Chapter 1071
In Douburgh, Bruce was a man of action. Not long after Annabel and Rupert asked him to pick a date for their engagement, he arranged for the news to be released. He wanted to cement Annabel’s identity as the future wife of the Benton Group’s CEO and eliminate any chance of anyone else pursuing Rupert.
Following the former chairman’s instructions, the announcement spread like wildfire. Within two days, both print media and the internet were buzzing about Rupert and Annabel’s engagement ceremony, scheduled for the fifth day of the following month.
Heather had been recuperating at home ever since she returned from Korea. Hooper was afraid she might see anything about Rupert, so he instructed the staff to keep magazines out of her reach. But on this particular day, he happened to be out of the house.
Heather lazily picked up the remote and flipped through channels. The television blared with celebrity gossip.
“Rupert, CEO of the Benton Group…”
The host’s voice immediately caught Heather’s attention. Her eyes brightened, and her expression turned serious.
“According to our sources, Rupert and Annabel’s engagement is scheduled for the fifth day of next month. However, the venue has not yet been disclosed,” the host reported.
The moment Heather heard Annabel’s name, her face darkened and her eyes dulled. Jealousy and resentment churned in her chest. Why had she endured so much for Rupert, only for him to choose Annabel in the end?
How could that woman from the countryside possibly be better than her?
Heather’s gaze turned sharp and icy. In a surge of fury, she clenched the sofa cover so tightly her knuckles whitened. She couldn’t accept that Rupert had rejected her—a woman from a family of equal status—yet was determined to marry Annabel, a common country girl.
No. She would never allow Rupert to be with that lowly woman. Over her dead body. If she couldn’t have him, then Annabel wouldn’t either.
Exclusive updates available gⱯlnσν𝓮ℓs․com
On the day of the engagement, Candace was arrested for stealing confidential information and committing fraud. She was taken to the police station for questioning. After the investigation, she was found guilty and sentenced to at least ten years in prison.
During that time, life behind bars became a living hell for Candace.
Many of the prisoners looked down on Candace for what she had done. She became a target for bullying and harassment, forced to endure humiliation every day. Sometimes they splashed water in her face. Other times they knocked over her food tray. They made her do the most degrading chores—like washing the feet of a woman who had already been in prison for five years.
The woman sitting on the bed sneered at Candace, eyeing her with contempt. “Don’t look at me like that. You’re nothing but a liar. Do you really think you’re some kind of noble lady? Please. I’ve even heard rumors your father is a kidnapper, too.”
Paige had been sent to prison after taking revenge on her abusive husband. She had killed him and felt no remorse. Sitting on her narrow bunk, she sneered at the very idea of someone like Candace.
Candace couldn’t stand it when people insulted her family. But after enduring endless abuse in prison, she was already at her limit. Paige, who’d been locked up for years, seemed to take special pleasure in tormenting her.