With her eyes slightly narrowed, the woman enjoyed the early autumn morning. The weather was a bit chilly, but the warm sunshine on her body felt wonderfully comforting.
Her lips, painted with pink lipstick, curled into a subtle smile. Her gaze was alluring, and she wore a vintage silk robe. In this moment, Hannah appeared both elegant and poised.
She had been here for over a year now.
A faint smile graced Hannah’s face. She knew her skills had sharpened, and once she became fully powerful, she would reclaim everything that was rightfully hers, striking back tooth for tooth.
At that moment, four maids paused in their tasks. "Miss Liliana, your nails are finished. What color nail polish would you like?"
Hannah lazily glanced over as one of the maids respectfully and carefully presented a tray for her to choose from.
With a sweet smile, Hannah said, "I like red. It’s like blood, and it excites me."
"Yes, Miss Liliana," the maid responded, bowing.
Hannah’s smile grew gentler. "Thank you for your hard work."
"Miss Liliana, it is our honor to serve you. We are grateful!" the maid said in fluent Country W language. In just a year, Hannah’s grasp of the Country W language had improved enough for fluent conversation.
The soft sunlight fell on her, making her fair skin glow even more.
Over the past year, Hannah had become fuller, more sensual, and more captivating.
At that moment, a servant walked in carrying a tray of cherries. Every day, around this time, Hannah would enjoy a few exquisite cherries.
She slightly parted her pink lips and bit into the bright red cherry. The contrast between the red and her pale skin was striking.
"Welcome, Mr. Scott!"
A man stepped in quietly just as Hannah took the cherry into her mouth. His eyes gleamed with excitement, a bloodthirsty smile spreading across his face.
"Liliana, you look stunning today!"
The man stood before Hannah, a crazed look in his eyes.
Hannah chuckled softly. "Mr. Scott, you look quite handsome yourself today."
Whenever they were together, they would converse in the Country S language. This Mr. Scott was none other than Mason’s cousin, Logan Scott!
Logan’s aura was completely different from Mason’s. While Mason had a devilish charm, like a mischievous spirit, Logan had the commanding presence of a king—cold, arrogant, and regal.
Although he had been outmaneuvered by Mason—who had schemed to strip him of his position as heir to the Scott family throne—Logan had become a famous actor in Country W.
After the maids finished applying Hannah’s nail polish, Logan sat beside her, arrogantly tilting her chin up. "How’s my little kitten feeling today?"
Hannah flashed a sweet smile. "Seeing you always makes me happy!"
Logan was her fiancé, and as Liliana, Hannah lived in Country W under a powerful family’s protection, which had drawn Logan’s attention to her.
Logan smiled lightly and gently stroked her jade-like face. "When will you return to Country S?"
Hannah’s eyes turned cold and bloodthirsty. "It’s not time yet."
"I’ll wait for you," Logan said with a sly grin, his eyes full of dark intent.
Benjamin recovered quickly, and Ella briefly explained the feud between the Carter Group, Grandma Carter, and his uncle.
Benjamin, shocked, felt that he wasn’t suited for the business world and wanted to decline Ella’s offer to groom him for the role.
Ella sneered. "Do you think by not becoming the Carter Group’s heir, you can escape all your troubles? Don’t forget, there’s still the Carter Group! They’re all greedy. Do you really think they won’t come after you?"
Benjamin shook his head. "The Carter Group is already in a precarious situation. Besides... murder is a crime. If they really did that for profit, it wouldn’t be worth it."
Eric let out a disdainful snort. "Murder? They wouldn’t bother getting their hands dirty! Otherwise, someone would’ve shown up here by now. But there are some shames in this world worse than death!"
Benjamin fell silent.
He had seen the news about Sean slandering Ella in the papers. He had thought the old man was too vicious, even treating his own granddaughter like that. But now he realized Sean was part of the Carter Group.
Sean’s methods were indeed ruthless. If he and Bobby appeared together, Sean would certainly not want them returning to the Carter Group.
That meant Benjamin and his father would be walking into all sorts of traps!
"I’ll follow your plan," Benjamin finally nodded after a long pause.
Seeing Benjamin agree, his emotions stabilized. After all, Ella had just transferred him a million dollars to soothe his wounded heart.
For some people, money isn’t important, especially those who are already born into wealth. But for others, it’s a necessity. Without it, they’d starve to death. People like Bobby and Benjamin were from the lower rungs of society.
Benjamin’s attempted suicide stemmed largely from sending all his parents’ money to his girlfriend, who then abandoned him, leaving him in utter despair. Now that he had something he craved, he found the will to keep going.
Meanwhile, Ten Nights Bar was in the process of being handed over, and a location had been chosen for the clothing company. The next step was recruiting talent.
Ella was genuinely busy now. This was her first real taste of the hardships of entrepreneurship, but those challenges were shaping her character and perseverance, honing her vision and courage!
Autumn had arrived. Along the avenues of campus, the fall breeze swirled, sending leaves fluttering through the air.
Rachel walked with her head down, her frail shoulders trembling slightly. Her face was pale, and she had grown noticeably thinner.
Ever since the video of her being caught in bed with a man had circulated on the school’s forum, Rachel had been met with scornful glares every time she appeared on campus.
"Yeah, she’s the one who got caught fooling around with a guy on Treading Immortal Mountain. She’s totally disgraced Egerton University!"
"So shameless! I guess she was just desperate for too long! I used to think she seemed pretty decent, at least on the surface—looked so innocent. Turns out she’s just a bitch!"
"Hahaha, look at her now, acting all pitiful. Who’s she trying to fool? Probably trying to seduce some fresh-faced freshmen!"
The crude comments from the students around her cut into Rachel like knives.
She clutched a book tightly to her chest, lowering her head even further, her fingers digging into the cover.
"That’s enough! You small-minded people love kicking others when they’re down!" A cold voice interrupted the cruel chatter—it was Olivia.
A glimmer of hope flashed in Rachel’s eyes. Her target had finally appeared!