I woke up the next day, and Atlas was nowhere to be found. Ava had already been sent to daycare, leaving me alone with Ivanna.My face had many scratches, and I wondered if the deeper wounds would leave lasting scars. They still hurt, too.Ivanna said, "Ryan came to see you. He told me to stay here and advised against going to the company. Chlo... "She hesitated, but I knew what she wanted to say."I'm fine," I reassured her. "Where's my car?""I’ve sent it for repairs. You shouldn't go out today!" She sounded urgent. "Let your face heal before making any decisions!""Alright." However, I was still thinking about yesterday's events. Atlas likely figured out that Celine had approached me based on those photos in my bag. One glance would’ve told him everything, so I asked Ivanna, "Where's my bag?""Huh? I don't know." She promptly got up and said, "I'll go check downstairs!"She soon returned with my bag, but I found the photos were gone.The close angles in those photos unne

Even though my body hurt, I quickly got out of bed. After pulling back the curtains and looking down, I spotted Stella at the door. How did she know where I lived? I didn’t recall telling her that I stayed at Amethyst Apartments.She rang the doorbell twice more before I opened the door. Stella had a bright smile on her face as she stepped inside, holding a basket of fruits. She had an innocent expression as if she wouldn't hurt a fly."Ms. Stella!" I smiled and asked, "How’d you find this place?""Well, you sure went through a lot!" She walked in and looked around as if she owned the place. "Your house is nice, very classic!""Please, have a seat! Can I get you something to drink? I have coffee and tea!""Anything is fine. Don't trouble yourself!" She cheerily followed me. "How did this happen? It's truly terrifying. Did you offend anyone? How’d you end up kidnapped?"She seemed well-informed about my situation, which perplexed me."Wow, the news traveled fast!" I chuckled, t

I was utterly shocked by what I saw in the surveillance footage. There was no mistaking it—her smile was gloating.This revelation of her smile sent shivers down my spine. What was her true motive? Did she visit me just to revel in my misery?I started to wonder if she was behind the attack. If Celine had a hand in this, Stella would be the first one to know.No, no, no! It couldn't be. She couldn’t possibly want to take my life, would she?I sat on the bed in a daze with my head in my hands, not noticing when Atlas had returned. I didn’t hear him as he came to my room.Seeing my troubled expression, he rushed to me and touched my shoulder. I screamed and pushed him away frantically. "Chlo, it's me!" Atlas quickly embraced me, enveloping me in his familiar scent. Only then did I relax, realizing it was him who had returned.I looked at him, my fear slowly fading away. He looked concerned. "Don't be scared. What happened? Hm?"I let out a sigh and shook my head faintly. I did

Ryan called to check on my injury just as I considered heading to the office that morning.When I arrived, he spotted me and rushed over to check my face. "Is everything okay? Will it leave a scar? Does it still hurt?"My face had improved quite a bit over the past few days. The deeper scratches had faded to faint marks, and the finer ones were barely noticeable. It didn't look as bad as it did initially.He then pulled me to sit on the sofa and updated me on recent happenings at the company. Celine had ordered the abandonment of the land, leading to the Echelon Group's victory. "Celine gave up?" I asked skeptically."It seems like she’s trying to slow Atlas's growth."I was surprised and asked, "Are you suggesting she's sidelining Atlas to diminish his influence?" “Our joint project with ATL Empire isn't looking great."I mused silently over the ongoing contracts. "It looks like it’s going to get rough. Thankfully, Heartland Estates can step in now." "The projects already

Those distant lights instantly illuminated my entire world. My heart leaped with joy, and I rushed downstairs, fumbling to put the dishes in the microwave. The excitement made my hands tremble.I ran to the bathroom to check my appearance and look my best for Atlas. I wanted him to know I’d always be there for him. More than anything, I hoped we could celebrate his birthdays together from now on.Finally, the door was pushed open. I eagerly said, "You're back!"Atlas seemed disoriented and was surprised to see me. He pulled me into his arms. "Why are you still awake?"The air smelled strongly of alcohol. I'd never seen him drink this much before. I quickly led him to the dining table. When he was seated, I lit the birthday candles and said, "Happy birthday! I hope every day will be as wonderful as today! Make a wish!”I saw him slowly rise while looking at me. His expression had darkened."What did you say, Chloe?" His drunken eyes turned icy and intense. "What did you just say

I gazed at the kitchen and dining area I had cleaned before washing my face. However, I didn’t return to my room. Instead, I went to Ava’s room and lay beside her. Surprisingly, I fell asleep almost immediately.Ava had already been awake and playing with her dolls when I woke up. After some thought, I told her, “Let’s change our clothes. I’ll take you out for breakfast and then to the office. If there’s nothing urgent, we can visit Grandma and Grandpa, okay?”Ava cheered and asked if she could bring her doll with her.Meanwhile, I called Ryan and told him I’d come by later. I helped Ava prepare, found her winter clothes, and packed them in a small suitcase. I also packed my belongings before we left.We went to the office after breakfast. Although it was Ava’s first time here, she quickly became the office princess. Carol brought her around while I dealt with a few matters with Ryan. I also told him I wanted to return to my hometown today to fetch my parents.Ryan looked me up an

I got drunk that night, so Ryan had to send me home. When we exited his car, he carried me on his back. I giggled and refused to go inside.He walked around the neighborhood with me on his back while recounting everything that happened during my freshman year. I remembered how nice he had been to me. Eventually, I fell asleep on his back.I didn't remember how I returned to my room, but I felt at ease. I was no longer afraid since my parents were there to care for Ava. I felt like I could do whatever I pleased.Suddenly, a series of phone calls woke me. My head still pounded, and I knew it was a holiday. I silenced my phone and buried my face in the pillow, forcing myself not to overthink. However, I couldn’t sleep or shake the pain in my heart anymore.Suddenly, my phone rang again.I picked up my phone and saw Atlas’s name. After some hesitation, I finally answered. After all, I had longed for him to call me."Yeah?" My voice was hoarse from just waking up."Why didn't you ans

I didn’t know whether to answer since Atlas was calling.Meanwhile, my dad seemingly assessed my emotions. I reluctantly answered the call. The voice on the other end said, “I’m at the airport. Come and pick me up.”I was speechless at his command. He usually had assistants around him but still wanted me to pick him up. I wondered if he considered me a chauffeur or a servant.“Sorry, I have guests at home and can’t come—” I replied indifferently.Before I could finish, he hung up. I nearly cursed him aloud for hanging up on me again. I was about to leave my phone on the coffee table when I received a text. It was a picture of Ryan with bags in hand.Below it, the message read, “Is this the guest you must stay home for? When did he become so important that you can’t leave? Ava must be waiting for me to have dinner with her.”I was outraged while looking at the message. I thought Atlas was bold for accessing the surveillance footage at my house."What do you want?" I returned his

My heart sank, and I felt his words weren’t for me. I sat motionless as I gazed at the breathtaking scenery before me. I wondered if this was the home under construction he had mentioned.Atlas exited the car, took his luggage, and opened my door. He led me inside, and I matched his pace. The inside of the house was inexplicable. I heard a sudden exclamation as we entered, “Mr. Atlas, you’re back!”Several servants rushed over and took the luggage from Atlas. There was a chorus of greetings and laughter that followed. I knew these people were loyal to him.When he got to his room, he pressed me against the door and said hoarsely, “It seems you didn’t miss me.”My heart ached, and I chuckled with a hint of bitterness. I lowered my gaze. I was always stubborn and never knew how to express what bothered me. Meanwhile, Atlas leaned in and stared at me as if trying to read my thoughts.“What’s wrong? Don’t you want to talk to me?” He continued to gaze at me, making me feel trapped.Hi

I didn’t return to my place for dinner with Ryan and my family that night. Instead, I stayed with Atlas. After what he told me, I couldn’t leave him alone in his vast mansion on New Year’s Eve.He told me a lot about his happy times with his parents before he turned ten. However, he didn't mention his life after losing them, and I didn't dare to ask. I believed those were the scars he didn't want to reopen.No wonder he loved being home so much, and he was so patient with Ava. I guessed he was emulating his dad.While listening to his stories, I had a strange feeling that I had lost many happy memories. I only remembered things from my senior year of high school but had no memories of what happened before.I couldn’t recall much of my childhood or how my parents treated me. It was as if I had no friends. I even envied Atlas for speaking of his past happiness and sorrow. Still, I wondered if I had chosen to forget certain things.I wanted to ask him about Annalise, but my words wou