- 5 hours ago
She Demanded I Kneel, Now She’s Begging Me
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00:00When my husband's mistress publicly stripped me, I finally decided to reveal the identity
00:05even my husband didn't know about. It was time to make them all regret it.
00:10My friend Haley and I were about to leave after lunch. A woman suddenly blocked our way.
00:16Pay for my table too. Are you crazy? I don't even know you. Why would I pay for you?
00:22In New York, if you dare disrespect Sterling Corp, you won't live to regret it!
00:26Do you know who I am? Sophia, wife of Vance Sterling, CEO of Sterling Corp!
00:32Isn't Vance your husband? I was about to call Vance and ask what was going on.
00:38Still calling someone? Let's see if you can even walk out of this restaurant.
00:42Stop it! Is this all the manners Sterling Corp people have?
00:45Blocking others, making them pay, and even getting physical?
00:50Manners? In New York, the name Sterling Corp is manners.
00:53Making you pay is a privilege I'm giving you, understand?
00:57I laughed.
00:59Even if Sterling is great, it doesn't give you the right to block people and rob them.
01:04I'm giving you access to my network, and you can't even appreciate it.
01:08Do you know how many people in New York would love the chance to buy me dinner?
01:11Connections.
01:12Huh. I'm a Hartwell.
01:14I've never needed to ride anyone else's coattails.
01:17I glanced at Haley. Her face was pale as iron.
01:21Haley's family was also top-tier wealth.
01:24When had she ever been humiliated like this, and by a mere VP from a mid-sized company?
01:30I wasn't about to waste my time on her.
01:33Yet Sophia waved dismissively toward the door.
01:36In New York, I make the rules.
01:39Hold down these two trash!
01:44No sooner had she spoken than seven or eight black-suited bodyguards swarmed in, surrounding us.
01:51Haley instinctively pulled me back, her eyes sharp.
01:54There were too many of them.
01:56Before she could act, two guards clamped down on her arms.
01:59Haley!
02:00I rushed forward, but a strike hit the back of my neck, and my vision went black.
02:05In a daze, I saw Haley curse.
02:08Bastard!
02:08Before a punch hit her cheek, and blood instantly ran from her mouth.
02:13Pinned to the ground, all I could do was watch Sophia lift her foot and kick Haley in the stomach.
02:18Today, you'll learn the consequences of offending Sterling Corp!
02:22The bodyguard's fists came down hard.
02:25Haley had only come to have fun.
02:27This had nothing to do with her.
02:28Sophia, I am Vance Sterling's legal wife, Quinn Hartwood.
02:32She is Haley Langley from Washington's Langley family.
02:36Let us go now, and this could still be resolved!
02:40Vance's wife?
02:41The Langley family?
02:43Are you two idiots?
02:45Who in New York doesn't know the only woman around Vance Sterling is Sophia?
02:48At least do some research before you start lying.
02:51Langley?
02:52Never heard of it.
02:53She's making it up to scare people.
02:55Sophia bent down, grabbing my hair with a vicious glue.
02:58One more word about being his wife, and I'll tear your mouth apart.
03:02Vance is mine!
03:04Quinn, even the mistress is acting like this?
03:07And you're just letting this happen?
03:11That made me pause for a second.
03:13Then I laughed, too, when I suddenly turned my head and bit down hard on her wrist.
03:18I drove my knee into another bodyguard's backside.
03:21I grabbed a nearby wine bottle and smashed it across another guard's forehead.
03:25By the time Sophia reacted, I was already in front of her.
03:28My fist slammed into her face.
03:31She staggered back two steps, blood pouring from her nose.
03:34You hit me?
03:36She reached for my face, but I caught her arm and threw her hard onto the floor.
03:40I climbed on top of her and started punching.
03:42The Sterling Corp employees, reeking of alcohol, rushed toward us.
03:47You dare hit a VP?
03:48Are you tired of living?
03:50At some point, Hailey had broken free.
03:53Beat the hell out of her!
03:54I'm not swallowing this today!
03:55In the middle of the chaos, someone swung a chair into my back.
03:59Sophia shrieked while clawing at my hair.
04:02Kick her ass!
04:03Triple the bonus!
04:04The employees rushed us like madmen.
04:07Some grabbed my arms.
04:09Some wrapped around my waist.
04:10Others kicked at my legs.
04:12Taking advantage of the moment I was distracted, Sophia suddenly kicked me in the stomach.
04:17I stumbled back two steps.
04:19Everybody stop!
04:21Several police officers pushed their way inside.
04:24The moment their eyes landed on Sophia, their expressions changed.
04:29Sophia?
04:29What happened here?
04:30A heavyset officer named Richards hurried over, his tone full of flattery as he reached out to help her up.
04:36The second Sophia saw the police, she finally found someone to back her up.
04:40Officer Richards, these two crazy bitches attacked me!
04:43They dined and dished, assaulted people, and even injured my employees!
04:47You two did this?
04:48Fighting in broad daylight and injuring Sterling Corp employees?
04:51You've got some nerve.
04:52She stopped us first and attacked us.
04:54That's a lie!
04:55I gave them a chance to enjoy Sterling Corp's influence.
04:57And they attacked me, even pretending to be my husband's wife.
05:00One of them even claimed to be from some Langley family.
05:03Total nonsense!
05:04The officer clearly believed her.
05:06That's your fault.
05:07In New York, everyone gives Sterling Corp some respect.
05:10Sophia is Mr. Vance Sterling's woman.
05:12Touching her means going against the rules of this city.
05:15Enough talking.
05:16You're coming with us.
05:19The bill for Miss Sophia's table, the restaurant damages, medical expenses, and emotional distress
05:22compensation will all be paid by you.
05:24What?
05:24If you kneel and apologize to Sophia, we might be able to settle this privately.
05:29She started this.
05:30You're judging us without even investigating.
05:32Why?
05:32You follow the rules here.
05:33Sophia was giving you face.
05:35Don't be ungrateful.
05:36I'd like to see whether your rules are bigger than the law.
05:39Still acting tough?
05:40The thin officer stepped forward and tried to cuff me.
05:44Then I'll have to teach you a lesson.
05:46You are abusing your authority!
05:48Abusing authority?
05:49This is called doing our job.
05:51Anything involving Sterling Corp is important.
05:53People who don't know their place need to be taught some rules.
05:57You pathetic bootlickers!
05:59Your day is coming!
06:01Really?
06:02Once you're locked up and getting beaten every day, we'll see how tough you still sound.
06:05Sophia, is this enough?
06:06If not, I can turn it up?
06:07More.
06:08Let them know who makes the rules here.
06:11By the way, Sophia, when's your due date?
06:13My partner and I will definitely prepare a nice gift to congratulate you and Mr. Sterling.
06:18Four or five more months.
06:19We had it checked.
06:20It's a boy.
06:21Sophia was pregnant.
06:22The news hit me like a truck.
06:25I had been away on a business trip for six months.
06:29I had just returned to New York, and Vance already had a child on the way.
06:33The words slammed into me one after another.
06:36Blood rushed straight to my head.
06:38We had been married for two years.
06:40The entire time, he kept delaying having children because he claimed he was too busy with the company.
06:46I struggled to get up.
06:47Seeing that I was still moving, the thin officer immediately struck the back of my neck with the stun baton.
06:53Electricity exploded through my body.
06:55My vision went dark, and I nearly collapsed.
06:58Sophia grabbed a chair and raised it over her head, ready to smash it into me.
07:03At that moment, hurried footsteps echoed from the restaurant entrance.
07:07Vance walked in.
07:08What happened?
07:11Vance looked over the destruction without much reaction.
07:15Only when his eyes landed on Sophia did his expression soften slightly.
07:19Who hurt you?
07:21Vance, you're here.
07:22These people went mad, pretended to be your wife, and even attacked people.
07:28Even hit the police.
07:30Mr. Sterling, you arrived just in time.
07:33These outsiders caused trouble and insulted you and Mrs. Sophia.
07:37We are handling it according to the law.
07:39Quinn, I really underestimated you.
07:41Returning from a six-month trip and already learning how to fight and throw a scene.
07:45And your friends?
07:46What a disgrace.
07:47Coming here to make a scene as if Sterling Corp were just for show.
07:51You know her?
07:52Yes.
07:53Just an annoying woman.
07:54Hearing that, Sophia visibly relaxed.
07:56Vance, you'd better find out what really happened first.
07:59Officer Richards, what exactly happened?
08:02Richards rolled his eyes.
08:04Mr. Sterling, it was this woman.
08:06She came in, lost her temper at Sophia, and insisted on pay for Sophia's table,
08:10claiming she wanted to get close to her.
08:12Sophia was polite, but this woman accused her of down on hard on Kajah Troubles.
08:16Exactly!
08:16Sophia refused to let her pay, so she lost her temper and attacked her.
08:20Completely upside down!
08:21She was the one blocking us!
08:22Shut up!
08:23Do you have the right to speak here?
08:26Vance, she didn't have to go this far.
08:28She got angry over not being allowed to pay and even threatened Sterling Corp to make you look bad.
08:32Quinn, really?
08:34You can be this shameless?
08:36Wanting to connect with someone, and when refused, you get angry and start hitting people?
08:40I didn't.
08:41You didn't?
08:42Even the police said it.
08:43And you still want to argue?
08:45Vance, don't get upset.
08:47Maybe she just lost her mind for a moment.
08:49Lost her mind?
08:51I think she's incurable.
08:52Handle it however it needs to be handled.
08:54Not a single cent less for compensation.
08:56I want to see how she's going to pay.
08:59All these years, I never told Vance how powerful my family really was.
09:04I could afford any amount they asked for.
09:07What mattered to me was Vance's attitude toward me.
09:10So in your eyes, I've become so despicable?
09:14Fine.
09:16Compensation, right?
09:17How much do you want?
09:19Five million.
09:21Can you borrow that?
09:22Don't even talk about five million.
09:23Maybe five thousand and you'd still have to borrow it.
09:27Five million, huh?
09:28Just wait.
09:30Text my dad, too.
09:30My phone got smashed.
09:37Acting.
09:38Keep acting.
09:39Five million just for the two of you?
09:41Stop wasting time.
09:42Come with us.
09:43If you can't produce the money, you'll be crying later.
09:46Refuse the toast and drink the punishment?
09:48Don't blame us for getting rough.
09:50Relax.
09:51The money's on the way.
09:52On the way?
09:54From where?
09:55The sky?
09:55Your dad must be moving dricks somewhere.
09:58Our employees laugh along.
10:01Stop talking.
10:02One more step and I won't be gentle.
10:05Just as he raised his hand to cuff her, a deafening roar shook the ceiling.
10:10The ground trembled.
10:11Haley and I turned to the window and exchanged a knowing glance.
10:14Finally, they're here.
10:18Everyone rushed to the windows.
10:20The vibration beneath the floor grew stronger.
10:23A smile on Sophia's face instantly froze.
10:27What?
10:28What is that?
10:29The helicopter hovered above the open area beside the restaurant.
10:33The cars came to a stop.
10:35All the doors opened at once.
10:37The Langley family's chief of staff walked directly to Haley.
10:44Miss Langley, are you all right?
10:48Miss Quinn, I sincerely apologize that we did not arrive sooner.
10:52Sophia and the officers stood frozen.
10:54Mr. Reed, did you bring the money?
10:57Mr. Sterling wants five million dollars.
10:59Let him count it.
11:00Mr. Reed nodded and gestured behind him.
11:02A guard stepped forward carrying a heavy black case.
11:06Sophia's knees nearly buckled.
11:08The two officers turned pale.
11:10Mr. Cole gave a signal to his team.
11:12A second group of guards entered carrying identical black cases.
11:18Mr. Sterling, the five million dollars you requested has been fully prepared by both the Hartfield family and the Langley
11:25family.
11:26However, Miss Quinn's watch was custom made by Italian artificians and is valued at seven million dollars.
11:31Miss Langley's jacket came from a 200-year-old bespoke tailor in London and costs eight million dollars to replace.
11:36Adding medical expenses and compensation, the total comes to 20 million dollars.
11:40We will be collecting that amount from Sterling Corp.
11:42Only minutes later, the employees had been laughing.
11:46The loudest among them were desperately looking for places to hide.
11:49Haley accepted a handkerchief from Mr. Reed and calmly wiped the blood from her lip.
11:54And these two officers, abuse of authority, assaulting civilians, perjury, will be speaking with your department.
12:02And there are multiple assault charges, including aggravated battery.
12:06Those charges will be added as well.
12:11Quinn, how is this possible?
12:14When did all this start?
12:17Where did all of this come from?
12:19I looked at him and suddenly remembered a winter day back in college.
12:25Back then, he wore an old, worn-out jacket.
12:28He stood outside the library with his shoulders hunched against the cold.
12:31A textbook in one hand, a granola bar in the other for lunch.
12:35I walked over and offered him a cup of coffee.
12:37His face immediately turned red.
12:40He pushed it back and insisted he wasn't cold.
12:42Later, I learned he was working several jobs at once.
12:45He had to pay both his tuition and his mother's medical bills.
12:49Once, he spent an entire night preparing a business proposal.
12:52A professor tore it apart during review.
12:55Afterward, he sat motionless on the edge of the campus square for hours.
12:59Let me get some money from my family.
13:01We can use it to start your company.
13:03Quinn, what do you take me for?
13:05I'd rather starve than accept charity, especially from someone like you.
13:10I'll build my future myself.
13:12I don't need anyone's pity.
13:13We had a huge fight that day.
13:15He threw my business card back at me.
13:18He said he hated people who were born rich.
13:20He said I would never understand what dignity meant to someone who had nothing.
13:25After that, I never mentioned my family again.
13:28I anonymously invested $30 million.
13:31When competitors tried to force his company out of business, I quietly asked my father's associates to intervene.
13:37He always said he was lucky.
13:39He never knew that behind every bit of that luck, I was the one supporting everything from afar.
13:45But then Vance became wealthy.
13:48Little by little, he forgot.
13:50He distanced himself from me.
13:52He pushed me out of the company.
13:53It was as if he suspected I had married him only because of the empire he had built.
13:59He became cold.
14:00I always thought that once things settled down, he would finally see the truth.
14:05I never imagined he would find someone else first.
14:08You never asked.
14:11You said you hated taking anything from rich people.
14:14You said you needed to do everything yourself.
14:17So I never told you.
14:20So everything Sterling Corp achieved, it was because of you?
14:24It doesn't matter anymore.
14:26I lowered my gaze towards Sophia, who was still trembling on the floor.
14:31You used to say that betrayal was the thing you hated most.
14:36And now, you've kept a mistress.
14:40You said you despised people who used power to hurt others.
14:44Yet you stood by and watched your people do exactly that.
14:48You said you hated anyone who abused authority.
14:53Yet you watched these officers fabricate lies and said nothing.
14:58Vance, money was never the problem between us.
15:02You simply forgot who you were.
15:08Contact Hartwheel Group.
15:11Withdraw every investment we have in Sterling Corp immediately.
15:15And notify legal to prepare breach of contract litigation.
15:22Don't do this!
15:25Quinn, you can't.
15:30Sterling Corp is everything I've built.
15:32If you pull out, the company is finished.
15:36Everything you've built.
15:38How much of it was actually yours?
15:40His face turned white.
15:42His lips moved.
15:43No sound came out.
15:47One more thing.
15:49Draft the divorce agreement immediately.
15:51Divide the assets according to the prematural agreement.
15:56I want nothing.
15:57Absolutely nothing.
15:59List the shares acquired through the anonymous investment separately.
16:02Any shares belong to the Hartyield family will be returned to the Hartyield family.
16:07Understood, Quinn.
16:09Vance collapsed to the floor.
16:11Quinn, I was wrong.
16:13Give me one more chance.
16:16I'll break up with Sophia right now.
16:19I'll take care of the child.
16:21I'll do anything.
16:23No.
16:24Your child.
16:26Your company.
16:28Your life.
16:29None of it has anything to do with me anymore.
16:31Hayley, who had been silent until now, suddenly kicked over a nearby table.
16:38Are you two finished?
16:40Because now we need to discuss my future.
16:44Hayley turned to her guards.
16:46Lock this place down.
16:47No one leaves.
16:48No matter who threw a punch or cheered, everyone stays here.
16:52Who kicked me in the stomach?
16:53Who shocked me with a stun gun?
16:55Who said my father is a brick gainer?
16:57Find each and every one of them.
17:00Everyone present today will be held accountable.
17:02If I let any of leave alive, I'm not a Langley.
17:05As for these people, just a few minutes ago, you were ready to fight.
17:11Break their arms and legs and throw them out of the city.
17:14No, Vance.
17:16Please help me.
17:17Vance stepped forward, trying to intervene.
17:20Hayley glanced at him.
17:23Are you testing your luck, too?
17:25He froze, his face instantly paling.
17:28He had no idea who the Langleys were.
17:30But he knew anyone who could call a helicopter like that was not to be trifled with.
17:35Hayley's men moved quickly.
17:36Within minutes, they shrieked, curled into a ball, begging for mercy.
17:40Now you.
17:42You said we'd be beaten daily in training.
17:45Now you'll get a taste.
17:48Take everything.
17:49Just don't kill him.
17:50The room filled with screams, fleeting, and the sound of furniture toppling.
17:54I watched Hayley's eyes, red with rage, and knew she was truly furious.
18:00She had never been humiliated like this in her life.
18:03Insulted by a VP from a minor company.
18:06Shocked with a stun gun by local police.
18:08Who wouldn't want justice?
18:12Enough.
18:13Don't get your hands dirty.
18:15She looked at the people on the floor.
18:19They were lucky today.
18:21Hand these people over to the proper authorities.
18:23Those who deserve jail, jail.
18:24Those who owe money, pay it back.
18:26Not a single dollar short, or their families will personally apologize to me in Washington, D.C.
18:31Let's go.
18:32This place gives me a headache.
18:33What followed, I only heard about later.
18:36Sophia's fate was the worst among them.
18:38After the Hartwell and Langley families attacked Sterling Corp., her title at the company became meaningless.
18:44Sterling Corp., to mitigate losses, announced her termination and sued her for embezzlement and damaging the company's reputation.
18:53The employees who once fawned over her now scrambled to provide evidence of her misconduct.
18:59She was convicted on multiple counts and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
19:04The two officers fared no better.
19:06Their misconduct records were sent to federal regulators.
19:10They were suspended immediately.
19:12The local sheriff, to protect himself, handed over all their prior records.
19:16Word of the incident spread quickly through the police department.
19:20Both were dismissed and later imprisoned for assault.
19:24Sterling Corp.'s decline was faster than anyone expected.
19:27Once Hartwell Group withdrew their investments, other partners followed suit.
19:32Overnight, the capital chain collapsed.
19:36Vance's long-suppressed competitors returned, taking everything.
19:40They seized his team, core projects, and clients.
19:44He tried to leverage old connections, but no one responded.
19:48No one wanted to cross the Hartwell or Langley families, especially with a company on the brink of collapse.
19:54Three months later, Sterling Corp. filed for bankruptcy.
19:59Vance fell from the pinnacle of his career to nothing.
20:04The company was gone.
20:06His personal debts piled high.
20:08Some said they had seen him on the street, looking like someone who hadn't slept or eaten properly in ages.
20:13As for the employees and guards involved, the ones who had cheered lost their jobs and were blacklisted.
20:20They would never forget that afternoon.
20:22Cash scattered across the floor.
20:24A helicopter hovered overhead.
20:26Everything changed in that moment.
20:28After leaving the restaurant, we went straight to the helicopter.
20:31Haley rubbed her arm and muttered about the city's attitude.
20:34I didn't respond.
20:35I just stared through the window at the clouds, letting the last remnants of anything connected to Vance finally dissipate.
20:43A few days later, back in Washington, D.C., the Langley family used a business summit to send a clear
20:50message to anyone who had condoned
20:52Sterling Corp's actions in New York.
20:54Haley was fiercely protective of those she cared about.
20:57If treated unfairly, she would retrieve justice without hesitation.
21:01As for me, the Hartwell Group's focus had never been on New York.
21:05Withdrawing from Sterling Corp. took almost no effort.
21:08What hurt most was my father.
21:10When he heard I had been injured, he called me home, inspected the bruise on my neck, and scolded me
21:16for being useless.
21:17Then he had the legal team deliver documents directly to Vance.
21:21Apparently, Vance was signing the bankruptcy paperwork at the time and collapsed on the spot when the documents arrived.
21:27Crying wouldn't change anything.
21:29Everything that belonged to the Hartwell family ultimately returned to the Hartwell family.
21:34Every cent accounted for.
21:38Six months later, I entered a cross-border signing ceremony.
21:42Across the room, I saw Haley.
21:44She wore a custom gown and laughed with a group of foreign executives.
21:47The scar on her arm had almost completely faded.
21:51I heard Vance opened a little convenience store outside the city.
21:54That's pathetic.
21:55This is no longer our problem.
21:57She raised an eyebrow, but didn't pursue it further.
22:00After the ceremony, we walked out together.
22:02Her Maybach was parked next to my Bentley.
22:05The night wind blew in, and Haley suddenly laughed.
22:08Honestly, being hit by a stun-mipe in that restaurant was the most humiliating experience I've ever had.
22:16Me too.
22:17She patted my back.
22:18Come on.
22:18My dad just airlifted a few cases of Lafotte from France.
22:21A belated celebration.
22:22Freedom is worth celebrating properly.
22:24I used to think marriage meant walking the same path together.
22:28Later, I realized Haley and I still have a long way to go.
22:35My life slowly returned to normal.
22:38One month later, the cross-border capital summit was held in New York.
22:42Hartwell Group was one of the hosts, as the person in charge of this major merger project.
22:47Several old directors deliberately made things difficult.
22:51Miss Hartwell, you're just relying on your family background.
22:54A privileged heiress with no real ability to control such a big project.
22:58I sat there calmly.
23:00I displayed a series of precise data charts.
23:02Market projections, risk assessments, synergy calculations.
23:07I countered with facts.
23:09Every number was solid, but the directors still refused to back down.
23:13Just then, the heavy conference room doors opened.
23:16Everyone stood up at once.
23:17Adrian Blackwood, the powerful head of the Blackwood Consortium, had arrived.
23:23Blackwood Connollation will add $5 billion to this project.
23:26The only condition is that Quinn Hartfield stays fully in charge.
23:29The whole room fell silent.
23:31Those who had questioned me turned pale.
23:33After the meeting, I met Adrian formally for the first time.
23:37He only gave me a polite nod, as if everything today was just a small favor.
23:41I had no idea.
23:43This man had been watching me quietly for many years.
23:46The project officially started.
23:48Hartwell Group and Blackwood Consortium began deep cooperation.
23:52At the celebration banquet, many investors surrounded me.
23:56For the first time since my divorce, I stood in the spotlight as myself.
24:01Not as Vance Sterling's wife.
24:03One investor kept pushing drinks on me.
24:06He tried to get too close.
24:08Just as I frowned, Adrian suddenly appeared.
24:11He took the glass from my hand.
24:12All eyes turned to us instantly.
24:15Then he pulled out a chair from me naturally.
24:18He blocked every meaningless conversation aimed at me.
24:21People started guessing about our relationship.
24:24Whispers spread through the hall.
24:26On the way back to the hotel, I thanked him softly.
24:30I'm just protecting the project leader.
24:32After I got out of the car, Adrian stood still for a long time.
24:37Why are you so special to this woman?
24:38Because she is worth it.
24:40Because she is worth it.
24:40I had waited years.
24:41Now I was fine close enough to protect her.
24:44I returned to my room.
24:46I was unaware of the depth behind his calm eyes.
24:49Meanwhile, Vance's life had hit rock bottom.
24:52He sold the mansion.
24:54He moved out of New York.
24:55He ran a small convenience store in the suburbs to survive.
24:59One day, while watching financial news, I saw a report about him.
25:03But I focused on my own path.
25:05Vance saw me on screen.
25:07Confident.
25:08Radiant.
25:08No longer the woman who stood silently behind him.
25:12He finally realized what he had truly lost.
25:15He started collecting every piece of news about me frantically.
25:18When he learned I would attend a banquet that night, he sneaked in.
25:22He saw me talking side by side with Adrian.
25:25He lost control.
25:26He rushed forward with red eyes.
25:29Everyone in the hospital shot.
25:31The security moved closer.
25:32Quinn!
25:33Give me one more chance!
25:35Sir, do I know you well?
25:37One simple sentence shattered his last hope.
25:40Vance stood frozen.
25:42The woman he once took for granted was now completely out of reach.
25:46He was escorted out.
25:47The cold night air hit him hard.
25:50Regret washed over him like a tide.
25:53But it was too late.
25:54News of Adrian and my cooperation spread fast in New York's upper circles.
25:59They reported on the European heir who had never been linked to any woman.
26:03Isabella Walker, a proud socialite from an old New York family.
26:07She had long been seen as Adrian's future match.
26:11At the banquet, she mocked me publicly.
26:13Relying on family Zarians.
26:15Using feelings to get investments.
26:17Many people echoed her words.
26:19I stayed calm.
26:20I responded with project data and real achievements.
26:24Numbers didn't lie.
26:25Isabella grew angrier.
26:27Her face flushed.
26:28Adrian appeared suddenly.
26:30He didn't even glance at Isabella.
26:32Who allowed you to question my decision?
26:34The whole venue fell silent.
26:36Isabella felt humiliated for the first time.
26:39She now saw me as her real enemy.
26:42Hatred burned in her eyes.
26:44The night continued, but the power balance had shifted.
26:47Adrian's protection was quiet, yet undeniable.
26:51Whispers followed us wherever we went.
26:53The project reached a critical stage.
26:56The cross-border merger was about to be signed.
26:58Suddenly, a commercial secret leak broke out.
27:01All evidence pointed to me.
27:03The board was shaken.
27:04Quinn!
27:05You must leave the project immediately!
27:07I did not leak any secrets.
27:09Opposing directors demanded my immediate removal.
27:12Media exploded.
27:14Public opinion went out of control in one day.
27:17I insisted on accepting the full investigation.
27:21Just before the board vote, Adrian arrived with complete evidence.
27:25Surveillance footage?
27:26Financial records?
27:27Hacker tracking results?
27:29The real culprit was Isabella.
27:31She had fabricated everything to force me out.
27:34The board was furious.
27:36Isabella was stripped of all positions on the spot.
27:40She was forcibly sent to Europe by her family.
27:43After the meeting, I thanked Adrian.
27:45He looked at me gently.
27:46His words were simple, but carried deep weight.
27:51I will not allow anyone to hurt you.
27:53I felt something stir inside.
27:56This man kept appearing exactly when I needed him.
28:00The crisis passed, but new questions began to form in my heart.
28:05After the crisis, I started to rethink Adrian.
28:09This man always appeared when I needed him most.
28:12After a project review meeting, I found an old investment file by accident.
28:17Besides my own 30 million dollars, there was another anonymous overseas investment during
28:23Sterling Corp's hardest times.
28:25It came from Blackwood Consortium.
28:27I followed the clues carefully.
28:29During university, Adrian had been an exchange student at our school.
28:34He had seen me giving Vance coffee at the library entrance.
28:37He had watched me help him silently from afar.
28:41He never interfered directly.
28:43He just helped fulfill my wishes quietly.
28:46I stayed silent for a long time after learning the truth.
28:50Emotions swirled inside me.
28:52Years of support, unseen and unthanked.
28:56Adrian had been there all along.
28:59I looked out the window.
29:00I was lost in thought.
29:02The past felt different now.
29:04Vance also uncovered part of the truth.
29:07He learned how I had supported him secretly all along.
29:11He collapsed completely in his small store.
29:14He dug through old photos, emails and records late into the night.
29:18Every crisis had my shadow behind it.
29:21He had taken it all for granted.
29:24Regret crushed him.
29:26From then on, he stood outside Hartwell Group every day.
29:30Rain or shine.
29:32Late into the night, media captured the scene.
29:35The former business star now looked like a pitiful man waiting for his ex-wife.
29:41I never came out to see him.
29:43One late night, I saw the familiar figure through the office window.
29:47I turned and closed the curtains quietly.
29:50Some mistakes could not be fixed with regret.
29:53The past was over.
29:54I had moved forward.
29:56The Hartwell family's annual charity gala began.
30:00Families from New York, Washington and Europe all attended.
30:04This was my first public appearance as Hartwell heir after the divorce.
30:08In a black haute couture gown, I became the focus the moment I entered.
30:14Adrian stood nearby.
30:15He blocked unwanted approaches.
30:18Halfway through, the doors burst open.
30:21Vance rushed in.
30:22Security tried to stop him.
30:24But everyone recognized the haggard man in a cheap suit.
30:28He broke free and walked straight to me.
30:32The hall fell silent.
30:34Quinn, I know I don't deserve forgiveness.
30:37But I was wrong.
30:38He knelt in front of everyone.
30:41He took out the wedding ring he had kept for months.
30:43Come home.
30:45I don't want the company, money or pride.
30:49I just want you.
30:50All cameras focused on us.
30:53I looked at him quietly.
30:54After a long silence, I spoke.
30:58Vance, you don't miss me.
31:00You miss the person who always stood behind you.
31:02But you lost her yourself.
31:05I turned and left.
31:07Vance knelt there, crying bitterly.
31:09The once proud man was broken.
31:13The video of Vance kneeling spread across the internet.
31:16It broke a billion views overnight.
31:19Everyone said the former Sterling president had gone mad.
31:23Meanwhile, rumors about Adrian and me grew stronger.
31:27At a business forum days later, a reporter asked directly,
31:31Mr. Blackwood, are you pursuing Mrs. Hartley?
31:33The venue went quiet.
31:35Adrian looked at me in the front row.
31:37His gaze was gentle.
31:39Yes.
31:40The room exploded with flashes.
31:42The reporter continued.
31:44What do you think of her ex-husband's recent actions?
31:47Adrian paused.
31:49You had her.
31:50You lost her.
31:52That's your tragedy, not ours.
31:55These words topped global headlines.
31:58Vance, watching the live broadcast, collapsed completely.
32:03He finally understood.
32:05The woman who once only had eyes for him now belonged to someone else.
32:10His world turned dark.
32:12One month later, the Global Business Leaders Summit opened in London.
32:16I won the Annual Business Leader Award, one of the youngest winners in its history.
32:21When I finished my speech, the whole hall rose to its feet.
32:25Adrian stood at the very back, applauding.
32:27Quietly, the way he always had.
32:30Years ago, long before New York knew the Hartwell name was mine, we had already met.
32:36He was nobody then.
32:38A young founder with a dying company no investor would touch.
32:42I sat in the back of one of those rooms, hidden behind a borrowed title.
32:47Everyone saw a man about to lose everything.
32:50I saw the only one there who hadn't lied to seem bigger than he was.
32:55So I backed him.
32:56Not as a Hartwell, just as a stranger who believed in him.
33:00He built his empire from that single yes.
33:03And somewhere in those years, he fell for the woman who had bet on him when no one else would.
33:10But by the time he came looking for me, I had already chosen Vance.
33:14He never said a word.
33:16He stepped back.
33:17And he waited, year after year, for a door that never opened until now.
33:23As the ceremony ended, Adrian rose and walked to the front, in full view of the hall.
33:30He stopped before me and took my hand.
33:33Many years ago, I watched you choose someone else, he said.
33:39This time, I won't stay silent.
33:42Then he lowered himself onto one knee.
33:45He drew a small box from his coat.
33:47The blue diamond caught the light.
33:49The whole hall held its breath.
33:52His lips parted to speak.
33:54Wait!
33:54A clear voice rang across the silent hall.
33:57Every head turned to the great doors at the back.
34:00They had just swung open.
34:02A figure stood there, travel coat still on, suitcase abandoned behind her, Haley.
34:08She had flown straight from Europe and come here the instant she landed.
34:13Out of breath, but grinning.
34:16Quinn's big night.
34:18And you thought I'd let it happen without me?
34:20I forgot the proposal entirely and threw my arms around her.
34:27You came?
34:29Of course I did.
34:30She hugged me hard.
34:31Don't you dare cry on my coat.
34:33Then her gaze shifted past me.
34:34She let go and walked straight up to Adrian.
34:38The room went silent again.
34:40She looked him dead in the eye.
34:43Quinn is my best friend.
34:46Her voice carried to every corner.
34:48If you ever hurt her.
34:49If you make her shed a single tear.
34:53Whatever happened to Vance will happen to you.
34:56A sharp breath went around the room.
34:58Even Adrian's assistant went pale.
35:01Adrian didn't flinch.
35:05That day will never come.
35:06You have my word.
35:08Haley steadied him a long moment.
35:10Then she laughed.
35:12Relax.
35:12I'm kidding.
35:13The whole room exhaled, but as she passed him, she leaned in.
35:17Too low for anyone but him.
35:20Actually, I wasn't.
35:22He only smiled.
35:24I know.
35:24She nodded.
35:25Satisfied.
35:26All right.
35:27You passed.
35:29She pressed the ring box back into his palm.
35:31Hurry up and propose.
35:33Adrian turned to me and knelt again.
35:37Quinn.
35:38This time, let me spend the rest of my life beside you.
35:41My vision blurred.
35:44Yes.
35:45The hall erupted.
35:47Haley whistled louder than anyone.
35:49The past was gone.
35:51Everything ahead was only just beginning.
35:532, 3, 5, 4, 5, 7, 8, 7, 8, 9, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 12, and 13, 12, and
35:5413, 12, and 13, 12, and 13.
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