Chapter 14

Right at this moment, Alice’s voice could be heard from the live stream. “The Woland Group is my

dowry. I’ll bring it with me when I marry Bruce at 25 years old.”

“Seems like you’re very deeply and madly in love with Mr. Yeager, Miss Woland.”

Alice replied, “Yes, I am.” She lowered her eyes a little to conceal her emotions. At this moment, she’d

say even the most disgusting words in order to survive, save the Woland Group, rescue her brother,

and avenge her parents!

Hearing this from the live stream, Caleb subconsciously turned to look at Ethan. At once, he noticed

that the latter’s eyes seemed a bit darker and frostier than usual.

A clamor instantly erupted in the ward, with those from the Woland Family wishing they could eat Alice

alive at this very moment. One of them barked, “What an ingrate! Your parents have just passed away,

but all you think about is to get married and hand on a silver platter the business that your father has

worked so hard to set up!”

“You good-for-nothing idiot!”

“She’s right! Who are you to give the company to someone else? It’s my son’s company!”

Alice merely sat weeping on her sickbed. She wept bitterly, not because of these people’s insults but

for the sake of her parents. At this moment, this made her appear weak and cowardly in the eyes of

outsiders, as if she wasn’t good at anything except crying.

Soon after that, the Yeagers hurried to the ward and chased the Wolands away. Bruce comforted Alice

in a gentle voice, while Thomas acted like a benign elder.

At twelve midnight, the door to the ward was pushed open, and Ethan appeared in the room.

At this moment, she was really asleep. Having stayed up for two days and one night after such a

devastating blow, she had already reached her limit.

Only a night light was on in the ward. Walking up to the bed, Ethan stared at the lady who was lying

curled up in it. Her portrait doesn’t match, and neither do her fingerprints. Also, she just announced

today that she’d marry Bruce.

He had had Derek and Caleb conduct a background check on her, and there was no discrepancy in

their findings. Everything was about the same as rumored. As a child, she had grown up by the side of

Howard Glenn, her maternal grandfather, who had often taken her around on his travels. When she

was 11 years old, he took her to Cliaria for his wife’s medical treatment, and they ended up staying

there for five years. Both the Wolands and the Glenns had the same attitude toward her: they let her

enjoy life to the full. On the other hand, her marriage to Bruce was proposed by the Wolands when she

was 11 years old. It was Sophia, her grandmother, who had directly announced this to the media at the

time.

Everything he had found out so far indicated that she wasn’t the woman from that night, but he came

here nonetheless. He remembered having touched a tattoo on her ankle that night. He had felt for it

carefully at the time, so he was certain that it was a tattoo.

After standing by the bed for a while, he walked to the end of it and quietly lifted a corner of her quilt.

Her ankle was clean; there was nothing on it. His eyes darkened for a moment before he tucked her

back in. Just when he turned to leave, he noticed two drops of tears lingering on her long eyelashes in

her sleep.

After leaving the hospital, Ethan told Caleb to help Alice out whenever she needed it.

Some time after that, Alice went to study in Cliaria; it was Bruce who registered her for the school and

picked the course for her. After going to her new school, she was still as hopeless in her studies as

before.

Caleb had brought back news about her several times afterward, but it was either about how badly she

did in exams or how Bruce had visited her. Since then, Caleb had never brought back any word about

her.

Seven years later…

The whole city of Rodcaster was abuzz today thanks to two news stories. Tanner West, known as an

unorthodox business prodigy and a rising star who had risen to sudden prominence in Cliaria’s

Financial District seven years ago, was returning to Festana to further her career, thus becoming the

darling of well-known commercial enterprises. Even the Knights, a family of godlike status, were said to

have extended an offer to her. Furthermore, the offer was said to be extended personally by Ethan

Knight, the man at the apex of the godlike family!

Meanwhile, Alice Woland, who had become a laughing stock for her unsightly looks and foolishness

after her severe facial disfigurement seven years ago, had also returned to Festana for her wedding

today. All eyes were on the marriage between the Wolands and the Yeagers, which had been decided

seven years ago. Today, however, everyone was tacitly expecting to watch Alice make a spectacle of

herself again seven years later!

The grand wedding banquet had begun at Magnificent Hotel in Rodcaster, and one could tell from the

extremely lavish and ostentatious wedding decorations that those who made preparations for the

wedding had put a lot of care and thought into it. However, not all the care and thought put into it was

genuine; they might also be a smokescreen to throw dust in people’s eyes.

Meanwhile, in the Yeager Residence’s study…

Thomas, the head of the Yeager Family, was sitting behind his desk with a sanctimonious air, but

someone like him was born to be different from what he seemed to be. Beneath that smiling and gentle

exterior, he was cruel, treacherous, and unscrupulous. “Has the agreement to transfer the ownership of

the Woland Group been signed?”

Bruce could hardly hide his smugness and excitement. “Don’t worry, Dad. Alice has signed the

agreement, and Blake is going through the legal formalities now. Everything’s been arranged

beforehand, so nothing will go wrong. The Woland Group will be transferred to my name in no time.” As

the groom of the wedding, he didn’t care at all about how the wedding preparations were going. After

all, the wedding was nothing but a ruse; all the Yeagers wanted was the Woland Family’s company.

The Woland Group was among the top enterprises in Rodcaster, so who wouldn’t envy or covet it?

God knows how many people wanted to get a slice of the Woland Group upon Mr. and Mrs. Woland’s

death in a car accident seven years ago, but now the Woland Group is going to be mine! As for Alice?

He narrowed his eyes without concealing the look of mockery and disgust on his face. “Once the

company comes into our hands, we’ll cancel the wedding. There’s no way I’m gonna marry such an

ugly, stupid, and disgraceful thing.” He might’ve been somewhat reluctant to part with Alice’s

gorgeously beautiful face if she hadn’t been disfigured seven years ago. But now, not only was her face

disfigured, she was a good-for-nothing dumb*ss. He found it disgusting to even take a look at her.

Thomas’ eyes were dark and grim. He became who he was today thanks to his callousness and his

scheming, so he knew better about the need to be cautious in everything. “Be more careful lest

something go wrong.”

His wife Naomi didn’t think much of his words, though. “How can anything go wrong? Alice is just an

ugly and good-for-nothing idiot.” She had nothing but contempt for someone like Alice. “What a cheek

she’s got wanting to marry our son! She should’ve looked at herself in the mirror instead!”

Bruce looked as though he had eaten a fly. “If she hadn’t insisted on marrying me and not transferring

the Woland Group to my name as her dowry until we’re married, we wouldn’t have had to arrange for

the wedding. What a troublemaking troll. How revolting!”

Naomi reassured, “Don’t worry, I’ll deal with her once the Woland Group comes into our hands. I’ve had

everything arranged, so there’s going to be a great spectacle today. Today, Alice will become as

notorious as a public enemy.” Her methods had always been extraordinary. Since she was on it, she

would make sure to leave Alice with no opportunity to turn things around. “Not only that, I’ll send her to

jail and let her spend the rest of her life there.”

Bruce’s eyes flickered for a moment. Stupid as Alice is, she must be still in the dark about what

happened seven years ago. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have come to the wedding. But now that she’s

back, there’s no guarantee that she won’t find out about anything. It’s a good solution to send her to

jail. Moreover, we can avoid any future trouble by having her die in jail without anyone knowing. Only

when she’s thoroughly finished would the Woland Group come into our hands without any problems.

This family was simply invincible in attempting to rob someone else as though they were entitled to do

so. Unbeknown to them, however, Alice, whom they had just described as an idiot, knew everything

about what they had done. Furthermore, she already had the situation well in hand and was waiting for

the right opportunity to strike. I’m never an easy game—never! she thought to herself.

At this moment, Archie Moreno pushed the door open and entered the bride’s dressing room before

making an OK sign to the mirror.

A pair of eyes slowly opened; they were as bright as stars and as fathomless as a vast galaxy. Seeing

the OK sign, they glittered like ripples spreading across the surface of a clear and tranquil lake.

In front of the mirror, Alice’s fingers ran lightly over the “scars” on her face, which looked so real that

she almost failed to recognize that they were fake. After covering the scars with her palm, she slowly

curled her lips into a smile, looking as devastatingly charming as a fiery red rose. It’s been seven years

now. Now it’s time for the show!