However, before we reached Atticus, I spotted Maddox talking to an older man. I squeezed Ryan's arm and said, "That man is Maddox O'Connell. Let me say hi to him first."I went over to him with a smile, and he recognized me immediately. "Good evening, Ms. Chloe.""It’s a pleasure to see you again, sir." I maintained a respectful demeanor. "I haven't had the chance to thank you for what you did that evening."Calling him “sir” instead of Mr. Maddox was a deliberate move on my part."Don't mention it," he replied. "Allow me to introduce you to Mr. Mercer Cole."Only then did I realize the person he was speaking to was Atticus's father."Nice to meet you, sir. I'm Chloe from Tanum Corporation.”Mercer gave Maddox a puzzled look, surprised that he’d introduce someone like me to him. However, he soon laughed. "Oh, Tanum Corporation? You're that young lady who founded it, huh?"I smiled. "I'm surprised that you’ve heard of us. We’re nobodies here."Mercer seemed to be in his 60s, bu
Liora glanced at me smilingly. "It's a pleasure! I finally have the honor of meeting you, Ms. Chloe. I heard you’re virtuous and exemplary. I have a lot to learn from you.”Although she sounded polite, her words had an underlying awkwardness. I was puzzled but knew she was far from friendly.“You’re too kind, Mrs. Liora. I’ll have to rely on your support in the future,” I replied cautiously. I didn’t need to offend her since it was her family’s event. It was wise to keep a low profile.Liora sneered, “Ms. Chloe, you’re being too modest. Who am I to support you? You’re a model for all of us. Please feel at ease here. Everyone is upright and respectable. You don’t have to worry about anyone harassing you.”Immediately after, she turned and left arrogantly.I blushed when I noticed people looking at me. It was apparent Liora referred to the other night’s incident. Several of her female friends glanced sidelong at me before following her.At some point, Lauren appeared beside me, say
Seeing Stella and Liora standing side by side gave me a bad feeling. Meanwhile, the two men beside them chatted and laughed like close friends instead of rivals.Just then, Stella smiled and raised her glass toward me. Loira also looked toward me, but she looked proud yet indifferent.I scoffed and whispered to Lauren, “Thank goodness this is her family’s event. Otherwise, things would have gotten ugly. You were right when you said she holds grudges.”Lauren sighed, “That’s because it was hard for the Thompsons to get involved in the Coles’ business. They’ve been planning this for years. Although Atticus was cautious, Loira had some tricks up her sleeve. Then, Keegan eventually entered the company.“However, Atticus finally removed Keegan thanks to your actions. It wouldn’t be right if Loira weren’t mad at you.”“I guess I can buy a lottery ticket just using my instincts,” I joked, then chuckled self-deprecatingly."You're laughing about it?" Lauren rolled her eyes at me. "You sh
My heart sank, wondering if Matthew was bluffing. He was so despicable that it frustrated me further. Just then, Stella approached with an eager smile and said, “Chloe! I finally get to talk to you. What are you doing here?”She glanced at Matthew and then at the drink he had handed me. She looked embarrassed and said, "Did I interrupt you two?"When Matthew stepped forward, someone bumped into him and apologized. However, Matthew didn’t mind and focused on me. He grinned, saying, “It’s nothing. We were just discussing something that concerned you, Ms. Stella.”The man who had accidentally bumped into Matthew passed by again and patted him on the back, saying, "Sorry!"Matthew was annoyed and glared at the man before returning his attention to Stella."Me?" Stella looked surprised and asked, "What does this have to do with me?""Matthew, what are you trying to say?" I asked coldly, feeling uneasy. I knew he was up to something."You should ask Chlo. Right, honey?" Matthew's smug
I felt exposed and couldn’t understand why Matthew acted so boldly. He wouldn’t be this relentless if he didn’t have leverage. I knew him well and had experienced his deceit.Nonetheless, I was even more shocked that Atlas seemed to care little about my dignity. I looked at him disapprovingly and uttered one word, “Shameless!”I directed it toward Atlas and Matthew. Immediately after, I turned away to escape the chaos."Stop right there! Don't you want to see it too?" Matthew continued to taunt me. He smirked and continued, "It won’t be entertaining if you leave."Stella took my arm to seemingly diffuse the situation. She smiled and said, "Chloe, this is all my fault. I didn’t know you two were talking and disrupted your conversation."I glanced at her hand gripping my arm and knew she didn’t want me to leave. She didn’t want to resolve the situation—instead, she wanted to worsen it.Loira emerged from the crowd to look at us with curiosity and annoyance. She glanced at Stella, t
I faltered when I realized what had happened. Still, I sighed and left Echelon Towers.Since I came here in Ryan’s car and didn’t want Atticus’s man to take me home, I took a cab. I told Ryan to stay behind because many high-profile figures from the real estate industry were there.I knew the event wasn’t just a congratulatory gathering. It was also an opportunity for Ryan to network with these people. Furthermore, these people were well-connected. As for Lauren, she was excellent at gathering information.I had sensed something was amiss with Stella tonight. Also, Atlas wasn’t just there to celebrate his competitor’s success.Meanwhile, I became the plot twist in this drama. I overestimated Matthew because he was nowhere near as intelligent as Atlas and Atticus. Matthew was a child compared to them.I felt a chill in my heart as I entered the cab. My mind seemed distracted, unable to keep up with the mess. As the cab drove into Ember Lane, it suddenly stopped. The driver cursed,
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