By the time I woke up, it was almost 9 a.m. I stretched my arm out, finding the space next to me empty, but the bed retained some warmth. It seemed that Atlas had been up for a while.I shook my head, feeling a bit lazy. Staying up late was exhausting.But there was no way around it. Matthew was like settling an old score from a past life. Perhaps I owed him something in a previous existence, and now he was coming to collect the debt.I sighed softly, with a sense of resentment. Then I grabbed my phone and dialed Ryan. After informing him of the situation, he said, "You should go to the hospital. I'm already at the office. Don't worry."I lazily replied, "It's great to have you at the company. Otherwise, I'd be in big trouble.""You're just trying to butter me up," he responded impatiently."In that case, I'll hang up." I teased him. "Focus on your work.""Fine, I’m hanging up." He grumbled, "That damn Matthew is causing trouble! Stupid shit.""I agree,” I chuckled.Ryan had
Upon reaching the hospital, I noticed a crowd of cops outside the ward. I snorted, silently cursing at the embarrassing situation. They were making things too obvious.As I approached the door, Adrian emerged from inside."How is he?" I inquired."He's better now. They gave him a sedative," Adrian replied."Is he awake or still sleeping?" I assumed he'd be asleep after being sedated.Adrian whispered, "They gave him a small dose. He’s awake, but he's calm now."Hearing this, I stepped inside.There were two cops in the room, keeping a watchful eye on him. Matthew, with a deathly pale face, turned toward me. When he saw me, he completely broke down, crying like a child.I walked to him, towering over him. I finally said, "What's this? You don’t want to live anymore?"Seeing him cry like this stirred a strange feeling in me. No matter how much hatred there was, when the other person became vulnerable, we still could not bear to see them suffer.I had no remaining emotions for M
I didn’t know if he took it to heart, but he stopped crying and fell into deep thought.I was shocked to see him in this state. I wondered if I had been too harsh in what I said. The series of blows he had received were indeed overwhelming for him.Although his actions were infuriating, he was also a vulnerable individual.I eased up a bit, observing his emotions.After a moment, he looked at me. His face remained pale. He seemed much older, and I even doubted if this was the Matthew I used to know, always lively and confident.The person before me now appeared dejected and helpless."Chloe, can I still clear my name? For the projects I supervised, I didn't cut corners or use subpar materials, but for the one in Muborough, I knew nothing about them. It was all Liora framing me." His emotions calmed, and his thoughts became clearer."Then tell the truth to the judge. If you can't explain it the first time, do it a second or third time until you can prove your innocence. That's wh
He urgently called out to me, "Chloe, I miss Ava."This sentence made me both sad and angry.I turned slowly and looked at Matthew on the bed with a sense of detachment. "Then you need to act like a man even more. Your previous actions have already had a huge impact on her. She's been mocked and beaten in kindergarten, and her injuries haven't healed yet. Reflect on what you've brought to her."I paused for a moment. "You need to be a real man so she can be proud of you one day. You still have a lot to do.”I looked at Atlas, who had been by my side all along. At this moment, I was truly moved. He was my pillar and support. It was this man who carried all the burden for Ava and I."Atlas, let's go," I whispered softly.Atlas nodded, held my hand, and we walked out together. I heard a sobbing sound behind me, followed by loud wailing.The two cops rushed in, afraid that he might do something again.Once outside the ward, I suddenly felt much lighter. During breakfast, I forced a
I nodded earnestly. I knew that only someone who cared for me genuinely could say such things."I know. After helping him clear his name this time, I will step back completely. I just told him not to seek help from me anymore. I have no obligation to always speak up for him. I’ve decided to stop my involvement no matter what.”Lauren looked at me. "You said that yourself. Remember it. Some things should be done for those who deserve them. But Matthew..."Lauren sneered, shook her head, and said, "He’s not worth it, nor does he deserve it. He and Atlas are worlds apart. There's no comparison, not considering their wealth or status. Just based on character, he is a complete loser. “If you ever feel soft-hearted again, think about all the nonsense he did to you before."I chuckled. I felt like a child she was protecting, and what Lauren said was indeed true.Adrian called me again, informing me that he had applied for a trial postponement. This would give us some extra time to gath
When Lauren was discharged from the hospital, I went to pick her up, only to run into Liora in the hospital lobby.Lauren whispered to me, "Why is she everywhere?"I smiled nonchalantly. "I had Grayson check on this before. Liora visits the hospital often because her father’s hospitalized here, supposedly with rectal cancer."Lauren scoffed, "That’s karma. They have done many terrible things.”We talked and laughed. Liora saw us as we headed toward the exit. She cast a sly glance at us and remarked, "I didn't expect you to be out of the hospital so soon. Be careful. Don't get yourself into trouble again."I snorted disdainfully. "Those who do wrong will meet their own downfall. If someone dares to pull something again, she won't be so lucky."When I responded, she stopped and looked at me arrogantly. "Don't get too complacent, Chloe. You should always have a backup plan.”Lauren had always ignored her before, but she couldn't hold back this time. She stopped abruptly and said co
I took a step forward, still scrutinizing her. "Threaten you? I usually don’t bother to do anything like that. I just can't stand your attitude."She looked at me menacingly. "Do you think you're really that lucky? Or do you believe Atlas can protect you?"I looked into her eyes, smiling disdainfully. "He's doing a pretty good job protecting me right now. Anyone who dares harm me will face dire consequences. You've seen more than one example. I wouldn't mind if you tried your luck. Fate will tell who will go to hell"I grinned mischievously. "You were too ambitious. You’ve committed too many sins, and your time is running out."My words angered her, and she raised a hand to slap me.Unfortunately for her, she was shorter than me, and I was prepared. I deftly blocked her and retaliated with a fierce slap of my own.I didn't know if it hurt her, but my hand was numb.After the slap, I looked at her, playfully saying, "How was that? Did it hurt? If you dare lay a hand on me again,
I looked at Oliver apologetically and whispered, "I'm sorry, Mr. Oliver. Don't blame her. She was just insulted because of this moments ago. Of course she’s upset."Oliver nodded with a heavy heart, still looking after the car that had sped away. "There’s no need to apologize. It's not your fault, it’s mine. Thank you for taking care of her."I sighed. "You don’t need to thank me. After all, she got hurt because of me. I'm heading back to the company now."Throughout our conversation, Oliver's eyes remained fixed forlornly on the road, even after the car had disappeared.As Carol and I got into the car, she remarked, "Lauren really doesn’t care about anything, huh? No matter what he’s done, he’s still one of the big shots of Foswood. Anyone would respect him because of that, but look at how she spoke to him.”I sighed softly. "What's done is done."Carol sighed too. "You can tell that Oliver really cares about Lauren.”"The more he cares about her, the more it hurts.”When we r