His clothes were off, and he pressed himself against me. I fought back by biting and kicking as hard as possible and screaming for help. Matthew looked like a crazed panther as he let out a chilling laugh. "You were never like this before. Weren't you the one who loved me the most? Today, I'll make sure you enjoy it! Haha!""Let go of me, Matthew!" I was in despair. Nausea overwhelmed me again. I’d rather die than have him touch me.When he hit me again, the world started to spin."You don't know what's good for you. I’ll love you like I used to. Chlo, I don't want it to be like this either. I don't want to hurt you. After being apart for so long, I've missed you terribly. I want to be with you!"Crash! With a booming sound, the door burst open from outside. I yelled, "Help me! Let go of me!"The instinct to survive made me fight even harder. Suddenly, I felt lighter. I heard a muffled sound followed by a furious roar. "How dare you touch her?!”It was Atlas's voice. I quic

I gazed at him, his urgency evident. "I can't let you go alone. I'll take you to pick up your daughter, and then you can spend some time with her. I'll step out for a moment, but I'll be back."I stood up, gritting my teeth. Fear still ran through me, and my body shook. I got dressed, and he walked me downstairs to his car. We drove to Ivanna's house to pick up my daughter.Ivanna seemed surprised. Her eyes locked onto my face, and she knew something had happened. She hesitated to ask in front of Ava. I put on a forced smile, took my daughter's hand, and told Ivanna, "We'll talk when there's time."She nodded, making a gesture indicating a phone call. I nodded, amusing Ava as we descended the stairs. Ava was already exhausted and fell asleep in my arms shortly after.When we exited the car, Atlas picked her up and carried her back to her room. He kissed me gently and said, "Wait for me. I’ll be right back!"He swiftly went downstairs and disappeared into the night.I sat by my

In the following days, Atlas would visit my home in the evenings whenever his schedule allowed, always arriving after Ava had gone to sleep. I had been curious about Matthew. There had been no news of him, as if he had vanished. The sudden calm left me somewhat uneasy, but I didn't dare bring it up with Atlas.Things at the company were running smoothly, thanks to Grayson. Everything seemed to fall into place with him in the marketing department, and he and Ryan worked together seamlessly. Stella called a lot, but I always made excuses and avoided meeting her. After the incident at the party, I knew her true intentions. Engaging in constant mind games with her was exhausting.Today, I returned home early, went to the supermarket, and bought a bunch of groceries. Then I picked up my daughter, and while playing with her, I prepared several dishes. It had been a long time since I had put this much effort into cooking.Ava ran around and asked me, "Mommy, are you inviting someone ov

During dinner, Ava chatted away, expertly buttering up Atlas. "Uncle Atlas is the best!"Atlas was delighted and indulgent. "Why is that?""You brought Barbie dolls. Now I have a family! There's a Barbie mommy and two Barbie sisters!" She looked at Atlas. "They're a family, and I don't want Barbie Daddy. He's mean! I want you, not Daddy!"Atlas was charmed, showing no signs of minding her words. He even fed her.After the meal, I cleaned up as he and Ava played in the living room. I had never imagined he would get along so well with her, speaking to her in a patient and child-friendly manner.While playing, Ava suddenly remembered something. She hurried over to Atlas, pulling a piece of candy from her pocket. With great solemnity, she unwrapped it and offered it to Atlas. In her sweet voice, she said, "This is my repayment! Mommy says we should repay kindness!"That night, she played until very late. I bathed her and put her to bed. Reluctantly, she asked, "Uncle Atlas, will you

Morning came, and as the first batch of aluminum-framed windows had arrived, I sent Ava to daycare early. Then, I drove to the warehouse. Before I could finish inspecting the goods, I received a call.It was from that sharp-witted woman I met last time, inviting me to a suburban club. After entering the address into the navigation system, I realized it was on the border of the neighboring city. It was a long way from here.I had a feeling the person I was meeting was not her. Someone else must be involved. I debated whether or not to tell Atlas about this as I rushed toward the location.Ultimately, I decided against it. I still didn't know their intentions for wanting to meet me. Why worry him unnecessarily? Besides, I was selfish. I feared losing him, even if it meant being far away from him.When I arrived at the club, my suspicions were confirmed. There stood Atlas's aunt, whom I had met once from a distance. The sharp-witted woman introduced her as Mrs. Celine Pierce.Perhaps

“So, you understand what I meant when I called you clever,” Celine said. A moment later, she dropped her smile. “Leave Atlas.”“You should ask his opinion first,” I replied firmly.“I don’t need to ask him. He will accept it if you leave,” Celine spoke confidently, “You’re intelligent, kind, patient, and ambitious. I see great potential in you and can help expand your company to achieve your goals. I can also support your daughter’s education at any overseas institution you choose, but he can’t.”"Why?"My question annoyed her. “Why? He’s not an ordinary person. Atlas wants to head ATL Empire, so he must adhere to the family rules. Even without Stella, the family would have complete control of his life.“He has no privileges or freedom of choice!” Her words were ruthless, “He can’t forget Annalise Synder, even if he loves you, a divorcee with a daughter. Atlas was madly in love with Annalise. Ultimately, he only has two options: whether to give up or compromise.”Hearing Annalise

I deliberately slowed down to observe the vehicle behind me. After some distance, I was sure the SUV was tailing me. I wanted to see who was in it, so I stopped at a convenience store to buy a water bottle.I sipped the water and watched the SUV slowly pass by. However, it had tinted windows, and I couldn’t see inside. I waited until it was far ahead before returning to my car.This time, I drove slowly and no longer saw the car following me. I relaxed and thought I might’ve been overly paranoid.As I continued to drive, I came across a stretch of road along the coast. After passing through, I could get onto the highway back to the downtown area. However, I was wrong in assuming everything was fine.The SUV darted forward and blocked my path when I reached an intersection. I slammed the brakes and quickly locked my doors. I tried to reverse, but a black sedan had boxed me in. I didn’t know when that sedan appeared.I panicked and called for someone on my phone, not even checking w

I realized I had been here for a while when the sunset. Still, I saw no one around. I wondered if they planned to leave me here to die. If so, it could be Celine because my disappearance would solve all her problems.However, that would be excessive for a defenseless woman like me.On the other hand, it didn’t seem like Matthew’s style. Even if it were him, his motive would be questionable. I grew increasingly frustrated but couldn’t understand it.My hope lessened as the night grew darker. If my phone call hadn’t raised suspicions, someone at the daycare would have noticed my absence and contacted someone. They might even call Atlas to take Ava home.After all, Ava got into Sunnydale with Atlas’s help.I felt slightly at ease with that thought. However, my heart ached when I imagined Ava longing for me. I never expected to end up here and bring suffering to my daughter. I thanked my lucky stars my parents weren’t around to see this. Otherwise, my father’s life would be at risk.

I looked toward the door in terror. Before they reached me, the leader pointed his flashlight at me. The sudden brightness blinded me, and I couldn’t see their faces. I didn’t recognize their voices either.One whispered, “What a waste of a pretty woman.”“Shut up!” A stern voice silenced them. “Get her out of here.”I was startled and saw a figure approaching me. I tried to speak, but my words came out as muffled grunts. The man picked me up, and I struggled to free myself, but he kicked me. “Stop moving!”I looked toward the others standing in the distance. The leader was tall and muscular. They wore ski masks, so I couldn’t see features besides their eyes.I continued to squirm, and the man suddenly dropped me. I continued to make muffled cries and looked at them pleadingly. The man looked at me and then crouched to touch my face.“Boss, are we going to kill her? That’s a shame. Oh, you should have some fun with her first, then we can—”"Shut the hell up! Quit your nonsense a

Suddenly, blood splattered on my face, and I lost consciousness. When I finally awoke, I smelled disinfectant and saw Ivanna’s anxious eyes. “Chlo, you’re awake!”I felt pain all over, especially on my face. Still, I was relieved when I realized I wasn’t dead. The man with the knife got shot, and I shuddered when I recalled his knife coming down on me. If he got shot a second later, I would have died already.“Thank goodness you’re awake!” Ivanna exclaimed. Immediately after, she ran out of the room with teary eyes. “Chlo’s awake!”Atlas came in, and I choked back my sobs. He hugged me, saying, “Everything’s okay now.”I took some time to calm down before asking, "Who did this?"Atlas shook his head. "The leader got away, and we're still interrogating the lackeys. I want to know who hired them.""Who realized I went missing?" I wanted to know.Ivanna said, “It was someone from the kindergarten. No one went to pick up Ava, and the school couldn’t reach you, so Ava gave them my nu