Holly walked over to stand beside Bryce, who stood ramrod straight under the lights. His tall figure made for an exceptionally beautiful sight. Holly looked up and smiled at him, her eyes as bright as the stars. Her pinky finger brushed lightly against his fingers, which were twice longer than hers. Sensing the touch, Bryce held her hand with a smile. He caressed the back of her head with his other hand, saying gently, "Traffic was bad on the way, so I was late. Sorry about that."Holly gave him a small smile. "It's fine. I arrived a short while ago, too."The sight of them pissed Janice off. She opened her mouth, about to say something. However, she feared that she would offend Bryce and be humiliated as a result, so she went elsewhere, taking her glass of wine with her.Bryce took Holly's hand and walked with her to a table, where they sat down. He scooped some caviar up with a mother-of-pearl spoon and placed it before Holly's lips. "This is beluga caviar, which just arrived
Holly mimicked Bryce, inclining her head slightly at Samantha before picking up a cup of tiramisu and starting on it. She didn't bother with even the most perfunctory reply.Samantha said pitifully to Bryce as if she was wronged, "Holly seems not to like me that much."Bryce lifted his chin slightly and pointed at the spot opposite from them. "You should go over there."Samantha stared at him, wanting to retort, but didn't in the end. She replied reluctantly, "Fine." She walked over to the table opposite them and sat down, but her gaze remained on Bryce. After socializing with all the guests, Arthur came over to where Bryce and Holly were at. When he was close to them, Holly got up and greeted him, "Hello, Father."Arthur glanced at her haughtily and gave her a short reply as acknowledgment before saying to Bryce, "Come with me to the study upstairs.""Sure," Bryce replied indifferently before saying gently to Holly, "Take your time with the food, and eat whatever you want.
After going downstairs, Holly took a turn and headed to the bathroom. She entered a cubicle, locked the door, and sat on the toilet seat, covering her face with her hands. She took some time to calm down before remembering what she had been sent upstairs for in the first place. She took out her phone and sent Bryce a message. "Mom wants you and Father to come down. It's time to cut the cake."Bryce replied, "Sure."Holly sat there for a few more minutes before going out to wash her hands at the sink. She looked up and saw how pale her face was in the mirror. She lifted the corners of her lips up, trying to look more normal. The sounds of high heels clacking on the floor grew louder before the door was pushed open, revealing a petite figure wearing a midnight-blue dress that looked like the night sky—it was Samantha. She eyed Holly and smiled insincerely. "We meet again, Holly.""Hmm," Holly acknowledged her presence simply before wiping her hands with a towel.Samantha walked
Holly nodded with a smile. "Sure. You don't need to mind me." She said goodbye to Sherry before getting in the car and leaving the Gabelman residence. When they passed by a 24-hour pharmacy, she told the driver to stop the car, and she went to buy a box of emergency birth control pills. She had had sex with Bryce the previous night, and she hadn't taken any precautions despite being in the ovulation stage.This wasn't the right time to have a child with Bryce, for he hadn't made his decision yet. They might end up getting a divorce at some point later in time. She had never gotten any paternal love before when she was a child. She knew the feeling of lacking it well, and she didn't want her children to have the same experience. After returning home, Holly removed one pill and took it with warm water as per instructed on the manual. The other pill was to be taken 12 hours later, so she left the pill box on the cabinet beside the water dispenser. She went up for a simple showe
That sentence alone was enough to draw Holly's attention. She thought back to what Olivia had told her about how Robyn might have done things at someone else's instigation. Olivia had looked at Samantha with this meaningful gaze.Holly looked down at her left hand, which was in a brace. She really wanted to know if her injury was related to Samantha in any manner. She quietly waited for a while, only to hear Bryce utter in a low voice, "Hmm."Holly went back for the first aid kit before heading toward Bryce, asking, "Has Robyn been caught?"Bryce ended the call before turning toward her. He answered, "She's gone missing."Holly frowned. "Missing?""Yes. The men I sent over rooted through her house as well as those of her relatives, but she was nowhere to be seen. Her family has already reported this to the police, so let's just wait for news about that."Holly's gaze deepened. "The timing of her going missing is pretty coincidental. She went missing immediately after you se
When Bryce had been wheelchair-bound and low in spirits, Holly wished every day that he would eventually stand up again. But now that it had happened, Janice and Arthur found her unworthy to be with him. Those people who called themselves the upper crust of society really did value benefits over relationships—over everything, actually. After Bryce was wiped dry, he put on his nightgown. Holly used her right hand to tie the sash on his waist while Bryce used his left. They held one end of the sash at the same time and managed to tie a knot on Bryce's waist with their joint efforts—they had worked together swimmingly.Bryce had a small smile on his face. "What should we call what we have?"Holly thought about it before turning to look at him, her eyes crescent moons as she smiled. "Being there for each other through thick and thin?"Bryce seemed to have thought back to something as he replied only after a beat, "Yes, thick and thin."He looked down and met her gaze, asking, "If
In the past two years, the paralyzed Bryce had been depressed and had possessed suicidal tendencies.This was why Holly had developed a habit. If Bryce had disappeared, regardless if it was during night or day, she would worry that he had let his suicidal feelings consume him. She would start looking for him immediately until he was found, and only after that would she feel at peace.This didn't change, not even after he had regained his ability to walk. Holly pushed the door to the guest bedroom next door open, and no one was in bed. She went to the study next, and that was empty, too. She went to the bathrooms and the balcony before going downstairs. She even went to the kitchen, but Bryce was still nowhere to be found. Her heart was beating wildly and erratically as if someone was banging on drums and cymbals on her heart. Holly knew that Bryce wouldn't commit suicide now, but she was still scared out of instinct. She pushed the door open and walked briskly toward the co
"I brushed my teeth last night." Holly jostled him lightly with her shoulder and said cutely, "Brush your teeth, please?"Bryce gripped her shoulder with a smile. "You're a bit different compared to before.""How so?""You've learned how to act cutely now, and you've become a bit more talkative."Holly laughed. "Don't all men like women who act cutely?"Bryce smiled. "That's true."He let her go and entered the bathroom, Holly after him. His right hand was injured, which made it difficult for him to squeeze toothpaste on his toothbrush, so Holly did it for him. Bryce picked up his toothbrush with his left hand and started brushing. Maybe humans tended to be more emotional at night, but Holly started feeling a bit sad when she remembered that she wouldn't have many more days left with him. Unable to control herself, she looped her arms around his waist from behind and burrowed her head into the expanse of his back. She said nothing, but she couldn't bear to part with him