The surrounding diners began whispering among themselves, and the atmosphere in the restaurant instantly grew lively. Some felt that Yara was being unreasonable. After all, Maura had only accidentally spilled a bit of soup on her clothes. It wasn't an unforgivable mistake, and demanding such an exorbitant amount seemed excessive. Others, however, with a mindset of enjoying the drama, watched with excitement and curiosity, eager to see how this farce would unfold."A hundred thousand?" Maura's face turned pale as a sheet upon hearing the figure. She was just a poor student, barely scraping by on her meager scholarship and her part-time job at the restaurant. A hundred thousand dollars was an astronomical sum, utterly unattainable for her."Ma'am, I—I don't have so much money. This is all I have!" Maura stammered, her voice trembling with a sob. With shaking hands, she pulled out some crumpled cash from her worn-out little bag. This money was her entire savings, painst

Maura followed Brian and Lily into the private room of the strip club. The room was dimly lit, and the pounding music made it difficult to think. A vague sense of unease crept over Maura, as though something about tonight wasn't quite right. But seeing Lily so excited, she couldn't bring herself to say anything.Brian eagerly gestured for them to sit down before ordering drinks and snacks. Lily grabbed Maura's hand, chatting away about trivial things, her voice bright and carefree. Maura, however, felt distracted, unable to shake the unsettling feeling that someone was watching her from the shadows.In her office, Yara observed Maura's every move on the surveillance screen, a smug smile curling her lips. After sending a message in the group chat, it didn't take long for inquiries about Maura to start pouring in. Some people had even begun placing bids. Yara's heart swelled with glee as if she could already see the money piling up in her hands."Yara, this girl's going

"Wait..." Just as Cyrus was about to leave, his gaze inadvertently fell on Maura, who was lying unconscious on the sofa. In an instant, a palpable wave of murderous intent filled the room, spreading like a tangible force. His eyes turned as cold as ice, and an aura of bone-chilling menace radiated from him.Overcome with anxiety, Cyrus dashed forward in a single stride and knelt down to check Maura's condition. After a careful examination, he discovered that she had only been drugged and was not in immediate danger. He let out a slight sigh of relief, but the fire of rage in his heart burned even wilder."What happened here?" Cyrus's face darkened, his voice low and chilling as if it came from the depths of hell. Each word seemed to carry shards of ice, making the air around him frigid."Maura? What's she doing here?" Violet, hearing the commotion, quickly followed after Cyrus. When she saw Maura unconscious on the sofa, she was visibly shocked. She had seen Maura's p

"That's okay. I've been through worse than you can imagine," Josephine said softly, her voice calm but filled with emotion. "You've probably heard about me—back then, I was paralyzed. It was only because of my husband's treatment that I recovered." As she spoke, her thoughts drifted back to those dark days when even moving her body felt impossible. She had been bullied by everyone, even despised by her own parents. If it hadn't been for Cyrus, she wouldn't be standing here today. No matter what happened, she would always stay by his side, unwavering in her loyalty."Of course, I've heard about it! Your story is so inspiring!" Maura's eyes sparkled with admiration. "You were studying so hard even while in a wheelchair, and now your story is in textbooks!" Meeting Josephine like this felt surreal. She had idolized her for so long and never imagined they'd meet under such circumstances."Hard work always brings hope," Josephine said with a proud smile. Maura's admiratio

Cyrus felt a wave of relief wash over him when he heard that Maura wasn't in a relationship. The tension in his body eased, and he didn't even bother acknowledging Kevin, who was still trailing behind him like an annoying shadow. Without a word, Cyrus headed straight for the classroom.As he passed the sports field, he noticed Maura and Lily standing in a corner, their body language tense. They appeared to be in the middle of a heated conversation. Curiosity flickered in his mind, and before he realized it, his feet were already carrying him in their direction."Lily, why did you drug me?" Maura's voice trembled, a mix of anger and heartbreak evident in her tone. "I've always thought of you as my best friend. What do you take me for?" She stared at Lily with disbelief, her chest rising and falling as she struggled to process what had happened.Lily scoffed, her expression cold and dismissive. "Maura, stop acting like I've committed some unforgivable crime," she said,