The Quinn Family and the james Family had never collaborated before.

It wasn’t until Olivia started dating Brian that her family began to establish connections with him.

The james Family’s business dealings were not exactly legal.

They mostly operated underground casinos, boMegang rings, and other ventures in the grey area of the law.

After their match, Brian privately signed several investment agreements with Andrew, and the two planned to open entertainment venues in B City.

This area was outside of government jurisdiction, a battleground for criminal forces to contend over.

With Olivia’s help, Andrew made things easy for Brian, providing him with contacts, talents, and strategic plans—whatever was needed.

In other words, Brian easily gained control over an entire industry so easily.

Olivia’s mind went blank with a buzzing noise.

It turned out that Brian had never shown her any genuine affection at all.

After all, on the night of their first meeting, Brian had already discussed business with Andrew.

Olivia gave a bitter smile. “Couldn’t you just keep pretending? I’m about to marry you, and I’m carrying your child!”

Brian looked at her mockingly. “Yes, you’re pregnant.”

Olivia pressed on, “Since you could keep up the act for half a month, you could do it for a month, a year, even a lifetime! Aren’t you already pretending to be affectionate with me while sleeping with Ashley?

“If you can do it now, why can’t you continue? Why did you have to expose everything and break this illusion?”

Olivia, regaining some clarity, was still unwilling to accept the truth.

She looked at Brian and demanded an answer.

Brian curled his lips. “Since you’re already pregnant, why would I need to pretend any longer? What are you going to do—abort the baby? Call off the wedding? Sever ties with the Quinn Family?”

His words implied that since everything had been settled down, and the james Family was now forced to collaborate with him, there was no need for him to keep his disguise at all.

Brian’s gaze lingered on Olivia’s face. “I’ve been having a lot of fun lately. Thanks.”

With that, he headed upstairs.

Olivia’s heart sank bit by bit as she watched Brian’s retreating figure.

Unwillingness, anger, and fear flickered across her face.

She stared at the whip marks on Brian’s back, unable to stop wondering where they had come from.

She thought: Did he really get them by accident, as he claimed, after running into a group of drunkards?

Then why? after so much investigation by both The Quinn and Lin Families, was nothing uncovered?

A sudden chill ran down Olivia’s spine.

...

Ashley was sent to the hospital again, with the same attending doctor as before.

Seeing the whip marks on her back, the doctor furrowed his brow. “Hey, who’s this girl, a living target? How do you keep ending up in this state?”

The butler bowed his head humbly.

The doctor treated Ashley’s external injuries.

Fortunately, despite looking severe, the wounds hadn’t reached deeper layers.

“Alright? she’ll have to lie on her stomach for the next few days. Let me make this clear: whatever’s going on in your household, if she keeps getting injured like this, no matter how strong her body is, she won’t last.

“And - during the examination, I also noticed some redness and tearing down below. I’ll have the gynecology department come for a consultation later. Tonight, you’d better find a female to take care of her.”

The butler’s face flushed with embarrassment.

Although he was puzzled as to why there was tearing in her private area, he quickly agreed to the doctor’s suggestions.

After the doctor left, the butler looked at the unconscious Ashley lying on the bed and sighed deeply.

“Oh my god...”

Though the butler had brought Ashley to the hospital, he couldn’t stay long.

He arranged for a hospital caregiver to look after her and then returned to the Quinn Family estate.

As soon as he got out of the car, he saw Melissa standing at the gate.

When she saw the butler, she quickly approached, her eyes full of worry. “Butler, how is Ashley? Is she alright?”

The butler looked at Melissa, equally puzzled. He had seen how much Melissa loved and cared for Ashley over the years, dedicating so much of her energy to her.

When Ashley was just a child, Melissa had unhesitatingly donated part of her liver to her.

She’s absolutely a good mother.

Yet, she was also contradictory.

The more she loved her daughter in daily life, the more she faltered in critical moments.

Whenever something went wrong, she would hide behind her daughter, letting Ashley bear the brunt of Mrs Quinn’s wrath despite her young age.

It was as if she both loved and hated her.

But the butler was just an outsider, and it wasn’t his place to interfere in other people’s family matters.

He replied, “She’s fine. She’s been admitted to the hospital. The doctor said she’s been injured repeatedly and needs proper rest. If you have time during the day, maybe you could bring some nourishing soup to her. She has to stay on her stomach now, so it might be inconvenient for her in the hospital.”

Melissa quickly said yes.

The butler went inside to report to Mrs Quinn.

As he entered the living room, he saw Mr. Quinn, who rarely came home, sitting on the sofa.

“Mr. Quinn!”

David was unusually relaxed, smiling slightly as he looked at the butler. “I heard Ashley is back in the hospital?”

The butler nodded.

Seeing David’s relaxed expression, he cautiously asked, “What about the Board of Directors...”

David’s lips curved into a smile. “Almost done.”

The butler hurriedly offered his congratulations.

David waved his hand dismissively. “Make sure everything at home is in order, and get rid of anyone unnecessary. Don’t cause any trouble.”

The butler hesitated. “Sending Ashley away is no problem, but as for Melissa...”

David’s expression darkened.

Just then, Melissa walked in from outside.

Hearing her name mentioned, she paused at the door.

From David’s perspective, Melissa was dressed in a simple, plain dress.

Her makeup was light, her slender waist soft and willowy.

Though she was older, it didn’t detract from her charm.

It was as if she were a Cinderella waiting for him to rescue her.

Mrs Quinn came from a good family and had a naturally strong personality.

When she was younger, she had a bit of beauty that made David willing to tolerate her temper.

But after the childbirth, her temper worsened, and her figure and appearance completely deteriorated.

David, who prided himself on being a romantic, only kept Mrs Quinn around out of a sense of obligation.

His affection, naturally, was reserved for Melissa, who awaited his rescue.

David’s face grew darker.

“Ashley has nothing to do with Melissa. She’s an adult. I just heard from Mrs Quinn that Ashley’s reckless behavior will definitely cause more trouble if she stays in the house! Send her away! She’s in her twenties; I don’t believe she can’t take care of herself!”

The butler was just about to agree.

Melissa, with pale face, ran over and fell to her knees. “Mr. Quinn, please don’t!”

Her voice, soft and delicate with a hint of a sob, made David’s heart melt.

He instinctively reached out to help her up but then thought better of it and held back. “Hey, sweetie, come on.”