However, Bryce thought Holly was just trying to protect Abelin by hiding the truth.On the day of Winona's burial, Bryce saw Abelin twice.Abelin had openly stood on the bridge across the pond, staring at Holly with a deep, affectionate gaze.Soon after Holly got injured, Samantha's left hand was also wounded, with four fingers sustaining the damage, too.After slapping Holly, Samantha was also beaten until her entire face swelled up, and it happened that very night.If Abel was truly dead, how could these uncanny coincidences be explained?The only plausible explanation was that Abel hadn't died after all. He changed his appearance and became Abelin Gabelman instead.Or, the other possibility was that Holly was lying.Between the two, Bryce wanted to believe the first explanation the most.Knowing that Holly's mood would dip whenever Abel was mentioned, Bryce stopped arguing with her. He quietly cut a piece of foie gras and fed it to her while saying, "Eat up. You've worked h
Holly's heart missed a beat as she slowly turned around. She saw Bryce standing outside the restroom and looking at them calmly.She finally realized why Samantha had leaned in and whispered the words to her. It was to antagonize her so that she would lash out.Previously, Bryce took Holly's side because Samantha had hit her first. But this time, she was the one who hit Samantha.Holly stared at Bryce in silence, waiting for his response.However, when she saw that he was simply looking at them in silence, she realized his silence proved his support for her. After all, she had made the first move this time.Nevertheless, due to the business partnerships between Gabelman Group and Cott Group, he couldn't be too open about it.Having figured this out, Holly felt confident enough to eye Samantha coldly and remark, "You're such a strange woman. He's my husband, and he treats both my family and me so well. Why wouldn't I be sweet and gentle with him?"Meanwhile, you're the woman who'
Cupping her cheek, Samantha left Rev with Moses, feeling rather peeved.As soon as they got out of the restaurant, she complained to Moses, "Aren't you my brother? Why didn't you stand up for me when she slapped me in the face? You dragged me out of the restaurant instead."Moses turned his head and looked at her face. There was a visible patch of redness on her cheek.His gaze was dark as he asked, "What did you say to her that made her slap you so hard?""All I did was say that her grandma died at the perfect time to stop her from getting a divorce. How's that so bad?" Samantha grumbled angrily.She only did it to get Bryce's sympathy, but even though Holly hit her this time, Bryce didn't take her side. She was infuriated that her plan didn't work.Moses' lips twitched. "That explains why she slapped you. I would've done it, too, if I were in her shoes. You should watch yourself next time."Samantha side-eyed him and said, "Sometimes I wonder if you're Holly's brother instead.
Due to the strong winds, the river kept churning with waves. The area was also surrounded by trees. It was a desolate corner with not a single human in sight.Staring out the window of the car, Holly saw the fierce gushing of the river and asked in confusion, "Why are we here?""Let's get down," Bryce said before opening the door and stepping out of the car. Holly did likewise.Bryce passed the car keys to her and said, "Help me get something out of the trunk."Puzzled, Holly took the keys and went to the back of the car.When she opened the trunk, her heart jumped, and her eyes lit up in surprise.The trunk was filled with red roses—the special kind that was imported. Each rose petal was almost as large as the palm of her hand. The petals felt as soft as silk and were a brilliant, intoxicating red. The graceful curves of the roses made them look even more elegant.They were gorgeous.With one hand in his pocket, Bryce leaned against the car and looked at the dazed Holly as h
Bryce's eyes glittered ever so briefly as he pushed himself up and hovered over Holly. Pursing his lips, he observed her for a while.At last, he pecked her nose and muttered, "You'd better keep your word."Holly hummed in acknowledgment, but that wasn't enough for Bryce."You're not taking it seriously. Say it again," Bryce commanded.Holly wanted to laugh. Bryce was the one who decided the state of their relationship, but he was acting as though she didn't want him.After pondering briefly, she wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered into his ear, "Many people like you because you're handsome, rich, and powerful. Some like you because they've seen you at your lowest and feel empathy for you."And, there was one who sat by your side in silence—who only wanted to lend you a shoulder and share her candy with you."Bryce's gaze stiffened. He cupped her face and pressed his face against hers.It was a while before he finally said, "I only wanted you to stir up a bit more pa
Abelin paused briefly before saying, "That works. I took a picture of the painting earlier, so I'll send it to you later.""That won't be necessary. I have it memorized. I promise the replica will look exactly the same," Holly assured.After a moment of silence, Abelin said quietly, "You're still as incredible as ever."Holly's heart missed a beat. "What did you say?"Abelin chuckled and said a little louder, "I said you're almost more incredible than I expected."Holly figured she must've heard him wrong earlier. "I was trained to do it ever since I was a child, so it's a skill developed through practice.""Let's just put your signature on the painting. I have faith that you'll be famous one day. Once you do, the replica you made of Shadow Scape will be worth a fortune, too," Abelin said."You're too kind," Holly said demurely, though she was thrilled to receive such recognition from him.Once the call ended, Holly went to her study and hung a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door
Knowing Bryce might've gotten angry, Holly hastily explained, "He kept the painting in his office, and one of his regular clients bought it for 13 million dollars. He then transferred the extra one million dollars to me. I wanted to return the money to him, but he asked me to buy him a meal instead."I rejected that idea and decided to make him a replica of the painting, but he now wants to treat me to dinner. I couldn't say no, so my only option now is to bring you along. I'll ask Annie to come with me if you're busy."As soon as she finished speaking, Bryce replied, "I'm not busy.""Thank you," Holly said with a smile.…At 6:00 pm the next day, Holly and Bryce arrived at the restaurant.The restaurant owner was said to have come from a long line of chefs who cooked for royalty before. He only served eight tables a day and would only prepare a chef's menu of eight dishes per table. Customers weren't allowed to order what they wanted, and he never made extra, either.Even so, b
Noticing the still-stormy expression on Bryce's face, Holly picked up a spoonful of risotto and brought it to his mouth, saying with a smile, "Try some of this risotto. It's the perfect comfort food after a long day of work."Bryce didn't object. As he slowly chewed the risotto, his expression returned to normal.Holly secretly exhaled in relief. Thankfully, she had managed to smooth things over.Prior to this dinner, she never expected the courteous and gentlemanly Bryce to have such a stubborn side.He was known as the shrewd and charismatic genius of the business world, but just moments ago, he was acting like a jealous schoolboy. It was rather unlike him.While Holly was caught up in her thoughts, Bryce took up a spoonful of the bouillabaisse and held it up to her. Gazing gently at her, he said pleasantly, "You've been up for many nights working on the painting. I'm sure you're exhausted. Have some of this bouillabaisse. The vitamins and minerals from the shellfish are good