"Juliana, believe me, mom wouldn't lie to you. I have always been good to you. Whatever you want, mom will give you, right? Although Landon is not very capable, he is a good man. He will take care of you for the rest of your life." These words came from her stepmother, Evelyn.

"Juliana, this is your lot in life. Although Landon isn't talented, at least he doesn't care about your ruined reputation. What else are you hoping for?" This was the sweet and charming voice of her little sister, Winnie.

Their voices crisscrossed in her mind, making Juliana unable to differentiate between reality and dream.

Juliana awoke to an unbearable headache. As she opened her eyes, she saw Landon's smirk. "Awake, my lady?"

She glanced at herself – tied firmly in a spread-eagle position, riddled with wounds. In no way did she look like a bride-to-be. She held back the pain and asked, "What is the meaning of this, Landon? Aren't we supposed to get married tomorrow?"

"Yes, we are supposed to get married tomorrow, but did you ever consider how many men you've slept with? I'm not that fastidious, but I don't like women like you either..." Landon coldly laughed while playing with the ropes binding Juliana. "You should wake up and take a look at yourself. You've lost everything."

"You're talking nonsense! I'm the daughter of the Yates Family. I was drugged and forced into doing those things, I am not such an unclean person! You can't treat me this way. My parents will kill you!" Juliana struggled desperately.

"Oh, I'm talking nonsense? Your father never cared for you, and as for your mother...Ah, she's here." Landon's odd tone signaled something wasn't right as he gestured behind him.

Sure enough, her stepmother Evelyn was sat there.

Hope sparked within Juliana. "Mom! Please save me, Landon has gone mad!"

"Don't call me mom, it makes me sick," said Evelyn, her fingers playing with her nails as she sneered, "I've held this in for many years, and now I can finally speak my truth. Juliana, it's a pity you were born into a good family, you really are a fool."

"Mom, haven’t you always cared for me? Please save me, I don't want to marry this man!" Juliana incredulously implored.

Despise filled Evelyn’s eyes. "Indeed, I have cared for you - cared for you to become a wastrel. Your maternal grandfather, no matter his abilities, won't be able to secure the Yates family fortune for you now. Who could have thought that the Yates family's eldest daughter would end up as the town’s infamous socialite? Juliana, now I can finally tell you, I never loved you nor treated you sincerely. You can die now."

Her sharp voice was like a knife, plunging straight into Juliana's heart.

Overwhelmed, Juliana stared wide-eyed, unable to believe the two people in front of her.

"Dad, where's my dad? My dad wouldn't do this to me... Ah!"

Landon, clearly growing tired of allowing Juliana to continue speaking, forcefully poured a bowl of water into her mouth and sneered, "Tsk, just one bowl of this, and I will be rewarded with five million?"

"Of course, you can check your account as soon as it takes effect. I am a man of my words." Evelyn stared coldly.

Juliana finally realized what they were up to. They were going to kill her!

This was the eve of her wedding. Once she was dead, they could wholly control Yate's family, and there would be no legitimate lineage to challenge their claim anymore!

Juliana struggled painfully. Her voice had become hoarse, filled with despairing cries—

"Help me! Someone help me!"

"Stop shouting, Juliana. You should have been born into a better family in your next life. With your intelligence, you should stay away from wealthy families".

The last thing Juliana remembered was Evelyn's mocking sneer and Landon hastily checking his account.

No one cared about her life or death. She could only struggle desperately, but it was all in vain.

Everything was over. Juliana felt the world drifting away from her, and the intense pain seemed to fade gradually.

All the betrayals, all the hurts, everything was over.

Along with the tragic life of Miss Yates of Yates family, Juliana, who had lived only for a mere twenty-three years, had become a topic of casual conversation over tea or meals.

What surprised Juliana was that she did not immediately fall into darkness and tread on the path to the underworld, her soul seemed to float to her grave.

Crushing all of Juliana’s hopes, she saw her always-smiling father Bryce, standing by her graveside, with no pain in his eyes or brows, but only an indifferent coldness.

Evelyn stood by his side, symbolically wiping her tears, accepting people's condolences.

Actually, there were not many people, aside from the heads of various large companies related to the Yates family, Juliana's own friends were pitifully few.

After a while, seeing that the crowd began to dwindle, Evelyn finally summoned the courage to lean on Bryce's shoulder and laugh softly, "This is good, you don't have to worry anymore. After your wife is gone, she has gone to accompany her foolish mother."

"Oh yes," Bryce eventually wore a hint of a smile, "Now Winnie has grown up and I no longer have worries about the future."

Winnie covered her mouth and laughed joyously alongside, "Father indubitably loves me. I have long found my sister annoying."

"It seems that their death was indeed predestined. The mother and daughter perishing in the same event," Evelyn said with a wistful smile, showing no signs of sorrow.

Juliana was taken aback, she couldn't help but lean in closer. She heard Bryce shake his head and say, "It seems the destruction of the Yates family was the will of heaven. Her mother was a fool, causing me great humiliation. She was nothing like you, who can capture people's hearts. Come here and let me give You a kiss-"

They kissed in front of Juliana's grave. The soul of Juliana, however, was trembling with anger just like chaff in the wind.

So... It turned out...her mother did not die of sickness, but was poisoned to death just like herself?

Her kind and gentle mother was murdered by Bryce?

Back then, Bryce didn't hesitate to change his surname from Lawson to Yates in order to marry into the Yates family, her mother had left everything to him, not knowing that Bryce considered all this as a humiliation? What about herself?

Did her being a Yates mean that she too was a humiliation to Bryce?

No wonder... No wonder her younger sister's surname is Lawson...

No wonder, Juliana's eyes were splitting with anger. It wasn't until this moment she came to understand, she had never been loved.

Never.

Juliana felt like she didn't want to stay here for another second, but she was helpless.

Until a slightly cold voice sounded—

"Mr Yate."

Now, everyone addressed Bryce as Mr Yate President, and she didn't know who could be so blind. Juliana couldn't help but look down, but what she saw was an unfamiliar face.

Bryce swallowed his anger for being disturbed at a good time and looked up to respond, "Thank you, sir, for attending my daughter's funeral, ah... Mr Falcon! How did you come?"

Falcon Maxwell's expression was cold as he glanced at Bryce, "The burial of the Yates family's daughter is rather shabby."

Bryce felt cold sweat forming. This Falcon Maxwell is indeed the president of Skycrest Group and the background behind him is not to be underestimated. Falcon Flynn, as a military leader, controls the central region of New York City and his power is overwhelming. Though, Bryce didn't have any idea where this Buddha came from.

After hesitating for a while, Bryce only then murmured, "My daughter disregards decency and brings disgrace upon her ancestors, and I dare not make a big fuss."

What he insinuated was indeed the one time Juliana was promiscuous.

Juliana didn't care about this aspect, she was only quietly looking at Falcon Maxwell, this man...

She finally remembered, when she was publicly humiliated by Winnie, he seemed to have stood up for her?

But why?

Why would he want to interact with someone like her who has a bad reputation?

Perhaps this person is really just a good man, Juliana thought indifferently, after all, she was just a dead person, it didn't matter if she could tell right from wrong.

"Is that right?" Falcon Maxwell's voice was very cold. After saying these two words, he sincerely offered three sticks of incense to Juliana, then he looked at Bryce and said coldly, "What you do makes a big difference, Mr Yate's moral character is not something I can compliment... Let's stop it here about the merger we discussed earlier."

He turned to go, and the bodyguards naturally followed.

Juliana hesitated a moment, wanting to follow, but found herself frozen to the spot.

Bryce was utterly furious: "What's with this Falcon Maxwell? Have you offended him?"

"Where could I... How could I dare to provoke such a figure?" Evelyn also looked distressed.

"Don't make me find out that you've angered Falcon Maxwell. I'm telling you, this time your loss isn't a small sum, even a hundred Yates families couldn't afford to play his game!" warned Bryce coldly.

Evelyn immediately grabbed Bryce's hand: "Oh, how would I dare? Relax, don't you know how good I am?"

"Sure, haha," hearing Evelyn's coquetry made Bryce's mood lighten a bit: "But you're not so well-behaved in bed, you know..."

"Stop it, don't you just love this side of me? Do you like fake serious women like Fiona?"

"No, I like your mischievous nature, haha, this place is a bit of an eyesore, let's go home and have a good time!"

The scene in front of her was unbearable to watch. Juliana turned her eyes away, wishing she could turn into a ghost and massacre the two in front of her!

She heard a faint sigh from Falcon Maxwell in the wind. The voice was very low and found its way into Juliana's ear—

"Idiot."

Juliana was stunned, but had no time to contemplate any past encounters with Falcon Maxwell. The pain tearing through her body let Juliana know that she was about to disappear, completely disappear.

If there is an afterlife...

She couldn't help but think, if she could do it all over again...

Then—

She would definitely wash away her past humiliation. To those fake good people, Evelyn and Winnie, and the heartless Bryce, all should go straight to hell!