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PERSON_PROFILE

Chapter 1
Millie Jordan was about to experience what a woman would go through if she were abducted by a group of perverted kidnappers.

A dark cloth was tied over her eyes and her mouth was taped shut. She shivered in a corner like a frightened animal. Her body was littered with cuts and bruises all over.

The rope around her neck was only less than three feet long. If she moved any further forward, the rope would tighten around her neck, making her unable to breathe.

She'd tried struggling many times before, but she always ended up breathless and blue in the face. Her voice was hoarse, and her throat hurt. She simply couldn't get away.

She could hear the abductors angrily cursing at her outside the door. They had tried forcing themselves on her just now, but she fought back and bit one of them harshly in the throat. She'd bitten him so hard that his laryngeal bone nearly broke and she nearly knocked him down.

That was the reason why she was beaten half to death and locked up in a corner like this. They had even spiked her.

She didn't know what was going on outside the door. The boat she was on suddenly crashed hard against something, and she was thrown to the ground in a heap from the impact.

There were loud gunshots and people screaming. Finally, everything fell eerily quiet.

The door was suddenly kicked open with a loud bang. Millie could hear the sound of heavy boots slowly approaching her.

She curled into a fetal position. She knew what was coming next. She was going to lose her mind as she begged the person to take her, over and over again, no matter what kind of person he was.

But she couldn't do that. She couldn't do such a thing behind Stefan's back.

Just then, the tape on her mouth was cut off. She could finally talk.

"D-Don't touch me! S-Stefan won't forgive any of you! I'm his girlfriend… He's already on the way, he'll come and save me, he's coming very soon!"

"Stefan won't be coming."

The newcomer's voice was deep and hoarse. It was different from the other abductors who had brought her here. Maybe this was their leader.

"No, he will be coming! He won't leave me behind!"

Stefan had been abducted first. Millie was the one who came alone with the ransom for his release. However, the abductors had only agreed to release him if she took his place instead. And because she wanted to protect the person she loved, she agreed to take the risk.

When Stefan left, he told her to wait for him to return with help and bring her home safely. He'd even warned the abductors that if they dared to harm a hair on her head, he and his entire family would never forgive them.

That was why Millie firmly believed that he would return to save her.

The leader of the abductors didn't say anything. Instead, he played a recording for Millie.

"I gotta hand it to you, Ste, I never thought that Millie would exchange herself for you. I've transferred the bet of ten million bills to you."

"We all know that Millie is Ste's lapdog. Sure, Ste got abducted for real, but he doesn't need her to save him. They'd never actually dare to harm him."

"Alright, alright. It's Wanda's birthday. Let's not bring that woman up."

The last line was from Stefan Leach. His voice was soft, gentle, and melodious as ever.

Millie always thought that Stefan had been gentle to her, but now she learned that he could be ten thousand times gentler than that.

"That's right. It's Wanda's birthday today, and Ste booked out the entire club, especially for her. What a romantic gesture indeed!"

"Ste, aren't you going to save Ms. Jordan?"

"It's your birthday today. There's no rush. Come on, birthday girl, make a wish. I'll make sure to fulfill it no matter what you want."

"Really? Then, I want to be with you forever!"

Stefan seemed to go quiet for a short while. Then, he said in a doting voice, "Of course. I'd love that more than anything in the world."

He'd love that more than anything in the world?

Millie felt her body getting hotter and hotter. However, her heart felt as if it'd just been plunged into an ice bath.

However, she still harbored some hope. Maybe it was just a faked recording made from various clips combined together. This was none other than the abductors' plan to get her to listen to them.

"It's fake… The recording must be fake…"

"You're simple-minded than anyone I've ever met."

The leader's voice was as cold as ice. He then grabbed her chin and squeezed it.

As soon as he got closer to her, Millie felt her breathing start to get ragged.

She swallowed a lump in her throat subconsciously. Her heart felt empty. She was feeling the primal lust starting to overtake her senses.

"Do you know what they spiked you with? If you don't have slept with a man now, you won't survived."

"I don't care if I'm gone… Even if I did, I'd never betray Stefan!"

"If he really loved you, he wouldn't want you to go belly-up even if you were already tainted. But if he doesn't love you, your effort are in vain.

"You just have to handle me alone. Then, I'll let you go. I'll be the only one to touch you, and no one else, but you'll get to stay alive. The choice is up to you."

The man then let go of Millie's chin.

Millie was already on the verge of tipping over, and his touch was enough to send her completely over the edge. She didn't have any energy left in her upper body to reject his touches.

Of course, her mind also flew out of the window as soon as he touched her.

She didn't know if she was desperately grasping onto straws to live or if she was simply succumbing to the side effects of the potent love portion.

The ropes were unwrapped from her body. The man picked up Millie's weak body and hooked her legs around his waist.

Then, he pierced into her, wrapping her legs even tighter around him for better purchase.

"Ah…"

He forced his way into her, tearing her last defenses into shreds.

"Wait, was it still your first time? Didn't you say you were Stefan's girlfriend?"

The man seemed surprised.

The pain seemed to have brought Millie back to her senses. She was deeply ashamed when she heard him say that. How could she have given her body to an abductor because she wanted to survive? And to think that this was her precious first time she'd been saving?

Even if Stefan forgave her for this, she didn't think she was good enough to stay by his side anymore.

Tears rolled down her face as the thought invaded her mind. However, the man suddenly bent down and kissed the corners of her eyes.

"Relax. Otherwise, it's going to hurt even more for you," he whispered in her ear.

So what if the man seemed to be gentle with her? She hated him with her entire being. She hated him for abducting her, for taking her first time, and for trying to get between herself and Stefan.

As soon as she was rescued, she was going to report him to the police and have him imprisoned!

With all the hatred stirring up within her, Millie bit the man harshly on the shoulder until the metallic taste of blood invaded her mouth. The man grunted in pain.

Millie scrunched up her eyes, anticipating him to hit her, but the pain didn't come. Instead, he thrust even more deeply into her.

Even though Millie couldn't see, she could still touch him. He was tall, built, and had a muscular body. He was most probably someone who worked out or did sports a lot. As she felt the tense muscles beneath her fingertips, Millie started to get frightened.

The man ravished her over and over again for what felt like hours.

She finally blacked out completely. When she woke up again, she realized that she was still in the same boat. However, she was the only one there.

She was completely stripped, but her cuts and bruises had all been tended to. Clean clothes in her exact size were placed on the bedside table.

Millie walked out of the cabin and didn't see a single soul anywhere about. It was as if she was on a haunted ghost ship. She desperately wanted to tell herself that everything that happened had been nothing but a nightmare.

However, the teeth marks and the pain in her lower body told her that everything was real.

Millie got off the boat and hailed a cab.

She knew that she should be heading home to give Stefan a surprise. He must be scratching his head in despair as he thought of a way to save her.

But for some reason, another address appeared in Millie's mind instead.

"Sir, please take me to Verdier Club."

Chapter 2

Verdier Club was a place Stefan often frequented to drink and hang out with his friends.

Millie's conscience told her that the abductor had been lying to her, so she shouldn't be believing what he said. However, she just couldn't stop herself from coming over to have a look for herself.

She had been with Stefan for three years and knew the private room he was often in. She rushed there at once.

"You lost, Ste! So, truth, or dare?"

"Truth."

"Alright then. Who is the woman you love the most?"

"How's that even a question? Of course, it's Wanda."

"Ooh!"

Everyone in the private room started to laugh and riot.

Millie stood outside the door, her face turning more pale with every second. Her legs felt like lead, and her hand hung mechanically in the air. She couldn't bring herself to knock on the door.

A while later, the people in the room seemed to have played another round of "Truth or Dare", and the "Wanda" from before seemed to have lost.

"You lost, Wanda! So, truth, or dare?"

"Dare," Wanda Lytle said, her voice as gentle as a feather.

"Then find a guy in this room and kiss him deeply for three minutes!"

"Don't say that," Wanda replied, feeling shy.

"If you don't kiss someone, you're going to have to drink three shots of this beer!"

"Ste…" she cried, looking beseechingly at Stefan.

"Let's complete the mission."

Right after that, everyone in the room started to cheer loudly. Judging from that, Millie figured that they must have kissed.

Millie felt like storming into the room and tearing that homewrecker's hair out of her head. She also wanted to dig her nails into her face and scratch her eyes out while slapping the living daylights out of her.

She also wanted to drag that brat out of the room, tear off her clothes, and get everyone to see what a shameless person she was.

However, Millie only felt like running away.

She was worried that everything she did for Stefan in the past three years would end up like a joke as soon as she rushed in.

However, when Millie turned around, she bumped into someone. "I-I'm sorry…"

"Aren't you here for the birthday party? Why aren't you going in?"

The person whom Millie bumped into spoke in a deep voice.

Millie immediately lifted her head and looked up. She would never forget that voice. That voice belonged to the leader of the group of people who had abducted her!

It wasn't a familiar face that she saw. He had thick eyebrows, sharp eyes, a tall nose, and thin lips. His facial features were quite prominent and outstanding.

The man also wore a dark coat over his shoulders. His eyes were cool as he looked at her with a distant expression.

It was obvious that this was his first time meeting her.

Millie forced herself to calm down. It was impossible. Maybe they just had very similar voices.

Just then, the man reached behind her and pushed on the handle, opening the door to the private room.

"No!"

Millie panicked. Her mind blanked out. She wanted to run, but it was too late. Everyone's eyes were on her.

Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the two people kissing each other deeply.

Wanda realized that someone had arrived and felt shy at once, wanting to end the kiss. However, Stefan held her closer, snaking his arm around her waist, and continued deepening the kiss.

The kiss lasted for three whole minutes; not a second more, not a second less.

When they finally separated for air, Wanda's face was as red as a beet. She also looked shy and embarrassed.

Meanwhile, Millie felt as if she couldn't breathe anymore. She didn't know if it was because she was triggered by their kiss or she just realized that Wanda looked a lot like herself.

On second thought, she was the one who looked a lot like Wanda.

Realization suddenly dawned upon Millie. Stefan saved her three years ago, but it hadn't been a coincidence. Stefan had long been paying attention to her before that.

"What are you doing here?"

Stefan's face fell when he caught sight of Millie. It looked like Millie was unwelcome at this party.

Wanda's face also turned pale. "M-Ms. Jordan… It's not like that. I… I'll leave immediately."

Wanda got to her feet, but Stefan pulled her back down by her hand.

"Ste, you should take your time telling Ms. Jordan about us. Let me go."

"I'll talk to her now."

Stefan stood up and hid Wanda behind his body. "Wanda is the person I've always been in love with. It's just that her parents never agreed to our relationship and sent her abroad. I was only with you because you looked like her.

"But now, Wanda is back by my side, and I don't need you anymore. Now if you're done here, get out of here and go back. Wanda is easily intimidated. Don't you dare scare her."

Wanda escaped from Stefan's hold and went up to Millie. She grabbed Millie's hands and said anxiously, "Ms. Jordan, I'm sorry. But I can't live without Stefan. It's all my fault. You can hit me and scold me all you want. I'll even beg and grovel at your feet if that means you'll let us be together. I'll do anything you say!"

Millie felt nauseated when she heard what Wanda said.

She flung Wanda's hands away. Wanda let out a cry and fell to the ground.

Millie was stupefied. She barely had any strength left, so it should never have sent anyone, let alone an adult woman, flying to the ground like this.

Wanda was simply putting up an act.

However, Stefan immediately pulled Wanda into his arms and glared angrily at Millie.

"You've taken her spot for long enough. I've never treated you badly in the past, and I gave you everything you needed for the past three years. You've received more than what you're worth in the market, so don't push it anymore!"

"My worth in the market? Stefan Leach, what do you take me for?"

"Aren't you one? Don't forget that you were the one who took off your clothes and begged me first!"

As soon as Stefan said that, everyone in the room burst into laughter. Some of the perverted guys in the room even started casting their lustful eyes at Millie.

Millie's face turned as white as a sheet. How could Stefan talk about such private matters in public for everyone to hear? Did he do that to protect his so-called first love?

"Now leave. Pack up all your things and leave the manor!"

Millie wanted to talk, but nothing came out of her mouth. She was starting to feel smothered by all the sneers and mocking laughter in the room. She couldn't breathe. She turned around with a stagger and left in a sorry state.

Someone spoke up after her. "Pierce, did you bring her here?"

"I don't know her. I just saw her at the door and thought she was one of your guests."

"You were late. Your punishment is to finish up this whole pack of beer."

"I drove here. I'm not going to drink."

Millie walked out of the club. It was raining cats and dogs outside.

Since it was summertime, the rain was thunderously heavy and came in a flash. Millie was soaked all over. She was shivering from the cold, but she didn't know if it was from the weather or the feeling in her heart.

After walking for a long time in the rain, she suddenly heard a loud whistle behind her. She turned around and saw a blond-haired man following her.

Millie hurried forward, but the man kept chasing after her.

"Hey, girlie! I'm calling you! Are you deaf or something?"

The man sounded obviously drunk as he yelling.

Millie was even more scared now. She took out her phone and quickly called Stefan. He was still the first person she thought of when her life was in grave danger.

It was a long time before Stefan finally picked up.

"Stefan… There's a drunk guy following me. What should I do? I'm scared…"

"What are you calling me for? Call the police."

There was a commotion on his side of the line. It sounded like they were getting ready to sing the birthday song.

"Ste, come here. I want you to share my cake with me."

"Alright, I'm coming."

Stefan's voice immediately turned gentle again. It felt like a spring breeze that could warm anyone's heart.

Then, the call disconnected.

Millie froze on the spot. She forgot that there was someone still following her. The man hurriedly closed the distance between them.

By the time Millie snapped back to her senses, it was too late. She was just about to bend down and grab a brick from the road to defend herself when a car suddenly flew up toward her and stopped right next to her shivering figure.

The car sent a wave of dirty pavement water splashing all over the drunk man.

Then, the car door opened, and a man got out of the driver's seat with an umbrella before approaching Millie.

"I didn't get to introduce myself. My name is Pierce Atkinson."

Chapter 3

Pierce extended his hand toward Millie. His fingers were long and slender, and he had a large palm.

Millie was frozen in place when she heard his voice again. She was shocked.

However, the drunk man rushed up to them just then, yelling, "Are you \blind? Did you not see me standing there? I'm going to skin you…"

Pierce said nothing. He handed the umbrella over to Millie and grabbed the drunk man, forcing his arms behind his back.

Then, he pulled out his phone and called someone. A while later, the police officers from the nearby station showed up.

"This man harassed a young woman on the street. He should be a repeat offender. Take him back to the station as a fair warning to him."

"Alright, we'll take care of him," the police officers said politely before taking the drunk man away.

Millie should have grabbed the opportunity to run while Pierce was busy talking to the police. However, her legs refused to budge. She was still rooted to the ground.

"Shall I send you home?"

"Who are you?" Millie asked in a shaky voice.

"Stefan's high school friend. I'm now a jobless retiree spending my days wandering around."

"Were you from the force?"

Pierce nodded.

Millie was surprised. If that was the case, then he couldn't possibly be one of her abductors. After all, there had to be many people with similar-sounding voices in the world. She was just being overly paranoid at this point.

"The rain is getting heavier. Let me give you a ride home. It's not safe for you to walk alone."

Millie wanted to reject him, but she quickly remembered what just happened and gave in, climbing into his car.

Pierce gave her an impression of a cool, distant person. He didn't say a word to her after she got into his car. However, he handed her a warm rug and a bottle of water.

He left after dropping Millie off at Leach Manor. Millie stared at the place she'd been living in for the past three years and felt a large hand squeezing her heart until she could barely breathe.

Three years ago, the Jordans had gone bankrupt, and Millie's parents were about to be sent to prison. Millie then tried to gather enough money for their bail and even resorted to selling herself at the club, where Stefan had been her first client.

Millie had been terrified then, but Stefan treated her with nothing but kindness. After learning about her struggles, he saved her parents by bailing them out and even gave them enough money so that Millie's father, Frederick Jordan, could restart his business.

That was how Millie fell deeply and helplessly in love with Stefan.

Stefan treated her very well. They behaved like a young couple who were head-over-heels in love with each other and often went out for movies and dates.

However, Stefan had never taken it a step further with her. He said that he was the conservative kind. He once told her, "Millie, I want our first time to be special. I want to take off your wedding dress and make you mine."

At that time, Millie felt as if she was on top of the world. She couldn't believe how lucky she was to have found such a perfect man who treated her like a precious jewel.

Nonetheless, Stefan never acknowledged their relationship in public. He said, "Too many people have their eyes on me because of my wealth and status. If they found out about our relationship, they're only going to make it hard for you. And I'd never want anyone to hurt you if I could help it."

She believed him.

But now, she understood that everything he said had been a joke.

She was merely a replacement for someone else. Stefan had never loved her in the first place!

Millie stared at her sorry self in the mirror. Cuts, bruises, and markss were littered all over her body.

She closed her eyes bitterly. She'd given in to the abductor only to learn about Stefan's true colors. Had it been worth it after all?

She put on a dressing gown and came out of the shower. She planned to leave after applying some medication to her injuries.

However, the door suddenly opened. A drunk Stefan then staggered into the room.

He looked dissatisfied to see Millie still inside. "Why haven't you gone?"

His voice came to an abrupt halt.

Suddenly, Stefan was wide awake. His eyes turned red with anger as he stormed toward Millie.

Millie quickly put on her clothes so she wouldn't accidentally expose herself to him. However, in the next second, Stefan yanked the collar of her shirt and hollered, "What is this?"

He glared at the bite marks on her body and looked like his eyes were about to pop out from their sockets.

Millie only laughed bitterly with tears in her eyes.

"Stefan Leach, what do you think is going to happen to a helpless woman when she's left alone with a bunch of kidnappers?"

"That's impossible. I warned them not to lay a finger on you! They'd never touch you!"

"And you believed them? You believed the kidnappers? You sincerely believed that they wouldn't do anything to me?"

Millie found it hilariously pathetic. She was a nobody since no one knew about her relationship with Stefan. And since he never showed up for a long time, of course, her abductors would never let her escape untouched.

"Who touched you? You could have jumped off the boat, hit your head against the wall, slit your wrists… Of all things, how could you come back here and humiliate me like this?"

Millie was stupefied.

She'd thought that Stefan started out being worried about her and still felt a sense of warmth. However, she now finally realized that he only thought of her as his possession. And now, because she'd survived the abduction, he told her that she was nothing but a humiliation.

To think that her life wasn't even worth his ego!

Right at that moment, Millie's heart hurt so much that she felt suffocated.

"What if it was your beloved Wanda who'd been abducted instead? Would you also want her to slit her wrists or drowng herself or—"

Slap!

Stefan had slapped her harshly across the cheek before she could even finish her sentence.

Millie was slapped so hard that she saw stars in her eyes. She felt nothing but pain on her cheek. Her head had also been forcefully turned to the side.

"How dare you curse at her like that?"

Millie swore that her heart broken at that instant.

So, his beloved Wanda should never go through such experiences, but he couldn't care less if she did?

Millie pushed Stefan away and said, "Stefan Leach, we are over."

Then, she turned to leave.

"Stop right there! You can leave, but you must return everything you own that was bought with my money!"

Millie stopped in her tracks.

There was nothing valuable in her suitcase. She'd only brought with her the daily necessities and a few changes of clothes. However, all of them had been bought with Stefan's money.

"Now! Take off those clothes!" Stefan screamed at her, his eyes a dark, scary abyss.

Stefan used to be warm and gentle to her. Yet now, he was screaming at her like a demon.

"Stefan…"

"Or, you can beg me to let you keep them," he said, looking down at her in disdain like he was her ruler.

Millie had always been docile and obedient, listening to everything he said. She should know what to do next.

Millie bit on her lower lip until it started bleeding. The metallic tang immediately flooded her senses and caused her stomach to lurch with nausea.

Her face was as pale as a sheet. However, she didn't stop taking the clothes off her body.

Gradually, her beat-up body was completely exposed before Stefan.

Stefan had initially managed to get his temper under control. However, as soon as he saw the marks on her body, he burst into anger again.

Stefan had never had slept with Millie for the past three years. However, even if he refused to touch her and abandoned her afterward, nobody was allowed to pick up after him and touch her nonetheless!

Stefan grabbed Millie's chin and tried to kiss her, but Millie hurriedly turned her head away in disgust. His anger then erupted like a volcano.

"So, they can kiss you, but I can't now, you filthy brat? Did they touch you here? Here? Or here?"

Stefan started feeling Millie up, letting his hands wander down to her sensitive part.

Millie suddenly felt utterly disgusted. It hadn't even felt this disgusting when she was forced to do it with the abductor. It was only when Stefan touched her that truly felt revolting!

She continued to struggle, but her strength was no match for Stefan's. She was thrown onto the bed like a ragdoll.

"Why would you pretend to be some innocent maid when you're with me? I'm going to —"

Before he could finish his sentence, Stefan's eyes suddenly turned glassy as his pupils constricted.

Something warm, wet, and sticky started dripping down his neck.

Millie had grabbed the flower vase on the bedside table and slammed it against the back of his head.

Stefan's lips trembled. Then, he blacked out before he could get the last words out of his mouth. Millie had no idea what he was about to say.

She then pushed him aside and hurriedly put her clothes back on.

It wasn't until she finally reached the exit that she asked the household staff to go up and check on Stefan.

Then, she grabbed her suitcase and walked out into the dark of the night, trembling in fear.

Suddenly, she caught sight of a car waiting at the gates.

It was Pierce's car.

Chapter 4

Pierce was on the phone with someone and didn't notice Millie coming out.

"Alright, I'll go shopping with you this weekend. I'm driving now, so I'm hanging up. Okay, I'll do whatever you say."

Pierce gave off the impression that he was a tough guy who spoke his mind in an assertive way. However, he was now speaking gently into the phone with a ghost of a smile. Suddenly, he didn't look too intimidating anymore.

He was most probably talking to someone he liked on the phone. Since he used to work with the law, he upheld it and didn't drive while talking on the phone.

Millie looked like she'd just seen her savior. She hurriedly knocked on the driver's door.

Pierce frowned and rolled the windows down. "What?"

"I'm hanging up now. Something just came up. You can do whatever you want to me next time."

Pierce seemed like he was trying to pacify the other person on the line before he hung up. Then, he stayed inside the car while looking at Millie. He didn't unlock the car doors either.

"What's the matter?"

"Can you please take me to a hotel? It's not easy to hail a cab here, and it's not safe for me to go alone."

Millie felt even more unsafe now in her current situation. Her hair and clothes were a mess. She'd even done two of her buttons wrongly.

However, Millie didn't seem as if she was aware of her clothing situation. She just kept looking back behind her.

"Please," she begged, on the verge of tears. It was only then that Pierce wavered and let her into his car.

After taking her to a hotel, Millie then realized that all the money she had in her pocket belonged to Stefan. She wasn't thick-skinned enough to use it, so she looked back at Pierce once more.

"Um… Can you please pay the room charges for me? I'll return the money as soon as I can!"

Pierce walked up to the counter.

"Three days. Just three days' worth of charges is enough. Thank you," Millie said gratefully.

After making the payment, Millie made sure to exchange contacts with Pierce so that she could return his money afterward.

"Can you come up into the room with me?"

Pierce was just about to leave when Millie called out to him, stopping him in his tracks. He immediately turned back and looked at her with a frown. Displeasure showed in his eyes.

Millie immediately knew that he'd misunderstood her. He thought that she meant something else with what she just said.

She quickly shook her hands at him and said, "It's not what you think. I just… I just want to know about the relationship between Stefan and Wanda. I want to know when they met, why they broke up…"

"I don't talk about other people behind their backs."

With that, Pierce turned and left. His cold demeanor made it hard for anyone to like him.

Millie blushed and then turned pale. She felt guilty when he spoke to her like that.

She made her way to her hotel room in a disgruntled manner. However, she just couldn't fall asleep. Maybe the Leach family would report her to the police. Maybe she'd get arrested in the middle of the night. She just didn't know.

Since she couldn't fall asleep, Millie grabbed her phone and started scrolling. She suddenly caught sight of a tiny, inconspicuous news article header.

It said, "13 Wanted Suspects Nabbed at an Abandoned Port."

Millie tapped on the header with shaky fingers. She saw the photos of the suspects and the boat she had been taken away in at once.

These suspects were repeat criminals who were wanted for smuggling, kidnapping, and human trafficking. They always remained in the open sea and had been insanely hard to nab. However, thanks to the cooperation of the police and navy from many nations, these suspects had finally been caught.

Millie stared unblinkingly at one of the suspects in the photo.

Although she didn't know what the leader of her abductors looked like, she knew what his body felt like. And there was only one person in the photo who had a tall build, nearly six feet tall, and a muscular body.

It had to be him!

Millie thought back about her frightening first experience and shivered all over. She continued scrolling down the news article and saw the photo of a few policemen who were applauded for their work.

There were a few plain-clothes officers who didn't show their faces. So, the photograph only showed a handful of the regular officers from Arbelton. She'd even caught sight of Pierce's face in the photo.

Had this been his final mission before he retired?

The news article did not elaborate on Pierce's position nor the cases he handled in the past, so Millie had no idea at all. She just clicked around on the few highlighted keywords in the article and realized that Pierce had come from quite a sophisticated background after all.

He turned out to be the heir to the Atkinson Group!

He was on par with Stefan's family, if not richer and more powerful than them.

Pierce only had a younger sister in his family. Today was the day that Pierce officially took over the management of Atkinson Group, his family business.

Many people commented that Pierce wasn't fit to take over the group because he had been serving the country for far too long and didn't know anything about managing a business.

Millie felt her head spinning as she took in all of the information. There had been too many things happening to her in the short span of a day.

In the past, her eyes had only been on Stefan. She never paid any attention to the things around her. Yet, today had been the day a storm blew over Arbelton.

The same could also be said about her life.

Millie managed to make it through the night half asleep. She thought that the police would come knocking on her hotel door the next morning, but nothing had happened so far. It was only then that she finally managed to fall into a fitful sleep.

She felt a man's perverted hands roaming all around her body in her dreams. The man then slid his arm around her waist and pistoned deeply into her. He didn't leave any expanse of her skin unkissed.

"Ahh!"

Millie woke up with a scream. She was covered all over in cold sweat.

It had only been a dream. Or a nightmare.

Millie sighed in relief. She then looked at the time on her phone and realized that it was past noon.

There were a few missed calls, all from the sanatorium where she volunteered. She quickly called them back.

"What's wrong, Ms. Hudson?"

Bianca Hudson was the nurse whom Millie worked with.

"Bill refused to eat again today. He kept asking for you. We're all about to lose our minds."

"How's his condition now?"

"He's not taken a bite since noon. He's fast asleep now though because he got tired after making a huge fuss."

"Okay. I'll be there in a while."

"Alright. I'll prepare lunch for him again then. He'll probably get his appetite back when he wakes up and sees you later."

Millie washed up and changed into fresh clothing before hurrying over to the sanatorium.

The sanatorium where she worked was a costly, luxurious one. The old folks who lived here all came from rich families.

Stefan's grandmother, Agnes Brown, used to stay here for a while. Back then, Millie often visited her at the sanatorium on Stefan's behalf. Agnes liked her very much and often told Millie that she would regard Millie as her granddaughter if she couldn't be her granddaughter-in-law.

After staying at the sanatorium for a year, Stefan's uncle finally brought Agnes abroad to live with him. Now, Millie could only talk to Agnes through video calls.

However, Millie had already made it a habit to visit the old folks at the sanatorium every weekend. She liked being with the old folks and spending time with them.

When Millie finally arrived, Bianca was busy entertaining Bill.

"You lied to me! She never came in the morning, so she's not coming in the evening either. I'm not eating anything! I'll starve to death!"

"I didn't lie to you. Look who's here? Didn't I tell you she'd be here?"

Bianca looked at Millie as if she was her savior.

"I'll take it from here."

Bianca handed the plate of food to Millie before hurrying out.

"Why haven't you been eating your meals regularly?"

"Why have you lost so much weight?" Bill asked in response, looking at her with concerned eyes.

Ever since that incident, nobody had ever shown any concern for her or asked her how she was doing. Millie couldn't believe that the first person to console her was Bill, an old man whom she wasn't even the least bit related to.

Millie felt her nose tingling. Her eyes turned red as tears started rolling down her cheeks.

"Who was the one who treated you badly? Tell me. I'll teach them a lesson!"

Millie tried her best to keep her tears under control. "It's nothing. I just finally broke up with a brat. I'll be fine after a while."

"You've broken up?" Bill's eyes lit up at once. "That's wonderful news! My grandson will finally have a chance!"

Bill immediately grabbed his phone and made a call. Millie couldn't manage to stop him in time.

After he was done with the call, Bill held her hands and said, "My grandson is good at everything. However, his only problem is that he keeps everything bottled up and doesn't express himself well. You just need to be more forgiving about his terrible temper."

While speaking, Bill suddenly felt short of breath. His heart condition was acting up again!

Chapter 5

Millie was shocked. She hurriedly called for the nurses at once.

Bill had just been eating a second ago, but now, he was being wheeled into the emergency ward. Meanwhile, the sanatorium also hurriedly called Bill's relatives to inform them of the matter.

Millie waited anxiously outside the ward. About an hour later, someone arrived in a hurry.

"Officer Atkinson?"

"What are you doing here?"

Pierce frowned when he saw Millie.

Bianca hurriedly explained, "She's a regular volunteer here, and Bill loves her the most. He's been complaining of shallow breathing lately and often wakes up in the middle of the night. We never thought his condition would suddenly relapse…"

Pierce didn't bother chatting with Millie and continued asking about his grandfather's condition instead. It was only then that Millie finally learned of Bill's full name—Bill Atkinson.

Bill was later wheeled into the operating theater for an emergency operation. He was only wheeled out four hours later.

By the time Bill finally stirred, it was already nighttime.

The doctor said that Bill's condition didn't look optimistic. Also, since he was so old, his heart was getting weaker and weaker, and his time was almost up. Even with the best medicines and most advanced technology, they would only be able to prolong Bill's life by a year at most.

The next morning, Bill finally regained consciousness. He spoke in a weak voice, "Am I… dying?"

"Bill, the doctor said that your health is improving…"

Millie wanted to tell Bill a white lie, but Bill stopped her.

"You're a good girl, Millie. But I know my body, so you don't have to lie to me. I don't have many time. But that's alright. I'm old and wrinkly now anyway, and I've lived long enough." He then coughed a few times and said, "Pierce, come here."

Bill called Pierce over and took Millie's hand, placing it in Pierce's palm. Millie's first instinct was to withdraw her hand, but to her surprise, Pierce grabbed hold of her and didn't let her leave.

His dark eyes landed on her body. Millie felt as if her soul was being sucked into his deep, dark eyes.

"Millie is a good girl. A nice young lady. Don't let her down."

"Okay."

Millie was stunned. She looked at Pierce suspiciously. She was just about to retort when Pierce discreetly grabbed hold of her wrist.

"Marry her."

"Okay." Pierce's voice was calm and unbothered. Millie couldn't tell what he was feeling from his tone.

"Then hurry up and register your marriage. Let me pass away in peace."

"We'll register our marriage immediately."

Pierce and Millie went out of the ward. Pierce then said, "Ms. Jordan, I'd like to ask you to play along and register for a fake marriage license with me. We'll visit him together sometimes to make him happy. I can pay for your trouble. Just tell me how much you want."

Millie felt her heart beating quickly when she heard these words from him. She'd suddenly thought of a way to exact revenge on Stefan. And that would be to get together with his best friend, Pierce.

As soon as the idea popped into her head, it wouldn't go away. Her eyes turned red as she looked up at Pierce and said, "I want you to marry me for real."

Pierce frowned deeply when he heard this. He looked at her for a long time, the abyss in his eyes swirling the whole time as he took her in.

"That's impossible. Since we can't come to an agreement, we'll—"

Before Pierce could fully turn Millie down, however, Bianca ran out exclaiming, "Mr. Atkinson Senior is throwing up blood!"

Bill was wearing the oxygen mask once more. He kept mumbling, "Marry… Marry Millie… Let me rest in peace…"

Pierce watched over Bill until his condition finally stabilized. It was only then that he heaved a sigh of relief.

By then, Millie had also calmed herself down. She watched as Bill fell into deep sleep and felt sorry for him.

She must have been out of her mind! How could she use the marriage as an excuse to get revenge?

Whatever, she was fine with putting on a show anyway. She'd do anything to make Bill happy.

"Pierce, about that—"

"Okay. Let's get married."

Millie was stupefied.

"You want to get your revenge on Stefan, don't you? I'll help you."

Millie felt her mind draw a blank. "But… But I…"

"What, you're not interested in getting back at Stefan anymore?"

Millie stood up straight and replied, "Of course, I still am! Let's get married then. I've got nothing to lose!"

Pierce had been the one who saved her the last time, so he would know everything she had been through. And she had nothing to lose but everything to gain if she married a powerful person like him.

Most importantly, her marrying Pierce would make Stefan uncomfortable and drive him into a frenzy. Just thinking about the expression on his face was already worth it.

Millie then signed a contract with Pierce. They were both to stay married to each other for as long as Bill was alive. And in return, Millie would also get one million every month as her pocket money.

They went to the city hall to register their marriage. Millie still couldn't believe it even when she was holding the marriage license in her hands.

Did she just get married in a flash?

What was Stefan going to do if he found out that she'd married his best friend? Stefan was a specifically possessive brat, after all. Nobody was allowed to pick up after him, even if he didn't want it anymore.

So, what about now?

Millie showed the marriage license to Bill. Bill was simply delighted.

"You both have to live together now! Bring Millie to go look for a suitable house and make sure you renovate it according to her liking, understand?"

"I understand."

"Alright, you both should get going now because Mr. Atkinson Senior needs to rest. You can visit him once a week. If his condition worsens, we will alert you immediately.

"It's crucial that Mr. Atkinson senior stays in a positive mood more often. Who knows, his heart condition may improve and he might end up living for up to three more years! It's all up to the both of you now!"

Pierce and Millie left. As soon as they were gone, Bill sat up in bed, dropping the vegetative act, and pulled out the glucose drip from the back of his hand.

"It looked real, didn't it? When I acted like I got a heart attack earlier? My acting was so good that my grandson didn't even notice anything amiss although he has a keen eye for such things. I'm good at this."

"Yes, Mr. Atkinson Senior. You also scared us all half to death! We really thought your health was in trouble!"

"That brat wouldn't have settled down if I hadn't done this. He's old enough now, and yet, he still refuses to find a nice young lady to start a family with. He drove me crazy for years.

"Still, he managed to make it. I can't believe Millie also coincidentally broke up with her ex. Haha, I did the right thing! Millie is a real gem!"

…

Pierce first brought Millie to his home. As soon as she stepped foot into the house, she felt that Pierce was a cold person. Everything in the house was in muted cool colors.

Although the sun was shining brightly outside the window, Millie felt cold and chilly inside the house. She couldn't help tugging her clothes a little more tightly to herself.

"I'll transfer the money into your card in a while. This is my supplementary credit card with no credit limit to it. Use it to get whatever you want."

Pierce had always been generous with his money. He wasn't financially lacking anyway.

Millie didn't reject his offer. It was better for her to have money on her at all times.

After washing up and changing into some new things, Pierce brought her out for dinner at a pasta house.

They got a table on the second-floor balcony that had a close-up view of the lake. Then, Pierce excused himself to the bathroom.

When he came back, he told Millie, "Stefan is in one of the private rooms in there and we bumped into each other just now. He insists that I grab a drink with him. Do you want to come with me?"

Millie wanted nothing more than to show up with her arms around Pierce's and take in Stefan's reaction. However, she chickened out.

"I'm not going."

"Then, I'll go there for one drink and come back. You can start eating first if the food arrives. You don't have to wait for me."

Millie nodded. However, things didn't go quite smoothly after that since the waiter accidentally spilled her drink on her clothes.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do it. Can you please not complain to my manager? I'll lose my job if that happens."

"It's fine. I'll just use the bathroom for a while."

Millie didn't purposely make things hard on the waiter. She just went to the bathroom to try and get the stain out.

When she came back out, she caught sight of Wanda walking toward her with a few of her friends. They were actually heading for the private room in the back.

"I heard that Mr. Leach is going to propose to you. How big do you think the diamond is going to be?"

"It's Mr. Leach we're talking about! It's got to be at least a 14-carat diamond ring! Don't forget to invite us as your bridesmaids at your wedding!"

Wanda just smiled shyly, her face full of happiness.

Meanwhile, Millie kept her head down and thought of leaving in another direction. However, things just didn't go as she pleased.

They called out to her and stopped her.

"Oh, how could she come crawling after Mr. Leach like a lapdog?"

Chapter 6

Upon hearing that, Wanda glared at her friend before taking Millie's hand with enthusiasm. "Ms. Jordan, you must be here to give me your blessing, right? I knew you weren't a petty woman. I would rather receive your blessing than the blessings of hundreds of others. Only your blessing will make me happy."

Wanda's eyes sparkled innocently.

What a fake woman!

Millie snapped, "Don't put words into my mouth. I'm here for lunch. I had no idea Stefan would be here."

She was about to leave, but Wanda grabbed her arm and wouldn't let go. Wanda even shed a few tears in sadness. She lamented, "You still refuse to forgive me, right? I know I wronged you, and I'm willing to do anything to make it up to you. How about I go down on my knees?"

Before Millie could speak, Wanda shakily went on her knees while sobbing, which attracted the attention of customers at the restroom.

Infuriated, Wanda's friends went up to help her up from the ground.

One of them yelped, "Why did you get down on your knees? You did nothing wrong. She was the mistress! She took your place and enjoyed what should have been yours for three years. How could you be manipulated by her?"

"Yeah. I'll call Mr. Leach here to speak up for you."

One of the ladies ran away in a hurry. Soon, Stefan showed up at the scene. Without so much as taking a look at Millie, he quickly pulled Wanda into his arms and wiped her tears away with a crushed expression.

He asked, "I heard from your friends that Millie was giving you trouble and forced you to bow down before her. Why are you so nice? She doesn't have the right to make you do that."

Then, he shot a furious look at Millie. Wanda could not speak clearly between her sobs, which only fueled his anger toward Millie.

Millie watched the debacle impassively. It wasn't her fault.

She tried to leave, but Wanda deliberately held her back. All Wanda wanted was to stir up drama.

Millie scanned the crowds but could not see Pierce anywhere. She wondered where he went.

"Mr. Leach, she followed you around. When she heard you were proposing tonight, she came here to ruin it."

"Millie Jordan, are you done or not?"

Millie checked out the back of Stefan's head. There seemed to be a patch that could not be seen from the front. He probably just suffered from a surface injury. Although he bled a lot, he did not suffer a deep tissue injury.

She assumed that Stefan was too busy with Wanda to give her any trouble. She explained, "I had no idea you're dining here, not to mention the proposal. Wanda went on her knees willingly. I never told her to do that.

"If there's nothing else, I'll go back to my lunch."

When she walked past Stefan, he grabbed her hand. "How dare you lie? I want you to apologize to Wanda and never show up in front of her again."

Speechless, she argued, "Why should I apologize to her?"

"Apologize to her. You took her place and enjoyed what should have been hers for three years!"

Millie's breathing grew uneven. She felt like someone had stabbed her in her heart when she heard his words.

She did not date him intentionally. He was the one who lied to her. She wasted three years on him like a fool.

Did he not have a conscience? Of course not. He and Wanda were heartless and complicit.

"I did nothing wrong! Let go of me! I'm here to have lunch!"

"You need to apologize!"

She struggled with all her might, but Stefan grabbed her wrist so tightly that red marks started forming on her skin. He grasped her wrist as though he was trying to crush it.

In support of Stefan's attack, Wanda's friends helped pin down Millie and forced her to apologize.

"Ste, don't do this. She made things difficult for me because she loves you too much."

"Wanda, you're too kind. Why would you speak up for your bully?"

Stefan and Wanda shared a tender gaze. In the meantime, Millie started biting the people around her, scaring Wanda's friends into releasing her. She slapped Stefan and Wanda, who happened to be standing next to each other. The sound echoed through the space.

Wanda cried loudly after she was slapped.

Anger brewed in Stefan's eyes. Like a beast, he lifted his arm to return the slap. Judging from his strength, he might hurt Millie badly with that one slap.

Millie had nowhere to run to. She was trapped in his grip.

Closing her eyes, she braced herself for the pain, only to hear Stefan barking angrily, "Pierce, what are you doing?"

She opened her eyes in fear. Pierce had grabbed Stefan's hand before pinning it against Stefan's back. Stefan finally let go of Millie's wrist due to the pain.

Pierce's subtle moves were not lost on Millie during the altercation. She noticed that he had held her and shielded her behind him.

"You're really something, aren't you? I'm surprised you'd beat up a woman."

The passersby immediately cast judgmental looks at Stefan after hearing Pierce's remark. After all, it was very unbecoming of a man to hurt a woman.

"Pierce, whose side are you on? Didn't you see how she bullied Wanda? Let go of me, or I'll be really mad at you."

Pierce finally released Stefan. He clarified, "I checked the security footage. Wanda and her friends started it all."

"I thought Millie was here to give us her blessing, but little did I know she followed Ste to the restaurant because she wasn't over him yet," Wanda retorted with a made-up story that sounded plausible.

"Do you have evidence?" Millie said icily. "A restaurant is a public space open to all. I'm here with my new boyfriend."

As she did not explicitly name Pierce or act intimately around him, he looked like nothing more but a random good Samaritan for the time being. Honestly speaking, she wasn't sure if Pierce would risk a fallout with Stefan for her sake.

"What a joke! You should learn how to lie better. Did you really get yourself a new boyfriend right after Mr. Leach dumped you?" One of Wanda's friends jeered, and the others cackled disdainfully in unison.

Only Stefan put on a serious face. He asked, "Who's your new boyfriend?"

He believed in Millie's words because he'd witnessed her craziness; there was nothing that woman wouldn't do after she gave herself to her abductor.

Millie instinctively stopped Pierce when she realized he was about to take a step forward. Frowning, he turned around and gave her a puzzled look.

Wouldn't she want him to stand up for her?

Was she worried about upsetting Stefan?

The thought made him upset, and the light in his eyes dimmed. He stood there without a word.

On the other hand, Millie did not think much of Pierce's reaction. She'd long given up on Stefan. All she wanted was to play a game with him and hide the fact she married Stefan's good friend for now.

She wanted to keep Stefan guessing, and she bet he'd look into her boyfriend's identity with obsession.

He'd be so tortured when he couldn't get any information on her boyfriend, at the same time beset by doubts.

"Anyway, my new man is hotter and taller than you. He has the Golden Ratio, and he sports an eight-pack. Most importantly, he's better in bed than you."

"Millie!" Stefan seemed angered and concerned because people started giving him funny looks. Only he alone knew that he had never slept with Millie.

Wanda bit her lower lip. "D-Did you sleep with her?"

"I didn't. Wanda, trust me…"

While sobbing, Wanda ran away looking heartbroken, and so the fight ended as a farce.

The crowds gradually dispersed.

The smile returned to Millie's face after she won this round against Stefan and Wanda. At that moment, she heard Pierce asking, "How do you know I'm great in bed?"

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