Annie Gray breathed a sigh of relief and then looked at her watch. The clock was almost at midnight. In fact, after midnight tonight, everything would be over.
The sun always rises as promised every day, but the things that happen each day are different.
When she realized that Atlas Hallow and Charlotte Miller hadn’t returned to the Hallow Family villa, Ava Walker felt something was different.
"Butler Kent, where is Atlas staying?" Watching as Butler Kent was taking a few servants to pack some things from Atlas Hallow’s bedroom to have the driver take them away, even though Atlas had occasionally not stayed at the villa before for a day or two, he’d never moved his belongings out.
"Second Young Lady, you’re aware of the Hallow Family’s rules. I, a mere servant, shouldn’t speak out of turn. Please don’t make it difficult for me." The old butler replied respectfully, slightly bowing.
"I won’t tell anyone." Ava seemed a bit anxious, after all, she’d just formed an alliance, and everything was about to start. How could Charlotte have moved out?
"I have other duties to attend to, so I’ll be leaving now." The butler was very clever. He knew he absolutely couldn’t speak carelessly about such matters. Currently, Atlas is in charge of the Hallow Family, and he doesn’t appreciate people gossiping about him behind his back.
He had to arrange for people to clean Atlas’s room daily, ensure the food in the refrigerator was fresh every day, and take the worn clothing to be washed in the house’s laundry room before sending them back. He couldn’t afford to delay these important tasks.
Watching the car drive away with the butler and the two maids, Ava’s eyes seemed to blaze with anger. If the butler wouldn’t talk, there would naturally be others who would. She had to know everything about Atlas Hallow and Charlotte Miller; there would always be a chance for her to act.
She returned to her room, picked up the phone, and dialed Hailey Hill.
"Hailey, I have some bad news for you..." Ava deliberately paused, letting out a long sigh before continuing, "My brother has moved out. He’s gone to shack up with that Charlotte Miller. This was actually my fault. They were newlyweds, couldn’t resist their passions, and did that thing outside their room. I kindly reminded them since there were still servants at home. That morning, Charlotte got into a fight with me, and then they moved out. Hailey, you have to be careful. I see my brother has really been ensnared by Charlotte."
Which woman wouldn’t feel hurt hearing about the man she loves being with another woman? Hailey Hill felt exactly like that, her heart nearly burning red with anger: "Where did he move to?"
"I don’t know, but he’s probably hiding away to protect his precious bride. I originally wanted to help you, but it seems I can’t do much now since he doesn’t even stay at home." As Ava spoke with Hailey on the phone, she paced back and forth in her bedroom to calm her inner fury.
"It won’t be like this. I have a way. Trust me." Hailey’s voice was chillingly cold, like a snake slithering, making people feel icy and sticky.
She hadn’t pressured matters because she thought Atlas would fulfill his promises due to his guilt. If not for this, she wouldn’t let him and Charlotte enjoy this freedom. It was time for her to reclaim everything owed to her.
She had her methods; everyone can always find a way. What the Hallow Family owed her must be returned.
She wanted Atlas Hallow’s remaining life to compensate for her suffering, for never being able to become a mother. No matter what she had done, it shouldn’t have been so ruthlessly taken from her — her ovaries and uterus. She couldn’t be a mother, nor could she enjoy the pleasures of intimacy, unable to be a complete woman, and she was not yet thirty.
Charlotte was merely a woman enjoying benefits. If it weren’t for her, things wouldn’t have turned out this way.
Who was to blame?
Should she blame herself for insisting her child come from a family with pure and noble lineage, or blame Charlotte’s sister for fleeing the marriage, blame Charlotte for being strikingly beautiful, or lament fate’s cruel play?
Thinking about these things was useless. She was determined to be the last woman standing beside Atlas Hallow. She was determined to become the mother of Atlas Hallow’s children.
Besides physical pleasure, she wanted everything she was due.
Atlas Hallow was a normal man. When needed, she would find various beautiful women for him, but those women could never be Charlotte.