âHonk! Honk! Honk!â
A car beeped furiously.
The blinding beam struck Carrie.
She cocked her head back, and her pale complexion reflected under the carâs blinding lights.
Carrie froze like a doe caught in the headlights.
It was too late for the approaching truck to slam the brakes. Carrie clutched her teddy in terror and
closed her eyes.
âCarrie! Watch out!â
Gritting his teeth, Ryan came up from behind and pulled her out of danger in the nick of time.
He shielded her from harm just as she did for her teddy.
They twirled in the air, and Ryan cushioned Carrieâs fall as they
crashed onto the ground.
The man hit his shoulder on the curb and grunted in pain. Sweat
seeped through his suit.
The truck crashed into a flower bed by the roadside after swerving to
avoid hitting Carrie. Luckily, the driver was uninjured.
Feeling the pain all over his body, Ryan let go of Carrie.
To his surprise, the ingrate crawled out of his embrace and slipped
away.
âHey! Hey! Come back, Carrie! Shouldnât you at least help me up?â
Ryan was beside himself as the pain hindered him from getting up from the ground.
The party tonight was highly publicized. It started off with a bang but ended hastily.
To spare his sister and mother from worry, Ryan told his secretary to hide his car accident and
hospitalization.
Furious with Bella, Zoe was not in a hurry to leave after the party. She had a drink with her frenemy,
Bethany, at the hotel bar.
âDamn it! Justin only has eyes for that bitch, Bella.â
Zoe slammed her glass on the table, her eyes bloodshot. âWhy did they divorce if he has lingering
feelings for her?â
âYouâre not the only one confused, Zoe.â
With her hand propped under her chin, Bethany looked frustrated.â Bella waited on us hand and foot
before they divorced. She attended to Justinâs every need, despite his cold indifference. For three
years, she cooked and cleaned for our family.
âI wouldnât get through a day if I were in her shoes, but she managed it for three years. Thatâs one thing
Iâm impressed with about her. Still, Justin wouldnât even give her any attention. Rosalind was the only
one for him. He divorced Bella, the only woman who stood by him, for
Rosalind. I used to think Justin did the right thing. Now that I think
about it, he was blind
The alcohol loosened Bethanyâs tongue.
Bethanyâs comment upset Zoe further. She scoffed. âAre you feeli bad for Bella, Bethany? What, are
you regretting that she canât be y sister-in-law anymore?â
âNo, no. You got the wrong idea, Zoe.â
Realizing she had let more slip than she should, Bethany smiled awkwardly and replied, âI was just
breaking it down for you. I donât understand why Justin ignored the bitch before the divorce and now
gives her so much attention. Maybe he only realized what love was once he lost it. That was why he
was unwilling to let go.â
Zoe felt bummed and took a sip of wine. She was consumed by a
burning desire to win him over. âI refuse to believe that Justin has
feelings for Bella! They had been married for three years. If there was
a spark, something would have happened a long time ago. Justin is showering his ex-wife with
attention out of spite because he canât
stand to see her happy.â
While talking, Zoe flicked her brown hair and curled her lips
arrogantly. âJustin and I have a solid relationship, unlike what Bella
had with him. He definitely feels something for me, but Bellaâs got
him wrapped around her finger for now.â
Bethany stuck out her tongue in secret and did not say a word.
She had a feeling that Zoe was a little delusional. Nevertheless, Bethany would not put her down, as
she needed Zoeâs help to marry into the Hoffman family.
âWe should figure out a way to get Ada on our side and help Justin close the case, Bethany. I will help
you.â
Zoe scowled at the thought of Bella smugly pulling out âThe Twilight
Godâ.
She muttered with resentment, âItâs just a stupid brooch. That isnât Alexaâs only masterpiece. If Bella
can do it, I can too.â