"Ivanna... Ivanna..."As I got to the top of the iron tank, I heard Jared's uneasy voice from the bottom. I felt dizzy, and my steps faltered. When I slipped, Atlas caught me and lifted me back up.I couldn't afford to overthink. Anxiously, I followed the stairs spiraling down from the top of the iron tank. My trembling voice echoed, "Ivanna! What happened to her?"I could barely make out the situation below. A few faint lights swayed at the bottom of the iron tank, and there appeared to be water. The pungent smell of rust and stagnant water intensified as I descended, chilling me to the bone.At the base, Jared's men used their phone’s flashlights to illuminate the massive tank. The lights resembled fireflies.It was like a veil had covered my vision. In the darkness, I could only see moving figures. I heard Jared shout, "Knife!"My heart leaped to my throat. Why did he need a knife? I cursed myself for wearing semi-high heels. Even though I was anxious, I couldn’t rush do

Trinity stared menacingly at him. "Jared, you know what I’m capable of! You've seen what happens to those who defy me!""Then do as you please!" Jared's tone was uncompromising as he carried Ivanna to the exit."Get him!"Her people swiftly surrounded Jared, each brandishing ominous-looking objects.I was instantly on edge and ready to act in anger. Ivanna couldn't afford any more delays. She had been soaking in that water for 48 hours.I could not imagine how Ivanna survived that long in the sweltering heat of the day and the eerie darkness of the night."Trinity!" I yelled, fearlessly taking a step forward. "If any harm comes to her, I won't let you go!"Lauren immediately pulled me back. I struggled free from her grasp, locking eyes defiantly with Trinity. "Let go of me!"Trinity glared at me. "I’ve never seen someone so clueless about their mortality!""Then come at me!" I yelled. "Right now! Come on!"Trinity approached me with anger. Atlas, who had been standing by my s

Jared's hands were pressed against the wall of the emergency room door. Atlas walked over, and that was when he calmed down. He stood up straight and looked at Atlas. "Thank you."Atlas only said, "She'll be fine! Trust the doctors!"Two hours later, the lights in the emergency room finally went out. The weary doctors emerged, bearing news that was a mix of joy and concern.The doctor explained that Ivanna's vital signs had returned to normal. She had suffered only minor external injuries. However, because of being bound for an extended period, there was some tissue necrosis in her arm. Recovery would depend on how she responded.I felt a sense of unease. I rushed forward and asked, "How did it become necrotic? What are the chances of recovery?"The doctor patiently explained, "It's just a sign of necrosis. We will have to wait for the patient to regain consciousness and assess her sensory response before determining her chances of recovery. But the outlook is promising."I fin

When I saw Trinity at the Vanderberg Palace, I could not figure out why she was so composed. Now, it all made sense. She never intended for Ivanna to survive. Trinity was trying to kill her by putting her in such a hostile environment, isolated and abandoned.Trinity couldn't be bothered to face her at all. It was a deliberate decision to leave Ivanna there to fend for herself.Who would have guessed she’d lock her in that hellish iron tank? No one would’ve thought about it if not for Jared.Jared appeared to comprehend Trinity's ruthlessness. That was why she seemed so calm last night alongside Stella.I felt compelled to call Grayson and ask him to monitor Stella.Jared's phone rang, and he stepped out to take the call. When he returned, he approached Ivanna's bedside and gently said, "I'll be back soon."Ivanna looked reluctant but nodded. "Mm."Once Jared left, I asked Ivanna to explain what happened. She gripped our hands and slowly recounted the entire ordeal.She said

I scoffed. "This isn't just being audacious—it's evil! Luckily, we got to her in time, and now she's okay. Mom, just stay on Celestis Island for a while. Once things are sorted out here, I'll pick you up!"I was worried they wouldn’t feel comfortable there without familiar faces."It's perfect timing since Ava hasn't started school,” I reminded her, “You can spend more time together before she does. If you need anything, just let me know!""Mr. Atlas has everything arranged already. He had a bunch of daily necessities delivered early this morning, enough for a whole year." My mom's tone sounded cheerful. "The air here is excellent. Your dad loves it!""That's great! I'm glad you're all enjoying it."My mom hung up the phone, thoroughly satisfied. My heart felt more at ease, too. Hearing Ava's laughter, I knew I didn't need to worry about her.When I left, my mom wasn't in the best condition, but now she sounded incredibly pleased. The climate there benefited my dad's health, so e

Soon after, Lauren prepared to leave us at the hospital entrance. She smiled weakly and said, “I won’t go with you, Chlo. I should go home and check on things since it’s been almost two days since I returned.”I understood she also had a home to return to.I followed Atlas back to the car but realized I hadn’t driven since I returned. He glanced at me with a suggestive smile and asked, “Pleca Park or Amethyst Apartments?”“Amethyst Apartment, duh!” I felt embarrassed and couldn’t look at him.After driving me home, he got out and followed me inside. He seemed familiar with the place as he removed his coat and entered the kitchen. I hurried after him and said, “Why don’t you rest? Let’s just make some noodles.”He looked back at me, saying, “You should shower and rest. Let me handle this.”“Did you get any sleep today?” I remembered to ask. After all, he had also been on the go for over twenty hours.He gazed at me tenderly and asked, “Are you worried about me? Let’s go to bed ea

Since it was my first time eating onion rings around Atlas, I wondered how he knew I liked my onion rings like that.He raised a brow and lowered his gaze, saying, “It was just a guess. I had a playmate who liked eating onion rings the same way when I was a kid. She used to stay at my house for meals.”I looked at him and thought about the photo of the real Stella. I asked, “Are you referring to Stella?”This time, he looked surprised instead of me. He looked at me and asked, “How do you know it’s Stella? Did you remember something?”I noticed him scrutinizing me, which made me somewhat doubtful, especially with his follow-up question. I asked, “What do you mean by ‘did I remember something?’”He smiled when I asked that. “I didn’t mean it like that. I was just curious how you know Stella. Not the Stella you met, though.”“Yes, I found out about her,” I confessed, “I told Grayson to look into it, and he found a photo.”Atlas frowned at me. “What photo?”I regretted saying that,

Atlas remained composed as he set down my phone and said, “Let’s eat the pasta before it gets cold.”“Atlas, are you… hiding something from me? Well, maybe I shouldn’t know too much,” I said cautiously.He explained, “It’s not that I’m afraid you’ll know too much. My family’s just complicated. I’ll tell you about them gradually, not because I’m hiding anything from you. You’ll need to know a few things first before you can accept more details.”Atlas’s reasonable explanation eased my mind. I looked at him and asked, “Don’t you hate me for investigating you? I honestly didn’t mean to.”“No, I don’t. On the contrary, you did well in your investigation. It shows you’re actively trying to understand me, which is a good thing. It means you love me,” Atlas spoke frankly with a hint of teasing.I blushed as I ate a mouthful of pasta to hide my embarrassment. I muttered, “I knew you’d tease me.”He smirked and said, “Do you even have a good reason to argue? If you didn’t like me, why wou

I quickly got dressed and headed downstairs. Atlas also woke up and looked at me, but I gestured to him, saying, “Go back to sleep.”I wondered who could be at the door and why they pressed the doorbell so frantically early in the morning. It made me uneasy, and I hoped nothing bad had happened. Unexpectedly, I saw Grace through the peephole and quickly understood what was happening.After some thought, I opened the door. Grace hurried in and angrily pushed me aside when she saw me. I could do nothing besides shaking my head in resignation.Once inside, Grace scolded me, “You lied to me! You promised to let me see Ava, but where is she? She’s my granddaughter and has the Murphys’ blood in her veins. Why won’t you let me see her?!”I gazed at her and realized she had the Murphy family trait of yelling. However, I gave her space to vent because she was the most pitiful member of the family but also cared dearly for Ava.“Tell your daughter to come down, or I’ll go upstairs. You’re s

That day, Ava told Grace to stop bullying me. I knew Grace wouldn’t have forgotten it. Indeed, she paled and gluped.I continued, “Also, stop saying this house belongs to your family. Do you know where your family would be without me and my company?! I was kind enough not to take away your current house.“You can still be Ava’s grandmother if you behave. However, I’ll shut you off from her if you insist on harassing me.” I looked at her sternly and understood something. I pitied her misfortune but resented her unwillingness to compromise.Grace stared at me with misty eyes and remained silent for a while. Finally, she cleared her throat and asked, “Then why did you send Ava to Celestis Island? Why do you always seem to send her away whenever I visit?”I replied, “It has nothing to do with you. Ava and I have other things happening, so you should understand that our lives have nothing to do with your family. Can’t we arrange our own lives and schedules? Me sending Ava to Celestis Is