ¡°Debby, 1 said that I agreed to divorce you.¡± Deborah was furious. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Less than an hour ago, he called her and said that he would never divorce her. He even threatened that he would sue Joseph and destroy him. Ashton said in a deep voice, ¡°I¡¯m serious. I agree to the divorce, and I won¡¯t make things difficult for you.¡± Deborah didn¡¯t know what was on Ashton¡¯s mind. She couldn¡¯t help but sit up from the sofa and ask with some expectation, ¡°Do you have some kind of mental disorder?¡± There was silence for a while. Deborah thought Ashton was finally going to show his true colors, but then he said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to get a divorce, then forget it.¡± Deborah suddenly thought, ¡°Why should I care about his problem and purpose?¡± Anyway, as long as she could get the divorce certificate as soon as possible, everything would be just fine. If he put forward some confusing conditions before the divorce, she only needed to be more careful not to agree to those unreasonable ones. In order to avoid more trouble, Deborah responded immediately, ¡°Then tomorrow morning it is. The Civil Affairs. Bureau opens at 8:30 am, and we will meet by then.¡± Ashton found these words a bit familiar. He suddenly remembered the day Deborah turned 20 seven years ago. That¡¯s what Deborah said when she urged him to get up early in the morning to get married. Seven years ago, they were the first to go to the Civil Affairs Bureau to get married. And today, seven yearster, she was in a hurry to get divorced. Alyssa was right. Deborah had been disappointed in this marriage for a long time and only wanted to get rid of it quickly. Ashton thought of what Alyssa had said and made up his mind. So he didn¡¯t n to make things too difficult for Deborah. He responded, ¡°Okay, I will be there on time at 8:30 am. You reissued your documents three years ago, didn¡¯t you? Remember to bring them all. Also, I hope you stay in Richmond after the divorce.¡± Deborah agreed without thinking. ¡°No problem. I won¡¯t leave Richmond in the future.¡± However, it was just her words, not an actual promise. Once she divorced Ashton, she could go wherever she wanted. How could Ashton control her again? Cat Bonus Ashton didn¡¯t expect her to agree so readily. Thinking that she would always be in Richmond in the future, he felt a lot more at case, Afraid that he would regret it, Deborah hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you at 8:30 tomorrow morning.¡± Then, she hung up the phone directly. Ashton stared at the phone screen and heard the beep sound of the phone being hung up. He could even teel her great surprise and excitement through the phone. Jett stood aside, a little stunned. When Ashton got up and was about to go upstairs, he couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Sir, what about the matter of suing Joseph and inciting public opinion to destroy his career¡­¡± Ashton walked upstairs without turning back and said softly, ¡°Forget about it.¡± Jeff was stunned for a long time before he replied, ¡°Okay.¡± He looked upstairs again, but Ashton had long gone. Jeff suddenly felt that girls indeed cared about their mothers a lot. In the future, with Joseph and a grown-up daughter, Deborah¡¯s hard life would probably be much better. As soon as Deborah hung up the phone, she immediately got up and walked quickly into the bathroom. She had been paying attention to her health for the past few years. She had never used cold water in such cold. weather. Deborah knew she was not in good health, and Joseph was always busy with work. If she got sick, he would be worried. and waste much time apanying her. But now she was a bite overexcited. She directly bent over to the sink and washed her face with cold water. The cold water hit her face, and she couldn¡¯t help shivering. And now, Deborah was finally wide awake. She stared at herself in the mirror and smirked. ¡°Ashton wanted to divorce me. He actually agreed! Haha!¡± As soon as she finished the divorce process tomorrow, she would date Joseph in public. Before she could be any happier, her mobile phone on the coffee table outside rang. Deborah¡¯s heart went cold, as if a bucket of icy water had been poured on her head. She thought, ¡°Damn. I forgot to block his number.¡± This call was very likely from Ashton, who was about to regret his decision. Deborah dawdled in the bathroom, not wanting to go out. After a long time, the phone was still ringing. Deborah reluctantly walked out and picked up the mobile phone, but the call was from Joseph. It turned out to be a false rm. 72 834 Get Bonus Deborah immediately pressed the answer button, and Joseph¡¯s voice came from the other side. ¡°Debby, are you asleep?¡± Deborah was in a good mood, and her tone was full of joy ¡°Not yet.¡± Joseph said softly. ¡°I just contacted Steven for help. He introduced me to a goodwyer who is best at handling divorcewsuits. Now, I¡¯ll give you his number¡­¡­.¡± It was pretty weird that Steven looked easy to get along with on the surface, but his temper had always been very cold, and he was by no means a warm hearted person This time, things were different. Steven took the initiative to call Joseph, jokingly said that he wanted to get some business for hiswyer friend, and introduced awyer to Joseph. However, everyone knew that thewyer was well known in the industry, and he had never been short of business. There were countless people who wanted to ask him to file awsuit. But anyway, this was excellent news, so Joseph came to inform Deborah immediately. As Joseph spoke, he sent Deborah a message with thatwyer¡¯s number. Deborah couldn¡¯t helpughing out loud. ¡°This may not be necessary. Ashton just called me and said that he agreed to divorce me, and we will go to the Civil Affairs Bureau to go through the formalities tomorrow morning.¡± Joseph was stunned for a moment. ¡°What?¡± Deborah was delighted. ¡°I¡¯m also surprised. But no matter what, I¡¯ll try it tomorrow. If I can get divorced directly, 1 won¡¯t have to worry any more about it. If he lied to me, I wouldn¡¯t suffer any loss by going there.¡± After all, if Deborah really wanted to sue for a divorce, it would be a lot moreplicated and take a lot of time. It could also involve the fact that Deborah had lived with Joseph for three years while married, and this plot was no small matter. It is still hard to say what the oue of thewsuit would be and what consequences it would bring. Joseph obviously didn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Ashton really said that? He said he was willing to divorce you and nothing else?¡± Deborah repeated what Ashton had said. ¡°He only asked me to stay in Richmond but didn¡¯t ask me to sign a contract to make a promise. In short, I will go to the Civil Affairs Bureau tomorrow, and let¡¯s talk about the restter. I will be careful.¡± No matter how Joseph thought about this, he felt that Ashton¡¯s sudden change of attitude was too strange. Thus, it was impossible for him to feel at ease. After thinking for a while, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you N?velDrama.Org content rights. tomorrow morning. Chapter 147 Chapter 147 Chapter 147 Farewell Deborah responded, ¡°Okay.¡± She lost her memory three years ago, so it could be said that she had no memory of Richmond. Thus, she felt a bit uneasy about going to see Ashton alone. Atter finishing the phone call, Deborah washed up andy down on the bed. However, she failed to fall asleep all night. Thinking about the divorce, she suddenly wondered what if was like before she lost her memory. She actually married such a horrible person like Ashton when she just turned 20 and even maintained this marriage for so many years. Why? Deborah kept tossing and turning until it was dawn, but she still didn¡¯t feel sleepy at all, so she got up to wash up. Then, she sat in front of the floor-to-ceiling window and waited for Joseph to pick her up. Joseph came over before 7 am and brought her breakfast and warmed milk. They set off at 7:30 and arrived outside the Civil Affairs Bureau at 8 am. She asked Joseph to wait in the car, got out of the car by herself, and waited outside the Civil Affairs Bureau. If Ashton saw Joseph, he might have to jeer at Joseph again. Deborah thought it would be better to wait alone. After waiting for about twenty minutes, and it was only a few minutes before 8:30, Ashton finally drove over by himself. Deborah was relieved when she saw him get off the car. ¡°Finally,¡± she thought. As soon as Ashton drove over, he saw Deborah sitting on a stone bench in the square outside the Civil Affairs Bureau through the window, ying with her mobile phone with her head down. It seemed that she had been waiting for a long time. Ashton parked the car, opened the door, and got out. Deborah seemed to sense his existence and immediately looked Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. up at him. She quickly put away her phone, stood up, and looked at him with unconceble joy. Ashton was stunned for a moment. He almost forgot that the happiness on her face wasn¡¯t because she saw him. Deborah was happy because he finally came, and they could finally divorce soon. That invisible sadness surged up in an instant. But Ashton didn¡¯t put it on his face. He restrained his emotions well and strode over while staring at her. There were also a few people outside the Civil Affairs Bureau, and they mainly were loving young couples arm in arm. Those who could wait here so eagerly before office hours were all in a hurry to get their marriage certificates. Perhaps, today was a good day for getting married. Deborah was obviously in a good mood. Seeing Ashton approaching, she even took the initiative to greet him. ¡°You are nundu!! Get Hanus Ashton grunted indifferently, a bit unable to bear the joy on her face. He nced at her and soon looked away. Deborah wasn¡¯t mad about his indifference because she didn¡¯t want to talk to him either. She just stared at the gate of the Civil Affairs Bureau, waiting for it to open. As soon as the door opened, she couldn¡¯t wait and was about to rush in first. Ashton couldn¡¯t help calling her to stop. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be in such a hurry. I¡¯m already here, and I won¡¯t run. away.¡± Deborah didn¡¯t even realize how fast she was, and when he reminded her, she slowed down embarrassingly. After they went inside, Deborah had been on tenterhooks until they were in the middle of the divorce process. Based on her intuition, she always felt that Ashton was going to make a fuss about something halfway. For example, he might make some excessive demands or embarrass her, and he also might object to the terms of their divorce agreement. And as expected, when they were about to sign the divorce agreement, Ashton suddenly spoke while pointing to the terms about property distribution. ¡°You¡¯d better change that.¡± Deborah¡¯s expression immediately became vignt. ¡°I don¡¯t want anypensation. What else do you want?¡± Could it be that he wanted to ask forpensation from her? Ashton exined, ¡°During our marriage, you paid for two properties. Since we are going to divorce, I don¡¯t want what you bought because I¡¯m not that poor.¡± Deborah was worried that he was on to something. If he only wanted to give two more properties to her, there would be no loss. Deborah cautiously said, ¡°Then just modify the divorce agreement I drew up and only add the properties you mentioned.¡± Ashton responded, ¡°Okay.¡± The staff helped to add the two properties Ashton had mentioned to the terms of property distribution. Deborah stared straight at him. ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± Ashton nodded. ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s sign it.¡± Deborah immediately took a pen to sign, and she nced at Ashton while he was signing his name. After Ashton finished signing, she confirmed carefully that he hadn¡¯t signed his name wrong. The staff took away their marriage certificates and voided them. Afterpleting the whole process and getting the divorce certificate, Deborah only felt that she was dreaming. She asked the staff repeatedly, ¡°Am 1 divorced from him now? Are there no other requirements and terms? I have nothing to do with him in the future, right?¡± The staff nodded three times in a row. He had never seen anyone so happy after being divorced. Holding the divorce certificate like a baby, Deborah blushed with joy. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Ashton looked at her without saying a word, with mixed emotions in his ck eyes. 73. 331. Deborah couldn¡¯t wait to take a picture and send it to Joseph. Seeing that Ashton was still standing in front of her, she looked up at him. ¡°Is there anything else? Can I go?¡± Ashton looked down at her. ¡°Of course. Didn¡¯t you ask the staff just now? We have nothing to do with each other now.¡± Deborah carefully put the divorce certificate in her pocket and said goodbye to him politely, ¡°Goodbye, ex-husband.¡± Ashton pressed his tongue against his lower jaw and watched her run into the elevator in a hurry. Without even thinking about it, Ashton knew that she was in a hurry to find Joseph and celebrate. Although after Alyssa met him yesterday, he decided to let Deborah go. But at this moment, Ashton had to admit that he was quite upset.. He couldn¡¯t believe she was overjoyed. Ashton nced at the divorce certificate in his hand, which seemed unpleasant at this moment. He threw it into the trash can with some disgust and strode into the elevator. As soon as he entered the elevator, Rodger called ¡°Congrattions. I saw Deborah celebrating on Moments. Your miserable rtionship is finally over anton opened Moments but didn¡¯t see Deborah¡¯s post. He was stunned for a moment before he remembered that Deborah had already blocked him. She used to be indecisive. But now, she was not procrastinating at all and actually showed no mercy. ¡°Huh,¡± Ashton snorted and asked, ¡°We are divorced. Are you happy?¡± Rodgerughed loudly ¡°Yeah I¡¯m happy for Deborah. If I remember correctly, thest time she was so happy was when she just married you seven years ago) Ashton couldn¡¯t take it anymore and hung up the phone. As soon as he left the hall of the Civil Affairs Bureau, he could see Deborah throwing herself into Joseph¡¯s arms from r Not far away, there was a paparazzi holding a camera and secretly taking pictures. From the public¡¯s point of view, Deborah was bound to be scolded by everyone if she acted intimately with her lover outside the Civil Affairs Bureau right after her divorce. Ashton strode over with a sullen face. The paparazzi noticed him, then immediately grabbed the camera and got into the car. Ashton chased after him quickly, but the car had already left. Chapter 148 Chapter 148 Chapter 148 What to Do Deborah was indeed a bit over-excited. She felt she could finally be intimate with Joseph openly, just like what she had done back in Oceanview City Joseph leaned against the car door, and she hugged his neck affectionately. When they were about to kiss, Deborah suddenly realized that Ashton was standing beside them. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Deborah¡¯s affection seemed to be frozen in an instant. She subconsciously let go of Joseph and looked at Ashton, who was staring at them with some displeasure. Deborah reminded Ashton with a cold expression, ¡°We are already divorced. Whatever I do is none of your business.¡± Ashton chased after the paparazzi without hesitation as soon as he saw him. Now that the paparazzi got in the car and ran away, he happened to stand beside Deborah and Joseph. With one nce, he saw them being intimate in public. They hadn¡¯t seen each other for three years, and Deborah really had changed a lot. In the past, whenever she was under the others¡¯ attention, she would blush shyly, even if she was only holding hands with Ashton. But now that she had lost her memory, she only remembered the three years when she was close to Joseph. So naturally, she couldn¡¯t remember what she was like in the past. Ashton reminded them tly, ¡°Just now a reporter secretly photographed you. Quite a lot of people know you and Joseph, so it¡¯s better to pay attention.¡± Deborah looked around but didn¡¯t see any suspicious reporters. Ashton exined somewhat helplessly, ¡°I chased after him just now, but he got into the car and ran away.¡± Deborah¡¯s eyes were full of disbelief. She pulled Joseph¡¯s sleeve and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Joseph helped her open the nearside door behind her, waiting for her to get in the car first. Then, he went to the other side, got in the car, and drove away. Ashton stood where he was, watching the car disappear. The weather in thete winter was freezing. And from time to time, couples who had just received their marriage. certificates would cuddle together, talking andughing while walking by. Ashton was suddenly in a trance, not knowing where he should go. He suddenly didn¡¯t know what to do in the future. Ashton kept standing in a daze until a red Ferrari stopped in front of him. The car window opened, revealing the driver¡¯s face. It was Reba. She said briefly, ¡°Get in the car.¡± Ashton nced at her as if she were insane. He didn¡¯t intend to talk to her and turned around to leave. Reba immediately raised her voice. ¡°You didn¡¯t forget that you promised to apany me to my grandmother¡¯s birthday party, right?¡± Ashton stopped and looked at her impatiently. Chapter 148 What ¦°¦Á 73.66% Obviously, he really didn¡¯t have the slightest impression about his promise. Get Bonus Reba didn¡¯t mind and reminded him aloud. ¡°A few days ago in Oceanview City, I was the one who helped you get the surveince video, allowing you to find Deborah smoothly. Back then, you agreed to apany me to my grandmother¡¯s birthday party.¡± After a while, Ashton managed to remember it. He realized that Donna¡¯s birthday party would be held today, and the Moxley family had already sent him an invitation. Even if it weren¡¯t for Reba, Ashton would have to attend that party anyway. Ashton said tly, ¡°I¡¯ll drive there by myself.¡± Reba smiled amusedly. ¡°Are you sure you are still able to step on the elerator?¡± Ashton ignored her, then turned around and walked towards his car. Feeling annoyed, Reba opened the door to get out of the car and chased after him. ¡°There are still paparazzi around here. Ashton, you and Deborah have already divorced. But now, since Deborah and Joseph are being affectionate, everyone will scold her. If you have something to do with me, those who use Deborah of cheating on you might stay silent.¡± If both parties cheated, it could only mean that both of them were guilty. Therefore, theizens wouldn¡¯t scold Deborah wildly. Ashton finally stopped and turned around to look at Reba. Not far away, two sneaky men immediately hid the camera behind them and turned around to avoid his sight. Ashton hesitated for a while, then walked towards Reba¡¯s car. The bright red sports car was obviously more ostentatious and easier to be caught by cameras. Reba turned around and followed him. Then, she sneered. ¡°Huh, what an idiot in love.¡± The car Reba drove didn¡¯t have a back seat. Ashton disliked it, but he had no choice but to open the door and sit in the passenger seat. The paparazzi went crazy with joy when they found unexpected news. Their cameras kept following Reba and Ashton as if they could be stuck to their faces. Reba seemed full of joy, and she drove Ashton to the Moxley Manor. Ashton really couldn¡¯t figure out whether Reba was out of her mind. His domestic violence against Deborah had already been exposed in public at Deborah¡¯s birthday party. Reba was the treasure of the Moxley family. And now her position in Runte Group was also very important. Ashton wondered if she enjoyed being tortured so much that she rejected many men and insisted on pursuing him. Ashton didn¡¯t want to get into trouble with the Moxley family, so he couldn¡¯t help but remind her, ¡°You can¡¯t get what you want, Ms. Moxley. I¡¯m not interested in women. Besides, didn¡¯t you see that once Deborah divorced me, she escaped faster than a rabbit?¡± Reba smiled and said, ¡°Not Interested in women, so what is Deborah, a man?¡± Ashton was immediately displeased. ¡°She is different from people like you.¡± The smile on Reba¡¯s face finally started to break. She looked forward with some disdain. ¡°Don¡¯t be sentimental. Let me tell you, my grandmother said she prepared a wedding gift for me, which was 10% of Runte Group¡¯s shares. I want to marry you so that I can get this asset worth more than 20 billion dors. That¡¯s my goal. If you agree, I won¡¯t bother you after we get married. Isn¡¯t it just right for you?¡± Since Hector had only one grandson, Ashton was bound to marry someone to carry on the family line. Ashton was worried about Deborah, but he could no longer be with her. If he could make an agreement to marry Reba, Reba would get the shares she wanted, and Ashton would no longer be bothered. Both of them could benefit. Ashton looked disgusted. ¡°It¡¯s impossible for me to y such a silly trick with you. If you want to get married for money, go find someone else.¡± Reba sighed helplessly. ¡°It¡¯s not that I haven¡¯t thought about it. I want to find a random man, but marrying an ordinary one can¡¯t fool my Grandma, knowing that I would never like a man like that. If I marry someone else who is better and savvier, what should I do if he wants to share the money with me as my husband after I get that 10% of shares? She looked at Ashton with a faint smile ¡°After thinking about it, you are the most suitable candidate. If I say that I have a crush on you and want to marry you, my grandmother will definitely believe it. After we get married, you probably don¡¯t have any interest in taking away my shates.¡± Ashton didn¡¯t even want to look at her anymore, so he took out his mobile phone to browse the news. Reba still looked indifferent. ¡°I¡¯m not in a hurry. You will definitely consider it sooner orter. I am the most suitable candidate for you.¡± Ashton didn¡¯t listen to what she said and stared at the entertainment news on his mobile phone. The photos of Deborah being intimate with Joseph outside the Civil Affairs Bureau just now had been posted on the Inte Now, the abuse on the Inte was insane. ¡°Some women are so shameless these days.¡± ¡°She made out with her lover right after the divorce. Is she afraid that others would not know that she had cheated before the divorce?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wait for Mr. Mullen to file awsuit. She has insulted the profession of the designer!¡± Ashton closed the browser, opened Twitter, and made a post. ¡°Deborah and I signed a divorce agreement three years ago. Due to some reasons, the formalities were notpleted until now, but we broke up peacefully three years ago.¡± After he posted, the photos of him and Reba that had also been secretly taken quickly spread on the Inte. Chapter 149 Chapter 149 Chapter 149 The Lost Daughter Ashton¡¯s new rtionship was exposed. Moreover, he posted on Twitter, saying that he and Deborah broke up peacefully three years ago. A new wave of discussions instantly took up the Inte. Public opinion began to improve, and apparently, the attacks on Deborah started to subside. Ashton looked at the photos that were exposed, which were the pictures of him interacting with Reba at the gate of the Civil Affairs Bureau just now. Ashton quickly realized that something was wrong and looked sideways at the woman beside him unhappily. Reba didn¡¯t hide the truth and confessed with a nonchnt smile. ¡°I admit that I hired those paparazzi and asked them to post the photos.¡± Reba was a Moxley, and Ashton was the CEO of the Mullen Group. Thus, without permission from one of them, none of those reporters and paparazzi would have the guts to use their ounts to post such photos. So just now, it was just Reba¡¯s n. She tricked Ashton and lied that someone was secretly filming them to let him get into her car. Ashton¡¯s face was filled with disdain, and Reba smiled smugly. ¡°In this way, public opinion will be suppressed soon. Isn¡¯t it just as you wish?¡± The car soon stopped outside the Moxley Manor, and there were many media reporters inside and outside. Donna was getting old, and she enjoyed the lively atmosphere very much. The reporter. mored toe and take pictures, so Donna smiled and agreed. Reba opened the door and got out of the car, then turned around and nced at Ashton. ¡°I didn¡¯t invite these reporters here, but I¡¯m sure you must know that you have to get it done when it¡¯s already started.¡± When Ashton got out of the car with a sullen face, Reba walked toward him. Under the shlight, she naturally took Ashton¡¯s arm. The reporter finally got the pictures they wanted. Reba put on a smug look. After entering the manor, she introduced Ashton to everyone around. She only said that she and Ashton were friends. If she actually said that Ashton was her boyfriend, it Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. would be embarrassing if Ashton denied it on the spot and dismantled her. On the contrary, the others only thought she was shy when she said Ashton was just her friend. When a man and a woman held hands intimately in public, nobody would believe that they were just friends. After introducing Ashton to everyone, Reba and Ashton walked toward Donna and Kolt, who were sitting in the innermost part of the living room. This time, she didn¡¯t need to introduce Ashton to them because everyone in the Moxley family knew him. Ashton greeted them, and the elders of the Moxley family all smiled and weed him. However, they all nced at the people behind Ashton. Reba followed their sight and looked back. Then, she saw Adrian holding Alyssa¡¯s hand, walking toward them while Chapter 149 The Lost Daughter 74.16% chatting with the others. Alyssa was only about eight years old but had an extraordinary appearance and temperament. When she stood next to Adrian, everyone believed that Alyssa was Adrian¡¯s daughter, After all, their brows and eyes were quite alike. Even Adrian himself joked before, saying that maybe it was indeed fate that made him find his illegitimate daughter who was once lost. As soon as they came over, Reba was obviously ignored. she nned to officially introduce Ashton to the elders of the Moxley family and make up a story about how she and Ashton met each other to show off their love. But now, she had lost her chance. The elders all stared at Alyssa. Donna was so happy that her eyes squinted in joy. As soon as Alyssa came over, Donna stretched out her hands when she was still far away. ¡°My baby! Come quickly to Grandma. Let me hug you!¡± Alyssa took off the backpack, stuffed it into Adrian¡¯s hands, and walked over to lean against Donna¡¯s arms. ¡°Great-grandma!¡± Then, she tilted her head and greeted the others. ¡°Grandpa, Grandma, uncles, auntie¡­¡± Although Reba was a little upset when she heard Alyssa calling her auntie, she still greeted Alyssa reluctantly. This kid came from nowhere, but she was truly adorable. Donna hugged Alyssa and reprimanded Steven and Norman, who were sitting on the sofa ying with their mobile phones, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear Alyssa call you uncle? You two don¡¯t look like decent uncles at all! What a shame!¡± Steven finally looked away from the pile of business affairs on his phone. He reached out and touched Alyssa¡¯s head. ¡°Alyssa, you¡¯re here. You¡¯re getting prettier and prettier.¡± Donna snorted coldly, ¡°You will praise the beauty of this kid. If you also praise the girls around you like this, you can certainly find yourself a wife!¡± Steven cleared his throat lightly and stood up awkwardly. He nced aside and saw Ashton. ¡°Mr. Mullen, you¡¯re here as well. Come on, let¡¯s go over there for a drink¡± After he finished speaking, he chatted with Ashton and walked away soon. Donna was furious. ¡°He only knows how to chat with men! With such a good opportunity, why can¡¯t he just find himself a girlfriend?¡± She looked aside and soon noticed Norman, who was still ying with his mobile phone. Norman noticed that sharp gaze and immediately put away his phone. Then, he got up, wanting to escape. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll go have a drink with Mr. Mullen too.¡± Donna scolded, ¡°Sit down!¡± Norman immediately sat back on the sofa. Donna continued to lecture Norman. ¡°You are even more outrageous! You are in the hospital every day, and there are 74.33% so many beautiful female doctors, nurses, and even patients¡­¡± Norman was speechless. ¡°Grandma, our hospital strictly prohibits dating among colleagues.¡± Adrian looked at them in amusement and sald jokingly, ¡°What kind of hospital is that? How can there be such regtions? For all these years, I have never seen a hospital where Its employees are not allowed to fall in love.¡± Norman looked at him. ¡°Adrian, just sit, eat, and shut up.¡± Donna became even angrier. ¡°How dare you talk to Adrian like that! Adrian has a daughter. How can youpare with him?!¡± Norman muttered in a low voice, ¡°Is Alyssa his daughter? He was just lucky and found her at the bottom of the mountain.¡± The more Donna looked at Norman and Steven, the more annoyed she became. ¡°If you two can¡¯t get married, you¡¯ll not be allowed to attend my birthday party again!¡± Norman looked over from a distance, and Steven went to drink somewhere else. Norman truly regretted that he hadn¡¯t rushed ahead of Steven and escaped first. Donna couldn¡¯t stop lecturing, and Norman turned to his mother, who was sitting opposite him, for help. Nota got up with a smile and approached Donna. ¡°Mom, the children have their own ns. Today is such a good day, so don¡¯t think about these unpleasant things. Don¡¯t scare Alyssa.¡± Only now did Donna remember that Alyssa was still sitting in her arms. She immediately put a benevolent look on her face. ¡°Alyssa, I didn¡¯t want to scare you. I prepared something for you. Come on. Come to my room, and I will get it for you.¡± Norman immediately looked at Alyssa, hinting at her to follow Donna so that he could be saved. Alyssa stood up with a smile and helped Donna to leave. Nora sat down and looked at them from behind, and her eyes gradually turned red. Norman knew what she was thinking of again, so he got up and sat beside her,forting her in a deep voice, ¡°Mom, you had just said it yourself. Don¡¯t think about such unhappy things.¡± Kolt also came over immediately to appease Nora. When she saw this lively and bustling scene, Nora couldn¡¯t hold back her tears. ¡°If my daughter were still with us, she should be the treasure of the whole family now.¡± Chapter 150 Chapter 150 Chapter 150 Back to Oceanview City Adrian alsoforted Nora immediately, ¡°Mom, it has been so many years. Maybe my sister has been adopted by a good family and living a decent life. Don¡¯t be so worried.¡± It would be fine If he stayed silent. But now, his words made things even worse. Nora was so angry that she burst into tears and used him angrily. ¡°You are so heartless! She¡¯s your sister! She was lost when she was born! How can she live a decent life now? You and your brothers are all doing well now. Can¡¯t you just try your best to find out the whereabouts of your sister?¡± The more Nora talked, the more upset she became. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. When I was inbor, I traveled so far away with your aunt, and the earthquake caused premature delivery. My daughter was born in chaos, and she was lost immediately. I don¡¯t deserve to be a mother! It¡¯s all my fault!¡± She covered her face and couldn¡¯t help crying bitterly while suppressing her voice. Adrian felt a bit wronged. He and his brothers certainly had tried to find their lost sister all these years. Especially his elder brother, Steven. No matter how busy he had been at work these years, he had always been very concerned about finding his younger sister. What Steven was most passionate about was funding various orphanages and welfare institutions. Nora was very sad. Reba stood aside, feeling very embarrassed. She didn¡¯t know whether she shouldfort Nora or not. Reba was quite special in this family because she was the daughter of Donna¡¯s adopted daughter. For many years, Donna had always kept Reba by her side as if she were her granddaughter. Although Donna had never mentioned her reason, everyone knew that Donna just couldn¡¯t let go of the great granddaughter who had been lost before she had a chance to meet her. Having Reba by her side was more like afort and an illusion, as if her great-granddaughter had never lost. Regarding this point, Nora respected her mother-inw and never expressed any objection publicly. But deep down, Nora felt unhappy. She didn¡¯t like Reba living in this manor and epting Donna¡¯s doting while enjoying all the best things in this family. All of this should belong to Nora¡¯s own daughter. Besides, the person Nora mentioned who took her to a distant ce when she was about to give birth was Reba¡¯s mother. Standing beside the sofa, Reba suddenly felt uneasy. She had been pampered since she was a child. Since the Moxley family doted on her a lot, she had always been superior to others and could get everything she liked if she wanted to. Even the three boys of the Moxley family couldn¡¯t be as carefree and happy as she was. Reba hardly ever envied anyone, but she couldn¡¯t help but envy that woman whom she had never met countless times, the real daughter of the Moxley family. Chapter 150 Back to Oceanview City. In the end, Reba felt that she didn¡¯t have the courage tofort Nora. She chose to turn around and pretend to fetch a drink not far away. Behind her, Nora cried so much that her voice was a little hoarse. Adrian found out, so he got up to fetch some water for her. He approached Reba, took a ss of warm water on the counter, and sneered. ¡°I just don¡¯t get it. Why do you like Ashton? You¡¯re indeed not picky, aren¡¯t you? You even consider a piece of trash as treasure.¡± Reba felt a bit uneasy. Her face turned from livid to pale repeatedly. N?velDrama.Org content rights. ¡°Who said I like him? Don¡¯t you know me, Adrian? I just want to marry someone so that I can get some shares. Otherwise, when your sister returns, I will be kicked out and have nothing. Wouldn¡¯t that be too miserable?¡± Adrian looked disgusted. ¡°Since you know I have a sister, don¡¯t call my name so intimately. You¡¯re not my sister.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± said Reba indifferently. She never intended to please anyone, took the wine, and went directly to Ashton. Ashton was stopped by a female boss and was chatting with her, which made Reba very annoyed.. Adrian said behind her, ¡°Are you sure getting the shares is not an excuse? Do you really have a crush on Ashton? Your taste is so poor.¡± Reba didn¡¯t respond. She hurried over to hold Ashton¡¯s arm and gave that female boss a hostile look. ¡®Ashton, what are you two talking about?¡± Ashton avoided her hand calmly, took out his mobile phone, and left with an excuse. ¡°I need to answer this.¡± Joseph took Deborah back to his residence directly. Deborah was in a good mood today. After all, Getting the divorce certificate was even more delightful than winning the lottery. At this time, the reporters outside were still focusing on her, so it was not a good time to go out and celebrate. After she returned home and gave her divorce agreement to Joseph, she sat on the sofa and read the news on the Inte. Joseph said he would send the divorce agreement to hiswyer for review to ensure there was nothing wrong with it. Ashton¡¯s sudden agreement to divorce was a bit too strange. Sitting next to Deborah, Joseph contacted thewyer Steven had introduced to him. After sending the divorce agreement, thewyer said he had to read it carefully first and would give Joseph a reply soon. Originally, thewyer should have read the divorce agreement before the divorce procedures were But when Deborah was at the Civil Affairs Bureau, she was a little too eager. She was afraid that Ashton would go back on his word. Seeing that he was quite straightforward, and the divorce agreement was drawn up by herself, it was almost impossible for there to be any problems. Therefore, Deborah hastily signed andpleted the formalities. While thewyer was checking the agreement, Deborah sat on the sofa while browsing the news. Soon, she saw the Back to Oceanview City 74.75% media posting the screenshot of Ashton¡¯stest post. She opened the picture and thought it was fake. Then, she found Ashton¡¯s Twitter page and opened It. The post that was mentioned by the media was at the top of the page. He actually posted it himself. Public opinion on the Inte also began to change, and there were almost no usations and insults against Deborah. ¡°Since the two broke up peacefully three years ago, and now that the formalities have beenpleted, they have nothing to do with each other.¡± ¡°They¡¯ve left this matter behind. Why should we worry about it? Come on, let¡¯s focus on some other gossip.¡± Someizens alsomented, ¡°Since this matter is so simple, why didn¡¯t Mr. Mullen give Mr. ck and Deborah his blessing? Can¡¯t he let go of Deborah?¡± But soon, someone replied, ¡°Are you serious? They broke up and divorced. Why does he have to bless his ex-wife? Why don¡¯t you go to your ex-boyfriend and wish him happiness with his current girlfriend?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Since they¡¯ve be strangers, they don¡¯t have to care about each other anymore. It¡¯s just an exnation, and there¡¯s no need to overthink it, right?¡± Deborah was a little dumbfounded. She didn¡¯t know what had happened to Ashton that made him change his attitudepletely. He agreed to divorce her without hesitation, and now he deliberately posted on Twitter to solve the public opinion problem for her. Could it be that he had been haunted by nightmares recently because he had done too many evil deeds so that he wanted topensate her somehow? Deborah handed the phone to Joseph. ¡°Ashton posted on Twitter. It seems that we don¡¯t have to avoid the media anymore. Why don¡¯t we go back to Oceanview City?¡± In her memory, she had lived in Oceanview City for two years. For her, those two years were free and smooth. Deborah really wanted to go back to Oceanview City. After staying in Richmond for this period, nothing that happened was pleasant. And if she returned to Oceanview City, she didn¡¯t have to stay under the attention of the media. There were colleagues and friends she knew, and she could go back to her old life. The matter with Ashton was temporarily over. However, Richmond gave her the feeling that she was unfamiliar with the ce. Joseph took Deborah¡¯s mobile phone and looked at it for a long time before he came back to his senses. He nodded and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Suddenly, he felt a bit restless. Ashton suddenly became abnormal, but Joseph didn¡¯t know why. Get Bonus Not long after, thewyer replied to Joseph, ¡°I have read it carefully, and there is nothing wrong with the divorce agreement. But there is one thing that maybe I should tell you.¡± ¡°I asked someone to check the two properties allocated to Ms. Shepherd in the agreement. They are worth more than 200 million dors, and their locations are excellent. It is estimated that there is still much room for appreciation.¡± 11 Chapter 151 Chapter 151 Chapter 151 1 Will Rapport You Joseph¡¯s face momentarily froze. ¡°A house?¡± From over there, a voice responded, ¡°Yes Haven¡¯t you seen it yet to the divorce agreement, there are two houses that belong to Ms. Shepherd. Apart from that, Me Shepherd left with nothing else! Joseph really didn¡¯t know, he thought that the divorce agreement Deborah was using was the one he had brought over in the morning That was the n he had devised for Deborah. The agreement was quite straightforward, Deborah had no intention of iming any of Ashton¡¯s assets, and since they had no children, there were no issues regarding custody arrangements. Only then did Joseph carefully examine the agreement, and he saw that an additional use had been added, which referred to the two houses mentioned by thewyer. Sitting nearby, Deborah noticed the sudden change in Joseph¡¯s expression and heard him mention ¡°house.¡± She quickly developed a bad feeling about the situation. Joseph replied to him, ¡°Alright, got it. Thank you, Mr. Knox As soon as the phone call ended, Deborah asked worriedly. ¡°Is there a problem with those two houses?¡±* Joseph restrained his emotions and gently asked her, ¡°Did Ashton request to add this? Did he say anything else?¡± Deborah¡¯s face grew even more uneasy. ¡°He said that I paid for these two houses myself, so naturally, I should take them back. What¡¯s wrong? Is there a problem with the houses?¡± Joseph hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, no problem. I just noticed that this line was addedter, so I casually asked.¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Deborah had been living with Joseph day and night for two years, so she could tell whether something was wrong, with him or not. The house definitely had some issues, but Josephi didn¡¯t want to mention them, fearing it might affect her mood. After thinking for a long time, Deborah came up with the only possibility. ¡°Could it be that the price of this house was artificially inted, and it was purchased with a loan? If the house is given to me, then I¡¯ll be the one stuck with the huge debt, repaying the high-interest loan?¡± It didn¡¯t cross my mind. She already knew that Ashton wasn¡¯t a good person. She should have just said she didn¡¯t want those two houses. Joseph remained silent for a moment, and Deborah¡¯s heart began to sink. ¡°Is it a huge loan? How much is it?¡± It must be at least in the millions of dors to make Joseph show such an expression. Deborah couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to find him and make him take the house back!¡± Joseph immediately reached out and grabbed her arm, ¡°That¡¯s not true, there really is no problem with the house.¡± Deborah turned around, her face serious, and looked at him. ¡°Then tell me the truth. What¡¯s really going on? Don¡¯t hide it from me.¡± After a long silence, Joseph finally spoke, ¡°Those two houses have been fully paid for. The total value of the houses ist over 150 million dors.¡± Deborah was so stunned that she couldn¡¯t speak for quite some time. She considered many possibilities, even including the haunting of the two houses, but ultimately, she believed that Ashton had malicious intentions to harm her. As a result, there were no issues with the house, but it was still a sky-high price? Deborah looked at Joseph, still not quite able to regain herposure. Joseph cautiously asked her, ¡°How about giving the house back to Ashton?¡± Deborah finally snapped out of it, her face full of confusion. ¡°If he gave it to me for free and there are no other issues, why should I return it?¡± Lucien told her that Ashton had done so many things to hurt her. Including cutting her liver, causing her to have a miscarriage, and resulting in the loss of her uterus. Her body had endured such immense pain, perhaps he too hadmitted many misdeeds and wished to atone by suttering financial loss. Then why doesn¡¯t she want the house he¡¯s offering for free? Precisely because of his insane actions, it¡¯s possible that she and Joseph might not be able to have their own children for the rest of their lives. Deborah made up her mind and brought back the divorce agreement, saying, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to return it to him, and I won¡¯t either!¡± Joseph always felt that something about the house left a bad taste in his heart. But when Deborah said that, he couldn¡¯t find the right words to refute her, so he could only nod and say, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll follow your advice.¡± 150 million dors, no matter how wealthy a person may be, is by no means a small sum. Now, Ashton both agrees to the divorce and offers the house as well. Did he really let go just because he said he did? Deborah didn¡¯t rack her brains thinking about all these details. If Ashton was offering something for free, why not take it? Once she was sure that there were no other issues with the house, she felt at ease and quickly put the matter behind her. After getting divorced and unexpectedly receiving 150 million dors, she felt extremely delighted. Humming a tune, she went upstairs to pack her luggage and called out to Joseph, ¡°Joseph,e up and help me pack. We¡¯re going back. to Oceanview City!¡± Joseph, with a mind full of concerns, still got up and followed. Deborah entered the bedroom and opened her suitcase, tossing things inside while she counted, ¡°Clothes, bags. So many clothes with Joseph¡¯s name on them, left at that jerk¡¯s ce. That¡¯s quite a loss.¡± Joseph felt uneasy inside, and walked over to her side, ¡°Debby, I might not be able to return to Oceanview City for a while. I just told my dadst night that I would be going to the ck Group to get used to the job in the next few days.¡± Deborah paused for a moment, recalling the matter at hand, ¡°Oh, right, You stay here for now, and I need to go back. I have several design drafts to submit, and this whole ordeal has already caused a dy of several days.¡¯ Joseph hugged her from behind and said, ¡°I don¡¯t feelfortable letting you go back alone.¡± Suddenly, he became so proactive that Deborah¡¯s ears turned a little red. She felt that there was something a bit odd about him. ¡°Then I¡¯ll submit the design draft ande back to see you in a day or two.¡± Joseph spoke in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t go looking for Ashton anymore.¡± Deborah finally understood why he seemed so strange. She pushed his hand away, turned around, and looked at him. ¡°What are you thinking? It took me so much effort to divorce him. How could I possibly go back to that psycho?¡± ¡°As for the house, it¡¯s something he owes me, so I don¡¯t feel guilty about taking it.¡± Joseph hugged her tightly, burying his face in her hair, and remained silent. Deborah gently stroked his head andforted him, ¡°Be good, I only like you, and I like you the most.¡± Joseph became exceptionally gentle under her touch, nuzzling his head against her neck. He strick with her for quite a while before finally taking her to the airport. At the airport, he couldn¡¯t bear to see her leave and clung to her, almost causing her to miss her flight. Deborah truly felt that he was so soft and tender in front of her, she wished she could just pack him into her suitcase and take him away. ¡°Joseph, Joseph, don¡¯t worry about the ck Group anymore. Just go with Debby. She¡¯ll support you with her design sketches.¡± Joseph grabbed her arm and was about to head inside, ¡°I¡¯ve already bought the tickets, let¡¯s go Debby.¡± Deborah¡¯s expression changed in an instant as she blocked his way, ¡°Go, go, go, I really have to leave now. Behave yourself in Richmond, and don¡¯t even think about getting involved with that woman, understand?¡± Joseph watched her go inside, his eyes glued to her, wishing he could leave with her. Deborah was in an indescribable good mood. After passing through the boarding gate with her documents, she happily boarded the ne. As soon as I settled into my seat in first ss, it felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped on my head. Ashton was sitting right next to her. Chapter 152 Chapter 152 Chapter 152 This is Indeed a Misunderstanding Deborah paused for a moment, looked closely, and confirmed that she wasn¡¯t weeling things incorrectly This ne ticket was for a randomly chosen flight, with neither the time not the location being particrly special Now, Ashton happened to be sitting next to her, with just an aisle separating them. It couldn¡¯t possibly be a coincidence. Ashton didn¡¯t look at her, sitting in the chair with his eyes lowered to theputer, his expression distant and cold The smile on Deborah¡¯s face vanished, reced by a look of full alertness Seeing Ashton pretending to be focused on his work, acting as if he hadn¡¯t noticed her at all, she reached out and tapped twice on the desk in front of him! Ashton didn¡¯t even look up as he replied, ¡°No need ¡± The flight attendant nearby noticed the situation and saw Asldon¡¯s Impatient expression the immediately stepped forward to stop Deborah, ¡°Ma¡¯am, please return to your seal the ne will be taking off soon The flight attendant met Ashton and, sering Deborah¡¯s demeanor, thought she was trying to get close to him on purpose. A hint of disdain was hidder expression. Deborah stared at Ashton and sneered, ¡°What do you mean ¡± There¡¯s no such thing as coincidence in this world. As Ashton¡¯s fingertips paused on the keyboard, the man who couldn¡¯t even be bothered to lift an eyelid suddenly looked up at her. The flight attendant stepped forward and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m filly sorry, Mr. Mullen We¡¯ll take care of it right away. Before I could finish speaking, I saw Ashton¡¯s face light up with an incredulous smile. ¡°Debby, what a coincidence!¡± The flight attendant looked somewhat dumbfounded, hesitating whether or not to let Deborah leave, Just then, the chief purser came over, greeted Ashton politely, and called her away. Deborah looked at him with her icy gaze, her face full of caution. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®coincidence?¡± Upon further thought, Ashton didn¡¯t feel that this could be exined away as mere coincidence. He hesitated slightly, then tentatively asked her, ¡°So, did youe looking for me on purpose because you have something to discuss?¡± Deborah didn¡¯t want to waste time talking to him, as she suspected that this man most likely had ill intentions. Now that Joseph is not around, she went to Oceanview City with Ashton. What if, after getting off the ne, he pesters her or even does something to her? What should she do then? For such a person, one cannot help but specte with the utmost malice, Deborah immediately turned around, ready to get off the ne, and called a flight attendant over. ¡°I need to change my flight. Can I still leave now?¡± The ne was about to take off soon, and the cabin doors were already closed. The flight attendant stepped forward to dissuade her, ¡°Ma¡¯am, we can¡¯t go back down now. Are you facing any difficulties? Do you need any assistance?¡± Deborah took out her phone, ready to call Joseph. Seeing her like this, Ashton finally spoke up to exin, ¡°Debby, this really is a misunderstanding. I didn¡¯t intentionally book the same night as you, and I have no intention of making things difficult for you.¡± Ashton thought about it for a moment and figured out the reason. It must be Joseph¡¯s older brother Chandler who did the good deed. It would be unbelievable if Deborah could trust him. A few people were at an impasse when a man strode over from not far away. The flight attendant looked over and saw Steven walking towards her. What a day it is today, as all of these people have gathered together by chance. Steven walked over with a smile and greeted Ashton, ¡°Mr. Mullen, Ms. Shepherd, what a coincidence. I have some business matters to discuss with you, Mr. Mullen.¡± Deborah couldn¡¯t get off the ne now either. Seeing Steven approaching, she immediately felt as it she had grasped at lifeline. ¡°Mr. Moxley, my seat is right next to Ashton. Would you like to switch seats with me?¡± With a grateful expression, Steven smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s wonderful, I don¡¯t want to cause any trouble for Ms. Shepherd. My seat is over there, please allow the flight attendant to guide you.¡± Deborah quickly and efficiently gathered her belongings, ready to follow the flight attendant to Steven¡¯s seat. She thought to herself, this doesn¡¯t seem very safe either. Once the nends in Oceanview City, it will be thousands of miles away from Richmond. What if Ashton makes things difficult for her? As I was thinking, Steven spoke up again, ¡°By the way, after arriving in Oceanview City, I need to make a trip to Jingron Design to meet Mr. Wand. I¡¯m not very familiar with Oceanview City, so after we get off the ne, I wonder if it would be convenient for Ms. Shepherd to show me the way?¡± Deborah was no fool. With Steven having said so much, it was clear that it wasn¡¯t all just a coincidence; he was actually helping her. She gratefully nodded right away, ¡°Great, I¡¯m actually heading to the office too.¡± Steven politely smiled and watched her follow the flight attendant away before sitting down in Deborah¡¯s seat. He had no intention of discussing business on the ne; he was simply bringing the child along. When he saw Deborah, she was the one who asked him toe over. After taking Steven¡¯s seat, Deborah couldn¡¯t help but feel tense knowing that Ashton was not far away. She had no desire to sleep or do anything else. I took out my phone, wanting to send a message to Joseph. I thought about how it had been three years since hest went to the ck Group. Today was his first day back, and there must be a lot of executives keeping an eye op him. At this moment, he¡¯s probably quite busy, so it¡¯s better not to bother him without good reason. After hesitating for a moment, she still decided to put away her phone. I nced around and happened to meet the gaze of a little girl standing nearby. 75 871 N?velDrama.Org content rights. Alyssa probably didn¡¯t expect Deborah to suddenly look over. A hint of panic shed across her face, and she Immediately averted her gaze. Deborah noticed a men¡¯s briefcase on the table in front of her and guessed that it might have been brought by Steven. The child looked exceptionally beautiful, with a resemnce to Steven in the eyebrows and eyes. Steven must be around 30 years old now, and for a man of his age, having children is quite normal. Feeling somewhat guilty for taking Steven¡¯s seat, Deborah took the initiative to greet the young girl, ¡°Hey there, are you with Mr. Moxley?¡± The little girl nced at her hurriedly and nodded, ¡°Yes, Steven is my uncle.¡± Deborah felt even more guilty. Steven had brought such a young child with him, and now, in order to help her, he had left the child here all alone. She spoke up to exin, ¡°Your uncle is sitting up front because he ran into a business friend and decided to swap seats with me. Is it okay for you to sit here alone, or should I call your uncle back?¡± The little girl had a pleasant voice and politely replied, ¡°It¡¯s alright, I often go out to y by myself. This time, it just so happens that my uncle has to go on a business trip.¡± Deborah looked at her, feeling an intense sense of familiarity, to the point where she suddenly found it hard to breathe. After a while, she finally had some impression, ¡°Are you¡­ Alyssa?¡± Deborah thought of a song she had identallye across on her phone and hummed a few lines. ¡°The stars in the sky shed tears, the roses on the ground wither, waiting for the wind to blow, waiting for the wind to blow.¡± She hummed, and the little girl¡¯s beautiful eyes turned red. ¡°Miss, have you heard my song before?¡± To Deborah¡¯s surprise, she encountered a minor celebrity on her flight. Thinking of Mona, sheughed and said, ¡°One of my colleagues really likes you. She always says that if she could have a daughter who is half as well-behaved and adorable as you, she would go crazy with happiness.¡± Deborah spoke with enthusiasm, but noticing the little girl beside her didn¡¯t react much, she suddenly felt a bit awkward. Just think about it, she¡¯s such a famous child star, she¡¯s probably used to being praised all the time. She might even find it a bit annoying. Deborah let out a light cough, just as she was about to pull back her neck that had stretched towards the child. But then she heard the little one speak up, ¡°Miss, what about you? Do you like me?¡± Chapter 153 Chapter 153 Chapter 153 Delkate and Helpdes Deborah was taken aback, not expecting Alyssa to sunkenly ask her such a question To be honest, she dishy¡¯t really have much of a feeling towards this little celebrity in front of het. She has never been much of a fan of celebrities, nor does she pay much attention to entertainment news. Ever since she lost het memory three years ago, her life in these past three years has revolved almost entirely around work and Joseph. The seemingly aloot young girl beside her was now tilting her head, gazing at her with wide-eyed curiosity. Quite persistent, not giving up until getting an answer Deborah responded politely with a vague smile, ¡°At such a young age, you¡¯re already a little star who can y the piano and sing. Anyone who meets you would surely like you¡± Alyssa still looked at her and asked, ¡°Does that include anyone, even you, miss?¡± Deborah looked a bit embarrassed and nodded, ¡°Of course.¡± She was a bit worried, wondering if the child would ask her next about what shows she had watched about her. Deborah had only caught a glimpse of Alyssa betore on Mona¡¯s phone. I really can¡¯t say I know much about it. However, Alyssa didn¡¯t ask any further questions She politely said ¡°Thank you¡± and didn¡¯t say much else. Deborah secretly breathed a sigh of reliet, yet telt a bit puzzled. Perhaps it was the child¡¯s strong, aura that made her feel so nervous all of a sudden, just because of a kid. I¡¯m not quite sure what¡¯s going on inside, but I¡¯m feeling a bit uneasy. On the way to Oceanview City, Deborah couldn¡¯t help but nce over at Alyssa several times, feeling a bit puzzled. On two asions, Deborah¡¯s gaze met Alyssa¡¯s. Feeling embarrassed, she immediately averted her eyes, wondering if the child would think she was a bad person. She tried her best to hold back, not looking again, but her mind was filled with the image of the child beside her. Alyssa was overjoyed inside, and her smile never left her face the entire way. Over the years, she followed Adrian, bing a child star, singing and ying the piano. Adrian himself is a top-tier, popr actor with countless connections and resources at his disposal. Coupled with Alyssa¡¯s own talent, these past three years have seen her fame skyrocket to incredible heights. In the past, Alyssa never showed her face and always wore a veil when appearing on a show. Adrian exined to others that it was because Alyssa was still studying and he didn¡¯t want her celebrity status to affect her education. Despite that, no one had ever seen her true face, yet the name ¡°Alyssa¡± was still extremely well- known. Rumors are spreading like wildfire on the inte, iming that Alyssa is Adrian¡¯s illegitimate daughter. In just about a month, Alyssa received the news that Deborah was still alive, and for the first time, she showed her truece in public. In the past three years, she has received countless awards and praises. But when ites down to it, all of those thingsbined still don¡¯tpare to the feeling she gets now when Deborah praises her, saying ¡°I like her.¡± Alyssa thought about it, and couldn¡¯t help but let her eyes turn red. Three years ago, she spent every day with her mother. And now, her mother sat right beside her, but she no longer recognized her. She didn¡¯t want to tell the truth either, because the real memories would only bring pain to Deborah, and might even lead to even worse consequences. As for her daughter Alyssa, if she were to reconnect with Deborah, it¡¯s not certain that she wouldn¡¯t be a hindrance and burden to Deborah once again, just like she did three years ago. What matters most is for Mom to live happily and carefree like she is now. Alyssa lowered her head, pretending to be engrossed in the tablet she was holding, and didn¡¯t nce over at Deborah again. Somehow, Deborah telt extremely ufortable deep down. That sudden feeling of unease weighed on her, making it somewhat difficult for her to breathe. Ashton asionally nced back, but Deborah leaned into her own seat, blocking his view, and he couldn¡¯t see anything. He nced back several times, and Steven joked beside him, ¡°I heard that Mr. Mullen has already agreed to divorce Ms. Shepherd. What¡¯s going on now?¡± Ashton truly felt wronged. In a situation like this, anyone would think that he did it on purpose. But he had already agreed to the divorce, and the paperwork waspleted. He just wanted to let go, at least leaving. Deborah with a slightly good impression in the end. The paperwork had just beenpleted, so there was no way he would be so eager to bother Deborah again. He exined with a slight headache, ¡°I was called for ast-minute meeting about a coboration this morning and missed my flight. The other party felt bad and insisted on booking another ticket for me. It was indeed at misunderstanding.¡± Steven nodded, ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Though they verbally acknowledged understanding, the disbelief was written all over their face, impossible to hide. Ashton struggled to articte his thoughts. The idea that Chandler had deliberately engaged him in a work conversation to stall for time and manipte him was infuriating. He was thinking to himself, Next time, he must settle the score with Chandler. The nended in Oceanview City. When Steven went to the back to pick up Alyssa, he saw Deborah helping Alyssa with her backpack and holding her hand as they walked over. Steven was taken aback for a moment, not expecting Deborah and Alyssa to have be so close. Looking at Alyssa, she usually follows Adrian around with such pride, she¡¯s already like a little grown- up. Now, with Deborah leading the way, it was as if she suddenly became a child who couldn¡¯t walk steadily. Steven looked on, finding it amusing, yet suddenly feeling a tinge of sadness. This child hasn¡¯t seen their mother for three years, and now that they finally have the chance to meet, they can¡¯t even call out ¡°Mommy.¡± It was even more impossible for her to throw herself into Deborah¡¯s arms, acting spoiled and sharing the grievances and longing she had experienced over the past three years. No matter how well the Moxley family treats her, in the end, they are still outsiders to her. Steven stepped forward and reached out to hold Alyssa¡¯s hand, ¡°Alyssa, let¡¯s go downstairs with me.¡± Alyssa gave him a cool nce, and as Steven reached out, her hand hanging by her side subtly pushed him away. Steven couldn¡¯t help butugh this time, but he quicklyposed himself. ¡°I still have something to grab. Would it be too much trouble for you, Ms. Shepherd, to watch my child for a moment?¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Deborah couldn¡¯t wait to hold Alyssa¡¯s hand and follow closely behind Steven. Ashton is right in front of her now, and Steven is practically her lucky charm. Deborah immediately nodded, ¡°Alright, no problem.¡± Alyssa didn¡¯t even nce at Steven anymore, as she followed Deborah out of the cabin. The once tomboyish girl had now be delicate and vulnerable. As they stepped out of the cabin and onto the stairs, Deborah was worried that she might fall, so she immediately reached out to support her. Ashton, on the other hand, almost went crazy when he saw this scene as soon as he got off the ne. Alyssa is here too, what a surprise! If Deborah sees Alyssa, it might trigger some unpleasant memories from the past. What should we do if something goes wrong? A few days ago, he saw Alyssa and thought about taking her to meet Deborah. Later, I specifically asked Rodger if it was okay to do this. Over there, Rodger advised him that it¡¯s better not to. If Deborah wants to regain her memory, she should consult a specialized psychologist and proceed with careful treatment. If suddenly restored, it may lead to very unfavorable consequences. Ashton took a few steps forward and grabbed Alyssa¡¯s hand, ¡°Alyssa, what did you say to Deborah?¡± Chapter 154 Chapter 154 Chapter 154 His Lung Cancer Get Bonus Upon seeing Ashtoning after her, a tense string in Deborah¡¯s mind immediately tightened. Alyssa stared at him coldly, ¡°Mr. Mullen, I don¡¯t know you well, and you¡¯re being too nosy.¡± Ashton suddenly realized that no matter how sensible Alyssa was, she was still just a seven or eight- year-old child after all. She might have missed Deborah so much that now that they¡¯ve finally met, she couldn¡¯t help but pour out everything to her all at once. Ashton reached out to take Alyssa away from Deborah¡¯s side, ¡°Come here, I have a few words to say to you.¡± Alyssa dodged his hand with disgust, knowing what Ashton was worried about, she spoke up. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything to thisdy.¡± In Alyssa¡¯s words, there was nothing but coldness and distance towards Ashton. Still, Deborah could tell at a nce that they had known each other for quite some time. A person like Ashton, getting to know Alyssa, probably wouldn¡¯t be because of being a fan. Their appearance suggested that they were not just simply acquainted, but rather quite close to each other. Deborah instinctively asked, ¡°Do you two¡­ know each other?¡± Ashton immediately responded, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Alyssa almost spoke at the same time as him, saying, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen it before.¡± Deborah wasn¡¯t blind. How could she possibly not recognize or have never seen the two of them in this state? More importantly, at first nce, she surprisingly found that they looked somewhat alike. How strange, why does it feel like this child resembles everyone a bit? It¡¯s not really amon face, but it seems to resemble Steven a bit, and also has some simrities with Ashton, Is it just me, or does she kind of resemble Deborah? Deborah pondered. Perhaps there really was something wrong with her eyes. Ashton quickly pulled Alyssa aside and whispered to her urgently, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense with her.¡± Deborah was too embarrassed to admit that her listening skills were excellent, and she had heard every single word Ashton had said. Seeing Ashton pull Alyssa away, she immediately became alert and reached out, pulling Alyssa back to her side. This child was entrusted to her care by Steven, and she must fulfill her responsibility. Steven finished his phone call not far away and quickly pushed his suitcase, turning around and walking back He was extremely busy, and this time he didn¡¯t even bring a single assistant with him. Now, one hand is pushing the box while the other hand is single-handedly replying to messages on the phone. As he approached, he finally saw Ashton. ¡°Mr. Mullen, is there anything else?¡± Get Bonus C Ashton stared at Deborah, and suddenlyughed, ¡°t just remembered, when you agreed to divorce me this morning. you promised not to leave Richmond.¡± Deborah felt a slight pang of guilt, realizing that he had just remembered. Actually, hist now on the ne, as soon as she saw Ashton, she thought of this matter. Ashton might make it difficult for her because of this. Feeling guilty or not, Deborale¡¯s expression remained unchanged. ¡°Really? Did I say that?¡± Ashton looked at her, ¡°Failed to keep your promise, your meinory can¡¯t be that bad.¡± From the very beginning, Deborah had made up her mind to be unscrupulous when she agreed to help him. Without a signature of a written guarantee, there¡¯s no evidence to support it. It¡¯s surprising that Ashton, being at businessman, doesn¡¯t understand this basic rule Just talking about it, asking her to keep her promise and stay in that ill fated ce called Richmond where he is for the rest of her life, how could that be possible? Deborah simply admitted, ¡°Even if I tell you, it doesn¡¯t matter, I¡¯m leaving Richmond now anyway. Go ahead and call the police or sue me Ashton stood there, dumbfounded, unable to find the words to respond. Deborah promised not to leave Richmond, and his first reaction was relict. Even though they got divorcedter, they still lived in the same city and would asionally bump into each other. Over the many years in the past, Deborah has always been very honest and has never lied to him. So he never even considered the possibility that she might go back on her word or refuse to acknowledge the agreement. Deborah¡¯s situation was more than just memory loss; she had truly be a different person was before. Ashtonughed, ¡°Debby, you¡¯ve really changed.¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Deborah frowned, her face full of disgust, ¡°That¡¯s truly revolting.¡± She led Alyssa away, with Steven following her with a smile, looking like a family of three. Ashton watched them walk away until theypletely disappeared from his sight. He knew very well that he would never again have the chance to be a part of the picture with Deborah Alyssa and their family of three. Jeff stood not far away, watching, as Deborah and the others left, before finally approaching. Ashton stepped out of the airport, the deep winter weather growing colder with each passing day. The wind scraped against his face like a knife, as the driver pulled the car up in front of him. He stood outside, lighting a cigarette. Jeff immediately stepped forward to stop him, ¡°Mr. Mullen, you can¡¯t smoke anymore.¡± Ashton didn¡¯t respond, standing, outside the airport amidst the hustle and bustle of peopleing and going, silently smoking his cigarette. After taking just one puff, I couldn¡¯t help but cough for a while. The cold wind, apanied by coughs, poured into his mouth and nose. His coughing grew worse and worse, until he could barely stand up straight. Jeff couldn¡¯t help himself and directly took the cigarette from his hand, ¡°Mr. Mullen, you should really take better care of your health. You should not only think about yourself, but also consider old Mr. Mullen. He has only you as his grandson, and he counting en you to take care of him in his old age.¡± Ashton stared off into the distance, suddenly saying, ¡°If it were before, Deborah would have advised me not to smoke. She used to tell me that smoking too much could easily lead to lung cancer.¡± Jett said in a serious tone, ¡°Your hings aren¡¯t in great shape right now, so you must take good care of them.¡± Ashton¡¯s tall and upright figure appeared indescribably deste amidst the cold wind. He nced at Jeff, ¡°Do you know why I suddenly agreed to divorce Deborahst night? Jeff hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°It¡¯s because Alyssa talked to you, and finally made you see the light¡­¡± Ashton coughed while smoking, and after a while, he spoke again. ¡°There have been so many people like Alyssa who have tried to persuade me Rodger, Zayne, and you, Jeff However, I¡¯ve always been ruthless in my actions, and I never even considered giving up on Deborah because of these persuasions.¡± Jeff paused for a moment, recallingst night, and indeed, it was strange Just a moment ago, Ashton had called Deborah, saying he would never let go. After hanging up the phone, he instructed Jett, ¡°At any cost, use all the connections we have, and sue Joseph. We must bring him down.¡± But just because Alyssa paid a visit, his attitude changed drastically, and without hesitation, he wanted to divorce Deborah. Even until this morning, Jeff still thought that he was joking or had some other purpose. Later on, he actually got a divorce certificate with Deborah. Ashton is a person with an incredibly stubborn personality. To put it frankly, if Alyssa¡¯s words could persuade him, then in the past three years, too many people have already tried to do the same. A few days ago, after Deborah returned to Richmond, Rodger went out of his way to visit Ashton. He tried his best to persuade him to be a good person and let Deborah go this time. No matter what was said, in the end, all that was received from Ashton were three words. ¡°It is impossible.¡± The more Jeff thought about it, the more he felt that something was off, and suddenly, he had an uneasy premonition. Ashton took a drag from his cigarette, letting it burn down to his fingers before speaking softly, ¡°After Alyssa leftst night, the hospital called me. The results of the lung examination are out. There¡¯s a malignant tumor in the lung ¨C lung cancer. Unfortunately, it¡¯s untreatable.¡± Jeff¡¯s facepletely froze. Ashton chuckled, ¡°Deborah is right, if you do too many bad things, karma will eventually catch up with you.¡± Chapter 155 Chapter 155 Chapter 155 He Deserved to Die Jeff stood there for quite a while before he finally managed to speak, ¡°Mr. Mullen, what kind of joke is this?¡± Ashton didn¡¯t say anything more and just got in the rat Upon leaving the airport, he was greeted by a cold breeze Coupled with the cigarette he had just smoked, his throat felt like it was burning with pain. All along the way, he kept coughing, and it just kept getting worse. Jeff couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and looked at the driver in front of him, ¡°Chad, let¡¯s go to the hospital first.¡± In the past, Ashton would have definitely been angry with Jeff for making decisions on his own like this. But now, he just keeps coughing intermittently, not saying a word. It wasn¡¯t until the car was almost at the hospital that he asked, ¡°Can you arrange for someone to follow Deborah and take care of things?¡± Jeff promptly replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s all taken care of. It¡¯s just that Jingron Design doesn¡¯t allow outsiders to enter, so the two bodyguards we sent can only follow up to the outside of thepany. Ashton coughed severely, wanting to say something, but couldn¡¯t get the words out. Today is Joseph¡¯s first day joining the ck Group. The former CEO, who had left the ck Group three years ago, has suddenly returned, which will undoubtedly provoke hostility from many people within the ck Group. Particrly the current CEO, Chandler, and many executives in important positions who were promoted by Chandler. Those people couldn¡¯t tolerate Joseph in secret, and if they were to make a move against him, Deborah might not be spared from bing a victim. After all, Deborah and Joseph have been quite affectionate these days, and it could be considered quite high-profile The car stopped outside the hospital, and Jeff apanied Ashton to see the doctor. In thete stages of lung cancer, there are essentially no effective treatment methods. After the doctor¡¯s examination, they only prescribed some pain-relief medication and medicine to slow down the worsening of the condition. After prescribing the medicine, the doctor asked Ashton, ¡°Mr. Mullen, do you have any immediate family members? Ashton¡¯s face looked terrible, and the coughing caused severe abdominal pain, making it difficult for him to speak Jeff chimed in, ¡°There¡¯s a grandfather in his eighties, and a daughter who¡¯s almost eight years old.¡± The doctor noticed that Jeff had stopped speaking and asked further, ¡°Is there anything else? Parents, or other children? Siblings would also be helpful.¡± Jeff promptly replied, ¡°There¡¯s none left.¡± Ashton¡¯s parents had passed away early, and as for siblings and other children, they simply didn¡¯t exist. Even including uncles and the like, there is only one Wayne who has already been imprisoned. The doctor tapped on his desk, his expression serious as he said, ¡°Here¡¯s the situation. Mr. Mullen, in addition to the lung tumor, the cancer cells have already infiltrated your bone marrow. Chapter 155 He Deserved to Die 77.16% The situation is not optimistic. While considering hung tumor removal surgery, it¡¯s best to have a bone marrow Transnt as soon as possible Finding a suitable bone marrow match can be quite difficult, but the kelihood of a sessful match is ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . significantly higher among close rtives¡± Jett looks grave, ¡°Among the immediate family members, there probably Isn¡¯t a suitable candidate for a bone marrow donation The doctor hesitated for a moment before looking at Ashton, ¡°Mr. Mullen, your daughter cane in for an We can consider her as a bone marrow donor for you.¡± exammatk Ashton immediately objected, ¡°That won¡¯t work, she¡¯s so young, how could she possibly donate bone marrow?¡± The doctor opened several cases of bone marrow dons on theputer for him to see. ¡°Nowadays, medical advancements have greatly reduced the risks associated with bone marrow donation. Donating bone marrow, no longer requires extracting the marrow itself, but rather involves drawing blood to obtain hematopoietic stem cells from the bloodstream. Children around seven or eight years old donating bone marrow do indeed tace slightly higher risks His voice paused slightly, ¡°For you, Mr. Mullen, having the surgery and receiving a bone marrow donation could mean a new lease on lite. It¡¯s justte stage lung cancer. Even it the surgery and bone marrow transnt go smoothly, it¡¯s hard to expect a long survival period afterward. Ashton recalls the events from many years ago. Deborah had once pleaded with him, disregarding her own dignity, to donate bone marrow to Alyssa. This act saved Alyssa, who was suttering from leukemia. In the end, Alyssa almost died at his hands. By now, Deborah and Alyssa must both hate him to death. How could they possibly be willing if he asks Alyssa to take the risk of donating bone marrow again? Ashton was determined, ¡°My daughter can¡¯t donate bone marrow to me. Let¡¯s try to find a suitable bone marrow match elsewhere. It we can¡¯t find one, then so be it.¡± Even if he were to die, it would still be a well-deserved fate. The doctor looked at him with some disbeliet, ¡°Mr. Mullen, how can you just let this go? This is about your life. At the very least, you can have your daughtere in for a check-up first. If it¡¯s indeed a good match, and after checking your daughter¡¯s physical condition turns out to be suitable, then it couldn¡¯t be better.¡± Jett spoke up, ¡°Doctor, about three years ago, Mr. Mullen¡¯s daughter was diagnosed with leukemia. It was Mr. Mullen who donated bone marrow to his daughter, which cured her. In this situation, can his daughter still donate bone marrow?¡± The doctor responded, ¡°In that case, it means that your bone marrow, Mr. Mullen, is a match for your daughter¡¯s. This is great news. Your daughter¡¯s leukemia has already been cured, which shows that she is now healthy. Moreover, it has been three Chapter 155 He Deserved in Die 77.33% Get Bu years since then, and that¡¯s quite a long time ago.¡± He then urged, ¡°Mr. Mullen, if it¡¯s convenient for you, I suggest you bring your daughter in for a physical examination as soon as possible. If there are no other issues, we should arrange for a bone marrow transnt promptly.¡± Ashton stood up, leaning on the table, ¡°I said no. Look for another option, that child cannot donate bone marrow.¡± The doctor was quite helpless as he watched Ashton walk straight out of the office, leaving him no choice but to turn his attention to Jeff. ¡°This is a serious matter, so please do your best to persuade Mr. Mullen. His condition can¡¯t afford any dys.¡± Jetf knew Ashton¡¯s personality well; once he made up his mind, it was difficult for others to change it easily. Jeff just nodded and followed Ashton outside. The only option left was to try and find a suitable bone marrow match. If they couldn¡¯t find one, Jeff thought he would wait for some time and then secretly approach Deborah and Alyssa to discuss the matter without Ashton¡¯s knowledge. Ashton picked up the medicine and didn¡¯t stay in the hospital. He left immediately. When Jeff followed Ashton outside the clinic, he saw Ashton turn around and say, ¡°I¡¯ll drive myself back.¡± Jeff, feeling concerned, said, ¡°Given your current situation, it¡¯s not safe for you to drive by yourself. Maybe you should¡­¡± No sooner had his words fallen, than Ashton had already gotten into the car and driven away. Jeff sighed. Recalling the things Ashton had done in the past, did he really deserve to end up in the situation he¡¯s in today? In the past, Deborah would always persuade and restrain him. Although he was reluctant, he still managed to control his smoking habit to some extent. In the past three years, smoking has be even more prevalent than eating, and no one can put a stop to it. To be honest, it¡¯s quite surprising that someone who smokes so recklessly hasn¡¯t gotten lung cancer yet. Ashton had originally nned to drive back to his residence, but he ended up feeling unwell and his mind became sluggish. The car came to a stop by the side of the road, and just across the street, there it was Jingron Design. He btedly realized that he had taken the wrong path. It seemed as if it wasn¡¯t a mistake, but rather, my heart knew I needed to return to my residence, yet my mind had already nned the route to this ce. He looked across the street and saw Deborah, Steven, and Alyssa walking out together. Get Bonus Chapter 156 Chapter 156 Chapter 156 Your Death Anniversary From a distance, Ashton could vaguely sense that they were chatting andughing. Deborah waspletely at ease as she courteously helped Steven and Alyssa into the car. Ashton looked somewhat mesmerized as Deborah saw the person off. She quickly turned around and entered the office. building. After she went in, Ashton saw the two bodyguards he had arranged, who immediately disguised themselves as staff members, also trying to blend in. However, those two naive guys didn¡¯t know where to get the work permits. It seemed that the security guards saw through their act. In less than two minutes, a few more guards came over and firmly stopped them from entering, not allowing them to go in. The two simpletons watched as Deborah entered the building and walked farther away. Worried that something might happen to her inside the office building, they decided to barge in, even going so far as to take out their guns. This incident attracted arge number of security guards, even setting off thepany rm system. Ashton was utterly bewildered, so he took out his phone and called the bodyguard. The bodyguard, who was trying to force his way into the office building, took quite a while to answer the phone. Ashton looked across the street and said, ¡°Get lost.¡± The bodyguard on the phone immediately lost his imposing demeanor and exined, ¡°Mr. Mullen, we¡¯re not trying to barge in without reason. We just saw that when Ms. Shepherd went in, there was a man sneaking behind her, and they went in together.¡± The security guard looked skeptical, ¡°That¡¯s impossible. Every employee entering and leaving our easily recognize aplete stranger.¡± The bodyguard red and said, ¡°In apany with thousands of employees like yours, it¡¯s hard to guarantee that there aren¡¯t any with ill intentions.¡± With so many employees, it¡¯s not impossible for one or two to be bribed and do something malicious. Ashton¡¯s voice deepened, ¡°Did you see it clearly?¡± The bodyguard responded, ¡°Mr. Mullen, our intuition about people is usually urate. Indeed, a man did follow Ms. Shepherd inside, and he looked suspicious.¡± Ashton thought to himself, Jeff has always been reliable in handling matters. Since these two were sent to protect Deborah¡¯s safety, they must be intelligent as well. Ashton immediately got out of the car, ¡°I¡¯ll go in, all of you disperse, we don¡¯t want to cause chaos in thepany.¡± If someone really has malicious intentions towards Deborah, the chaos within thepany will undoubtedly make it easier for them to make their move. But the security guard had already triggered thepany rm system, and armed intruders were attempting to force their way into the building, causing chaos inside. As Ashton got out of the car and ran to the other side, many employees had already hurriedlye down from the upper floors, crowding into the first-floor lobby. Chapter 156 Your Death Anniversary Get Bonus The rm red throughout the entire office building, and security had already called the police. In a mix of urgency and fear, they shouted, ¡°Pot the gun down, put it down now!¡± The bodyguard tried to hand over the gun, exining, ¡°It¡¯s fake, really fake.¡± When Ashton hurried over, the security guard at the entrance recognized him. Ashton casually made up a lie. ¡°Your boss is in Richmond and called me to handle some matters.¡± Naturally, the security guard didn¡¯t stop him and let him in. Inside, Deborah was about to enter the elevator, her mind still pondering why Alyssa looked so familiar. Suddenly, thepany rm system went off, catching everyone off guard. As soon as the elevator doors opened, arge crowd of people came pouring out. Deborah had no idea what was going on. Just as she was about to stop an employee to ask for help, she felt something pressing against her lower back from behind. She was suddenly startled, and then heard a low voice from an unfamiliar man behind her. ¡°Don¡¯t make a sound, walk to the left, and take me out through the back door.¡± Deborah felt a chill run through her mind. What? This kidnapping drama is happening to her now? Just think about her all these years, being honest and well-behaved, she really shouldn¡¯t have offended any enemies, let alone causing such a bigmotion with guns involved, to take her away. Deborah didn¡¯t need to think too much; she quickly understood. This person isn¡¯t targeting her; they¡¯re after Joseph. She indeed had no enemies, but Joseph was a businessman, and he had just joined the ck Group, so naturally, he had made quite a few enemies. Deborah remained silent, following the person behind her as she turned left and headed towards the back door of the She felt a tinge of regret. Beforeing to Oceanview City, Joseph had offered to provide her with a few bodyguards. She felt that under the watchful eyes of the public, she wasn¡¯t some big celebrity, and having a few bodyguards would be too awkward, so she declined. As she was being held hostage and led outside by the person behind her, she couldn¡¯t help but curse herself inwardly. So stubborn about saving face, and now look what¡¯s happened. I bet this time next year will be the anniversary of your death. Deborah had only taken a few steps when she suddenly heard a somewhat familiar voice calling out to her, ¡°Deborah,e over here!¡± The gun pressed against her back, immediately pushing down on her spine. Deborah¡¯s mind went nk, as if she was about to hear a loud banging sound any moment. She nced sideways and saw Ashton, with a serious expression on his face, quickly walking towards her. Well, isn¡¯t that true? Neither early norte. The person behind was clearly getting impatient, and whispered amand to Deborah, ¡°Keep going, don¡¯t stop!¡± Your Death Anniversary 77.75% Get fonus At this moment, Deborah had no choice but to hurriedly cast a pleading nce towards Ashton for help. Although she found this man to be the most disgusting, her priority right now was to stay alive. After all, who could remain calm with a gun pointed at them? Upon seeing her expression, Ashton finally realized that something was off. The man behind her held his coat to conceal the object in his hand, but it was clear that he was using something to hold Deborah hostage. The man became somewhat impatient, and directly pushed Deborah, urging her to hurry up and leave. After taking a few steps, he nced back at Ashton with a warning look, signaling him not to follow. Ashton sent a message to Jeff and the bodyguard. Once the kidnapper had taken Deborah a little further away, he continued to blend into the crowd and followed them. The man hurriedly pushed Deborah along, and as soon as they exited thepany¡¯s back door, he shoved her into the back seat of a minivan. Deborah remained silent throughout, cooperating fully as she was led inside and then brought to a dpidated and secluded mansion. The man threw her onto the living room floor and took her phone out of her coat pocket, tossing it to her. ¡°Call Joseph,¡± he ordered. ¡°Tell him to cancel his meeting ande here.¡± Deborah paused for a moment, and then suddenly understood. She thought her abduction must have been for some significant reason. It turns out that the purpose was to disturb Joseph, making him give up his job for a woman in front of everyone in the conference room. She couldn¡¯t help but let out a coldugh, and responded to him politely, ¡°He¡¯s busy, I can¡¯t disturb him.¡± The man¡¯s expression faltered for a moment, probably thinking that there was something wrong with Deborah¡¯s Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. mind. He pointed the gun directly at Deborah¡¯s forehead. ¡°Hurry up and shoot, or I¡¯ll make sure you die right here and now!¡± Deborah had a gun pressed against her temple, but once she understood the man¡¯s intentions, she no longer felt afraid. She turned her head to look at the man and asked, ¡°Can you kill me? If I die, what will you use to deal with Joseph?¡± The man didn¡¯t expect that this woman, not only was she not frightened by the gun pointed at her, but she even tilted her head and looked straight at him, speaking calmly and unhurriedly. Deborah gently reminded him once more, ¡°I am Joseph¡¯s only weakness, just this one, and there¡¯s no second one. What kind of skills do you people have, other than using cheap tricks and trying to manipte me? Do you really think you can deal with my dear Joseph?¡± Furious, the man gave Deborah a fierce kick. Stumbling, she fell hard to the ground. She coughed with some difficulty, and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. The man took a few steps closer, ready to make a move, Deborah spat out a mouthful of blood, her face cahn andposed, ¡°Go ahead and hit me. After all, he¡¯ll pay you back tenfold on my behalt¡± Havinge this far, the man¡¯s purpose was finally revealed he wanted her to call Joseph. Without a doubt, the meeting Joseph is conducting is very important. It mostly concerns whether he can continue to stay in the ck Group in the future. She couldn¡¯t possibly make this phone call, and since the man couldn¡¯t achieve his goal, he was bound to take his anger out on het. However, they definitely didn¡¯t n on, nor dared to take her life. The man, furious and frustrated, raised his hand and pped her hard, ¡°I told you to stop being stubborn! Call now, do you understand?!¡± As he spoke in anger, he suddenly heard a faint sounding from above. This is a standalone mansion, quite secluded, so it¡¯s impossible for there to be other people around. The man¡¯s expression taltered as cherry blossoms tell into the ocean, and he looked up at the staircase. Get Bonus Chapter 157 Chapter 157 Chapter 157 Falling to His Knees That faint sound disappearest, as if it was just an illusion moments ago. The man cautiously looked upstairs for a while, making sure there was no sign of movement. Perhaps I really misheard it. In such a remote ce, how could there possibly be other people Moreover, the doors and windows upstairs were all locked. The man shifted his gaze and nced at his wristwatch. Tonight¡¯s group meeting,sting over an hour, is an extremely important one. Originally, Chandler, the current CEO, was supposed to host the meeting. However, several executives had high hopes for Joseph. Seeing that Joseph had returned, they suggested that he should host the meeting instead. Halt jokingly, he said that it would also be a good opportunity to see it his ability to manage and handle affairs was still there. For such an important meeting, it should be chaired by the CEO. The demands of those executives are unreasonable. Surprisingly, Gerald didn¡¯t hesitate and, taking advantage of the requests from those executives, he let Joseph take charge of the meeting- Surprisingly, it was Chandler, who had been nning, the meeting for a while and was determined to make a good impression at the event, who suddenly became invisible and found himself in an extremely awkward situation. But it Joseph receives a call from Deborah during the meeting and leaves abruptly. Chandler stirred the pot a bit more, mentioning how three years ago, Joseph had also left the group¡¯s affairs behind because of Deborah. He had gone to Oceanview City and stayed there for three years. Such a person who cannot distinguish between priorities will inevitably cause the top management of the group to lose confidence in them. Everything was prepared, but even Chandler probably didn¡¯t expect that the problem would arise from Deborah. The gun was pressed against her forehead, yet Deborah didn¡¯t even blink, refusing to make the call. Seeing that things were not going well, the man quickly became agitated and grabbed Deborah¡¯s hair, ¡°Do you really think I don¡¯t dare to kill you? I¡¯ll do it right now!¡± Deborah trembled all over from the beating, gritting her teeth and cursing angrily, ¡°That beast Chandler, he dares topete with Joseph? Pah!¡± In the three years that Deborah has been with Joseph, she has never learned the meaning of backing down. She can¡¯t stand being forced or threatened by others, and only responds well to gentle persuasion. The more others provoke her, the more rebellious she bes, and the more determined she is to bite back at them with all her might. The man¡¯s eyes were red from fighting, and Deborah¡¯s eyes were also bloodshot. ¡°If you think I¡¯m going to call Joseph for you, you must be daydreaming!¡± She was cursing like a madwoman, but out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly caught a glimpse of a figure Get Bonus asting on the stairs. borah¡¯s face showed a moment of suprise. Upon taking a closer look, she saw Ashtoning down the stairs and walking towards her The manbust to p Deborah like a madman, ¡°Call now, do you understand?¡± the abod forgot that he had just throws the gun he was holding onto the ground. The swing another punch towards Deborah, but before his fist couldnd, a dark gun barrel suddenly pressed against historyboad Ashton stood behind, holding a gun, and suddenly said, ¡°Bang¡± The man¡¯s movements came to a sudden halt, a chilling sensation on his forehead causing his knees to buckle in an instant, and he fell to the ground, kneeling on both knees. Only then did he realise that the faint sounds he had heard from upstairs were not an illusion. was stubbsam by nature Her face was covered in blood after a fierce argument with that man, yet she still manages to maintain an imposing presence Now that she The man kneeling down, the pain in her body began to subside and she started to recover. Her entire body achest as it it had tallen apart, and she began to see double images before her eyes. Suddenly, their mind went nk, and they fainted, copsing to the ground.. Ashton weighed the object in his hand and lightly clicked his tongue, ¡°A real gun, huh? Quite gutsy.¡± The man¡¯s face turned pale with fear, ¡°Dude, dude, let¡¯s talk things out nicely.¡± As Ashton was about to have a serious talk with him, Deborah suddenly copsed to the ground with a loud thuddung sound right in front of him. He had just pried open the lock on the upstairs window and then entered. I didn¡¯t hear a gunshot, so Deborah most likely wasn¡¯t shot. But it might not be that the gum was silenced, seeing Deborah¡¯s face had already turned as white as paper. Ashton¡¯s tace darkened as he kicked the man to the ground with one foot. He then picked up the gun and went to help Deborah, who was lying on the floor. ¡°Are you alright? How serious are your injuries?¡± In the middle of winter, Deborah was dressed quite warmly. Joseph was worried that she might catch a cold, so he wrapped her up just like a burrito before letting here to Oceanview City. Through such thick clothing, Ashton couldn¡¯t discern the extent of Deborah¡¯s injuries. He could tell she wasn¡¯t doing well, and as he picked her up, she forced her eyes open and said, ¡°Just a minor injury, no big deal.¡± Ashton looked at her in this state, her facepletely devoid of color, not knowing if she was still conscious or if her words were just gibberish. He picked her up and headed outside, saying, ¡°Hang in there, I¡¯ll take you to the hospital.¡± As he got up and walked towards the exit, his attention reluctantly shifted away from fador, to the thin man had already run off. As I carried Deborah out the door, the old minivan started up just in time and we neng for a ma Ashton drove over and helped Deborah into the passenger seat, making us in testen bersele ncing at the gun still in his hand, he hesitated for a moment before tossing #wo the bark th As he circled around to the driver¡¯s seat to get in the car,tih beside him heresy and upww her eyes, she said to him, ¡°Thank you. It was a rare asion for Ashton to be thanked by her, and he felt a bit news with a berth, A ¡°It¡¯s just a small effort, no need to be polin Deborah finally opened her eyes, giving him a strangely per ur nce Ashton suddenly realized that he had used the phrase ¡°a small effort¡± somewhat inepuremately witht on li cough. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only As he sped up the car towards the hospital, he nced at her and asked, ¡°Are you siripur? You didn¡¯t get the d you?¡± Deborah responded, ¡°No, not really. I just took a few She suddenly fainted for a moment, but it wasn¡¯t actually because she was hit Instead, after getting hurt and seeing Ashton in a daze, he suddenly felt that Ashton locked even mover like Alyona, as if they were identical As soon as she felt it, a severe pain throbbed in her heed. Now that I¡¯m on the car, I can finally catch my breath. She couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What exactly is your rtionship with Alysse apter 158 Anonymous Email and Intimate Photos Ashton¡¯s face frore for a moment, and after a while, he finally responded, ¡°What do you think my rtionship is with hert Deborah responded without hesitation, ¡°Father and daughter?¡± Ashton couldn¡¯t help himself this time and coughed several times. He originally wanted to cough due to difort in his lungs and throat. It was only in front of Deborah that he deliberately held back, not wanting her to notice anything Seeing his strong reaction, Deborah asked, ¡°Did I guess right?¡± Ashton still remembers that Deborah¡¯s intuition has always been urate. In the years they were together, there were several instances when Helen tried to sow discord, insinuating that Deborah had mistreated her. At that time, Deborah and Helen were both in front of Ashton Helen sobbed with a sense of injustice, while Deborah coldly exined, ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± Ashten tell silent for a moment, and Deborah just looked at his expression. She quickly spoke up again, ¡°You won¡¯t believe me, I know.¡± He truly wouldn¡¯t believe her. That was her intuition, and it was also the truth. Over the years, Ashton had never chosen her over Helen.. Somehow, Ashton found himself a bit lost in thought. So, Deborah asked him again, ¡°Is Alyssa your daughter? Then, who is her mother?¡± Upon hearing her say that, Ashtonughed, ¡°So, you really care?¡± Deborah suddenly realized that what she had just said was a bit odd, and she didn¡¯t say anything more. Ashton couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°Are you really that concerned about who I had a daughter with?¡± Deborah looked somewhat displeased. How could she possibly be concerned about this? It just feels like Alyssa and Ashton are so simr, and somehow, I can¡¯t help but think that my rtionship with Alyssa is not that simple. Surprisingly, a rather absurd idea popped up, wondering if Alyssa could also be a rtive of Deborah? How is it that upon seeing that child, her intuition immediately feels a special closeness? Deborah said softly, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡± Ashton then exined earnestly, ¡°Alyssa is a member of the Moxley family, so naturally, she can¡¯t be my daughter. I have some business dealings with Mr. Moxley, which is why I have some interactions with Alyssa. That little girl is quite mischievous, and I was worried she might say something inappropriate to you. That¡¯s why i stopped her after getting off the ne. Deborah caught the key point in his words. ¡°What could she possibly say to me that you¡¯re afraid of her mentioning?¡± Chapter 158 Chapter 158 Chapter 158 Anonymous Email and Intimate Photos 78.62% A child who had never met Deborah before said something that made Ashton so nervous that he immediately rushed over to intervene as soon as he got off the ne. Ashton didn¡¯t look at her, just focusing on driving ahead. ¡°Who knows what kids will say? Why do you care so much about this? If you¡¯re interested in Alyssa, just go talk to her when you have time. That kid is quite sensible.¡± Deborah always felt that there was something wrong here, but she couldn¡¯t quite figure it out no matter how hard she thought about it. She candidly asked, ¡°Did I forget something important?¡±, Why did she feel restless ever since she saw Alyssa on the ne? After taking Steven and Alyssa to Jingron Design, Mona was overjoyed to see Alyssa. She couldn¡¯t help but constantly shower Alyssa withpliments. Upon hearing that, Deborah couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of pride welling up within her. On second thought, there¡¯s no reason for her to be so proud when others praise Alyssa. No matter how outstanding Alyssa is, it still has nothing to do with her. Later on, she saw Steven and Alyssa off as they left thepany, watching as Alyssa got into the car. She suddenly felt very ufortable, and almost couldn¡¯t help herself, wanting to get in the car with them. Thinking about all that, Deborah¡¯s head began to ache again, with sharp, stabbing painsing in waves. She couldn¡¯t help it. She scratched the back of her other hand with her fingernails, and her body began to tremble uncontrobly, no matter how hard she tried to stop it. She felt very ufortable and really wanted to see Joseph. But now is not the time, as Joseph is probably still in a meeting. After much difficulty, he finally returned to the ck Group. It was his first day back at work, so it was best not to make any mistakes. Deborah held back, but the pressure on her fingertips grew stronger and stronger. The sharp, piercing pain on the back of her hand had somewhat numbed her, to the point where she could barely feel 1. Ashton looked at her, who was just chattering non-stop with questions, but now she suddenly fell silent. He felt a bit strange and nced sideways, only to see that Deborah¡¯s hand had been scratched and was bleeding. He immediately reached out, grabbing one of her hands, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?¡± It seemed as if Deborah suddenly snapped back to reality, quickly withdrawing her hand as if she had been electrocuted when he grabbed it. ¡°Who allowed you to touch me? I can handle myself, it¡¯s none of your business!¡± Her face was pale, cold sweat beading on her forehead. She looked at Ashton with a guarded expression, as if she had raised her defenses, treating him like a thief. Ashton awkwardly withdrew his hand, ¡°I just noticed that your hand was bleeding. If you¡¯re really ufortable, give Joseph a call and ask him toe over.¡± Chapter 158 Anonymous Email and Intimate Photos 78.75% Deborah immediately objected, ¡°No, he¡¯s in a meeting.¡± Get Bonus Ashton said in a deep voice, ¡°You¡¯re like this now, we can always have the meeting another day¡­¡± Deborah firmly interrupted him, ¡°No. Just stop the car and let me out. I can take a tad to the hospital. I don¡¯t need you to take me there.¡± Ashton, feeling helpless, said, ¡°Fine, no fighting. I¡¯ll take you to the hospital first.¡± Deborah didn¡¯t say another word, her head hanging low, concealing the difort on her face. Ashton continued driving and spoke up again, ¡°If you¡¯re really concerned about your previous memories, you can discuss it with Joseph and see a psychologist to help you try to recover them.¡± Anyway, Alyssa is still alive now, and Deborah has regained her memory, so there aren¡¯t many things that are hard to ept. The only thing that¡¯s hard to ept is Lydia ending her own lite. In other words, recalling those past memories made her resent Ashton even more. But it¡¯s not a solution for her to remain like this, as every time shees into contact with people and things rted to her past, she always feels pain. Deborah didn¡¯t pay him any more attention. After arriving at the hospital, she insisted on getting out of the car herself. Upon entering the inpatient building, they leaned against the wall and made their way into the elevator on their own, heading upstairs. After Ashtonpleted the paperwork for her, she settled into the hospital room, and soon after, her headache returned. The doctor knows Deborah, but not Ashton. After giving Deborah a thorough examination, she quickly fell into a deep sleep. The doctor called Ashton aside and asked him, ¡°I remember that previously, it was Mr. ck who brought Ms. Shepherd here. Who might you be?¡± Ashton responded, ¡°I¡¯m a friend of hers. Joseph is still in Richmond, but he¡¯ll being overter.¡± The doctor spoke solemnly. ¡°That¡¯s right, Ms. Shepherd¡¯s current situation may be due to her exposure to some familiar objects, and there are already signs of her regaining her memory. Instead of letting the memories recover slowly and enduring the pain at any time, perhaps it would be Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. more appropriate to directly undergo psychotherapy to restore the memories.¡± Ashton nodded, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll let Deborah know.¡± The doctor closed the medical record in his hand and said, ¡°Well, please consult as soon as possible so that the hospital can make arrangements promptly.¡± After the doctor finished speaking, he left. As Ashton was about to return to the ward, he inadvertently noticed a man not far down the hallway, sneakily using his phone to point in this direction. As Ashton nced over, the man iminediately put away his phone and hurriedly turned around to leave. Ashton bistinctively wanted to chase after them, but remembering that Deborah was still alone in the hospital room, he ultimately decided to krit go He turned around and headed back to Deborah¡¯s hospital room first. After the man lett, be minediately sent the photo he had taken on his phone to Joseph¡¯s phone, anonymously. Aseph had just finishest a meeting, and it was time to get off work. A group of directors and executives surrounded him, smiling as they said that Joseph had returned after so many years, and they should go out for a drink to celebrate together, Joseph politely responded, thinking about giving Deborah a call to ask about her situation, and then considering whether or not to socialize with the director in the evening. Taking the phone from the assistant, he unlocked the screen, intending to make a call, when he noticed an unread ail Upon opening it casually, several photos were strikingly disyed inside. One photo was taken on an airne, with Deborah standing next to Ashton¡¯s seat, talking to him about something. The camera was facing away from Deborah, so all that could be seen was Ashton¡¯s face, wearing a smile and looking quite delighted In the other photos, Ashton is seen carrying Deborah into the car, andter, Ashton apanies Deborah as they oth get out of the car. The background was blurred, making it impossible to tell where the photo was taken, but it captured a sense of Chapter 159 Chapter 159 Chapter 159 Do Not Roll Under the Bed Morton happened to see the photo on his phone screen. Get C Everyone knows that Deborah is now with Joseph, and when they show off their affection for each other, it¡¯s prst too adorable to handle But now, the photos on the phone show Deborah,ughing and chatting with another man as they board a ne together, even being carried into a car by this other man. Just one nce is enough to make the heart race. As a man himself, he felt that the empathy evoked by this photo was just too strong, and he even began to feel angry on Joseph¡¯s behalf. Joseph took just one nce before exiting the photo interface, his facial expression a mix of indiscernible emotions. However, Morton could already sense the smell of gunpowder and the taste of war. Joseph put away his phone, calmly looking at the group of directors and executives who were still waiting by his side. ¡°Tonight might not be very convenient, as I still have some household matters to attend to. How about this? Tomorrow evening, I¡¯ll invite all of you here, and we can all enjoy a teast together. That way, I can properly express my gratitude for everyone¡¯s care and concern.¡± At this point, it was indeed gettingte, and the night outside had grown deep and dark. At today¡¯s meeting, Joseph¡¯s performance was quite impressive, leaving a group of directors and executives in awe. At this point, most people no longer made things difficult for him, and a director said with a smile, ¡°Since Josepli still has things to do, let him go first. We can always get together another day.¡± Joseph exchanged a few pleasantries, personally escorted the older shareholders and the director to their cats, and watched with a smile as their vehicles drove off into the distance. The area outside the corporate building had be deste, and as he stood in the cold wind, he took out his phone again. As he opened and looked through those photos again, he noticed that Morton was still standing by his side. Joseph turned around and said, ¡°Morton, you should clock out too.¡± Morton didn¡¯t even dare to breathe, and he really wasn¡¯t in a position to interfere with his boss¡¯s family affairs. Upon hearing that he could leave work now, he immediately felt relieved and said, ¡°All right.¡± Once Morton had walked away and there were no more people around, Joseph took another look at the photos. Sometimes he had to admit that, although he had always been a confident person, he didn¡¯t feel quite as sure of himself whenpared to Ashton. He never worried that Deborah would be attracted to someone else. Joseph was gentle and attentive to Deborah, with good family background, a sessful career, and a refined appearance. He was never modest about these qualities, firmly believing that he possessed them and that others couldn¡¯t Naturally, Deborah only had eyes for the best, and she chose Joseph. As a result, she couldn¡¯t care less about anyone else, and no one could ever steal her away. But Ashton¡­ It¡¯s hard for Joseph to pinpoint exactly what sets Ashton apart from others. Get Bonus Perhaps it¡¯s because of the many years he has spent with Deborah, both in their marriage and their time together. Perhaps it¡¯s because they have a daughter as a bond between them. It could also be that Deborah had loved Ashton for so many years, her love seeping deep into her bones. All of this couldn¡¯t just be because Deborah had mistaken her lifesaver. In her many years of marriage with Ashton, and the countless days and nights they spent together, their feelings for each other had long since evolved beyond a simple case of mistaken identity or gratitude for Ashton saving her life. Joseph opened the photos and suddenly wondered, if Deborah were to regain her past memories, how would she react? People and things she had forgotten, others could tell her. A feeling that can be forgotten, no one can tell her. Only when she remembers it one day, will she recall her feelings for Ashton. Suddenly, Joseph couldn¡¯t help but selfishly think that he didn¡¯t want Deborah to remember. She only knew the pain Ashton had once caused her, so it would be impossible for her to ever have feelings for Ashton again. He reached for the phone and zoomed in on the photo of Ashton carrying Deborah into the car. No matter what, he still couldn¡¯t believe that the current Deborah would suddenly be like this with Ashton. After erging the photo significantly, Joseph finally discerned the clues. There were faint traces of blood at the corners of Deborah¡¯s mouth. He examined her dangling hand more closely, and it seemed as though there were faint traces of blood on her fingers. Injured? Joseph¡¯s face darkened, and he quickly recalled that during the meeting, Chandler had nced at his phone several times and had given him some strange looks. We shouldn¡¯t have let Deborah go to Oceanview City alone. Even if she didn¡¯t want bodyguards with her, we should have secretly arranged for a few to follow her. As Joseph turned around to head to the parking lot to get his car, he simultaneously dialed Deborah¡¯s number on his phone. After waiting for quite a while, the call was finally answered. Deborah¡¯s voice came through, sounding a bit drowsy, ¡°Hello?¡± Joseph hurried to the parking lot and called out in a deep voice, ¡°Debby, where are you?¡± Deborah replied groggily, ¡°Oceanview City.¡± Joseph asked her again, ¡°Where is Oceanview City?¡± Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Deborah opened her eyes, lying in the hospital bed and looking around before she fully regained consciousness. Recalling the time spent in the hospital and the events that urred not too long ago. ¡°Is your meeting over? Do you have any other ns?¡± Get Bonus Josepli drove straight to the airport, saying, ¡°It just ended. A group of directors from thepany suggested going out for drinks together.¡± Deborah immediately replied, ¡°Well, you should go then. Work is important, don¡¯t dampen other people¡¯s spirits. I¡¯m doing fine here, just finished work and now I¡¯m at home, sleeping.¡± Joseph really didn¡¯t know what to do with her. Sometimes she was like a child, and other times she was too sensible, always afraid of holding him back in some way. He spoke gently, ¡°Don¡¯t pretend, I received the photo of Ashton carrying you into the car. Are you sick or injured? Are you in the hospital?¡± Over there, Deborah fell silent for a full ten seconds before suddenly raising her voice, ¡°Who sent you that photo, trying to sow discord between us! Let me tell you, don¡¯t believe in others¡¯ baseless rumors. Listen to my exnation!¡± Josephughed, ¡°Alright, there¡¯s no need to exin. I¡¯m almost at the airport. Send me your location and I¡¯lle as soon as possible.¡± Over there, Deborah was deeply touched and couldn¡¯t help but roll around, sobbing, ¡°Joseph, you¡¯re so wonderful. I knew you would believe me.¡± While holding the phone between his ear and shoulder, Joseph took out his wallet from his coat pocket and went ahead to buy a ticket. ¡°Take it easy, don¡¯t roll under the bed. My secretary is in Oceanview City, I¡¯ll have here to you right now. Don¡¯t wander around, wait for me to get there.¡± Deborah sobbed for a while before finally hanging up the phone. She was happily rolling around on the bed with her phone in her arms when, unexpectedly, Ashton walked in from outside. As she rolled over to look at the door, her eyes met Ashton¡¯s gaze. Deborah¡¯s body stiffened, and she immediately got up, feeling embarrassed. She sat at the head of the bed, giving Ashton a cold stare. ¡°Why are you still here? Don¡¯t you know how to knock before entering?¡± Ashton didn¡¯t expect her to be so delighted, and for a moment, he found himself lost in her joy. He hesitated for a moment before speaking, ¡°The doctor asked me to tell you that it¡¯s best for you to undergo psychotherapy now to recover your memory. Please let Joseph know so the hospital can arrange it as soon as possible.¡± Get Bonus Chapter 160 Chapter 160 No Possibility Between Us Deborah thought about Josephing over soon and feared that he would see Ashton. So, she tactfully and directly askest ¡°Thank you for everything today. It¡¯s gettingte, do you have work tomorrow?¡± Ashton was uneasy about her, worrying sneaky man he had just seen mighte back. The pretended to be clueless and sat down right beside her sickbed. ¡°I¡¯m fine, and I¡¯m not busy tomorrow It¡¯s not convenient for you to be here alone, so I¡¯ll leave once Joseph arrives.¡± Deborah silently gazed at him, watching for quite a while. Seeing Ashton looking a bit guilty and uneasy, he stood up and said, ¡°Let me pour you some water to drink.¡± After finishing speaking, he didn¡¯t even look at her and went to the water dispenser by the floor to ceiling window to get some water. Deborah¡¯s intuition told her that there was something off about this man, no matter how she looked at him. As he brought her a ss of water and handed it to her, Deborah spoke thoughtfully, ¡°Ashton, you don¡¯t really have any intentions towards me, do you?¡± Ashton paused for a moment. Was it not obvious enough that he had feelings for Deborah? Deborah looked at him as he remained silent for a moment, then continued, ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be the case. I heard that during the years we were married, you had someone in your heart. For their sake, you made me risk my life to donate my liver, made me kneel and give blood. Now I don¡¯t even have a uterus anymore, and it seems like that¡¯s all thanks to you, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ashton took a breath, suddenly felt as if the light cup of water in his hand weighed 1,000 pounds. In that instant, he found it difficult to catch his breath and couldn¡¯t lift his head.. Deborah still looked at him with a puzzled expression, ¡°So, these aren¡¯t true?¡± How could it be possible that a man who hates her so much that he hurts her to the brink of death ims to love and care for her? Isn¡¯t that just too ridiculous? Love and care for her like Joseph does, always thinking of her and taking care of her in every aspect. Don¡¯t even mention hurting her with his own hands; it someone else were to touch a single finger of hers, his heart would ache unbearably, and he would be filled with a seething rage. If Ashton had even the slightest bit of affection for her, how could he have the heart to make her donate her liver, force her to kneel, and do all those things to her? In the past, he had no feelings for her. Now, after not seeing each other for three years, he should be even less likely to develop any feelings for her. No matter how Deborah looked at it, she couldn¡¯t help but think that the man standing before her was incredibly strange. Ashton was reluctant to think back on those events, but he knew very well that at this point, he could no longer deny any of them, one by one, piece by piece. After a moment of silence, he nodded and said, ¡°All of that is true. I did those things.¡± Deborah¡¯s expression remained unchanged. When she had learned about this man¡¯s appalling past actions just a few days ago, she had felt a chill run down her spine, even causing goosebumps to cover her entire body. But now, her tolerance has grown stronger, and she doesn¡¯t have much of a reaction anymore. She said softly, ¡°Ashton, I don¡¯t want to say much more. Now that we¡¯re divorced, I guess we¡¯re not rted anymore. Today, you saved me, and I¡¯m grateful for that. But I still have to say, from now on, I hope we can try to meet as little as possible.¡± Ashton didn¡¯t dare to look at her, ¡°The doctor said you should undergo psychotherapy to recover your memory¡­¡± Deborah interrupted him, ¡°I¡¯ll consider following the doctor¡¯s advice, but whether I choose to regain my memory or not, it won¡¯t be because of you. In the past, we may have shared some kind of feelings, but even if I were to remember them all, there¡¯s no possibility for us anymore.¡± She nced out the window and said coldly, ¡°You can go now.¡± Ashton nodded, ¡°Alright.¡± He ced the ss of water on the bedside table next to Deborah. As he turned to leave, he stepped out of the ward, and not far down the corridor, Joseph¡¯s secretary happened to rush. over. Ashton walked past Evelyn Moore and continued forward. After walking just a few steps and making sure he was out of Deborah¡¯s sight, he leaned against the wall beside him, unable to suppress a violent bout of coughing R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only In the hospital corridor, there were other sounds. No matter how severe his cough was, Deborah in the ward wouldn¡¯t be able to hear it. But when Evelyn heard it, she couldn¡¯t help but stop at the door of the ward, turning back to take a nce. Ashton leaned against the wall with one hand, standing next to the trash can, facing Evelyn sideways. He coughed so hard that his back bent slightly A doctor thought he might be choking or had something stuck in his throat, and immediately came over to show concern. ¡°Sir, are you alright?¡± Ashton was coughing severely. In Deborah¡¯s hospital room, he tried his best to suppress his coughs, enduring it for a long time, causing his throat to feel dry and painful. Now, once I start coughing, I can¡¯t stop, and the words of Deborah keep ying over and over in my head. ¡°From now on, I hope we can meet as little as possible¡­ There¡¯s absolutely no chance for you and me.¡± Coughing up something bloody, the doctor beside him looked rmed, ¡°Sir, you¡¯re coughing up blood. Are you a patient here? Have you had a thorough examination?¡± Coughing up blood is most likely not a minor illness. Evelyn stood not far from the hospital room door, witnessing the scene and hearing the doctor¡¯s words, her expression filled with disbelief. Ashton stood up and looked over, just in time to notice her wat His expression revealed a hint of pank, and be immediately turned his back, hurriedly raising his hand to wipe the corner of his mouth. The doctor continued to express concern, urging him to get a check up Ashton responded, ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ve already had it checked, and there¡¯s no major issue.¡± The doctor looked at him with skepticism, while Ashton quickly walked away without hesitation. Evelyn watched as the figure disappeared down the hallway, and couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh Thinking of my boss Joseph, and businessmen like Ashton at the top of the pyramid, they are always swamped with endless work and often find themselves in a state of overexertion People like this are too prone to health issues. With Ashton looking like this, there¡¯s no way his body could be in good condition. Evelyn turned around and entered the sickroom, unable to help but let out a sigh Over the past three years, Deborah had be quite tamiliar with Joseph¡¯s secretary. Seeing here in with a sigh, Deborah smiled and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something unpleasant happen?¡± Evelyn sat down beside her and sighed, ¡°Well, not really. I just saw Mr. Mullen from Richmond ou the hallway. He actually started coughing up blood, as it he was going to cough out his internal organs. Even the doctor was frightened, yet he still insisted that he was time.¡± Deborah paused for a moment, then quicklyughed it oft, saying, ¡°You must have seen it wrong. How could a perfectly healthy person cough up blood?¡± Just a moment ago, Ashton was still with her. Going back a little further in time, he had rescued her from that mansion. The person¡¯s health is excellent; it¡¯s simply impossible for someone like this to suddenly cough up blood. Evelyn sighed, ¡°I didn¡¯t get a clear look, but I heard the doctor shouting that he was coughing up blood. I really need to take better care of my health in the future, so I don¡¯t end up like him, possibly dying young ¡± Deborah was amused by it. In front of Joseph, Evelyn had always been cautious and meticulous, but with her, she had never held back her words. Deborah didn¡¯t take it to heart, thinking that she must have seen it wrong.. Evelyn stayed by the side until almost midnight when Joseph hurriedly rushed over. As soon as he got off the ne, he came straight here. 1 Upon entering the hospital room, he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Deborah lyingfortably in bed. Evelyn was dozing off by the bed when she suddenly woke up, alert upon hearing footsteps. Squinting and tilting my head, I saw that my boss hade over and was standing by the bed. Evelyn practically sprang to her feet, standing up straight and respectfully saying, ¡°Mr. ck, you¡¯ve arrived.¡± On the bedside table, there were still some leftover peanuts and fruits from her meal with Deborah, as well as half a bottle of beer. She hurriedly tried to clean up the mess. All right, it¡¯s done. There won¡¯t be any sry deductions, right? Joseph said softly. ¡°Evelyn, you go ahead and leave first.¡± Chapter 161 Chapter 161 Chapter 161 That Is Her Daughter Get Bonus Evelyn felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted, immediately responded with an ¡°all right,¡± and was ready to leave. Deborah, who was lying in bed, suddenly reached out a hand to feel the edge of the bed. ¡°Are you still drinking, Eve? You can¡¯t be done already! Have some more, andter I¡¯ll ask Joseph to give you a raise!¡± het face while stealthily reaching behind her to pinch Deborah¡¯s arm. Evelyn forced a panicked smile ¡°Mr ck, please please let me exin. Ms. Shepherd didn¡¯t drink much.¡± She originally bought some peanut fruit, but then Deborah said she wanted to watch TV. Turning on the TV, she saw another ser match was on. Unable to resist the temptation of getting paid while watching the game, Evelyn agreed. As a result, the atmosphere reached this point, and it seemed as if the beer had grown legs and made its way here on its own. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Deborah pinched and jolted awake. Upon opening her eyes, she saw a ratherrge Joseph standing by the bed, staring at her. Beside her, there was Evelyn, who was weak, helpless, and frightened. Deborah was now fully awake, tree from both sleepiness and the effects of alcohol, and immediately sat up straight. Seeing her trying to get up, Joseph couldn¡¯t stay angry anymore. He quickly walked over and supported her back. Deborah gave Evelyn a look, signaling her to leave. She looked at Joseph with a wronged expression on her face, ¡°That man was so cruel. He hit me and even pped my face. My face is swollen now, just look at it.¡± Her face was indeed flushed red, but the main reason was not the p, but the alcohol. Upon hearing her words and looking at her face, Joseph felt more and more that her swelling was indeed severe. He looked at her with great difort, reaching out to cover her face with his hand. ¡°Has a doctor seen you? Are there any other injuries? How serious are they, and do they still hurt?¡± Seeing that the timing was just about right, Evelyn immediately put the pedal to the metal, running even faster than a rabbit. Deborah nced at Evelyn as she disappeared from sight, responding, ¡°I checked it out, but I didn¡¯t quite catch the details. It seems like they mentioned something about me needing psychotherapy or something like that. Why don¡¯t you go see a doctor and ask for more information?¡± Seeing that Joseph wasn¡¯t leaving, she urged him, ¡°You should go quickly. The doctor just came by and asked when the family members would arrive.¡± Joseph wasn¡¯t sure which word he heard, but his mood visibly improved. He patted her head and said, ¡°All right, I¡¯ll go first. If you need me, just give me a call.¡± Deborah nodded repeatedly, ¡°All right.¡± As soon as he left, Deborah immediately picked up the beer battle from the bedside table, along with the few others in Chapter 161 That Is Her Daughter 80.16% The trash bag, and threw them all into therge trash can outside the hospital room. Get Bonus She returned to the ward and quickly cleaned up the fruit peels and peanut shells on the bedside table. When Joseph returned, he saw that Deborah was still lying weakly in bed. The bedside table was empty, and Joseph had forgotten what he had seen when he first entered the room. He went out to consult a doctor, and the doctor advised him that Deborah should undergo psychotherapy to recover her memory. This is for Deborah¡¯s sake, as Deborah is now showing signs of regaining her memory. Regardless of whether one undergoes psychotherapy or not, almost everyone will think about their past experiences. Through psychotherapy, one can achieve a direct and efficient recovery. If all goes well, it can significantly reduce the pain associated with gradually regaining one¡¯s memory. Joseph sat down by the bedside, feeling somewhat distracted. In the past, not allowing Deborah to regain her memory was for her own good, so naturally, he didn¡¯t have any reason to feel hesitant or uneasy. But now, things are different. He couldn¡¯t possibly be selfish and not consider her well-being, but deep down, he was still quite worried about certain things. In these three years that he spent day and night with Deborah, she was suffering from amnesia. Deborah looked at her and said aloud, ¡°I saw Alyssa on the ne today. I feel so familiar with her, as if I can vaguely recall something. Sometimes I¡¯m holding her, and sometimes she¡¯s crying in front of me. Who is she? Is she my child?¡± Joseph looked at her intensely as if something was stuck in his throat, suddenly unable to make a sound. His first reaction was to wonder who had let her meet Alyssa. Wasn¡¯t this bound to happen sooner or That was her daughter, and as mother and daughter, they were bound to meet one day. If Deborah remains unaware, it would be unfair to her, and even more so to Alyssa¡¯s young child. One day, when Deborah finally remembers, she will surely be filled with guilt and regret for having neglected and forgotten her daughter all these years. Upon seeing Joseph¡¯s reaction, Deborah suddenly understood what was going on. Her eyes reddened, ¡°Joseph, ever since I first saw her, I¡¯ve had this strong desire to get close to her. I really wanted to hug her and touch her face. In my mind, I even thought that I¡¯ve finally met her. But then it urred to me that I didn¡¯t know her at all, and I had never seen her before.¡± As she spoke, her voice began to tremble, ¡°Then my head started to hurt. I also noticed that she looks so much like Ashton. When Ashton talks to her, the two of them act so strangely. Many inexplicable thoughts keep creeping into my mind, and the more I can¡¯t figure them out, the more I can¡¯t help but think about them..¡± Joseph¡¯s face trembled as he leaned in and tightly embraced her. ¡°Debby, it¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Deborah¡¯s head ached terribly. ¡°As I thought that if I really had a daughter and I abandoned her and forgot about her for three years, during these three years. I¡¯ve been living carefree and happily. But she¡¯s now living under someone else¡¯s root, and she doesn¡¯t even dare to call me ¡®Mommy¡¯ anymore. So, what¡¯s the difference between me and Ashton, who did all those things Joseph interrupted her, ¡°This is different. If you want to regain your memory, I¡¯ll discuss it with the doctor. But don¡¯t me yourself, none of this is your fault, okay?¡± Deborah leaned into his embrace, and after sharing all the bizarre thoughts that had been swirling in her mind, her emotions gradually began to stabilize. She couldn¡¯t help but cry, but soon she gradually calmed down ¡°I have to take responsibility for my past. I want to remember everything, all the things, any good or bad things. Josephforted her and then went out to discuss with the doctor a psychotherapy n to help Deborah recover her memory. After he finishedmunicating with the doctor and walked out of the office, his butler called him. Mr. ck, we¡¯ve found out who hurt Ms. Shepherd today. Chapter 162 Chapter 162 Chapter 162 Have I Not Reminded You Joseph¡¯s eyes darkened, and he responded, ¡°All right.¡± Get Bonus Over there, the butler continued, ¡°That person is an intern at Jingron Design, who hasn¡¯t been working there for long. His name is Zachary Yarrow. Most likely, someone bribed him to enter thepany as a regr employee, and then he took Ms. Shepherd hostage. However, the person behind him is well-hidden, and we haven¡¯t been able to find out who it is y yet.¡± Joseph sneered, there was no need to investigate the person behind all this. He asked, ¡°Is Chandler returning to ck Manor tonight?¡± The butler replied, ¡°Mr. Chandler didn¡¯t return to ck Manor tonight. It¡¯s quite strange, actually. As soon as you left, I found out that he also went to Oceanview City. He should be around your area at this time. Would you like me to look into it further?¡± Joseph said, ¡°Go check where he is now.¡± ¡°All right,¡± came the response from over there. Not long after hanging up the phone, Butler sent a message to Joseph: [Mr. Chandler has returned to his residence in Oceanview City¡¯s Cloud Valley.] Joseph nced and a smile hooked at the corner of his lips. As expected, they couldn¡¯t keep calm and arrived just in time. He put away his phone and responded to Deborah first. Deborah must have already fallen asleep by now. Joseph approached the bedside, carefully tucking in the nket for her, and noticed that she seemed to be in a deep sleep. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only She must be tired too, and talking about Alyssa¡¯s situation made her a bit emotional. It¡¯s already the middle of the night, and most likely, they won¡¯t wake up until daylight. Joseph left the driver outside the ward to keep watch, while he himself left the hospital alone.. As he drove away from the hospital, his bodyguard had already caught Zachary and called him to ask how to handle. the situation. Joseph¡¯s eyes revealed a deep sense of indifference and coldness as he spoke, ¡°Take the person to Cloud Valley, I¡¯ll be there shortly.¡± He had already warned Chandler once; if he messed with Deborah again, he would be digging his own grave. Chandler has a sinister nature, but he is timid, especially afraid of Robert. He saw that Joseph had arrived in Oceanview City and worried that Joseph might have discovered something. So, in a hurry to catch up, the main reason was to quickly find Zachary and shut him up. Secondly, he was thinking that if the matter really couldn¡¯t be concealed any longer, Robert would want to punish him severely. So now he¡¯s hiding in Oceanview City, which is quite far from Richmond. At least he can hide for a while. Get Grun Once Robert¡¯s anger subsides Is a few days, everything will probably be fine. This mansion in Cloud Valley was actually a gift from Joseph to Chandler The location here boasts stunning scenery Alter Joseph purchased this piece ofnd and built the Cloud Valley Mansion district, he kept two units for himself. In order to show deep brotherly affection in front of his grandfather and father, he followed Deborah¡¯s suggestion and presented chandler with one unit during the family feast a few days ago. Speaking of which, this is also Chandler¡¯s only property in Oceanview City. Chandler was feeling restless and uneasy, in the mansion, as if there was a thorn in his back. It really backfired, trying to force Deborah to call Joseph and make him leave the conference room halfway through. The n tailed miserably. Now, he was even more nervous, constantly feeling, that Joseph would find out and never let go. He paced back and forth in the mansion¡¯s living room, unable to contain his impatience any longer. Annoyed, he tossed the coffee mug back onto the coffee table and grabbed his phone to call Zachary directly. It that kid dares to bber nonsense, he¡¯ll tear his mouth apart! As a result, when he made the call, he heard the ringtone of the mobile phone, sounding right outside the living room at the entrance door. Chandler¡¯s face faltered, thinking he must have misheard. Upon looking outside, the entrance door, which had originally been locked from the inside, was now wide open. At the wide open entrance, the man standing there with a panicked expression was none other than Zachary, the very person Chandler was about to call. Chandler was genuinely flustered for a moment, not even realizing what was going on. He thought he must have remembered the door incorrectly, that it had been open all along, and he had forgotten that this ce was still Joseph¡¯s property. Seeing Zachary rushing over like this, he thought that the young man must be in a hurry to ask for money. Chandler was furious, and as soon as he opened his mouth, he yelled, ¡°Who told you toe here? Who told you I live here?¡± Zachary¡¯s face turned even paler, and he took a step to the side. Joseph¡¯s somber voice rang out from behind, ¡°I brought him here.¡± Chandler¡¯s body stiffened abruptly, staring in disbelief as Joseph walked in behind Zachary, apanied by a few bodyguards. Chandler arrived in Oceanview City, sneaking around as he had done something wrong and felt guilty. That¡¯s why he had a driver with him. As Joseph entered, he casually swiped Zachary¡¯s phone from his pocket and looked towards Chandler. ¡°You know, the number on this is yours.¡± Chandler¡¯s lips quivered for a moment before he managed to squeeze out a smile. ¡°Joseph, how did you get here? Oh, this is Zac, right? Zac works for yourpany, doesn¡¯t he? I¡¯ve met him twice before and happened to save his number. Since I just arrived in Oceanview City and wasn¡¯t familiar with the ce, I couldn¡¯t get through to you, so I thought I¡¯d ask him for some help.¡± Joseph looked at him andughed, saying, ¡°There¡¯s no need to put on an act with me, since I won¡¯t believe you anyway.¡± Chandler¡¯s face stiffened with panic, ¡°Joseph, what are you talking about? I just came to Oceanview City to take care of some business. What are you saying? Has something happened?¡± Joseph¡¯s gaze shifted downward,nding on the pair of legs supporting the person before him. ¡°Weren¡¯t you always in a wheelchair? You were still sitting in it during the day. Howe you¡¯re walking now?¡± Chandler¡¯s face turned pale with panic, ¡°He started to improve a while ago, and he can asionally walk around now.¡± As he spoke, he immediately turned around to sit back down on the couch. Joseph suddenly closed the distance in a few quick strides, grabbed him by the shoulders from behind, and brought him down to the ground in an instant. Chandler had always pretended to have a disability in both legs because everyone believed that it was Joseph who had caused his injury years ago. So even though his legs had healed long ago, he still enjoyed sitting in a wheelchair in front of others, without telling anyone. Because of this, sitting for long periods of time has led to ack of exercise for the body. Now, with just a bit of effort from Joseph, he found himself extremely clumsily falling to the ground. With a loud thudding sound, his body mmed onto the ground. Hey there like a limp shrimp, unable to move for quite some time as his vision went dark. Joseph bent down and grabbed him by the cor, his sharp gaze fixed on him. ¡°Didn¡¯t I warn you not to touch her?¡± Chandler watched as Joseph grabbed a fruit knife from the coffee table, his face turning pale. ¡°What are you doing? I¡¯m your brother! I really don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. It¡¯s fine if your brother helps you let off steam, but I¡¯m afraid Dad and Grandpa might not feel the same way¡­¡± As soon as his words fell silent, they quickly turned into a painful and miserable howl. The knife in Joseph¡¯s hand plunged directly into his thigh with force. Chandler had long forgotten what Joseph looked like three years ago. That ruthless and cunning man, who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals, seemed to have be apletely different personpared to the current Joseph. Nowadays, Joseph has be gentle and easygoing. Chandler even feels that there¡¯s no need to be afraid of him anymore. For Deborah¡¯s sake, Joseph made himself a better person, so he would definitely not resort to violence again, Now, Chandler realized that he was wrong. Joseph is still the same Josepic; people don¡¯t really change. Zachary stood at the door, trembling with fear. He turned around, wanting to run, but was stopped by a few bodyguards at the door. They pushed him back into the Th¨¢ng room, causing him to fall to the ground. The bodyguard walked in, his face expressionless as he locked the door behind him. Half an hourter, Zacharyy on the ground, covered in blood. He could only exhale, no longer able to inhale Chandler, who pretended to have a disability in his legs let op truly andpletely cripplect Boxeph rated his hart and partest his hood stained legs, which were too gruesome to look at. ¡°You won¡¯t have to hand pretend to be disabled anymore Chandler in paralyzed on the ground, his face deathly pale and sweat pouring down like rain Joseph grabbed the documents Chandler had brought and tore off a few sheets to wipe his hands. He crumpled the bloodstained paper into a ball and threw it at Chandler¡¯s face. He walked away, speaking softhy. ¡°This time it¡¯s a pair of legs, want to try again next time Chapter 163 Chapter 163 Chapter 163 His Arm Around Her Walst Chandler copsed on the ground, his face twisted in a hideous expression He was in so much pain that he was on the verge of losing snake, remained fixed on Joseph as he walked out the door sclousness, but his eyes, like those of a venomot He was forbidden to touch Deborah, but one day, he was determined to personally end that woman¡¯s life! The entire living room was filled with the stench of blood. Joseph picked up his coat and put it back on, but there was no trace of blood on him. No one else will know what happened here tonight. As for Chandler, it he were to make a tuss, he would say that Joseph broke both of his legs. No one would believe that Everyone knows that Chandler has a disability in both legs, which happened many years ago. Over the years, it has never been truly cured. After leaving this ce, Joseph went straight back to the hospital. When I entered Deborah¡¯s hospital room, she was still sound asleep, and it seemed like she hadn¡¯t woken up at all in the middle of the night. Joseph breathed a sigh of relief. As soon as he saw her, he felt a little afraid that she might discover something. He had changed his clothes and was sitting on the edge of the bed, lifting his arm to smell himself. I always feel like there¡¯s still a strong scent of blood, and it¡¯s so intense that Deborah would see right through it. Deborah once said that what she loved most about him was his gentle and magnanimous nature. Perhaps subconsciously, she still remembered how Ashton had once mercilessly hurt her. So she likes gentle and easygoing people. Sometimes, when Joseph puts on a cold face, she would get angry. But Joseph knew that she wasn¡¯t actually angry; instead, she was subconsciously afraid. So he couldn¡¯t help but think that if she saw the bloodstains on him, she would definitely not like it. I always feel uneasy inside, as it my conscience is extremely guilty. After some thought, he decided to get up again and asked the driver outside to bring him a fresh set of clothes. He then took the clothes and headed to the bathroom. Before entering the bathroom, he leaned over the bed towards Deborah and gently touched her forehead. Her face was somewhat flushed, looking a bit like she had a fever. The temperature on his forehead was normal, which put him at ease as he entered the bathroom.. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Deborahy in bed, half-asleep, when she suddenly telt someone touching her face. Her eyshes trembled, feeling as it the hand covering her face had left, yet it seemed as though it hadn¡¯t. Her head began to ache, the pressure making it hard for her to breathe. D Faint footsteps echoed around, their sound constantly ringing, sometimes far, sometimes near, It seemed as if it was in a faraway ce, yet also felt as if it was right next to her. My head is throbbing with pain, and my throat is incredibly dry. It seemed like a long time had passed, and she wanted to wake up but couldn¡¯t. She tried hard to open her eyes, but no matter what, she just couldn¡¯t do it. Her consciousness gradually blurred once again, and she fell into a deep slumber. After an unknown amount of time, she suddenly jolted awake. Eyes suddenly wide open, I find myself lying in my bedroom. The ceiling above is a pristine white, apanied by a dazzling crystal chandelier. Everything around her feltpletely unfamiliar, yet at the same time, it seemed incredibly familiar. It¡¯s as if I once lived here every day, experiencing daily life in this ce. She reached out for the bedside table and found her phone. Hastily lighting up the phone screen, a group photo was prominently disyed on it. The three of them looked at her, causing her breath to catch and her mind to buzz with a humming sound. Up above, it was Ashton with her, along with a little girl who was about three or four years old. Ashton¡¯s face was expressionless, yet one hand was wrapped around her waist, while the other held Alyssa. Alyssa tilted her head and sneakily touched his face, while Deborahughed with a mix of happiness and shyness, Deborah stared at the phone screen, the three people in the group photo looking so lively, It seemed as it, with just a few more nces, the family of three would step right out of the photo. Deborah suddenly felt a surge of fear, as if she was holding a hot potato, and abruptly threw the phone away. The phone was thrown to the ground, bouncing back up before falling down again. Deborah¡¯s face turned pale as she hurriedly scrambled to get out of bed. She was clearly asleep in the hospital room, so where was this ce, and how did she end up here? Her vision was somewhat blurry, and her mind was filled with confusion. Just as I got up and stepped out of bed barefoot, I was caught off guard by the sound of a door being twisted open. Deborah¡¯s body stiffened, rm bells ringing in her head. She immediately turned her gaze towards the direction of the sound. The bathroom door swung open, and she watched wide-eyed as Ashton stepped out from within. He emerged with a towel wrapped around his waist, carrying a misty aura. Water droplets slid down his corbone, disappearing into his lower abdomen. He had the same expressionless face as in the photo he and Deborah had just seen. Thin lips tightly pursed, eyes and brows exude indifference. Deborah felt as if she was dreaming and was eager to leave this ce. Get Bonus She shifted her gaze away from him and, not noticing her shoes, she hurried barefoot towards the bedroom door. Ashton had only taken a few steps when he approached and grabbed her arm. He tossed her a dry towel and then sat down on the couch, saying, ¡°Come over here and dry off.¡± Deborah didn¡¯t pay any attention, threw away the towel in her hand, and went to open the bedroom door. The door just wouldn¡¯t open, as if it were locked. She turned around furiously, ring at the man on the couch. ¡°What gives you the right to lock me up here? I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯ll definitely sue you, and Joseph will kill you!¡± Ashton finally showed some expression, his brows and eyes revealing a hint of disgust, ¡°What kind of crazy idea do you have now?¡± Deborah felt a chill run through her body. Now, she couldn¡¯t leave, nor could she meet the third person. What¡¯s worse, she had a terrible feeling. It seemed that it wasn¡¯t just Ashton who had brought her here; there was something she couldn¡¯t quite understand, making the situation rather strange. Deborah desperately twisted the doorknob, her face pale and anxious. Suddenly, she heard the sound of footsteps approaching from behind her; it was Ashton. Deborah couldn¡¯t care about anything else; she was just desperate to get the door open. Suddenly, Ashton grabbed her from behind and pulled her away from the door. Deborah felt a sudden darkness before her eyes, and her body heavily fell onto the bed. Ashton loomed over her, tightly gripping her wildly struggling arms, his expression showing clear impatience. ¡°You just had to get my attention like this.¡± Chapter 164 Chapter 164 Chapter 164 Memory Restoration Deborah struggled to break free, her face pale as she desperately cried out, ¡°Joseph, Joseph, save me!¡± Ashton¡¯s thin lips covered her mouth, his hand moving to caress her waist. Quickly, he paused his actions, realizing who she was calling out, ¡°Joseph¡± His ink-ck eyes stared at her intently, and Deborah saw a deep fury within them. This man is simply insane! Deborah forcefully pulled her hand away and, seizing the opportunity when he was caught off guard, she viciously bit down on his arm. She waited for him to loosen his grip due to the pain, but the person on top of her didn¡¯t move at all. Ashton¡¯s eves, flushed red, continued to stare at her intently, ¡°What good thing are you thinking about? Using your deceased daughter to deceive you, coaxing you toe here and steal documents from me. Have you ever seen him pretend to be disabled after running someone over?¡± Deborah watched as Ashton¡¯s face slowly twisted into a terrifying, ghastly expression, resembling that of a malevolent demon She couldn¡¯t push him away. Instead, he closed in on her once more and fiercely bit down on her corbone. Deborah was in so much pain that she couldn¡¯t stop trembling. He grew impatient and started to torment her like a ¡°Debby, you¡¯re not allowed to call him again, or else I don¡¯t know what I might do to you next time.¡± Cold sweat trickled down Deborah¡¯s forehead, as herplexion gradually turned pale. She whispered softly. ¡°You¡¯re lying to me, Joseph wouldn¡¯t.¡± Really? Ashtonughed heartily, as if he had just heard a joke. He still ruthlessly possessed her, as the night outside the floor-to-ceiling window deepened. Deborah was struggling to hold on, as her vision and consciousness gradually became blurry. The sound of Ashton¡¯s extremely sarcasticughter filled her ears, making her head feel as if it was about to explode. Deborah, in agony, found herself unable to move. Everything before her eyes and around her ears gradually drifted away, until it all vanishedpletely. Her body trembled, emitting faint cries of fear. Joseph had just finished taking a bath and changing his clothes when he walked over to the bed and saw that Deborah¡¯s face was already covered in cold sweat. Joseph¡¯s expression immediately turned serious as he reached out to touch her forehead again, only to find it burning hat. He immediately reached out to press the call bell, summoning the medical staff toe in. I quickly went into the bathroom to fetch some water and grabbed a towel to help Deborah cool her forehead. Deborah mumbled something incoherently, and Joseph moved closer tofort her. ¡°Deborah, wake up. You have a fever. I¡¯ll call the doctor toe and check on you.¡± Deborah didn¡¯t hear his voice, and as joseph moved closer, he heard her softly say, ¡°Ashton.¡± In that Instant, Joseph¡¯s hand holding the towel seemed to freeze, as if it had been struck by a sudden chill. For quite some time, he couldn¡¯t move, and it took him a while to snap out of his daze. What did she dream about? The doctor said that there were signs of Deborah regaining her memory, and she might even be vaguely recalling kome fragments of her past. now, could it be that she¡¯s dreaming about the time when she was married to Ashton A doctor hurriedly entered the room and approached the bedside. ¡°Mr. ck, please step aside so I can check on Ms. Shepherd¡¯s condition. For a moment, Joseph didn¡¯t react, still maintaining his leaning posture close to Deborah, neither speaking nor moving The doctor reached out and patted his shoulder, then called out, ¡°Mr. ck?¡± Only then did Joseph snap back to reality, immediately standing up and taking a few steps back. The doctor examined Deborah and observed her current condition. ¡°Ms. Shepherd might have remembered something, causing her emotional state to be unstable, which led to the fever and semi-consciousness. I¡¯ll give her some medication first, and we¡¯ll see how it R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only goes once her condition. stabilizes.¡± Joseph nodded nervously, ¡°Alright, thank you, Doctor.¡± The doctor instructed the nurse to fetch the medicine, then turned to Joseph. ¡°Mr. ck, Ms. Shepherd¡¯s condition seems unstable. To fully recover one¡¯s memory, it¡¯s essential to undergo psychotherapy as soon as possible. My suggestion is to start within the next day or two.¡± If only I could remember everything sooner, I wouldn¡¯t be tormented by these countless fragmented memories. After a brief moment of silence, Joseph responded, ¡°All right, we¡¯ll follow the doctor¡¯s advice.¡± Deborah¡¯s fever subsided, and that very afternoon, she was scheduled for psychotherapy in an attempt to restore her memory through treatment. Deborah was very cooperative and reassured Joseph not to worry, saying that it didn¡¯t matter whether her memory returned or not. After all, once the psychotherapy waspleted, their lives went on just as they had before. Joseph smiled and nodded, watching her enter the psychotherapy room. He knew deep down that things could never be the same as before. Over the past three years, in Deborah¡¯s eyes, he was almost wless. In reality, he had once used her to deal with Ashton and the Mullen family, putting her in danger without hesitation. If it weren¡¯t for this, Hector would have guessed that Deborah had done something on behalf of Joseph, which greatly angered him. Perhaps Hector wouldn¡¯t have been so impatient to drive Deborah away, along with the child in her belly, unwilling to Memory Resto let them stay. At the very least, it was still the Mullen family¡¯s bloodline, and Hector had once tolerated Deborah, allowing her to stay by Ashton¡¯s side for so many years. If it weren¡¯t for a moment of concern, Deborah and Joseph might have ruined the entire Mullen family and the Mullen Group He wouldn¡¯t suddenly be so impatient, ruthlessly hurting Deborah, causing her to not only lose the child but also her uterus. Joseph never dared to confront this issue, but he was always well aware of it. At the beginning, it was not only Hector who caused the death of Deborah¡¯s unborn child; Ashton was also an executioner. And as for Joseph, he could also be considered responsible for angering Hector, as it was he who used Deborah against the Mullen family. Needless to say, he had also deceived Deborah about other things, many of which he had done himself. Joseph sat outside the therapy room, where he had specifically invited the best psychologist he could find. He was well aware that it was almost certain that Deborah would regain her memory. And when shees out again, he can already guess what he¡¯ll have to face. But at this moment, he was very calm, just sitting outside, silently waiting. Ashton quickly received the news and hurried over. Not long after, Alyssa and Steven also came over. Upon hearing that Deborah was going to undergo psychotherapy and had a high chance of regaining her memory, Alyssa immediately set off to be by her side. Originally, I was afraid of dying Steven¡¯s work, so I nned toe alone. But after all, she was still young. Since Steven had taken on the task of apanying her to Oceanview City, there was no way he could be at ease leaving her alone. If anything were to go wrong, Adrian would definitelye after him, not to mention Donna, who would surely skin. him alive. Alyssa, with a cold expression on her face, hurried over and immediately spotted Ashton standing in the hospital corridor. She immediately figured out what was going on and stormed over to confront him, angrily asking, ¡°Was it you who requested my mom to undergo psychotherapy?¡± Ashton looked nervously at the door of the treatment room, when suddenly he heard Alyssa¡¯s voice. He turned around and saw her. ¡°Alyssa, you¡¯re here too.¡± Alyssa red at him coldly, ¡°You promised to let my mother go, but you really can¡¯t be trusted!¡± The nurse nearby stepped forward and exined a few things to Jeff, mentioning that it was the doctor¡¯s rmendation. Upon hearing this, Alyssa¡¯s mood reluctantly improved a bit. She said coldly, ¡°My mother better be okay, or you¡¯ll have to deal with me!¡± The child was full of bluster, but Ashton remained silent. Get Bonus Arge crowd had been waiting outside for quite some time, and it wasn¡¯t until more than two hours Joseph sat in the seat closest to the door, immediately getting anxious as he saw Deborah walking out from inside. Joseph wanted to step forward and ask a question, but he hesitated, feeling a little unable to lift his foot. Subconsciously, he thought hecked the confidence to do so. Deborah nced at him with a cold, emotionless gaze, and then walked out, passing by his side. Chapter 165 Chapter 165 Chapter 165 Her Custody Rights Joseph stood still, watching as Deborah brushed past him without even sparing him an extra nce. Even though he had anticipated it to sotne extent before this. But when the moment truly arrived, it still felt as if my heart had suddenly be empty. That feeling of emptiness engulfing him made him feel as if he had lost all strength, almost causing him to copse. But he endured without moving, persisting in standing still. Over the past three years, he had deceived Deborah, even keeping the fact that she had a daughter a secret from her. He thought Alyssa was dead, but surprisingly, Alyssa was still alive. If it weren¡¯t for the child¡¯s good fortune, they would not have been raised by the Moxley family. In the three years that Deborah had lost her memory, it¡¯s hard to imagine what that child must have gone through. Deborah ignored everyone else, her gaze fixed solely on Alyssa, who was standing not too far away. On Alyssa¡¯s face, there was a calmness and indifference that didn¡¯t match her age. I used to imagine how excited I would be when the day came that my mother would think of me. But now, when the moment has truly arrived, there seems to be surprisingly little turbulence within my heart. Because it was quite clear that this day would alwayse, Deborah would eventually think of her, and it was impossible to truly forget herpletely. Deborah walked up to her and raised her hand, wanting to gently pat her head. The child has grown quite a bit, looking very different from the delicate and frail image in Deborah¡¯s memory. Especially three years ago, she had short, thin, and yellowish hair, but now it has turned into beautiful, long, and ck hair. Deborah¡¯s hand was about to touch her head, but it stopped mid-air, not making contact with her. Deborah couldn¡¯t hold back the immense feelings of guilt and helplessness, and softly said, ¡°Alyssa, I¡¯m sorry.¡± The child she once carried with her day and night has grown up so much now. After three years, she even felt a touch of unfamiliarity. Alyssa pursed her lips, watching as her hand moved towards her own head. Suddenly, she reached out and tightly embraced Deborah. The child has grown quite tall in the past few years, and now they¡¯re almost as tall as Deborah¡¯s shoulders. Just like three years ago, she sweetly called Deborah, ¡°Mommy.¡± Deborah had just regained her memory, and that sudden feeling of emptiness and helplessness, as if she couldn¡¯t find her footing, was greatly alleviated the moment Alyssa embraced her. No matter how cruel the past may have been, the fact that her daughter is still alive now is her greatest fortune and unexpected joy. There¡¯s not enough time to talk about everything now, and Deborah¡¯s eyes red as she gently stroked Alyssa¡¯s head in her arms, ncing sideways at Steven. ¡°Mr. Moxley, thank you for the kindness you and the Moxley family have shown to Alyssa. I will definitely visit your soon to express my gratitude properly. May 1 take Alyssa with me for a few days?¡± Stevenughed and said, ¡°Of course I don¡¯t mind, the kid couldn¡¯t be happier. But as for your gratitude, I really don¡¯t deserve it. I wasn¡¯t the one who saved Alyssa, and I haven¡¯t been the one raising her all these years.¡± Alyssa couldn¡¯t wait any longer and wished she could leave with Deborah right away. She tilted her head, looking somewhat impatiently at Steven, and whispered, ¡°Steven, stop talking so much.¡± Stevenughed helplessly, with a look of resignation on his face, ¡°Just look at her.¡± Deborah smiled warmly as she held Alyssa¡¯s hand tightly, ¡°Thank you so much, Mr. Moxley. In a few days, I will personally bring Alyssa back to Moxley Manor.¡± No matter how you look at it, Alyssa has been living with the Moxley family for the past three years. Over the past three years, the Moxley family, especially Adrian, has developed deep affection for Alyssa. Even if Deborah is her biological mother, it¡¯s impossible for them to recognize each other as mother and daughter after three years and for her to immediately take Alyssa awaypletely. As for the future arrangements, Deborah thought it would be best to discuss them with the Moxley family. It¡¯s just that now, she suddenly regained her memory, and for a moment, she found it difficult to calm down. Moreover, there¡¯s another matter¡­ Deborah turned around and looked at Ashton, who was standing not far behind her, remaining silent all this time. ¡°Perhaps we need to make some revisions and additions to the divorce agreement.¡± On that matter, there was no mention of the custody arrangement for Alyssa. Alyssa immediately looked at Ashton with caution. ¡°There¡¯s no way I can be with you.¡± Ashton no longer wanted to fight for it. Seeing Alyssa say this without hesitation, a hint of embarrassment still shed across his face. He spoke up, ¡°It¡¯s better for the child to be with their mother. I won¡¯t fight for custody.¡± Deborah was very concerned about the situation and, without considering that there were other people present, she directly discussed the matter with Ashton. ¡°As long as you sign a guarantee to give up custody of Alyssa, I can choose not to pursue any past issues. You can also propose other conditions, and if I can meet them, I will do my best to fulfill them.¡± After a long silence, Ashton intended to magnanimously say that he had no demands. After some thought, he finally spoke up, ¡°I have only one condition. I hope that you¡­ I hope Alyssa can stay in Richmond. If that¡¯s not possible, at least let her visit Richmond asionally. I just want to be able to see her from time to time.¡± Deborah does have some understanding of thew in this area. She said softly, ¡°Of course, Alyssa is your daughter too. If you give up custody, you still have visitation rights, and you can see her from time to time.¡± Alyssa grumbled a bit unwillingly, ¡°Who wants him to visit? I don¡¯t want to see him.¡± She looked at Ashton indifferently, ¡°You can visit less often. If you¡¯re really worried or feeling guilty, just give my mom more child support.¡± Ashton was momentarily at a loss for words, and after a while, he finally nodded, ¡°All right.¡± Alyssa was already holding Deborah¡¯s hand, turning around and walking straight towards the end of the hallway. Joseph caught up and said cautiously, ¡°Why don¡¯t you take Alyssa and stay in our old house? I¡¯ll move out. It¡¯s close to Christmas, and it¡¯s not easy to find a ce outside.¡± Deborah stopped walking, but didn¡¯t turn her head. She simply replied, ¡°No need, I¡¯m staying outside. It¡¯s a good opportunity to take Alyssa out to rx and explore a bit.¡± After she finished speaking, she left. Joseph¡¯s heart was hanging, feeling uneasy and unsettled. As the thought crossed his mind that he shouldn¡¯t follow her, he knew that when she was in a bad mood, thest thing she wanted was someone constantly pestering her. However, her feet seemed to have a mind of their own. As Deborah walked away, they followed her, maintaining a few steps of distance between them. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Deborah and Alyssa waited together by the elevator door, anticipating its arrival. Joseph stood behind them, not daring to make a sound. Deborah turned around and looked at him, ¡°You should go back.¡± Joseph looked uneasy and said cautiously, ¡°Debby.¡± Deborah¡¯s tone softened a bit, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it in a few days. I want to spend some time with Alyssa first.¡± Joseph could only nod, ¡°All right.¡± Deborah led Alyssa into the elevator. Joseph watched the elevator doors close, feeling inexplicably anxious. Chapter 166 Chapter 166 Chapter 166 Loving Ashton for Many Years Alyssa was particrly excited, her little hand tightly holding onto Deborah¡¯s hand. She knew that from now on, she and Deborah would never be apart again. Just like three years ago, she will spend day and night with Deborah. Her little face flushed with excitement. But soon, she realized that something was amiss. Deborah spoke to her softly and gently, with a smile on her face as she caressed her head. But within Deborah¡¯sughter, there was a profound sense of loss. It¡¯s not because of her, Alyssa; it¡¯s because of something else. Because she regained her memories, because she recalled those past experiences. That cruel Ashton, who she had foolishly and deeply loved for so many years. That unfamiliar Joseph, who once took advantage of me so much- The most painful part was that just as she thought of her mother, she realized that she had already passed away. Or perhaps it should be said, foster mother. Deborah is a child whose parents are unknown. Once upon a time, the only person I could trust and rely on was none other than Ashton. Her former husband. Deborah kept all her emotions bottled up inside. She picked up Alyssa, who had already grown into a little adult, and said with a smile on her face, ¡°Once Mommy has taken her leave, I¡¯ll spend all my time with you. Wherever you want to go and whatever you want to do, Morty will listen to you.¡± Every time she thought about her three years of forgetting Alyssa, her heart ached as if it were being cut by a knife. Alyssa was held in her mother¡¯s arms, her heart aching as she gently touched her mother¡¯s face. ¡°Mommy, let Alyssa stay with you and rest for a few days. Alyssa has grown up and doesn¡¯t like to go out and y anymore.¡± She didn¡¯t want Deborah to force herself to endure inner pain just to please her, apanying her on various adventures. Her mother was tired and needed some peace and quiet to rest. Deborah¡¯s eyes instantly filled with tears as she tightly hugged her, ¡°Alyssa, how did I get such a wonderful child like you?¡± Alyssa leaned her face into her neck and couldn¡¯t help but cry softly. Everyone says she has grown up, but over the past few years, she has actually missed Deborah a lot. Sometimes, I get scared at night. Afraid that Deborah might never remember herself again. She was also atraid that one day, the Moxley family might not want her anymore. Afraid that Adrian, who loves novelty and fun, would one day neglect her or even abandon her. No matter how dazzling and beautiful she is now, in the end, she¡¯s still just a child. If she lost the protection of the Moxley family and couldn¡¯t be recognized by Deborah, then she would be left with nothing and lose everything. Deborah took Alyssa to the hotel and called herpany to request a week off. Adding her Christmas leave, she wouldn¡¯t be going back to work until after New Year. Switching to another employee is not an option, as taking time off is definitely not feasible during the busy year-end period. Deborah and Joseph¡¯s rtionship has be public, and everyone at Jingron Design is aware of it. Of course, the director couldn¡¯t treat her like an ordinary employee. As soon as he received her call, he approved her vacation without any further discussion. Deborah knew very well that this was considered taking a shortcut. But now, in order to apany Alyssa, she couldn¡¯t care less about these things. Moreover, her job is in design, and much of her work can be done from home. The design drawings that were needed years ago have almost all been submitted. After returning from their vacation, the mother and daughter sat side by side on the couch, chatting for a long time. Alyssa recounted her experiences from the past three years, including the time when she was first rescued by Adrian. It was when Adrian happened to hear her ying the piano and singing that he began to actively cultivate her talent. and provide her with resources. Over the past three years, she had shared with Deborah all the little moments and experiences she had with the Moxley family. Gradually, she had be a rising star, and she had told Deborah all about her journey. However, she couldn¡¯t bear to see Deborah distressed, so she only chose to share the good things with her. As for the time right after the incident, and how long I lived in that hospital afterward, I can¡¯t even begin to describe the hardships I endured. In order to perform on stage, she had put in so much effort, but she barely mentioned it, just casually brushing over the topic with a few light sentences. After hearing her speak, Deborah¡¯s brows finally rxed a bit, and the guilt in her heart eased slightly. It¡¯s truly fortunate that Alyssa has been living well these past few years. After chatting for more than an hour, Deborah realized that the sky outside the floor-to-ceiling window had already turned dark. Alyssa rested her head on Deborah¡¯sp, and her stomach let out a few grumbling noises. She felt a bit embarrassed as she touched her own belly. She had a performance in the morning, and due to the time crunch, she could only hurriedly eat a few bites of breakfast. After the performance, when nning to go for lunch, I received news that Deborah was going to undergo psychological therapy to recover her memory. She immediately rushed to the hospital, not even stopping to eat lunch. Now that her stomach growled, she realized she was so hungry that her chest felt like it was touching her back Deborah immediately scooped her up with a smile, ¡°Mommy will take you out for dinner.¡± Alyssa gracefully got up from the couch, her eyes curiously pecking into the kitchen. It¡¯s been quite a few years since shest tasted the dishes cooked by Deborah. The room Deborah booked was a suite on the top floor of the hotel. In addition to a bedroom, there is also a living room, dining room, kitchen, and bathroom. The price isn¡¯t low either; it¡¯s nearly five figures for one night. Over the past three years, she had been with Joseph, and had grown ustomed to not looking at the prices for food, clothing, and daily necessities. Before, she would asionally be thrifty, believing that people should learn to save some money. But when Joseph handed her the card, he yfully warned her that if she didn¡¯t use it, someone else would. Mona brainwashed her too, saying that if you don¡¯t spend your man¡¯s money, there will always be other women who will. Moreover, she and Joseph were both orphans, without parents. Deborah doesn¡¯t have a uterus, so it¡¯s highly unlikely that she¡¯ll have children. It can be said that no one needs their support. Deborah thought about it and realized that it made sense. Before Joseph had the ck Group, just his own Jingron and other businesses had a worth of 20 billion dors. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only No matter how much she spends, she can never seem to exhaust her wealth. When she eventually passes away without an heir, her only options will be to donate her fortune or have it buried with her. As for Joseph himself, his interests all day long revolved around apanying her and working. It¡¯s already quite nice to be able to find the time to personally go and buy a piece of clothing. So Deborah came over here to book a hotel room, and after checking out the top floor, she decided it was the best and booked one. However, this time she swiped her own card, as her memory had returned and she hadn¡¯t figured out how to interact with Joseph in the future. Deborah noticed Alyssa ncing towards the kitchen, and immediately understood what was on her mind. ¡°How about I go buy some groceries and cook? It¡¯s quitete now, so I¡¯ll also grab some snacks to fill your stomach in the meantime.¡± Alyssa¡¯s eyes lit up, but she was worried about her being tired, ¡°Maybe we should just forget about it, go out to eat. something, and thene back to rest.¡± Deborah led her outside and asked, ¡°Let¡¯s go grocery shopping. What would you like to eat?¡± It¡¯s been a while since Alyssa spent time with Deborah, and she felt a bit awkward and uneasy. She eagerly yet politely listed four or five dish names in one breath. Deborah stepped out of the hotel room, paused, and turned to look at her with a tilted head. Alyssa¡¯s face turned red, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit too much? Ah, actually, just casually cooking one or two dishes would be fine.¡± Deborah chuckled and rubbed her face, ¡°Just bring the ingredients home, and Mommy will cook them for you.¡± Alyssa nodded, ¡°Sure, that works.¡± Upon leaving the hotel¡¯s main entrance. The shopping mall is very close from here, so Deborah didn¡¯t drive. Instead, she held Alyssa¡¯s hand and they walked there together. Not far away, around the corner, a sneaky Bentley was parked. Deborah immediately recognized whose car it was. 1 But with just a nce, she nonchntly led Alyssa across the street and into the shopping mall on the other side. In the backseat of the Bentley, Joseph sat with a worried expression on his face, his eyes glued to the screen of his phone. After waiting for about half an hour, there were only a few work-rted messages on the phone. Joseph couldn¡¯t help but feel impatient. He looked at Morton in front of him and asked, ¡°Can you check with the bank. why I¡¯m not receiving payment notifications on my phone?¡± Chapter 167 Chapter 167 Chapter 167 Her Tears Almost Fell Morton sat in the driver¡¯s seat with a puzzled expression on his face. He had been waiting here for quite a while, and he had no idea what Joseph was waiting for. Upon hearing Joseph¡¯s words, he cautiously asked, ¡°Mr. ck, did you use your card to buy something?¡± Joseph frowned as he looked at the shopping mall across the street, ¡°Deborah came to this hotel and now she¡¯s gone to the mall.¡± Morton was stunned for a moment before he realized what was going on. It seems that Joseph and Ms. Shepherd had an argument, so Ms. Shepherd left to stay at a hotel. But Ms. Shepherd has always been swiping Joseph¡¯s ck card. Ms. Shepherd has already checked into her hotel room and spent half a day shopping at the mall, so it¡¯s impossible that she hasn¡¯t made any purchases. One of the greatest pleasures in Joseph¡¯s life is to watch the payment notifications on his phone, swishing in one another, while Ms. Shepherd goes on her shopping sprees. The notification alerts can actually be turned off, but s, some people just don¡¯t bother to do so. In Joseph¡¯s own words, this is what gives him a sense of the true meaning of making money. after Morton called the bank and quickly hesitated to speak ¡°Mr. ck, the bank said that there¡¯s no issue with your card, it¡¯s just that there haven¡¯t been any transactions made.¡± Joseph¡¯s face fell, and he couldn¡¯t sit still. She doesn¡¯t even spend his money anymore. He pushed open the car door, got out, and entered the hotel. The hotel receptionist recognized him and greeted him respectfully, ¡°Mr. ck, hello.¡± Joseph approached and asked in a deep voice, ¡°Which room did Deborah open?¡± The receptionist, aware of his rtionship with Deborah, informed him of her room number. Joseph said, ¡°Have you paid already?¡± The receptionist paused for a moment, then quickly nodded, ¡°Ms. Shepherd has already paid with her card.¡± In other words, it¡¯s just about not using Joseph¡¯s money. MINEN Joseph, seemingly was absent-minded, turned around and walked back to the hotel lobby, sitting down on a couch. The receptionist had no idea what was going on, so she brought him some coffee and fetched some snacks. Seeing Joseph like this, he didn¡¯t seem to have any ns to go upstairs or leave. The receptionist asked cautiously, ¡°Mr. ck, would you like me to contact Ms. Shepherd for you?¡± Joseph came back to his senses and said calmly, ¡°No need, you go ahead with your work¡± The receptionist had no choice but to nod and leave. Deborah and Alyssa were having a great time shopping at the mall across the street. After purchasing groceries and arge number of household items, two shopping carts were filled to the brim. After finishing paying and about to leave the shopping mall, she suddenly remembered an issue. With so many things, how could she and Alyssa move them to the hotel room across the street? She was contemting whether to go to the hotel across the street to get her car and drive it to the underground parking lot on this side. A familiar voice suddenly rang out from behind. ¡°Need some help?¡± Deborah¡¯s body jolted. Turning around, she saw Zayne, whom she hadn¡¯t seen for three years, standing right behind her. He was also pushing a shopping cart with his hands, filled with some basic daily necessities. He asked, ¡°Do you need help?¡± but without the expression of a long-awaited reunion, and he didn¡¯t greet Deborah either. Deborah paused for a moment before realizing that Zayne probably knew something- He thought Deborah hadn¡¯t regained her memory yet, and therefore couldn¡¯t know about the past events. So he pretended not to know her. Deborah¡¯s eyes suddenly turned red in an instant. ¡°Dr. Gaige.¡± Zayne¡¯s hand tightened on the shopping cart as he looked at Alyssa. Alyssaughed and said, ¡°Mr. Gaige, my mom just finished her therapy session, and now she remembers everything.¡± Zayne found it hard to believe and was momentarily taken aback. Deborah looked at his hand with a hint of excitement, ¡°Your hand¡­¡± Zayne immediately raised his hands and shook them a few times, ¡°It¡¯s all good, it¡¯s been fine for a while now.¡± Deborah couldn¡¯t help but feel emotional, her eyes glistening with tears, ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s really good.¡± Over the past three years, it¡¯s not like Zayne hasn¡¯t seen Deborah. Stealthily pecking at her from the shadows, or catching a glimpse of her on television and in magazines. After three years, he finally had the chance to ask her a question. ¡°How have you been these past few years?¡± Deborah¡¯s tears almost tell, but she quickly sniffed and turned her head to the side, swiftly pressing the Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. corner of her eye with her knuckle. She finally managed a smile and looked at him, ¡°I¡¯m good too, Dr. Gaige, how about you?¡± Zayneughed, gripping the shopping cart handle tightly, his knuckles turning white and veins bing visible on the back of his hand. He replied to her, ¡°Me too, everything¡¯s fine.¡± Indeed, everything is fine. Over the past three years, Joseph has informed people in Richmond to lend him a helping hand wherever he can. Once upon a time, Ashton used to see Zayne as a thorn in his side and a pain in his flesh, all because of Zayne¡¯s rtionship with Deborah. But Joseph was different; he was grateful to him and did everything he could to help him. Including Zayne¡¯s hand, it took Joseph a lot of effort. Norman was asked for help, and an expert was personally invited from abroad to cure him. Joseph said, ¡°Deborah¡¯s friends are my friends too.¡± Deborah¡¯s benefactor is also their benefactor. So, for the past three years, Zayne has admired Joseph, but he couldn¡¯t feel jealous or resentful. Alyssa looked at Zayne, ¡°Mr. Gaige, did you drive here?¡± It took Zayne a while to regain hisposure, then he nodded with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s here, right below us.¡± Alyssa said with a sweet smile, ¡°That¡¯s great. I bought too many things with Mommy, and we¡¯re staying at the hotel across the street. Does Mr. Gaige have time to give us a ride?¡± Zayne looked at Deborah. Of course he was willing, but he also knew that Deborah was now with Joseph. With just one phone call, Joseph would definitelye over immediately. Zayne was unsure if Deborah needed him to give her a ride. Deborahughed and said, ¡°If Dr. Gaige has something important to do¡­¡± Zayne immediately replied, ¡°Not really. I¡¯ve been on a business trip here for the past couple of days, staying nearby, and I just got off work at this time in the evening.¡± Alyssa had already walked over to Zayne, transferring the items from his cart to Deborah¡¯s shopping cart. ¡°Mr. Gaige, this way we¡¯ll only need to push two carts.¡± Deborah felt a bit apologetic, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the trouble, Dr. Gaige.¡± Zayne immediately walked over to Deborah and said, ¡°No need for formalities, let me do the pushing.¡± Two shopping carts, both filled to the brim. With Zayne pushing each cart with each hand, Deborah walked ahead of him. Upon entering the elevator, the two shopping carts took up a considerable amount of space. A few more people entered, making the elevator somewhat crowded. Zayne asked Deborah and Alyssa to stand in the corner. He stood outside, blocking the way for others. He was being pushed by the crowd, and he had to brace himself against the elevator wall with one hand to avoid bumping into Deborah. Getting closer, he could smell the fragrance of Deborah¡¯s hair. Suddenly, he remembered that day three years ago. Deborah lived in his house, running downstairs barefoot. Chapter 168 Chapter 168 Chapter 168 By Any Means Necessary Zayne recalled the scene from that day and looked at Deborah, who was now standing right in front of him. His ears turned red. That was such a long time ago, but thinking about it now, it feels just like yesterday. After three years apart, he didn¡¯t feel the slightest bit of unfamiliarity towards her. The elevator was overly crowded, and Zayne¡¯s hand was propped against the wall, almost encircling Deborah within his arms. Deborah was clearly feeling a bit uneasy as well, unable to look up at him. Instead, she could only lower her gaze and focus on Alyssa. Alyssa was a bit puzzled and asked, ¡°Mommy, is there something on my face?¡± Deborah coughed awkwardly and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Mommy just hasn¡¯t seen you in a long time.¡± Alyssa lifted her head to show her, her face filled with happiness. Shopping carts can only be taken out to the elevator and cannot be removed from the mall. After exiting the elevator and arriving at the underground parking lot, Zayne loaded everything into the car. Then, he opened the rear door, allowing Deborah and Alyssa to get in. Joseph¡¯s car happened to drive up as well, stopping not far behind them. He was worried that Deborah might have bought too many things, making it difficult for her to carry them all. So, he thought ofing over to see if she needed any help. As it turned out, the car arrived just as Zayne was carrying a bunch of stuff, with Deborah and Alyssa following closely by his side. A few people were chatting, and it seemed like they were quite familiar with each other. It seems that Zayne already knew that Deborah had regained her memory. Joseph pushed open the car door, got out, and walked over. After letting Alyssa get in the car first, Deborah was about to get in herself. Joseph said with augh, ¡°Dr. Gaige, what a coincidence!¡± Zayne turned around and saw Joseph, dressed in a ck coat, walking towards the car. His face was rxed, even with a hint of a smile, but it couldn¡¯t hide the overwhelming sense of natural pressure that surrounded him. Deborah nced at Joseph without saying anything, and directly followed Alyssa into the car.. Zayne instinctively exined, ¡°It¡¯s a coincidence, Mr. ck. I happened to be on a business trip nearby, and I came to the mall to buy some things when I ran into Deborah.¡± Joseph nodded, ¡°I see. So, Dr. Gaige is taking Debby and Alyssa back to the hotel, right? If you¡¯re in a hurry¡­¡± Zayne could clearly see what was happening. Deborah got into the car without even saying a word of greeting. It seems like they¡¯re having a disagreement. From what Joseph is saying, he probably wants to take advantage of the situation, and take Deborah and Alyssa back home. Zayne hesitated for a moment, and inside, Deborah looked at him. ¡°Dr. Gaige, Alyssa is getting a bit hungry. Can you take us back first?¡± Zayne looked a bit embarrassed, ¡°Ah, alright then, Mr. ck. Let¡¯s chat another day.¡± After he finished speaking, he went straight to the driver¡¯s seat and got in the car. Since Deborah didn¡¯t want Joseph to apany her, Zayne didn¡¯t feel the need to help Joseph mediate their rtionship either. Joseph watched the car drive away, his smile fading. He turned around and got back in the car, looking at Morton in front of him. ¡°Follow them.¡± Morton felt a bit uneasy as he followed the car, cautiously speaking up, ¡°Mr. ck, we should head back to Richmond now. Beforeing to Oceanview Cityst night, you promised thepany¡¯s board members that you would change it to tonight, so everyone could have a drink together.¡± Joseph¡¯s ink-ck eyes stared intently at the car ahead. ¡°Let¡¯s pick another time.¡± It had been a long time since he had carefully thought about Zayne. But now, suddenly, a problem has been discovered. In the past three years, Deborah has grown fond of Joseph¡¯s gentleness, tolerance, magnanimity, and thoughtfulness. These things were actually unrted to Joseph. But in the past three years, he knew what Deborah liked, so he instinctively became that kind of person. And now, Deborah had discovered the true Joseph from the past. He is neither gentle, nor tolerant, nor magnanimous, nor considerate. He is skilled in strategizing, ruthless in execution, and will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. Unfortunately, Zayne appeared. Joseph suddenly realized that Zayne, this man, was the one who looked just like the person Deborah liked. Morton expressed his concern, ¡°Mr. ck, it¡¯s not appropriate to reschedule again. You¡¯ve just returned Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. to the ck Group, and the senior board members wanted to meet with youst night. After all, you promised to meet them tonight¡­¡± Morton has been by Joseph¡¯s side for many years, and when ites to important matters, he tends to speak quite directly. Joseph¡¯s face was tense. He felt uneasy, extremely uneasy. In the message on his phone, Gerald sent a text: (Joseph, are you back in Richmond? Don¡¯t forget to perform well at the dinner gathering you¡¯ve arranged with the elders from the group tonight.) In the workce, the ability to get things done is of utmost importance, and understanding human emotions and social interactions is also crucial. Joseph stared at the car in front of him for a long time before finally looking away and speaking. ¡°Turn around and head back to Richmond. Zayne drove the car to the hotel entrance, and Deborah got out of the back seat. At the entrance of the hotel, the waiter recognized Deborah and immediately came forward to help her with her luggage. Several people worked together to move arge pile of items to the guest room on the top floor. Deborah set down the items in her hands, pulled out her wallet from her coat pocket, and handed two blue-colored banknotes to the waiter. ¡°Thank you, I appreciate your hard work.¡± The waiter smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, Ms. Shepherd.¡± After the waiter lett, Zayne spoke up. ¡°I¡¯ll head back first then. If you need any help, just contact me.¡± Alyssa enthusiastically handed him the juice, trying to persuade him to stay ¡°Mr. Gaige, I bought a lot of groceries with Mommy. Why don¡¯t you stay and have some food with us?¡± Alyssa really likes Zayne because she, along with Deborah, has received a lot of help from him in the past. Surprisingly, for Joseph, Alyssa was a stranger. Deborah immediately chimed in, ¡°That¡¯s right, Dr. Gaige, it¡¯s been a long time since west met. Alyssa used to be close to you too. If you¡¯re not in a hurry, why not stay a bit longer, have some food, and then head back?¡± Seeing that Deborah had started talking, Zayne didn¡¯t hold back any longer. He helped Deborah carry the ingredients to the kitchen, ¡°Well, I won¡¯t be polite then. I¡¯m not very good at cooking, so I¡¯ll just help out as an assistant.¡± He helped Deborah wash and chop the vegetables, while Deborah ced the sliced bananas into the frying pan to cook. The frying pan wasn¡¯t non-stick, so after just a couple of tlips, the food got burnt at the bottom. Deborah immediately grabbed a spat to shovel the sliced bananas, identally damaging a few pieces in the process. She hurriedly turned off the stove, and under Alyssa and Zayne¡¯s slightly shocked gazes, she exined awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯m not used to cooking in a new ce.¡± She was too embarrassed to admit that during the three years she had been with Joseph, she had hardly set foot in the kitchen. Unlike three years ago, she used to cook meals for Alyssa frequently. Alyssa alwayspliments Deborah, saying that the dishes she makes taste great. Over the course of three years, her cooking skills had already be rusty. Zayne took the shovel from her hands with a smile, ¡°Let me do it. You guys haven¡¯t eaten yet, and it¡¯s alreadyte. Go out and grab something to eat, don¡¯t starve Alyssa.¡± Alyssa, holding Deborah¡¯s hand, went out and said, ¡°Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Gaige.¡± Once they were in the living room, Alyssa opened the snack bag and shared it with Deborah. The enticing aroma of food quickly filled the kitchen. Alyssa suddenly said, ¡°Mr. Gaige has always been so kind, he has helped us a lot.¡± Deborah responded somewhat absentmindedly, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± Joseph¡¯s car followed behind Zayne¡¯s, and Deborah was aware of it. However, when Zayne drove to the hotel, Joseph¡¯s car behind him had disappeared. Somehow, Deborah found herself lost in thought. After eating, Zayne helped Deborah clean up the dishes and kitchen, and then left. Deborah, feeling tired, went to bed with Alyssa. She had no idea how long she had been asleep when, in a daze, she heard the doorbell ring. Alyssa slept soundly, nestled in Deborah¡¯s arms without stirring. Deborah squinted as she got out of bed, reaching for her phone before heading out of the bedroom. Upon reaching the door, she suddenly remembered something and peered through the peephole first. There¡¯s nothing outside. She thought she must have heard wrong and was about to go back to sleep. The person sitting by the door suddenly stood up, appearing in her line of sight. Chapter 169 Chapter 169 Chapter 169 Pressing Down and Kissing Her Deborah nced at her phone to check the time, which disyed 2 o¡¯clock in the morning. Suddenly, outside the cat¡¯s eye, a wobbly man appeared, struggling to stand steady. At such a bizarre time, coupled with the sudden knock on the door and the appearance of someone outside, she was so frightened that she almost couldn¡¯t breathe. Thankfully, she quickly calmed down and realized that the person standing outside was Joseph. Deborah didn¡¯t really want to open the door. She and Joseph need to sit down and have a good talk, but not right now. Alyssa was still inside, and Deborah didn¡¯t want hermunication with Joseph to take ce in front of Alyssa Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Now, after three years, her daughter has finally returned to her side. There is nothing more important than spending quality time with her daughter first. Deborah took out her phone and sent a message to Joseph: [You can go back first.) Outside, Joseph was holding his phone. As soon as Deborah sent the message, he saw his phone screen light up. But he didn¡¯t look, still standing outside the door with a drowsy expression on his face, waiting for Deborali to open it. A face full of exhaustion, apanied by a hint of intoxication. Deborah hadn¡¯t fully woken up yet, and it was only now that she realized, somewhat sluggishly, that he was drunk After a while, he didn¡¯t receive a response, so he started ringing the doorbell again. Soon, the guest in the room across the hall opened the door, looking over here with an unhappy expression. Deborah had no choice but to open the door. As soon as the door opened, Joseph, who was practically leaning on it, lost his support and immediately fell towards her. Caught off guard, Deborah was pushed back several steps by him, knocking over a coat rack near the door. The wooden shelf fell to the ground with a loud thudding sound. Soon after, Alyssa¡¯s groggy voice could be heard from the bedroom, ¡°Mommy, Mommy, the house copsed.¡± Deborah frantically tried to push Joseph away, but the person in front of her only held her tighter. Joseph still had a faint smell of alcohol on him as he held her, calling out ¡°Debby, Debby.¡± Deborah¡¯s mind was about to explode, and despite pushing him for quite some time, she still couldn¡¯t get him to move away. As soon as she pulled his hand away, his head leaned in again. Pushing his head away, he immediately embraced her with both arms, almost leaving her breathless. Deborah¡¯s mind was on edge, fearing that Alyssa might suddenly emerge from the bedroom. Joseph¡¯s phone rang, and it was Morton calling. Deborah felt like she had grasped a lifeline, struggling for a while before finally managing to pull out his phone and answer the call From over there, Morton¡¯s easy voice came through, ¡°Mr. ck, are¡­ are you there?¡± He wrapped his arms around Deborali like an octopus, and she urgently said, ¡°Morton,e over here and get him away from me.¡± There was immediate silence on the other end, and after a while, the voice came through again, ¡°Ms. Shepherd, has Mr. ck arrived at your ce? If so, everything should be fine. I¡¯ll hang up now.¡± Deborah raised her voice with a headache, ¡°Don¡¯t hang up! Come over and get him out of here, my daughter is still here, and it¡¯s not convenient for me to keep him around!¡± Over there, Morton lowered his voice, ¡°Ms. Shepherd, please do me a favor and let Mr. ck stay for the night. Mr. ck has had a tough time. One evening, a man returned to Richmond after attending a social event, where he had apanied a group of senior board members and drank quite a bit of alcohol, Worried about you, he couldn¡¯t find a flight after the event, so he went through the trouble of arranging a private jet toe and find you. His feelings for you are genuine, and he¡¯s always thinking about you¡­¡± Over there, they spoke with great passion and vivid expressions. Deborah interrupted him, ¡°No, it¡¯s really not a good time for me right now. Here¡¯s what you can do. Take him away, let him sober up, and we can talk about whatever it is tomorrow.¡± Joseph got drunk, and she was afraid it would scare Alyssa. Over there, someone intermittently said, ¡°Ms. Shepherd, Ms. Shepherd? What¡¯s going on, there¡¯s not even a signal.¡± Deborah had a bad feeling, and sure enough, the call was disconnected the very next inoment. Deborah tried calling again, but no one answered. Footsteps could be hearding from the bedroom. Deborah was truly anxious and forcefully pushed Joseph. With a sudden push, Joseph pressed down on her shoulders and kissed her face passionately. Alyssa¡¯s footsteps were already behind her, and Deborah blurted out in desperation, ¡°Are you crazy? Let go and get away from me!¡± Alyssa, who barely had a good night¡¯s sleep, practically walked out with her eyes closed. Suddenly, Deborah heard a frantic voice. As she opened her eyes, she saw a blurry figure of a man pressing himself against her and kissing her on the wall. The man was disheveled, reeking of alcohol, with his coat haphazardly draped over his body. Alyssa trembled with fear, ncing around frantically. She grabbed a vase and, standing on her tiptoes, swung it towards the man¡¯s head. With a thudding sound, the man¡¯s body stiffened, and he finally let go of Deborah. Alyssa¡¯s face turned pale as she screamed, ¡°Ahh! Ahh! Ahh!¡± while grabbing Deborah¡¯s hand and trying to run out the door. Deborah had just been pinned against the wall by Joseph,pletely missing what Alyssa had done. Up until now, seeing the shattered vase on the ground, the blood-stained fragments, and the blood flowing down from the back of Joseph¡¯s head. Deborah stood still, not moving. Alyssa, realizing she couldn¡¯t drag her away, finally noticed Joseph¡¯s face. Alyssa¡¯s face was filled with fear, which then turned into immense shock. ¡°How¡­ How could it be him?¡± Joseph suffered an injury to the back of his head. Fortunately, Alyssa was young and not very strong. Plus, she was terrified, so she couldn¡¯t exert much force. So, it¡¯s probably just a superficial injury, not too serious. Deborah hurriedly grabbed some items to help him, pulling him to lie down on the couch. She then called the hotel receptionist to request a doctor. Alyssa stood to the side, feeling helpless and guilty as she spoke, ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m sorry. I wasn¡¯t fully awake and didn¡¯t see who it was.¡± Deborah was also quite embarrassed. As she brought over some warm water, she reassured, ¡°It¡¯s alright, you can¡¯t be med for this.¡± Alyssa couldn¡¯t help but grumble, ¡°Even if it¡¯s Mr. ck, Mommy, he can¡¯t force you if you don¡¯t want to.¡± Even if he¡¯s drunk, it¡¯s not eptable. Who knows if he¡¯s just pretending to be drunk Anyway, no one can bully Deborah. Deborah finds it difficult to answer. She was unwilling, but in reality, it wasn¡¯t to the extent of being extremely unwilling. Every time Alyssa thought about the scene that had just unfolded, and how Deborah¡¯s face had turned pale and embarrassed, she still felt a lingering sense of indignation. ¡°Mr. Gaige wouldn¡¯t do that.¡± Tonight, she mentioned Zayne for the second time. Suddenly, Deborah remembered that for the past three years, she had forgotten about Alyssa. Even though Alyssa and Zayne knew each other, they still had quite a few interactions over these three years. As for Joseph, Alyssa¡¯s memory of him still lingers on the man from three years ago, who would stop at nothing and take advantage of them. No wonder, nowadays Alyssa would subconsciously feel discontent towards Joseph. The hotel receptionist brought in a doctor, and Deborah looked at Alyssa, ¡°You go back to the bedroom and rest first. After the doctor ¡°kes a look, I¡¯ll send Mr. ck awayter.¡± Chapter 170 Chapter 170 Chapter 170 Intense and Irresistible Alyssa nodded, ¡°Oh, all right.¡± Alyssa returned to the bedroom after the doctor had finished examining Joseph. Fortunately, there were no major issues. The wound isn¡¯t deep, and the external injury isn¡¯t considered severe, so it¡¯s even less likely that there¡¯s any internal damage. If you¡¯re really worried, you can always go to the hospital for a check-upter. After the doctor finished speaking, they left. Deborah sat by the couch, watching Joseph as hey there, eyes closed, fast asleep. His eyshes quivered, but he could feel Deborah sitting beside him, so he kept his eyes closed, pretending to be asleep. After spending so many years with him, Deborah could tell that he was just pretending. He indeed drank a bit too much, but he wasn¡¯t so intoxicated as to bepletely incoherent. Tonight, his behavior was one-third influenced by the effects of alcohol. There is still at least 70 percent of it, which is just venting under the guise of having had too much to drink. Deborah kept her gaze lowered on him, so Joseph had no choice but to pretend to be asleep. He closed his eyes and endured until the sky outside began to brighten. Joseph didn¡¯t dare to open his eyes, afraid that Deborah would discover he wasn¡¯t actually that drunk. Over the past three years, he has always been calm and restrained. He never forces Deborah. On the contrary, over the past three years, Deborah had lost her memory, and sometimes she would even take the initiative to get close to him. But he would subconsciously refuse, as hecked confidence in his heart. But tonight, I couldn¡¯t help it.. The moment Deborah stepped out of the treatment room, having regained her memory, she chose to leave him. When he saw Zayne meeting Deborah, he found out that Deborah invited Zayne to stay and have dinner together. Joseph suddenly felt that he and Deborah were drifting apart, and the distance between them was only growing further. When it was time to socialize in Richmond, he couldn¡¯t calm his mind. After the social engagement had ended, it was past midnight. Despite that, he couldn¡¯t help himself and rushed over in the middle of the night. She opened the door, and the moment he saw her, he suddenly had a strong urge to kiss her. I couldn¡¯t help myself and just did it, but afterwards, I suddenly couldn¡¯t face it, so I simply pretended to be drunk. Joseph felt that he had never been so conflicted before, never like this. Hey on the couch with his eyes closed, feeling Deborah¡¯s close presence. His entire body was tense, like a string stretched to its limit. Deborah just watched him, observing his act. She saw through it, but she never spoke up about it. Outside, the sky began to brighten; it was six o¡¯clock in the morning. Deborah¡¯s phone rang, and she finally got up and left, heading to the floor-to-ceiling window to answer the call. Joseph opened his eyes and looked at her retreating figure. He heard her speaking on the phone, ¡°Dr. Gaige.¡± Joseph¡¯s hand unconsciously tightened. Upon hearing Zayne¡¯s voice, Deborah responded, ¡°Deborah, I¡¯m so sorry for waking you up so early. There¡¯s something I forgot to tell you, and after thinking it over, I decided it¡¯s best to let you know sooner rather thanter.¡± Last night at Deborah¡¯s ce, Zayne helped her cook and stayed for dinner. The excitement and joy of their long-awaited reunion made him momentarily forget to tell Deborah about some matters. Deborah responded, ¡°You didn¡¯t wake me up; I was already awake. Dr. Gaige, go ahead and speak.¡± Zayne spoke in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s about a matter concerning Mr. Joseph ck. I found out that in the past three years, Mr. ck has generously arranged for your mother¡¯s funeral and bought back the house you and your mother used to live in. And also, my hand¡­¡± He told Deborah everything about how he managed to get Joseph¡¯s help, how his hand was healed, and how his career had developed smoothly and sessfully. Zayne admitted that he, too, had his hesitations and his own selfish side. He didn¡¯t deny it; he also wanted to have Deborah. After not seeing her for three years, he met Deborah again and found that his feelings for her were still the same as they were three years ago. Intense, passionate, and irresistibly captivating. But after leavingst night and thinking about it all night, he realized very clearly that he was not the person who could take good care of Deborah or protect her well. And Joseph could be that person. Joseph had the means to treat Deborah well, and over the past three years, Zayne had witnessed his generosity and kindness. It¡¯s evident from the fact that Joseph silently puts his all into helping Zayne, that he is a person of great character. Joseph couldn¡¯t just stand by and watch Zayne struggle on his own. But he still made the choice to cure Zayne¡¯s illness and secure a bright future for him. Even though he knew very well that by doing this, he was undoubtedly setting up an even stronger romantic rival for himself. He wouldn¡¯t mind and wouldn¡¯t consider other factors, he would help Zayne simply because he genuinely respected Deborah and cared about her. After a while, Deborah finally spoke up. ¡°Dr. Gaige, did Joseph really help you with your hand and your career?¡± Deborah could sense that Joseph harbored hostility towards Zayne. Last night, in the underground parking lot of the shopping mall, Deborah could easily tell that when Joseph saw Zayne, although he had a smile on his face, he was hiding his displeasure and apprehension. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Deborah was even a bit worried that Joseph might misunderstand something and confront Zayne, or try to drive Zayne away. But she never expected¡­. Over there, Zayne continued, ¡°Deborah, you and Alyssa have had a tough time over the past many years. I know you¡¯ve regained your memory now, and you¡¯re somewhat concerned about Mr. ck¡¯s past. In reality, no one in this world is perfect. Mr. ck¡¯s past experiences have made it impossible for him to be apletely kind person. In any case¡­¡± Upon hearing footsteps, Deborah nced to the side and saw Alyssa walking up to join her. Over there, Zayne¡¯s voice continued to reach out, making its way into Alyssa¡¯s ears as well, ¡°I believe Mr. ck will treat you well, Deborah. Just think about it more,¡± Zayne may not be worthy of Deborah, nor can he protect her, but he still hopes that she can find the best and most suitable partner. Having endured so much hardship in the past, he hoped to see her live a good life in the remaining days. Deborah was deeply moved, her eyes slightly moist as she said, ¡°Thank you, Dr. Gaige.¡± Over there, Zayne had finished saying everything he needed to say, and now he felt a bit embarrassed. ¡°Hey, no need to thank me. It¡¯s not really my ce to butt in anyway. Just think it through yourself and decide.¡± Deborah nced down at Alyssa, noticing that the child didn¡¯t seem too happy. Deborah responded, ¡°All right, I¡¯ll give it some serious thought.¡± After hanging up the phone, Deborah put her arm around Alyssa and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Alyssa nced at the person on the couch and asked, ¡°Is everything all right, Mr. ck is still here?¡± Deborah exined somewhat awkwardly, ¡°It was a bitte yesterday, and Mr. ck was drunk. I didn¡¯t know who to ask for help to take him away. When he sobers upter, I will let him go first, okay?¡± Upon thinking about Zayne¡¯s words just now, it was clear that he willingly stepped aside, wanting Deborah and Joseph to be together. The child wasn¡¯t very happy inside, but they also didn¡¯t want Deborah to be upset. ¡°Mommy, it¡¯s okay, I don¡¯t mind. Let Mr. ck sleep a bit more. Let¡¯s order takeout instead, and we can go outter.¡± Deborah let out a quiet sigh of relief and handed her phone to Alyssa, ¡°Ah, great. You choose, Mommy isn¡¯t picky about food, anything is fine.¡± Alyssa took the phone and said, ¡°All right. You go ahead and freshen up, Mommy. I¡¯m all done here.¡± Deborah just noticed that Alyssa had already changed out of her pajamas. Get Boz Oceanview City enjoys mild temperatures throughout the year. As Christmas approaches, the weather remains pleasant at around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Alyssa wore a simple casual jacket, paired with a white T-shirt underneath, and her hair was tied up high at the back of her head. The person looks refreshed andfortable. Deborah couldn¡¯t help but reach out and touch her face, ¡°You¡¯ve really grown up.¡± Alyssa smiled sweetly as she watched Deborah enter the bedroom. She ordered takeout for three people before heading over to the couch. Sitting down, she spoke politely and calmly, ¡°Mr. ck, there¡¯s no need to pretend, you¡¯re not asleep. Let¡¯s have a chat.¡± Chapter 171 Chapter 171 Chapter 171 How Could He Possibly Give Up? Joseph felt as if he had been hit over the head. He never expected that his act of pretending to be drunk and asleep would not be seen through by Deborah, but rather be exposed by this child. There¡¯s no point in pretending to be dead any longer, so he could only open his eyes and nce out the window. ¡°Is it dawn already?¡± He slowly sat up and looked at the unusually calm little girl beside him, ¡°Alyssa, why are you up so early?¡±* Alyssa looked at him and said, ¡°I usually wake up early every day. Steven told me that when we die, we¡¯ll have plenty of time to sleep. So, while we¡¯re alive, it¡¯s not wise to sleep too much.¡± Joseph thought of Steven¡¯s face. That man, who is busy with his career all day long, should indeed be able to say such words. Joseph hadn¡¯t really interacted much with Alyssa before, and now, in this awkward situation, he found himself struggling to speak coherently. ¡°Well, kids should sleep in, you know. Getting more sleep is good for their health, especially when they¡¯re growing.¡± Alyssa didn¡¯t respond to him immediately, but after a while, she suddenly said, ¡°Mr. ck, may I share my thoughts?¡± Joseph felt that, despite the child¡¯s young age, he somehow exuded an inexplicable sense of oppression. ¡°Of course,¡± he replied. Alyssa looked at him with clear eyes and said, ¡°Mr. ck, I think you and my mom aren¡¯t quite a good match.¡± Joseph¡¯s face stiffened, ¡°Why would Alyssa feel that it¡¯s not appropriate?¡± Alyssa was being stared at by him, discussing face-to-face why she was dissatisfied with him, yet she didn¡¯t show the slightest bit of panic or unease. At this moment, Joseph suddenly thought, somewhat inappropriately, that he should let those employees in hispany who tremble at the sound of his voicee and see this child who is not even eight years old. At least it¡¯s hard to find someone in hispany who, when confronted with their issues face-to-face, can remain as calm as this employee. Alyssa spoke calmly, ¡°Because, Mr. ck, you remind me a lot of my father.¡± Joseph looked a bit amused and said, ¡°Ashton? No, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m much like him.¡± In Deborah¡¯s mind, a man who resembled Ashton was like receiving a death sentence. So, Joseph¡¯s attitude was very firm. No, he¡¯s not like Ashton. What a joke! You can criticize him for anything, but you can¡¯t say he¡¯s like Ashton. Alyssa continued, ¡°You¡¯re just like my dad. Both of youe from prominent families and have sessful careers, as well as a rather tragic past. That past has shaped your personalities, making you quite simr to each other.¡± Ashton once lost both of his parents, and during that time, in order to stand firm and preserve the foundation of his home, he experienced many setbacks and challenges. So he became indifferent, detached from human emotions, and even cruel, without any limits. And Joseph, having endured Wayne¡¯s abuse and witnessed his mother¡¯s tragic death, faced numerous challenges before reaching adulthood. In order to achieve his goal, he would stop at nothing and use every means necessary. Alyssa was just a child, but her words left Joseph unable to argue. Alyssa looked at him with an unfazed gaze, ¡°Family background and personality are just one aspect of it. There are other facts as well, such as what I saw early this morning, Mr. ck. You pretended to be drunk and forced yourself on my mother. Andst night at the mall, you showed hostility towards Mr. Gaige.¡± Of course, there was also the deception, maniption, and exploitation that Joseph had inflicted upon Deborah three years ago, Joseph suddenly had a severe headache. The thing he regrets most now is that he couldn¡¯t resist the urgest night and impulsively ran over to kiss Deborah.¡± But it was true that he really genuinely didn¡¯t know that Alyssa would suddenlye out and see it. As soon as he came over, he was too excited, with Deborah filling his mind. Hepletely missed Alyssa¡¯s voice or the sound of her footsteps. He kissed Deborah¡¯s face, and it really wasn¡¯t the first time. Over the past three years, they had spent day and night together. Despite his strong self-control, the fact that he hadn¡¯t truly possessed Deborah was already the most incredible restraint he could muster. asionally, I couldn¡¯t help but kiss her forehead and her face; it¡¯s not like it never happened before. Last night, after seeing the exchange between Zayne and Deborah, and having had a disagreement with Deborah himself, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of jealousy. No matter how much he tried to exin, he could still imagine Alyssaing out of her bedroom in the early morning, only to see him, Joseph, pinning Deborah against the wall and kissing her. A child, not even eight years old, undoubtedly felt the same disgust and difficulty in epting the situation as if they had witnessed a despicable and lewd rogue breaking into their home and forcing himself upon their mother. As for his hostility towards Zayne, it was evident that Zayne had feelings for Deborah written all over his face. Joseph wanted to let go of the animosity, but he just couldn¡¯t. However, it¡¯s really just a bit of uncontroble hostility and wariness in the heart. It¡¯s like something you treasure dearly is being stared at with shining eyes by someone else. Who wouldn¡¯t have a bit of hostility and wariness nowadays? Joseph tried to exin gently, ¡°Alyssa, I¡¯m not the person you think I am.¡± He¡¯s not like Ashton; he really isn¡¯t a pervert. Alyssa¡¯s face was expressionless as she said, ¡°My dad once forced my mom in the same way you did early this morning. He pretended to be drunk at the time, but it was obvious that he was just faking it.¡± Alyssa didn¡¯t say much more, simply stating, ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s my attitude. I think Mr. ck is a lot like my dad, sa he and Mommy aren¡¯t really a good match.¡± Joseph was momentarily at a loss for words, unable to speak. Deborah had just finished freshening up and walked out of the bedroom, ¡°Alyssa, have you decided yet?¡± Upon seeing Joseph already sitting on the couch, looking quite alert, Deborah was momentarily taken aback. Alyssa got up and walked over, saying, ¡°I¡¯ve ordered food for three people. Since Mr. ck is awake now, why don¡¯t we all have a meal together before leaving?¡± Deborah looked at joseph and said, ¡°Since you¡¯re awake now, why don¡¯t you go back first? After all, Alyssa isn¡¯t very familiar with you. I¡¯ll stay with her for a while, so she can feel morefortable.¡± She¡¯s basically asking them to leave. Joseph stood up and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be going now.¡± He then turned to Alyssa and said, ¡°Alyssa, I have some work to attend to. Thank you for ordering the food. I¡¯ll visit you and your mom another day.¡± Alyssa nodded, ¡°All right.¡± After he finished speaking, he left. Naturally, Deborah didn¡¯t try to keep him, and there wasn¡¯t much more to say. Joseph stepped out of the guest room and onto the carpeted hallway outside. Walking down the corridor and stepping into the elevator, he only then noticed the prominent veins on the back of his hand. Suddenly, he felt the urge to go back and ask Deborah, if Alyssa really couldn¡¯t ept him, would that be the end for them? However, he quickly regained hisposure. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only How could one possibly need to ask this? There¡¯s no need to ask; in Deborah¡¯s eyes, there¡¯s no doubt that he and Alyssa are iparable. Joseph went downstairs and left the hotel. Morton was already waiting outside in the car. As soon as he saw hime out, he immediately got out of the car and walked over. Joseph¡¯s face looked unwell, and Morton didn¡¯t even dare to breathe. Joseph got in the car, his eyes narrowed, and his expression cold and sharp. But he gradually calmed down. How could he possibly give up Deborah for Alyssa? Chapter 172 Chapter 172 Chapter 172 Escaping Death Joseph¡¯s heart gradually calmed down. He had already made up his mind; this was the only way. The idea of wanting Deborah to make a choice between him and Alyssa is the most misguided one. The only thing he needed to do was to understand Alyssa and make her ept him. That child is smart and sensible. She won¡¯t be swayed by sweet talk, and she¡¯s not that easy to appease. She doesn¡¯t like Joseph, simply because she¡¯s worried that he won¡¯t treat Deborah well. Joseph looked at Morton in the front seat, ¡°Go and find out more about Alyssa¡¯s current preferences and her experiences over the past three years.¡± Morton nodded, ¡°All right. But Mr. ck, Alyssa now has the support of the Moxley family. The Moxley family is quite. powerful, and I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t let outsiders easily find out about the child¡¯s situation.¡± Joseph began flipping through the documents at hand. ¡°Do your best to investigate what you can, and do it discreetly. Now, let¡¯s head to Jingron¡¯s headquarters.¡± Deborah wants to spend some time alone with Alyssa, so it would be best not to disturb them too often in the next few days. To avoid making things worse, like what happenedst night, he didn¡¯t want Alyssa to form any prejudices against him. The car came to a stop outside Jingron¡¯s headquarters. Joseph got out of the car, entered thepany building, and went up to the top floor CEO¡¯s office. One by one, executives entered the room to report on their recent work and brought documents for him to sign. Joseph is in a bad mood today, showing impatience several times. The executive noticed that his mood was off, which made him a bit nervous, the work report, he identally made a small mistake. Upon realizing the mistake, she immediately corrected herself, only to meet Joseph¡¯s cold gaze. The executive looked uneasy for a moment and said, ¡°Mr. ck, I¡¯m truly sorry, but may I present my report again?¡± Joseph closed the file in his hand and, with a serious expression, tossed it onto his office desk. ¡°No need to say more.¡± No sooner had his words tallen, than the phone on the office desk rang. A text message came in, and Joseph reached out to grab his phone, unlocking the screen. Deborah sent a message: [Are you going to thepany or heading home?] Joseph¡¯s face brightened, and he immediately replied to the message: [I¡¯ll be at thepany soon, over at Jingron¡¯s headquarters. How are you and Alyssa getting along? Are you familiar with the area? If not, I can ask Evelyn to join you guys, she knows Oceanview City inside out. How about having lunch together at that ce we went tost time? What do you think?] After editing a long text, it was time to send it over. After giving it some thought, he deleted a few words, leaving only one sentence: [I¡¯m already at the Over there, the response was sent. It wrote: [Hmmm, you¡¯re busy.] Joseph immediately wanted to type: [Not busy, very free.] After holding back for a while, I could only reply with a simple word. It wrote: [Okay.1 After waiting for a while, there was no response from the other side. Only then did he put his phone aside. Joseph felt reassured, as he was well aware of Deborah¡¯s temperament. Such a simple text message signifies that she won¡¯t really ignore him in the future. She just needs time to slowly consider and ept certain things. Upon ncing up, Joseph saw that both Morton and Ray, who were right in front of him, were staring at him with surprised expressions. He immediately became serious and handed the document back to Ray, ¡°There¡¯s no need to report again. The details. are clearly written in the document. I¡¯ve read it thoroughly. You may leave now.¡± Ray took the document as if he had just received a royal pardon, feeling an inexplicable sense of escaping death. He nodded repeatedly, ¡°All right, all right.¡± After Ray left, Joseph kindly looked at Morton and said, ¡°Bring me anything else that needs to be signed or dealt with.¡± Morton quickly realized that the message he had just received must have been from Deborah. The oppressive atmosphere in the CEO¡¯s office has finally dissipated. Morton brought over the documents, but Joseph asked him to leave so he could handle it himself. Joseph¡¯s expression remained indifferent, showing no significant change. But Morton could tell that his mood had improved more than just a little. After sending the message, Deborah put her phone back into her clothes pocket. The weather is lovely today, with the sun shining brightly. She apanied Alyssa to an outdoor art exhibition, where several paintings were created by Ann. Ann is Deborah¡¯s teacher and also a renowned fashion design master both domestically and internationally. In addition to that, she also has a hobby, which is painting. Her achievements in the painting industry, though not as significant as those in fashion design, have also gained her some fame. The organizer came over enthusiastically and greeted Deborah. ¡°Ms Shepherd, over there is the rest area. There are drinks and snacks, as well as a children¡¯s y area. If you and your daughter get tired from looking around, you can go there to take a break.¡± Deborah smiled and said, ¡°All right, thank you.¡± The organizer handed her another invitation. ¡°By the way, we have also prepared a charity auction for tonight, which will be held at the hotel next door. The artworks you see here will mostly be part of an auction, and we look forward to your attendance.¡± Deborah asked, ¡°Will Master Ann¡¯s paintings sell?¡± The organizer said with a smile, ¡°Not all of the paintings exhibited by Master Ann will be auctioned. However, two of them will be participating.¡± He spoke and pointed out two of the paintings to Deborah. Both of them werendscape paintings. Deborah pointed to another one, ¡°Won¡¯t this be auctioned?¡± In that painting, there was a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, Iving amidst the ruins left behind by an earthquake. The chaos and noise following the earthquake stood in stark contrast to the peaceful slumber of the oblivious infant, unaware of its surroundings. It was so realistic, as if everything hade to life from the painting. The organizer apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Shepherd, but this piece is not on the auction list. After the exhibition is over, it will be returned to Master Ann.¡± Deborah looked away and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine, no problem.¡± After receiving the invitation to the auction, the organizer left. Deborah looked at the painting again, unable to take her eyes off it for a long time. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Ann is an extremely low-key person who enjoys peace and quiet. She has always been elusive, like a dragon that shows. its head but not its tail. During this period, she went abroad for a vacation, not caring about her matters in the country at all. Even Deborah didn¡¯t know where she had gone. Alyssa, who was standing nearby, noticed Deborah staring at the painting and lost in thought. She reached out and gently rugged on her mother¡¯s sleeve, asking, ¡°Mommy, do you really like Grandma Ann¡¯s paintings?¡± Deborah was taken aback, lowering her gaze to look at her, ¡°Grandma Ann?¡± It seemed as if Alyssa knew this person. Alyssa replied, ¡°Grandma Ann is Adrian¡¯s aunt. Adrian¡¯s mother is Ava Moxley, who is Grandma Ann¡¯s older sister.¡± Deborah looked shocked, ¡°Really? That happened?¡± She has been learning from Ann for so many years, and her own daughter has been raised by Ann¡¯s biological sister for the past three years? Alyssa nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right. Grandma Ann is a really nice person, but she doesn¡¯te back often. Maybe in a while, you cane with me to Moxley Manor, Mommy, and we might be able to see her.¡± Deborah was still too astonished to snap out of it when Alyssa¡¯s phone rang. Although Alyssa is still young, as a child star, she already has her own talent agency. So, having a cell phone makesmunication more convenient. Of course, it was only outside of school where she could keep her phone with her. Alyssa answered the video call, and Adrian¡¯s angry face immediately appeared on the screen. Adrian is on the set of a historical film, wearing a cream white robe, with his fake long hair tied up, looking like at noble young son of a rich family with an air of gentle kind and good temperament. The noble young son from a rich family with a gentle kind and good temperament roared, ¡°You little ungrateful one! Now that you have your mother Deborah, do you not want your Adrian anymore?¡± Before Alyssa could answer, he continued angrily, ¡°I don¡¯t care! In three days, it¡¯s Christmas. You bring Deborah along to Moxley Manor for Christmas dinner. I need to have a good talk with Deborah. After all, I can¡¯t let my three years of raising her go to waste!¡± The camera lens shifted, focusing on Deborah. ¡°Adrian, are you sure you want to talk to my mom with that attitude?¡± Adrian¡¯s face stiffened, not expecting Deborah to suddenly appear. He casually spoke with Alyssa, but he wasn¡¯t really that impolite. Adrian immediately put on a serious face. ¡°Ms. Shepherd, what I mean is, I would like to invite you and Alyssa to join us for dinner at Moxley Manor. I hope you can grace us with your presence and not find it beneath you.¡± Alyssa snorted and said, ¡°The food is fine. But I heard that Reba is dating my dad, isn¡¯t she? When it¡¯s time to eat at Moxley Manor, my dad won¡¯t being, right? My mom doesn¡¯t like seeing him.¡± Chapter 173 Chapter 173 Chapter 173 All Eyes on Ashton and Her Adrian replied nonchntly, ¡°How would I know? Whether Ashtones or not, he wouldn¡¯t bother to inform me.¡± Reba is Adrian¡¯s cousin and has been living with the Moxley family since she was young, so herst name is Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Moxley. Although the three Adrian brothers and Reba seem to get along well only on the surface. In fact, there really isn¡¯t much sibling affection between them, and they don¡¯t get involved in each other¡¯s affairs. It¡¯s not that the Moxley brothers deliberately ignored her, but rather, Steven and Norman were preupied with their careers and didn¡¯t have much time to socialize with Reba. As for Adrian, it¡¯s simply a matter of his personality not meshing well with Reba¡¯s. Adrian is outgoing and loves to have a good time, going around and enjoying himself. He is carefree and impulsive in his actions. Reba has a cold and gloomy temperament, which, in Adrian¡¯s view, makes her quite dull and difficult to get along with. He couldn¡¯t get along with Ashton for the same reason. Upon hearing him say this, Alyssa became displeased. ¡°Then it¡¯s possible that my dad might go. In that case, my mom and I won¡¯t go back for Christmas. We¡¯ll talk about it Adrian had kept Alyssa by his side for three years, and now that he suddenly couldn¡¯t see her, he felt as if a daughter had abandoned him. He felt uneasy, but reluctantly agreed, ¡°All right, all right, I¡¯ll talk to Reba and ask her not to bring Ashton back on Christmas.¡± Alyssa immediately responded, ¡°Then you have to promise. After you¡¯ve talked to Reba, call me, and only then will my mom and I consider returning to Richmond.¡± There are some things Deborah finds difficult to say directly, but Alyssa understands, so she won¡¯t put Deborah in at difficult position. Over there, Adrian said exasperatedly, ¡°You little brat, daring to threaten your uncle like that. Fine, fine, fine, I¡¯ll make callter and make sure Ashton won¡¯t be able to enter Moxley Manor, alright?¡± ¡°Go ahead and make that call, then let us know when you¡¯re done by calling us back,¡± Alyssa said before hanging up the phone. From the tone of Alyssa¡¯s words, Deborah could tell that Adrian had indeed treated her well over the past few years. Upon thinking about it, Deborah would definitely need to visit the Moxley family on the day of Christma, to express her gratitude wholeheartedly. After Deborah and Alyssa finished viewing the art exhibition, it was past four in the afternoon. The organizers then invited them to have dinner at a nearby hotel. After finishing dinner, the charity g soon began. During this time, Adrian called back and said that he had spoken with Reba. He assured that Ashton would not be present at Moxley Manor on Christmas. After asking for Deborah¡¯s opinion, Alyssa agreed to return to Richmond before Christmas. Deborah made up her mind to visit Moxley Manor, and now that her only concern was gone, she felt much more rxed. But soon, she could no longer feel rxed. As soon as she and Alyssa entered the auction venue, they headed to the front row to take their seats. From a distance, they could see Ashton sitting in the same row. The auction hadn¡¯t even started yet, and a few merchants were already standing next to him, their faces full of ttery and ingratiating words. Ashton¡¯s face showed little emotion, and he responded with a few words somewhat impatiently from time to time. Alyssa noticed it too and immediately looked at Deborah, saying, ¡°Well, it¡¯s hard to guard against everything.¡± Deborah couldn¡¯t help butugh at her words, and pulled her to sit down, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mommy will just bid a couple of pictures and then leave.¡± The auction was about to begin, and the merchants surrounding Ashton quickly took their seats. The first items up for auction were several pieces of jewelry. As the auctioneer introduced them, he couldn¡¯t help but steal a few nces at Deborah. It¡¯s no wonder he¡¯s looking. In the past, when Joseph took Deborah to auctions, he loved bidding on beautiful jewelry for her. She doesn¡¯t wear it often, but she bought it to keep and admire. But Deborah never raised her auction bid paddle. She had no ns to buy jewelry today, and another thing was that she had limited money on hand and didn¡¯t intend to spend Joseph¡¯s money either. Over the past three years, she had earned a sry as a designer, and also made some money by learning to invest with Joseph. The money in hand is just over 8 million dors. And the starting auction pieces for these jewels, each one is worth at least a few hundred thousand dors. She doesn¡¯t have much money, so she needs to spend it carefully. Before Deborah could raise her auction bid paddle, the auctioneer¡¯s face showed a hint of disappointment. When ites to bargaining for purchases, Deborah and Joseph are quite generous and straightforward. And now, there¡¯s Ashton at the scene, who¡¯s been looking at his phone the whole time, seemingly uninterested in the jewelry. Ashton¡¯s purpose foring was quite simple to casually bid high on one or two items, treating it as a charitable donation and reinforcing his image as a good businessman who umtes virtue through acts of kindness. And finally, there¡¯s the showstopper, Rockefeller Emerald, with a starting bid of 7.5 million dors now that¡¯s something he would bid on. The auctioneer tried his best to create a lively atmosphere, but most of the people present couldn¡¯t help but steal nces at Ashton and Deborah, their minds clearly preupied with the anticipation of some juicy gossip. Deborah was almost falling asleep as she waited, but finally, the auction began for Ann¡¯s two paintings. Alyssa tugged at her sleeve and said, ¡°Mommy, it¡¯s our turn now.¡± Deborah instantly became alert upon hearing the auctioneer finish introducing the painting, and then mentioned the starting bid of 75,000 dors. Deborah immediately raised the auction bid paddle. ¡°90,000 dors.¡± The atmosphere at the scene immediately became lively with more discussions, and some people started raising their auction bid paddles. ¡°110 thousand dors.¡± ¡°120 thousand dors.¡± Deborah raised her offer. ¡°150 thousand dors.¡± Ashton¡¯s enthusiasm waned as he paused from scrolling through his phone, lifting his gaze to look over at Deborah. His face showed surprise as he just realized she was there. At this moment, Deborah wasn¡¯t paying any attention to him, as she was determined to seed. But her expression was quiteposed, showing little interest. This is what Joseph taught her. In a business ce, the more you want something, the more you should act as if you can take it or leave it. Otherwise, it¡¯s easy to fall into traps and be given inted prices, Ann¡¯s artwork, among the many painting masters, is not considered particrly good. But behind her are the Moxley family and the Abrams family, as well as her own status as an internationally renowned designer. So, people continued to bid, and the price was called all the way up to 270 thousand dors. Deborah telt a bit of difort. In the past, spending Joseph¡¯s money didn¡¯t seem to bother me much, but now that I¡¯m spending my own, it does hurt a bit. She pondered that 375 thousand dors was her limit; if someone else raised the bid, she wouldn¡¯t Deborah raises the auction bid paddle again. ¡°290 thousand dors.¡± Ashton suddenly raised his auction bid paddle. ¡°300 thousand dors.¡± Chapter 174 Chapter 174 Chapter 174 She Is Not a Match Ashton, who had been silent all along, joined the auction, and the atmosphere inside the auction house changed rapidly. It was clear to everyone that Ashton shouldn¡¯t be interested in these two paintings. In Ann¡¯s possession, it¡¯s not the paintings that hold more value, but rather the designed clothing. As for Ashton, what usually piques his interest at the auction house are either invaluable gemstones or the rare antiques that Hector fancies. Whispers quickly spread throughout the room. Someone chimed in, ¡°What does Mr. Mullen mean by this? Is he trying topete with Ms. Shepherd for the painting?¡± Another said, ¡°I think Mr. Mullen¡¯s intention to buy this painting is not really about the painting itself. Could it be that he¡¯s feeling resentful about his divorce from Ms. Shepherd and is deliberately trying to make her unhappy?¡± A stranger said, ¡°My view is actually quite the opposite. Perhaps Mr. Mullen intends to buy the painting and then give it to Ms. Shepherd when she¡¯s disappointed. Wouldn¡¯t you call that a surprise?¡± Another said, ¡°Hey, who knows? Let¡¯s just watch and see, and not get involved. It¡¯s better not to The auctioneer on stage could hardly conceal his excitement. I have a feeling that these two paintings, once auctioned by Ashton, are very likely to be sold at a sky- high price. It doesn¡¯t matter how Deborah and Ashtonpete, both of them have plenty of money. The important thing is, after their bidding war, no matter who ends up buying the painting, the organizers will make a fortune. The auctioneer¡¯s voice trembled slightly, ¡°Alright, Mr. Mullen has offered 300 thousand dors. Any higher bids?¡± He nced at the audience below, and those who had just been bidding in the auction had all fallen silent. The auctioneer looked at Deborah, and her face didn¡¯t look good. She didn¡¯t understand what Ashton meant, but she wouldn¡¯t let it affect her own finances. If Ashton really wants it, just let him have it. After all, her budget is still within 375 thousand dors. Alyssa was quite upset. ¡°Mommy, let¡¯s not bother with this. I¡¯ll go to Grandma Annter and ask her for two paintings for you.¡± Deborah knew that this wasn¡¯t appropriate. Ann¡¯s main upation isn¡¯t painting; she just creates a few pieces as a hobby. Sometimes, even after a whole year, only a few drawings can be produced. In most cases, items are donated to these charitable organizations, which then sell them to raise funds for charity. Deborah really didn¡¯t want to directly ask her for the paintings, as it would be difficult to calcte and mighte across as impolite. Deborah reassures Alyssa by her side, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if he raises the price too high, Mommy won¡¯t take it.¡± She raised the auction bid paddle. ¡°315 thousand dors.¡± Everyone¡¯s gaze immediately turned towards Ashton. Ashton, however, fell silent. Deborah nced over and saw him holding his phone, taking a call. The auctioneer on stage was momentarily caught in a dilemma, and slowed down his speech as he followed the procedure. ¡°All right, 315 thousand dors, any more bids?¡± Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. After waiting for quite a while, Ashton was still on the phone. The auctioneer was somewhat unwilling to ept it. With the atmosphere having reached this point, it couldn¡¯t possibly end at just 315 thousand dors, could it? In that case, Ashton might as well not get involved, so that the others would probably be able to offer a higher price. The auctioneer asked again, ¡°Any more bids? Anyone else?¡± A staff member nearby reminded him, ¡°There isn¡¯t much time left, and there are still many items to be auctioned off.¡± Ashton kept making phone calls, and when he nced at the stage, he didn¡¯t signal the auctioneer to wait. After the auctioneer confirmed a few more times, the deal was closed at a price of 315 thousand dors. Alyssa, who was standing nearby, couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes. ¡°Is he alright?¡± The item was sold, and the murmurs within the venue grew even louder. Deborah didn¡¯t bother anymore and just lowered her head to browse her own phone. She wanted to pay for the painting and leave halfway through the event, but the person in charge kindly told her that she had to wait until the auction was over to go through the proper procedures to get the painting. Deborah is no fool. She has walked through the process several times before, so she knows what it¡¯s all about. There¡¯s nothing wrong with paying the right amount and taking away the things you¡¯ve bought. As for the rules of the program, who says they have to be so rigid? The person in charge is now setting the rules like this, asking her to stay. Isn¡¯t that just making her and Ashton stay here, to be treated like monkeys for people to watch? Deborah was feeling, annoyed, yet the person in charge happened to be quite familiar with her and had an exceptionally good attitude. After the auction is over, he will give her the vase she had her eye onst time, free of charge. It¡¯s hard to turn away someone with a smiling face, so she had no choice but to let them stay for now. The crowd was eagerly waiting for another exciting drama, but Deborah didn¡¯t participate in any of the following auctions. Atst, Ashton finished that phone call. He didn¡¯t inquire about those two paintings anymore, nor did he take pictures of anything else. Up until the final auction item, the Rockefeller Emerald. He was determined to win, and sessfully secured it for a price of 12 million dors. After waiting patiently for the auction to end, Deborah immediately stood up and went to collect the painting from the person in charge. Ashton was surrounded by several merchants, who were all congratting him with smiles for sessfully bidding on the item he had his heart set on Someone couldn¡¯t help butugh and say, ¡°But I never would have thought, Mr. Mullen, that you would also be interested in Master Ann¡¯s paintings.¡± Ashton¡¯s face suddenly changed, as if he had just remembered something ¡°Oh, I misunderstood. I thought it was something else.¡± The person who asked the question was also taken aback, and thenughed, saying, ¡°So that¡¯s how it is.¡± Upon seeing Ashton¡¯s expression at that time, it did indeed seem like he had misheard. Originally, they didn¡¯t even raise their heads, just directly held up the sign with their auction bid paddle. After ncing at the items on the stage, they didn¡¯t raise their auction bid paddle again. A few people chatted andughed as they dispersed. Deborah took the painting and lett the hotel. As for the vase that the auctioneer politely offered to give her, she declined. That one is too valuable; it¡¯s an antique blue and white porcin vase, half a person¡¯s height, with a price reaching up to¡­ Over 3 million dors. The auctioneer said it was given to her because they knew Joseph had a discerning eye and would definitelye to pay for it afterwards. Deborah left the hotel, and surprisingly, Ashton didn¡¯t follow her. She got into the car with Alyssa, while he got into a separate car and left. Even though Deborah tried to reassure herself, she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that what he did at the auction today wasn¡¯t entirely unintentional. She harbored a deep hatred for Ashton. If it weren¡¯t for Alyssa, every time she thought about the past, she would have wished to perish together with Ashton. On second thought, she realized that she still had her daughter to apany her, and she couldn¡¯t just ignore that responsibility. Not many people can truly stand up against Ashton. Even if they can, it would likely result in mutual destruction. She knew she couldn¡¯tpete with him or challenge him, but she could always avoid him. So all she could do was to stay far away from Ashton, it would be best not to have any further involvement with him. In the days toe, I¡¯ll spend quality time with Alyssa and live a peaceful life. Deborah sat in the back seat of the car and said to Alyssa, ¡°You must be missing Adrian too, right? With so many people traveling near the end of the year, why don¡¯t we head back to Richmond tomorrow morning?¡± H Alyssa leaned into her embrace and said, ¡°I always listen to my mom.¡± Early the next morning, Deborah packed her luggage and took Alyssa to the airport. Before boarding, she thought for a moment and sent a message to Joseph.. It wrote: [I went back to Richmond with Alyssa, and we had dinner at Moxley Manor on Christmas.] The response came quickly from the other side: [All right, take care. Richmond is much colder than Oceanview City, so remember to dress warmly and avoid catching a cold. If there¡¯s anything you need, just let me know.] Deborah¡¯s eyes reddened for a moment. She replied with an ¡°okay¡± and put her phone back in her pocket. In the afternoon, the nends in Richmond.. Deborah had just collected Alyssa¡¯s luggage and was about to leave the airport when she spotted a tall, sneaky looking man approaching from a distance. The man wore a ck face mask and dark sunsses, with a duckbill cap on his head, the brim pulled down low. You couldn¡¯t see a single strand of hair on the person, let alone their face. If it weren¡¯t for the extraordinary aura emanating from him, he would have looked like someone about to rob a bank. Deborah watched him walk straight towards her, her mind filling with thoughts of human traffickers and the like. She immediately pulled Alyssa closer to her side, while ncing at the airport security not far away, ready to call out for help if needed. The man approached, stopping just two or three steps away from them. Deborah couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°Don¡¯te any closer, who are you?¡± The man finally stopped in his tracks, looking at the frightened faces of Alyssa and Deborah. He slid his sunsses down to the bridge of his nose, and after ncing around, he discreetly pulled down his face mask. ¡°Hey hey hey, Alyssa, it¡¯s me.¡± 3200 Chapter 175 Chapter 175 Chapter 175 Setting Him Up with Deborah Alyssa¡¯s face went from being full of caution to one of immense speechlessness. ¡°Adrian, if the police see you like this, they¡¯ll take you away immediately.¡± Adrian put his face mask back on his face and strode over with his long legs. He took the two suitcases that Deborah was pushing with one hand. ¡°You have no idea! I came here alone and was almost suffocated by those crazy journalists!¡± Deborah greeted, ¡°Mr. Moxley.¡± Adrian¡¯s face waspletely covered, and he tilted his head, probably taking a nce at her. ¡°Hey, Ms. Shepherd. How about I take you straight to Moxley Manor? You¡¯ve been staying in Oceanview City for the past few years, and since you¡¯re new to Richmond, it might be hard to decide where to stay, right?¡± Deborah thought about it and realized that she really didn¡¯t know where to go for the time being. She didn¡¯t have her own house in Richmond yet, but the divorce agreement stated that Ashton had given her two properties, one of which was actually in Richmond. After learning that it was his property, she didn¡¯t really want to stay there. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. On the way, the n was to first take Alyssa to a hotel, and then look for a suitable house. Adrian seemed to see right through her thoughts, ¡°Staying in a hotel isn¡¯t convenient either, Riclunand is quite cold. Over at my Moxley Manor, it¡¯s just my grandmother living there, so there¡¯s no need for you to worry, Ms. Shepherd. As for my grandmother, she really enjoys lively and bustling environments.¡± Adrian himself owns a few houses, but he has hardly ever lived in them. But he was a notorious womanizer, and sometimes, the women who couldn¡¯t find him would go searching for him at his various residences. Adrian thought that if he let Deborah stay in the past and meet those women, it would be utterly embarrassing if misunderstandings led to disputes, Deborah hesitated for a moment, thinking that she would have to visit eventually, so going a few days earlier wouldn¡¯t make much of a difference. However, she said, ¡°I haven¡¯t had the chance to prepare a gift for our first visit. Mr. Moxley, would it be convenient for you to take us to the mall first?¡± She originally nned to visit Moxley Manor in a few days, during Christmas. These past few days have been enough time for her to do some shopping for the Moxley family. Adrian took the two of them straight to the parking lot and ushered them into the back seat of the car. ¡°What¡¯s the point of buying anything? Only my grandmother is at Moxley Manor now, and my parents haven¡¯t returned from their trip abroad. If you¡¯re willing to take Alyssa to visit Moxley Manor, that would be the greatest gift for my grandmother.¡± Deborah was a bit anxious, ¡°How can this be? You can¡¯t show up empty-handed for the first visit.¡± Adrian nced at her nonchntly through the rearview mirror and said, ¡°Well, that¡¯s your opinion. It¡¯s not like. you¡¯reing with me to visit my future inws. What¡¯s wrong with showing up empty- handed?¡± Deborah¡¯s expression faltered for a moment before she finally understood what he meant after a short pause, Alyssa red angrily ahead, ¡°Adrian, don¡¯t you dare take advantage of my mom! She wouldn¡¯t be interested in someone as fickle as you!¡± Upon seeing Alyssa getting anxious, Adrian became even more amused and said, ¡°Hey, what¡¯s the big deal about being fickle? I can change his ways, right?¡± Alyssa sneered, ¡°You want to change? If you do, what will happen to Wendy, Jennie, Yves, and Minnie?¡± Adrian¡¯s face turned awkward, ¡°You kid, don¡¯t make things up. She¡¯s just a regr friend.¡± Deborah was still pondering about the gift, ¡°No, I should go to the mall instead. It¡¯s impolite not to.¡± Alyssa and Adrian had already moved on to another topic in their conversation, while Deborah was still immersed in the previous subject. It took her a moment to realize what they were talking about. Alyssaforted Deborah, ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t worry, Great-Grandma Donna is a very nice person. If we really want to give her something, we can wait for a few days until the day of Christmas, and then buy something for Great-Grandma Donna. That would be fine too.¡± Deborah thought it was fine and decided to wait a few more days before sending it. These days, there¡¯s plenty of time to carefully make a selection. The car quickly came to a stop outside Moxley Manor. The house exudes an ancient charm, with its understated color scheme and decor, yet it possesses a strong sense of style and elegance. Adrian led Deborah and Alyssa inside as dusk was setting in. The nanny was busy preparing dinner.. Donna was dozing off alone in the living room when she heard footsteps and woke up. As she stood up and walked to the door, she saw Adrian leading Deborah in. The elderly person¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Ah, Adrian brought his wife back!¡± Deborah immediately wanted to exin, ¡°Mrs. Donna, I¡­¡± Donna excitedly grabbed Deborah¡¯s hand, her face full of joy, ¡°You¡¯re so pretty! I can tell you¡¯re a good girl at first nce! Adrian, you may not seem reliable, but your taste is excellent, much better than your two older brothers!¡± Alyssa, with a headache, said, ¡°Great-Grandma Donna, she¡¯s my mom, not the girlfriend Adrian brought home.¡± Donna only heard half of it, but she was alreadyughing so hard that her face was full of wrinkles. ¡°Yes, the girlfriend you, Adrian, brought back! Grandma knows, Grandma can see!¡± Alyssa, holding her forehead, said, ¡°No, Great-Grandma Donna¡­¡± Donna excitedly interrupted Alyssa, ¡°Alyssa, let Grandma talk to this youngdy first. You go over there and eat something, there are delicious treats. Be good, okay?¡± The housekeeper immediately stepped forward, ready to lead Alyssa to a nearby seat. Alyssa gave up struggling and nced at Deborah. ¡°Mominy, you can decide for yourself.¡± Deborah was pulled by Donna and they both sat down on the couch. She tried to exin several times, but Donna was just too excited and kept talking to her, as if she hadn¡¯t heard what she said at all. Adrian sat down on the couch across the room, neither admitting nor denying anything, just happily watching the drama unfold. Donna looked at him with satisfaction and said, ¡°Well done, young man. You¡¯ve really grown and improved. Impressive!¡± Adrian, eating melon seeds, nodded and responded with his eyes that gave a look that he was not bad and is naturally quite good. Deborah watched their eyes meet and then look away, having no idea what they weremunicating. Donna¡¯s gaze returned to Deborah, her face full of affection. As she looked on, her face showed a hint of surprise. ¡°This child, howe they resemble Ava so much?¡± Ava is Ava, Donna¡¯s daughter-inw, and also Adrian¡¯s biological mother. Adrian hadn¡¯t really taken a close look at Deborah before, but now he took the opportunity to observe her more. carefully. In Adrian¡¯s experience in the entertainment industry, he had seen countless handsome men and beautiful women. It must be said, Deborah¡¯s facial features are indeed quite attractive. It¡¯s the kind of beauty that, with just a nce, bes unforgettable. At first nce, it may not seem ostentatious, but upon closer inspection, it is truly stunning. Adrian suddenly felt that Donna¡¯s matchmaking efforts between him and Deborah were quite fitting. After looking for a while, he also felt a bit lost. ¡°It does resemble a bit, maybe this is fate?¡± 176 176 Chapter 176 Witnessinvg Ashton Coughing Up Blood At this moment, Donna heard it clearly and, with a smile, patted Deborah¡¯s hand. ¡°It truly is fate, the mother-inw and daughter-inw look alike, destined to be a family.¡± Adrian¡¯s gaze towards Deborah began to grow more affectionate. Deborah noticed that things were gradually going off track, while Adrian¡¯s attitude waspletely stirring up trouble. She had no choice but to exin earnestly to the elderly woman, ¡°Mrs. Donna, please listen to me. I am not familiar with Mr. Adrian, and we are definitely not in a romantic rtionship. I am Alyssa¡¯s mother, and I came here today to personally express my gratitude to your family for taking such good care of Alyssa all these years.¡± Deborah is now sitting right next to Donna, deliberately raising her voice and speaking clearly and slowly. Donna listened carefully, looking incredulously at Deborah, then at Adrian, who wore a smug grin on his face. Donna asked Deborah, ¡°Are you Alyssa¡¯s mom, Ms. Shepherd?¡± Deborah, Alyssa¡¯s mother, is nning to visit during the uing Christmas. Donna has been aware of this for quite some time. Deborah nodded, ¡°Yes, Mrs. Donna, I am Deborah.¡± Adrian immediately thought of getting up and running away, but Donna was so angry that she raised her cane to hit him. ¡°You little rascal, you¡¯re getting more and more out of line! Can you just make jokes like this? I must teach you a lesson today!¡± Deborah saw the elderly Mrs. Donna struggling to stand up and immediately reached out to help and stop her. ¡°Mrs. Donna, please be careful with your health.¡± Donna scolded Adrian a few times before sitting down and continuing her conversation with Deborah. Just after a few sentences, the conversation veered off topic again. ¡°I heard that Alyssa is the child of Ms. Shepherd and her ex-husband, Mr. Mullen. Ms. Shepherd, have you remarried or started dating someone new?¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Despite being over 80 years old, the elderly man had spent many years abroad, which made him exceptionally open-minded. She knew that Deborah and Ashton had divorced, and now Ashton was even dating Reba. All of this was just a normal part of life. Deborah dating and getting married is just as normal as anything else. Deborah replied, ¡°I¡¯m not married yet, but¡­¡± Donnaughed and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be frightened by my little grandson, he¡¯s always been unreliable. Grandma said to you, Grandma has two more grandsons, both of them are very reliable. One is a doctor and the other manages apany. Would you like to meet them? How about Grandma invites them over tonight?¡± Deborah said, ¡°Mrs. Donna, I¡¯m not married yet, but I already have someone I¡¯m lond of.¡± Donna¡¯s face showed great disappointment, and she remained silent for a while. Reluctantly, she patted Deborah¡¯s hand. ¡°Such a lovely girl. Sigh. If you¡¯re looking for someone in the future, don¡¯t forget about your grandma here.¡± Adrian sighed, ¡°Grandma, can you please not try to sell us off to everyone you meet? Rumors are going around in our circle that the three of us brothers must have some hidden issues, since you¡¯re always trying to get rid of us like we¡¯re cheap street stall goods.¡± Donna said angrily. ¡°You three brothers are almost as worthless as stuff from street vendors. One of you is always messing around, and the other two are already over 30. If grandma doesn¡¯t promote you, who would even want you?¡± Adrian gave Deborah a pained look, pretended to answer a phone call, and quickly got up and left. After chatting with Deborah for quite some time and having dinner, Donna grew tired. She instructed the housekeeper to take good care of Deborah and her daughter before heading off to bed. Alyssa has her own bedroom upstairs, but she has to sleep with Deborah. The housekeeper didn¡¯t bother to arrange another room, allowing Deborah to stay in Alyssa¡¯s bedroom. Alyssa was in a great mood and went upstairs to tidy up her room. Deborah carried a ss of water from the kitchen and was about to go upstairs when she heard a hall. She turned around to look, momentarily stunned. Reba supported a wobbly Ashton as they walked in from outside, bringing with them a strong smell of alcohol. Upon seeing the situation, the housekeepers hurried over to help. Ashton, with a wave of his hand, knocked over an ornament on the cab. Something fell to the ground with a thudding sound. Reba supported him as they entered, both of them sweating profusely. She instructed the housekeeper, ¡°Go make a bowl of hangover soup and bring it here. There¡¯s no need for so many of you to help.¡± She sounded a bit annoyed, as she was struggling to support Ashton while bending over, not noticing Deborah standing at the staircase entrance. As they were about to go upstairs, she said in a serious tone. ¡°Don¡¯t you know your own body? Your lungs are already in terrible shape, yet you still smoke and drink.¡± Deborah took two steps back, making room for them to go upstairs. Reba waspletely focused on Ashton, and with the numerous housekeepers in the living room, she didn¡¯t even notice Deborah as she walked past her. As Ashton was about to climb the stairs, he suddenly stopped in his tracks. He tilted his head, looking at Deborah. After drinking too much, his vision became blurry, and he couldn¡¯t see clearly. Squinting, he looked more closely. In a daze, it felt as if Deborah¡¯s face was swaying before his eyes. Reba tugged at him somewhat irritably, ¡°Are you going or not? If you don¡¯t, you might as well sleep on the floor¡­¡± As soon as she finished speaking, she followed Ashton¡¯s gaze and saw Deborah. Reba¡¯s expression froze for a moment, and her face quickly turned from red to white and back again. She didn¡¯t know how Deborah had ended up here, but when she thought of Alyssa and the recent news she had learned, it all made sense. Ashton stared at Deborah without moving or making a sound, as if he had turned into wood. Reba suddenly felt a deep sense of embarrassment, for no apparent reason, as if she had been greatly humiliated. She suddenly pushed Ashton towards Deborah and said, ¡°He¡¯s had too much to drink. You deal with it; it¡¯s not my problem.¡± Deborah¡¯s expression remained unchanged as she watched Ashton turn towards her. She stepped aside, and then watched as he fell t on his face with a thudding sound on the ground. Reba pushed Ashton away and headed straight upstairs. Upon climbing just two flights of stairs, a sudden noise was heard from behind. She suddenly turned around and saw that Ashton was already on the ground. ¡± Deborah stood there, still showing no reaction. The housekeeper was in aplete mess, letting out a cry of surprise, and immediately helped Ashton up. Deborah calmly looked at Reba and said, ¡°Ms. Moxley, I¡¯m not sure what you meant just now, but that was quite rude.¡± Reba must be aware of her divorce from Ashton. Reba¡¯s face looked terrible as Deborah passed by her and went upstairs. Perhaps it¡¯s not a good idea to stay here overnight tonight. She didn¡¯t know why, buttely, it seemed like she would always bump into Ashton wherever she went. I still need to find a good house as soon as possible. Whether I buy or rent, it¡¯s not like we¡¯ll run into each other again, right? Deborah pondered whether to discuss with Alyssa about staying out tonight. Upon opening the bedroom door, she saw Alyssa with a flushed face, having already arranged the room beautifully. The pink bedsidemp illuminated the room, and Alyssa looked at Deborah with anticipation. ¡°Mommy, do you like it?¡± Alyssa doesn¡¯t really like pink that much anymore, but she still remembers that three years ago, when she was with Deborah, Deborah loved buying her pink things. Deborah hesitated for a moment, considering howte it was. She thought that if she were to take Alyssa away now, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to exin the situation to Donna. Deborah suppressed her difort and walked over with a smile, ¡°Yes, Mom really likes it.¡± After washing up, Alyssa slept next to Deborah, feeling very at ease. Deborah couldn¡¯t fall asleep, and somehow, she suddenly thought of Joseph. It seemed like they hadn¡¯t had a proper conversation in a long time. I wonder where he is now, and if he¡¯s asleep. The more she thought about it, the harder it was for her to fall asleep. So, she carefully and quietly got up, grabbed her phone, and left the bedroom. At this point, it wasn¡¯t toote, and she was considering whether or not to send a message to Joseph. In the bedroom next door, the sudden sound of something shattering could be heard, somewhat piercing to the ears. Deborah was suddenly startled and nced sideways to see that the bedroom door next to her was slightly ajar, not fully closed. Inside, the noise was quite loud, with Reba¡¯s excited voice clearlying through. ¡°Why are you coughing up blood?! Ashton, you better exin yourself, or I¡¯ll go get Deborah right now!¡± 177 177 Chapter 177 An Incurable Disease Deborah stood outside the door, suddenly feeling as if she had misheard. Reba cried out, demanding to know why Ashton was coughing up blood. Can Ashton cough up blood? However, it wasn¡¯t long before Deborah thought of something. A few days ago, she was kidnapped by Chandler¡¯s people and has been hospitalized for recovery since then. Evelyn came over to apany her, saying that she saw Ashton vomiting blood in the hallway outside. At that moment, Deborahughed, saying that her eyes were ying tricks on her. So, it turns out to be true. Ashton, do you believe in karma? Deborah paused in the middle of typing a text message on her phone. Through the cr*ck in the door, she nced into the bedroom next to her. The door suddenly swung open, and Ashton, leaning against the wall, walked out from inside. His face was pale and distressed, with dark red blood still smeared at the corner of his mouth, not yet wiped clean. The person who used to be meticulous from head to toe now has disheveled hair, a misbuttoned coat, and a dark stain on the cor, which is likely blood. He seemed a bit more awake and was eager to go downstairs and leave. As he passed by Deborah, he quickly nced at her and subconsciously raised his hand in a hurry, wiping the bloodstain from the corner of his mouth carelessly. Reba caught up to him, somewhat angrily, and grabbed his arm from behind. ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m asking you, why did you cough up blood?¡± Ashton stopped in his tracks and turned around to look at her coldly, ¡°I didn¡¯t cough up blood. Ms. Moxley. Mind your own business.¡± Reba angrily grabbed him and said, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m blind? If you don¡¯t exin yourself today, don¡¯t even think about leaving!¡± Deborah silently turned around and went back to Alyssa¡¯s bedroom. As the door was about to close, Ashton forcefully and irritably flung Reba¡¯s hand away. He hurriedly rushed downstairs, as if desperately trying to escape some kind of flood or ferocious beast. It¡¯s hard to tell whether they were in a hurry to avoid Reba or to steer clear of Deborah. Reba stumbled back a few steps after being pushed away by him. By the time she regained her bnce and tried to chase after him. Ashton had already left. He had sent a message to Jett a while ago, and as he stepped outside, Jeff¡¯s car just happened to be driving up. Reba hurriedly followed, watching as his car sped away.. Reba, furious, kicked the pir outside the door. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that Ashton¡¯s recent coughing must be a sign of a more serious illness than she had initially thought. Deborah returned to Alyssa¡¯s bedroom, intending to continue sleeping, when a knocking sound came from outside. Soon, Reba¡¯s voice came through. ¡°Deborah, can youe out for a moment? I have something to talk to you about.¡± Deborah didn¡¯t want to talk to her, let alone listen to herints. Pretending not to hear, she took off her shoes and went to bed to sleep. The knocking on the door outside only grew more intense, each knock heavier than thest. Alyssa was lying in bed, frowning in her sleep. She mumbled. ¡°Mommy, who is it?¡± Alyssa has to attend sses and perform on weekdays. It is only during the days leading up to Christmas that she can finally take a good rest. Originally, as Christmas was approaching, there would be some Christmas celebration programs, inviting her to participate. But this year was different. She had gotten to know Deborah, and Adrian had canceled all her shows, allowing her to spend the holiday with Deborah. Deborahforted Alyssa for a while, saying. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mommy will go take a look.¡± Alyssa was in a state of half-asleep, half-awake, but soon fell asleep again. Deborah turned around and walked towards the door, her expression turning cold. She reached the door and opened it. Outside the door, Reba¡¯s face was filled with anger. As she raised her hand to knock again, the door suddenly opened. She looked a bit guilty for a moment, as she saw Deborah standing in the doorway, her face expressionless. Reba steadied her emotions and spoke more calmly. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to bother you. I just need you to do me a favor. Please ask Ashton why he was coughing up blood.¡± Deborah said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t do that. Is there anything else?¡± Reba looked uneasy and said, ¡°I really don¡¯t know what else to do. If you ask him, he should tell you the truth. Coughing up blood is no small matter, it could be a sign of a serious illness. Recently, I¡¯ve heard him coughing violently, and whenever he coughs, he likes to hide from people. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen him coughing up blood-¡± Deborah interrupted her impatiently. ¡°Ms. Moxley, even if Ashton has a terminal illness, it has nothing to do with me.¡± Reba opened her mouth, wanting to say something. But seeing Deborah¡¯s expression, she decided against it. ¡°Alright, never mind then. Sorry to bother you. You should get some rest.¡± Deborah hummed in agreement and promptly closed the door. She felt that she was already being quite polite, considering that Reba was, after all, a member of the Moxley family, and the Moxley family had saved and raised Alyssa for so many years. After closing the door, she faintly heard Reba¡¯s voice from outside, making a phone call. ¡°Dr. Denard, can you please tell me the truth about Ashton¡¯s situation¡­¡± Deborah had no interest in continuing to listen to the sounds outside, so she went to bed and fell asleep. Back when Deborah was in love with Ashton, she would always be worried whenever Ashton caught a cold and coughed. Sometimes, when she saw his stubborn nature and how he was beaten by Hector, she would shed tears of heartachete into the night. I heard that he lost both of his parents as soon as he came of age, and was forced to take over the Mullen Group all by himself. Whenever Deborah thought about how difficult those times must have been for him, her heart ached unbearably. But now, she found that when it came to anything about him, no matter how big or serious, she seemed to have be indifferent. Outside, Reba was still on the phone, while Rodger¡¯s voice could be heard from the other side, speaking quite rudely. ¡°Ms. Moxley, you don¡¯t need to keep wasting your time on Ashton. He¡¯s not interested in you, and you should know that.¡± Wherever Reba loses as she was not reallycking anything. She only lost because her name wasn¡¯t Deborah; she wasn¡¯t Deborah. Reba said coldly. ¡°If you really won¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll find out for myself. I¡¯ll definitely be able to figure it out.¡± Over there. Rodger sneered, ¡°What, if he has a terminal illness, can you save him by finding out?¡± Reba fell silent, her face looking quite awful. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only After a while, she spoke again. ¡°Even if it¡¯s an incurable disease, I¡¯m sure I can save him.¡± Rodgerughed sarcastically, ¡°So Ms. Moxley is even more formidable than a demon itself. Alright, I¡¯ll give you the results. Let¡¯s see how capable you really are.¡± After finishing speaking, they hung up the phone. Soon, Rodger sent Reba a few photos. Here is Ashton¡¯s detailed diagnostic report. It seemed as if Rodger was worried that Reba might not understand, so on the first photo, he handwrote a fewrge words: [Lung malignant tumor,te-stage lung cancer.] 178 178 Chapter 178 Adrian Confesses to Deborah The next day, Deborah and Alyssa woke up early. Alyssa was used to waking up early, while Deborah couldn¡¯t sleep well because she wasn¡¯t ustomed to this ce. After washing up, she went downstairs with Alyssa. Adrian was already sitting at the dining table, eating breakfast with his eyes closed. It¡¯s clear that they haven¡¯t fully woken up yet. Reba got up as well and sat down by the small table near the floor-to-ceiling window. In front of her, there was milk and scrambled eggs. She didn¡¯t eat, gazing out the window with a face full of sorrow. Adrian heard footsteps and opened his eyes to see Deborah walking down towards him. He noticed Deborah¡¯s gaze and said aloud, ¡°Come sit over here. Don¡¯t mind that woman; she¡¯s just going through some emotional troublestely, and she¡¯s been like that all the time.¡± Deborah pulled Alyssa along and sat down across from Adrian. The housekeeper immediately brought up two servings of breakfast and ced them in front of them. Adrian yawned for quite a while before he startedining, ¡°Who could be more miserable than me? I¡¯ve been busy all year long, and now it¡¯s alreadyte December, yet I still can¡¯t get a good night¡¯s sleep.¡± Deborah was surprised. ¡°Mr. Moxley is up so early, does the crew still have work to do?¡± ¡°What kind of job is it? My grandmother wants me to get up early and interact more with you to strengthen our bond.¡± Adrian said candidly. He didn¡¯t hide his fondness for Deborah, nor did he conceal the tasks Donna asked him to do. After all, when ites to matters of the heart, there¡¯s no need to hide or be ashamed of them. He liked Deborah, so he approached her. If Deborah really doesn¡¯t like him, then it¡¯s not a big deal. Upon hearing this, Alyssa became anxious, ¡°Adrian, I¡¯ve already warned you not to have any ideas about my mom!¡± Adrian looked at her disdainfully. ¡°You¡¯re just a kid, you wouldn¡¯t understand adult matters. Don¡¯t interfere, just eat your egg.¡± He spoke and rudely pushed the scrambled egg te closer to Alyssa. With a gentle and considerate expression, they pulled Deborah¡¯s te closer and said, ¡°Ms. Shepherd, let me help you cut your scrambled egg and toast into smaller pieces. Can you eat these dishes? If not, there¡¯s pasta and pancakes in the kitchen, and I can cook them for you.¡± Deborah immediately stopped him, ¡°No need, no need, thank you. I can eat it directly. Mr. Moxley, I exined to Mrs. Donnast night. If Mrs. Donna still misunderstands. I can exin again, so I won¡¯t cause you any trouble.¡± Adrian saw her stopping him and didn¡¯t insist on helping her cut anymore. ¡°It¡¯s not a bother at all. My grandmother understands me: it¡¯s because I¡¯m really into you. You say you have someone you fancy, but who doesn¡¯t have someone they fancy? Spend some time with me, and you might just find out that I¡¯m the one you fancy even more.¡± Deborah knew Adrian was straightforward, but she didn¡¯t expect him to be this candid. His directness left her struggling to keep up with Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. his responses. Alyssa was so angry she wanted to smash a te, ¡°Adrian, how dare you scheme against my mother like this-¡± Adrian interrupted her. ¡°Come on, kid, stay out of this. What¡¯s wrong with me? Why can¡¯t I pursue your mom?¡± He quickly turned to Deborah with a gentle expression and exined. ¡°Ms. Shepherd, I wouldn¡¯t joke about something like this with you, I¡¯m serious. Last night, I spent the entire night thinking, and I realized that it was love at first sight when I saw you. I¡¯ve never met anyone who has made my heart race like you do. You are the first person who can make me get up at six in the morning, and I personally made these breakfasts for you.¡± Deborah felt that she might indeed be a bit emotionally insensitive. Adrian spoke with such affection, but she genuinely felt nothing inside. Even so, it seemed a bit amusing. ¡°Mr. Moxley, it seems like you mentioned earlier that it was your grandmother who forced you to wake up early.¡± Adrian exined earnestly. ¡°That¡¯s not the main reason. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that I like you, even if a deity itself came at six in the morning, they wouldn¡¯t be able to wake me up. I just want to wake up early, make you breakfast, and express my feelings for you.¡± If Deborah remembered correctly, yesterday was her first official meeting with Adrian. Although they had bumped into each other before, the two of them had never interacted, not even face- to-face. She racked her brains but couldn¡¯t figure it out. What was it about their brief two-hour encounter yesterday that had made Adrian¡¯s heart flutter? Really, it doesn¡¯t make sense. Deborah continued to exin, ¡°Mr. Moxley. I really already have¡­¡± ¡°I know, it¡¯s just a crush. Ms. Shepherd, you can try getting along with me too. Of course, if you really don¡¯t have any feelings for me, you can just say it. I won¡¯t force you into anything.¡± Deborah looked at him and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have feelings for you.¡± After a long silence, Adrian reluctantly struggled a bit. ¡°How can you know you have no feelings for me if you¡¯ve never really spent time with me?¡± Deborah asked with a smile, ¡°If Mr. Moxley hasn¡¯t really gotten along well with me, how could he have feelings for me?¡± Adrian finally realized that although Deborah appeared gentle and soft-spoken, there were times when she could be quite sharp-tongued and eloquent. But it seemed to make his heart race even more. ¡°Ms. Shepherd, please stay with me for three days, until the end of Christmas. If you really don¡¯t like me, you can tell me then.¡± Deborah couldn¡¯t help butugh and cry at the same time, ¡°I already have someone I like, and we¡¯re together. Mr. Moxley, it¡¯s really impossible for us.¡± Adrian, unconvinced, asked, ¡°Who is it?¡± What kind of man could be better than him, for Deborah to reject him so decisively? This was a huge blow to his ego. Besides Steven and Norman, who else canpare with him? There¡¯s also an Ashton, but he¡¯s Deborah¡¯s ex-husband, so there¡¯s absolutely no chance for them. Deborah really didn¡¯t want to talk about certain things, but she knew that no matter what, she couldn¡¯t afford to be unclear or ambiguous with the Moxley family.. She didn¡¯t intend to please the Moxley family, couldn¡¯t reach their high status, and couldn¡¯t afford to offend them either. After a moment of silence, Deborah looked at him and said, ¡°Joseph, I¡¯ve been with Joseph for three years now.¡± + Adrian¡¯s face was filled with disbelief. ¡°Could those gossip news on the inte actually be true?¡± What it says is that Deborah left Ashton and found sce in Joseph¡¯s embrace. That day at the Mullen family banquet, Adrian witnessed Deborah kissing Joseph with his own eyes. But he felt that it was just a prank, something Deborah did to annoy Ashton. News media, after all, what kind of things won¡¯t they make up? Deborah nodded, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all true.¡± Adrian still couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°So, are you guys still together? When you came to Richmond, why didn¡¯t I see him with you?¡± Deborah didn¡¯t want to bring up her recent conflict with Joseph. ¡°Mr. Moxley, I think I¡¯ve exined myself quite clearly. As for the rest, it¡¯s my personal business. Can we please not discuss it any further?¡± Adrian sat there with a dejected look on his face, never expecting that his well-thought-out n from this. He remained silent for quite a while, until Deborah asked him, ¡°Mr. Moxley, can I still have breakfast?¡± Adrian¡¯s face was filled with disappointment, and it took him a moment to understand what Deborah meant. ¡°Go ahead and eat, even if I made it, I can¡¯t force you to be with me just because of a meal.¡± Alyssa had a look of joy on her face after looking at his sad face. Then, she picked up the ss and took big gulps of milk, making some gulping sounds. After realizing Adrian¡¯s intentions, Deborah instinctively kept her distance from him. After having breakfast, she politely greeted Adrian and then took Alyssa to the shopping mall. After much thought, Adrian still couldn¡¯t figure it out, so he took out his phone and called Joseph directly. The call connected, and Joseph¡¯s voice came through. ¡°Mr. Moxley.¡± Adrian immediately asked, ¡°How far have you and Deborah gotten?¡± Over there, Joseph had just picked up his briefcase, ready to head to thepany, when he suddenly stopped in his tracks upon hearing something. ¡°What?¡± Adrian got straight to the point, his tone firm. ¡°I n to pursue Deborah. If you two haven¡¯t gotten your marriage certificate yet, I¡¯llpete with you fairly.¡± 179 179 Chapter 179 I Am Willing Joseph¡¯s temples throbbed as he eximed, ¡°What kind of joke is this?¡± Adrian¡¯s tone was particrly serious and sincere, ¡°I¡¯m not joking with you. I¡¯ve taken a liking to Deborah, and when ites to things I like, I never let go easily. You and her are both single, and I¡¯m pursuing her. It¡¯s fair for me topete with you, right? There¡¯s nothing wrong with that, is there?¡± Moreover, he believed that he was no worse than Joseph. Although he was a bit of a flirt in the past, he never messed around. When ites to rumors about him and those women, they are spread far and wide, creating quite a spectacle. However, in reality, aside from acting, he has never even casually held hands with someone of the opposite sex. It¡¯s not that he¡¯s overly conservative or strictly adheres to principles. The entertainment industry is chaotic and the waters run deep. As for those little models and minor celebrities who eagerly cling to him, who knows if they¡¯re clean or not.. In the unlikely event that he caught the disease, the elders of the Moxley family would surely strip him of his skin and throw him out directly. Deborah is different. Even the most beautiful actresses in the entertainment industry can¡¯tpare to her. Every time Adrian thought of Deborah, his heart would start pounding uncontrobly. Joseph finally realized that something was off, ¡°Mr. Moxley, are you nning to pursue Deborah? Does she know about this? Have you talked to her about it?¡± Adrian spoke candidly. ¡°Of course she knows. Since I like her, I told her. She doesn¡¯t know me very well yet, but she hasn¡¯t been too resistant either. I believe that given time, she will soon discover my good qualities.¡± In Adrian¡¯s view, Deborah bluntly said she had no feelings for him, and she still avoided him like the gue after dinner and immediately went out with Alyssa. But Deborah didn¡¯t scold him or yell at him, nor did she ssh a cup of water on his face, which meant she wasn¡¯t too resistant towards him. Joseph couldn¡¯t hold back any longer and mmed his briefcase down on the cab in the foyer with a loud thudding sound. ¡°I¡¯ve been with Deborah for three years now, and the media has been buzzing about it. How could you not know? Why would you want to Adrian didn¡¯t hold back either, ¡°You know, you and Deborah have been together for three years. Maybe she¡¯s been tired of you for a while now. As for Alyssa, she¡¯s like my own daughter now, just hoping that I could be her real father¡­¡± Outside, Morton had already driven over, waiting to pick up Joseph and take him to thepany. After waiting for Joseph for quite a while, Morton came in from outside. The front door opened, and Joseph stood inside, his face pale as if a storm was brewing. Morton was taken aback, wondering what had happened. Wasn¡¯t everything fine just yesterday afternoon? Before Adrian could finish speaking, Joseph angrily ordered Morton, ¡°Book a flight back to Richmond. No, arrange a private jet. We¡¯re leaving now.¡± Morton shuddered at the shout, his mind momentarily scrambled. ¡°Huh? This¡­ alright.¡± Morton turned around and left, following Joseph¡¯s instructions for the arrangements. Adrian was firm in his decision. ¡°There¡¯s no point in youing back, Deborah spent the night at my cest night. She agreed to stay here for a few days, after all, Alyssa has gotten used to being with me. You can¡¯t force her to leave and make things difficult for her, can you?¡± Joseph said. ¡°Wait for me there, and we¡¯ll meet up for a proper talk.¡± Adrian really wasn¡¯t afraid of him. Now that Richmond was so far away from Oceanview City, it wasn¡¯t like Joseph could reach out his hand across thousands of miles to hit him. ¡°Why can¡¯t Mr. ck just lighten up? You were with Deborah for three years before she even divorced Ashton. That wasn¡¯t exactly honorable either. So what if I¡¯m trying to steal you away right now? If you don¡¯tpete fairly with me, it just means you Joseph dropped his briefcase, didn¡¯t even grab a single piece of luggage, and went straight out the door to get in the car and leave. ¡°Just stay in Richmond, and don¡¯t wander around.¡± Adrian sneered, ¡°Why run? I¡¯ll just wait here for you toe over and have a nice chat. When I marry Deborah in the future, I¡¯ll save a seat for you at the table with her exes. Hey, speaking of which, it¡¯s quite a coincidence that you and Ashton can share a table. It¡¯s a perfect opportunity to catch up and chat.¡± After Adrian finished speaking, he didn¡¯t wait for Joseph¡¯s response and promptly hung up the phone. Joseph took a private jet straight to Richmond. After Adrian hung up the phone, he soon felt a little guilty. Even though he was attracted to Deborah, he didn¡¯t think there was anything wrong withpeting with Joseph for her affection, after all, it wasn¡¯t against thew. But provoking Joseph like that just now, wouldn¡¯t it really anger him and make hime back to beat him up? Upon learning that Joseph and Deborah had been together for quite some time, the elders of the Moxley family realized that it was Adrian who had meddled in their rtionship. Would the elders of the Moxley family join Joseph in giving him a good beating? Adrian felt a brief moment of fear, but quickly realized there was nothing to be afraid of. Anyway, he had fallen in love with Deborah. What¡¯s wrong with that? It¡¯s not his fault. Pursue what you love, it¡¯s only natural. After all, there¡¯s nothing wrong with that. Adrian felt a moment of panic, but after reassuring himself, he returned to his bedroom to catch up on some sleep. Deborah had no idea what had happened. She and Alyssa spent the whole morning shopping at the mall, buying a bunch of stuff. The Moxley family¡¯s preferences were not understood by Deborah, but Alyssa knew them well. Alyssa is in charge of informing Deborah and providing rmendations, while Deborah makes the final decision on purchasing the appropriate gifts. She carefully selected a variety of items. For Donna, she chose a longevity-boosting supplement, and for Ava, she picked out a beautiful ne. After buying some simple and suitable gifts for Koll and the three siblings of the Moxley family, everything was considered well-prepared. In the blink of an eye, the morning passed by. As noon approached, she nned to take Alyssa for lunch directly at the shopping mall. Just then, Donna called and said that meal was ready at home, asking them toe back and eat. Deborah then took Alyssa back to Moxley Manor. Alyssa was in a great mood, bouncing and hopping along the way, as if she had returned to the appearance of a four or five-year-old child. As soon as they returned to the entrance of Moxley Manor, Alyssa¡¯s expression changed. In the courtyard outside, a ck Bentley was parked, which belonged to Joseph. Deborah stared nkly for a moment, feeling it was impossible for Joseph to suddenly show up here. It was understood between them that Joseph would give her plenty of time and space these days, allowing her to apany Alyssa without any disturbances. Joseph has many cars, so Deborah doesn¡¯t quite remember the license te numbers. Thinking it might be a coincidence, someone else also drove a Bentley. The Moxley family, with its wealth and nobility, naturally had no shortage of affluent and distinguished friends and rtives. Deborah didn¡¯t take it too seriously and led Alyssa inside. Upon entering the living room, it was bustling with excitement. People were sitting on both sides of the couch. On one side, Donna was sitting next to Adrian, who had a reluctant expression on his face. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. On the other side, Joseph was sitting with a shy-looking Evelyn. In that situation, Deborah found it difficult to put her feelings into words, as she had a faint sense of unease. Donna looked at Evelyn with a grin, and as Deborah approached, she just happened to hear Donna speak. ¡°Eve, are you satisfied with Adrian?¡± Evelyn lowered her head bashfully and said, ¡°Mr. Moxley is so outstanding, of course I¡¯m satisfied¡­¡± 180 180 Chapter 180 Marriage In that instant, Deborah felt as if she had been struck by lightning,pletely clueless about what was going on. If she remembered correctly, it was just this morning that Adrian confessed his feelings for her. Although her attitude has already made it clear, isn¡¯t Adrian¡¯s change of target a bit too hasty? No, it seems like the focus isn¡¯t here either. It seems like Joseph brought Evelyn over. Joseph seemed neither surprised nor displeased with the ¡°blind date¡± happening before his eyes. With a fatherly tone, he said, ¡°If Donna and Mr. Moxley find each other suitable, then I guess I¡¯ve sessfully yed the role of a matchmaker. I know my secretary quite well, she¡¯s a reliable person. Although her family¡¯s financial situation is not as good as the Moxley family¡¯s, it¡¯s not bad either. Her parents are in the real estate business, and they belong to a middle-ss family, with an annual ie of around nine figures.¡± Donna¡¯s eyes crinkled withughter, ¡°Not bad, not bad at all. She¡¯s a well-behaved and sensible girl. Eve, if you can make my grandson Adrian happy, I¡¯ll be truly delighted and at ease.¡± Adrian hadn¡¯t said a word throughout the entire process, but as he saw things were about to be settled, he finally spoke up in frustration. ¡°Grandma, didn¡¯t you even bother to ask for my opinion? Did I ever say yes?¡± Donna shot a sharp nce and reached out to grab the walking cane that was resting nearby.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. She lowered her voice, ¡°How could you not agree? Mr. ck is Ms. Shepherd¡¯s boyfriend. I, an old settle both old and new scores with you.¡± Donna spoke through gritted teeth, keeping her voice extremely low. After quickly finishing what he had to say, he continued to look at Evelyn with a beaming smile. As Donna looked up, she noticed that Deborah had entered the room. Donna immediately greeted with a smile, ¡°Ms. Shepherd,e,e, sit down. I apologize forst night, I didn¡¯t know Mr. ck was your lover. Mr. ck just brought Eve over. Can you help Grandma take a look and see if she and Adrian make a good match?¡± Deborah nced at Joseph, who immediately shifted his position guiltily. ¡°Debby,e sit. Where have you been? You bought so many things.¡± Deborah wore a forced smile, not wanting to say anything in front of others. But she didn¡¯t sit next to Joseph; instead, she chose to sit beside Evelyn. She replied to Donna, ¡°Donna, Mr. Moxley and Evelyn make a great couple.¡± Donna smiled with relief and said, ¡°I knew they were a good match. Hearing all of you say this, I can rest assured now.¡± Adrian couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He stood up abruptly and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be straightforward, I have no interest in this Evelyn. I like Deborah, and I n to pursue her. As for her rtionship with Mr. ck, I don¡¯t think it will affect my intentions.¡± Donna was so furious that she grabbed her cane and hit him, eximing. ¡°What on earth is wrong with you? Ms. Shepherd and Mr. ck have been together for ages! You¡¯re making a fool of yourself and embarrassing us all!¡± The living room quickly turned into a chaotic scene, with Adrian hopping around to dodge while loudly protesting. As Donna hit, she cursed angrily. Arge group of housekeepers hurried over, trying to calm both Donna and Adrian. Deborah hesitated, wondering if she should step in and help. Alyssa, standing beside her, grabbed her arm and said. ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t worry about it. Things like this happen every couple of days.¡± Donna watched with growing frustration, but in reality, she knew how to control her strength. If someone else steps forward to stop it, it might actually be even more lively. Deborah didn¡¯t interfere anymore and sat on the couch, texting and chatting with Evelyn. It wrote: [Eve, are you really into Adrian?] Just moments ago, Evelyn was blushing, expressing her satisfaction with Adrian and appearing deeply in love. Now, as Adrian was being beaten, she clearly didn¡¯t care at all, as if it had nothing to do with her. Upon seeing Deborah send a message, she immediately and tacitly took out her own phone to check. She quickly replied. (Stop teasing. Have you forgotten about Sasha from our CEO¡¯s office? She just had a rtionship with himst month. After dating for ten days or even half a month, when they met again, Sasha greeted him. However, he was with a young model and looked confused as he asked her about who she was.] Deborah recalled that incident when she went to Jingron¡¯s headquarters to look for Joseph. She overheard the conversation about it in the CEO¡¯s office. Adrian had long been well-known in the CEO¡¯s office where Evelyn worked. Coming from a wealthy family, Evelyn was only interested in finding a mature and reliable man to marry and settle down with. It was highly unlikely that she would ever be attracted to someone like Adrian. Deborah couldn¡¯t help butugh and typed. [Then what about just now?] Evelyn replied in a message as she wrote: [Mr. ck said that if I handle this matter well, he will give me an extra year-end bonus, this amount.] After sending the message, she stretched out five fingers and gently waved them in front of Deborah¡¯s eyes. Evelyn has always been financially independent, never relying on her parents or spending their money. So, she has always been very enthusiastic about making more money. Moreover, given Adrian¡¯s temperament, it¡¯s almost impossible for him topromise and dated her. Even if I can¡¯t handle the pressure andpromise, it definitely won¡¯tst more than a month. No matter how Evelyn looked at it, earning this year-end bonus seemed way too easy. She¡¯s really good at acting. Deborah gave her a thumbs up and wrote: [Awesome!] Evelyn humbly replied in the text: (I can¡¯t take the credit. It¡¯s all thanks to your excellent teaching over the past few years, Deborah.] Joseph sat nearby, watching Deborah and Evelyn going back and forth, and he had a bad feeling about it. It seems like Evelyn might be talking behind his back. He gave a light cough, and Evelyn, fearing her boss, immediately fell silent.. Donna gave Adrian a stern lecture, then took him upstairs to the study. Around ten minutester, the two of them came back downstairs. Adrian¡¯s face, which was previously filled with protest and dissatisfaction, had now disappeared, reced by an appearance of striving to endure and ept whateveres his way. Donna said with a smile. ¡°My grandson is actually just shy. I specifically asked him, and he said he has a good impression of you, Eve, but he¡¯s just too embarrassed to say it. Since both of you are quite satisfied with each other, my suggestion is to take things slow and see how it goes. Eve, what do you think?¡± Evelyn is eagerly waiting to sit down and count her year-end bonus. Her mind is filled with images of blue-colored banknotes falling from above. One would know happy she was when Adrian suddenly stood up and firmly said he wasn¡¯t interested in her. In that case, can she take her year-end bonus and leave today? As a result, now, after such a short time, how did things change so quickly? Evelynughed awkwardly. ¡°If Mr. Moxley agrees, then of course I have no objections.¡± Donna noticed her strange expression, ¡°Eve, why do you look like you¡¯re about to cry?¡± 181 181 Chapter 181 Save Him Evelyn sniffed, ¡°No, Mrs. Moxley. I¡¯m just too excited, I¡¯m happy.¡± Donna finally felt relieved and said with a smile. ¡°This kid. Look at me fussing around for so long, the food is almost getting cold. Let¡¯s all eat quickly.¡± Upon reaching the dining table, Evelyn was about to sit next to Deborah. Donna spoke up again, ¡°Adrian, why don¡¯t you sit with Eve? Ms. Shepherd has Mr. ck and Alyssa to look after her, but it¡¯s Eve¡¯s first time here. She¡¯s a shy girl, so take care of her, help her with her food and serve her some soup.¡± Evelyn received Joseph¡¯s generous year-end bonus, so naturally, she had to do her job well. The dining table has one seat at each end, and three seats on both the left and right sides. Evelyn was originally sitting with Deborah Joseph, while Alyssa was sitting with Adrian on the other side. Donna sat at the head of the table. Upon hearing this, Evelyn immediately stood up and took the initiative to sit next to Adrian across the table. Alyssa cooperated as well getting up and moving to the spot where Evelyn had just been sitting, now sitting next to Deborah. Adrian nced disdainfully at Evelyn, who had moved closer to him. Bah! Wishful thinking. He wouldn¡¯t even give a second nce to a woman like her. If it weren¡¯t for Donna threatening him, saying that he ns to go abroad next year, and that she won¡¯t speak up for him in front of his parents when the timees. His parents always listened to Donna, so he figured he would just y along for a few days before say anything. The atmosphere during the meal was strangely awkward as they finished eating. Halfway through the meal, Adrian noticed Donna¡¯s constant hints. So, he simply got up, picked up the serving spoon, and ced some food into Deborah¡¯s bowl As a result, everyone turned to look at him simultaneously, and Joseph¡¯s gaze almost strangled him on the spot. Adrian was genuinely upset. He knew that Joseph hade to Richmond, surely to settle scores with him. But he thought Joseph woulde over to scold him, or even give him a beating. To his utter surprise, Joseph brought him a woman out of the blue. It made him feel even worse than eating a fly. The more Adrian thought about it, the angrier he became. He decided that after finishing dinner, he would definitely have a good talk with Joseph and let off some steam with a bit of sparring. As soon as they finished eating, he turned to Joseph and said, ¡°Mr. ck, I have a few words I¡¯d like to discuss with you privately. Shall we go to the backyard to talk?¡± Donna immediately tried to stop him, noticing that Adrian had it intentions. Adrian stared at Joseph, ¡®Mr. ck, it¡¯s just a little chat. You wouldn¡¯t be so disrespectful, would you?¡± Joseph stood up with a smile, ¡°Alright, then Mr. Moxley, please lead the way.¡± Adrian let out a coldugh and headed straight for the backyard. Joseph was so disgusting to him that today, he had to beat him down and vent his anger properly. The two of them left, with Evelyn wearing a worried expression on her face. It won¡¯t be life-threatening, right? I really want to go watch the show. Why go to the backyard? It¡¯s so much better right here. After finishing their meal, Donna was nning to have a good chat with Evelyn when someone entered from outside. The housekeeper¡¯s rmed cry soon reached her, ¡°Ms. Moxley, are you alright?¡± Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Reba entered the room, distraught and disheveled. Her once cold and haughty eyes were now red and swollen, clearly showing that she had been crying. Donna was startled and immediately got up, asking, ¡°Reba, what¡¯s going on? What happened?¡± Reba remained silent, continuing to walk forward. As she approached the dining table, she suddenly stopped and replied to Donna, ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m fine.¡± Donna worriedly asked. ¡°How can this be okay? Look at the state you¡¯re in!¡± Reba looked at Deborah with a cold gaze, ¡°Can I have a word with you in private?¡± Deborah immediately figured out what was going on with Reba. In such a terrible state, why else would he want to talk to Deborah as soon as he got back, if not for Ashton? Deborah remained silent. Donna couldn¡¯t get any information from Reba, so she turned to Deborah. ¡°Ms. Shepherd, Reba is quite stubbom. She¡¯s never been like this before. Could you please help me ask her what¡¯s going on?¡± Could it be that this girl has been butlled outside? Although Reba was not a biological child of the Moxley family, she was still raised by Donna, so it was impossible for Donna not to care for her. Moreover, it has been raised by my side for so many years. After a while, Deborah finally spoke up. ¡°Alright.¡± Reba¡¯s body swayed a bit as she agreed, and she headed straight upstairs. Deborah followed along and went upstairs. Reba walked into the bedroom and looked back at Deborah, ¡°Come on in. Don¡¯t worry, I have no interest in causing trouble with you either. We¡¯ll just have a little chat.¡± Deborah doesn¡¯t have much fondness for Reba. Last night, Reba was insistent on knocking on her door, urging her toe out and call Ashton. She seemed quite pushy and demanding. Deborah walked in, her expression cold and distant. Reba knew she was getting impatient, so she opened her bag, pulled out a stack of diagnostic reports, and handed them to Deborah. Deborah reached out to take it, flipping through the pages. Reba spoke up. ¡°I just got this from the hospital, Ashton has lung cancer, and it¡¯s been detected lor a while now.¡± Deborah¡¯s expression froze as she flipped through the stack of papers in her hand, reading them twice. Cancer, a very familiar word. Once, Alyssa had leukemia, and then she faced her own battle with liver cancer. Connected with all of this, were Ashton¡¯s indifference, determination, and cruelty. Deborah didn¡¯t want to think about it, but just like now, there would always be someone to remind her, making it impossible for her not to reminisce. Ashton has lung cancer; he never thought this day woulde. Deborah¡¯s mouth twitched slightly, and at this moment, she couldn¡¯t tell if she wanted tough or cry. It¡¯s hard to tell what exactly is causing my emotions at this moment. A momentter, she looked up at Reba and asked, ¡°Well, what happened next?¡± Reba looked at her incredulously, ¡°How can you be so indifferent and heartless? After all, he was once your husband, the man who spent so many years with you!¡± Deborah¡¯s face was cold and indifferent. ¡°Ms. Moxley, it seems like it¡¯s not your ce to lecture me.¡± How can someone who doesn¡¯t know her past have the right to call her ruthless or heartless? No, now Deborah is truly the epitome of kindness. Because she wants to spend quality time with Alyssa and live a good life together in the future. Reba¡¯s body trembled, seemingly on the verge of losing control. Still Deborah remained very calm andposed. It seemed as if Reba had handed her not a document about Ashton¡¯s incurable disease, but rather a nk piece of paper. Reba¡¯s hand clenched tightly, but she continued to take deep breaths, doing her best to control her emotions. ¡°Alright, alright, if you don¡¯t care, there¡¯s nothing I can do. I¡¯ll just say what I want to say. The doctor said that in order to treat Ashton¡¯s lung cancer, we have to take the risk of removing the lung tumor, and that¡¯s the first thing. The second thing is that his cancer cells have already spread to the bone marrow, requiring a bone marrow transnt.¡± Deborah had a vague idea of what Reba was about to say next. It felt as if an invisible hand was tugging at her from within, urging her to leave and not to listen any further. Reba continued without a moment¡¯s pause, ¡°Deborah, I¡¯ve looked into it, and Alyssa is Ashton¡¯s daughter. Three years ago, Ashton donated bone marrow to Alyssa, proving that their bone marrow is a match as father and daughter.¡± Deborah¡¯s gaze turned icy cold, her lips pressed tightly together. Her entire body tensed up, like a hedgehog, disying an extreme defensive posture. ¡°Reba, there¡¯s no way I can agree to that. Don¡¯t even think about it, you and Ashton.¡± With a face full of despair, Reba suddenly reached out and grabbed Deborah¡¯s hand. ¡°Please, I¡¯m begging you, name any condition you want. I¡¯m begging you, save him.¡± 182 182 Chapter 182 Absolutely Not Agreeing Deborah sneered, looking at Reba as if she were a joke. *Conditions? Reba, who gave you the confidence to think that even now, I would use Alyssa as a bargaining chip with others?¡± Alyssa is Deborah¡¯s life, her everything. Three years ago, she failed to protect her daughter, allowing her to suffer torment time and time again. Later on, Alyssa almost fell off a cliff and died at the bottom of the mountain. But today, three yearster, such an incident will never happen again. No matter how tempting the conditions, she would never agree to let Alyssa take even the slightest risk. Reba was on the verge of an emotional breakdown, her eyes red and swollen. ¡°No, it¡¯s not about using Alyssa as a bargaining chip. Deborah, I¡¯ve asked the doctor, and now bone marrow transnt technology is very advanced. Even if a seven or eight-year-old child donates bone marrow, the risk is minimal.¡± Although the donor is young, there is indeed a slightly higher risk involved in donating bone marrow But in exchange for Ashton¡¯s life, what does it matter if Alyssa, as Ashton¡¯s daughter, takes a bit of risk? Reba¡¯s attitude was firm, ¡°No, such a risk is simply not worth mentioning.¡± Seeing her entangled, Deborah simply pushed her away, crushing herst bit of hope with a single sentence. ¡°Let¡¯s not even talk about the risks Alyssa would face if she donates bone marrow. Even if there were no risks at all, I still wouldn¡¯t let Alyssa save him.¡± Reba watched her about to leave and couldn¡¯t help but yell ¡°Deborah, how is this any different from indirectly killing someone? If one day something really happens to Ashton, can you and Alyssa truly be at peace with yourselves? Can you sleep at night?¡± Deborah reached out to open the door, but stopped in her tracks upon hearing the words. She turned around and looked at the somewhat crazed woman, ¡°Ms. Moxley, your moral kidnapping rhetoric is useless to me.¡± Her voice was as calm as it was on that day three years ago when she decided to seek death. She said to Ashton, ¡°I want to go for a walk.¡± Her concern for Ashton¡¯s conscience and her care for him had beenpletely exhausted during those numerous near-death experiences three years ago. Reba¡¯s face stiffened. Deborah opened the door and walked out, while Reba¡¯s voice continued to reach her from behind. ¡°The bone marrow inside Alyssa now was donated by Ashton three years ago. If you are heartless, then consider it returning Ashton¡¯s bone marrow to him.¡± Deborah¡¯s hands clenched into fists, forcing herself not to listen, not to think anymore. Upon stepping out the door, she intended to walk downstairs. She just noticed Alyssa standing next to the door. Alyssa looked at Deborah, her face somewhat pale. She opened her mouth, seemingly wanting to ask something. But upon noticing Deborah¡¯s expression, they didn¡¯t speak up. Reba chased after them and shouted, ¡°If you really won¡¯t agree, I¡¯ll go tell Alyssa. Three years ago, it was her father who saved her. Now, three yearster, can she really bear to watch her father die?¡± As soon as she finished speaking, she walked out and saw Alyssa standing in the hallway outside. Reba couldn¡¯t care about anything else at the moment and immediately spoke up, ¡°Alyssa, I have something to tell you.¡± Alyssa reached out and took Deborah¡¯s hand, calmly looking at Reba. ¡°Reba, I heard everything you just said.¡± Reba eximed urgently. ¡°That¡¯s perfect. Your father needs your bone marrow to save his life right now, and you¡¯re smart and sensible, so you must understand the seriousness of the situation. Three years ago, it was your father who saved you, and now you¡¯ll save him too. right?¡± Alyssa¡¯s expression waspletely calm, soposed that Reba even felt that she had already made up her mind and was ready to agree. This child has been living in Moxley Manor for the past few years. Although they have a somewhat aloof temperament, they are not as chatty as other children their age. Deep down, he is actually a very kind-hearted person. Even when she came across stray cats and dogs on the side of the road, she would always rescue them. Moreover, this was a living person, her own biological father. Reba¡¯s eyes were filled with anticipation, until she felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her head. ¡°I¡¯ll listen to my mom. Dad hurt both me and my mom back then, so I won¡¯t donate bone marrow.¡± Reba looked at her with utter disappointment, ¡°Alyssa, how could you¡­¡± Alyssa didn¡¯t say anything more, just tightened her grip on Deborah¡¯s hand. ¡°Mommy and I are going downstairs first, Reba. Great-Grandma Donna also said she wants to have a chat with my mother.¡± After she finished speaking, she immediately took Deborah¡¯s hand and left. No matter what Reba said behind her, she didn¡¯t engage in conversation anymore. She lightly held Deborah¡¯s hand, as if to give her strength and confidence. It was her father who first let her mother down, so her mother¡¯s choice is also Alyssa¡¯s choice. Even if just for a moment, the thought of a living person¡¯s life and the blood ties of kinship made her feel a bit reluctant, giving rise to a sense ofpassion. But it¡¯s just a little bit, she will listen to her mother and won¡¯t let her down or make her sad. Deborah put away the cold indifference and hostility that had filled her face when she was facing Reba. Her expression softened as she lowered her gaze to look at Alyssa beside her. Yet, it¡¯s hard to see through the expressions on the child¡¯s face, making it difficult to discern her thoughts. Deborah had calmed down a bit and said gently, ¡°Alyssa, about what just happened, I shouldn¡¯t have made the decision for you. If you want to-¡± Alyssa interrupted her without any hesitation, ¡°Mommy. I don¡¯t want to.¡± Upon receiving such a firm response from her, Deborah was momentarily at a loss for words. She always felt that perhaps deep down, Alyssa didn¡¯t really think that way. Her rationality and her memories of the past wouldn¡¯t allow her to be soft-hearted or to disregard Deborah¡¯s choices. But it might be different in her heart. After all, he is her biological father, the family member she has been living with since she was born, until she was four or five years old. Ashton may be heartless, but Alyssa is not. A child, no matter how mature they may appear at just seven or eight years old, can neverpletely let go of the deep bond between a parent and their child. Deborah remained silent as she and Alyssa went downstairs. Downstairs, Donna is chatting with Evelyn, constantly mentioning ¡°Eve¡± with a beaming smile on her face, as if she can¡¯t wait to hug her great-grandchildren right away. Joseph and Adrian went to the backyard to have the so-called chat, leaving no one else in the living room. Aside from the housekeeper, there were only Donna and Evelyn. Evelynughed along, but her expression revealed a hint of embarrassment that she couldn¡¯t quite hide. Every now and then, she would steal a nce at the upstairs. Is there anyone who cane and save her quickly? Donna was already discussing with her where she and Adrian should hold their wedding, and where they would raise their children in the future. Upon seeing Deborah and Alyssaing down from upstairs, Evelyn immediately felt as if she had grasped a lifeline. Donna noticed Evelyn¡¯s restraint and thought she was just shy. Seeing Deborahe down, Donna stopped nagging Evelyn and turned to Deborah, saying. ¡°Ms. Shepherd, pleasee and sit over here.¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Evelyn¡¯s strong desire for gossip made her eager to go to the backyard and see the ¡°conversation¡± between Joseph and Adrian. Seeing that Donna finally let her go, she immediately stood up. ¡°Mrs. Moxley, I¡¯ll go check on Mr. Moxley and Mr. ck. The wind in the backyard is quite strong, I hope they don¡¯t catch a cold.¡± 183 183 Chapter 183 Coughing Blood and Rescue Efforts Upon hearing this, Donna¡¯s face immediately lit up with joy, feeling even more certain that the rtionship between Evelyn and Adrian was now confirmed. It hasn¡¯t been long since theyst met, yet Evelyn was eager to see him again. Donna nodded immediately, ¡°Go ahead, go ahead. The backyard is indeed chilly. Adrian is only wearing a sweater, so please bring him an overcoat while you¡¯re at it.¡± She said this and gave a meaningful nce to the housekeeper standing nearby. The housekeeper immediately took a brown long coat from the coat rack and handed it to Evelyn. Evelyn couldn¡¯t refuse, so she took her coat and went to the backyard to join the fun. Deborah, apanied by Alyssa, sat down on the couch opposite Donna. Donnaughed and said. ¡°Ms. Shepherd, I haven¡¯t had the chance to thank you yet. The gift you gave me was so thoughtful. I had my eye on it before but couldn¡¯t get it. You really went out of your way.¡± Deborah looked a bit bewildered. That¡¯s a set of health products, not expensive, and not a waste of money. At the very least, it won¡¯t let Donna set her sights on something she hasn¡¯t bought yet. Donna looked at the vase in front of the floor-to-ceiling window in the living room and said, ¡°It¡¯s so big, it must have been quite a hassle for you and Mr. ck to bring it all the way here.¡± Deborah nced over and noticed the vase. It was the same one that the organizers had politely offered to give her at the auction earlier. This antique, worth over 3 million dors, is adorned with a drawing of Hygieia, symbolizing longevity and happiness. It is the perfect gift for the elderly. She had also considered buying it as a gift for Donna. But it was indeed too expensive, so she couldn¡¯t bring herself to buy it. It seems that the auction house informed Joseph about it, so he bought it and brought it over as a gift for Donna. Deborah shifted her gaze back, as the items had already been delivered. She couldn¡¯t possibly let Joseph take them away now. Deborah responded calmly. ¡°You¡¯re too polite, Mrs. Moxley. I¡¯m d you like it.¡± Donna got up and sat down next to her. ¡°Ms. Shepherd, Alyssa has been living with the Moxley family for three years, and now she has acknowledged you as her mother. I have thought long and hard about her future life. From the moment I first saw you yesterday, I felt a special closeness to you. If you don¡¯t mind, how about I make you just like an adopted granddaughter from now on? Is that okay?¡± Reba had juste downstairs when she heard Donna¡¯s words, and she froze in ce. She was not Donna¡¯s biological granddaughter; her own mother was merely Donna¡¯s adopted daughter. Speaking of it, there¡¯s no blood rtion with the Moxley family. Over the years, Donna has taken care of her, giving her the best of everything, merely to make up for the regrets of the past, topensate for the loss of that young granddaughter back then. Reba stood at the bottom of the stairs, feeling somewhat awkward. She was caught in a dilemma. This was Deborah¡¯s first time visiting the Moxley family, and right upon arrival, she received a confession from Adrian and faced several difficulties posed by Reba. She couldn¡¯t help but be cautious in her heart, and it was even more unlikely that she would suddenly agree to be a child of the Moxley family. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Fearing that she might hurt the elderlydy¡¯s feelings, she tactfully said, ¡°Mrs. Moxley, I haven¡¯t had any close rtives or elders around for the past few years, so I¡¯ve grown ustomed to being on my own.¡± So Donna didn¡¯t say much more, nning to talk to her about Alyssa¡¯s situation. From a distance, Donna¡¯s eyesight wasn¡¯t very good. It took her a while to clearly see that it was Reba standing at the bottom of the stairs. It¡¯s not appropriate to say certain things in front of Alyssa and Reba. She then waved her hand and said, ¡°Reba, take Alyssa to the backyard and see why Adrian and Mr. ck haven¡¯te in yet.¡± Reba understood Donna¡¯s intentions, nodded, and led Alyssa away. After they left, Donna continued to speak, ¡°Ms. Shepherd, Alyssa is your daughter. In terms of both emotion and reason, our Moxley family has no right to keep her any longer. But it¡¯s been three years, and I really like this child. Can you guyse and visit me more often, like every now and then?¡± Deborah thought that Donna would make some unreasonable demands. Speaking of which, it was the Moxley family who saved Alyssa¡¯s life, and they have been raising her for the past three years. Now, bing so outstanding is all thanks to the efforts of the Moxley family. Even if Donna made somewhat unreasonable demands, it was actually difficult for her to refuse. But unexpectedly, it turned out to be such a reasonable request. Donna noticed the tears brimming around her eyes and gently patted the back of her hand with her aged fingers. ¡°After all Alyssa is your daughter, and if you hadn¡¯t lost your memory these past three years, you would surely have cherished and loved her dearly. As for me, I can¡¯t bear to snatch her away from you. After all, every child is the apple of their parents¡¯ eyes.¡± Somehow, Deborah didn¡¯t cry when she first regained her memory, nor did she cry when she recalled all the things Ashton had done to her. But now, as Donna gently patted her hand and spoke these tender words, she couldn¡¯t help but shed tears. After regaining her memory, she had been feeling restless. Even at night, she had nightmares. In her dreams, the Moxley family was trying to take Alyssa away from her, iming that Alyssa was already their child. Using the same approach that Ashton initially used with her. The Moxley family had developed deep feelings for Alyssa, and she was well aware of it. With the strength of the Moxley family, if they really wanted to snatch her away from Deborah, Deborah couldn¡¯t be absolutely sure of winning. Even just now, when Donna asked her if she would like to be her adopted granddaughter, Deborah couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Donna was hinting at wanting to keep Alyssa here. Deborah felt a huge weight lifted off her heart, and couldn¡¯t help but be moved. With a trembling voice, she said. ¡°Thank you. I will do my best to bring Alyssa back to visit you as often as possible.¡± Donna was startled by her tears and hurriedly handed her a tissue. ¡°Why is this child crying? Hurry and wipe those tears away. If Josephes in and sees this, he will have a heartache.¡± Deborah¡¯s ears turned slightly red, and she took the tissue while expressing her gratitude. Reba led Alyssa, but they didn¡¯t actually go far. As she walked towards the backyard, her phone rang, causing her to stop. Donna was quite old, and her hearing wasn¡¯t the best, so she had a habit of speaking loudly. She spoke to Deborah, and Reba heard everything. If Deborah takes Alyssa away directly, where will Reba find Alyssa when Ashton needs her to save his life in the future? Reba felt uneasy and answered the phone. The driver¡¯s voice came through, ¡°Ms. Moxley, you asked me to keep an eye on the hospital. Just now, Mr. Mullen suddenly started coughing up blood and had some difficulty breathing. He¡¯s been taken to the emergency room. It seems like the situation is quite serious.¡± Reba¡¯s expression darkened as she tightly held Alyssa¡¯s hand and walked towards the nearby aisle. ¡°Come with me to the hospital, something happened to your father.¡± Donna chatted with Deborah non-stop, and before they knew it, half an hour had passed. There still wasn¡¯t a single person to be seening in from the backyard. It seemed that Donna had probably forgotten that there were people in the backyard. She chatted with Deborah for quite a while, and feeling tired, she stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to take a nap. Ms. Shepherd, please make yourself at home.¡± Deborah nodded, her heart already in turmoil. ¡°Alright.¡± The housekeeper helped the olddy to leave, and Deborah immediately hurried towards the backyard. As a result, when they reached the backyard, they saw a vast expanse ofwn, but not a single person in sight. Not only Reba and Alyssa, but also Joseph, Adrian, and Evelyn were nowhere to be seen. Deborah looked around and realized that this backyard was different ¨C it wasn¡¯t enclosed on all four sides, making it impossible to leave. The manor of the Moxley family was incredibly spacious. Halfway from the living room to the backyard, there were corridors branching off to both sides, leading to the front yard. Moreover, there is a staircase next to the backyard, which leads to the second-floor balcony, just outside the bedroom. Deborah¡¯s heart suddenly sank, and she quickly pulled a housekeeper aside to ask, ¡°Where did Reba and Alyssa go? Why aren¡¯t they in the backyard?¡± 184 184 Chapter 184 Bloodstains on the Bed The housekeeper responded, ¡°Ms. Shepherd, I just saw Ms. Moxley leave with Alyssa in the car.¡± Deborah¡¯s face darkened, ¡°Where did they drive out from? Weren¡¯t they going to the backyard?¡± Upon seeing Deborah¡¯s appearance, the housekeeper also became a bit flustered. ¡°They walked down the hallway to the front yard, and then drove away from there.¡± He just walked straight ahead, not seeming to deliberately avoid anyone. Over the past three years, it wasn¡¯t just once or twice that Alyssa had gone out with Reba. Of course, the housekeeper wouldn¡¯t create trouble for no reason, and even went forward to stop and inquire further. Deborah thought about what Reba had said not long ago, mentioning that if Deborah didn¡¯t agree to donate bone marrow to Alyssa, she would go and talk to Alyssa herself. Alyssa is well-behaved and said if she listens to Deborah, she will definitely listen to Deborah. If Reba were to take her away directly and force her to donate, after all, she is just a seven or eight- year-old child with little ability to resist. Deborah¡¯s legs were getting weak from the anxiety, as she hurriedly rushed to the front yard. In the front yard, several cars belonging to the Moxley family were parked. It was then that she realized she didn¡¯t even have a car of her. own. She had been living in Oceanview City for the past few years, and her car was left there as well. Even if she could borrow a car from the Moxley family right now, she still wasn¡¯t sure where Reba had taken Alyssa. There are plenty of hospitals in Richmond, but it¡¯s not certain that they went to one. I tried calling Reba and Ashton, but no one answered. Deborah¡¯s mind had turned to mush. The more anxious she became, the harder it was for her to calm down. Cold sweat dripped down my forehead, and a buzzing noise filled my head. She suddenly remembered that Joseph was still here. He probably wouldn¡¯t leave without saying goodbye to her. Just now, she saw that there were stairs in the backyard leading to the upper floor. In the midst of chaos, Deborah finally found some rity. Rushing back upstairs, she couldn¡¯t care about anything else right now. She went straight to the bedrooms, pushing open the doors one by one. Upon opening the door to the third bedroom, Adrian¡¯s voice could be heard, speaking while catching his breath. ¡°I¡¯ve been overexerting myself while filming these past few days, which has weakened my body. Next time we have a match, I¡¯ll definitely knock you down!¡± Deborah looked Inside and saw Adrian sprawled on the bed, his face bruised and swollen, a sight too dreadful to behold. Joseph sat on the couch, his face bruised, ring at the tired person lying on the bed. ¡°Mr. Moxley, before you try topete with me next time, know your ce.¡± Adrian, furious, struggled to get up, only managing to sit halfway before he plopped back onto the bed. He wasn¡¯t familiar with Joseph, so he really didn¡¯t expect that this seemingly gentle and weak man could be so ruthless when taking action. His arm was dislocated, and now his leg was almost immobile, not knowing if it was broken or not. If he became disabled and had to sit in a wheelchair, would Deborah look down on him even more? Evelyn was inside, holding Adrian¡¯s brown coat in her hands. When will there be a man who would fight for her like this? It¡¯s truly thrilling to watch. Her eyes sparkled, and Adrian thought she was about to cry, looking at her with disdain. ¡°Why are you still here? Go on, get out. Throw the clothes in your hand into the trash can; I don¡¯t want anything that others have touched. Let me be frank with you, I¡¯ve seen many women like you, hopelessly infatuated and daydreaming. It¡¯s just a waste of time-¡± Before he could finish speaking. Joseph, who was sitting on the couch, suddenly stood up and said in a deep voice, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Adrian hadn¡¯t noticed the person standing at the door yet. Upon hearing them, he became irritated and said, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Let me tell you, my injury is nothing to worry about. I just didn¡¯t want to fight with you.¡± Deborah stood at the door, eager to speak. But as she ran all the way up, she found herself gasping for breath. The more anxious I became, the more it felt like my throat was stuffed with cotton. I opened my mouth several times, but couldn¡¯t manage to speak. The smile on Joseph¡¯s face faded as he stood up and walked over to pat her on the back. ¡°Take your time, and speak slowly.¡± When Adrian saw him patting Deborah, he was quite annoyed. Unable to get up, hey in bed and yelled, ¡°What are you doing touching me like that!¡± Joseph didn¡¯t pay any more attention to him, focusing instead on helping Deborah feel more With her eyes red and swollen, it took Deborah a while to speak up. ¡°Reba took Alyssa away behind my back, and I¡¯m worried something might have happened to Alyssa.¡± Adrian, who considered himself to know Reba quite well, quickly reassured. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about. Although Reba can be impulsive and sometimes speaks harshly, she doesn¡¯t have many ill intentions.¡± Joseph said in a deep voice. ¡°Can you still walk? I¡¯ll take you to find it.¡± Deborah nodded immediately. ¡°Yes, I can walk.¡± Just now, she was running too fast and was panting heavily, which made it difficult for her to speak at once. Her endurance isn¡¯t that bad; she wouldn¡¯t be unable to walk just because of this. Joseph supported her back and, without grabbing the coat on the couch, led her downstairs directly. Adrian was furious as he watched, and ordered Evelyn, who was standing by and enjoying the show, ¡°Help me up. I¡¯m going with them!¡± Evelyn looked at him sincerely and said, ¡°Mr. Moxley, I can¡¯t help you up.¡± It¡¯s true, Adrian¡¯s legs are now immobile. Evelyn practically has to hoist him up from the bed and carry him as they chase after Deborah and Joseph. It¡¯s unbelievable that Evelyn, who is six feet two inches tall can carry such a huge thing. Adrian had no solution, and could only watch helplessly as Joseph wrapped his arm around Deborah, walking side by side as they walked away. Adrian red at Evelyn, angrily saying. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, with your current indifferent attitude, there¡¯s no chance for us!¡± Evelyn¡¯s face showed her disappointment, but her mind was torn between telling the truth and keeping it to herself. Dude, you¡¯ve said this several times already. Why don¡¯t you go tell Mrs. Donna Moxley and let me leave? After Joseph helped Deborah into the car, he called Rodger first. Deborah had already called both Reba and Ashton, but no one answered. Rodger did answer the phone over there, but he replied that he¡¯s currently not in the country. Joseph immediately asked, ¡°Where is Ashton hospitalized now? Could you please ask Dr. Denard about his current situation and if anything has happened to him?¡± He then directly mentioned the incident where Reba suddenly took Alyssa away, leaving no trace of their whereabouts. Over there, Rodger suddenly remembered something, his voice deepened, ¡°Oh, and about that? I informed Ms. Moxleyst night that Ashton is now in thete stages of lung cancer. She got a bit emotional over the phone.¡± Deborah¡¯s premonition grew worse, and Rodger also worried that something bad might happen. Soon, he spoke again, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll call the doctors back in our country to ask about it. Ashton¡¯s condition hasn¡¯t been goodtely, and he often stays in the hospital, usually at Richmond Hospital.¡± Joseph was quite surprised; he never expected Ashton to be diagnosed with a terminal illness. ¡°Thank you for your help,¡± he said, and the other person hung up the phone first. While waiting for Rodger¡¯s reply, Joseph drove the car towards Richmond Hospital. Deborah was in tears on the passenger seat, ¡°Reba talked to me at noon, asking Alyssa to donate bone marrow to Ashton. I refused, and she was very unhappy.¡± Seeing that she was in a terrible mood, Joseph didn¡¯t actively ask her for details. He just focused on finding the person first. Now, hearing Deborah say this, it¡¯s clear why she¡¯s so worried. Deborah¡¯s body trembled. Although bone marrow transnt risks are generally not significant, Alyssa was still so young. If Reba were to force her, it¡¯s hard for Deborah to imagine what might happen if the child were to resist. As Joseph calmly drove, he reassured her, ¡°Don¡¯t panic. Bone marrow transnts require tests and procedures; it can¡¯t happen that quickly. Alyssa is smart, and she¡¯ll definitely find a way to wait for you to get there.¡± Deborah¡¯s mood had improved slightly, and Rodger had also returned her call. He mentioned that Ashton suddenly coughed up blood and gasped for air, about half an hour ago he was taken into the emergency room. Rodger then informed Joseph of the ward number and the location of the emergency room. Joseph¡¯s car pulled up outside the hospital, and he immediately drove in. He then escorted Deborah into the inpatient building. Upon entering the hospital room, there was no one there. On the sickbed, the snow-white sheets near the pillow were stained with blood, making it somewhat N?velDrama.Org content rights. difficult to breathe just by looking at it. Deborah¡¯s body stiffened for a moment, but she didn¡¯t have time to pay attention to these details. She turned around and ran towards the emergency room. 185 185 Chapter 185 She Wants Me to Die Outside the emergency room, quite a few people were standing. Deborah hurriedly ran down the hallway and from a distance, she spotted Reba and Alyssa. Alyssa leaned against the wall, while Reba stood in front of her, excitedly talking to her about something and stuffing a piece of paper and a pen into her hand. It seemed as if someone was trying to force Alyssa to sign something. Alyssa¡¯s expression showed resistance, and she was unwilling to ept it. In addition to the two of them, Hector also came over. People over 80 years old, leaning on their walking sticks, wear a face full of worry and concern. Deborah hurried closer, finally hearing Reba¡¯s voice clearly. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about all these details. As long as you sign and agree to donate bone marrow, I can find a way to talk to the doctor.¡± Alyssa, with a cold expression, said, ¡°Reba, calm down. I¡¯m underage, so my signature won¡¯t be valid. Besides, I¡¯ve already told you, I¡¯m not willing to do it.¡± Reba raised her voice angrily, ¡°It¡¯s not your concern whether your signature is valid or not. I said I would figure it out. He¡¯s your father, and the bone marrow in your body came from him. What right do you have to refuse?¡± Hector, standing to the side, grew impatient. With a cold expression, he directly gave a signal to the bodyguard beside him. ¡°Why waste so much time talking to a child! Since her bone marrow can save Ashton, let¡¯s just take her to the doctor right now and have her donate the bone marrow!¡± Upon hearing this, the bodyguard headed straight towards Alyssa. Reba saw Hector ordering someone to take action and instinctively tried to stop him. Deborah quickly stepped forward and pulled Alyssa to her side with one swift motion. Several bodyguards immediately tried to sn*tch the person from Deborah¡¯s hands, but Joseph stopped them. Hector came over with two bodyguards, who were quite skilled themselves. The two bodyguards, seeing Joseph blocking their way, immediately started fighting with him. Reba stepped forward with a serious expression, trying to stop the argument. ¡°Enough! Let¡¯s discuss this calmly, Isn¡¯t it embarrassing to fight like this in public?¡± Joseph held one of the bodyguard¡¯s arms with one hand, clearing his line of sight to nce at her, ¡°What are you trying to do, pretending to show off?¡± Reba¡¯s face stiffened, and she became somewhat annoyed and embarrassed, ¡°W-What do you mean!¡± Joseph couldn¡¯t be bothered to look at her anymore. ¡°You know exactly what I mean,¡± he said. Reba¡¯s face turned pale, then flushed. ¡°I brought Alyssa here just to show her how serious her father¡¯s condition is right now. Regarding the bone marrow donation, I have no intention of forcing her. If she doesn¡¯t agree and doesn¡¯t sign, I absolutely won¡¯t do anything.¡± No one listened to her anymore. Joseph and the two bodyguards fought fiercely, with both sides suffering significant injuries.. Joseph was already in a difficult situation, facing two opponents by himself. Not long ago, I had just fought with Adrian, and I was injured. My strength was almost depleted. Soon, medical staff came over and tried to stop them verbally. After pulling Alyssa close to her, Deborah anxiouslyforted her, fearing that Alyssa might have been frightened. Only now, as she saw arge group of doctors and nurses approaching, did she notice that Joseph had started fighting with the bodyguard. In the corridor, quite a few patients and their families hade out, gathering around to watch the scene as if it were a monkey show. Deborah immediately took Alyssa¡¯s hand and hurriedly said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Joseph had a few more cuts on his face and hands. Hearing Deborah speak, he snapped back to reality, retracted his hand, and followed her. The two bodyguards on the ground struggled to get up, but Alyssa couldn¡¯t just leave like this. Hector¡¯s face looked terrible as he coldly scolded, ¡°Enough, what¡¯s the point in chasing anymore?¡± Everyone has been knocked down; can we still gain an advantage by catching up? Reba felt guilty and didn¡¯t have the confidence to stop it anymore. No sooner had Deborah left than the door to the emergency room opened behind her. Inside, Ashtony on the wheeled bed, which was then pushed out. His gaze quickly fell upon the retreating figures of Deborah and herpanions. Immediately, his icy gaze turned towards Reba and Hector as they approached. ¡°Did you guys call me over?¡± Reba sneered, ¡°So what? You¡¯re in this state, can¡¯t theye and see you?¡± Ashton red at her angrily. ¡°Reba, I¡¯ve warned you before. You¡¯d better not talk to them about my matters, let alone ask them for any favors.¡± Reba looked him straight in the eye. ¡°Oh really? That¡¯s a shame, because I¡¯ve already talked to them. I even tried to persuade Alyssa to donate bone marrow to you, but they don¡¯t seem too willing to cooperate.¡± Ashton¡¯s face contorted with anger. ¡°You¡¯re asking for trouble!¡± Hector said with concern, ¡°Ashton, Ms. Moxley is only looking out for you. Alyssa is your daughter, and she¡¯s a perfect match for your bone marrow. She¡¯s willing to donate her bone marrow to you, which is a simple act that can save your life. She must donate, and she doesn¡¯t have a choice in the matter.¡± Ashton clenched his fists tightly, the veins on the back of his hands clearly visible. ¡°Even if it costs me my life. I will never let her donate bone marrow.¡± He owed countless debts to Deborah and Alyssa in the past, and they remained unsettled. No matter how small, nothing can be changed now. The events of the past have all be a foregone conclusion. But things were differentter on. From now on, he will no longer owe them anything. Hector was furious. ¡°You¡¯re being foolish! Is this really the time for you to show mercy?¡± Ashton¡¯s ink-like eyes stared intently at Hector, emphasizing each word. ¡°I¡¯m making it clear. I will never ept Alyssa¡¯s bone marrow, unless I¡¯m dead.¡± The bed was wheeled into the hospital room, and the housekeeper who followed helped Ashton onto the bed to lie down. Reba, feeling a bit unwilling to give up, tried to persuade him, ¡°You might not fully understand. I¡¯ve asked the doctor, and with the advancements in medical technology, the risks of Alyssa donating bone marrow are indeed quite low.¡± Ashton said impatiently. ¡°Even if the risk isn¡¯t significant, it¡¯s still a risk. Besides, Deborah would never agree to it.¡± Alyssa is Deborah¡¯s lifeline; any small risk is something Deborah dares not to try. Reba, furious, blurted out, ¡°Do you really think Deborah refused because she¡¯s worried about Alyssa¡¯s safety? All those excuses about the risks of a bone marrow transnt are just nonsense. She just wants you to wait and die!¡± Ashton had donated bone marrow to Alyssa years ago, so he knew better than anyone how simple the process was and whether there were any significant risks involved. Ashton¡¯s face looked extremely awful, and he didn¡¯t make a sound for quite a while. After a long pause, he looked at Reba again and asked, ¡°Does this have anything to do with you?¡± For a moment, Reba was at a loss for words. A mix of embarrassment and anger filled her, making her feel quite miserable. It took her quite a while before she spoke up angrily again, ¡°She wants you to wait to die. What¡¯s the R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only difference between her and someone who intends to kill?¡± Ashton¡¯s gaze was chillingly cold, making one shudder. ¡°Even if she asks me to wait for my death, I¡¯m willing. Does it have anything to do with you, Reba?¡± Chapter 186 Chapter 186 Chapter 186 Sneaking a Peek at Him Reba¡¯s face turned livid with anger, as she had never encountered someone as ungrateful and clueless as Ashton. These days, she has been trying her best, searching for hospitals and doctors everywhere, in an effort to find a suitable bone marrow match. Since I couldn¡¯t find it, I had no choice but to ask Deborah and Alyssa for help. Could it be that the purpose was not to save Ashton¡¯s life, but to save Reba¡¯s life instead? She could no longer bear it and said, ¡°Fine, fine! You all are so noble, and I¡¯m just meddling in your affairs. I must be crazy, right?¡± She screamed like a shrew, but Ashton still looked indifferent, ¡°Is there something wrong with your brain?¡± Reba¡¯s fingers dug tightly into her palm, unable to distinguish whether she was feeling anger or embarrassment. ¡°You think I care about meddling in your business? If it weren¡¯t for that time overseas back then Ashton sneered, ¡°How many times are you going to bring up that old, trivial matter from years ago? I¡¯ve told you before, even if I had encountered a kitten or a puppy back then, I would have helped them just the same.¡± Reba couldn¡¯t help but be moved, ¡°I remember when your parents were still around, those years you spent abroad were also quite good¡­¡± Ashton couldn¡¯t recall that when he was studying abroad, Reba was in the same department as him. But Reba always remembered. Ashton¡¯s patience had run out, interrupting her, he said, ¡°Leave, I don¡¯t want to see you again. You¡¯re annoying.¡± In the end, Reba didn¡¯t continue speaking. She turned around and left the hospital room. The door to the hospital room closed, leaving Ashton all alone. Hector stood guard outside while Ashton didn¡¯t allow him toe in and watch over. Ever since Deborah¡¯s ident three years ago, the rtionship between Ashton and Hector has been distant for these past three years. There has been no improvement, and there isn¡¯t much room for improvement either. Ashtony in bed, and everything around him quieted down. He looked around the spacious ward, his indifferent expression fading away. Over the past three years, he would often have this kind of feeling The house feels quite spacious, and because of its size, it appears empty. No matter where I live, whether at home or outside, the feeling is always the same. Lately, I¡¯ve been feeling really cold no matter where I am. Rodger is right, it¡¯s a terminal illness. I probably won¡¯t live much longer. Ashton reached out and grabbed his phone. After holding back for so many days, I couldn¡¯t resist any longer and sent a message to Deborah. It wrote: [Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let Alyssa donate bone marrow.) Deborah is in a taxi with Alyssa, heading to the newly rented house. Reba taking Alyssa away made Deborah unable to feel at ease anymore to continue living with Alyssa at Moxley Manor. Alyssa was very understanding and agreed to move out and live with Deborah for the time being. On Christmas day, we¡¯ll go to the Moxley family¡¯s house for a meal. Deborah found the house on a mobile app and then contacted the owner by phone to make arrangements. Everything was fully furnished and ready for move-in, Deborah only brought a single suitcase with her As the car neared its destination, she received a message from Ashton. She took a nce at it but didn¡¯t respond. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Ashton¡¯s personal number, she had already blocked it long ago, this one is his work number. She couldn¡¯t be bothered to block them anymore and just left it alone. After taking a nce, she put her phone back into her bag Alyssa was feeling particrly down. Because she saw those bloodstains in the hospital, coupled with Reba¡¯s pressure and questioning, she felt somewhat disturbed. All the way, she didn¡¯t say a single word. Halfway through the drive, there was another bout of vomiting Joseph originally wanted toe along and take care of things, but Deborah knew that Alyssa was more resistant to him, so she didn¡¯t agree. Taxis can only go as far as the outside of the residential area. Deborah got out of the car, grabbed her suitcase, and led Alyssa inside. The housing agent was already waiting at the entrance of the residential area, warmly leading them inside the house. The location here is great, which makes the housing prices high. Deborah found a house she really liked, with the interior decoration and furniture being both new and high-end. Upon entering, Deborah¡¯s first impression was that it didn¡¯t look like a ce for rent. The housing agent praised extravagantly, ¡°Thendlord is wealthy, and the house was originally vacant with no intention to rent it out. They don¡¯t really need the rental ie. But I have some family ties with him, so after much persuasion, he finally agreed to rent it out. This is the only property like this I have on hand, and the rent is quite affordable. Everything inside is new and good, so you and your daughter will livefortably, isn¡¯t it?¡± Alyssa wasn¡¯t feeling well, and Deborah didn¡¯t want to say much either, so she just took out her card directly. ¡°No problem with the house. Should I sign the contract with you or directly with thendlord?¡± The housing agent smiled as they presented thendlord¡¯s authorization letter, ¡°You can just sign with me, as Mr. Denard, thendlord, is currently abroad. As for the rent, we¡¯ve already agreed on the amount previously. The house is avable for rent for a minimum of six months, and requires a one-time payment of six months¡¯ rent, plus an additional six months¡¯ rent as a security deposit.¡± Upon hearing it, Deborah felt like the name ¡°Mr. Denard¡± sounded somewhat familiar. But it was just a surname, so she didn¡¯t think much about it. After reviewing the documents provided by the housing agent and making sure there were no issues, she signed the papers, paid the money, and rented the house. To be honest, some of the decorations in this house seem to be worth more than a year¡¯s rent. After the housing agent signed the contract with her and received the payment, they left. The house was thoroughly cleaned everywhere, so there was no need for additional cleaning.. After casually tidying up her suitcase, Deborah sat down to apany Alyssa,forting her emotions. The sky outside had turned dark, and Alyssa, sitting close to her, suddenly asked, ¡°Mommy, is Dad going to die soon?¡± Deborah hugged her and honestly replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± Alyssa stopped talking and leaned against her chest. Deborah looked down at her and said, ¡°Alyssa, you can make your own choices. If you want to take the risk and donate bone marrow to him, then Mommy will respect your decision.¡± Alyssa lowered her head, without looking up, ¡°I won¡¯t donate.¡± She snuggled close to Deborah, and the two of them leaned against the couch. Soon, Deborah could hear the gentle sound of breathing in her arms. Alyssa fell asleep. Deborah ordered takeout and checked the estimated delivery time, which was in forty minutes. Joseph had sent her a message earlier, saying that he would deliver her workputer and design tools. In about half an hour, he should be able to arrive. Deborah checked the time and realized that she could go out now to pick up a delivery. While she was at it, she decided to visit the shopping mall across the street to buy some daily necessities and food to bring back home. It¡¯s better not to let Josephe to this house directly, so as to avoid an unpleasant encounter with Alyssa like before. Deborah had an idea and took out her phone to open WhatsApp. She sent a message to Joseph. She texted: [Come directly to Southern Opulence Mall, I¡¯ll wait for you at the main entrance. I have something more to talk to you about.] After sending the message, she put Alyssa down on the bed and then headed to the mall across the street. Thinking that Joseph might not see the message while driving, she made another phone call and repeated the information from the message. The response from over there said that it would take about ten minutes or so to arrive. 1 Deborah felt like it had been such a long time since shest heard his voice properly. Now, hearing it through the phone, she couldn¡¯t help but walk lightly towards the other side with a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. She didn¡¯t want Alyssa to be unhappy, but she couldn¡¯t help wanting to see Joseph a little. For now, she could only do so secretly and cautiously. Upon arriving at the shopping mall across the street, Deborah didn¡¯t rush in to buy anything. Wait at the main entrance first, and wait for Joseph toe over. After sending a message to Deborah, Ashton didn¡¯t expect a reply. Knowing her temperament, she wouldn¡¯t even bother with him right now. After sending the message, he put down his phone and went to sleep. Faintly hearing his phone vibrate, he almost instantly jolted awake. When he picked up the phone and unlocked it, for a moment, he thought his eyes were ying tricks on him. Surprisingly, it was a message from Deborah that came back. After fully understanding the information, he felt even more like he was in a dream. She texted: [Come directly to Southern Opulence Mall, I¡¯ll wait for you at the main entrance. I have something else to talk to you about.] Does she have more to say to him? Ashton felt as if his blood had turned to ice, and it took a long while before his fingers could finally move again. Quickly, he reacted with great intensity. Deborah said she wanted to see him, as she had something to tell him. Ashton hurriedly got up, put on a pair of slippers, and headed outside Chapter 187 Chapter 187 Chapter 187 We Will Save Alyssa Thinking about her current appearance, wearing only a patient¡¯s gown, Deborah might be displeased when she sees it. Ashton hurriedly went back, changed his clothes, put on his coat, and changed his shoes before rushing out of the sickroom. As I walked outside, my vision started to darken a bit. He leaned against the wall for a moment, feeling better, and then continued to walk outside. The door opened, and both Reba and Hector were waiting outside. Upon seeing Ashton suddenly emerge from the bed, everyone was taken aback Hector immediately stepped forward, ¡°Ashton, if you need anything, just ring the bell. Why did you get out of bed yourself? You¡¯re not supposed to=¡± Before the speaker could finish, Ashton interrupted, ¡°I have something to take care of, I¡¯ll be back After he finished speaking, he didn¡¯t care about the reactions of the people outside and walked straight towards the end of the corridor. Reba hurriedly caught up and stopped him. ¡°The doctor said you shouldn¡¯t even be getting out of bed right now. Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Ashton¡¯s path was blocked, and the anxious expression on his face couldn¡¯t be hidden. His icy, impatient gaze fell on Reba. ¡°Move aside, and don¡¯t make me say it again.¡± Reba stood in front of him, as still and unmoving as a wall. ¡°No way, you can¡¯t leave the hospital now. What, do you still want to go find Deborah and her daughter? They definitely don¡¯t want to see you¡­ Ah!¡± Before she could finish speaking, Ashton reached out, grabbed her arm, and flung her to the side. Caught off guard, Reba stumbled backward several steps, her back colliding with the nearby wall. She was furious and yelled, ¡°Ashton, are you even a man?¡± No one responded to her, as Ashton had already walked far away. Hector, leaning on his cane, chased after him furiously, ¡°Stop, you scoundrel!¡± Many people gathered around to watch, causing chaos in the corridor. Ashton walked quickly, somewhat unsteadily, and hurried straight into the elevator to leave. By the time Reba and Hector rushed downstairs, there was no trace of him to be found. Ashton drove straight to the ce Deborah had told him about. He had just left the emergency room and hadn¡¯t eaten anything, feeling a bit weak. As he drove out of the underground parking garage and onto the street, the evening streetlights and neon signs shone into his eyes, making him feel slightly dizzy. Richmond was covered in snow, and the streets had already been cleared. On both sides of the streets, thickyers of snow were piled up. Chapter 18 Will Save Alyssa His driving was a bit unsteady, and it seemed like someone was honking behind him. He didn¡¯t pay attention and continued driving forward when suddenly, he remembered that day from over three years R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ago. It seems to be an evening like this, with such a dimly lit night, just like in a heavy snowfall. Deborah knelt outside the garden, pleading, ¡°Ashton, please save our daughter.¡± Ashton¡¯s consciousness began to feel somewhat hazy, as if he had truly returned to that day, that very moment. He drove the car and agreed, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s save Alyssa.¡± Debby, let¡¯s go save Alyssa. Our family of three has such a long time ahead of us, with so many years toe. Year after year, time goes by¡­. Oh, he remembered it wrong. There¡¯s no more time left for him; he¡¯s been diagnosed with a terminal illness, and he¡¯s going to die. And as for his Debby and Alyssa, they had given up on himpletely, never wanting him again. Ashton drove the car, beads of nervous sweat forming on his forehead. Indeed, Deborah gave up on him a long time ago. So why does she still want to see him, and what does she want to talk to him about? My legs felt weak, and my entire body was going limp. Ashton had no idea how long he had been driving, nor when he had finally arrived at his destination. The car came to a stop in the za outside Southern Opulence Mall. He immediately got out and walked towards the main entrance. I wonder if Deborah has arrived yet; she definitely doesn¡¯t like waiting for him too long. Perhapster he should exin that due to the snowy weather, the roads were slippery, causing some traffic congestion, and it was impossible to drive too fast. He should havee over a bit sooner, making her wait for so long. He was on tenterhooks, his heart in his throat. Finally, at the main entrance, there weren¡¯t many people going in and out of the shopping mall on this snowy evening. Ashton looked around carefully, but he couldn¡¯t see any sign of Deborah. Has he not arrived yet, or did he leave because he waited too long? He waited at the door for a while longer, but still didn¡¯t see Deborahing. Finally, he took out his phone from his pocket, intending to ask her about it. There¡¯s nothing in the pocket. He suddenly remembered that he had left the hospital room in such a hurry, and all his clothes had been changed. He identally left his phone in the hospital room, forgetting to take it with him. Chapter 18Ne Will Save Alyssa ** Ashton could only continue waiting. After more than half an hour, he still hadn¡¯t seen Deborah at all. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he had experienced hallucinations while in the hospital room. Deborah probably didn¡¯t send him a message; why would she send him something like that? His heart kept sinking, and eventually, he felt there was no need to keep waiting any longer. As I nned to leave, I walked out of the shopping mall and headed towards my car. He suddenly wondered, could it be that he had remembered the location incorrectly? Perhaps, she is waiting for him at another spot in this mall. He paced back and forth near the entrance, walking out and thening back in. The mall security guard had been watching him for quite a while, and finally couldn¡¯t help but walk over and ask, ¡°Sir, do you need any assistance?¡± As Ashton was about to say ¡°no need,¡± he suddenly remembered something. ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯m waiting for someone. Could I please borrow your phone to make a call?¡± The security guard noticed his extraordinary attire and demeanor, and without much suspicion, directly handed him his cell phone. Ashton expressed his gratitude, took the phone, swiftly entered Deborah¡¯s number, and made the call. It took a moment for the call to be answered on the other end. The instant it connected, Ashton¡¯s heart skipped a beat. From over there, it wasn¡¯t Deborah¡¯s voice that came through, but rather Joseph¡¯s. ¡°Hello, who is this?¡± Ashton¡¯s hand holding the phone stiffened, and soon after, his entire face froze as well. The security guard hadn¡¯t noticed anything unusual yet when he heard a man¡¯s voiceing from the phone. The security guard assumed that Ashton was waiting for a man, perhaps a friend or a business partner. Seeing Ashton not speaking, the security guard immediately helped to reply. ¡°Hello, the friend you are meeting is waiting for you at the entrance of Southern Opulence Mall. Pleasee over here.¡± Chapter 188 Chapter 188 Chapter 188 His Face Turns Pale Ashton waspletely taken by surprise, never expecting to hear Joseph¡¯s voice on the other end. The sound of Joseph¡¯s voiceing through the phone was apanied by the noise of the mall¡¯s public address system. Just like the broadcast sound in the shopping mall where Ashton is currently, it was the same. It¡¯s clear that Joseph, on the other end of the phone, is also in this shopping mall. Ashton felt embarrassed, instinctively wanting to hang up the phone and leave immediately. Upon further thought, Deborah had indeed sent him a message, asking him toe over, saying that she had something to talk to him about, She wouldn¡¯t deliberately deceive him toe over. If she said there was something important and asked him toe, then there must be something important. Ashton reached out to tap the hang-up button on his phone screen, but couldn¡¯t help himself from continuing to listen to the voice on the other end. Joseph doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but Deborah should know, right? It was she who called him over. Over there, Joseph¡¯s voice sounded somewhat surprised, ¡°Invited a friend? Debby, did you invite a friend over?¡± Deborah was picking out yogurt for Alyssa from the refrigerator when she casually nced at her phone upon hearing Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. a notification. ¡°No, why would I call someone else toe here?¡± The screen disyed an unfamiliar phone number. Deborah gently reminded, ¡°Hang up, it¡¯s probably an advertisement or a scam.¡± Joseph let out an ¡°Oh¡± and was about to hang up the phone. Over there, the security guard didn¡¯t seem too bright. Upon hearing Deborah¡¯s words, he became somewhat annoyed. ¡°What do you mean, an advertising scam? I¡¯m the security guard of this mall, and I¡¯m with your friend at the main entrance right now. Your friend has been waiting for quite a while. Did you invite them and then forget about it?¡± Deborah paused her movements and exchanged nces with Joseph for two seconds. She suddenly thought of something and put down what she was holding in her hand. ¡°Suddenly, remembered that we left Evelyn at Moxley Manor. Could it be that she came over?¡± Joseph looked even more puzzled, ¡°She wouldn¡¯t havee all this way to find this ce. Anyway, let¡¯s go to the door and see who it is.¡± Deborah nodded and left the supermarket with him. At the entrance of the shopping mall downstairs, the security guard was sitting there, with no other people in sight. Joseph approached and asked, ¡°Hello, did you just call us, saying that we have friends waiting for us here?¡± The security guard was also puzzled and replied apologetically, ¡°Yes. But after that gentleman hung up the phone, he said he had dialed the wrong number. Then he mentioned that he had something urgent to attend to and hurriedly Chapter 185km ace Turns Pale left.¡± Deborah hurriedly jogged over, her face now full of confusion. The security guard repeatedly apologized, ¡°I¡¯m very sorry for taking up both of your time. But the fact is, it¡¯s really like this,¡± There¡¯s no point in saying more, as there¡¯s no one here anymore. Joseph and Deborah had no choice but to leave and head to the supermarket upstairs to pay for and take away the items they had chosen. This matter is definitely not as simple as dialing the wrong number. The other party came here looking for someone, but dialed the wrong number. It¡¯s impossible that they just happened to call someone else in this mall. When Joseph and Deborah left the mall, they still felt uneasy. ¡°I don¡¯t know who the other party is, but it¡¯s not safe for you and Alyssa to live alone out here. Is the house you rented reliable?¡± Deborah didn¡¯t seem too concerned. ¡°What could possibly go wrong? I specifically chose a neighborhood with good security, outsiders can¡¯t even get in. I¡¯ve also carefully reviewed the house information and rental contract, everything seems reliable.¡± Joseph was still worried, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ve checked carefully? I rememberst time when you took a design order, you sent the payment code to the client when collecting the money, and almost ended up paying them arge sum.¡± Deborah, feeling awkward, said, ¡°Let¡¯s not bring up the past anymore.¡± As two people stepped out of the shopping mall, snow began to fall outside, and the cold wind blew fiercely. Joseph draped a coat over her shoulders, then suddenly changed the subject, ¡°Would you still forgive me for the things I¡¯ve done in the past?¡± The rxed expression on Deborah¡¯s face faded as she took off the coat she was wearing and handed it back to him. ¡°I should go back, Alyssa might have woken up. The items that were just bought at the shopping mall are now being carried in Joseph¡¯s hands. Deborah reached out to grab it, but as Joseph let go, he suddenly grasped her wrist. ¡°Debby, I¡¯m sorry. Can you give me a chance to make it up to you?¡± He had once forgotten her; in his eyes, everyone was merely a pawn. In order to achieve his goal, he could scheme and exploit anyone. Later on, he remembered Deborah, and it was the warm and peaceful days spent with her over the past three years. that made him never want to return to that cold, dark, and calcting life again. Deborah reached out to push him away, lowering her gaze to avoid his eyes. ¡°I really need to go back, Alyssa is still waiting for me at home.¡± Joseph had always been obedient and amodating to her, but this time, he didn¡¯t let go. ¡°Let me take you home, I¡¯ve brought some home-cooked food with me. I¡¯ll go get it from the car. Alyssa is still growing, you can¡¯t always rely on takeout.¡± Deborah couldn¡¯t push him away, and there were people walking outside the mall, asionally ncing over in their direction. Her face turned red, ¡°No need, Alyssa can taste the difference in the food you cook. She doesn¡¯t like you, so you can¡¯te back with me.¡± Joseph looked down at her and asked, ¡°If Alyssa never epts me, will we always be like this?¡± Deborah didn¡¯t want to lie, so she could only respond truthfully. ¡°I¡¯ve owed Alyssa so much in the past, and from now on, I want to put her first in everything. To be honest, if I had to choose, I would give up anything for her.¡± Joseph¡¯s body had be somewhat stiff. He had actually anticipated such a response, but hearing it directly from Deborah still left a bitter taste in his mouth. He couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit wronged. ¡°Debby, this isn¡¯t very fair to me.¡± Deborah looked up at him, slowly pushing his hand away. Her expression was calm and sincere. ¡°Sorry, Alyssa is really important to ine, and I don¡¯t want her to make any morepromises or sacrifices in any matter.¡± After she finished speaking, she turned around and left, heading towards the residential area across the street. Joseph stood still, and out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a familiar car parked among the others in the square. Ashton sat in the driver¡¯s seat, not wanting to leave and too afraid to get out of the car. He gazed through the car window, somewhat absent-mindedly, watching Deborah and Joseph together. It wasn¡¯t until Joseph suddenly looked in his direction that his expression froze, and he instinctively wanted to hide. Upon recalling that one cannot see inside the car from the outside, Joseph wouldn¡¯t be able to see him. Joseph watched as Ashton¡¯s car pulled up, and suddenly he knew who the security guard was talking about earlier when he mentioned that Deborah had a friend waiting for her at the entrance. How could Ashton possibly know that Deborah is here now, if she didn¡¯t tell him herself? Joseph¡¯s face darkened, and he couldn¡¯t understand why. Every time he saw Ashton getting close to Deborah, he felt uneasy in his heart Adrian pursued Deborah, while Zayne secretly admired her. For Joseph, all of this seemed like child¡¯s y. He minded, but not nearly as much as one might think. As for Ashton, there was a deep concern hidden in his subconscious. Joseph nced back and quickly caught up with Deborah, who was already walking towards the other side. He reached out and grabbed her arm from behind. Deborah was startled and turned around to see him, her face puzzled, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is there anything else?¡± Joseph appeared calm and said, ¡°Morton got me an extra phone number for this side of Richmond. Give me your phone, let me save it, so you don¡¯t identally block me as an unknown number.¡± 374 Deborah let out an ¡°Oh,¡± and handed him her phone. She didn¡¯t go to watch, waiting for Joseph to finish. Joseph knew that her phone¡¯s screen lock was her birthday. Joseph saved the number in his contacts and quickly opened his phone¡¯s messages and WhatsApp. Soon, he saw the message that Deborah had identally sent to Ashton in their WhatsApp chat history. No wonder, Ashton was originally still in the hospital, so he shouldn¡¯t havee over. Deborah stood in front of him and asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡± Joseph casually deleted the chat history, exited WhatsApp, and handed the phone back to her. ¡°Alright then.¡± Deborah reached out to take it, and just as she was about to leave, Joseph suddenly reached out and pulled her into his embrace. ¡°Debby, even if Alyssa can never ept me, I still won¡¯t let go.¡± Deborah was startled and eximed, ¡°What are you doing? We¡¯re outside!¡±. She reached out to push him away, but Joseph swiftly caught the back of her head with his palm, leaning in to silence her voice. This was the second time he genuinely kissed her. The first time had been in a hotel, when he had too much to drink and was caught by Alyssa, He used to be a restrained person, but now he¡¯s inexplicably strange. Deborah¡¯s face turned beet red as she tried to push him away, but he refused to let go no matter what she said. Ashton looked over through the car window, his face gradually turning pale. Chapter 189 Chapter 189 Chapter 189 Approaching Death Ashton couldn¡¯t help but think that during the three years Deborah and Joseph had been together, there were countless things that could have happened between them. Speaking of which, perhaps the two of them kissing like this doesn¡¯t really amount to much. He had thought about these things before. But now, seeing it with my own eyes through the car window, I still feel a deep pain in my heart. For the first time, he felt so clearly and profoundly that Deborah truly didn¡¯t belong to him anymore, and she had nothing to do with him. She was close to Joseph, kissing him, doing anything, and it was no longer Ashton¡¯s ce to say a word. Outside the mall, on the bustling square, heavy snowkes danced in the air as people came and went. Many people nced over at Joseph and Deborah, their eyes filled with either surprise or admiration. Ashton felt the chill inside his body, creeping back into his bones. It¡¯s been three years; he should have epted this reality by now. Deborah had long since ceased to belong to him. Ashton stood there, staring nkly, forgetting to move and even to leave. After an unknown amount of time had passed, Deborah and Joseph, who had been standing in the distance, had long since left. Ashton was still sitting in the car, with no air conditioning turned on, making his whole body stiff and numb. The snow outside fell and stopped intermittently, and in the blink of an eye, it was approaching midnight. There was not a single person left outside the shopping mall. Ashton finally started the car and drove away, heading back to the hospital. The car came to a stop outside the hospital building. As soon as he got out, he could no longer bear it. His stomach churned like a stormy sea, and his throat burned with searing pain.. He hurried to the trash can, letting out a series of rapid, intense coughs. Coughing up blood mixed with vomit, it all ended up in the trash can. Not far away, a bodyguard hurriedly ran over. ¡°Sir, howe you¡¯re here? Old Mr. Mullen and Ms. Moxley have been searching for you everywhere for quite a while now.¡± Ashton remained silent, continuing to vomit as if trying to empty his stomach of everything inside. The bodyguard noticed something was off with him, so he called Hector and then anxiously summoned the medical staff toe over. After coughing and spitting, Ashton didn¡¯t bother himself any further. After returning to the ward, I cooperated with the medical staff¡¯s inquiries and participated in the examinations. After Hector hurried over, he scolded him. Ashtony in bed, not uttering another word. Hector¡¯s anger had subsided, and seeing his silent demeanor, he couldn¡¯t help but feel worried. ¡°Where on earth have you been?¡± Ashton didn¡¯t reply. Hector was almost frantic, ¡°Did you go looking for Deborah?¡± Ashton finally showed some reaction, his dark and dull eyes staring straight at Hector. His voice was cold and clear. ¡°Nothing I do has anything to do with her. Don¡¯t mention her in front of me again.¡± Hector gritted his teeth in anger, ¡°Irrelevant? Ha, irrelevant? My biggest regret is that when she was young, she schemed her way into your bed, and I was too kind-hearted to stop you from marrying her. It was a huge mistake, and it ruined your life!¡± Reba stood by, watching Ashton¡¯s pale and haggard face, feeling quite indignant. ** ¡°Stop pretending, you went to see her, didn¡¯t you? What happened, did she say something to upset you? You¡¯re having such a strong reaction.¡± Ashton closed his eyes, not wanting to say another word. ¡°You all can leave now.¡± Reba turned around with a calm expression and left the ward, ¡°If you won¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll go ask her myself. You must have been provoked by her!¡± Reba didn¡¯t know that Deborah had already raken Alyssa away from Moxley Manor. At this point, it was already midnight, and she drove straight back to Moxley Manor. Ashton went out for a bit and when he returned to the ward, he looked half-dead. Besides Deborah, who else could it be? His current situation was such that each additional provocation brought him one step closer to death. Reba stormed back to Moxley Manor, went straight upstairs, and knocked on Alyssa¡¯s bedroom door. ¡°Deborah,e out!¡± There was no response from within. Reba thought Deborah was pretending not to hear, so she knocked on the door even louder. ¡°What do you mean? Are you really in a hurry for him to die?¡± There was still no movement in the bedroom, but a bedroom door next to it opened. Steven came out, looking drowsy and exhausted, with a hint of displeasure on his face. ¡°What are you doing? It¡¯s already midnight!¡± Reba quickly pulled her hand back, looking somewhat embarrassed. ¡°Steven, you¡¯re back¡± However, he had just walked out of Adrian¡¯s bedroom. How could that be? Steven spoke softly, ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll be back in the evening. What¡¯s the matter? You seem so anxious and flustered Did something happen?¡± Reba hesitated before saying, ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious, I just want to have a chat with Deborah.¡± No sooner had she finished speaking, than Norman emerged from Adrian¡¯s bedroom. Norman, who always had a cool demeanor, overheard their conversation and interjected, ¡°Adrian said that Ms. Shepherd has packed her bags and taken Alyssa to stay somewhere else.¡± Upon hearing this, Reba became anxious, ¡°Moved out? Where did they go? Are they nearby? Ashton is still waiting. for Alyssa to donate bone marrow, they can¡¯t go far.¡± Steven looked at her somewhat strangely, ¡°We don¡¯t know where she lives. As for the bone marrow donation, it¡¯s up to Ms. Shepherd and Alyssa to decide if they¡¯re willing to do it.¡± Reba really had no other choice. Seeing the always busy Norman, he had now returned as well. Norman is a renowned surgical expert, and naturally, he is quite knowledgeable about medical matters. She couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°I¡¯m really worried about this. Norman, Deborah doesn¡¯t agree with Alyssa donating bone marrow, but the onlypatible bone marrow Ashton has found so far is from Alyssa. N?velDrama.Org content rights. Is there any way toplete the bone marrow transnt even if Deborah doesn¡¯t agree?¡± Norman replied, ¡°No,¡± and immediately turned around to return to his bedroom. Reba didn¡¯t even have the chance to ask another question, but she knew that this was just Norman¡¯s nature, and there was nothing she could do about it. Steven and Reba didn¡¯t have much to talk about. Seeing Norman go inside, Steven turned around and followed him 1. When the two brothers returned home in the evening, they learned that Adrian and Joseph had gotten into a fight, and Adrian was injured so badly that he couldn¡¯t get out of bed. So, I stayed in Adrian¡¯s bedroom, taking care of him and listening to hisints. Reba couldn¡¯t find anyone here, so she angrily left Moxley Manor to search for Deborah outside. Norman tended to Adrian¡¯s wound and noticed him lying in bed, too upset to eat or drink. So, he casually gave him a bottle of glucose for an IV drip. Steven sat on the couch, listening to Adrian ranting and raving for several hours straight, clearly upset and frustrated. ¡°There¡¯s no way Joseph can win her over. I¡¯m the perfect match for Deborah, and I¡¯ll definitely make her mine!¡± Steven¡¯s ears were practically growing calluses from all the listening, and he couldn¡¯t help but interrupt, ¡°Adrian, take a break, will you?¡± The more Adn thought about it, the more unwilling he was to give up. ¡°Steven, Norman, I¡¯ve set my sights on Deborah. I don¡¯t care, you guys need to make a stand. Are you going to support an outsider, or help your own brother?¡± Chapter 190 Chapter 190 Chapter 190 Children to Have with Deborah Norman remained silent, neither supporting nor opposing the situation. He has always been a man of few words, never meddling in other people¡¯s affairs when outside, and rarely interfering with his family¡¯s preferences and choices. Steven sighed and began, ¡°Adrian, of course Norman and I would never betray you. But Ms. Shepherd has been with Joseph for so many years now.¡± The entire Moxley family, including Steven and Norman, has always been especially fond of their younger brother, Adrian. She was always obedient andpliant, trying her best to follow his wishes in everything. Just like in his career, Steven is set to take over the family business. Norman had always been held to high standards. At a young age, he went abroad to study, delving into the world of medicine on his own. Eventually, he became a renowned doctor with an illustrious reputation. The Moxley family¡¯s request for Adrian was simple ¨C as long as he was happy, that was all that mattered. Adrian entered the entertainment industry entirely of his own ord, finding it fun, rxing, and liberating. The Moxley family had the same expectations for him when it came to getting married, having children, and establishing a career ¨C as long as he was satisfied and happy with his choices, that was all that mattered. Adrian had made up his mind. ¡°I only like Deborah. I won¡¯t marry anyone but her. If you don¡¯t support me, I¡¯ll just stay single for the rest of my life.¡± Steven had a headache, ¡°This isn¡¯t about whether we support it or not. We can¡¯t just break up Ms. Shepherd and Mr. ck because you like her. That wouldn¡¯t be right.¡± Adrian struggled to get up, ¡°That¡¯s not important. I¡¯ll find my own way to pursue her. All you need to do is help me by talking to Grandma, so she won¡¯t beat me up. Steven has always been unprincipled and without boundaries when ites to his younger brother. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give it a try. But let me make this clear beforehand, you can pursue them, but you must not do anything excessive that could harm Mr. ck. When dealing with Mr. ck, you should He spoke as he stepped forward, helping Adrian to lie downfortably again. ¡°Alright, seeing how anxious you are, just lie down and rest properly if you¡¯re injured. What are you getting up for?¡± Adrian¡¯s face lit up with delight, ¡°Steven, you¡¯re the best! What about you, Norman? Can¡¯t you show some support me? I¡¯m really serious this time!¡± for Norman left emotionlessly with the first aid kit, saying, ¡°Suit yourselves.¡± Adrian was so excited that he almost jumped out of bed, eximing, ¡°Norman¡¯s words mean he agrees!¡± Steven shook his head and sighed, ¡°He¡¯s at his wit¡¯s end with you, knowing he can¡¯t stop you even if he tries.¡± But soon, his expression changed. ¡°Is this bag Deborah¡¯s?¡± Is this Adrian¡¯s bedroom? Even Alyssa rarelyes in here, so why would Deborah be here? Adrian followed Steven¡¯s gaze and was mnomentarily stunned before he realized what was going on. ¡°Could it be the one that Evelyn left behind?¡± Steven didn¡¯t return until the evening,pletely unaware of what had happened earlier. Upon hearing Adrian¡¯s casual remark, Steven¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Ms. Shepherd is Alyssa¡¯s mother, and if you¡¯re just looking to mess around, I¡¯ll be the first to object. Don¡¯t expect me to stop Grandma for you either.¡± Adrian had no idea how his mood had suddenly changed. It took a while for me to understand what was going on, and then I quickly exined, ¡°Steven, you¡¯ve N?velDrama.Org content rights. got it all wrong. There¡¯s nothing going on between me and Evelyn. Evelyn is the person Joseph brought, and I am truly devoted to Deborah. There¡¯s no way I would get involved with any other woman!¡± He wished he could have ten mouths, as he hurriedly exined everything for quite a while, making sure to rify the entire sequence of events and their consequences. Steven reluctantly believed him, but still didn¡¯t forget to warn him. ¡°If you dare to bully Ms. Shepherd, Alyssa will be the first one to not let you off the hook. I advise you to think it through.¡± Adrian was truly wronged. ¡°I¡¯ve really thought it through. In all honesty, my feelings for Deborah are Steven interrupted him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, just think it through yourself, and get some rest.¡± After Steven finished speaking, he left first. Adrian gradually calmed down, thinking that since even Steven and Norman supported him, it seemed that being with Deborah was just around the corner. He had already thought through everything, from how to n his wedding with Deborah, to how many children they would have, and even what names to give them. Over the next few days, Adrian continued to have wonderful dreams until Christmas Eve arrived. On Christmas Day, Deborah came to Moxley Manor for lunch, just as Adrian happened to have made ns to dine out with friends. By the time he received the news and hurried back, lunch was already over, and Deborah had left early. Adrian was extremely disappointed and had to pester Steven for quite a while before he finally agreed to call Deborah and ask her toe over again. However, it seemed that Deborah had guessed the reason, and she appeared to be deliberately avoiding Adrian, making excuses that she didn¡¯t have time at the moment. In the end, she agreed that on New Year¡¯s Eve, she would bring Alyssa back to Moxley Manor to celebrate and have dinner together. Adrian had no choice but to wait. It felt like an eternity, as it even the flowers had withered away during the wait. Finally, the day he had been waiting for arrived New Year¡¯s Eve. Adrian woke up early in the morning, carefully selecting his clothes and tidying up. Once he was done, he went to find Steven to ask for his opinion. Steven had been busy all year long, and it was a rare asion for him to sleep in. Hey in bed, not moving at all. Adrian could only go downstairs to find Norman. ¡°Norinan, what do you think of my outfit?¡± Norman was sitting in the living room, ying chess with Sebastian, not even lifting his head when he heard the words. ¡°Sure, that¡¯s fine.¡± Adrian was quite displeased, ¡°You didn¡¯t even notice what I¡¯m wearing.¡± 1 Norman nced up at him and then said, ¡°Well, sure.¡± And then, he continued ying chess. Nora brought over a te of fruit and sighed upon seeing the situation, ¡°Adrian, Mom doesn¡¯t want to be a wet nket for you. But why do you have to like someone like Ms. Shepherd, who already has a boyfriend? This really makes us, the Moxley family, feel ashamed in front of Mr. ck.¡± Sebastian has always been supportive of his wife, and immediately chimed in, ¡°That¡¯s right, Adrian. Ms. Shepherd is indeed great in many aspects, but you also need to consider the practical situation.¡± Donna even came over and scolded him, ¡°That¡¯s right, you¡¯re just messing around and acting recklessly! Don¡¯t think that just because Stevenes here and says a few nice words to me, I¡¯ll bepletely fooled. If this were in the past, you¡¯d be the type to be talked about by other people!¡± Adrian, with a bruised ego, sat resentfully in the corner of the couch, engrossed in his phone. After waiting for quite a while without seeing Deborah, he tactfully sent a message to Alyssa. He texted: [Alyssa, when are you and your moming over? Adrian hasn¡¯t seen you for several days and misses you.] After a while, Alyssa sent a message back: (We¡¯re on our way, should be there in about half an hour.) Adrian immediately texted: [So it¡¯s just the two of youing?] Alyssa replied: [No, there¡¯s also Evelyn. Evelyn said that Mr. ck asked her to keep an eye on you.] Adrian scoffed disdainfully. He was determined to pursue Deborah, and even if Joseph came personally, it wouldn¡¯t work; nothing could stop him. What good would it do to have Evelyn staring over here? Upon realizing that Joseph hadn¡¯te in person, Adrian felt even more confident that sess was within his grasp. He beckoned the butler over and said, ¡°Go prepare some more fireworks, so Deborah, Alyssa, and I can set them off together while spending the evening before New Year.¡± Chapter 191 Chapter 191 Chapter 191 A Pleasant Surprise Instead of going directly to Moxley Manor, Deborah first visited Lydia¡¯s graveyard. The car pulled up outside the cemetery, with Evelyn waiting in the driver¡¯s seat. Meanwhile, Deborah led Alyssa into the graveyard. On a morning like New Year¡¯s Eve, the sky was filled with heavy snowfall, and the cold air was piercing to the bone. There wasn¡¯t a single person in sight throughout the entire cemetery. Deborah walked on the snow- covered ground, with Alyssa obediently following closely behind her. Upon arriving at the cemetery, Deborah paused for a moment, noticing arge bouquet of white chrysanthemums ced in front of the tombstone. In such heavy snow, a paper card with a mourning message written on it, ced on the flowers, has yet to bepletely soaked by the melting snow. It¡¯s clear that the flowers were ced here not long ago. In her lifetime, Lydia didn¡¯t have many serious friends. Just a few of her usual card-ying friends, who didn¡¯t even bother toe and see her at her funeral after she passed away. Not to mention, even after three years, those people would stille to pay tribute to her with flowers. So, who could have brought this flower? Deborah immediately turned around and looked around carefully. But everywhere was cold and deserted, not at all like someone had been here before. Deborah picked up the card attached to the flowers and examined it, but there was no information left by the person who had offered them. Not far away, there was a cemetery worker clearing the umted snow. He appeared to be a man Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. in his fifties or sixties. Deborah felt a bit strange, and when the man approached, she asked, ¡°Hello, has anyone been here at the cemetery recently?¡± The man was busy sweeping the umted snow when he heard her words. He looked up at her with a surprised. expression on his face. ¡°A young man used toe here quite often, but he left not too long ago. He used to visit almost every day, but recently, he hasn¡¯t beening as much.¡± Deborah asked, ¡°Every day?¡± What man woulde to pay tribute to Lydia now that Devon is in prison? It would be even stranger if they came every day. The man nodded, ¡°It¡¯s been several years, and it seems to have always been like this. Every day, either early in the morning or in the evening, hees by, always bringing a bouquet of flowers. In the past six months, they haven¡¯t beening as often, but still visit every now and then. That person seems to have a worseplexion, as if they¡¯re sick.¡± It¡¯s truly rare to see someone visit the cemetery so frequently, which inevitably leaves a strong impression on people. At first, Deborah thought it might be Joseph, but then she realized it was quite unlikely. For the past three years, Joseph has been living with her in Oceanview City. Joseph can¡¯t possibly fly to Richmond every day,ing from such a faraway ce. Upon hearing the man¡¯s words, Deborah already had the answer in her heart. The man spoke up again, ¡°Miss, if you know that person, you should try to persuade him. The deceased is already gone, but it¡¯s important for the living to take good care of their own bodies.¡± Deborah didn¡¯t say much. She bent down to pick up the bouquet of chrysanthemums and saw the man pushing the garbage truck towards her. She then thought about throwing the chrysanthemums into the garbage truck ¡°Could you please do me a favor and throw away this flower?¡± The man immediately looked puzzled and stopped her, ¡°This was just brought here, why do you want to throw it away so soon? It¡¯s better to leave it for the deceased for a while longer. Don¡¯t throw it away yet, please don¡¯t.¡± Alyssa stood to the side, her expression somewhat deste. Deborah held the flowers tightly in her palm for a moment, but eventually decided to ce them back in front of the grave. Ashton, what right do you have toe here every day? Originally, she wanted toe and chat with Lydia, but now, seeing that bouquet of flowers, she just didn¡¯t feel like it anymore. After a while, Deborah left with Alyssa. Once outside the cemetery, Evelyn got in the car and drove away. Not far from the corner ahead, a ck Maybach was parked there. Ashton¡¯s face turned pale as he sat in the back seat of the car, watching them leave. He remained silent for a long time, and it was only after a while that Jeff in front of him spoke up. ¡°Mr. Mullen, maybe you shouldn¡¯t make this trip again in the future.¡± Ashton¡¯s gaze returned, ¡°Hmm, I won¡¯te again in the future.¡± He didn¡¯t deserve to be here in the first ce. Now that Deborah has returned to Richmond, she¡¯s remembered everything, and there¡¯s no chance for him toe back. After leaving the cemetery, Deborah and herpanions went straight to Moxley Manor. The trunk of the car was filled with New Year goods, all handpicked by Evelyn as gifts for the Moxley family. Deborah has never been good at choosing these things, so Evelyn enthusiastically volunteered, saying she would help with the selection. Deborah didn¡¯t be polite and handed her card to the woman, asking her to pick something for her. Evelyn grinned as she brought in the items, not mentioning that Joseph had actually handpicked each and every one of them himself. Taking into ount the preferences of each member of the Moxley family, a suitable and desirable item was chosen 122 for everyone. When ites to Deborah¡¯s matters, Joseph always cares more than he does about his own affairs. Of course, among so many gifts, there was one that was not given much thought. That piece for Adrian was quite perfunctory. Deborah had no idea what was inside the exquisitely wrapped gift box she was holding. Looking at the elegant grey and white packaging, she wondered if it contained a tie or a shirt. The Moxley family warmly weed them withughter and smiles, and Adrian eagerly volunteered to help distribute the gifts. Other gifts can be more or less discerned, revealing what¡¯s inside. As for Adrian¡¯s package, it was wrapped tightly and securely, giving off an air of mystery. One couldn¡¯t make out even the slightest hint of what was inside. Adrian eagerly chased after Deborah, asking, ¡°What¡¯s the gift you¡¯re giving me?¡± Deborah didn¡¯t expect him to ask directly, and she wasn¡¯t sure either, so she could only respond with an awkward smile. ¡°It¡¯s not worth much, just a small token of appreciation.¡± Adrian was especially delighted by the gift that Deborah personally gave him; no matter what it was, it would be the most valuable thing to him. The entire Moxley family gathered in the living room, with Adrian insisting on opening his gifts in front of everyone to show off. Evelyn immediately intervened, ¡°Mr. Adrian, perhaps it would be better to wait until you return to your room to open this gift.¡± Adrian refused and insisted on dismantling it. ¡°It¡¯s not even a birthday gift, so why all the fuss? I want to take a look right now.¡± Deborah noticed that Evelyn¡¯s expression was off and asked her softly, ¡°What¡¯s inside?¡± Evelyn hesitated for a moment before quietly responding, ¡°The gift was personally wrapped by Mr. ck himself. He only asked for a gift box and didn¡¯t let me buy anything else. I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s inside.¡± As she spoke, Adrian had already begun unwrapping theyers of the gift box, one after another. Atst, he reached the final level, his face full of anticipation. The Moxley family members were also quite curious, smiling as they looked towards the innermost box. Adrian¡¯s heart was in his throat as he carefully unwrapped the package, all the while gazing tenderly at Deborah. Atst, the finalyer unfolds, revealing the object at the center. Deborah¡¯s face stiffened as she looked at the mary gift inside, adorned with the golden words ¡°Happy New Year¡± against a red background. Aya chuckled, ¡°At first nce, this looks like a simple cash-filled mary gift.¡± Well, young people must be hiding some surprises, right? Chapter 192 Chapter 192 Chapter 192 His Face Burning with Pain Adrian opened the mary gift and pulled out the contents inside. There was only a stack of colorful cash, and nothing else could be tem. With patience, be counted several times and found the total to be 195 dors. It¡¯s not 459, not any other special number Adrian rummaged through, then fiddled with the gift box and the mary gift. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Only when he was certain that there was nothing else left inside. He carefully examined the cash, including the condition of each bill and the serial numbers on them. In the end, he finally had to confirm that what Deborah had given him was a cash mary gift worth 285 dors. In a situation where the nanny at his home had also received a big red scarf as a gift from Deborah. Adrian felt even more dejected than when he was beaten up by Joseph before. He looked at Deborah, and she too had an awkward expression on her face. ¡°Uh, well¡± Adrian was still not satisfied. He went on to check the gifts received by everyone else at Moxley Manor. Until the conclusion was reached, he was the only one who received a stack of cash. Alyssa held back herughter for several minutes, but finally, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore and burst out ¡°Adrian, don¡¯t be picky. What gift could be more practical than cash?¡± Steven and Norman nodded in agreement, offeringfort. ¡°That¡¯s right, and besides, the number Ms. Shepherd chose is auspicious.¡± Adrian sat on the couch, his face full of frustration, not uttering a single word. Evelyn immediately snapped a photo and sent it to Joseph, indicating that the mission was aplished. Although they should have been quite satisfied, not a single word was returned in response. Evelyn found it a bit odd, but didn¡¯t think too much about it, and put her phone away. Adrian had been sulking for half a day, and Deborah felt a little guilty about it. She couldn¡¯t quite bring herself to exin what had happened, so she offered a few apologetic words instead. ¡°Mr. Modey, I must admit I didn¡¯t know what to get you at the time. So, I¡¯ll make it up to you with a New Year gift next time, as an apology¡± After all, Adrian had raised Alyssa for three years. Now, during such a day, it wouldn¡¯t be quite appropriate for her to give hun such arge gift box with a mary gift filled with cash inside. However, Joseph has always been very particr about etiquette, but now it seems that he has truly crossed paths. with Adrian. Adrian immediately perked up and got up from the couch, ¡°Really? You¡¯ll get me one next time?¡± Deborah nodded, ¡°Really.¡± How can someone so grown-up still seem so childish? The cloud of gloom on Adrian¡¯s face vanished in an instant. He scooped up Alyssa in his arms and took hold of Deborah¡¯s arm with his other hand, leading them both upstairs. ¡°I have prepared gifts for you all, let me take you upstairs to get them.¡± Deborah was startled and immediately tried to pull her hand away. But Adrian held on tightly, focusing solely on walking upstairs, with no intention of letting go at all. Deborah followed him upstairs, anxiously calling out, ¡°Mr. Moxley, your hand!¡± Adrian was still holding her arm, and upon hearing this, he nced at Alyssa in his arms. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m used to holding this child with one hand. I won¡¯t drop her.¡± Deborah still couldn¡¯t pull her hand out, even though they had already reached the upstairs. She had no choice but to give up struggling and followed him into the bedroom. Evelyn followed all the way, chasing them to the bedroom door. After Adrian brought Deborah Alyssa inside, he closed the bedroom door with a loud bang. Evelyn snapped a photo of Deborah and Adrian holding hands, and now she can¡¯t get into the bedroom. She¡¯s anxiously pacing back and forth outside the door. Joseph instructed her to keep an eye on Adrian and to inform him immediately of any situation that arises. Evelyn immediately sent the hand-holding photo to Joseph and anxiously texted him: [Mr. ck, I can¡¯t get into the bedroom. Should I knock on the door or go downstairs to call someone?] Adrian wouldn¡¯t bully Deborah inside, would he? If he does, then Evelyn would be a sinner. The message was sent, but Joseph still didn¡¯t reply to anything. Evelyn couldn¡¯t wait any longer, so she had to make a phone call. It took a while for the call to be answered. Once connected, a chaotic and confused voice came through. Gerald angrily scolded, ¡°You must apologize to Chandler today, you¡¯re absolutely outrageous!¡± Evelyn was startled and asked cautiously, ¡°Mr. ck, are you alright?¡± Over there, Joseph¡¯s tone was quite unpleasant, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Evelyn sounded a bit frightened as she said, ¡°Mr. Adrian has been bothering Ms. Shepherd, and now he¡¯s taken her into the bedroom. Lcan¡¯t go in there. Maybe you coulde over and help¡­¡± As soon as his voice trailed off, there came two sharp, piercing sounds of objects shattering with a crashing sound from the ofher side. Joseph said, ¡°You handle it yourself,¡± and hung up the phone. Evelyn was at her wit¡¯s end, wondering how she could possibly handle the situation. After hanging up the phone, Joseph was ready to leave ck Manor immediately. Gerald took a few steps forward, his face darkened, blocking his way. ¡°I¡¯ll say it again, apologize to Chandler properly! If it weren¡¯t for you going too far, how could Chandler possibly have recorded the process of you insulting and beating him!¡± Chandler¡¯s mother, Jane, sat in the living room, wiping away tears one after another. Chandler pushed the wheelchair over and stopped them with a refined expression on his face. ¡°Dad, let it go. I was just giving Joseph a reminder not to do this again in the future. It¡¯s all in the past now, and there¡¯s no need for us to apologize to each other.¡± Joseph turned around and looked at him, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it, there¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to apologize to you¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, Gerald raised his hand and fiercely pped him across the face. ¡°Damn it! You¡¯re bing more and more outrageous! Chandler said that his legs were showing signs of recovery, but because of what you did, he¡¯ll never be able to stand again!¡± Joseph¡¯s face was burning with intense pain. He raised his hand, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, and looked at Gerald with a cold gaze. He said, word by word, ¡°If he can¡¯t stand up, then it¡¯s what he deserves.¡± Gerald was shaking with anger, raising his hand again, ¡°What did you say? Say it one more time!¡± His hand couldn¡¯t fall any further, as Joseph¡¯s hand rose up and grabbed his arm. Gerald¡¯s face stiffened, and Joseph grabbed his arm, pushing him away. He turned around and strode away from ck Manor. Gerald¡¯s furious voice came from behind, ¡°If you leave, nevere back! You¡¯re ruthless and cold- hearted, even attacking your own brother. It¡¯s chilling!¡± Joseph paused for a moment, but without turning back, he continued to walk away. Upon leaving ck Manor, he got into the car and gazed out at the frozen world outside, with snowkes swirling in the air. Richmond never left behind any pleasant memories for him. All his wonderful memories were from Oceanview City, during those three years he spent with Deborah. Those three years were like a dream, with each day warm and fulfilling. Deborah would hold his arm and say, ¡°Joseph, Joseph, I¡¯ve never met anyone as wonderful as you.¡± While at work, she would secretly send him messages filled with sentimental and childish words. In the evening, she would take her nket to his bedroom, insisting on sleeping on the couch. In the end, he slept on the couch and gave her his bed. All of that came to an abrupt end three yearster when I returned to Richmond. Everything returned to its cold and indifferent state, as if those three years were nothing but an illusion. Joseph drove back and when he saw the mansion¡¯s front yard, he didn¡¯t get out of the car. Upon entering the mansion, he was the only one there. Whether he got out of the car or not, it made no difference. I¡¯m not sure how long I¡¯ve been sitting in the car, but it¡¯s already dark outside. His hands were numb from the cold as he picked up his phone and made a video call to Evelyn. ¡°Let me see Deborah.¡± he said. Because Alyssa dislikes it and due to Deborah¡¯s past grudges, he can¡¯t even meet Deborah in person or give her a direct call now. Evelyn looked troubled over there, and Joseph spoke up again, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m just looking, I won¡¯t say anything.¡± After a while, Evelyn finally switched the camera direction, pointing it towards Deborah. Deborah is on the terrace outside Adrian¡¯s bedroom, setting off fireworks with Adrian and Alyssa. She wore a new ne around her neck, and under the firelight of the fireworks, the ne emitted a dazzling radiance. After observing for a while, Joseph saw her face full of smiles and decided to end the call. Chapter 193 Chapter 193 Chapter 193 Can Sleep with Her Before Evelyn could say another word, Joseph on the other side of the video had already hung up the call. Not far away, Alyssa¡¯s face was flushed red by the glow of the fireworks. She was particrly excited and shouted to Evelyn, ¡°Evelyn,e and y with us!¡± Alyssa stood beside Deborah, while Adrian was on Deborah¡¯s other side. Seeing Deborah happy makes him happy. Continuously helping them get the fireworks and passing them on, then assisting them in lighting them up. After many years, Deborah apanied Alyssa to celebrate New Year for the first time. Her mood was great, smile on her lips never faded. Evelyn noticed Alyssa calling her repeatedly, so she reluctantly walked over, her mind elsewhere. and the Her mind was filled with the sound of Gerald angrily scolding Joseph over the phone, as well as Joseph¡¯s noticeably low spirits. Looking at the scene before her, Deborah, Alyssa, and the Moxley family were all having such a great time together. Evelyn suddenly felt that Joseph seemed quite pitiful now. In the past three years, he and Deborah were almost always inseparable. During festive days like these, the two of them would spend even more time together. And now, on New Year¡¯s Eve night, he could no longer be with Deborah. There must have been conflicts with the family as well. At this point, they were probably alone somewhere, lost in their thoughts about Deborah and Adrian¡¯s rtionship. Alyssa, with a smile, handed a lit sparkler to Evelyn. Evelyn waspletely out of it. The mes on the sparkler were about to reach her fingers, yet she held it without any reaction. Adrian nced sideways and immediately snatched the sparkler from her hand, giving her a puzzled look. ¡°It¡¯s the festival, what are you daydreaming about?¡± Evelyn couldn¡¯t help herself and whispered quickly, ¡°Still better than you hogging someone else¡¯s girlfriend during a festival.¡± Adrian didn¡¯t quite catch what she said, but he had a feeling she was cursing at him. ¡°What did you say?¡± Evelyn regained herposure and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I just wanted to thank you for your concern.¡± Adrian stepped back disdainfully, creating some distance between them. ¡°Who cares about you? Don¡¯t delude yourself and cause misunderstandings for Deborah.¡± Evelyn fell silent, gazing at the fireworks rising and falling in front of her, once again lost in thought. Mr. ck is truly pitiful, and Adrian is just inhuman. Evelyn muttered something under her breath, but Adrian couldn¡¯t quite catch what she said. But Deborah stood close by and heard everything clearly. Recalling the past few years, on this very day, she had always spent it with Joseph. Tonight, he probably won¡¯t have a good time. Spending New Year¡¯s Eve with the ck family would R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only make it even worse. One Jane and one Chandler are enough to disgust him. Deborah¡¯s thoughts were all over the ce, and as Alyssa noticed Deborah¡¯s dwindling enthusiasm, she too began to lose interest in their activity. It was just a little past nine in the evening, and she said she was tired, wanting to go to bed. On the surface, Adrian was watching the fireworks, but in reality, he was almost constantly looking at Deborah. At that moment, he hadn¡¯t had enough fun yet, so he immediately objected, ¡°It¡¯s too early to sleep, Alyssa. You¡¯re not allowed to. Wait until midnight for New Year, and Adrian will give you a big mary gift.¡± Alyssa wasn¡¯t really interested in money. She nced at him with a tired expression and tilted her head, asking, ¡°How¡± much are you giving, 285 dors?¡± Adrian¡¯s face stiffened, and he could no longerugh. Alyssa put down the fireworks in her hand, turned around, and went inside to sleep. Deborah stood on the terrace, gazing at the moonlight and snow-coveredndscape, lost in thought. Alyssa reached out and gently tugged at her mother, ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m used to going to bed early. I can¡¯t stay up any longer. I¡¯m going to sleep now.¡± Deborah was lost in thought, and it took her a moment to suddenly snap back to reality. ¡°Ah, alright. Mommy will take you inside.¡± Alyssa didn¡¯t say much, simply allowing Deborah to lead her by the hand back to her own bedroom. She really looked tired, so she went back to her bedroom, quickly freshened up, and then climbed into bed, Deborah was about to get into bed with her, but her daughter sleepily spoke up, ¡°Mommy, I can sleep by myself. Tonight is New Year¡¯s Eve, and Evelyn and the others are still ying. Why don¡¯t you go out and have some more fun with them?¡± Deborah was a bit worried, ¡°Will you be okay sleeping alone? Are you thirsty or hungry? Do you need anything to eat?¡± Alyssa replied with a smile, ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m almost eight years old, I¡¯m not a little kid anymore. I¡¯ve already started sleeping on my own, and if I want to eat something, I can get it myself.¡± Deborali was still a bit worried, but Alyssa pulled the covers over herself and said, ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t worry and go have fun. You forgot that I¡¯ve lived in Moxley Manor for three years. I¡¯m even more familiar with it than you are.¡± Deborah thought about it and realized it was true. Alyssa had be a little star now, and she was no longer a child who couldn¡¯t take care of herself. She nodded and said, ¡°Alright, Evelyn is not familiar with this ce, so I¡¯ll go out and apany her for a while. I¡¯ll be ourside, just call me if you need anything.¡± Alyssa, looking as if her ears were about to grow calluses, said, ¡°Alright, Mommy, I got it. You can go now. I¡¯m so tired.¡± Deborah didn¡¯t say anything more and turned around to walk outside. As they approached the door, Alyssa¡¯s sleepy voice could be heard once more. ¡°Mommy, it¡¯s sote and it¡¯s not safe for Evelyn to go home. You can stay with her here tonight. Anyway, I sleep. soundly and won¡¯t wake up all night.¡± Deborah smiled and said, ¡°Okay,¡± thinking about how Alyssa had always been like this. Even when she was just three or four years old, she had already started to consider others. Deborah left a small night light on in the bedroom before stepping out. She gently closed the bedroom door behind her. After she left, Alyssay on the bed, opening her eyes wide and gazing clearly at the view outside the floor-to-ceiling window. Mom has been absent-minded tonight, or rather, she¡¯s been like this for the past few days. Although she¡¯s just a child, it¡¯s not like you can¡¯t tell. As soon as Deborah stepped out of the bedroom, Evelyn was already standing outside the door. Deborah was startled, ¡°Eve, what are you doing here? Why aren¡¯t you continuing to set off the fireworks?¡± Evelyn showed the same disgusted expression as Adrian. ¡°Setting off fireworks? With whom, Adrian? I¡¯m not interested.¡± Deborah was amused. Evelyn put on a serious face, walked up to Deborah, and hesitated before speaking, ¡°Mr. ck doesn¡¯t want me to tell. you, but after thinking it over, I just can¡¯t keep it to myself. I feel like I should let you know. Mr. ck called me on a video call tonight, and then I saw¡­ it seems like he misunderstood something.¡± Deborah looked puzzled, ¡°Misunderstand what?¡± Chapter 194 Chapter 194 Chapter 194, A Muffled Moan from Below Evelyn hesitated for a moment, then told Deborah everything that had happened, from beginning to end. Including the time when she was on the phone and heard Gerald angrily scolding Joseph on the other end, even smashing things. Later on, Joseph was clearly feeling down and made a video call to her, saying he wanted to see Deborah. At that very moment, Deborah was happily setting off fireworks with Adrian. Around her neck, she wore a mysterious ne of unknown origin. One can easily imagine how devastating that scene must have been for Joseph. In the end, Evelyn said with a sad expression, ¡°Mr. ck just silently hung up the phone. I can¡¯t help but feel that he¡¯s decided to let go and move on. I hope he doesn¡¯t take it too hard. Deborah, you¡¯ve really gone too far. How could you treat Mr. Boss like this?¡± Seeing Evelyn almost in tears, Deborah immediately stepped forward tofort her, ¡°Don¡¯t be like this. He¡¯s not that fragile and he won¡¯t give up so easily.¡± Evelyn leaned against her chest, wiping away tears with sadness, while Deborah patted her on the back. As she continued to pat, Deborah felt that something seemed a bit off. After a while, she suddenly snapped out of it and pushed Evelyn away with a force. ¡°No, why should Ifort you?¡± Evelyn had just recovered from her emotional state and realized that it was Deborah who should be worried and upset now. She immediately wiped away non-existent tears and exined awkwardly but politely, ¡°I¡¯m just feeling sad for two. It hasn¡¯t been easy for you both toe this far after all these years, has it? I don¡¯t care, you have to go check on Mr. ck right now. What if something happens to him? What about my year-end bonus?¡± you She came over to deceive Adrian and the Moxley family, but he hasn¡¯t given her the year-end bonus he promised yet. Deborah felt a bit helpless, ¡°I can¡¯t do anything about it for now. Alyssa doesn¡¯t really like Joseph, and besides, it¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve tonight. I can¡¯t just leave Alyssa behind.¡± Evelyn nced at the tightly shut bedroom door and patted her chest, saying, ¡°Isn¡¯t Alyssa asleep right now? I¡¯m telling you, once a child falls asleep at night, they won¡¯t wake up until it¡¯s bright outside. In such a long time, you and Mr. ck could have had a baby already.¡± Deborah¡¯s face turned red. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Evelyn reached out and gently pushed her, ¡°Alright, alright, you should go now. I promise you, Alyssa won¡¯t wake up. If she does, I¡¯ll hold her back and call you right away.¡± After hesitating for a moment, Deborah decided to go take a look at Joseph. Alyssa has fallen asleep, and at least for a while, she probably won¡¯t wake up. She gently pushed open the bedroom door and went in to take another look. Inside, Alyssay on the bed with her eyes tightly closed, not moving at all. She breathed evenly, and it seemed like she was indeed in a deep sleep. Evelyn couldn¡¯t wait to urge her in a low voice, ¡°You should go now. Alyssa is already so grown up, and there¡¯s the whole Moxley family here. Why are you still so worried?¡± Deborah tucked Alyssa in, making sure she was cozy under the nket. Then, she turned around and headed downstairs. The people from the Moxley family had all gone to the meeting room at the back, leaving only a few housekeepers in the living room up front with no one else around. Adrian hurried down the stairs and asked, ¡°Debby, are you going out? It¡¯s sote at night. Where are you going? Let me apany you.¡± Evelyn stepped forward and stopped him, ¡°Mr. Moxley, Deborah said to give us some space for just the two of us. She¡¯ll be careful on the road. Let¡¯s go upstairs and continue setting, off fireworks.¡± Adrian anxiously pushed her away, ¡°Who wants to set off fireworks with you? I¡¯m going to be with Debby!¡± After much persuasion, Evelyn finally convinced Deborah to go and visit poor Joseph. How could this be possible now? Adrian even came to mess things up. Seeing that Adrian was about to push her away, Evelyn made up her mind and directly used both hands to embrace his arm. ¡°Mr. Moxley, don¡¯t just focus on Deborah. Take a look at me too, I¡¯m actually quite good as well!¡± Adrian¡¯s arm felt as if it was caught in the grip of an octopus, and no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn¡¯t break free. The upbringing he received since childhood made it impossible for him toy a hand on a woman, let alone directly throw Evelyn to the ground. If he really does that, Donna will be the first to give him a punishment. Adrian watched intently as Deborah left, followed by the sound of her starting the car and driving away He was so furious that his teeth itched. Lowering his gaze, he looked at Evelyn, who was dragging him along, and said, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a woman as shameless as you!¡± Evelyn looked at him with a yful smile, ¡°I¡¯ve never met a man as charming as you. Let¡¯s go upstairs and set off some fireworks!¡± She could really say such nonsense just for the sake of her year-end bonus; she was truly going all out. Adrian was so furious that he felt like smoke was about toe out of his head. He was facing such a woman, yet he couldn¡¯t hit or scold her. After gritting his teeth for a while, he finally spoke up in frustration, ¡°You, you, you¡­ just go and do it by yourself!¡± Seeing that he couldn¡¯t catch up with Deborah, Evelyn let go of his hand. Adrian, as if avoiding the gue, immediately put a distance of 33 feet between himself and her. Humming a tune, Evelyn went upstairs by herself. ¡°Today is a good day, and everything I have in mind¡­¡± Adrian looked at her retreating figure as if she were crazy. Just a moment ago, she was shamelessly clinging to him, but now she¡¯s just walked away. Could this woman possibly have a split personality? Halfway through her drive, Deborah suddenly realized that she didn¡¯t know where Joseph lived. Joseph¡¯s residence in Richmond is the only one she knows of, and she¡¯s not even sure if he¡¯s there Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. right now. After giving it some thought, she decided to give Joseph a call. After ringing for quite a while, there was still no answer on the other end. Deborah couldn¡¯t help but worry, as this was the first time Joseph hadn¡¯t answered her calls. It could only mean that either his phone is not with him right now, or he is currently not conscious. Unable to reach him, Deborah had no choice but to call Lucien. As soon as the call connected, a sarcastic voice came through, ¡°Oh, Ms. Shepherd actually called me. What a rare asion.¡± Deborah didn¡¯t beat around the bush and asked directly, ¡°Dr. Garza, where is Joseph now? I n to go find him, but I haven¡¯t been able to reach him.¡± Over there, they were mocking and ridiculing. ¡°Why do you even bother with him? Just focus on your daughter and let him fend for himself¡­¡± Deborah interrupted him, ¡°Never mind, I¡¯ll find it myself.¡± Lucien finally stoppedining and gave her an address. ¡°You should go check on him. I saw him at the club about an hour ago, drunk like a fool, and had to get a designated driver to take him home. If you have any conscience, go take care of him.¡± As Deborah entered the address into the car¡¯s navigation system, she responded, ¡°Alright, thank you!¡± Over there, Lucien expressed his great dissatisfaction with a cold snort and hung up the phone. Lucien gave Deborah the address, which was quite remote. The vi was located near the outskirts of town. After driving for more than an hour, Deborah finally reached her destination. The car came to a stop in front of the mansion, as it was nearing midnight. Driving at night with limited visibility was quite exhausting for her. The lights were off in the mansion. She got out of the car and walked inside. Upon entering the living room, a strong scent of alcohol filled the air. Deborah couldn¡¯t help but cough a few times as she fumbled around, unable to find the light switch for the living. room. Bathed in the moonlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows, one could see the wine bottles on the living room coffee table, haphazardly strewn about. She stepped on something at her feet, and when she looked down, it turned out to be Joseph¡¯s coat. As she looked down, her feet kept moving forward without stopping. She walked straight ahead and kicked something. Deborah lost her bnce and fell forward, tumbling to the ground. Before she could even scream, she heard a muffled groan from beneath her. Chapter 195 Chapter 195 Chapter 195 I Can The living room was shrouded in darkness, and Deborah was nearly scared out of her wits. Joseph had never been to this house before, and now he even doubted whether he hade to the wrong ce. Joseph would never drink so excessively, let alone get so drunk that he would lose his clothes and lie on the ground, barely conscious. Deborah scrambled to get up, only then remembering that when she had entered earlier, she hadn¡¯t even closed the door at the entrance. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have been able toe in. Just as the person was halfway up, the one lying on the ground suddenly stretched out a hand and unexpectedly pulled her back down. The man, half-asleep and half-awake from intoxication, faintly asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± Outside, it was a world of ice and snow, with the cold white moonlight streaming in through the window. The atmosphere around them seemed to be filled with a gloomy aura. As the person beneath her pulled her, Deborah could feel that his hands were ice-cold. Deborah¡¯s body stiffened, too frightened to move. Joseph, feeling tipsy and dazed, vaguely sensed that a thief might have entered. He rarely indulged in alcohol, and when he drank too much, he didn¡¯t want his family or Deborah to know. So, he chose to stay in the most secluded vi. This ce is practically deserted, who else woulde here besides thieves? The lights weren¡¯t on, so it was hard to see anything clearly. Joseph struggled to get up, and as he held onto Deborah¡¯s shoulders, he brought his face closer to take a good look at her. Deborah felt the icy touch of the other person¡¯s palm on her neck. On such a dark and windy night, countless eerie scenarios yed out in her mind. She trembled all over, and it took her a while to finally speak. ¡°1-1-1, I went to the wrong ce. I¡¯m a good person, I¡¯ll leave right away.¡± Joseph had too much to drink, and his eyes seemed to be covered in ayer of fog. No matter how close he got, he couldn¡¯t see the person in front of him clearly. Now, hearing Deborah¡¯s voice in a daze, I finally reacted somewhat sluggishly to what was going on. His face lit up with surprise and delight, ¡°Debby, how did youe over here?¡± Deborah stood still, her expression faltering upon hearing the words. Then, under the moonlight, she took a closer look. The person in front of me was unmistakably Joseph. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Deborah mustered up her courage before daring to reach out and touch him. It took her quite a while to regain her senses. ¡°Why are you so cold? I thought you were dead,¡± she said. Joseph¡¯s head was throbbing with pain. Seeing her frightened appearance, he shakily stood up, fumbled for the switch, and turned on the light. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you turn on the light when you came in? Did you trip or something?¡± Deborah got up from the ground, feeling a bit embarrassed, and defended herself, ¡°The switch here is too hidden, I couldn¡¯t find it after searching for a long time.¡± Joseph turned on the light and looked at the entrance with some disbelief. ¡°The switch is right by the door. Next time, I¡¯ll have someone install another switch outside so it¡¯ll be easier for you to find.¡± Deborah was actually a little afraid of the dark, and she had been like this since she was a child. As soon as evening arrived and the lights were off, her sense of direction became nonexistent. Upon entering, she couldn¡¯t see anything as the living room was pitch ck. However, she knew that if she searched near the doorway, she would be able to find the light switch. She changed the subject. ¡°How did you get so cold? As soon as I came in, you were lying on the ground. How much did you drink?¡± Joseph was a bit tipsy, but he still remembered that Deborah didn¡¯t like him drinking alcohol. When Ashton used to drink too much, she and Alyssa would often bear the brunt of it. So, she had an extreme aversion to men who drank excessively, especially those who indulged in alcohol to the point of losing their senses. Joseph denied, ¡°I didn¡¯t drink. I was just a bit tired when I got back, and I identally fell asleep on the floor.¡± Deborah went into the kitchen to pour some water, saying, ¡°You reek of alcohol. Do you think I¡¯m a fool?¡± Joseph hasn¡¯t lived in this house for a long time, but he called the housekeeper toe and clean it in the afternoon. The kitchen is now spotless, with the refrigerator full of ingredients and warm dishes still in the pots. Deborah poured a ss of warm water and handed it to him, saying, ¡°Drink some water to help you wake up.¡± Joseph took the ss of water with a slightly surprised expression and tried to defend himself, ¡°I really only had a little to drink. Dr. Garza was in a bad mood tonight, so I apanied him for a drink.¡± Deborah opened the refrigerator and took out a bottle of honey. Upon hearing this, she turned around and looked at him expressionlessly, ¡°Before I came here, I called Dr. Garza to get the address.¡± Joseph hesitated, ¡°I was wrong, I shouldn¡¯t have¡­¡± Deborah interrupted him, ¡°Just shut up, will you?¡± She hadn¡¯t realized yet why he felt so cold. Only now did I realize that the ground was so cold. Anyone whoy on it for a while would end up freezing like a corpse. Joseph approached with a humble expression, ¡°Debby, I¡¯m truly sorry. I won¡¯t drink anymore in the future.¡± Deborah, with a serious expression on her face, held a jar of honey and tried to open it with all her strength. Drinking some honey water can help sober up, and she doesn¡¯t want to talk to a drunk who¡¯s not in their right mind. After several attempts, the bottle still couldn¡¯t be opened. Joseph carefully reached out his hand. ¡°Let me do it.¡± Deborah was feeling frustrated and had nowhere to vent her anger. Upon hearing this, she immediately snapped at him, ¡°Do you think you can do it? You¡¯re so drunk, I bet you can¡¯t even open a bottle of mineral water!¡± Joseph earnestly refuted, ¡°Debby, I can do it.¡± Seeing him like this, Deborah realized he was so drunk that he had no idea what he was talking about. Her temper red up, and the honey jar in her hand suddenly opened. With a clicking sound, the bottle was opened. Joseph suddenly felt a pain in his neck and instinctively lowered his head even more, not daring to make a sound. Deborah was busy making honey water, while Joseph stood behind her, facing the wall and reflecting on his actions, not even daring to breathe loudly. His head felt like it was about to explode, feeling heavy and unsteady on his feet. He couldn¡¯t stand properly and all he could think about was lying down right where he was. But just one nce at Deborah¡¯s retreating figure, and he forced himself to stay still, not daring to move. Deborah prepared the honey water but didn¡¯t give it to him. Instead, she carried the cup upstairs directly. Joseph followed closely behind, walking in sync and silently catching up. Deborah casually pushed open a bedroom door, and Joseph cautiously began to speak, ¡°The housekeeper has cleaned all the rooms, so they¡¯re ready to be lived in. The innermost room is the master bedroom, and I¡¯ve put all my stuff in there.¡± Deborah nced back at him, and Joseph felt as if she was about to say, ¡°Did I ask you?¡± He immediately closed his mouth. Deborah closed the door to the open second bedroom and proceeded down the hallway to the master bedroom at the end. Upon entering, she walked over to the couch and handed the cup in her hand to Joseph. ¡°Sit down and drink.¡± Joseph immediately reached out to take it, bent his knee, and sat down on the couch. He picked up the ss and drank it all in one gulp. Deborah turned around, went into the cloakroom, and came out with a robe to hand it to him. ¡°Go take a bath, and then go to sleep.¡± Joseph reached out to take it, and suddenly looked up at her expectantly, ¡°Debby, are you sleeping here tonight too?¡± Chapter 196 Chapter 196 Chapter 196 Getting Closer Deborah looked down at him condescendingly, not giving a response. Joseph felt quite uneasy. Although he really wanted to know the answer, he didn¡¯t dare to ask again. He picked up his clothes and obediently went into the bathroom. Deborah sat on the couch, hesitating in her mind, wondering whether or not to go back to Moxley Manor. Alyssa was still asleep, and it was already past midnight. There was no telling if she would wake up She took out her phone and sent a message to Evelyn: [Are you asleep yet? Is Alyssa sleeping well?] It was already sote, and Deborah thought that Evelyn must have gone to bed early, so she probably wouldn¡¯t reply. But the response came almost instantly: [Alyssa is sleeping soundly, so don¡¯t worry about her. Don¡¯t morning.] After a while, another message came through: [I won¡¯t help you open the door either, I¡¯m already sleeping with Alyssa.] Deborah sent a message back, but then they stopped responding to her. I tried calling, but the line waspletely unreachable. Deborah couldn¡¯t help butugh and cry at the same time, so she could only put her phone down. She turned around to look towards the bathroom. The person inside had been in there for quite a while, but she hadn¡¯t seen theme out or heard any noise. Could they have gotten so drunk that they might have drowned in the bathtub? After giving it some thought, Deborah felt a bit uneasy. She got up, walked over, and knocked on the bedroom door. ¡°Are you feeling better? Don¡¯t take too long in the shower; it¡¯s easy to be oxygen-deprived when you¡¯re drunk.¡± A voice came from inside right away. ¡°Debby, I¡¯m feeling a bit dizzy. Can youe in and help me?¡± Deborah¡¯s face stiffened, and her cheeks quickly flushed a deep red. ¡°What help? Wash yourself, and hurry out once you¡¯re done.¡± Suddenly, the sound of a door handle being twisted came from inside. Deborah was startled and immediately pressed against the door from the outside. ¡°Don¡¯t open the door recklessly! Put on your clothes properly beforeing out!¡± Reluctantly letting out an acknowledgment from inside, Deborah worried that he might open the door again, so she decided to leave the bedroom first. After all the fuss, she was starting to feel a bit hungry. Just now in the kitchen, while making honey water, I saw that there was still hot food in the pot. The steaming hot and fragrant aroma is so tempting that it makes one involuntarily swallow their saliva. My stomach let out a couple of growls, indicating that I was genuinely getting hungry. Deborah¡¯s feet seemed to have a mind of their own as she headed straight for the kitchen and emerged with tes of food in hand. Fried pork ribs, steamed fish fillets, and simmered mushroom soup ¨C the delicious aroma is enough to make anyone¡¯s appetite soar. When she was at Moxley Manor, after all, she wasn¡¯t very familiar with them, so she had to be a bit more polite. During dinner, Adrian couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her. So she didn¡¯t eat much for dinner, and now it¡¯s alreadyte at night, she¡¯s been hungry for a while. Deborah ced all the dishes onto tes, scooped some rice, and carried everything upstairs to enjoy her meal. She wasn¡¯t sure if Joseph would slip in the bathroom, so she had to go check on him. The delicious aroma of the meal filled the bedroom as soon as the dishes were brought in. Once upon a time, Joseph had a cleanliness obsession. He couldn¡¯t bear the presence of any food, including sweet beverages, in his bedroom or study. But in these three years, he haspletely changed because of Deborah. What a neat freak! Now, even if a meal is served in bed, he wouldn¡¯t bat an eye. Deborah ced the food on the coffee table and sat on the couch, eating happily. Finally, the bathroom door behind her opened. Joseph was still on edge, anxiously waiting for Deborah to scold him again. As soon as I stepped out, I saw her sitting on the couch eating, her mood clearly improved. He finally breathed a sigh of relief, walked over, and mustered up the courage to sit next to Deborah. ¡°Is it good?¡± Deborah was munching on pork ribs without lifting her head, and said, ¡°Mmm, delicious.¡± Joseph¡¯s bathrobe was loosely tied, with beads of water from his damp hair streaming down his forehead, past his eyes and jaw, disappearing into the cor of his robe. He has been working out for a long time, and his chest and abdominal muscles can be faintly seen through the cor of his bathrobe. Originally, he wanted to seduce Deborah a bit, but now he has given up on that idea. Once Deborah had food, she wouldn¡¯t have eyes for him anymore. Joseph handed her a tissue and said, ¡°Take your time eating, I¡¯ve already had dinner tonight, and no one¡¯s going to take it away from you.¡± Deborah was almost full and felt a bit guilty. She said, ¡°You should eat some too, after all, this was made for you.¡± Joseph was about to get up and leave, as he had drunk too much and his head was aching. After taking a shower, the pain only seemed to get worse. After drying my hair, I went to lie down on the bed. Listening to Deborah speak, he sat back down, casting a sidelong nce at her. Deborah felt a bit guilty for eating so much, so she took a small bowl and served him some mushroom soup. ¡°The soup is very vorful and nourishing, give it a try¡­¡± As soon as she finished speaking, her hand holding the spoon was suddenly grasped. Deborah reacted as if she had been scalded, immediately trying to pull her hand away. She thought Joseph was reaching out to take the soup, identally touching her hand in the process. The hand gripping her wrist, however, did not loosen its grip. Deborah suddenly realized something, her face quickly turning red with embarrassment. In a fluster, she tried to pull Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. her hand back Joseph seemed to have really drunk too much, his gaze somewhat unfocused. Suddenly, he leaned in aggressively, not giving her a chance to react, and bit her lip corner. As if an electric current had passed through Deborah¡¯s mind, she was about to spring up from the couch when Joseph held her shoulder, preventing her from getting up. Deborah¡¯s ears were burning hot, and she looked at him with a mix of embarrassment and annoyance. ¡°What are you doing all of a sudden?¡± Joseph savored the lingering taste of the soup on her lips, ¡°It¡¯s really delicious.¡± Deborah was so angry that her eyes turned red. He¡¯s changed! N Joseph happily ate his meal and also finished the small bowl of soup that she had served him. He then reached out and gently patted her head,forting her, ¡°Debby, I drank too much.¡± * Deborah couldn¡¯t take it anymore and jumped up, ¡°Are you drunk or something? What you¡¯re doing is clearly¡­¡± Joseph reached out and gently pulled her back to sit on the couch. He leaned in, burying his face in her hair, ¡°I just want to kiss you.¡± Deborah¡¯s body stiffened, unable to move. Joseph¡¯s voice sounded lonely and wronged. ¡°Debby, it¡¯s been a long time since you came to see me. I thought you had made up your mind and didn¡¯t want me anymore.¡± Deborah shuddered as his warm breath sent tingles throughout her body. As she exined, her voice couldn¡¯t help but tremble. ¡°Alyssa doesn¡¯t really like you, and I don¡¯t want to upset her.¡± Joseph reached out and embraced her tightly. ¡°But I can be sad too, flove you, and I have for so many years.¡± Deborah couldn¡¯t tell if he was genuinely drunk or just pretending to be. He brushed his cheek against her neck, caressing her gently, until his lips found their way to her neck, his breath heavy. Over the years, they had always exercised restraint in their rtionship. Deborah can endure, but Joseph can endure even more. But after being distant for a while, he suddenly felt that he couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. As Deborah was struggling intensely within herself, her phone happened to ring. It was nearly one o¡¯clock, and receiving a phone call at this hour was quite strange. But when she saw the caller ID clearly, she didn¡¯t find it strange anymore. Adrian was the one who called, but Deborah hesitated for a moment and didn¡¯t pick up. If it¡¯s about Alyssa, Evelyn would give her a call. But over there, she was incredibly stubborn. If she didn¡¯t answer, he would just keep calling. The phone kept ringing, and Joseph reached out to answer the call. Adrian¡¯s voice came through immediately. ¡°Debby, where are you? It¡¯s sote, and you haven¡¯te back to apany Alyssa. Do you want me to pick you up?¡± Joseph interrupted the conversation gently, ¡°Mr. Moxley, please go to bed early tonight and try not to disturb others.¡± Over there, Adrian was struck like a bolt of lightning. ¡°Joseph, it¡¯s you! Did you bully Debby? I¡¯m warning you¡­¡¯ Joseph didn¡¯t let him finish speaking and hung up the phone. Chapter 197 Chapter 197 Chapter 197 Escort Her or Risk Life Every time Adrian thought about what Joseph and Deborah might be doing, he just couldn¡¯t manage to stay calm. He immediately called again, but no one answered the phone. Unable to bear it any longer, he left his own bedroom and headed to Alyssa¡¯s room, intending to wake her up. Just as he arrived at Alyssa¡¯s bedroom door, Evelyn suddenly appeared out of nowhere, blocking his path. ¡°Mr. Moxley, Alyssa is already asleep. What would you like to do?¡± Adrian was so furious that he wanted to jump up and shout, ¡°Get lost, it¡¯s none of your business.¡± How could Evelyn possibly let it happen? She stood in front of the door like a wall, not moving an inch. What a joke, Adrian would have to step over her dead body for that to happen. Adrian red at her angrily, ¡°Don¡¯t think that just because you brought Deborah and Joseph together, there¡¯s a chance for you and me. Let me be clear, even without Deborah, I still wouldn¡¯t be interested in you!¡± Evelyn still stood in front of the door,pletely unmoved. Adrian¡¯s phone kept ringing in his hand, and after what seemed like ages, it suddenly connected. From over there, Deborah¡¯s voice could be heard, ¡°Mr. Moxley, I¡¯m really fine. You should get some rest earlier.¡± It¡¯s clear enough that she and Joseph were mutually attracted to each other, without any coercion or unfavorable circumstances. After all, it was for Alyssa¡¯s sake that Deborah couldn¡¯t possibly block Adrian, nor did she want to hang up on his calls directly. As the conversation on the other end was about to end, Adrian, somewhat losing his sanity, immediately gave a shout. ¡°Deborah, I¡¯m calling you because Alyssa has woken up. She¡¯s really worried since she didn¡¯t see you, so I lied and told her you were downstairs. Now she wants to see you.¡± Over there, Deborah immediately pushed Joseph away and got up from the couch. ¡°Let Alyssa take the call, and tell her I¡¯ll be back right away,¡± Evelyn¡¯s face turned dark with anger as she reached out to snatch Adrian¡¯s phone, shouting at the same time, ¡°Alyssa isn¡¯t awake, Deborah! Don¡¯t believe him! Alyssa is sleeping soundly!¡± Adrian raised his phone high, covered the speaker with his hand, and quickly hung up the call. Evelyn anxiously took out her phone, wanting to call Deborah. She took out her phone only to realize that she had forgotten to bring her charger. She had been lying in bed, scrolling through TikTok, and her phone had already run out of battery and shut down. She looked at Adrian, and Adrian immediately saw through her thoughts, letting out a coldugh. ¡°Stop dreaming, I won¡¯t give you the charger. Deborah muste back now.¡± All of Evelyn¡¯s upbringing, patience, and acting skills quickly vanishedpletely. She red at Adrian, gritting her teeth as she spoke word by word, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a man as shameless, arrogant, and despicable as you! It¡¯s unbelievable that Deborah would be interested in you. You and Mr. ck are like night and day!¡± She spoke, unable to contain her anger, raising her thumb emphatically, pointing up at the sky and then forcefully down at the ground. Adrian couldn¡¯t help but smile a little. It seemed that among all the words she had spoken, only this sentence was uttered with such sincerity, as if it came straight from the heart. To be honest, he felt a little guilty, thinking that deceiving Deborah like this wasn¡¯t quite honorable. But I genuinely like Deborah and don¡¯t want her to get close to other men. Especially when Adrian thought about how he had been beaten up by Joseph before, it made him feel even more indignant and resentful. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. It had gotten to the point where he couldn¡¯t quite tell whether his pursuit of Deborah was more about his feelings for her or his desire to outdo Joseph. It seemed that Evelyn was truly provoked, as she continued to angrily scold him, ¡°Deborah cares about Alyssa the most! Tricking Deborah by using Alyssa is just despicable!¡± ¡°You want topete fairly with Mr. ck? Mr. ck is Deborah¡¯s legitimate boyfriend, and they¡¯ve been together for many years. What qualifications do you have topete fairly? Bah! You¡¯re nothing!¡± Her eyes turned red as she spoke, and Adrian didn¡¯t expect such a strong reaction from her. He was momentarily taken aback and didn¡¯t dare to say another word. After Evelyn finished speaking, she turned around and went back to Alyssa¡¯s bedroom, closing the door behind her. Adrian stood in ce for quite a while before he reluctantly snapped back to reality. No, doesn¡¯t this woman like him? She likes him, yet she still scolds him. The more he thinks about it, the more he feels that something seems off. Adrian waspletely baffled. As he thought about it over and over again, he realized that every word Evelyn said made perfect sense, and he simply couldn¡¯t refute it. It¡¯s rare for someone to scold him like that, leaving a somewhat unpleasant feeling in his heart. It seems like he might have indeed gone a bit too far this time. Adrian returned to his bedroom alone, deep in thought. After much consideration, he finally mustered the courage to call Deborah again. The call connected quickly, and Deborah¡¯s anxious voice came through immediately. ¡°Mr. Moxley, is Alyssa alright? I¡¯ming back right now.¡± Adrian said nervously, ¡°Alyssa isn¡¯t awake, I lied to you. I just don¡¯t want you to stay with Joseph.¡± Deborah had already walked outside the mansion, and Joseph followed her with a throbbing headache and a face full of disappointment. Upon hearing those words, she hesitated for a moment before replying, ¡°Never mind, I¡¯lle over anyway. I can¡¯t help but worry.¡± After she hung up the phone, Joseph approached her and asked, ¡°Are you really leaving? It¡¯s sote. Let me take you there.¡± Deborah looked him up and down and asked, ¡°You, giving me a ride?¡± In such a drunken state, should I take her home or risk my life? Joseph could only reluctantly say, ¡°Please be careful on the road, and drive slowly.¡± Deborah agreed with a nod, and as she took a closer look at him, she noticed a faint handprint on the side of his face. Her expression (roze, ¡°What happened to your face? Did you get drunk and p yourself?¡± After thinking for a moment, Joseph finally remembered, ¡°Oh, it was my dad who pped me.¡± Deborah was a bit unhappy, ¡°Why did your dad hit you during the festival?¡± Joseph had long been used to it and casually replied, ¡°What else could it be? All thanks to Jane and Chandler.¡± Deborah gently touched the palm print on his face, feeling a bit heartbroken. ¡°You¡¯re too stubborn, and you¡¯re no match for those two foxes. You should learn from them and soften your attitude in front of your father.¡± Joseph sneered, ¡°Ha, there¡¯s no way I¡¯ll be nice to him. If ites to it, I¡¯ll just leave the ck family. I¡¯m not interested in the ck Group anyway, I¡¯ve been wanting to leave for a while now.¡± Deborah immediately objected, ¡°No way, if anyone has to leave, it should be Jane and Chandler. Forget it, I¡¯m leaving. It¡¯s almost dawn, and Alyssa should be waking up soon.¡± On the way to Moxley Manor, Deborah couldn¡¯t help but think about Chandler. Previously in Oceanview City, that man had sent someone to kidnap her, forcing her to call Joseph. However, things didn¡¯t go as nned. I always have a feeling that he won¡¯t just let it go so easily. As she was thinking, her phone rang with a call from Chandler. Deborah was about to block this number, but after some thought, she decided to answer the call. A gentle voice from the man over there came through, ¡°Ms. Shepherd, I am Joseph¡¯s brother, Chandler¡­¡± Deborah interrupted the conversation, ¡°Just say what¡¯s on your mind.¡± Chapter 198 Chapter 198 Chapter 198 Join Forces Chandler said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for calling you thiste at night and disturbing your rest. I just feel sorry for Joseph, and I can¡¯t get in touch with him. I thought maybe I could express my apologies to him. through you-¡± Once again, Deborah interrupted him impatiently, ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Over there, the conversation was repeatedly interrupted, and the pretentious tone was struggling to hold up. Chandler could only speak directly, ¡°That¡¯s right,st night there was a bit of a conflict between Joseph and my dad because of an issue I had. In a moment of impulsiveness, Dad pped him, and he just walked away. I heard from someone that he went to a bar to drown his sorrows, and I¡¯m really worried that something might happen to him.¡± Deborah suddenly realized and said, ¡°Oh, you mean that. Well, you¡¯re overthinking it. Joseph wouldn¡¯t drink just because of such a trivial matter. Last night was New Year¡¯s Eve, and we were celebrating New Year. He was in a good mood, so he had a drink with me.¡± There was a noticeable silence on the other end for a while, and the tone became somewhat stiff. ¡°Oh, really? So you¡¯re drinking because it¡¯s New Year¡¯s and you¡¯re in a good mood?¡± Deborah chimed in, ¡°Exactly, he¡¯s already asleep by now. You¡¯re really overthinking it. Isn¡¯t it normal for fathers and sons to have conflicts and disagreements? There¡¯s no need to worry about it.¡± Over there, someoneughed and said, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the principle. If Joseph can think like this, then that¡¯s great, and I can be at ease.¡± Upon hearing his insincere tone, Deborah felt like throwing up. ¡°Alright then, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll hang up now?¡± Chandler replied, ¡°Alright, Ms. Shepherd, please continue to rest. Sorry for the disturbance.¡± Deborah hung up the phone, looked at the mobile screen, and let out a soft chuckle. Chandler, I¡¯m sorry to have disappointed you. If you have any more tricks up your sleeve, go ahead and bring them out. A man driven to desperation could do anything, making it easier for others to find his weaknesses. ck Manor. The moment he hung up the phone, the smile on Chandler¡¯s facepletely disappeared. He fiercely gripped the phone in his hand and then forcefully smashed it against the wall. With a banging sound, the phone fell to the ground, and the screen shattered. Chandler was furious, his teeth nearly grinding to bits. What he had gone through, his legs, were now truly andpletely ruined. After much difficulty, the recording was finally obtained, proving that it was Joseph who hit him. He thought that this time, he would definitely be able to bring Joseph downpletely. But the result was different. Upon hearing the recording, his good father Gerald appeared to be furious on the surface. In reality, all that happened was Joseph getting pped. With just a light p, everything else was gone. Gerald even said that Chandler¡¯s legs were already useless before Joseph left. Now Joseph has changed a lot, so it¡¯s impossible for anyone to be too hard on him. It must be his leg; he couldn¡¯t stand up in the first ce. He was crippled by Joseph for the second time, but Gerald¡¯s p could be considered as standing up for him. Why should I! Deborah is right; how could Joseph possibly be heartbroken over this and resort to heavy drinking? He probably gets so happy that he¡¯d even wake upughing from his dreams. Gerald is so biased towards him, to such an extent. And for Chandler and his mother, Jane, being in the ck family was nothing but a joke. Because of Joseph¡¯s mother¡¯s passing years ago, Gerald felt guilty towards them. As a result, he has been favoring Joseph and indulging him in various ways all these years. Chandler¡¯s face contorted as he looked at the phone on the ground. He didn¡¯t feel relieved at all. He grabbed a decorative item from the bedroom coffee table and furiously smashed it on the ground. He couldn¡¯t just let it go like this. Joseph had crippled his legs and he must pay a heavy price for it! Chandler sat in his wheelchair, his eyes filled with malice, staring at the gradually brightening sky outside the floor-to-ceiling window. A knock on the door sounded from outside, followed by Jane¡¯s voice, ¡°Chandler, are you awake?¡± Chandler snapped back to reality and responded, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m awake. I¡¯ll get up now, freshen up, and be right out.¡± Outside the room, Jane said cautiously, ¡°Since it¡¯s inconvenient for you right now, Mom will ask the housekeeper toe in and help you with washing up. Today is New Year, and we¡¯re all having breakfast together as a family. Your dad called Joseph, and he should be backter.¡± Chandler almost forgot that he had now be a true invalid. With both legs disabled, even the most basic tasks like dressing and washing up be difficult to aplish on my own. Chandler clenched his hand tightly on the wheelchair armrest, struggling to control his emotions. It took him a while before he finally responded. ¡°Alright, let the housekeepere in.¡± After thinking for so long, he could onlye up with the idea of making a move on Deborah. Although it hasn¡¯t been long since thest time Deborah was kidnapped, targeting her again now isn¡¯t really the best approach. After much thought, Joseph really had no other weaknesses, and there was nothing that could be used against him or any mistakes that others could exploit. Chandler made up his mind that, even if it meant taking a risk, this time he would definitely get his revenge on Joseph. With his legs disabled, this pent-up frustration, if Gerald couldn¡¯t help him release it, then he must find a way to vent it himself. Before the housekeeper came in, Chandler took out his phone and sent a message to Deborah using an anonymous number. He texted: [Your daughter had a near-death experience three years ago, and Joseph was involved. Joseph and Helen worked together on many things, butter, Helen took the ine for everything. I have all the evidence in my hands. If you¡¯re interested, let¡¯s talk about it tonight.] The message was sent, and it took about three minutes before Deborah replied. She texted: [Who are you? I won¡¯t believe you.] Chandler looked at the message and immediately revealed a satisfied smile. If Deborah truly didn¡¯t believe, she wouldn¡¯t have responded to this message at all. * She came back, which proves that she was shaken inside and also interested in the truth. Chandler could hardly hold back hisughter as he typed out another message: [Who I am doesn¡¯t matter. Tonight at 8 o¡¯clock, I¡¯ll send you a hotel room number. You can choose whether or not toe. Don¡¯t worry, there are surveince cameras all around the hotel. I¡¯m only interested in providing you with evidence from that year, and I have no intention of doing anything to you.] After a while, a message came back from over there: [Alright.] Chandler already had a n in his mind, a deep smile forming at the corner of his mouth as he put away his phone. Sure enough, she¡¯s just a woman, relying on her pretty face to bewitch men. As for intelligence, what kind of brains can a beautiful woman have besides her beauty? Whenever it involves Alyssa, whom she cares about the most, she simply cannot keep herposure. Joseph didn¡¯te to ck Manor. Instead, Chandler yed the role of a dutiful son for the entire day, apanying Gerald and Robert to celebrate New Year. As for Joseph noting, Gerald couldn¡¯t hide his disappointment. Robert couldn¡¯t help but sigh several times. During lunch, he even directly scolded Gerald at the dining table. ¡°Yesterday, you should have talked things out properly. It was wrong for you to hit him. Speaking of which, he hit Chandler because of his impulsive temperament, which is also due to you, his father. Back then, you only cared about yourself and neglected to take care of and discipline him.¡± Gerald didn¡¯t want to argue with Robert, so he could only listen obediently with a submissive expression. Chandler and Jane sat to one side, feeling frustrated with nowhere to vent their anger. Gerald is partial to Joseph, and Robert is even more so. The pent-up frustration in Chandler¡¯s heart was bing almost uncontroble after dinner. After dinner, it was already past six o¡¯clock. There was just over an hour left before his eight o¡¯clock appointment with Deborah. He couldn¡¯t wait any longer, so he drove away from the old house and headed straight for the hotel. After booking the hotel room using someone else¡¯s ID card, he sent a message to Deborah, informing her of the room number and telling her that he would wait for no more than half an hour. Deborah is currently at Moxley Manor. Chandler has calcted the time, and half an hour should be enough for her to Deborah was all set to go. As soon as she received the text message, she immediately drove over. The ne she wore around her neck had a tiny camera installed in it. The car arrived at the hotel, and she took the elevator to the room mentioned by the other party. I raised my hand and knocked on the door. After a short pause, the door finally opened. A strange man poked his head out, nced at her, and then looked down the hallway outside.. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°Come on in,¡± he said. Deborah walked in, only to discover that there was someone standing behind the door. As soon as she entered, the person immediately pushed the door shut and quickly locked it again. This time, Chandler didn¡¯t hide or sneak around; instead, he appeared directly in the guest room. He smiled and approached Deborah, ¡°Ms. Shepherd, don¡¯t be nervous. We¡¯re old acquaintances, let¡¯s just chat for a bit.¡± He spoke as he approached Deborah, suddenly pulling out an object and sweeping it up and down her body. Immediately, his gaze fell on Deborah¡¯s neck and he ordered the man beside her, ¡°Take off her ne. Chapter 199 Chapter 199 Chapter 199 He Goes Crazy Deborah immediately took a cautious step back, ring angrily at Chandler. ¡°What do you mean? We¡¯re just having a conversation, right? What gives you the right to touch my belongings!¡± Chandler looked at Deborah as if she were a fool, and couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. ¡°I really just wanted to have a nice chat with Ms. Shepherd. But it¡¯s not quite appropriate for Ms. Shepherd to bring an eavesdropping bug along.¡± Deborah tried to hide her guilt, her face full of confusion as she questioned him, ¡°What eavesdropping bug? I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about. Since you don¡¯t n on having a proper conversation with me, there¡¯s nothing more for us to talk about. I¡¯ll be leaving now.¡± Chandler immediately gave a signal to a man nearby, and the man blocked the door, preventing Deborah from leaving. Chandler smiled and said, ¡°Ms. Shepherd, since you¡¯re already here, we haven¡¯t finished our conversation. How can we let you leave just like that?¡± Deborah red at him with disgust, ¡°What do you mean? Just spit it out. I don¡¯t have time to waste here with you.¡± Chandler gestured to the man beside him and said, ¡°Ms. Shepherd, you¡¯ll have to cooperate with us. Please hand over the ne for temporary safekeeping. I¡¯ve checked the items in my hand, and there¡¯s an eavesdropping bug in your ne, Ms. Shepherd. It¡¯s pointless to keep pretending to be clueless.¡± After he finished speaking, a man stepped forward and directly grabbed Deborah¡¯s shoulder. In this room, apart from Chandler in the wheelchair, there were three other strong men who could easily control Deborah. No matter how angry and resistant Deborah was, the ne around her neck was quickly removed and taken away by the man. Chandler revealed a satisfied expression as he took the device in his hand and scanned Deborah¡¯s body from top to bottom once more. Immediately, he had someone take away Deborah¡¯s phone from her pocket. The phone was already on the recording screen, which Chandler turned off. After scanning again, there was no longer any recording or video equipment left on Deborah¡¯s body. Chandler felt that there was no need to keep pretending in front of Deborah anymore. Deborah will bring the eavesdropping bug, clearly showing that she doesn¡¯t trust him and has known his true colors all along. So, wouldn¡¯t it bepletely unnecessary for him to keep ying the good guy in front of her? Chandler revealed a smug smile on his face, ¡°It seems that Ms. Shepherd does have some brains after all. However, not too much, just a little.¡± Deborah¡¯s face tightened, ¡°Chandler, if you dare do anything to me, Joseph will never let you off the hook.¡± Chandler exchanged nces with a few other men, and they couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter together. Chandler looked at the men and then at Deborah, unable to hold back hisughter. He bent over, his face contorted with amusement. ¡°She said I wouldn¡¯t dare to touch her, haha! She also said Joseph wouldn¡¯t let me off the hook. She really scared me to death!¡± The men nearby all tried to please him, joining in with uproariousughter. Deborah¡¯s face turned pale and then flushed, while Chandler¡¯s eyes, like those of a venomous snake, stared directly at C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. her. ¡°Are you sure Joseph won¡¯t let me off the hook because of you? It seems like you¡¯ve forgotten that you¡¯re the one who came into my room willingly. 1 This is a hotel room. If you tell anyone outside, they¡¯ll think you came in here to do something with me, right?¡± Chandler watched as Deborah¡¯s face gradually turned pale, and a great sense of aplishment welled up inside him. He continued in a leisurely manner, ¡°That fool Joseph, he¡¯s always been the most suspicious one. You¡¯re visiting me privately in a hotel roomte at night. How can he trust you any further? Besides, Ms. Shepherd, I was able to summon you here with just a single message. It¡¯s evident that your trust in Joseph is pitifullycking.¡± Deborah looked at him with a face full of anger, ¡°So, you sent me a message saying that three years ago, Joseph and Helen teamed up to hurt my daughter, just to deceive me? You just wanted to lure me here, is that it?¡± Chandler looked at her, silently observing for quite a while before finally letting out a chuckle. ¡°Ms. Shepherd, you just realized it now?¡± Deborah gritted her teeth and eximed, ¡°Despicable!¡± Chandler looked at the fish on the cutting board and said slowly, ¡°Ms. Shepherd, the truly despicable part is yet to You¡¯re even easier to deceive than I imagined. But it¡¯s not surprising, considering what Joseph sees in you. With his limited intelligence, what good could he possibly find?¡± He nced at the men nearby, who immediately revealed sly expressions and slowly began to surround Deborah. Deborah¡¯s face showed a look of panic as she stepped back, sternly warning, ¡°Don¡¯te any closer! Even if Joseph doesn¡¯t help me, I will¡­ I will definitely call the police!¡± Chandler burst intoughter, ¡°Call the police? Ms. Shepherd, what are you talking about? Didn¡¯t you own body?¡± A man grabbed Deborah¡¯s shoulder, and Chandler¡¯s face twisted with madness. ¡°Wait until I film a sex scene here, and when Joseply sees you¡¯ve cuckolded him, he¡¯ll be thrilled, won¡¯t he? When the timees, I¡¯ll have a good look at how he goes crazy and how he gets kicked out of the ck family. You think you and him, a pair of fools, canpete with me?¡± Deborah struggled fiercely, which only seemed to excite Chandler even more. It was as if he now held the entire ck family and the ck Group in the palm of his hand. He had already checked this room and found no recording or video equipment. Deborah had been thoroughly examined as well. As for Deborah, she now willinglyes here on her own. Once she goes out again, no matter what bad things she says about Chandler, who would believe her? Chandlerughed excitedly. ¡°That unlucky bastard Joseph thinks he has the right topete with me for the ck family¡¯s property? He¡¯s not even worthy of polishing my shoes! Just wait, I¡¯ll soon kick him out of the ck family! Last time I miscalcted and kidnapped you without letting you call him, without letting him lose face at thepany meeting. This time, I won¡¯t make the same mistake!¡± He spoke excitedly, raising the camera in his hand and shouting, ¡°Finish her off for me! Hurry, do it now!¡± Those slick-haired, big-eared men immediately pounced, grabbing and pulling at Deborah¡¯s clothes. Deborah then raised her voice and started shouting, ¡°Dude, stop watching the show ande in!¡± Chandler¡¯s face stiffened, thinking that Deborah had been frightened out of her wits and started talking nonsense. In the next moment, the sound of a keycard opening the door could be heard from outside, followed by the door being opened. Chapter 200 Chapter 200 Chapter 200 His Face Turns Pale The sudden sound of the door being opened startled the men who were entangled with Deborah, causing them all to jump in surprise. The men immediately loosened their grip, looking towards the door with a panicked expression. Chandler¡¯s face turned awful, realizing in an instant that he had been yed by Deborah and Joseph working together. But the person who walked in through the door wasn¡¯t Joseph; it was someone Chandler couldn¡¯t have imagined in the slightest. Lucien entered the room, apanied by several managers from the hotel. Chandler¡¯s face stiffened for a moment before he suddenly snapped back to reality. But what he had just done to Deborah, anyway, there wasn¡¯t any evidence or leverage left behind. He quickly adjusted his expression, returning to his gentle and refined demeanor, and looked at Lucien with a somewhat surprised gaze. ¡°Mr. Garza hase over, Ms. Shepherd. Did you invite him?¡± Deborah didn¡¯t pay attention to him and put on the coat that had been pulled off her earlier. Having just been touched by those men, even though it was only a few pats on the shoulder through her clothes, she couldn¡¯t help but feel nauseous and the urge to vomit filled her mind. Now that Lucien has arrived, there¡¯s no need for her to handle the matters behind the scenes anymore. Deborah remained silent, and Chandler¡¯s heart leaped into his throat. He could only manage a gentle smile as he looked at Lucien, ¡°Mr. Garza, Ms. Shepherd and I were just discussing some trivial matters. Is there something you need?¡± Lucien didn¡¯t pay attention to him, but instead walked directly towards Deborah and handed her a bottle of water. ¡°Have some water, are you alright?¡± Deborah is feeling nauseous right now. She takes the water bottle, unscrews the cap, and drinks almost half of it in one gulp. After a moment, she replied, ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious, just almost lost my innocence.¡± Lucien immediately responded, ¡°That¡¯s not possible. If your innocence isn¡¯t protected, then my life won¡¯t be safe either.¡± Deborah finished half a bottle of water before she remembered that she shouldn¡¯t drink cold water, especially in winter. She had always been a bit frail, and after undergoing a liver transnt due to liver cancer, as well as losing her uterus, her health had been worse than most people¡¯s. I can¡¯t really handle raw, cold, or spicy foods. Drinking a bottle of water like this in the dead of winter feels almost the same as drinking ice. Lucien is a straightforward man, so naturally, he wouldn¡¯t consider whether or not she could drink cold water. Lucien noticed Deborah¡¯s expression and immediately exined, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the water I brought in is from a different source. It¡¯s not from this room, so Chandler wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to poison it.¡± Deborah had already taken a drink, so there was no point in saying more. She put down the water bottle and didn¡¯t speak again. Chandler stood off to the side, breaking out in a cold sweat. He watched as Deborah and Lucien ignored him, leaving him feeling extremely uneasy. Anxious, he hurried to strike up a conversation with Lucien again. ¡°Mr. Garza ising over sote at night; I wonder if there¡¯s some urgent matter. Is he looking for me, or is he looking for Ms. Shepherd? However, I don¡¯t mind you opening someone else¡¯s room door like this, but if it were someone else, they might have objections.¡± Lucien finally nced at him and continued the conversation. ¡°Are you really eager to know whether Deborah and I actually have any leverage on you from what just happened? Heh, you¡¯re anxious, but I won¡¯t tell you. I¡¯ll let you keep worrying.¡± Chandlerughed awkwardly, ¡°Mr. Garza, you sure have a sense of humor. I just had a brief chat with Ms. Shepherd. You must have misunderstood something. I absolutely didn¡¯t do anything inappropriate with Ms. Shepherd.¡± He had already checked this room and found no eavesdropping devices. Deborah¡¯s cell phone and the eavesdropping bug on her were both discovered and taken away by him. He couldn¡¯t believe it. What other methods could Lucien possibly have to prove what he had just done to Deborah? Lucien calmly took out his phone and directly called Joseph. Over there, Joseph is still busy with work in the study. Even though today is New Year, he had a falling out with the ck family and had no ns to go to ck Manor to celebrate the New Year. Today, Deborah has to apany Alyssa, and since she¡¯s not interested in going out to see other people¡¯s families, she decides to stay at home and read some documents. After picking up the phone, he continued typing on the keyboard, ¡°Lucien, what¡¯s up?¡± Lucien smiled and said, ¡°Of course it¡¯s important to find you. You came all the way to my hotel, and Chandler and Deborah are here too. I¡¯ll send you the room number, and be sure to bring your father and grandfather with you.¡± Joseph¡¯s movements suddenly came to a halt. He stood up, grabbed the coat behind him, and headed outside. ¡°What does that mean? Is Deborah alright?¡± Lucien, feeling confident at the moment, yfully asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you care about whether I¡¯m okay or not?¡± Joseph¡¯s tone was unpleasant as he went downstairs, speaking in a deep voice, ¡°What does it have to do with me if you have any problems? Is Deborah okay now?¡± Lucien was annoyed and reluctantly replied after a while, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everything¡¯s fine. Call your dad and grandpa toe over. Deborah invited you guys to watch a show.¡± Joseph finally felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his heart, albeit reluctantly. He strode out confidently, got in the car, and responded to the situation over there. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ming over now. Lucien, don¡¯t tease Deborah. If something happens to her, you won¡¯t be celebrating Christmas next year.¡± Lace Turns Pale Lucienughed and looked at Deborah, ¡°Joseph said that if anything happened to you, he wouldn¡¯t let me off the hook. It really scared me to death.¡± Chandler listened, and the words seemed oddly familiar to his ears. Soon, he remembered that this was exactly what he had just said to Deborah with great pride. Now, Lucien has almost wlessly recounted it word for word. Chandler¡¯s face turned pale, and cold sweat began to form on his back. The men nearby also sensed trouble and wanted to slip away amidst the chaos. 1 had just reached the door when several hotel managers, who had followed Lucien, immediately blocked the entrance. The hotel manager said expressionlessly, ¡°Before Boss speaks, none of you can leave this ce.¡± Chandler suddenly guessed something, his face turning even paler, as he looked at the manager. ¡°Who is your boss, and where is he?¡± The manager looked at him with an expression as if he was seeing a fool, but Lucien didn¡¯t try to confuse him further and simply replied, ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Chandler¡¯s face turned pale in an instant. A man nearby couldn¡¯t help but blurt out in a hushed, panicked tone, ¡°This hotel is too big and too eye- catching. I told you we should have picked another one.¡± Chandler gritted his teeth and whispered, ¡°Shut up.¡± Lucien immediatelyforted them, ¡°It¡¯s not that you have bad luck. The other hotels you¡¯ve visited are also mine.¡± Deborah added casually, ¡°You might not be aware, but in Dr. Garza¡¯s family, they had nothing except for the number of hotels they own. More than half of the hotels in Richmond either bear thest name of Garza or have close ties with them.¡± Lucien humbly replied, ¡°You tter me, it¡¯s just a small family business.¡± Chandler¡¯s face turned the color of a pig¡¯s liver, and after holding it in for a while, he finally blurted out, ¡°So what?¡± Lucien could tell that he couldn¡¯t figure it out, so he simply said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing much, I just installed an eavesdropping. bug in the room next door. It can listen through walls, and I¡¯ve recorded every word you guys have said.¡± He spoke, and took a small trinket out of his pocket. Upon pressing y, Chandler¡¯s sinister voice came through loud and clear, with every word perfectly audible. Chandler¡¯s/gentle and harmless facadepletely copsed. He red fiercely at Lucien, ¡°I¡¯ve also booked the room next door. You entered my room without permission, installed an eavesdropping bug, and invaded my privacy. This is illegal, and such recordings cannot be used as evidence!¡± Lucien toyed with the object in his hand and said, ¡°Oh, so what? I¡¯m not going to give this to the police N?velDrama.Org content rights. anyway. Why don¡¯t you go ahead and report me if you have any evidence?¡± He waved the recorder in his hand and added, ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t give this to you. I¡¯ll just let your dad and grandpa listen to it. This can¡¯t be used as court evidence, but it should still be credible enough for your family to hear, right?¡± Chandler clenched his fists tightly, wanting to lunge at Luclen. But he was still sitting in the wheelchair, so there was no way he couldpete with Lucien for anything. He could only angrily order the few men he brought with him, ¡°What are you waiting for? Weren¡¯t you supposed to be good at fighting? Go and snatch that thing from his hands!¡± Those men immediately rubbed their hands together in excitement and rushed towards Lucien. A few hotel managers didn¡¯t intervene, and Lucien single-handedly confronted those men. In just a few moves, he had them lying on the ground, wailing in pain. Lucien looked helpless, ¡°Although I¡¯m a doctor, you guys shouldn¡¯t underestimate me. Deborah was engrossed in watching the y, and couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°So handsome.¡± Lucien pped his hands modestly and said, ¡°It¡¯s really nothing¡­¡± As soon as he finished speaking, someone pulled him away from Deborah¡¯s side. Joseph, who didn¡¯t know when he hade in, looked at him unhappily, ¡°Don¡¯t show off in front of Deborah.¡± Upon entering, Gerald and Robert, who were both visibly furious, followed closely behind. Chapter 201 Chapter 201 Chapter 201 The Scent of Blood Deborah¡¯s fascinated gaze hadn¡¯t yet managed to shift away from Lucien when her view was Joseph. She actually just watched Lucien fight and found it really thrilling. After all, those men who were knocked down had attempted to assault her not long ago. Blocked by Joseph¡¯s figure, Deborah finally looked up at the person in front of her. ¡°How did you get here so quickly?¡± Josephpletely blocked her view, not allowing her to look at Lucien anymore. He said in a serious tone, ¡°You can¡¯t do this again next time. It¡¯s very dangerous You have to discuss it with me beforehand, understand?¡± Deborah muttered quietly, ¡°If I discuss it with you, there won¡¯t be any chance.¡± Joseph definitely wouldn¡¯t want her to risk her own safety to lure Chandler in. But when Deborah thought about how Chandler had caused Joseph to be ppedst night, on New Year¡¯s Eve, she couldn¡¯t help but feel infuriated. Just as Chandler approached her, he foolishly thought he could treat her like a fool. With such a great opportunity, how could she possibly let it slip away? After discussing with Lucien, they cooperated both internally and externally, and thus performed this y. As for taking risks, she really doesn¡¯t consider it a risk From the moment she entered the room, Lucien had already installed eavesdropping equipment in the adjacent guest room, allowing him to listen to the entire conversation live. As soon as there is any danger in Deborah¡¯s situation, he will immediately use the ess card to open the door and stop Chandler. However, Joseph wouldn¡¯t care about all these details. To him, letting Deborah face Chandler alone was the greatest danger, and he couldn¡¯t ept that. Even now, Joseph still felt a lingering fear. He looked at Deborah solemnly and said, ¡°I¡¯m not in a hurry to deal with Chandler. But if anything happens to you, I¡­¡± Deborah interrupted hign, ¡°Alright, I¡¯m fine now, aren¡¯t I?¡± Lucien stood nervously to the side, while Joseph, unwilling to talk more about Deborah, turned to face Lucien and said, ¡°I¡¯ll settle the score with youter.¡± Lucien couldn¡¯t beat Joseph, so he immediately tried to shift the me. ¡°It was Deborah who dragged me into this alliance, it wasn¡¯t my idea.¡± With a face showing her readiness to face death, Deborah nodded repeatedly, taking full responsibility. ¡°It was me who found Dr. Garza, it has nothing to do with him. If you want to settle the score,e to me!¡± Lucien looked defeated and said, ¡°Yes, go ahead and settle the score with her!¡± How could Joseph and Deborah possibly settle their scores? Do you realize your mistake? You know you¡¯re wrong, so don¡¯t do it again next time, okay? It¡¯s as simple as that. But if he were to mess with Lucien, he would really get a beating. Joseph, feeling helpless, patted Deborah on the head and said, ¡°You can¡¯t do this again next time.¡± This is just what I was saying! Over here, the conversation was rxed, but on the other side, Chandler¡¯s situation wasn¡¯t so good. Chandler watched as Gerald¡¯s face turned pale and walked towards him, tremblingly saying, ¡°Dad, Grandpa, let me exin¡­¡± Robert was so angry that he didn¡¯t even bother to lift a finger. Instead, he just stood to the side, leaning on his cane, waiting for Gerald to take action. Gerald walked up without a word and pped Chandler right across the face. A clear handprint immediately appeared on Chandler¡¯s face, and he couldn¡¯t even finish what he was saying. Gerald angrily said, ¡°Do you think you can still make excuses? Lucien has already sent me the recording, and your Grandpa and I listened to it on our way here!¡± Chandler¡¯s face turned pale, and he was at a loss for words. Gerald looked at him with extreme disappointment, ¡°So, you¡¯ve already kidnapped Ms. Shepherd once back in Oceanview City. And now you¡¯re still deluding yourself into trying to ruin the innocence of a young girl by using these petty thugs. Every day you pretend to be a decent person, but you¡¯re worse than an animal. If your brother breaks both of your legs, that would be getting off easy!¡± Chandler¡¯s face trembled as he said, ¡°Dad, I¡­ I know I was wrong.¡± Gerald¡¯s veins bulged at his temples, and he raised his hand to deliver another p,nding it on the other side of Chandler¡¯s face. ¡°Now that someone has caught you red-handed, you realize your mistake, but it¡¯s toote! The ck family won¡¯t tolerate someone like you. You have a few days to hand over your work and get out of the Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ck Group! Don¡¯t even think about driving your brother away. From now on, you won¡¯t have any share in anything rted to the ck family!¡± Chandler was trembling and couldn¡¯t speak. Gerald angrily said, ¡°Get back to ck Manor right now, and I¡¯ll teach you a proper lessonter!¡± Chandler hung his head low, his face devoid of any color, as he frantically pushed the wheelchair, trying to leave. Before he could reach the door, Joseph blocked his way, Chandler looked up at him, unable to control the expression of fear that appeared on his face. Joseph had warned him before, if he dared toy a hand on Deborah again, he would face the consequences. Joseph stood in front, then looked indifferently at Gerald. ¡°He messed with my people; it won¡¯t be so easy for him to walk out of this door.¡± Gerald hesitated, wanting to give Joseph a chance to vent, but fearing it might lead to someone getting hurt. After all, no matter what, Chandler is still his son. The usually calm and quiet Robert finally spoke up, ¡°Let the two brothers have a good talk. Once they¡¯re done, if Chandler still has any strength left, bring him back to ck Manor.¡± Robert spoke up, and Gerald didn¡¯t dare to say more. He directly helped Robert to leave. Chandler panicked and eximed, ¡°Dad, Grandpa, you can¡¯t¡­¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Joseph forcefully kicked the wheelchair, causing the man to fall to the ground in a disheveled state. Joseph nced at Lucien, who immediately called out to Deborah, ¡°Ms. Shepherd, let¡¯s go outside; there¡¯s not much to see here.¡± Deborah was worried that something might go wrong, but Lucien reassured her, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he knows his limits.¡± Deborah let out an ¡°oh¡± and followed Lucien out first. After all thismotion, it was alreadyte at night. Deborah felt a bit drowsy, and she wasn¡¯t sure if it was due to drinking cold water or her fluctuating emotions, but she began to feel a faint pain in her lower abdomen. Evelyn sent a message saying that she had already apanied Alyssa to sleep and told her not to return to Moxley Manor tonight. Learning from the previous experience, Evelyn reassured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Adrian definitely won¡¯t contact you tonight.¡± Lucien noticed that Deborah was feeling unwell, so he arranged a room for her nearby, allowing her to rest while waiting for Joseph and Chandler to finish their conversation. Deborah was indeed feeling unwell and didn¡¯t bother with pleasantries. She went straight to her room, went to bed. washed up, and She didn¡¯t know how long she had been asleep before Joseph finally came in and approached the bedside. Deborah smelled something strange and, with her eyes still a bit blurry from sleep, looked at him and asked, ¡°Why do you seem to have a strong scent of blood on you?¡± Joseph just got into a physical altercation with Chandler, and it seems he may have lost control of the situation. But he was afraid that Deborah would find out, so he took a shower and changed his clothes before Upon hearing this, he immediately sniffed his own sleeve and asked, ¡°Is there still a smell? I¡¯ll go wash it again.¡± Deborah sleepily called out to him, ¡°Stop washing,e here.¡± Chapter 202 Chapter 202 Chapter 202 Do You Want a Child? Joseph seemed to have thought of something, his expression bing somewhat unnatural. He stood not far from the bed, motionless. He didn¡¯t even look at Deborah as he said, ¡°I¡­ I think I¡¯ll go wash up again. You can rest first.¡± He only just started to carefully examine the room, and realized that there wasn¡¯t even a single couch to be found anywhere. This was a suite, which included not only a bedroom but also a separate living room. Joseph had stayed here before and remembered that in such a suite, there was not only a couch, but also one in both the living room and the bedroom. In the living room, there is a woven mat, while in the bedroom, there is a long couch. Both are spacious enough to amodate additional people for sleeping. But now, not even one can be seen. The living room and the bedroom both seemed strangely empty. Joseph insisted on taking another shower, iming that he smelled of blood. Deborah didn¡¯t stop him and let him go. As Joseph walked towards the bathroom, a smug message from Lucien popped up on his phone. ¡°How about that, are you satisfied with the roomyout? I guess I¡¯ve made up for my mistake, right?¡± Some men are just pretentious, always acting all innocent and insisting on sleeping on the couch. Now that the couch is gone, he doesn¡¯t believe Joseph can still sleep on the floor. Lucien looked at the couch and woven mat that had been removed with satisfaction, feeling once again that he was simply brilliant. Joseph took out his phone and nced at it without replying. He then tossed it onto the coffee table outside. Deborah watched him enter the bathroom, feeling difort in her lower abdomen, which kept her from falling asleep. As a result, nearly half an hour passed before the bathroom door finally opened. Joseph had shared a bedroom with her before. But they always had an unspoken understanding: he would sleep on the couch, while Deborah slept in the bed. Every time he finished taking a shower, he would either casually wrap a towel around himself or wear a loose bathrobe, always eager to tease Deborah a bit. Seeing her blush, his mood greatly improved. Now, she was dressed from head to toe, wearing a set of home clothes that almostpletely covered her neck. The only difference was that he didn¡¯t wear a tie, but a scarf instead. For the first time, Deborah saw him looking nervous, and she couldn¡¯t help butugh as her stomach pain seemed to subside. ¡°Why are you dressed so conservatively? Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t take advantage of you.¡± Joseph¡¯s gaze shifted from the foot of the bed to the floor-to-ceiling window, from the carpet to the ceiling, but he ant a Child? Just wouldn¡¯t look at her. He tried to remain calm, ¡°It¡¯s not convenient for someone else to stay here. I¡¯ll find Lucien and get another room next door. If you feel ufortable or want to eat something, just send me a message.¡± Deborah closed her eyes to sleep. ¡°Then you go ahead.¡± Joseph took out his phone and called Lucien. After just a few words, Lucien¡¯s indifferent voice came from the other side. ¡°All the rooms for the festival are fully booked. I had to pull some strings to free up Deborah¡¯s room. Even if a deityes, I won¡¯t be able to free up a second one.¡± Joseph stood at the door, ncing at Deborah who was fast asleep on the bed. 4 ¡°Lucien, that¡¯s enough. Which one is your room? Let me stay there for one night.¡± Lucien replied, ¡°What did you say? I can¡¯t hear you. If you need any food or drinks, call the front desk. Don¡¯t bother 1. That¡¯s it.¡± Joseph wanted to say something more, but the sound of the phone hanging up came from the other end. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. She called again, but the other party had turned off their phone. Joseph stood at the door, unsure whether to leave or stay. Currently, Deborah was feeling unwell, so it was not possible for her to go back home directly. But he and Deborah hadn¡¯t reached that stage yet, and now there was Alyssa in the mix. He was indecisive and didn¡¯t want Deborah to have any regrets one day. He stood at the door for quite a while, and finally, Deborah on the bed opened her eyes and looked at him. ¡°How long do you n on standing there? If you¡¯re not going back,e over and sleep.¡± Joseph mustered up his courage and walked over, ¡°Debby, I¡­ I¡¯ll justy out a nket on the floor.¡± Deborah looked at him faintly and asked, ¡°Do you think Dr. Garza would leave an extra nket for you?¡± Joseph hesitated by the bed. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll go find him.¡± Deborah left half of the bed empty and looked at him somewhat impatiently. ¡°That¡¯s enough,e up and sleep. I¡¯m not feeling well tonight, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t take advantage of you.¡± Joseph nced at the empty half of the bed and the half of the nket that was left. Lucien was extremely efficient in everything he did, not leaving any loose ends. He even had an extra nket in the room removed. Deborah felt unwell, her body curled up into a tight ball, upying less than a third of the bed and barely covered by a thin nket. Unable to resist the temptation any longer, Joseph quickly went to the other side, took off his coat, and slipped into the covers. Being so close, he could even smell the fragrance of Deborah¡¯s hair, which made his heart race and his stomach churn for a moment. Joseph and Deborahy in bed with a gap between them. As soon as hey down, Joseph¡¯s body became stiff as a board, and he didn¡¯t move for a long time. The scent of Deborah seeped delicately into his nostrils, leaving him utterly motionless. If he moved even slightly closer, he felt like he wouldn¡¯t be able to resist pouncing. No matter what was going on inside his mind, Deborah was experiencing stomach pain and dizziness, and it was alreadyte at night. Seeing that Joseph was no longer standing outside in the cold, she became drowsy and started to drift back to sleep. In a state between sleep and wakefulness, she suddenly heard Joseph speak excitedly, unable to hide his emotions. ¡°Debby, this is our first time sleeping together.¡± Deborah squinted her eyes open, her face full of fatigue as she nced around. Upon looking, she saw Joseph lying on his side, staring at her intently, without a hint of sleepiness on his face. It seemed as if, even if nothing happened, they were determined to chat with her all night long. Deborah casually replied, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Haven¡¯t you slept like this before?¡± Before, they used to sleep in the same bedroom, most of the time on separate beds and couches. Sometimes, the couch was ced right next to the bed, just like it was now. Joseph looked at her with deep emotion and said, ¡°It¡¯s not the same. Now we are sharing the same bed, under the same nket.¡± Deborah nonchntly hummed in agreement, then closed her eyes to continue sleeping. Joseph didn¡¯t know when he had moved closer. ¡°Debby, are you feeling really unwell? I can go get you some medicine. Are you cold or hungry?¡± Deborah lifted her eyelids and looked at him. ¡°I¡¯m fine, there¡¯s no need. I¡¯ll be better after a good sleep. It¡¯s gettingte, you should get some rest too.¡± Joseph stared at her, and as he continued to stare, his gaze changed. He couldn¡¯t take it anymore and got up to get out of bed. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep. Oh well, I guess I¡¯ll just switch rooms and sleep there.¡± Deborah couldn¡¯t be bothered to engage with him anymore, letting him talk to himself. After a while, hey back down. ¡°No, I can¡¯t leave either. Last time you had a stomachache, something almost went wrong when I wasn¡¯t here.¡± He was particrly talkative tonight, going on and on for quite a while. ¡°No, I should really buy you some medicine.¡± Deborah was so disturbed by him that she lost all her sleepiness, and now her stomach didn¡¯t hurt anymore. She decided to open her eyes and looked at him. ¡°You take a break, I¡¯ll do the talking.¡± Joseph immediately closed his mouth, waiting for her to speak. Deborah turned to him and looked at him for a moment. ¡°Do you want to have a child?¡± Joseph¡¯s face immediately froze, and soon his eyes were burning with curiosity. ¡°Can this be done?¡± Chapter 203 Chapter 203 Chapter 203 Falling In Love with Another Man Deborah paused for a moment before realizing something was off, both from Joseph¡¯s expectant tone and the way he looked at her like a wolf eyeing its prey. She was now wide awake, her face slightly flushed as she said, ¡°No, what I meant was, will you want a child in the future?¡± Joseph moved closer, wanting to embrace her, but upon hearing her words, he reluctantlyy back down. ¡°I don¡¯t want children, Debby. I don¡¯t need them. If we get married in the future, I will treat Alyssa like my own daughter.¡± Deborah didn¡¯t have a uterus, so it was impossible for them to have a child together. Joseph knew that because of this, she felt upset inside. So he would never say that he wanted a child. Compared to being with Deborah, the matter of having children really wasn¡¯t worth mentioning- Deborah looked at him earnestly. ¡°I¡¯ve thought it through carefully, and it¡¯s not fair for you to bear the burden of so many things. I¡¯ve heard that there are uterine transnts abroad, but I¡¯m not sure if they¡¯re avable here. I¡¯d like to find out more and give it a try.¡± She could no longer give him her pure self, but having a child might not be entirely impossible. Although she had experienced everything with Alyssa and the miscarriage, when it came to having children, what remained for her was mostly fear. The desire in Joseph¡¯s eyes faded, and instead of suppressing himself, he reached out, pulled her close, and held her tightly. His voice was filled with heartache. ¡°I don¡¯t need a child, I really don¡¯t.¡± Suddenly, Deborah found herself in his embrace. The warmth from his slightly feverish body transferred to hers, causing her face to flush intensely in an instant. Her mind went nk for a moment,pletely forgetting what she had just been thinking about and what she had nned to say. Joseph hugged her tightly, resting his chin on top of her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything unfair. As long as you don¡¯t give up on me, everything is the fairest to me.¡± Deborah was finding it hard to breathe in his embrace, her face flushed as she pushed him away. ¡°Take it breathe.¡± Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. easy, ¡®, I can¡¯t After saying that, she quickly realized that something seemed off about her words, and her face turned even redder. Joseph embraced her hands; the veins on the back of his hands clearly visible. His entire body was burning hot, and that thread of rationality in his mind kept tightening relentlessly. He tried his best to endure, but he could no longerpletely control himself like that. He was never truly a good person, nor could he be considered a gentleman. In his dreams, he longed to possess her, to have herpletely. One would long to possess the things one liked and desiredpletely. Ashton, Zayne, and now Adrian many times, they made him feel anxious and on the verge of losing control. Don¡¯t worry? How can I not worry? In particr, over the past few days, due to Alyssa¡¯s involvement, Deborah had suddenly be distant from him. Even in his dreams, he dreamt that the three years he spent with Deborah were all fake. Deborah left him behind, never to look back again. Joseph held her tightly, as reason and emotion seemed to be at opposite ends of a rope, constantly struggling and pulling against each other. As he repeatedly said ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he couldn¡¯t help but lower his head, continuously kissing her forehead. He felt like he was going insane, but when he kissed her, a faint trace of reason still lingered. That thread of rationality allowed him to restrain himself, preventing him from going any further. In the days toe, they still had a long journey ahead, and countless opportunities to grow closer. He could wait, and he would definitely give her enough time to think and make a decision. Wait until Alyssa could ept him, wait until he and Deborah could truly get married and be a legitimate husband and wife. Joseph kissed her, and Deborah could feel his body trembling. He wasn¡¯t just enduring tonight; he had been enduring for three years. Neither of them had ever spoken about it, but deep down, they both knew the truth. Deborah looked up at him and replied softly, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I don¡¯t mind, even if it¡¯s Alyssa¡­¡± Even if Alyssa could never ept him, even if she and Joseph could never be together openly and legitimately. No matter what, she truly didn¡¯t mind anymore. Joseph gently kissed her, but that was as far as it went. He breathed heavily, ¡°Debby, I can wait, wait until we get married.¡± Deborah held him close, feeling his presence beside her, listening to his gentle, soft-spoken words. # That feeling is like sitting by a floor-to-ceiling window on a snowy day, warming yourself by the fire, sipping a hot beverage, and gazing at the pristine white snow outside. With loved ones by our side, we tend to find warmth, peace, contentment, and the passage of time bes serene. After all these years, she never dared to imagine that she could have a day like this. I never dared to imagine that I could fall in love with another man besides Ashton. Suddenly, she realized that the memories she shared with Ashton were from such a long, long time ago. It had been so long that it almost feels like it happened in a previous life. Deborah felt warmth enveloping her entire body, and just as she was about to drift off to sleep, she murmured drowsily, ¡°Joseph, thank you.¡± Joseph¡¯s voice was close to her ear, hisughter deep and rich. ¡°What are you thanking me for? If you want to thank me, show it through your actions in the future.¡± Deborah didn¡¯t hear it anymore; she had fallen asleep in his arms, After this sleep, when I woke up, it was already bright outside. Deborah was awakened by the sound of her phone ringing. As she opened her eyes, she saw Joseph, eyes closed, answering her call. ¡°Alyssa, oh, your mom is here. I¡¯ll let her take the call.¡± Joseph still hasn¡¯t fully woken up, even though it¡¯s almost noon now. He held Deborah in his arms, lying together on the same bed, and it would be a miracle if he could fall asleep easily. Deborah, on the other hand, slept soundly, using him as a pillow. Joseph had barely managed to fall asleep in the morning when Alyssa¡¯s call came through. In a daze, he handed his phone to Deborah and yfully tapped it on her head. ¡°Wake up, Alyssa is calling for you.¡± At first, Deborah thought she was just groggy from sleep and experiencing hallucinations. Upon hearing his words clearly, she immediately sprang up from the bed like a coil, and hurriedly answered the phone. ¡°A-Alyssa, it¡¯s Mom.¡± Alyssa had a hunch about who Deborah had spent the night with, since she didn¡¯te homest night. But now it¡¯s already 11 in the morning, and she really didn¡¯t expect that Deborah would still be sleeping in bed. Adrian had just woken up from a hangover and insisted that she call Deborah. She was also worried about why Deborah hadn¡¯t returned yet, so she made the call. Hearing Deborah¡¯s voice, clearly just waking up, Alyssa said, ¡°Mommy, Adrian is asking if you¡¯ll be going back to Moxley Manor for lunch.¡± Adrian immediately lowered his voice and said, ¡°Don¡¯t say it was me who asked.¡± Alyssa immediately ryed, ¡°Oh, Adrian said it wasn¡¯t him who asked, so I¡¯m asking instead.¡± After a while, Joseph woke up too. Thinking about who he had just talked to on the phone and what he had said, he immediately felt a bit uneasy and sat up. After giving it some thought, he felt a bit puzzled. Why was he panicking? Both he and Deborah were adults. How did Alyssa find out? It felt like a child who has done something naughty and was caught red- handed by an adult, feeling guilty and uneasy. Deborah held the phone between her ear and shoulder, responding, ¡°Alyssa, Mom will be home soon, and we can talk when I get back.¡± Alyssa agreed with an ¡°okay¡± and hung up the phone. As she nced to one side, she saw Adrian looking at her with dissatisfaction. His gaze wasplex, a mixture of anger, anxiety, and frustration, filled with various emotions. Alyssa looked at him with a puzzled expression. ¡°Adrian, why are you looking at me like that? Wasn¡¯t it you who asked me to make the call?¡± Adrian suddenly thought of something, turned around, left the bedroom, and rushed downstairs. Chapter 204 Chapter 204 Chapter 204 Deborah Looks So Much Like Her Evelyn was sittingfortably on the sofa in the living room downstairs, leisurely eating peanuts while browsing through shows on her phone. She spent this year at Moxley Manor, as her parents had gone abroad for a business trip. Originally, she was supposed to spend the New Year at her uncle¡¯s house. But Joseph said that if she came to Richmond and yed this role, pulling Adrian away from Deborah, he would give her a year-end bonus. The year-end bonus still has some remaining bnce unpaid. Joseph promised that after the fifteenth day of New Year, he would settle the amount for her. The elders of the Moxley family treated her very well, so it didn¡¯t really matter if she stayed here to celebrate the New Year. While watching a show, I was thinking that once I get my year-end bonus, I couldbine it with the money I have saved and invest in a couple of small guesthouses. That way, I could experience the joy of being a boss. Suddenly, Adrian rushed down from upstairs and yelled at her, ¡°Get up!¡± Evelyn was caught off guard and startled, instinctively standing up quickly. The phone in her hand almost slipped and fell to the ground. Upon hearing themotion, Donna immediately came over and scolded Adrian in a displeased manner. ¡°You rebellious brat, why are you being so fierce towards Eve? If you scare her, the Moore family will Adrian let out a couple of coldughs. ¡°She could be scared by me? Haha, she could be scared by me? This is in my own house, and she dared to get me so drunk that I couldn¡¯t get up the whole night. Do you guys know,st night Deborah¡­¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes lit up immediately, ¡°What happenedst night?¡± Taking into consideration the presence of so many elders, Adrian didn¡¯t continue speaking. Evelyn¡¯s curiosity was piqued, and she couldn¡¯t help but get up and urge him, ¡°What happened to Deborahst night? Come on, tell me more. Don¡¯t just stop halfway, do you know something? Did she do something with my bossst night?¡± Donna¡¯s hearing wasn¡¯t very good, so she didn¡¯t know what they were talking about animatedly. Seeing that Evelyn wasn¡¯t angry, Donna rxed and continued to discuss the important lifelong matters of the two brothers, Steven and Norman. Evelyn anxiously tugged at Adrian, urging him, ¡°Come on, keep talking! What happened next?¡± Suddenly, Adrian swung his hand around and grabbed her outstretched wrist. Evelyn was momentarily caught off guard and couldn¡¯t regain herposure. Before this, it was not only impossible for Adrian to touch her, but even when standing together, he would habitually maintain a distance of more than three feet. Evelyn thought she was experiencing an illusion. As she slowly lowered her gaze, she saw that Adrian¡¯s hand was gripping her wrist through the sleeve of her coat. She stared nkly for a moment, then angrily pushed him away. ¡°What are you doing!¡± Adrian was pushed away by her, looking at her thoughtfully. ¡°Why do I find you stranger the more I look at you? With your thick skin, you got me drunkst night, took me back to my bedroom, and surprisingly, you didn¡¯t do anything?¡± Evelyn coughed loudly a few times, her gaze darting around nervously. Adrian¡¯s gaze fell directly on her as he spoke, word by word. ¡°Are you getting close to me for some other purpose?¡± Nora sat not far away, looking quite pleased as she watched the scene unfold. Sheughed and said, ¡°It seems that Adrian and Ms. Moore have been getting along quite well these past few days. You appear to be having a delightful conversation.¡± Evelyn snapped back to reality, her face blushing shyly. ¡°Are you starting to take an interest in me? You never used to ask me these questions, not caring about me at all. Nothing really happenedst night, did it? You must be quite disappointed. How about tonight, then? I- I¡¯m actually okay with it!¡± Adrian¡¯s face stiffened, and he almost choked on his own saliva. He must have really lost his mind to doubt that this woman, who was head over heels for him every day, could have any other motives. Adrian took a few steps back, cautiously increasing the distance between them. ¡°Enough, no need to say more. Don¡¯t even think about it tonight. I¡¯ll lock the door from the inside.¡± Evelyn¡¯s face fell, and Adrian turned away, avoiding her as if she were a venomous snake. In just a few steps, he had put some distance between them. He looked toward the doorway, waiting for Deborah to arrive. The thought of what happened between Deborah and Josephst night filled him with an extraordinary sense of anger and indignation, as he couldn¡¯t stand the idea of Joseph taking advantage of her. He was feeling indignant in his mind when Deborah walked in from outside. The staff in Moxley Manor had already prepared lunch, with all the dishes set on the table, just waiting for Deborah to arrive. Moxley Manor was bustling with people, and today, a few more guests arrived ¨C they were Reba¡¯s parents. As soon as Nora saw Deborahe in, she immediately got up with a smile and said, ¡°Debby¡¯s here! Hurry up and wash your hands to get ready for dinner. Alyssa has been talking about you for quite some time now.¡± Deborah apologized with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, there was a bit of traffic on the way. I¡¯m sorry to have kept you all waiting.¡± Nora pretended to be serious and said, ¡°From now on, you¡¯re not allowed to say these polite words. You and Alyssa should treat this ce like your own home, don¡¯t be distant, understand?¡± Nora felt a strong connection to Deborah ever since the day she returned from Christmas. From the moment she firstid eyes on Deborah, she inexplicably took a special liking to her. She was naturally quite aloof, not really getting close to others. But for Deborah, she didn¡¯t hide her fondness at all. Just like when I first saw Alyssa, at first nce, I felt as if she were my own child. Looks So Like Her So Initially, when Adrian brought Alyssa back, rumors circted outside that Alyssa was Adrian¡¯s illegitimate daughter. Nora wasn¡¯t the least bit angry; instead, she particrly liked Alyssa. Deborah followed Nora to the dining table and sat down. Nora enthusiastically introduced her, ¡°You haven¡¯t met these two before. This is Reba¡¯s father, Mathias Fuller, and this is her mother, Cassandra Moxley. We¡¯re all family here, so there¡¯s no need to be formal.¡± Deborah immediately greeted them, ¡°Mr. Fuller, Ms. Moxley.¡± Cassandraughed and gave Deborah an extra nce, her eyes looking a bit peculiar. also It was as if he was looking at her, yet also looking through her, as if recalling something and gazing at something else. This kind of gaze made Deborah feel uneasy. Mathias¡¯ gaze was even stranger, He stared at Deborah for quite a while before suddenlyughing and saying, ¡°Ms, Shepherd really does resemble Nora. No wonder even Mom said she wanted to consider Ms. Shepherd as her granddaughter.¡± There was no issue with this statement; it was just a half-joking remark. Deborah couldn¡¯t quite put her finger on it, but there was something about the way this man spoke to her, his tone and his smiling demeanor, that made her inexplicably ufortable. She responded perfunctorily for a bit before the elderlydy spoke up, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s eat first. We shouldn¡¯t keep Ms. Shepherd and Alyssa waiting. We can chat more after we finish eating.¡± Mathias looked at Cassandra with a strange expression and smiled. ¡°You see, our mom only cares about Ms. Shepherd and Alyssa now.¡± Cassandra¡¯splexion appeared somewhat pale, and upon hearing the words, she let out augh. Herughter was even more difficult to look at than her crying, extremely stiff and unnatural. Reba frowned and whispered from the side, ¡°Dad, please say less.¡± Mathias wore an innocent expression, ¡°Look at this child, not even giving me, their father, any respect. Did I say something wrong?¡± This meal had a noticeably stranger atmosphere than usual. From time to time, Mathias would speak up, and as the conversation went on, others stopped chiming in. It was just him, drinking and talking by himself. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. After finishing their meal, Cassandra quickly spoke up, ¡°Mom, we have some things to take care of, so maybe Mathias and I should head back first.¡± Deborah could tell that the Moxley family didn¡¯t like Mathias very much, and neither did Donna. Cassandra said she wanted to leave, and although Donna verbally disagreed, she didn¡¯t seem particrly intent on persuading her to stay. It seemed that they were being cautious because Deborah, an outsider, was present. There were some things they didn¡¯t want to discuss in front of her. As for Mathias, he clearly had no filter, saying whatever came to his mind. Nora¡¯s face turned pale, and she appeared to be in low spirits. Cassandra greeted and stood up, pulling Mathias to leave. Mathias, slightly tipsy, reluctantly pulled away from her grasp. ¡°Today is the second day of New Year, and we¡¯re here to visit my mom. We just finished eating, it wouldn¡¯t be polite to leave so soon. Let¡¯s stay a bit longer.¡± Donna was older and had a good temperament, but she still cared about maintaining her family¡¯s reputation and social standing. Seeing Deborah nearby, Mathias, who had drunk too much, was unwilling to leave and kept ncing at her. Donna spoke up, ¡°Cassandra, why don¡¯t you help Mathias upstairs to rest? I¡¯ll have the housekeeper bring up some hangover soupter. We don¡¯t want any trouble during the festive season.¡± Cassandra immediately nodded in agreement, and Mathias, somewhat reluctantly, allowed her to help him as they headed upstairs. Mathias said something iprehensible, which Deborah didn¡¯t understand, but Nora¡¯s mood clearly worsened. Once Mathias went upstairs, the Moxley family members allforted Nora¡¯s emotions.¡± Deborah, being an outsider, didn¡¯t want to interrupt, and she didn¡¯t know what was going on. She then said she was going to take a break and went upstairs with Alyssa. As soon as they went upstairs and walked down the hallway towards Alyssa¡¯s bedroom, a sudden ¡°bang¡± came from the adjacent room, as if something had been smashed. Alyssa was startled, and Deborah immediately hugged her. In the bedroom, Mathias, who had drunk too much, raised his voice and said, ¡°What, are you still afraid that the ghostly baby girl wille back to haunt you?¡± Chapter 205 Chapter 205 Chapter 205 Ashton the Lifesaving Straw The noise inside was simply too loud; it was difficult for Deborah and Alyssa to not hear it. Alyssa forgot her fear and looked up at Deborah. She lowered her voice. ¡°Mommy, we didn¡¯t hear something we shouldn¡¯t have, did we?¡± Deborah couldn¡¯t understand what Mathias was saying. Just now at the dinner table, Mathias mentioned something about a baby, something about many years ago, and going to a distant ce. It seemed that as soon as he spoke those words, Nora¡¯s face changed dramatically. Cassandra became flustered and repeatedly served Mathias several dishes, urging him to eat more. In other words, they naturally wanted him to shut up. Deborah had a hunch that there must be more to the story. And now, Alyssa might be right; they probably heard something they shouldn¡¯t have. Deborah instinctively grabbed Alyssa¡¯s hand and quickly walked away. It was not her ce to meddle in other people¡¯s affairs. Wading through muddy waters, she and Alyssa might end up in trouble if things go wrong. Inside, Mathias¡¯ unrestrained voice could be heard once again. ¡°Why are you stopping me? Can¡¯t I speak my mind? What, just because that woman looks like Nora, you¡¯re scared? What are the odds of such a coincidence happening? You¡¯re just being a worrywart¡­¡± The conversation that followed was likely intercepted by Cassandra, as Deborah didn¡¯t hear anything more. Deborah immediately took Alyssa back to the bedroom. In another bedroom, the heated argument and chaos continued. Cassandra was both angry and scared, her face as pale as paper. She sshed a basin of cold water directly onto Mathias¡¯ face. ¡°If you want to spill everything and have the Moxley family kill you sooner, go ahead and keep Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. pretending to be drunk and making a scene!¡± Mathias was sshed with cold water, which actually helped him sober up a bit. He was somewhat annoyed, but not to the point of hitting Cassandra. He also relied on Cassandra to enjoy the good life with the Moxley family, and with the power of the Moxley family, he could swagger around outside. If Cassandra gets ruined by him and loses her cash cow, it would be a total loss. Mathias casually wiped the water off his face, grinning yfully without a care in the world. ¡°What am I afraid of? If this gets out, the Moxley family won¡¯t just kill me, they¡¯ll kill you too. Don¡¯t forget, it was you who invited Nora there in the first ce. If you im that all the bad things that happened afterward were done by me alone, who would believe that?¡± Cassandra¡¯s face was a mix of pale and blue, her trembling hands clenched tightly into fists. ¡°At first, I invited Nora to go there because you tricked me by using someone else to say that the chapel there was very effective. If it weren¡¯t for the earthquake that happened by chance, and you drugging me which caused me to pass out, I would never have let Nora be with her daughter¡­¡± Cassandra couldn¡¯t continue speaking. The thought of the tragic scene that day, when Nora gave birth prematurely and couldn¡¯t even see her child before they were taken away, and the heart-wrenching cries that followed, made her feel as if her heart was being torn apart, She covered her face with both hands, unable to control her sobbing. Mathiasforted her half-heartedly, ¡°Come on, it¡¯s been so many years. You and Steven still have three sons, each of them capable and doing well. Your life is going great. You see, our Reba is now with the Moxley family, as the only girl in their household. She¡¯s living a good life, and that should put your mind at ease.¡± Cassandra suddenly looked up, gritting her teeth and lowering her voice, ¡°All of that shouldn¡¯t belong to Reba, it shouldn¡¯t! It¡¯s all your fault, you beast! If it weren¡¯t for Reba, I would have risked everything, even if it meant perishing together with you!¡± Mathias smiled confidently. ¡°We are husband and wife, why say such harsh words? If the truth really You won¡¯t want to let your daughter go, but in the future, all those unpleasant things will be forgotten, as if they never happened.¡± He didn¡¯t have any regrets. If it weren¡¯t for him causing Nora to lose her daughter, would Reba be able to enjoy such love and affection in the Moxley family now? He and Cassandra, as parents, also enjoyed the good life together. Otherwise, if the Moxley family had their own daughter and granddaughter, how could they possibly pay attention to Cassandra, their adopted daughter? It would be even more improbable that Reba, the granddaughter, would be raised in Moxley Manor as if she were a biological child of the Moxley family. In the end, Cassandra still didn¡¯t dare to make a fuss. She was not only afraid of being abandoned by the Moxley family, but also feared being resented and targeted by them. Moreover, she was even more afraid of Reba getting implicated. Her precious daughter was now living such a wonderful life, where everything was simply the best. In the end, Cassandra slowly lowered her eyelids, not saying anything more. Dinner was not at Moxley Manor, but instead, they went to Jingron Seaview Restaurant. Donna really loved the smoked duck from that ce, so she made a reservation there. The whole family went there to enjoy the meal together. When Deborah and the entire Moxley family arrived, they had just reached the fifth floor by elevator when, by chance, they ran into Ashton and Chandler right outside the elevator. As always, Chandler sat in his wheelchair, his hands hanging limply by his sides, seemingly unable to move much. His face was wrapped in bandages, giving the appearance of severe injuries, which made him look quiteical. He really didn¡¯t seem like someone who woulde to a restaurant; instead, he should be in the intensive care unit of a hospital. Roughly speaking, it was Gerald who had spoken, telling him to pack up these past few days and get out of the ck Group. So, no matter what, he couldn¡¯t stay in the hospital any longer. Seeking Ashton was, of course, an attempt to use Ashton as a lifeline. Chandler stood next to an assistant, both of them blocking Ashton¡¯s way. With some embarrassment and difficulty, Chandler spoke. ¡°Mr. Mullen, I¡­ I really have a very suitable contract that I¡¯d like to discuss with yourpany. It won¡¯t take up much of your time, at most half an hour.¡± Ashton¡¯s face was full of impatience, looking as if his patience was about to run out. In the next moment, he might just pick him up from the wheelchair and throw him out. ¡°Do I look so free that I would waste half an hour with you?¡± On the part of Chandler¡¯s face that was barely visible, one could faintly see that hisplexion was quite pale. He anxiously nced at his assistant and urged, ¡°Quickly, show Mr. Mullen the items.¡± This was in the corridor outside, where people passed by at any time. The contract document was quite confidential, and he couldn¡¯t help but take it out right here to show Ashton. The assistant hurriedly took out the documents, holding them with both hands and handed them to Ashton. ¡°Mr. Mullen, please take a look at this contract. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be very satisfied with the terms. It¡¯s the same coboration agreement that yourpany discussed with the ck Group a few days ago.¡± Deborah didn¡¯t want to hear any of this, but Chandler was sitting in his wheelchair, along with his assistant, and they were now blocking Ashton from entering the elevator in the hallway. Blocking the way, she couldn¡¯t easily pass by the Moxley family. Donna patiently waited, hoping to move away once they finished talking. But looking at Chandler¡¯s posture, he was chattering endlessly, clearly treating this ce as if it were his own living room. Donna couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit impatient. She approached them with a smile and said, ¡°Mr. Mullen, Mr. ck, what a coincidence! Would you mind letting us pass first, please?¡± Upon hearing them, Ashton immediately turned around to face them. His gaze fell upon Deborah, quickly shifted away, and he took a few sidesteps to stand aside. Chandler noticed Deborah, but suddenly he couldn¡¯t contain himself. Ashton tossed the file into his hands, but with a slight tremble, the file fell to the ground. Chandler was clearly flustered and anxious, almost yelling at his assistant, ¡°Hurry up, pick it up!¡± 206 206 Chapter 206 A Perfect Match with Deborah A document fell to the ground, sca tt ering papers everywhere. Chandler panicked, and his assistant¡¯s face turned pale. In a hurry, they crouched down and clumsily picked up the papers. Chandler seemed to be worried that Deborah might have seen something. After the assistant picked up the documents, he quickly nced at Deborah again. The text on the document was quite small, and Deborah didn¡¯t have good enough eyesight to be able to read what was written on it in such a short amount of time. Ashton made way, and the assistant also pushed Chandler to the side, moving them a bit further away. Deborah and the Moxley family passed by, heading towards their reserved private room. She didn¡¯t say a word, as it was none of her business. As she walked away, she heard Chandler speaking behind her, ¡°Mr. Mullen, let¡¯s go inside and talk. I am about discussing this contract with you, I assure you¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, Ashton walked straight inside. Chandler wanted to catch up, as this might be his only chance. But Jeff stopped him, not allowing him to catch up any further. very sincere Deborah followed the Moxley family into the private room, and she couldn¡¯t help but recall the flustered appearance of Chandler just moments ago. The document must be quite important. Chandler is currently the acting CEO of the ck Group, and the power hasn¡¯t been handed back to Joseph yet. It¡¯s likely that he¡¯s taking a risk and making some moves within the If he hadn¡¯t obtained something important, he probably wouldn¡¯t have had such confidence to insist on discussing the contract with Ashton. However, considering his current situation, he had no other options left and would definitely be unwilling to give up what he had in hand. Taking a risk was inevitable on his part.. Upon entering the private room, Adrian and Alyssa sat on either side of Deborah. Evelyn also wanted to sit with her and gossip about what happened between her and Josephst night. Seeing that both sides of Deborah¡¯s seat were taken, she reluctantly went to sit somewhere else.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Donna spoke up, asking her to sit next to Adrian. Reluctantly, she got up and moved to sit beside him. Adrian¡¯s gaze was fixed on Deborah, as he asked her in a rather fawning manner, ¡°Debby, are you thirsty? Let me pour you something to drink. You don¡¯t drink alcohol, right? Would you prefer water or a beverage?¡± Deborah didn¡¯t respond. Adrian nced at her and noticed that she was lost in thought, her mind wandering off to who knows where. Adrian waved his hand in front of her eyes, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Deborah snapped back to reality and took out her phone from her bag, ¡°I¡¯m going to the restroom.¡± Adrian let out an ¡°Oh,¡± and as she stood up, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Deborah lowered her gaze, her eyes expressing a myriad of emotions as she looked at him and said, ¡°Huh?¡± Adrian felt a bit awkward, ¡°What I meant was, I¡¯ll go with you to the outside of the restroom. Never mind, never mind, you go ahead.¡± Deborah, holding her phone, went out first. Evelyn sneered from the side, ¡°Simp.¡± Alyssa immediately chimed in, ¡°Wishful thinking.¡± Adrian, with a face full of annoyance, asked, ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± Evelyn and Alyssa both ignored him. Deborah stepped out of the private room, feeling uneasy. She decided to give Joseph a call anyway. The call was quickly connected, and a somewhat noisy sound came through the phone.. ¡°Debby, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Deborah walked to a quieter spot at the end of the hallway before speaking up, ¡°Are you busy? I just ran into Chandler at the restaurant, and there¡¯s something I wanted to tell you.¡± Joseph¡¯s voice deepened, ¡°I¡¯m not busy. A few rtives are together, eating out. How did you run into him? Wasn¡¯t he in the hospital? Did he give you any trouble?¡± Deborah honestly said, ¡°No, it was just a coincidence. He came to this restaurant and brought a contract to discuss with Ashton.¡± I watched his sneaky behavior, and I could tell that the contract must be more than meets the eye. Most likely, he¡¯s up to something in thepany, taking things he shouldn¡¯t be taking. Joseph was a bit worried, ¡°I¡¯ll ask Morton to keep an eye on Chandler. He¡¯s probably getting impatient and might be heading for trouble. Don¡¯t get involved, stay away from him, and take care of your own safety.¡± Deborah chatted for a bit longer when suddenly, Adrian¡¯s voice came from behind her, ¡°Debby, why are you still on the phone? The food is ready, and Grandma asked me toe get you.¡± Donna wanted to call Evelyn out, but there was no way Adrian would let this opportunity slip by. Especially when watching Deborah make a phone call, he guessed that it was Joseph on the other end of the line, and his voice became even louder. ¡°I¡¯ve specially ordered an extra soup for you. The chef here is quite skilled, so be sure to try it while it¡¯s still hot. You don¡¯t look too well, so do take care of yourself. Come on, let¡¯s eat.¡± Deborah really wanted to tell him that her hearing was fine, and he didn¡¯t need to speak so loudly, as if he were talking to an olddy. Over there, Joseph heard it too. He was about to hang up the phone when he suddenly asked, ¡°Which restaurant are you at?¡± Deborah promptly replied, ¡°At Seaview Restaurant.¡± Joseph was taken aback. ¡°Jingron Seaview Restaurant?¡± Adrian urged her, ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡¯re just waiting for you.¡± Deborah quickly replied ¡°yes¡± and hung up the phone, then returned to the private room with Adrian. As a result, the dishes were served, and just as they were halfway through the meal, Joseph arrived. Donna looked surprised, ¡°Why is Mr. ck here? Have you eaten yet? If not, let¡¯s have something together.¡± Joseph walked up to Deborah with a smile, ¡°I overheard the manager mentioning that the entire Old Mrs. Moxley family was dining here, and I couldn¡¯t believe it. What a coincidence, I just happened to be in the area for some work.¡± Donna suddenly remembered something and said with a smile, ¡°Oh, I just realized, Jingron is your business, isn¡¯t it, Mr. ck? No wonder we could meet here. The food at your ce is really delicious.¡± Joseph noticed Adrian¡¯s displeased expression and casually raised his hand, resting it on the back of Deborah¡¯s chair. ¡°Old Mrs. Moxley, you¡¯re too kind. I didn¡¯t know you all wereing, so I didn¡¯t instruct my staff to give you a proper wee. My apologies.¡± The elderly person¡¯s eyes lit up with a smile. After exchanging a few pleasantries, they turned their attention to Adrian. ¡°Adrian,e sit with Grandma and Eve over here, let¡¯s make some room for Mr. ck. Now that everyone¡¯s here, let¡¯s all enjoy some food and drinks together.¡± Joseph said politely, ¡°No need, no need. I just happen to have a few bottles of fine wine here, and I¡¯ve asked the manager to bring them over. I remember that Old Mrs. Moxley, you do enjoy some red wine.¡± ¡°Please feel free to help yourselves to anything you¡¯d like to eat or drink. It¡¯s an honor to have Old Mrs. Moxley visit my humble abode, so I insist on treating you all today. I won¡¯t bother you any longer.¡± He spoke, then turned around to signal the restaurant manager who had just entered. The manager immediately ordered someone to bring in the wine. Donna, being very particr about etiquette, had already received wine from Joseph and even had him treat her to a meal. There was no way she would let him leave just like that. She looked at Adrian seriously, signaling him to make room. Adrian didn¡¯t care and didn¡¯t want to get up. ¡°There are plenty of empty seats over there. Mr. ck, feel free to sit anywhere you like. No need to be polite.¡± Donna was so angry that she almost hit him. Alyssa noticed Donna¡¯s difort and immediately stood up, ¡°Mr. ck, please take my seat. I¡¯ll go sit with Great-Grandma Donna,¡± As she spoke, she walked towards Donna. For the first time ever, Joseph was genuinely taken aback by the unexpected favor, as Alyssa made room for him. Although it was mostly out of consideration for the many people present, they didn¡¯t want Donna to lose face. However, no matter what, he was genuinely happy. He smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, Alyssa. In that case, I won¡¯t be shy.¡± Alyssa didn¡¯t say much and went to sit next to Donna. Adrian said in a low voice, annoyed, ¡°Could you at least be a bit more polite?¡± Joseph sat down, having heard that Donna¡¯s favorite chef, Misael, happened to be on vacation today. Donna believed thai Misael made the most authentic smoked duck. Joseph immediately made another call, inviting the person over. As it turned out, they were nearby and arrived without hesitation. Donna was even more delighted, and she couldn¡¯t help but praise Joseph, ¡°I¡¯m not just saying this, but the more I see of this young Mr. ck, the more I like him. He¡¯s talented, sensible, and a perfect match for Ms. Shepherd.¡± Adrian muttered under his breath, ¡°Just look at who doesn¡¯t like it.¡± Joseph smiled as he continued the conversation, looking towards Donna. Deborah¡¯s hand was resting on herp when suddenly, she felt someone grasp it. Tor 207 Tor 207 Chapter 207 Captured Deborah was caught off guard and startled. She quickly lowered her gaze to take a look. Joseph spoke casually, not even looking at her, yet he gently held her hand in his palm. Although their hands were under the table, there were still so many people present. Deborah¡¯s face turned slightly red, wanting to pull her hand away, but Joseph¡¯s grip only tightened. Deborah felt awkward, but he acted as if nothing had happened, continuing the conversation as usual. Deborah couldn¡¯t free her hand, so she just let him be, pretending to be calm and continuing to eat with one hand. Evelyn was eating melon up close, almost going crazy with delight. She had been secretly watching Deborah and Joseph all along, and when Joseph discreetly took Deborah¡¯s hand, she immediately noticed. Evelyn¡¯s face turned even redder with excitement than Deborah¡¯s. She stealthily turned on her phone¡¯s camera and reached under the table, attempting to take a sneaky photo. She wanted to stretch her hand out a bit further, to get a little closer, so she could take a clearer picture. With Adrian in between, he suddenly frowned and said, ¡°Can you restrain yourself a bit? Why are you hitting me?¡± Evelyn was caught off guard and startled. Her body, already leaning to one side, suddenly lost its bnce and she lunged directly towards him. Adrian sat in the chair, unable to back away, and he couldn¡¯t possibly push her to the ground either. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Evelyn threw herself into his arms, and the two of them almost fell to the ground together. Adrian reacted quickly, immediately reaching out to support the back of the chair, preventing it from falling over. steady herself on the table, but instead, she identally As Evelyn lunged forward, she instinctively reached out to knocked over a ss of wine in front of Adrian. The red wine spilled outpletely, drenching her coat entirely. The light-colored coat was stained with arge patch of dark red from the spilled wine, and Evelyn¡¯s face turned beet red. Should she say it or not? As she hesitated, she found herself leaning on Adrian¡¯s chest. She reached out to support herself, and noticed that this man seemed quite sturdy. Looking at the delicate skin, there¡¯s actually muscle on the body. Adrian was wearing a ck shirt in the private room, where the air conditioning was turned on. Feeling a bit warm from the alcohol he had consumed, he took off his sweater and coat, leaving them outside. Evelyn touched something, realized what it was, and immediately stood up and moved away from him. The eyes of the crowd all turned this way in unison, staring in amazement. It was really unexpected that Evelyn was so bold and unrestrained. In front of arge crowd, not only did she throw herself into Adrian¡¯s arms, but she also directly started touching him. There was not just the Moxley family here, but also outsiders present. Nora had a smile hidden in her eyes as she stepped in to help Evelyn, ¡°Adrian, there are so many people here, mind your manners and don¡¯t bully Eve.¡± Adrian protested, ¡°Mom, she¡¯s the one who pounced on me! How did it turn into me bullying her?¡± Nora said seriously, ¡°I saw everything. What did you say something that scared Eve? It was because of that she lost. her bnce and fell towards you.¡± Joseph immediately joined in the excitement, his face showing sudden realization, ¡°Oh, I see! I knew Evelyn wasn¡¯t just some random person.¡± Donnaughed so hard that her face was full of wrinkles. ¡°Adrian, this kid, just can¡¯t hide his thoughts. Alright, alright, he¡¯s just a young man, there¡¯s nothing wrong with making a fuss. Let¡¯s all continue eating.¡± Evelyn¡¯s face turned red all the way to her ears, and everyone around her had an expression that said, ¡°We all C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. understand.¡± Adrian wanted to exin, but no one was willing to listen to his excuses. After all, no matter what, Evelyn is a girl, and even if she¡¯s open-minded, it¡¯s unlikely that she would suddenly throw herself into his arms in public for no apparent reason. Adrian struggled to find the right words, quietly using Evelyn, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to secretly take photos of me again. Do you have any idea how much a private photo of me is worth? If this continues, I¡¯ll have mywyer sue you.¡± Upon touching his muscles, the slight hint of affection that Evelyn had just developed instantly vanished This man is genuinely suffering from severe paranoia. Evelyn ignored him, and Adrian thought that she was too embarrassed and guilty to speak after being caught red-handed. He snorted coldly, and Nora spoke to him again, ¡°Adrian, I called the driver and asked him to bring a coat up for Eve.¡± Apany Eve downstairs to get her clothes, let her change ande back, then give the clothes to the driver for dry cleaning. Just now, that ss of red wine left arge stain on Evelyn¡¯s coat. Reluctantly, Adrian got up and went out with Evelyn. Before leaving, Evelyn couldn¡¯t help but take another nce at Deborah and Joseph. The two hands that had juste together were still holding each other under the table. She couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and wanted to retake the shot. Adrian urged her impatiently, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Evelyn had no choice but to follow him out, her mind filled with thoughts of loss and defeat. Deborah watched them leave, and when they returned, only Evelyn came in. Adrian probably got upset by something Evelyn said and left early, saying he had something to take care of. Evelyn sessfully sat next to Deborah and secretly snapped several intimate photos of Joseph and Deborah together. With a satisfied heart, she finished her meal. She pondered that after the New Year celebrations, when she returned to work in Oceanview City, she would use the photos to negotiate a better deal. Let those girls in thepany who are also fans of Deborah and Joseph pay a high price for it, which would be enough for her to make a fortune. Deborah didn¡¯t know she was secretly photographed; all she knew was that on the way back, Evelyn couldn¡¯t stop giggling. She wondered, could it be that Evelyn really had taken a liking to Adrian? This smile is a bit too infatuated. After the second day of the New Year passed, Deborah didn¡¯t have any rtives left to visit. In the following days, she continued to stay at the Mu family¡¯s home, apanying Alyssa, and their days were peaceful andfortable. Joseph had been out of sight for several days in a row, and it was unclear what he had been busy with. He just gave her a call every day, reminding her that the weather outside was cold, and to stay in Moxley Manor as much as possible, rather than wandering around outside. Deborah really didn¡¯t go out much, staying indoors for several days in a row. At Moxley Manor, she either spent time ying with Alyssa or watched soap operas with Evelyn. It wasn¡¯t until the tenth day of New Year that Joseph called her. With a rxed tone, he said that everything had been sessfully taken care of. He sent a news link to Deborah. When she clicked on it, she saw that Chandler had been arrested. Embezzlingpany funds, leakingpany secrets, and several other crimes. Now they are being detained at the police station, waiting for the legal process to take its course. Deborah looked surprised. ¡°That fast?¡± Joseph responded, ¡°Indeed, the evidence is irrefutable. Speaking of which, we should actually be grateful to Ashton for the evidence.¡± Deborah didn¡¯t understand, ¡°What does this have to do with him?¡± 208 208 Chapter 208 As You Wish To put it briefly, Joseph spoke up and exined. Originally, I didn¡¯t have solid evidence for the things Chandler was involved in. However, he couldn¡¯t keep his cool and stole thepany¡¯s confidential documents and funds to make a deal with Ashton. Ashton refused, so Chandler took the initiative to record a message himself, admitting that he had stolen the confidential files. He said that if the matter were exposed, it would have nothing to do with Ashton, and the same goes for the misappropriation of funds. Deborah barely understood, ¡°So Ashton gave you those recordings?¡± Joseph responded, ¡°That¡¯s pretty much it. The recording was made voluntarily by Chandler, so it wasn¡¯t obtained secretly, and therefore it can be used as court evidence.¡± It turns out that he confessed to all his crimes. With the evidence I had collected earlier, thewyer estimates that his sentence will be at least seven years. Although it¡¯s not a life sentence, after serving seven years in prison, by the time Chandler gets out, he won¡¯t have the ability to do much anymore. Gerald felt a bit reluctant, but Robert had always been a strict person. Chandler had aimed his schemes at the ck Group, and Robert couldn¡¯t tolerate it. Robert spoke up, saying that no one was allowed to plead on Chandler¡¯s behalf. He believed that one should face the consequences of their own actions. Gerald had no choice but to ept the situation and didn¡¯t say anything more. Chandler¡¯s situation had more or lesse to a conclusion, and Joseph¡¯s tone had be much more rxed. After discussing everything that had happened, he sighed and remarked, ¡°But, speaking of which, Ashton has indeed changed quite a bit now. One thing at a time. His past behavior was indeed infuriating, but the changes he¡¯s made now are truly evident for all to see.¡± At least if it were the old Ashton, when faced with Joseph, apetitor in both business and personal life, all he could probably think of was how to put Joseph in a life-threatening situation. In this way, grasping Chandler¡¯s weakness and helping Joseph clear obstacles is something that could never be done. Deborah looked out the floor-to-ceiling window at the pure white snow nketing the ground. The tenth day of New Year has arrived, and the cold winter will soon be over. Spring is just around the corner. Hearing that name from Joseph¡¯s mouth again, it seemed as if there were no more ripples in her heart. She didn¡¯t believe it before, but now she¡¯s convinced that a person¡¯s heart can die. Emotions were probably much like life itself; when disappointment umtes and passion were exhausted, once they were gone, it was impossible for them to resurrect. The future was full of bright prospects, and she wouldn¡¯t look back. She no longer cared about the ashes of the past, whether they have reignited a faint glimmer or not. After a heavy snowfall, the sky outside appeared exceptionally bright and clear. Deborah couldn¡¯t help but let her thoughts wander. After a moment, she said softly, ¡°Perhaps, but whether he changes or not, it no longer has anything to do with me.¡± Joseph smiled. ¡°Of course, you have me now.¡± Deborahughed softly, and as sheughed, her mind was filled with memories of those scenes from years ago. That Deborah, kneeling outside Flora Vi, that Deborah, crying and begging Ashton to believe her. Deborah shivered from the cold, persisting with thest bit of her strength, as she continued to exin painstakingly. ¡°Ashton, believe me, Alyssa really is our daughter.¡± ¡°Ashton, I never hurt Helen, I really didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Please save Alyssa, and look at me, we are husband and wife.¡± And then, the man kicked her in the chest, sending her sprawling into the thick snow. He said, ¡°Deborah, you can forget about that idea.¡± He also said, ¡°I dream of the day when both you and that illegitimate child die.¡± As you wished, Ashton, the past Deborah and Alyssa are both dead. It took Deborah a long time to gather her thoughts, and she suddenly remembered those events from many years ago. Even now, they seemed like a mere illusion. It was like a ridiculous, absurd dream that she had created herself. The lost womb within her body, along with the asional difort she experiences now. Without menstruation, one must be cautious about what they eat and drink. Avoiding stimtion and consuming non-irritating foods is essential. All of this served as a clear reminder to her that every bit of misery and torment she had experienced was real, not a single thing or detail was false. Her heart began to ache, a feeling she hadn¡¯t experienced in a long time. Deborah tried to sound calm and casual, jokingly saying, ¡°So where are you now? You¡¯ve ovee such a troublesome obstacle, shouldn¡¯t we go out and celebrate together?¡± Joseph was in the CEO¡¯s office on the top floor of the ck Group building, busily handling arge pile of paperwork. Previously, Chandler had been serving as the interim CEO of the ck Group, and he had not yet handed the reins of power back to Joseph Although Gerald had mentioned it several times, Chandler always found excuses to dy, reluctant to hand over the real power, Now, Chandler has entered the police station, which was quite an unexpected turn of events. The ck Group also fell into a brief chaos, with some high-ranking members wanting to take advantage of the confusion to fish in troubled waters and gain benefits within thepany. So, both Joseph and Gerald came over, busily handling matters, which made thepany¡¯s top Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. management dare not act rashly. These two days would be the busiest time. Joseph sat at his desk, reviewing documents, while Gerald stood not far away, making phone calls. Joseph simply wanted to inform Deborah and share the good news with her, so she could feel more at ease. Now Deborah invited him out for a celebratory meal, and he couldn¡¯t find the words to refuse. Moreover, he could tell that something was off with Deborah¡¯s tone, as if she was in a bad mood. Morton saw Joseph holding his phone without speaking and handed him another document. ¡°Mr. ck, I¡¯ve looked over this one, and it should be fine. Please confirm it yourself.¡± After hesitating for a moment, Joseph responded to Deborah, ¡°Alright, I don¡¯t have anything going on right now, so I¡¯lle pick you up and we can go out for dinner.¡± Morton was swamped with work, and there was a mountain of tasks waiting to be dealt with at the Upon hearing that Joseph was going to pick someone up for dinner, Morton couldn¡¯t help but remind him, ¡°Mr. ck, I¡¯m afraid the time might be¡­¡± Joseph nced at him, signaling him not to speak. Morton had a headache and, despite having a lot to say, he had no choice but to keep quiet for now. After finishing his phone call, Gerald walked over to discuss something with Joseph. Just then, Gerald overheard Joseph on the phone and asked him, ¡°Was that Deborah calling you to join her for dinner?¡± Joseph knew that thepany was busy at the moment, and Gerald most likely wouldn¡¯t let him leave. He simply responded, ¡°Mhm.¡± Gerald replied, ¡°Go ahead then. You hardly sleptst night, so it¡¯s good to take a break. Can you make it back for the group meeting at 2:30 in the afternoon?¡± Joseph nced at his wristwatch, noting that it was exactly 11 o¡¯clock in the morning. Driving to Deborah¡¯s ce from here takes just 20 minutes. There¡¯s still enough time for a meal, he nodded, ¡°I can make it back in time.¡± Morton had assumed that Gerald would definitely object to Joseph going out. Now, hearing this, he was left a bit dumbfounded. Doesn¡¯t this also show that Gerald is able to ept Deborah? Upon thinking about it, no matter how busy thepany is, it does indeed seem like Joseph¡¯s lifelong major event is more important. Just think, it¡¯s been so many days since Joseph has gone out on a date with Deborah, all because of Chandler¡¯s situation. Gerald nodded. ¡°Alright, go ahead now. Let the driver drive, you must be tired too. You can get some rest in the car.¡± Joseph promptly replied, ¡°Alright,¡± as he grabbed his coat and headed outside. As Gerald was about to leave the office, he suddenly said, ¡°When you have time, bring Deborah to ck Manor for dinner. The fifteenth day of New Year would be perfect, as it¡¯s a great time for a family reunion meal.¡± 209 209 Chapter 209 Trouble Arises After finishing her phone call with Joseph, Deborah left Moxley Manor. Joseph was busy, she knew that. So she didn¡¯t let hime to pick her up; instead, she called him and told him the location of a restaurant, then drove there herself. Joseph was feeling a bit uneasy, but Deborah couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°It¡¯s broad daylight now, what are you worried about? Alright, you just drive to the restaurant, and I¡¯ll drive there too.¡± Joseph reluctantly agreed, ¡°Alright, just be careful on your way. I¡¯m leaving now. Oh, and my dad mentioned that he¡¯d like to invite you to ck Manor for dinner on the fifteenth day of New Year.¡± On this special Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Gerald invited Deborah over for dinner. It went without saying that the ck family had epted Deborah. Although whether the ck family epted Deborah or not, it didn¡¯t affect Joseph and Deborah being together. Regardless of everything, Deborah was genuinely happy from the bottom of her heart to receive the approval of Elder Joseph. ¡°Sure thing,¡± Deborah replied, her lips curling into a smile as she got into the car. Chandler was about to go to prison, and the ck family had now epted her. Additionally, Alyssa¡¯s attitude toward Joseph these past few days seems to have be less resistant and repulsive than before. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Deborah had met with Joseph a few times, and although Alyssa pretended not to know, Deborah was well aware that she most likely knew about it. Deborah had a feeling that everything was moving in a positive direction. Soon, there will be no one and nothing to stand in the way of her being with Joseph. After all these years, it seems that the bad times are finallying to an end. After hanging up the phone, she got into the car with a cheerful expression and headed towards the restaurant she had reserved. Alyssa had a performance today, and Adrian apanied her. It was the tenth day of New Year, and Adrian¡¯s film crew had started working. As a rising star, Alyssa had many engagements lined up in her schedule. Evelyn has been getting along, well with Alyssately and, curious about Alyssa¡¯s performance, she decided to join her. Deborah, on the other hand, had some free time and was looking forward to enjoying a few rxing days. She was thinking that after the fifteenth day of New Year, she would go to Oceanview City and return to work at Jingron Design. Afterward, Joseph nned to gradually move Jingron Design to Richmond, so they would stay in Richmond in the future. Deborah worked here, making it convenient for Joseph to manage Jingron while also overseeing the ck Group in Richmond. T As Deborah drove, she thought about the future, enjoying the beautiful sunshine outside. As the ice and snow began to melt, her heart warmed along with it. Moxley Manor was situated in a peaceful area, with few people and vehicles passing by. The open roads also made for a pleasant driving experience. Deborah was lost in thought when suddenly she felt something sh in the rearview mirror, as if a car was approaching from behind. She instinctively took a closer look in the rearview mirror, but there was nothing behind her. Only the bare trees lined the sides of the road, with snow still clinging to their branches. She must be hallucinating. She averted her gaze and continued to look ahead, focusing on driving. Not far from the starting point, the car suddenly jolted. The front wheel seemed to have hit something, causing a problem with the tire, and the car came to a stop. Deborah had no choice but to get out of the car and go ahead to see what was going on. As she walked to the front of the car, she suddenly felt that something was off. The road was smooth, without any obstacles, and there shouldn¡¯t be anything lying across it that could damage the wheels. Something was not right. 1 She quickly turned around, thinking she should first get in the car and lock the doors before calling Joseph. No matter the reason, she couldn¡¯t fix the t tire herself and had to find someone to help. As she turned around, something quickly pressed against her lower back. That chilly sensation made Deborah¡¯s body tense up immediately, and she didn¡¯t move anymore. She didn¡¯t have to think too hard to remember the time in Oceanview City when she was held at gunpoint by someone sent by Chandler. The scene before her was almost identical to the one she had experienced before. The person making a move behind her could only remind her of Chandler. But Joseph had clearly told her that Chandler had already gone to the police station. Once the court reaches a verdict, he will be transferred to live in prison. In short, there¡¯s simply no way it could happen again. The person behind her quickly spoke up, providing her with the answer. ¡°Ms. Shepherd, what a surprise, we meet again.¡± It was Chandler¡¯s voice. He sat in the wheelchair, his face horribly injured and unbearable to look at, resembling a ghastly ghost that sent shivers down one¡¯s spine. Brandon Fisher, Chandler¡¯s assistant, was the one holding a gun and taking Deborah hostage. Deborah had seen it before, that day at the restaurant. It was Chandler and his assistant who had stopped Ashton, wanting to discuss a coboration with him. Deborah felt a chill in her heart. At this point, falling into Chandler¡¯s hands, it wouldn¡¯t be so easy to get away. Chandler must be here, having sneaked out, and is now a fugitive on the run. Deborah tried her best to calm herself down, knowing that showing fear at this moment would not be of any help. She turned around and looked at Chandler, ¡°You got picked up by your dad so quickly. You finally got away, but now you want to find your own way to die?¡± Chandler didn¡¯t quite understand what she said. When he was at the police station, he pretended to be sick, so the police sent him to the hospital. While in the hospital room, Brandon from outside came up with a n and secretly managed to get him out.. As for Gerald and the rest of the ck family, no one really cared about his well-being. Chandler said coldly, ¡°What do you mean, my dad is picking me up?¡± Deborah looked surprised. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the case? Mr. ck said that after all, you are his son, and he pulled some strings. The police station is already preparing to release you. He said that once you return, he¡¯ll teach you a lesson, so that you¡¯ll behave better in the ck Group and stop causing trouble. Otherwise, how did you end up here?¡± She was certain that once Chandler saw hope, he would definitely not have the heart to harm her again. After all, taking a life means paying with one¡¯s own. If he were to harm her, he would only receive a longer sentence, or even face life imprisonment or the death penalty. Chandler fell silent, looking at her with his dark, snake-like eyes fixed on her body. Deborah felt a chill down her spine, but she forced herself to maintain eye contact with him, waiting for his response. After a while, Chandler suddenly sneered with a sinister look on his face, ¡°You still love ying these little tricks, but this time, I won¡¯t trust you anymore.¡± He said, ncing at Brandon. Before Deborah could say another word, her vision went ck as something covered her head, blocking her view Chandler spoke deliberately, ¡°Deborah, I don¡¯t care how long my sentence will be. But as for you, today is definitely the day you die.¡± He looked at Brandon. ¡°Take her to the car, let¡¯s go.¡± 210 210 Chapter 210 You Can Go Regret It Together! Deborah was dragged along, feeling as if she had walked a distance before being thrown into the back seat of a car. The car was filled with an unfamiliar atmosphere, causing her heart to sink continuously. Chandler probably had no hope left for the ck family, so he wouldn¡¯t believe any of Deborah¡¯s excuses. He bolted from the police station, unable to ept his fate. His sole purpose was to exact revenge on Deborah and drag her down with him. Deborah felt the car starting to move, her mind racing rapidly, but she couldn¡¯te up with any suitable solutions no matter how hard she thought. Chandler, in fact, she didn¡¯t really know him at all. All that was known was that he was Joseph¡¯s half-brother, with a deceitful and ruthless nature, filled with malice towards Joseph. Just like his mother Jane, he too was an annoying fly buzzing around Joseph, utterly irritating. Oh, right, and there¡¯s Jane too. Deborah immediately spoke up, ¡°Chandler, your dad said he would get you out and won¡¯t let you go to jail.¡± ¡°Are you sure you want to risk your entire life for me? Your mother only has you as her son. If you don¡¯t care about your own life, that¡¯s one thing, but if something happens to me, your mother will definitely suffer as well.¡± Chandlerughed by her side. ¡°Don¡¯t bother struggling, I can understand all of this even if you don¡¯t say it. However, after all these years, my rtionship with my mother in the ck family has never been good. My taking your life to avenge mine is my own business, and it won¡¯t make my mother¡¯s life any worse.¡± Deborah couldn¡¯t see anything, but she could faintly sense that the car was speeding forward, with no idea where it was headed. She could hardly contain herself any longer, and said somewhat anxiously, ¡°Do you really think the ck family would believe that you touching me has nothing to do with your mother¡­¡± Chandler suddenly grabbed her hair fiercely and snarled, ¡°Enough, shut up! Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what¡¯s on your mind. Today is the day you die, and nothing you say will make a difference!¡± Deborah felt a tearing pain on her scalp and involuntarily gasped for air with a hiss. Chandler¡¯s emotions suddenly spiraled out of control. He grabbed her hair and violently mmed her head against the car window. ¡°You¡¯re at death¡¯s door, and you still want to y me! All of you da mn people want to y me! This time, I won¡¯t listen to a single word of your nonsense, even if you bring out a deity. Today, you only have one path ¨C death!¡± In a fit of madness, he violently mmed Deborah¡¯s head against the car door. Sharp, piercing pain shot through Deborah¡¯s mind, wave after wave of intense agony threatening to sca tter her consciousness. Her entire body felt as if it had been plunged into an ice cer, shivering uncontrobly from the cold. Chandler was inherently abnormal, with a tendency towards sad ism. Suppressing his true nature for a long time and pretending to be gentle and refined made him desperate to vent his frustrations. In his wildest dreams, he relished the sight of others struggling to survive in his grasp, desperately begging for mercy. And he would never show mercy or let go, insisting on pushing his opponent to the brink of death. Watching Deborah¡¯s body tremble, Chandler¡¯s eyes filled with excitement, and he became increasingly crazed, applying even more force with his hands. As he ruthlessly attacked, he let out a maniacal, sinisterugh, taunting, ¡°You thought you could toy with me? You thought you could outsmart me? Go to hell, all of you! Keep talking, go on! Talk about my mother, my good father, just keep talking!¡± Deborah¡¯s trembling grew more and more intense, as if all the heat from her body was dissipating. She was in pain, a pain so intense that it made her scalp tingle, and her head was filled with a sharp, buzzing noise that went ¡°buzz¡­ buzz¡­ buzz¡­¡± With her eyes covered, she was unable to see anything. Yet, it seemed as if she saw many people. Lydia, Alyssa, and even that once-father Devon, as well as Helen ¨C there are so many people. Some of them watched her cry, some watched herugh, and in the end, they all disappeared. Something warm trickled down along the brows and eyes, eventually reaching the lips. She couldn¡¯t help but open her mouth wide, taking in deep, desperate breaths. The warm liquid flowed into her mouth, and she tasted the salty, fishy vor of blood between her lips and teeth. Her head kept hitting the car door, and Chandler¡¯s voice in her ear was like a devil¡¯s, getting more and more piercing. Gradually, it became distant and blurred. Deborah felt an immense fatigue, and gradually, the pain began to fade away. Everything around her started to be less clear. Just as she was about to drift off to sleep, a sudden ringtone from a cell phone echoed in front of her.. Brandon was driving ahead when his phone, tucked away in his coat pocket, started ringing. With a murderous look in his eyes, Chandler immediately turned to him and said, ¡°Are you asking for trouble?¡± Brandon hadn¡¯t been taken to the police station yet, and he always carried his phone with him. He thought he had turned off the device, but he must have remembered it wrong. He immediately pulled out his phone in a fluster, intending to hang up and then turn it off. Suddenly, Chandler asked, ¡°Who opened it?¡± Chandler had no intention of leaving himself a way out anyway, so when it came down to it, there really wasn¡¯t much to be afraid of. Brandon immediately replied with some unease, ¡°It¡¯s Ashton.¡± Deborah¡¯s consciousness was on the verge of vanishingpletely when she faintly heard a familiar name. It was as if she had suddenly grasped a life-saving piece of driftwood in the depths of the ocean. Her consciousness was suddenly yanked back, and she mustered thest bit of energy to listen to the conversation inside the car. Brandon spoke and switched his phone to speaker mode, amplifying Ashton¡¯s voice for everyone to hear. A soft voice from over there said, ¡°Brandon, are we still going through with the deal we discussedst time? I heard Chandler got arrested. If you guys breach the contract, don¡¯t forget about the agreed upon penalty.¡± Chandler let out a loud, scornfulugh, his eyes filled with a malicious glint of hatred. ¡°Oh, Mr. Mullen is ying dumb now? How could I possibly get caught, don¡¯t you know?¡± Ashton¡¯s tone remained calm, ¡°Chandler, you didn¡¯t go in. That¡¯s perfect, let¡¯s talk about the matter of the document face to face.¡± Over there, next to Ashton, a group of police officers were sitting. Ashton didn¡¯t know yet, but Chandler had run out. He was making this call now to cooperate with the police and locate the escaped Brandon.. As Chandler¡¯s assistant, Brandon could not escape me for embezzlingpany funds and leaking confidential information. But the police caught Chandler, while Brandon managed to escape. Upon hearing Chandler¡¯s voice, Ashton was surprised but managed to maintain hisposure. Chandler chuckled ominously, ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, Mr. Mullen, you¡¯re sitting next to a police officer, aren¡¯t you? It seems your n is going to fall apart this time. Oh, and I have a sound for you to listen to; I¡¯m sure it will make you very happy.¡± As he spoke, he grabbed Deborah¡¯s hair, forcing her to lift her head up. He handed her the phone with a smile and said, ¡°Come on, say something and greet our Mr. Mullen.¡± Deborah didn¡¯t want to remain silent, but it felt as if there were razor des lodged in her throat, causing a burning pain. She couldn¡¯t even say a single word. Ashton said impatiently, ¡°I don¡¯t know what nonsense you¡¯re talking about. If the deal is off, just pay the penalty and be done with it. That¡¯s it.¡± He spoke, ncing at the police officer nearby. The police officer gestured to him, indicating that they had already located the other party¡¯s position. Ashton hung up the phone abruptly, leaving Chandler infuriated. In his anger, he grabbed Deborah and Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. forcefully yanked a handful of her hair. ¡°Speak up when I¡¯m talking to you, speak up!¡± Deborah was in so much pain that it felt like her entire scalp was being torn apart. She shuddered and let out a pained whimper. She gritted her teeth and struggled to say, ¡°Chandler, you beast.¡± Chandler¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement as he immediately held the phone up to her lips, allowing her voice to be heard more clearly on the other end. Ashton¡¯s irritated voice quickly came through. ¡°Chandler, you dare to touch her, just try it!¡± Chandler burst intoughter, ¡°Oh, you really scared me there. Go ahead and try to fool me, you and Joseph, you two idiots, will regret it eventually!¡± Chapt 211 211 Chapter 211 Seeing Him Off After finishing what he had to say, Chandler hung up the phone without waiting for Ashton¡¯s reaction. He was certain that there must be police on Ashton¡¯s side. Nowadays, the police mostly used phones to find out someone¡¯s location. However, he would surely kill Deborah before they could arrive. When Deborah died, and Ashton and Joseph were living a life worse than death, Chandler would have preferred death as well. When the time came, the entire ck family and the entire Mullen family would be immersed in endless pain. Chandler looked ahead at Brandon, his body trembling with excitement. ¡°Quick, hurry to the nearest beach. I want her to be devoured by the fish in the deep sea, so they won¡¯t even find her body. Brandon, isn¡¯t this thrilling? Isn¡¯t it?¡± Brandon gripped the steering wheel tightly, driving ording to Chandler¡¯s directions. Deborah knew very well that Chandler was now nothing short of a madman. No matter what she tried to say to him, she couldn¡¯t stop him. Instead, it would only provoke him further. She couldn¡¯t ept it. After enduring so many years, we¡¯ve finally made it to today! If she were to die now, at the hands of this madman Chandler, she would never be able to ept it. The only hope now lied in Brandon, who was driving ahead. Deborah couldn¡¯t care less about anything else as she struggled to speak, ¡°Brandon, has Chandler gone mad, and have you gone mad too? What benefits can he give you for following him and killing people? Is it worth more than the lives of you and your family?¡± Brandon¡¯s gaze flickered evasively as he quickly nced at the rearview mirror, meeting Chandler¡¯s sinister stare. He was so frightened that he immediately withdrew his gaze, remained silent, and continued to drive forward. Chandlerughed, then suddenly pulled out a gun and struck Deborah¡¯s head twice with it. ¡°You really don¡¯t know when to give up, do you? I have Brandon¡¯s family in my grasp. If he dares to take one wrong step, I¡¯ll make sure his family won¡¯t have aplete corpse to bury.¡± He spoke slowly, pressing the gun barrel against the back of Brandon¡¯s head. ¡°And as for him, well, he¡¯ll be joining his family in the grave.¡± Brandon¡¯s voice trembled as he said, ¡°Mr. ck, I¡¯ve always followed your orders. Whatever you want me to do, I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ve always listened to you.¡± Deborah¡¯sst glimmer of hope was shattered, her heart sinking straight to the depths of despair. She thought of Alyssa, and if she truly had no other choice but death, she hoped that the Moxley family N?velDrama.Org content rights. would continue to treat Alyssa kindly after she was gone. And what about Joseph? If she died, what would he do? She thought about many things back and forth in her mind, until she thought of Ashton. I hope that in the next life, I won¡¯t meet him again. Brandon threw his phone away, making it impossible for Ashton and the police to track their location.. Deborah didn¡¯t know how much time had passed, but eventually, the car came to a stop. She was pulled out of the car, feeling the umted snow beneath her feet. The wind, carrying the chill of snow, swept across the face like the stroke of a knife de. Brandon pulled off the covering from her head, and the sudden bright light made her instinctively close lier eyes. When she opened her eyes again, she could clearly see everything around her. Up on the cliff, the temperature was low, devoid of human presence, and the snow had yet to melt. Snow is everywhere, with bare tree trunks and a gloomy atmosphere all around. Chandler sat in his wheelchair, his voice frantic. ¡°Go, drag her to the edge of the cliff, and let her take a look down below first.¡± Brandon immediately grabbed Deborah and pulled her to the edge of the clife Deborah looked down, and the seemingly endless deep cliff made her scalp tingle for a moment. The faintly visible sea below only added to the feeling. Chandler pushed the wheelchair, slowly approaching her. ¡°You see, there isn¡¯t always someone who cane to save you. At this point, no one can save you even if they tried.¡± All he had to do was give a gentle push, and Deborah would fall from here. She would soon be food for the fish swimming in the depths of the ocean. Deborah felt dizzy, not just from fear, but also from the memories of Alyssa. Three years ago, Alyssa had also fallen from a cliff like this, nearly losing her life. She could never forget the moment when she first learned about Alyssa¡¯s ident and rushed to the cliff. Looking down below, that immense sense of despair and fear. Her eyes darkened, and a chill went straight to her bone marrow. Standing on the edge of the cliff, she felt somewhat unsteady. Chandler decided to take matters into his own hands. He instructed Brandon to tie up Deborah¡¯s hands and feet. Then, he approached Deborah, intending to push her off. Only by taking matters into his own hands could he truly experience the pleasure of revenge. He reached out to Deborah, this time, not intending to waste a single moment. Suddenly, the sound of a car echoed from behind, as a vehicle swiftly approached up the hill. Chandler¡¯s face momentarily froze as he clearly saw the parked Maybach, but he quickly broke into a smile. ¡°Pretty fast, huh? They managed to catch up.¡± He looked at Deborah and said, ¡°You see, Mr. Mullen insisted oning to see you off. He wanted to witness such a heart-wrenching scene, and there was nothing I could do about it.¡± Deborah was bound hand and foot, sitting in the snow. The melted snow seeped into her clothes, leaving her so cold that she didn¡¯t even have the strength to move. Ashton pushed the car door open and stepped out, but he didn¡¯t walk over. He looked toward Deborah, his face as dark as night. No matter how calm he pretended to be, the panic in his eyes was still somewhat difficult to conceal. Chandler was waiting for the police car to follow, but to his surprise, Ashton came over alone. He didn¡¯t bring any police with him, not even a single person. Chandlerughed triumphantly. ¡°It seems that Mr. Mullen has finallye to his senses. But s, it¡¯s just toote.¡± Ashton looked at him. ¡°Let her go, and I¡¯ll give you a private jet to leave the country on your own. Once you¡¯re away from here, you¡¯ll still have plenty of good days ahead.¡± Brandon gently urged Deborah to kneel down, allowing her to maintain a simr height with Chandler, who was sitting in the wheelchair. Chandler reached out and suddenly gripped her throat tightly. He gripped tightly, but smiled at Ashton. ¡°What should I do? Even if what you said is true, I¡¯m no longer interested.¡± He was no fool; owning a private jet and fleeing the country were simply out of the question. At this point, he had no choice but to face a dead end. Deborah¡¯s throat was being choked, making it difficult for her to breathe. Herplexion quickly turned a shade of purple. Ashton¡¯s temples throbbed with visible veins as he took out his phone, opened a video, and turned the screen towards Chandler. ¡°I gave you a choice, but you didn¡¯t want it. Can you guess where your mother is now and what she¡¯s doing?¡± Chandler was ruthless, but he had always shared a deep bond with his mother, Jane. However, when he escaped from the police station and was about to make a move on Deborah, he had someone take Jane away. If everything went as nned, no one would be able to find her. However, there were always exceptions to everything. From a distance, Chandler couldn¡¯t clearly see the video on Ashton¡¯s phone. He hesitated for a moment, then aimed the gun at Ashton and spoke. ¡°Move a little closer, Ashton. If my mother were in your hands, I¡¯d send you on your way right now.¡± 212 212 Chapter 212 I Don¡¯t Want To Without hesitation, Ashton took his phone and walked over step by step.. Chandler aimed the gun at hdim, thought for a moment, and then switched to pointing it at Deborah. As Ashton approached, Chandler finally saw the video content on his phone clearly. The person above was indeed Jane. Chandler¡¯s pupils constricted, and he tightened his grip on the gun in his hand. His attention shifted slightly to the phone screen, discerning the authenticity of that video. Soon, he realized that something was amiss. Indeed, Jane was Jane, but the ce she found herself in seemed very familiar. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Upon closer inspection, Chandler realized, wasn¡¯t this ck Manor? Chandler frowned. ¡°Ashton, I knew it¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, Ashton suddenly dropped his phone and lunged forward. Chandlerpletely lost control, pointing the gun at the kneeling Deborah and fired without hesitation. Ashton lunged forward, trying to sna tch the gun from his grasp. But it was already toote, the bullet had left the chamber, speeding through the air. Chandler aimed the gun at Deborah¡¯s head, but Ashton quickly stepped in front of her. Chandler¡¯s hand trembled, and the bullet hit Ashton¡¯s thigh. Blood gushed from the thigh wound in an instant. Ashton dropped to one knee and swiftly grabbed Chandler¡¯s wrist with his free hand. Chandler roared like an enraged lion, his throat bellowing with fury as he desperately fired his gun again. Two bullets in a row hit Ashton¡¯s arm and the side of his lower abdomen. Ashton couldn¡¯t hide; Deborah was right behind him. Deborah was bound hand and foot, lying on the ground, unable to move.. He dodged, and the bullet would hit her. Brandon hurried forward to help, but after taking just two steps, his legs trembled with fear, causing him to slip and fall on the snow. Chandler grifed his teeth and cursed angrily, ¡°You useless piece of trash!¡± Brandon shakily got up and reached out to grab Deborah, intending to push her off the cliff. With a swift and powerful motion, Ashton, who hadn¡¯t been hit by a bullet, sna tched the gun from Chandler¡¯s hand using his uninjured arm. He grabbed the wheelchair armrest and gave it a fierce push. In an instant, Chandler was like a stone being thrown away, falling off the cliff along with the wheelchair. Below the cliff, his screams quickly faded away, vanishing without a trace. Ashton didn¡¯t bother with the person who fell, quickly turning around and firing a shot at Brandon¡¯s head. Before Brandon could even process what was happening, his body suddenly jolted, and he fell down together with Chandler. And just like that, the two people disappeared without a trace. Only arge pool of strikingly red blood on the snowy ground served as evidence of everything that had just transpired. The police, hiding not far away, quickly rushed over upon hearing the gunshots. Ashton was still kneeling on one knee, his eyes a deep red as he watched the two people fall. In the blink of an eye, everything fell into a silence as deep as death. His body was extremely tense, as he stared at the deep cliff before him and the faintly visible sea below. It wasn¡¯t until the hurried footsteps of the police approached that he snapped back to reality, slowly turning his gaze towards Deborah. Blood stained Deborah¡¯s face, herplexion as pale as the snow. Her eyes were hollow and lifeless, unblinkingly staring at him. It wasn¡¯t until their eyes met that she snapped out of her trance-like state, letting out a scream of terror. Ashton couldn¡¯t stand up, but he tried to move closer to her. He knew he had just killed two people, and Deborah was frightened, afraid of him. He spoke up, trying to exin, ¡°Debby, I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to.¡± He didn¡¯t want to hurt anyone, let alone kill them.. Ever since the events that took ce three years ago, he knew very well that the deepest impression he had left in Deborah¡¯s heart was one of cruelty, ruthlessness, and heartlessness. So now, thest thing he wanted to do was anything cruel, ruthless, or heartless. Deborah¡¯s body curled up, her mouth opened, but she couldn¡¯t make a sound. Panic engulfed her like deep water, leaving her gasping for air and struggling to breathe. She looked at Ashton, who was covered in blood, and then at therge pool of fresh blood on the ground. All the things he had done to her in the past came flooding back, vividly ying out in her mind, one after another, as if they were happening all around her. Ashton struggled to approach her, while fear and wariness surfaced on Deborah¡¯s face. Desperately, she tried to retreat further back. She let out a strained, heavy gasp from her throat. A voice in her head screamed desperately, she was afraid of this person, she was terrified of this person.. Ashton finally stopped moving. He could tell that she wanted to hide, unwilling to let him get close. He knelt down, and due to the intense pain, he simply fell over, copsing onto the snowy ground. The blood drained rapidly from his body, and darkness gradually enveloped his vision. He soon lost consciousness due to the rapid blood loss. Vance eximed urgently, ¡°Hurry, call an ambnce!¡± Just now, the police came over with Ashton and called for an ambnce at the foot of the mountain. However, the police couldn¡¯t directly show themselves. If they did, Chandler would only be more agitated, and it could very likely put Deborah in danger. Ashton said that they couldn¡¯t let the police follow them up the mountain, so the officers could only lie in ambush nearby. Immediately, a police officer contacted the ambnce at the foot of the mountain, asking them toe up and rescue the injured person. Deborah had just been terrified, and it was only now, upon seeing the police, that she realized she was truly safe. On the way here, she was grabbed by the hair by Chandler, her head repeatedly hitting the car window and door. Blood was flowing from his head, and as his consciousness gradually returned, he began to clearly feel the intense pain. She looked at Ashton, who had fainted and was lying on the ground, then at the blood all over the floor, and finally at the police officers. The view is still somewhat unclear, as if veiled by ayer of gauze. Vance met her gaze, thinking she was worried about Ashton. He immediately approached her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, the ambnce is at the foot of the mountain and will be here shortly. We will do our best to save you and Mr. Mullen right away. I¡¯m sure Mr. Mullen will pull through.¡± Ashton was hit by three bullets, but fortunately, none of them struck a vital spot. However, considering his current physical condition, it¡¯s hard to say whether he can pull through after sustaining such severe injuries. Deborah remained silent as two ambnces quickly pulled up.. The stretcher carried her and Ashton separately onto the ambnce, which quickly headed down the mountain. Vance left a few officers behind to gather information on the scene and to look into Chandler and Brandon¡¯s whereabouts. Of course, falling from such a high cliff would lead straight into the deep sea below. In this kind of weather, one would surely freeze to death in no time if they fell into the deep sea, not to mention the risk of drowning. So, it was almost certain that no matter how much they searched, at most they would only be able to recover two bodies. After following the procedure and leaving a police officer to handle the situation here, Vance and the other officers went to the hospital ahead of the ambnce. On the way to the hospital, he suddenly remembered something and called Joseph. ¡°Mr. ck, we¡¯ve found them. Ms. Shepherd and Mr. Mullen are injured and on their way to the hospital in an ambnce. Chandler and Brandon fell off a cliff, and their condition is currently unknown.¡± He thought for a moment and continued, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll tell you the name of the hospital, and you can go there directly.¡± 213 213 Chapter 213 Destined to be a Family Joseph searched everywhere for Deborah, almost driving himself mad in the process. As Deborah suggested, he drove straight to the restaurant at noon. He ended up waiting there for more than half an hour, but still didn¡¯t see Deborahing. Before he had a chance to call her, the police station called him, saying that Chandler had escaped. At this point, Chandler had reached such a state that Joseph couldn¡¯t even dare to imagine what he would do once he ran out. He almost immediately thought that something might have happened to Deborah. He called Deborah, but no one answered the phone on the other end. It wasn¡¯t until now that Vance called him, letting him know that everything was finally over. Deborah and Ashton were injured, while Chandler and Brandon fell off a cliff. In the midst of all this, Joseph had no idea what was happening. Just by thinking about it, one could easily guess that Deborah, having fallen into Chandler¡¯s hands, must have been seriously hurt. Joseph received a call from the police and immediately mmed on the brakes, stopping the car in the middle of the Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. road. The extreme anxiety made his thoughts and reactions somewhat slow, and when he spoke, his voice seemed like it wasn¡¯t his own. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll head to the hospital right away.¡± It wasn¡¯t until a car hon ked behind him that he realized his car wasn¡¯t parked properly by the side of the road. He immediately stepped on the gas, speeding towards the hospital Vance had mentioned. Adrian found out that Deborah had gone missing, so he and Joseph split up and searched everywhere for her. As Joseph hurried to the hospital, he also gave Adrian a heads up. Adrian happened to be near the hospital and arrived earlier than Joseph. As his car came to a stop outside the hospital¡¯s treatment building, he happened to see two ambnces parked nearby. An ambnce swung open its rear doors, and medical staff swiftly wheeled Ashton in on a stretcher, rushing him into the treatment building and towards the emergency room. Adrian brought Alyssa and Evelyn along with him. As soon as he parked the car, Alyssa and Evelyn immediately got out of the back seat. Another ambnce opened its rear doors, and the medical staff took out a stretcher. Lying on it was Deborah. On the way here, the doctor had already provided treatment to Deborah. Compared to Ashton¡¯s potentially life-threatening injuries, Deborah¡¯s wounds were much lighter. She was now mostly awake, and the wound on her head had been properly bandaged and treated. The scare she just experienced on the cliff has now subsided quite a bit. Adrian and a few others immediately rushed over. Alyssa, seeing Deborah¡¯s weak and injured state, became extremely anxious, her eyes turning red. The child cautiously approached, holding Deborah¡¯s hand, and looked at her with a worried expression on their face. Deborah looked at her with a smile and said softly, ¡°Mom is fine.¡± A doctor nearby, seeing their appearance, asked, ¡°Are you the family members of the injured person?¡± Adrian immediately responded, ¡°Yes.¡± The doctor nodded, ¡°Alright, you can all go to the ward together. We¡¯ve already examined the injured person on the way here.¡± The main issue is that they¡¯ve experienced a great shock, but the injuries aren¡¯t too severe. There¡¯s no need to go to the emergency room; they can head to the ward first for further examination. Evelyn breathed a sigh of relief and nodded repeatedly, ¡°Alright, alright, let¡¯s go to the ward first.¡± Adrian helped push the bed, looking down at Deborah¡¯s pale face. Seeing her like this, he couldn¡¯t help but feel distressed as well. He couldn¡¯t help but wish that he could bear the pain for Deborah. As a grown man with thick skin, if he could have taken that beating in ce of Deborah, or shielded her from witnessing those gruesome scenes, he would have. Then he must be able to endure it, so Deborah won¡¯t have to suffer that torment. The more Adrian looked at her, the more his heart ached. As he continued to watch, his own eyes began to redden. Think about thest time he felt this terrible, it was when Donna fell ill and was hospitalized, and the doctor issued a critical condition notice. Adrian pushed the bed into the elevator, thinking to himself that he had truly fallen deeply in love with Deborah. So it turned out that truly loving someone meant feeling a sharp pain in your heart when you see them hurt and upset, and feeling distressed along with them. She was like his family, his loved ones, making him care for her subconsciously. After wheeling Deborah into the ward, the doctor said that they needed to transfer her from the gurney to the hospital bed. They would give her a thorough examinationter to determine if there were any head injuries and assess her psychological condition. After the doctor finished speaking, he looked toward the only male family member, Adrian, and asked him. ¡°Excuse me, sir, what is your rtionship with the injured person? Could you please help carry her and move her to the hospital bed?¡± Since they were all family here, there was naturally no issue of distinguishing between men and women. Without a second thought, Adrian walked over and reached out to embrace Deborah. Deborah was a bit startled. As he reached out to touch her arm, she instinctively dodged away. She struggled to get up on her own, but simply couldn¡¯t do it, as her bodycked the strength to exert much effort. Without any further exnation, Adrian directly reached out and scooped her up h or izontally, along with the nket on her, and ced her on the sickbed. As Adrian picked up Deborah, he couldn¡¯t help but feel his heart race, inexplicably experiencing a special sense of closeness. He was a bit puzzled. Why was it that every time he got close to Deborah, he always felt as if there was a maic field around her, attracting him? It made him want to be close, to live together with her. This uncontroble feeling that arose was just too strange. The only exnation he could think of was that he and Deborah might truly be a match made in heaven. Destined to be together, destined to live under the same roof, and to be a family. Adrian was a bit lost in thought. After bending down to ce Deborah on the bed, he remained in a leaning position close to her, not standing up straight. Deborah¡¯s face turned red with embarrassment, while Evelyn, annoyed, stepped forward and yanked Adrian¡¯s arm. ¡°Have you lost your humanity? Look at the state Deborah is in! What on earth are you thinking?¡± Only then did Adriane to his senses, immediately straightening his body and putting some distance between himself and Deborah. He really liked Deborah; it was as if he was truly enchanted by her. How about going at it one more time with Joseph? It seemed that whenever he thought about Deborah marrying another man and not being able to live with him, his heart felt so ufortable. Adrian secretly pondered on this idea, his fiery gaze constantly falling on Deborah. Deborah was genuinely starting to fear him, so she simply closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep. This man really couldn¡¯t help but stare at her; his gaze almost never left her whenever he saw her. She had just closed her eyes for a short while when suddenly, a chaotic flurry of footsteps sounded from outside. The sound became clearer and clearer, and as Deborah opened her eyes, she saw Gerald and Jane appear in the hospital room. Adrian was on guard, knowing that their intentions were malicious. He immediately stepped forward to block their way. Evelyn spoke with a stern tone, ¡°Deborah needs to rest now. Please both of you leave the room, and we can discuss. any matterster.¡± Gerald¡¯s expression was heavy as he looked at Deborah. ¡°The police said that Chandler fell off a cliff into the sea?¡± Deborah didn¡¯t avoid the question and nodded honestly. ¡°Yes.¡± Jane suddenly lost control, her face contorted with rage as she lunged at her. ¡°It was you who killed him! You all yed your parts, working together to drive my son to his death!¡± 214 214 Chapter 214 Deborah Killed Your Chandler Jane lunged uncontrobly toward Deborah, but Adrian immediately stepped in front of her, blocking her hands with his own. Jane¡¯s body swayed and she fell to the ground. Evelyn rarely spoke up for Adrian, but this time she did. ¡°Even without being pushed, you¡¯re not so weak as to be unable to withstand the wind, are you?¡± Jane sat paralyzed on the ground, her face showing utter despair, as she cried out in pain. Deborah remained silent. Chandler had already passed away, so there wasn¡¯t much left for her to exin. Let them make a fuss if they want to. Gerald saw Jane being pushed down, and his face became pale with anger. ¡°We came over just to ask about the real situation and find out Chandler¡¯s whereabouts. Mr. Moxley, it¡¯s not appropriate for you to use force.¡± N?velDrama.Org content rights. Adrian looked at them indifferently. ¡°If you really want to know the situation, the police¡¯s words are the most reliable.¡± As soon as Gerald entered, he announced that the police had informed him that Chandler had fallen off a cliff and into. the sea. Gerald looked at Deborah with a somber gaze. ¡°It was Chandler who hurt you, who wronged you. I¡¯m sorry for that. But no matter what, his life¡­¡± Deborah didn¡¯t want to hear any more, so she interrupted him. ¡°I don¡¯t have much to say. If Mr. ck wants to know something or investigate anything, he can talk to the police. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not feeling well right now and I don¡¯t want to discuss anything further.¡± Jane looked at her with a pained expression on her face, and after a long pause, she finally spoke with difficulty, ¡°You killed a living person, Chandler was still so young.¡± ¡°You, Ashton, and Joseph must take responsibility for this; you can¡¯t just let it go!¡± Deborah said calmly, ¡°Oh, in that case, I¡¯ve already told you. You should go talk to the police.¡± There were police officers outside. Vance brought a few police officers and waited outside, waiting for Deborah¡¯s condition to improve before proceeding with taking her statement and understanding the situation. Upon hearing themotion inside, Vance quickly led people in.. Jane copsed on the ground, crying out to the heavens, ¡°Chandler can¡¯t just die like this, you murderers must pay for your actions. Otherwise, even if I die and be a ghost, I will never let you off the ho ok, wuu wuu wuu¡­¡± Vance¡¯s face darkened, and he immediately stepped forward to intervene, ¡°Please, both of you, leave for now. We, the police, will thoroughly investigate the situation and provide a proper resolution for everyone involved. Ms. Shepherd is injured and needs to rest. Please avoid having too many people here to disturb her.¡± Jane¡¯s emotions spiraled out of control, her cries growing louder and louder, until eventually she struggled to breathe, gasping for air. She stubbornlyy on the ground, refusing to leave no matter what was said. Gerald lost Chandler and was emotionally distraught. The police had told them several times to leave, but Gerald just stood there, dumbfounded, not registering their words. Vance was in a dilemma. Chandler had passed away, and Gerald and Jane, as parents, were also victims. The police couldn¡¯t directly take action, so they drove them out. But now, the situation has changed. Jane seems to be showing signs of men tal instability, and it¡¯s hard to say if something unexpected might happen. Vance hesitated, as someone hurriedly entered from outside. The sound of footsteps grew closer and closer, and everyone in the sickroom turned their gaze toward the door, Joseph hurried in from the door, his face anxious and his body slightly swaying. Upon entering, he didn¡¯t look at anyone; his gaze was immediately drawn to the sickbed. Upon seeing Deborah lying safely in bed, he finally managed to breathe a sigh of relief, almost copsing from exhaustion. He tried his best to stay calm, sitting on the edge of the bed, but cold sweat still broke out on his forehead. Just as he entered the hospital and was on his way upstairs, he overheard some medical staff discussing that Ashton¡¯s condition was quite serious. It¡¯s hard to say whether it can be saved or not. Ashton was in danger, so naturally, Joseph was worried. He wondered if Deborah felt the same way. Now that he saw Deborah, he finally felt a bit more at ease. He reached out and tightly held Deborah¡¯s hand, which was hanging outside the nket. He ran in from the outside, his hands somewhat icy. Holding hers like this, he could feel the warmth of her hand. He lifted the nket a little more and carefully examined Deborah. Aside from the bandage on her head, she didn¡¯t seem to have any visible injuries on her body. The situation seemed a bit better than he had imagined. Joseph held her hand tightly, his palm pressing firmly against hers, his entire body tense. Deborah spoke up, ¡°I¡¯m fine. But Chandler and Brandon¡­¡± Joseph didn¡¯t hear thetter part of her sentence and breathed a sigh of relief, saying, ¡°As long as it¡¯s nothing serious, that¡¯s good. It¡¯s my fault, I was too careless, I shouldn¡¯t have let you go out alone.¡± Jane started screaming again, ¡°Joseph, Chandler is your brother after all. You share half of the same blood, do you know that this woman killed your Chandler!¡± Joseph didn¡¯t pay her any attention and just asked Deborah, ¡°How are you feeling? Has the doctor checked you out? Did the resultse out yet, and what did they say?¡± Deborah looked at Jane, who seemed to be acting crazy, and suddenly she wasn¡¯t quite sure what choice Joseph would make. He might not have feelings for Chandler, but when it came to Gerald and Robert, there were definitely emotions. involved. Now that Chandler had passed away, Gerald¡¯s attitude represented the ck family¡¯s inability to ept this oue. It would be unbearable to ept that Deborah caused all of this, at least that was what the ck family would mostly think. Deborah sounded a bit distracted. ¡°I¡¯ve checked, and I¡¯m really fine. I just have a head injury, but there¡¯s no internal damage.¡± She thought Joseph still wasn¡¯t quite clear about the situation, and couldn¡¯t help but want to exin it directly again, ¡°But Chandler really has already¡­¡± Jane, filled with excitement, continued the conversation, ¡°Chandler has fallen into the sea. Joseph, did you foresee this all along and deliberately let Chandler die, or are you truly unaware of the situation?¡± Joseph finally turned around to look at her, his eyes calm and undisturbed. He spoke up, ¡°Well, so what?¡± Jane¡¯s face stiffened, and soon her expression turned into one of immense hatred and resentment. ¡°So you really did join forces with her! I knew it, you¡¯re so calm because you already guessed it, didn¡¯t you? You knew it would turn out like this!¡± Gerald seemed to be at the end of his patience as well. ¡°Joseph, Chandler is a member of the ck family after all, and he¡¯s your half-brother from the same father. He died just like that. I¡¯m not saying we should me Deborah right now, but as his brother, you should find out the truth. He may have made mistakes, but he didn¡¯t deserve to die. And even if he did, it should have been the police who judged him.¡± Chandler had passed away, and now Gerald couldn¡¯t calm down. This fact was so sudden that he simply couldn¡¯t ept it at the moment. Joseph was still holding Deborah¡¯s hand, patiently waiting for Gerald to finish speaking. After they finished speaking, he calmly said, ¡°Actually, my thoughts are quite the opposite.¡± Gerald didn¡¯t understand, ¡°What do you mean?¡± 215 215 Chapter 215 Forget It All Joseph looked at him and continued, word by word, ¡°Chandler, da mn it, he deserved to die. If he were still alive now, I would definitely make sure he¡¯s dead.¡± Gerald looked at him incredulously, ¡°That¡¯s your brother, your own flesh and blood! How can you let past grudges and conflicts, all because of a woman, blind you like this, unable to distinguish what¡¯s truly important?¡± Chandler had passed away, and the members of the ck family should at least thoroughly investigate and delve into the truth behind it. The truth could never be determined solely based on the brief exchanges between Deborah and Ashton! Moreover, at this point, Deborah hadn¡¯t even exined a single thing to Joseph! She didn¡¯t offer any excuses. Regarding Chandler¡¯s death at her and Ashton¡¯s hands, she hadn¡¯t said a word. How could Joseph just assume that she did nothing wrong? Gerald was eager to say something, but Joseph spoke first, ¡°My stance is clear. If the ck family refuses to ept Deborah because of this, then I will no longer ept the ck family. Even if Chandler was killed by her on purpose, I would still find the bestwyer to defend her and prove her innocence.¡± Gerald¡¯s eyes were filled with fury. ¡°What are you talking about!¡± Joseph looked at the agitated person in front of him, his face calm and indifferent. ¡°I said, you all can leave now.¡± If it weren¡¯t for Deborah, he would never have set foot in ck Manor again after leaving three years ago. Jane was crying her heart out, and Joseph looked at the two bodyguards who had followed them in. ¡°Since Officer Lamb can¡¯t take action, why don¡¯t you two escort her out?¡± The bodyguard took action immediately, escorting Jane and Gerald out politely. In the corridor outside, Jane¡¯s sharp cries still echoed. The sound was quite piercing, causing Deborah¡¯s heart to constrict a little as she listened. The image was still etched in her mind, as she watched with her own eyes Ashton taking action, causing Chandler and Brandon to fall off the steep cliff. Two lives vanished before her eyes in an instant. Thinking back on it, she still got goosebumps all over her body and her scalp tingled. Thinking of Ashton, she recalled what she had just heard that he was now in the emergency room, and his condition wasn¡¯t good. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. It was hard to say what was going on now. Joseph held her hand tighter, feeling the warmth of her palm. ¡°Take a nap, you need to rest now. Don¡¯t worry about anything else. If the police want to talk to you, I¡¯ll cover for you first.¡± Deborah gathered her thoughts and nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± Joseph nced sideways, taking a look at Evelyn who was beside him. As a secretary who had been by his side for many years, Evelyn instinctively wanted to stand at attention with her legs together and present a document with both hands whenever their eyes met. The fear she felt towards her boss, Joseph, was just like how she felt in middle school when facing her homeroom teacher. So, what she admired most about Deborah was her ability to win Joseph¡¯s heart and maintain a rxed and enjoyable intimate rtionship with him. Evelyn¡¯s thoughts drifted away for a moment, but she quickly snapped back to reality, understanding the meaning behind Joseph¡¯s gaze. She immediately called out to Adrian and Alyssa, ¡°Let¡¯s go out first and let Deborah rest for a while. We shouldn¡¯t disturb her here.¡± Alyssa was very cooperative. Seeing that Deborah was not seriously injured and that there were medical staff taking care of her in the hospital, she immediately wanted to follow Evelyn out. Adrian was no longer happy, standing still like a stone sculpture, not moving from his spot. ¡°You guys go ahead, I¡¯ll stay here and take care of Deborah. We need to have someone here anyway.¡± Throughout the conversation, he treated Joseph as if he were invisible. Joseph replied directly, ¡°No worries, I¡¯ll take care of it here. It¡¯s a good opportunity for me to chat with Deborah.¡± Adrian¡¯s hostility towards Joseph was intense. ¡°Why on earth is it¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, Evelyn impatiently grabbed his arm and said, ¡°Alright, alright, let¡¯s all leave so Deborah can get some rest.¡± Adrian didn¡¯t want to leave yet, but Alyssa grabbed his hand and said, ¡°Adrian, my performance is being dyed. Please go outside and call the person in charge for me.¡± Adrian¡¯s mind waspletely focused on Deborah, and only now did he remember this matter. He hesitated for a moment, but eventually followed Alyssa outside. In the hospital room, there were no other people left, just Deborah and Joseph. Joseph reached out and touched her forehead gently, ¡°Rx, it¡¯s all over now. Get some good rest and sleep, and when you wake up, everything will be as if nothing happened.¡± With no one else around, especially after Alyssa left, Deborah finally allowed herself to show her vulnerable emotions. Her eyes reddened, and after a long pause, she finally spoke, ¡°Your father is right. I am partly responsible for Chandler¡¯s/death.¡± Joseph tucked her in and said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t think about these things anymore; it¡¯s all in the past. Chandler and Brandon brought it upon themselves; they have only themselves to me.¡± Deborah looked at him, recalling the scene from that time. ¡°Chandler stood at the edge of the cliff, pointing a gun at me. Ashton intervened, sna tching the weapon from his grasp. Now seated in a wheelchair and without a gun, Chandler was left powerless to fight back. If only I could have said something back then, or pulled Ashton aside to calm him down, he wouldn¡¯t have pushed. Chandler off the cliff.¡± Even if Ashton really pushed, if he pushed in the opposite direction, Chandler would only fall on the mountain, not off the cliff. If the police had been present at that time, Ashton¡¯s actions would likely have been deemed excessive self-defense. Joseph gently caressed the back of her hand with his thumb,forting her, ¡°It¡¯s all in the past now, these things don¡¯t matter anymore.¡± Deborah struggled internally, but eventually spoke the truth, ¡°Actually, at that time, I tried, I could have spoken up to stop Ashton. In that moment, I thought, Chandler is like a half-brother to you after all. If he really died, the ck family would hate me, and maybe you would hate me too. I wanted to stop it, but at that moment, suddenly, I wanted him dead.¡± With Chandler¡¯s death, he could no longer scheme to sabotage Joseph time and time again, nor could he sow discord within the ck family. She no longer needed to worry about this man¡¯s revenge. So at that moment, it wasn¡¯t that she couldn¡¯t stop herself, but in that instant, she couldn¡¯t help but be tempted to seize the opportunity to let Chandler die. Deborah knew that perhaps saying these things would surprise Joseph, even make him feel disappointed in her, or resentful towards her. But she didn¡¯t want to hide anything. Facing him, she wanted to express everything. Joseph looked at her and quickly spoke softly, ¡°I told you, it¡¯s all in the past, it¡¯s fine, it doesn¡¯t matter anymore. Don¡¯t mention what we just talked about to anyone else, other than me, understand?¡± Deborah looked at him with a dazed expression in her eyes, ¡°Am I also very malicious, indirectly causing someone¡¯s death?¡± Joseph leaned in close to her, looking at her calmly, ¡°If the police ask you about itter, just say that you and Ashton had no choice at the time. Chandler threatened your lives with a gun, and in order to protect yourselves, you identally pushed him down. Now, let¡¯s put all that behind us. We still have a long way to go, and everything will be fine in the future.¡± Deborah¡¯s shoulders trembled uneasily, and Joseph leaned down to embrace her. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid,¡± he said. ¡°He deserved to die. From now on, I¡¯ll be by your side, and you¡¯ll never have to experience something like that again.¡± Deborah cried softly, gradually calming down. Soon, she remembered something and couldn¡¯t help but speak up again, ¡°Ashton has no idea right now¡­¡± 216 216 Chapter 216 Critical Condition Notice Deborah struggled to find the right words, but regardless, Ashton had risked his life to save her this time. The doctor informed that his condition is quite serious. Getting hit by a bullet, coupled with lung cancer, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to pull through.. Joseph didn¡¯t say much more. He stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go check on him. Let Evelyne in and keep youpany for a while.¡± Deborah wanted to exin something, but Joseph interrupted her, ¡°It¡¯s alright. After all, he saved you. We should keep things separate. It¡¯s only human nature. Even if you didn¡¯t mention it, I should visit him to express my gratitude.¡± Deborah watched Joseph leave, and suddenly, she remembered the first time she saw him three years ago. At that time, Ashton took her to a nightclub, intending to hand her over to another man. She was in the private room, feeling panicked and helpless under the lecherous gazes of a group of men. That day, she met Joseph for the first time. As soon as he entered, he swept her off her feet, dering that he had taken a liking to her. At that time, he had a conflict with Ashton and the Mullen family. He probably took her away just to spite Ashton, but it could indeed be considered as saving her. Deborah still remembered that night when he took her to the hotel room, which scared her into a faint. The next day when she woke up, he handed her a check, as if acknowledging that he had slept with her. Butter on, she realized that Joseph hadn¡¯t touched her that night.. If he really touched her, there¡¯s no way she wouldn¡¯t have noticed afterward. Even more so, after they got together, Joseph would just lie in the same bedroom with her, both of them extremely nervous. Not long ago, theyy down on a bed together, and Joseph excitedly said, ¡°Debby, this is the first time we¡¯ve been in the same bed.¡± At that time, he was seen as utterly wicked, and people outside were saying that he was rotten to the core. But in reality, he had his bottom line, principles, and a kind heart. Deborah couldn¡¯t help butugh. Everyone else pretended to be good, but only he chose to y the viin. Pretending to be genuine, but the act was exposed. The first time she met him, she could never have imagined that he would be the one to truly save her from danger Deborah gazed out the window at the gradually deepening night, and suddenly thought to herself, ¡°Thank goodness I met himter on.¡± If she were a bit luckier and had met him earlier, there probably wouldn¡¯t be anything between her and Ashton. Joseph stepped out of the ward and, after asking the medical staff for directions, headed towards the emergency room where Ashton was located. Upon arriving outside the emergency room, there was quite a crowd gathered. FINT All familiar faces, Hector was there with a few of his followers, as well as Reba. Alyssa also came over, standing next to Reba, with Adrian and Evelyn nearby. Hector was in a terrible men tal state, sitting off to the side, not even noticing when Joseph walked by. Hector was getting on in years, having already surpassed eighty Nowadays, his health was not good, gued by various illnesses. It was as if half of his body had already been buried in the ground. He had been recuperating all this while, but upon hearing about Ashton¡¯s ident, he mustered all his strength and hurried over. The emergency room doors remained tightly shut, with no sign of Ashtoning out, nor any news from within. During this time, a doctor handed Hector a critical notice, detailing all the possible emergencies that could ur during the rescue process, including death. Hector was then asked to sign the document. Afterwards, in the emergency room, no medical staff came out. Hector sat outside, his aged eyes unblinkingly fixed on the emergency room¡¯s entrance. Wayne was in prison, Ashton¡¯s parents had passed away, and now it seemed that the only family this old man had left was Ashton, lying in the emergency room. He was filled with regret, never before had he experienced such remorse as he did now. He regretted opposing Deborah and Ashton¡¯s rtionship three years ago. He never had a good word to say about Deborah. Instead, whenever Ashton misunderstood or hurt Deborah, he would relentlessly add fuel to the fire and kick her when she was down. Eventer on, he personally caused the death of a child in Deborah¡¯s womb. If only things had been done differently back then, if only someone had persuaded Ashton to work things out with Deborah, to help him understand his own feelings sooner. So now, there should beughter and joy at Mullen Manor. This old man was truly blessed he had the talented and capable Ashton, a virtuous and understanding daughter-inw, and a little great-granddaughter who could sing and y the piano.. How did such good days end up being ruined like this? Hector wore a deste expression, as if he couldn¡¯t see the people around him, nor hear the sound of their voices. Joseph walked straight over to Alyssa, and as Adrian saw him approaching, he spoke up to exin. ¡°Reba, Ms. Moxley saw Alyssa and wants us toe over there together.¡± Joseph looked at the closed emergency room door and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the situation inside? How is Mr. Mullen doing?¡± Reba¡¯s tone was quite unpleasant, as if she were a lit firecracker. She said, ¡°What else can be done? The doctor has already issued a critical condition notice. He risked his life to save Deborah, but what about Deborah? Did Deborah consider his life and death when she refused to provide Alyssa¡¯s bone marrow to save him?¡± N?velDrama.Org content rights. Joseph has be much gentler now, but he still abi ded by the principle of not offending others unless they offended him first. Now, as Reba spoke ill of Deborah, he felt displeased. ¡°Ms. Moxley, do you always mind other people¡¯s business like this?¡± Reba was somewhat annoyed and embarrassed. ¡°What do you mean? Did I say something wrong? Deborah is so capable, and she doesn¡¯t get along with Ashton at all. Why would she want him to risk his life to save her now?¡± Adrian couldn¡¯t take it anymore and interrupted her impatiently, ¡°Just shut up, will you? Say less.¡± Reba¡¯s face was filled with anxiety and resentment, but she didn¡¯t continue speaking. The emergency room door remained closed for quite a while, and Joseph waited outside. Soon, he noticed that something was off with Alyssa¡¯s condition. Her hands were hidden in the pockets of her coat, her face pale, and her lips tightly pressed together. Head lowered, concealing the emotions on their face, their body still trembling slightly. Joseph could tell that she was trying her best to restrain herself, as her rationality wouldn¡¯t allow her to show any signs of unease or concern. But after all, he¡¯s just a seven or eight-year-old child, and it¡¯s not easy for him to hide his emotions. Joseph reached out and patted her shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, trust the doctor, everything will be fine.¡± Alyssa immediately looked up at him, her voice filled with excitement as she said, ¡°Who¡¯s worried? My mom and I both hate him the most, so there¡¯s no way anyone would be worried about him!¡± Joseph understood the conflict within her heart, and didn¡¯t say anything more, falling silent. Ashton had been waiting in the emergency room for a long time, and it wasn¡¯t until close to midnight that he was finally wheeled out and taken to a hospital room. The doctor¡¯s expression was serious as he gestured for the family members to follow him to his office. Joseph wanted to find out about Ashton¡¯s current situation, so he could go back and inform Deborah. Thus, he followed along. The doctor¡¯s office was not suitable for amodating too many people, so he didn¡¯t go in. Alyssa, Adrian, and a few others were standing together outside the office. Aside from the doctor, only Hector and Reba went in. The office door was left open, and the doctor¡¯s words could be faintly heard from inside. ¡°Late-stage lung cancer, and now hit by three bullets. It would be a miracle to survive, but the current situation is still very grim. There is no more time to dy. Once the gunshot wound had healed a bit, we must quickly arrange for the tumor removal surgery and bone marrow transnt. I¡¯ve already mentioned the surgical risks before. Please discuss it with the patient as soon as possible and let us know your decision. This way, we can make the necessary arrangements.¡± Alyssa stood outside, clearly hearing the doctor¡¯s words. She kept reminding herself that she had absolutely no connection with that man. He would be dead, and that would be for the best. It was his retribution, and both she and Deborah should be happy about it. But her body was trembling, and she couldn¡¯t control it no matter how hard she tried; the shaking only grew more intense. The doctor continued to speak, and Reba tried to persuade her to donate bone marrow, but she couldn¡¯t really take in what they were saying. Adrian¡¯s mind was in a mess, and it wasn¡¯t until they had all finished speaking that he finally took her away, saying they would go back to Deborah¡¯s ce. Reba anxiously asked Alyssa to stay, but Adrian stopped her. Alyssa followed them as they left, heading towards Deborah¡¯s hospital room. As she was about to reach the entrance of the ward, she suddenly stopped and began to speak. ¡°Adrian, I just remembered, I need to make a call to my agent. You guys go ahead, I¡¯ll join you once I¡¯m done with the call.¡± 217 217 Chapter 217 Ashton Once Loved Her Too Adrian understood her thoughts. After all, how could he not understand her after keeping her by his side for so many years? From the moment they arrived outside the Ashton Emergency Room, Alyssa seemed to be lost in her thoughts. He nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± After they finished speaking, several people entered the ward first, leaving Alyssa outside. Alyssa stood in ce for a long time before turning around and walking back the way she had just She just wanted some peace and quiet, to clear her head a bit. Some emotions and thoughts that popped up in her mind, she knew she shouldn¡¯t have had them. If Mom found out, how disappointed would she be? That man is Ashton, not even worthy of being called her father. He had done such things, so many things, that it was as if Deborah and me had died once. She should treat him like an enemy, hating him and wishing he were dead. Alyssa¡¯s mind raced, constantly pushing herself to stay more alert. Somehow, without realizing it, she found herself standing outside Ashton¡¯s hospital room again. The door was slightly ajar, and Reba¡¯s voice could be heard from inside. ¡°You know very well where you stand right. now.¡± This is the perfect opportunity. You¡¯ve just saved Deborah¡¯s life, and now it¡¯s time to talk to her. Convince her to agree to let Alyssa donate bone marrow to you. Ashton, if you don¡¯t speak up now, are you really nning to just wait for death?¡± Hector¡¯s aged voice sounded. ¡°Ashton, Ms. Moxley does have a point. We don¡¯t want to hurt Alyssa and Deborah any further, but the doctor has said that with the advancements in medical technology, there isn¡¯t much risk involved in donating bone marrow. Before the donation, Alyssa will also undergo a thorough physical examination. If there are any conditions that make her unsuitable for donation, no one will force her to proceed.¡± Hector practically begged him, ¡°For the sake of the ck family, and for the sake of this old man, please don¡¯t be so negative and seek your own demise. If something happens to you, how am I supposed to face your parents?¡± This old man in his eighties, however, let the young Ashton walk ahead of him. His deceased children could never forgive him, and he could never forgive himself either. It took Ashton a long time to speak, and from beginning to end, there were only those few sentences. ¡°I¡¯ve already said, Alyssa is too young and it¡¯s not suitable for her to donate. I¡¯m not looking for trouble, but if we find apatible bone marrow match elsewhere, I¡¯ll cooperate with the surgery.¡± Reba turned around and headed for the door, saying, ¡°If you won¡¯t tell her, I will. I don¡¯t believe that Deborah, who you just saved, would have the heart to refuse at this moment.¡± Ashton looked at her indifferently, ¡°Whoever wants to go, just go. As for the final bone marrow transnt surgery, no one has the right to make the decision for me unless I sign the consent myself.¡± Reba turned around angrily and looked at him, ¡°You!¡± Hector¡¯s voice trembled, ¡°How can you be so confused? It¡¯s been three years since all that happened! Torturing yourself like this now, what can it possibly change?¡± Ashton nced to the side, looking out the window. ¡°I¡¯m not making things difficult for myself; I¡¯m telling the truth. Alyssa is too young; it¡¯s not appropriate.¡± As long as Deborah didn¡¯t give her approval, it was not suitable, and anyone who said otherwise would be wrong. Ashton spoke a few words, somewhat excited. Once again, he couldn¡¯t control the incessant coughing, which only grew worse. Soon, doctors rushed over, and the ward began to descend into chaos. Alyssa stood outside, dazed, as she watched the doctor hurriedly pass by her and rush into the patient¡¯s room. She listened to the messy soundsing from inside. The doctor¡¯s anxious and stern voice, along with Reba and Hector¡¯s voices, all flooded into her ears like an overwhelming wave. Alyssa turned around somewhat sluggishly and slowly walked away from the ce. She returned to Deborah¡¯s ward, feeling a stinging pain in her eyes and an uncontroble sense of strangeness throughout her body. Afraid that Deborah might notice something, she didn¡¯t return to the ward. Instead, she sidestepped and entered the adjacent corridor. This building had many floors, so people used the elevator to go up and down. The hallway was deserted and eerily quiet. Alyssa walked in, and the heavy fire door closed behind her. She looked down, gazing at the deep stairwell, with the stairs extendingyer byyer downward. As she continued to watch, she began to feel a bit dizzy and disoriented, her expression bing absent-minded. At some point, the fingers unknowingly dug deep into the palm of the hand. She knew that some things were better left unremembered. The man¡¯s past wrongdoings were too numerous to count, and inparison, the little bit of good he had once shown was hardly worth mentioning. Yet at this moment, one simply couldn¡¯t help but think. The so-called father, Ashton, believed Helen¡¯s words and the paternity test report she produced when she was just over four years old. He believed it, thinking that she wasn¡¯t his biological daughter. Ever since then, they relentlessly tormented and hurt her and her Deborah.. But before that, he had been good to her. Before she turned four, Ashton resented Deborah. He despised her for scheming and bing pregnant with his child, ultimately marrying into the Mullen family. But he didn¡¯t hate Alyssa, nor did he hate his own daughter. He had also secretly bought snacks, toys, and clothes for Alyssa many times without Deborah¡¯s knowledge. He would call her into the study and sneakily give them to her. He warned her again by saying she was not allowed to tell Deborah that he bought those things. She could only say that Jeff had a kind heart, secretly buying it for her. Alyssa, fearing Ashton, could only follow his instructions. So even to this day, Deborah would asionally say that although Jeff had been with Ashton for so many years, he had always been different from Ashton. She said Jeff was a good man who always silently helped them, especially during the hardest times for her and her daughter, Alyssa. Alyssa still remembered the time when Ashton called her to study and provided her with food and clothing. She timidly took the item and was about to leave when he called out to her, ¡°What are you afraid of? Do N?velDrama.Org content rights. you think I¡¯m scary? Come here and say thank you, Dad.¡± Alyssa picked up the item, feeling somewhat frightened, and turned around to walk back. After dilly-dallying for quite a while, she finally walked up to him and opened her mouth to say, ¡°Thank¡­¡± After talking for quite a while, she still hesitated and only managed to utter a single word. Ashton grew impatient and, in one swift motion, pulled her toward him and onto hisp. Alyssa was almost in tears, and he said unhappily, ¡°I¡¯m your dad, what¡¯s wrong with giving you a hug? Tell me what you like, and I¡¯ll buy it for you in the future. But you mustn¡¯t tell Deborah, and don¡¯t let her know that I hugged you, alright?¡± At that time, Alyssa was very timid and could only keep nodding her head. Ashton had once loved her deeply, and there were many times when he had held her in his arms, in ces where Deborah couldn¡¯t see. But he never, in the presence of others, would lift her up high like other fathers do.. Apart from the two of them, no one else knew about this. Everyone said that Ashton had always hated them, mother and daughter. But only Alyssa knew that it hadn¡¯t always. been like that. Alyssa stared at the long corridor, and before she knew it, her face was wet. The fire exit door opened behind her, and she reacted a bit slowly. As she turned around, she saw Deborah standing right behind her. Alyssa was startled and hastily wiped her face in a fluster. ¡°Mom¡­ Mom.¡± 218 218 Chapter 218 Take You to See Him To Deborah¡¯s surprise, as soon as she arrived, she saw tears on Alyssa¡¯s face. When she was in the hospital room, she saw Adrian return and asked Alyssa why she didn¡¯te in. Adrian said that Alyssa was outside making a phone call. They waited for quite a while, but she still didn¡¯te in. Deborah was feeling uneasy. Her emotions had improved significantly, and she was able to get out of bed on her own. So, she decided to go out and look for Alyssa herself. She thought that Alyssa might be in a bad mood because of something rted to Ashton. But she didn¡¯t expect that Alyssa would cry. Thest time I saw this child shed tears, I can¡¯t even remember how many years ago it was. Deborah stood still, staring at Alyssa on the stairs, momentarily lost in thought and unable to snap back to reality. Alyssa was crying and feeling sad. She hid here, in a ce where no one could see her, secretly shedding tears. In that instant, Deborah felt a sharp pain in her heart, an unpleasant sensation. Alyssa hastily wiped away her tears, and seeing that Deborah remained silent, she knew that Deborah had already noticed. She didn¡¯t know what to do, feeling somewhat uneasy and at a loss. Her speech became stammering as well. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry, Mom. I was wrong, I shouldn¡¯t have done that.¡± Deborah¡¯s reaction made it clear that she knew who Alyssa was crying for. Alyssa was anxious, but the more anxious she became, the more tears fell from her eyes. She quickly turned her head away and desperately wiped her face with her hand. Deborah walked over, embraced her gently, and carefully wiped the moisture from her face. ¡°Alyssa, you¡¯re not wrong, it¡¯s not your fault. Many things in life aren¡¯t about making choices with absolute right or wrong. When ites to donating bone marrow, whatever choice you make, your mom will support you.¡± Alyssa looked up at her with some uneasiness, wanting to say something, but couldn¡¯t bring herself to speak. It was as if she dared not speak, yet she also seemed unwilling to admit it. Deborah could clearly see that Alyssa had already found the answer in her heart. If it weren¡¯t for her concerns about the past events and her rationality telling her she shouldn¡¯t, she would have already voiced her choice. Deborah suddenly began to feel a sense of fear, as if she hadn¡¯t really thought about this issue before. Alyssa was Ashton¡¯s daughter, and they shared a strong bond through their blood connection. The bond between a father and daughter was special, as they share half of the same blood flowing through their veins. Some things were etched deep within our bones, and trying topletely sever them was far from easy. She used to wonder how to make Alyssa fully ept Joseph. She just realized that there seemed to be an even more challenging issue that she had overlooked for quite some time. Deborah lowered her gaze to meet Alyssa¡¯s eyes, as she looked at the child in her arms. The child, who was almost eight years old, had grown up, be taller, and even more sensible. As children grew older, they gradually came to understand what a father was and what family meant. She hated Ashton, yet at the same time, she paradoxically wanted to see him and couldn¡¯t bear to lose him. Alyssa nced up for a moment, then lowered her head uneasily. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve made my decision. I won¡¯t donate bone marrow to him. Don¡¯t be sad, Mom. I don¡¯t want to make a mistake.¡± It took Deborah a while before she spoke again, ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the ward first. Alyssa, let Mom think about it. Mom needs to consider it carefully.¡± Alyssa, like a child who had done something wrong, stopped talking and obediently followed her back to the ward. In the hospital room, Adrian, Evelyn, and a few others were present. Joseph had stepped out to buy somete-night snacks for Deborah.. After all the turmoil, Deborah¡¯s spirits have finally improved a bit, and she agreed that she could eat a little something. Adrian saw Alyssae in, pretending not to know anything. ¡°You little rascal, howe it took you so long just to make a phone call?¡± Alyssa remained silent, walking over and sitting down by the bed. Evelyn was growing increasingly anxious. If Alyssa still has feelings for Ashton, and Deborah loves Alyssa so much that she wishes to cater to her every preference. What should Deborah and Joseph do? Would there be anyplications? Evelyn felt anxious, and the more she thought about it, the more uneasy she became. She sat on the chair beside the bed, lost in thought. Her hand hung by her side, her fingers unconsciously tapping a rhythm. A familiar voice of discontent sounded nearby, ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going!¡± Evelyn snapped back to reality, feeling a bit annoyed, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you now?¡± Adrian sat in the chair beside her, his hand casually resting on the armrest. He wore a displeased expression, as if Evelyn had taken great advantage of him. ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you? You touched my hand.¡± Evelyn was genuinely getting annoyed. As a grown man, could he please stop being so petty and constantly nitpicking? If she were to rece Joseph, she wouldn¡¯t be so petty. No wonder Deborah admires someone like Joseph and doesn¡¯t think much of Adrian. Evelyn yfully replied, ¡°Yes, yes, yes, I touched you. So what if I touched you? What else would you have done if I hadn¡¯t? Come on, go ahead and touch me back if you want.¡± She said, stretching out one arm, stopping just short of hitting his face. Adrian, with a dark expression on his face, dodged and said, ¡°In your dreams, you sure have quite the imagination.¡± Evelyn was getting a bit fed up with him. Seeing that Deborah was not seriously hurt, she stood up and said. ¡°Deborah, I¡¯m heading back now. With Mr. ck here to take care of you, I can rest assured.¡± Deborah nodded immediately, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s gettingte. Be careful and get some rest when you get home. In a few days, you¡¯ll need to return to Oceanview City for work, so make sure you¡¯re well- rested.¡± Evelyn replied, ¡°Alright,¡± picked up her bag, and left. Adrian stood up, but quickly sat back down again. Surprisingly, he subconsciously thought that since Evelyn was going back to Moxley Manor anyway, it would be perfect for him to go along with her.. Why should he go back with her? Who knows, she might take advantage of him on the way back. Deborah looked at Adrian and said, ¡°Mr. Moxley, thank you for your help today. You should head home soon too. It¡¯s gettingte, and there aren¡¯t many ces to stay at the hospital.¡± Adrian said unhappily, ¡°I won¡¯t go back to Moxley Manor with that woman. I¡¯ll leaveter.¡± Deborah looked somewhat surprised, ¡°Evelyn booked a room at the hotel today, didn¡¯t you know? She¡¯s staying there tonight and will be returning to work in Oceanview City in a few days.¡± Adrian didn¡¯t react immediately. ¡°What do you mean rent a house? What¡¯s this about going back to Oceanview City?¡± Deborah exined, ¡°She said she¡¯s an outsider, always bothering the Moxley family during the festival, and causing quite a bit of trouble for you all.¡± Staying at a hotel for a few days would be convenient, allowing her to organize some documents before officially starting work. As for Oceanview City, her original workce and residence were both there, so it¡¯s only natural for her to return. Well, it wasn¡¯t exactly like that. What happened was that Evelyn went to Joseph toin, saying she really couldn¡¯t stand Adrian anymore. Adrian was extremely narcissistic and suffered from persecutory delusions. Whenever he saw her at Moxley Manor, he always imed that she was deliberately trying to create chance encounters with him. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. No matter how grand Moxley Manor might be, it was still just a private residence. She lived under the same roof as Adrian, constantly crossing paths with him. It was impossible for her not to bump into him. Not only that, during mealtime, she picked up the food that Adrian had touched. When going to her bedroom, she passed by Adrian¡¯s bedroom door. And when chatting, she responded to Adrian¡¯s words. These extremely normal things were all subject to Adrian¡¯s excessive interpretation. After hearing her grievances, Joseph felt a bit sorry for her. With Deborah¡¯s persuasion, he agreed to let Evelyn quit acting. Anyway, there are only a few days left until the fifteenth day of New Year. Joseph has already realized that there¡¯s no chance for Deborah and Adrian to be together. If the act continues, it will be difficult to end it gracefully, and Evelyn can¡¯t really afford to get herself involved. However, Deborah couldn¡¯t bring herself to tell Adrian these honest thoughts. Evelyn could only express it subtly, feeling that she was causing too much disturbance to the Moxley family. After a while, Adrian responded, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s perfect, I can finally have some peace and quiet. Alright, you get some rest, and I¡¯ll head back too.¡± Deborah always felt that something was a bit strange, but she didn¡¯t think too much about it. She nodded and watched him get up and leave. Alyssa remained silent, sitting off to the side, while Joseph went outside the hospital to buy food for Deborah. It would be a while before he returned. Deborah sat silently on the bed for a long time. Eventually, she got up, put on her shoes, and stepped off the bed. She reached out, holding Alyssa¡¯s hand, ¡°Come on, Mom will take you to see him. If you want to donate, we¡¯ll donate.¡± 219 219 Chapter 219 It Is Over Between Us When Deborah brought Alyssa over, Ashton had already gone to sleep. Hector wasn¡¯t feeling well, so he went to rest in the neighboring room. Beside the sickbed, only Reba was there to apany and care for the patient. She was dozing off while sitting in the chair. Upon hearing the sound of someone entering, Reba quickly jolted awake. She thought it was the medical staffing in, but when she turned around, she saw Deborah and Alyssa standing there, momentarily stunned. Deborah got straight to the point. ¡°I¡¯d like to talk to him about having Alyssa donate bone marrow.¡± Upon seeing Reba¡¯s face, it first showed surprise, which quickly turned into immense joy. She hurriedly got up, her speech bing somewhat incoherent as she spoke. ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll leave now, and you guys can chat.¡± She was about to leave the hospital room when she suddenly remembered that Ashton was still sound asleep in bed, not yet awake. Ashton was severely injured and extremely exhausted. It was now the middle of the night, and he was sound asleep. Fearing that she might miss this opportunity, Reba anxiously pushed the quilt a few times. ¡°Ashton, wake up, Deborah is here.¡± After calling out several times, the person on the bed finally woke up. Deborah had just made up her mind and thought things through. She wanted to bring Alyssa over, but she didn¡¯t pay attention to the time. Only now did I realize that it was alreadyte into the night. She spoke up, ¡°How about Ie back tomorrow to talk about it? I didn¡¯t realize it¡¯s quitete already.¡± Reba, afraid that she might run away, immediately stopped her and said, ¡°No, the doctor said we can¡¯t dy any longer.¡± Ashton opened his eyes, and in a daze, he saw Deborah standing by the bed. That moment felt like going back to three years ago, when their rtionship hadn¡¯t yet reached such a strained point. Sometimes, after a night of socializing and drinking, he would wake upte the next day. On such asions, Deborah. and Alyssa woulde to his bedside and call out to wake him up. Look, another illusion has appeared. Ashton felt as if he had slept in a daze. it wasn¡¯t until I heard Deborah talking to Reba that my consciousness gradually awakened, realizing that it was indeed Deborah who hade over. Ashton felt inexplicably anxious, not knowing what he was worried about. Hastily, she pressed her palm against the bed, trying to get up. But I couldn¡¯t get up. My legs, arms, and lower abdomen had all been hit by bullets, leaving me almost unable to move. He could only continue to lie there, somewhat helplessly, and asked unnaturally, ¡°You¡¯re here, what¡¯s going on?¡± Reba¡¯s face showed a mix of urgency and joy as she quickly answered on behalf of Deborah, ¡°Deborah and Alyssa have agreed to donate bone marrow to you. Ashton, you can say that your life has been saved, and you should really thank Deborah and Alyssa.¡± Ashton¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change much; he didn¡¯t believe Reba¡¯s words. Reba had been dreaming of this moment, and now she was just afraid that Deborah might change her mind. All she wanted was to settle things as soon as possible. She then looked at Deborah and said, ¡°You two can continue chatting. The doctor is urging me to hurry, so I¡¯ll go talk to them first. I¡¯ll tell them that you¡¯ve tentatively agreed to donate bone marrow, so the Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. doctor can make arrangements as soon as possible. Is that alright?¡± Deborah had already arrived, and she had no intention of dilly-dallying. She looked down at Alyssa and asked, ¡°Alyssa, do you promise?¡± Alyssa was a bit afraid to look at her, and said softly, ¡°Anyway¡­ I always listen to my mom.¡± Deborah said to Reba, ¡°That¡¯s possible.¡± Reba¡¯s face immediately lit up, unable to hide her excitement. Deborah looked at her expression and suddenly remembered that she too had been like this many years ago. Ashton had something to be happy about, and she was even happier than him. What could possibly make Ashton so sad? She was even more upset than he was. Ashton felt wronged when he was hit by Hector. In the middle of the night, she couldn¡¯t help but feel heartbroken for him and couldn¡¯t hold back her tears. Reba excitedly said, ¡°Deborah, Alyssa, thank you so much, really. Oh, it¡¯s not even my ce to say this. Ashton, you should be the one to thank them properly; they saved you.¡± In fact, just because Alyssa donated bone marrow, it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that Ashton will definitely be saved or that he will be able to live a healthy life. The biggest issue with his health was lung cancer, a malignant tumor in the lungs. Besides the significant risks involved in tumor removal surgery, there might be dangers both during and after the procedure. Even if the tumor was sessfully removed, there was still a high possibility of recurrence if one was not careful in the future. Alyssa donated bone marrow simply because the cancer cells in Ashton¡¯s body had spread to his bone marrow, making it necessary for him to undergo a bone marrow transnt. He had a bone marrow transnt, which only solved one of his physical problems. It was not enough to ensure that he could live a healthy life. Deborah didn¡¯t say much, watching as Reba left the hospital room. She then led Alyssa to sit down beside the hospital bed. Ashton was feeling uneasy and cautiously asked her, ¡°Is it because of Reba, or did my grandfather say something to you?¡± After he finished speaking, he quickly added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, no matter what they say, I won¡¯t let Alyssa donate bone marrow. I won¡¯t ept her bone marrow, and I won¡¯t put you in a difficult position.¡± Alyssa said coldly, ¡°They didn¡¯t say anything. My mom and I just have a better conscience than you.¡± Ashton was at a loss for words. Deborah spoke calmly, ¡°Donating bone marrow to you is something Alyssa and I have thought through carefully. I don¡¯t want to say much more, but before the bone marrow donation, I asked the doctor to conduct a thorough physical examination on Alyssa. If there¡¯s any part of Alyssa¡¯s body that¡¯s not suitable for donating bone marrow, we won¡¯t go through with it.¡± Ashton didn¡¯t dare to look at her, and said softly, ¡°I don¡¯t need it. Besides, there¡¯s already news about a suitable bone marrow match.¡± Deborah continued, ¡°Also, I will be the one to choose the doctor who will examine Alyssa.¡± Whether it was Lucien or Zayne, she felt at ease. If they got another doctor, she couldn¡¯t help but worry that Reba and Hector might try to sabotage things. Ashton couldn¡¯t ept it; he just couldn¡¯t bear it. Up until now, Deborah and Alyssa¡¯s kindness was something he just couldn¡¯t ept. He insisted, ¡°I really don¡¯t need it. I know you feel sorry for me, but¡­¡± Deborah interrupted him, her expression cold and indifferent. ¡°Ashton, why should I pity you?¡± Ashton¡¯s body stiffened as he looked at her. Seeing her indifferent expression, he felt as if he had said or done something wrong, and subconsciously averted his gaze. Feeling uneasy, flustered, andcking confidence. Deborah¡¯s voice was cold and clear, ¡°Alyssa was raised by me and the Moxley family. She is kind, sensible, and tender-hearted. Just now, I found her crying in the hallway because of you. I don¡¯t want there toe a day when you¡¯re gone, and she feels like she¡¯s carrying the weight of a life on her shoulders, especially when that life belongs to her biological father.¡± Ashton¡¯s eyes shuttered intensely, looking at Alyssa with disbelief. His eyes reddened, never before had he felt so profoundly unworthy as he did now. Deborah helped Alyssa to her feet, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t have much else to say. You should let the doctor get ready.¡± ¡°After the bone marrow transnt is over, we will bepletely done with each other. From then on, don¡¯t have any involvement with me. Whether you live or die, don¡¯t drag me into it again.¡± 220 220 Chapter 220 The Pleasure of Revenge Ashton didn¡¯t have time to say another word, as Deborah took Alyssa and left immediately. Reba hurried to the doctor¡¯s office, impatiently. Seeing Deborah and Alyssa passing by outside, she knew they had already finished talking with Ashton. Reba immediately went out to stop them, asking them to go in and confirm with the doctor. Deborah didn¡¯t say much and went into the office. She expressed her attitude towards Alyssa, but refused to sign the consent for donation at the moment. Reba felt uneasy and gently advised her, ¡°It¡¯s okay for you to sign something with Alyssa now, it¡¯s just a way to show your intentions. If in the future, Alyssa¡¯s tests show that she¡¯s not suitable for donation, we definitely won¡¯t put you and Ashton in a difficult position.¡± Deborah¡¯s tone cooled down a bit, ¡°Ms. Moxley, I keep my word.¡± Reba felt helpless, knowing that any further persuasion would only annoy her. Deborah, apanied by Alyssa, left the office and returned to her own hospital room. As she stepped out into the hallway, she happened to bump into Jeff, who was hurriedly making his way toward Ashton¡¯s hospital room. Jeff had probably already called Ashton and found out about some things. Upon meeting Deborah and Alyssa, he sincerely expressed his gratitude, ¡°Ms. Shepherd, on behalf of Mr. Mullen, I¡¯d like to extend our thanks to you once again.¡± Deborah¡¯s attitude toward Ashton was cold, but it was different with Jeff. Back when Ashton tormented her and Alyssa, Jeff was the only one who never kicked them while they were down and N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. never hurt them. Even when she was first schemed against and ended up in Ashton¡¯s bed for the first time. The next day, Ashton was furious. The media and the public were gathered outside, and he angrily criticized Deborah for having no shame and no sense of decency. At that time, only Jeff spoke to Ashton, saying, ¡°Mr. Mullen, things might not be so simple. Ms. Shepherd, she¡¯s young, still in school, and doesn¡¯t have that kind of courage.¡± At that time, Deborah was neen years old and still attending university. Lydia became obsessed with gambling and took Helen¡¯s mother¡¯s money, which led her to end up in Ashton¡¯s bed, ultimately ruining her future prospects. The school couldn¡¯t quite grasp Ashton¡¯s intentions and assumed that he must be dissatisfied with Deborah. So, they used the excuse of Deborah¡¯s chaotic personal life andck of self-discipline to fire her. Her academic pursuits were gone, and she was met with an overwhelming barrage of insults and usations, Devon, fearing that he might offend the Mullen family, hurriedly drove her out of Bauer Manor to make his stance clear. She feltpletely desperate, lost and bewildered in an unfamiliar world. It wasn¡¯t until she was found to be pregnant that she couldn¡¯t have an abortion due to her anemic condition. At that time, she loved Ashton. Even though she knew he hated her, she still went to find him. And so, he married her. It was all wrong,pletely wrong, right from the very beginning. If it weren¡¯t for Jeff, she and Alyssa would have been tormented to death by now. Just the numerous incidents caused by Helen alone were enough for her and Alyssa to die many times over. Deborah looked at Jeff in front of her and said, ¡°It should be Alyssa and I who should have thanked you properly a long time ago.¡± At the beginning, it was all thanks to you. I still remember, you gave Alyssa her first piano, along with those toys and dolls. Back then, probably only you remembered that she was just a child of a few years old. A strange look flickered in Jeff¡¯s eyes, as if he wanted to exin something, but after some thought, he decided against it. What¡¯s the point of exining those things now, given the time that has passed? There¡¯s no longer any meaning to it, and nothing can be changed either. Moreover, Ashton has already exined¡­. Jeff hesitated slightly, but quickly put away his unusual emotions. ¡°Ms. Shepherd, you¡¯re too kind. Those things happened a long time ago.¡± There were some things that Ashton didn¡¯t allow him to say, and Deborah probably hadn¡¯t thought about them in detail either. After all, Jeff was just a butler for the Mullen family. If he were to secretly buy so many things for Alyssa, there was no way Ashton wouldn¡¯t notice. At that time, Ashton was simply unwilling to admit that he had been manipted by Deborah, forced to marry her, and pressured into having a daughter. Despite everything, he couldn¡¯t help but have feelings for his own daughter and wanted to be kind to the child. He had once truly loved Alyssa as if she were his own daughter. Soter on, after being deceived by Helen and believing that Alyssa wasn¡¯t his child, he became extremely furious. Not only was Deborah infuriating him by ying him like a fool, but he was also angry at himself for being so stupi d, secretly cherishing, a child who wasn¡¯t even his own daughter. He was filled with hatred and longed to vent his frustrations.. He broke the piano he had given to Alyssa, ignored her serious illness, and sought the thrill of revenge. It wasn¡¯t untilter that some things started to go too far, reaching a point where they became uncontroble and there was no turning back. Jeff tried to speak up again, ¡°Ms. Shepherd, actually Mr. Mullen also¡­¡± Deborah could guess what he wanted to say. Jeff had been her benefactor, and she didn¡¯t want to contradict him or argue with him. So she interrupted him, ¡°Jeff, Alyssa and I have something to take care of, so we¡¯ll be leaving now.¡± In the end, Jeff held back the words that were on the tip of his tongue. He nodded, ¡°Alright, Ms. Shepherd, please take good care of yourself too.¡± Deborah expressed her gratitude and left with Alyssa. When she returned to the ward, Joseph was already sitting on the sofa inside, facing the floor-to-ceiling window, making a phone call. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll probablye over on the sixteenth day of New Year, and I¡¯ll bring Deborah with me. In the meantime, keep an eye on things there. If anything trickyes up, just give me a call.¡± Hearing footsteps behind him, he turned around and saw Deborah and Alyssa entering. Joseph spoke up again, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s leave it at that for now.¡± After hanging up the phone, he stood up and walked towards Deborah, exining, ¡°That was Morton. He asked when I¡¯m going to Oceanview City, as most of thepany employees will be back to work on the eighth day of New Year.¡± Deborah nodded, ¡°If there¡¯s something going on at thepany, we can head over there earlier.¡± Joseph went over to the coffee table and opened the takeout boxes, inviting her and Alyssa toe and eat. He spoke up, ¡°I want to take a few more days off, and it¡¯s a perfect time for you to apany Alyssa and have a good time together.¡± Alyssa had never been too close with him. Whenever they talked, she just buried her head and ate. Joseph habitually served Deborah some vegetables and soup, then suddenly remembered Alyssa sitting nearby. He immediately reached out to grab the small bowl. ¡°Alyssa, have some soup too.¡± Alyssa was quite reserved when facing him. ¡°No need, thank you, Mr. ck. It¡¯s quitete now, so I¡¯ll just have a little something with my mom.¡± Joseph reached out his hand, but then pulled it back. He had just been chatting casually with Deborah, but now he suddenly didn¡¯t know what to say. He felt a bit awkward and took a moment to find the right words ¡°Oh, right, there¡¯s only one sleeper couch in this ward. It¡¯s a bit cramped, so I talked to the director. We can stay in the lounge next door Alyssa finished the food in her bowl and immediately stood up upon hearing this, ¡°Mom, Mr. ck, I¡¯m full. I¡¯ll go to the lounge next door then, I¡¯m a bit sleepy and will head to bed first.¡± After she finished speaking, she took her own phone and walked outside. Chapter 221 Chapter 221 Chapter 221 Never Coming Back Deborah immediately called out to her, ¡°You sleep with Mom on this side. You¡¯re just a child, how can you stay in the living room by yourself?¡± Alyssa stopped in her tracks and turned around, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. Adrian left a maid outside. I¡¯ll sleep with her tonight, and we¡¯ll remember to lock the door.¡± After she finished speaking, she immediately left the room. Joseph quickly got up and followed her out. Alyssa called the maid outside and went straight into the adjoining lounge. Inside, the courtyard had been arranged with everything needed for afortable stay. The bed, bedding, and daily necessities were all provided and ready for use. Even the phone charger was ready. Alyssa walked in and then turned back to look at Joseph outside. ¡°Good night, Mr. ck I¡¯m going to bed now.¡± Joseph really didn¡¯t know how to get along with her. ¡°I¡¯m not¡­¡± The hospital corridor was a bit noisy, as if a new patient had arrived. Alyssa didn¡¯t seem to hear his voice, and after saying ¡°good night,¡± she closed the door directly. The sound of the lock turning could be heard from inside. Joseph, feeling helpless, could only return to Deborah¡¯s ward. Deborah hadn¡¯t eaten yet, so she got up and wanted to go out. Joseph walked back to the ward, his tone apologetic. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way. What I meant was, there¡¯s a lounge nearby. I can sleep there if I get tiredter.¡± If he were to live with Deborah, it wouldn¡¯t really matter. N?velDrama.Org content rights. This hospital room was a single room, quite spacious, with two beds and a long sofa. There was no problem amodating two or three people. After all, Alyssa was a girl, so it was not appropriate for her to sleep in the same room with him. Taking this into consideration, he requested an additional resting room from the management. Deborah couldn¡¯t do much about it, ¡°Never mind, Alyssa is in a bad mood. Having a maid apany her for the night won¡¯t cause any harm,¡± She walked back to the sofa and sat down, continuing to eat her food. But it was clear that her appetite wasn¡¯t great, as she only took a few bites before putting down her fork. Joseph felt extremely guilty, not only because he felt he had let Deborah down, but also because he felt that he had wronged Alyssa. ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t have much experience interacting with children of Alyssa¡¯s age group, and I admit I¡¯m not doing a great job.¡± Deborah didn¡¯t respond immediately, only looking at him after a while. ¡°It¡¯s not because of you. I just took Alyssa to see Ashton, and I agreed to let Alyssa donate bone marrow to him.¡± Joseph actually knew that when he returned and didn¡¯t see Deborah, he quickly realized that she had gone with Alyssa to visit Ashton in his hospital room. However, if Deborah didn¡¯t mention it herself now, he wouldn¡¯t bring it up either. He nodded. ¡°I Deborah looked at him, waiting for something. But Joseph didn¡¯t say anything more, not even an extra word. He got up and poured a ss of water for patiore Deborah was still looking at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you have any questions for me?¡± Regarding why she took Alyssa to find Ashton, and wiry she suddenly agreed for Alyssa to donate her bone marrow, be probably wouldn¡¯t mind, right? Joseph handed her the water, speaking softly, ¡°No, since you agreed, you must have thought it through carefully and made your own decision. I trust you.¡± Deborah wanted to give a good exnation, but she didn¡¯t have the chance to say it. She looked closely at Joseph, who didn¡¯t seem to be insincere, but genuinely didn¡¯t mind. Just as he said, he believed in her choices, knowing that she must have her own considerations and reasons. So he wouldn¡¯t ask, and there was no need to ask. Deborah reached out and took his hand, ¡°I thought you would mind.¡± Joseph lowered his gaze to her hand, and with his other hand, he reached out, gently cradling her hand within his palms. ¡°Debby, don¡¯t worry about what I think. No matter what you do, I will always believe in you.¡± Deborah nodded gently, ¡°Alright.¡± Due to the situation with Chandler, Joseph had a falling out with the ck family. In the following days, he didn¡¯t go to ck Manor, nor did he visit the ck Group again. It was said that things were a mess over at the ck Group. Gerald was heartbroken because of Chandler¡¯s passing He was angry and gritted his teeth as he dealt with thepany¡¯s affairs, not seeking Joseph¡¯s help. The police came to take a statement from Deborah. She told them a half-true, half-fabricated ount of the situation, saying that Ashton had pushed Chandler and Brandon off the cliff in a desperate attempt to ensure his and her safety. There were no other eyewitnesses at the scene of the incident, and the only testimonies avable were the statements from Ashton and Deborali. The police had collected the statements, and the verdict was quickly reached. Ashton and Deborah had acted in self-defense and were innocent. Joseph contacted Jingron¡¯s headquarters in Oceanview City again, making preliminary preparations to move the headquarters to Richmond. It was to make it convenient for Deborah to work in Richmond and also apany Alyssa. Alyssa had grown ustomed to living in Richmond, and her school was also nearby. She didn¡¯t want to move away or be separated from Deborah again. So, Deborah staying in Richmond was the only solution. Everything was gradually arranged and settled. All that was left was for Joseph to finish celebrating the fifteenth day of the New Year. After that, he would head to Oceanview City to sign and confirm the documents,pleting the final procedures. Then, they would be ready to move Jingron¡¯s headquarters back to Richmond. Over at Ashton¡¯s, the doctor had already set up a treatment n.¡± First, he would undergo tumor removal surgery. If the surgery went smoothly, they would wait until he had basically recovered after the operation, and then they would proceed with a bone marrow transnt in the aseptic chamber. Life gradually got back on track and became peaceful again. In the blink of an eye, it was the fifteenth day of the New Year, and Deborah apanied Alyssa to Moxley Manor for dinner. Donna politely invited Joseph to join her, and Joseph, without any hesitation, immediately epted the invitation. He had now fallen out with the ck family, and it was almost like they¡¯d severed ties. There was no way he would be returning to ck Manor on the fifteenth day of the New Year. Taking this into consideration, Donna insisted on inviting him, fearing that he would be too lonely celebrating the holiday alone. Joseph brought Donna a string of rosary beads, which he had specially blessed by a saint at the church, symbolizing longevity and good health. The elderly person, being advanced in age, loved these items and happily epted them. Throughout the meal, Donna kept calling out ¡°Joseph, Joseph.¡± Not long ago, they mentioned wanting to take Deborah as their goddaughter. Now, with this situation, they can¡¯t help but wish to take Joseph as their godson as well. Adrian watched, furious but unable to speak, as Joseph served Deborah food and poured her soup. He was so angry that he could barely sit still. Evelyn was quite delighted as she ate her meal. She enjoyed her meal while listens to the gossips with a great appetite, even having two tes of pasta. Adrian knew her thoughts best; it was clear that Evelyn liked him, which was why she was so eager for Deborah and Joseph to be together. In this way, Evelyn would have one less formidable opponent to deal with. Adrian was in a bad mood and spoke to her sarcastically, ¡°You¡¯re eating so much, aren¡¯t you afraid of overeating?¡± After finishing the soup in her bowl, Evelyn responded somewhat sheepishly, ¡°I¡¯ve always had a pretty good appetite, and besides, Julie¡¯s cooking is truly delicious.¡± The nanny, Julie, who was standing nearby, immediately responded, ¡°Thank you for thepliment, Ms. Moore. I¡¯m d you enjoy the food.¡± Adrian was somewhat surprised that Evelyn didn¡¯t retort back at him today. In the past, whenever he said something like this, she would definitely respond with a few harsh words just to annoy him. However, upon reflection, it was true that over the past few days, Evelyn hadn¡¯t said anything bad about him anymore. Sometimes when they met, she didn¡¯t rush to strike up a conversation with him or do anything else. Adrian nced at her somewhat strangely, but Evelyn had already stopped paying attention to him. Everyone had finished eating when Donna said with a smile, ¡°Eve, I heard that after the fifteenth day of the New Year, you, Joseph, and Deborah are nning to go to Oceanview City. How many days do you n to stay there before.ing back?¡± Eve and Adrian¡¯s situation hasn¡¯t been settled yet, and I¡¯m worried that if Eve is away for too long, something unexpected might happen. Evelyn politely replied, ¡°Old Mrs. Moxley, after I return to Oceanview City this time, I probably won¡¯t be