Joyce finally met the man she had been waiting for, but he didn't even remember her name. Because of a car accident, Leo suffered from memory loss. Ever since that day, he felt distant from the people around him. Until he met Joyce. There is just something about her presence that called out to him, drawing him deeper into her words and thoughts. Maybe after all these years, he finally found his puzzle piece. Until she tried to run away. Would Joyce finally stop running? And if she did, would Leo be able to find the truth?
At the banquet hall on the top floor of the exhibition center in A City.
"Congratulations, Miss Joyce! You've just joined our company for a month, and now you've won the most prestigious prize. No wonder our company recommended you to come." Serena Li raised her glass up in the air.
Joyce Ruan's eyes glinted in joy as she twirled her wine glass gracefully around her hand. Without another word, she clinked glasses with Serena Li.
People who just met Joyce Ruan would've been fully convinced that she was an elegant lady who came from the highs of life. Serena Li, who was her best friend for ten years, saw through the "facade" right away.
As expected, Joyce Ruan dropped the mask almost immediately. She slumped back, sighing.
"Please. Weren't you the one who recommended me to this company? I should be the one thanking you."
Joyce Ruan lowered her hand, her eyes twinkling with playfulness. She had been exchanging formal pleasantries with so many people that her eyes started to twitch in exhaustion.
Serena Li snorted. "I knew you couldn't keep that up. Half an hour in, and you're already tired."
"I'm not. I'm just a bit tipsy."
Joyce Ruan motioned to the dozens of wine glasses on the table. Although she'd only been drinking for half an hour, several people went over to propose a toast to her. She might be a heavyweight in drinking, but even she couldn't help but waver at the amount of glasses she just drank.
"Please, you're just seeking an excuse to run away from here. Just go then," Serena Li teased.
Joyce Ruan waved her off, running to the bathroom. Nature was already calling her. After heading out of the party hall, she was so dizzy by the strong liquor in her system that she staggered across the corridor.
"Watch out!"
She stumbled forward. Fortunately, the man beside her quickly reached out and held her up.
"Thank –"
Joyce was about to say her thanks, but once she looked up, her body froze. It was as if the entire world had just stopped.
"What's wrong? Don't you remember me?"
The man was standing on top of the stairs, a kind smile threading across his lips.
"I–I..." she stuttered out, eyes wide in panic.
"The day my car hit you at the door of the cafe. I wanted to take you to the hospital, but you ran away before I could talk to you. Don't you remember?"
She stared at him, dumbfounded. Although she wanted to say something, anything, it seemed as if someone was holding her back. 'Did he only remember me from the car accident?' she thought.
"Don't you remember me?" Joyce said lowly. Although she tried to suppress her emotions, she couldn't stop her voice from trembling.
"You don't seem to remember me, do you?" The man chuckled. He waved at his assistant beside him, motioning him to give Joyce his business card.
His assistant shot Leo Xu a surprised look before handing a card to Joyce. It might look like a small thing, but it was incredibly rare for Leo Xu to hand these out.
"This is my business card. If you ever feel uncomfortable, call me. I'll cover the medical expenses." He nodded and returned to the banquet hall.
Joyce stared blankly at the card he had given her. Tears streamed down her face, dropping to the center of the card. The black words were all what took to push her over – Leo Xu, the President of the Star Group.
The elegant figure of Leo Xu faded into the crowd. As the cold wind blew, an idea came to her mind. Joyce straightened her back. She'd regret it if she let Leo Xu go tonight, especially when he just bumped into her! Alcohol ran through her system as she decided to do just that. She still had words to say to him!
Without another word, Joyce hiked up her dress and rushed into the banquet hall. She stopped in front of Leo Xu, who was chatting up with Cassie Jiang.
"I have something to tell you," Joyce murmured drunkenly, pointing at Leo Xu.
"Excuse me?"
Cassie Jiang scrunched up her nose, her uneasy eyes falling onto the wine glass that Leo Xu was holding. She was so close in making Leo drink the drug! 'Where is this woman from?' Cassie Jiang clenched her fists, hoping that her plan wouldn't be ruined.
"You look drunk," Leo said softly, fixated with her. Although Joyce was drunk, she still looked rather lovely.
"I'm not drunk! Come with me. I have something to tell you." Joyce suddenly hiccupped as she motioned him towards her. "Come here."
Joyce pulled Leo and ran towards the elevator, totally ignoring Cassie Jiang's glare.
"Hey!" Cassie Jiang yelled. "Give that wine back!" However, just as she was about to run after him, Leo's bodyguards blocked her from entering. With a frustrated sigh, she stomped back to the hall.
Leo waved the bodyguards away. He let Joyce hold his arm and drag him into the elevator. Ever since the car accident, Leo had felt very unfamiliar with the people around him, but there was just something about this woman that called out to him. He couldn't help but want to get close to her.
"Is that wine? Give me!" As the elevator closed, Joyce turned around and tried to take it from him.
Being incredibly agile, he dodged her grasp and bottomed up the glass, flipping it back. Leo raised his eyebrows.
"You're drunk. Stop drinking."
She pouted at the empty glass. Without another word, she pressed on the elevator button with a smile.
'The 21st floor?
Isn't that the floor where hotel rooms are?' From the look of her drunken face, he thought that she wanted him to take her back to her room.
"Here we are! Come out!"
With a 'Ding', the elevator door opened. Joyce staggered out holding Leo's hand. He frowned, staring up at the surveillance cameras. Before he could figure out what she wanted to do, he suddenly felt uneasy.
Cathryn, an orphan with no family ties to Grayson, regarded him only as family. He, however, valued her as a precious jewel. From their very first encounter, Cathryn's destiny was intertwined with his. Once lonely and desiring affection, she was ensnared by his love, unable to break free. Eventually, she managed to escape his emotional clutches. Shockingly, she had fallen for someone else. Grayson confronted her sharply. "How could you feel for another?" Unable to meet his eyes, she whispered, "You're family. I can't..." Looking down, he pressed further. "You can't, or you wouldn’t dare?"
Dear readers, this book has resumed daily updates. It took Sabrina three whole years to realize that her husband, Tyrone didn't have a heart. He was the coldest and most indifferent man she had ever met. He never smiled at her, let alone treated her like his wife. To make matters worse, the return of the woman he had eyes for brought Sabrina nothing but divorce papers. Sabrina's heart broke. Hoping that there was still a chance for them to work on their marriage, she asked, "Quick question,Tyrone. Would you still divorce me if I told you that I was pregnant?" "Absolutely!" he responded. Realizing that she didn't mean shit to him, Sabrina decided to let go. She signed the divorce agreement while lying on her sickbed with a broken heart. Surprisingly, that wasn't the end for the couple. It was as if scales fell off Tyrone's eyes after she signed the divorce agreement. The once so heartless man groveled at her bedside and pleaded, "Sabrina, I made a big mistake. Please don't divorce me. I promise to change." Sabrina smiled weakly, not knowing what to do...
It took only a second for a person's world to come crashing down. This was what happened in Hannah's case. For four years, she gave her husband her all, but one day, he said emotionlessly, "Let's get divorced." Hannah's heart broke into a million pieces as she signed the divorce papers, marking the end of her role as a devoted wife. Within Hannah, a strong woman awakened, vowing never to be beholden to any man again. Embracing her new life, she embarked on a journey to find herself and command her own destiny. By the time she returned, she had experienced so much growth and was now completely different from the docile wife everyone once knew. "Is this your latest trick to get my attention?" Hannah's ever-so-arrogant husband asked. Before she could retort, a handsome and domineering CEO pulled her into his embrace. He smiled down at her and said boldly to her ex, "Just a little heads-up, mister. This is my beloved wife. Keep off!"
" Don't say anymore word than you already have, don't..." I stuck a finger out at him, sauntering away on my heels when a hand wrapped itself around my arm. Breathlessly he whispered, "You know that I do love you and...fine, what exactly was I supposed to do?" "Protect me and stand up for me. That is what you do for someone who you claim you love!" ************ Out to spite her ex-boyfriend after he had broken up with her on her birthday, Daphne slept with a stranger who turned out to be his uncle while trying to rebuff his words that she was unwanted by others. Was she ready for the wild chase that followed when he found out years later that she had been pregnant with his heirs and that she had been hiding the truth all this while? Faced with the ruthless CEO, known as the beast, who wasn't ready to back down, Daphne does everything possible to make sure her kids wouldn't be taken from her, but what happens when love gets in the mix of it all? Would she be able to conquer these weird feelings and give in her all amidst her scars? And with how deadly he turned out to be? And faced with her ex who still wants her back, what choice is she going to make?
"The entire wealthy circle in Seattle knew how much Stella Carlson loved Aaron Malone. People watched the childhood sweethearts grow from inexperience to maturity, finally getting married in a grand wedding ceremony. On the day of the wedding, despite the alliance between the Carlson and Malone families, the groom ran away. Stella knew that Aaron had rushed to L.A. to take care of his ex-girlfriend, who had attempted suicide. Unwilling to become the laughingstock of all Seattle, she gritted her teeth and dialed the number of her adversary, her tone almost commanding, "Ethan, come and marry me now. This is your only chance for revenge." On the other end, Ethan Powers raised an eyebrow as he gripped his phone, staring at the floor littered with cigarette butts. "Did the groom run away?" he asked. "My darling."
Janice, the long-forgotten legitimate heiress, made her way back to her family, pouring her heart into winning their hearts. Yet, she had to relinquish her very identity, her academic credentials, and her creative works to her foster sister. In return for her sacrifices, she found no warmth, only deeper neglect. Resolute, Janice vowed to cut off all emotional bonds. Transformed, she now stood as a master of martial arts, adept in eight languages, an esteemed medical expert, and a celebrated designer. With newfound resolve, she declared, "From this day forward, no one in this family shall cross me."