Chapter 1 You'll Regret This Someday

• "Madeline Grant, you're a murderer! Why are you still alive? You should have died instead!"
• Noah Quincy angrily shoved her away from him. His expression was as somber and desolate as the funereal black suit he was wearing.
• Taken by surprise, Madeline lost her balance and fell, landing on her heavily-pregnant belly. The pain was so intense that spasms shook her entire body, and she cried out in agony.
• Blood began slowly trickling onto the ground.
• Nonetheless, she forced herself to ignore the pain and looked up with swollen, red-rimmed eyes. With a bleak, mirthless expression, she pleaded, "Noah, how many times do I need to say this before you'll believe me? I wasn't the one who betrayed your family or the Quinton Corporation, and I certainly didn't cause your grandfather's death."
• "You have the nerve to say that in front of me?! Have we mistreated you in any way?! Wasn't it enough for you to marry into our family and be an adored daughter-in-law? Instead, you turned around and sold confidential information about the family business, plunging it into dire straits! When Grandpa found out your little secret, you ruthlessly disposed of him!"
• Madeline shook her head vigorously. "I told you, it wasn't me! It was Angie!"
• Noah was furious. Glaring down at her with contempt, he snapped, "How dare you involve your sister in this mess! Haven't you done enough harm to her already? What more do you want?!"
• Time and time again, this woman schemed and plotted without remorse, but like a fool, he always relented and forgave her in the end!
• Steely determination and anger flared up in Noah's eyes, and he flung a divorce settlement agreement right in Madeline's face. "You'll sign this right now! From today on, I'm going to make you pay a thousand times over for everything you've done!"
• The sight of the document was like a dagger to Madeline's heart. Her entire body felt as if it had been turned to ice on the spot as if she had been consigned to the freezing wastelands of Hell itself.
• She shook her head furiously. "No…I won't sign the divorce papers. Our child hasn't been born yet…"
• She could not get divorced, not right now. She did not want her child to be stigmatized and suffer as a result of what had happened.
• Noah pushed her aside. "I warn you, don't you dare use that child to threaten me! If it weren't because of your pregnancy, do you think I'd even let you live?"
• Above all else, he hated being intimidated. This woman, however, had done it to him time and time again!
• "Call the police!"
• Noah turned on his heel and stalked out of the house, seething with rage. He did not so much as spare Madeline a backward glance.
• Madeline refused to give up hope. She did not believe he could treat her so cruelly and tried to run after him.
• However, she saw that he had already gotten into his car. Not only that, her sister, Angie, was in the passenger seat beside him, looking pleased as punch and acting just like the mistress of the Quincy household!
• Her twin sister, Angie, was the instigator of this entire affair!
• Madeline wanted nothing more than to drag her perfidious sibling out of the car and throttle her to death!
• However, right at that moment, she heard a police siren blaring, and a police car stopped in front of the house.
• "Ms. Grant, Mr. Quincy has lodged a report against you, saying you deliberately committed murder and sold corporate secrets. We have conclusive evidence now; we're putting you under arrest!"
• The constables seized her arms and dragged her toward the police car. She staggered and fell to the ground again. Her hatred consumed her; she could only lie there, staring with venomous eyes as Noah and Angie drove away.
• As the police pulled her to her feet, Madeline struggled furiously. Glaring at the departing car carrying Noah and her twin sister, she shrieked, "Noah Quincy, you only ever believe whatever that bitch says, never me! You'll regret this someday! If you've caused my unborn child to come to any harm, I'll never forgive you, ever!"
• Rain began to fall, mingling with the bloody trail on the ground where the police had dragged her to the car. Her desolate cries carried through the storm like a banshee wailing.
• As he drove off, Noah could still catch a glimpse of Madeline's humiliated, desperate figure in the distance.
• Her sobs echoed in his ears, and her accusations seemed to sear themselves into his heart.
• Madeline was clearly the culprit, so why did he suddenly feel his resolve weakening?
• …
• Five years had passed.
• A cold, bitter wind gusted over the cold, desolate landscape of the North Hill Cemetery in Imperia.
• Madeline stood in front of the Quincy family's cemetery plot. She was clad entirely in black and was holding a small bouquet of lilies. Stooping down, she lightly placed the flowers on Gordon Quincy's grave. "I'm sorry I took so long to visit you, Gordon," she murmured.
• She took off her sunglasses, revealing a face devoid of makeup. Her features were good; her nose was exquisitely straight, and her lips were rosy even without lipstick. Her long tresses had been gathered simply over one shoulder. Although she was in a cemetery and dressed in such austere garb, her elegance, and cool, aloof beauty were still eye-catching.
• She had finally fulfilled her promise and returned after so long.
• She was sure that Gordon had been her guardian angel all this while, allowing her to encounter that mysterious Good Samaritan five years ago.
• Back then, when Madeline had been framed for selling confidential information about the Quinton Corporation and causing Gordon's death, her reputation had been utterly destroyed. She had become a notorious criminal, despised by everyone in Imperia.
• The night of her arrest, she had bled heavily and given premature birth to triplets. Her firstborn son had been taken away on Noah's orders; fortunately, she had encountered a mysterious individual who had helped her conceal the existence of her other two sons. This individual had also helped her fake her own death, which was why she had been able to hide herself away and survive until now.
• She stared at Gordon's weathered photograph printed on his headstone. Even in the picture, his expression was kindly and compassionate, just as it had been when he was still alive. For a moment, it seemed as if he had smiled at her.
• "I've heard they're going to get married soon!"
• Madeline's gaze abruptly turned as cold as a steel blade!
• "Don't worry, Gordon. As long as I'm still alive, I'll make sure that murdering bitch Angie won't ever be part of the Quincy family, not after she betrayed you!"