When I Became His Pawn

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The intimate photos of me and Liam Hunter suddenly went viral throughout the entire company.

Each photo was even labeled with a price tag: just ten dollars for a night with me.

Only Liam had access to these photos.

I had just reached his office door when I heard him laughing on the phone inside.

Nora White is just a pawn I'm using to piss off the Hunters. Once I'm done with her, I'll throw her away.

"Vivian is the one carrying my child. She's the one I'm going to marry."

I broke up with him on the spot, but all I got in return was a resounding slap across my face.

He even released our sex tape.

In just one day, I became the laughingstock of the entire company. The "woman who sold her body."

The moment my heart died, I opened the reply email from Liam's rival law firm.

"I accept your offer. On one condition: help me deal with that bastard Liam Hunter."

The phone rang almost instantly. That man's low chuckle came through, his voice magnetic and dangerous.

"Baby, you're finally willing to leave that scumbag? Now, can I pursue you?"

Nora White POV

I was a lawyer who had been recruited directly by Kingsley Law Firm.

I had no background, no connections, just a score that ranked first in the state bar exam and top performance for two consecutive years since joining.

Because I was poor, because I came from a small town, I didn't fit in with the people around me.

Behind my back, my colleagues called me a tool. Strong professional abilities, but not one of them.

Then one afternoon, someone anonymously posted a document to the firm's internal work group chat and tagged everyone.

The title read: "The Secret to Miss White's Rise to the Top: Every Step Has a Price Tag."

The document was meticulously crafted, with neat formatting and a combination of images and text.

It listed chronologically everything I had received since dating Liam.

The limited edition handbag he gave me on our first date: eighty-six thousand dollars.

The presidential suite he booked the first night we spent together: twenty-three thousand dollars per night.

The monthly living expenses he transferred to my account: fifty thousand dollars.

Every single item had a screenshot, a price tag, accurate to two decimal places.

And at the bottom was a set of photos.

These were photos Liam said he wanted to take that belonged only to the two of us after we got together. I had hesitated for a long time before agreeing.

Now these photos had been cropped and spliced together, arranged at the end of the document with a line of text below:

"Full version available. DM for access. Two hundred dollars per set."

The moment the document was posted, it exploded throughout the entire firm.

In less than ten minutes, even the chat groups in neighboring departments were circulating it.

I stared at the screen, my ears filled with nothing but ringing.

I had returned all of these things.

I had the receptionist send back the handbag the very next day, and I returned every single transfer.

He knew I wouldn't accept them. So later he changed his approach, buying things and placing them directly on my desk or at my apartment door, making it impossible for me to return them.

But the document only showed screenshots of what I received.

Not a single record of what I returned.

The voices of several female colleagues leaked through the half-open door of the break room.

"So that's how she became number one in performance."

"Mr. Hunter personally led her through projects, funneling all the resources her way. Who wouldn't be number one?"

"Did you see those last few photos? Tsk, I really didn't expect that. Usually she walks around with that cold face like everyone owes her money, but behind closed doors she's quite open."

"Come on, that's called investment. Didn't you see how high the return rate was?"

The laughter wasn't deliberately suppressed. Iit even carried a kind of intentional casualness.

I stood outside the door holding my water cup, the surface of the water trembling slightly.

I didn't go in.

When I turned to leave, my cheeks burned fiercely, but my steps didn't falter.

Those photos, transfer records, hotel bookings, no one except Liam himself could have obtained them.

I walked straight toward Liam's office.

Before I could push the door open, my hand froze on the handle.

The door wasn't fully closed, and voices from inside leaked through the gap. It was Liam on the phone with someone, on speakerphone.

"The document spread! Everyone at Kingsley has seen it. Nora White is completely finished now. The partner nomination is definitely over."

"But that's not even the worst part. She still doesn't know that you only pursued her to use her as a stepping stone. You never really looked at her, never even touched her. If she found out, she'd probably collapse on the spot."

"But then again, the Hunters and the Whitlocks are bitter enemies. If you want to be with Miss Whitlock, you'll definitely have to go through some trouble."

The person on the other end of the phone spoke in a frivolous tone with laughter in their voice.

"Didn't you promise Nora you'd take her to meet your parents next week? Are you really planning to keep up the act?"

Liam's voice came through the door, unhurried.

"Of course it's an act. The Hunters won't let me marry Vivian, so I'll bring home a woman who doesn't meet their standards and see where that leaves them."

"Once they give in and approve Vivian, this pawn will have served her purpose."

I stood outside the door, completely still.

My blood seemed to freeze all at once. The cold spread from my fingertips to my limbs, then lodged in my chest, making even breathing painful.

So from beginning to end, I was just a pawn.

Him holding an umbrella for me in the rain was fake.

Him showing up on time at my office every day when I worked late was fake.

When everyone else ignored me, the fact that he was the only one to sit beside me, that was fake too.

All of it was fake.

I released the door handle and took a step back.

I don't know how I made it back to my workstation.

The way people around me looked at me had completely changed, from two years of disdain to naked contempt. Some even couldn't hold back a laugh in my direction.

I didn't look at anyone.

I sat down and opened my computer, clicking into my email.

At the top of my inbox was an email from two weeks ago, from a top-tier law firm in London.

They had seen my case report at an international arbitration conference and reached out with an invitation. The annual salary was five times what I currently made, with a full relocation allowance included.

I had looked at this email many times but never replied.

Because I couldn't bear to leave.

I couldn't bear to leave Liam.

I stared at that email on the screen for a long time.

The office lights were blindingly white, and people were still whispering in the hallway.

I moved my cursor to the reply button.

My finger hovered for three seconds.

Then I clicked.

Nora White POV

I then picked up my phone and sent a message to my direct supervisor, Simon Yale.

"Simon, I've decided to resign. I'll leave next week."

The reply came quickly.

"I respect your decision. I'll help you with the resignation process. It's a shame, though. The firm was planning to promote you to the youngest senior partner. The management committee already passed the initial review."

Senior partner.

The thing I had fought desperately for two years at Kingsley to achieve.

I stared at that line of text for a few seconds, then typed a reply.

"Thank you."

Then I scrolled through my phone's contact list and found a number that had only called me once, one I had never dialed myself.

Liam's mother, Sophia Chambers.

Three months ago, Liam took me to the Hunter family home for dinner for the first time.

Throughout the meal, Sophia was polite but distant. Afterward, she called me alone to the study, told me I wasn't suitable for Liam, and said I should leave sooner rather than later. She even offered me money.

I refused on the spot.

Sophia said nothing more, just left me a phone number.

Now, I dialed it.

"But I agree to break up with him."

There were two seconds of silence on the other end, then Sophia laughed, the kind of laugh that saw through everything with disdain.

"I'll give you five million dollars. I'll send the check to your company."

"No need."

The call had already ended.

I gripped my phone.

I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes for a moment.

Liam's voice filled my head.

"This pawn will have served her purpose."

But I didn't want to believe it.

I still remembered the night I first met Liam.

I had just joined the firm three months earlier and taken on a rotten case no one else wanted to touch.

The defendant was a local real estate developer with connections, and the plaintiffs were a group of workers whose construction payments had been withheld.

Everyone advised me not to take it. Even if I did, I couldn't win. Even if I won, I'd make enemies.

I took it anyway.

For two straight weeks I lived in the office, sleeping only four hours a day. The rest of the time I spent combing through case files, searching for evidence, and writing legal briefs.

One night at three in the morning, I couldn't hold on anymore and fell asleep at the conference table.

When I woke up, there was a jacket draped over my shoulders and a still-warm cup of coffee on the table.

Sitting beside me was a man I'd never seen before, flipping through the case files I had spread out.

"Your case, the breakthrough isn't in breach of contract. It's in the money trail."

He didn't look up, just pointed at a page in the file.

"Follow this line and you'll find their off-the-books accounts."

I was stunned. I looked at the file and realized the loophole he'd pointed out was something I'd missed after two weeks of searching.

"Who are you?"

The man looked up. Under the lights, his features were sharp, his eyes carrying a kind of casual coolness.

"Liam Hunter."

Later I learned that this man who had guided me through a case at three in the morning was the only son of Kingsley's founding partner, Richard Hunter.

After that, Liam began appearing frequently in my work life.

He'd bring me late-night snacks when I worked overtime. When I didn't eat them, he'd leave them at the corner of my desk, and when they got cold he'd replace them with fresh ones.

He'd block me from the firm's obligatory drinking parties.

When everyone else avoided me, he would casually sit in the empty seat beside me, open a case file, and say he wanted to look at my case.

I refused him many times.

I knew what my status was, and I was clear about the distance between us.

But Liam didn't care.

He never gave expensive gifts, at least not at first.

He gave me band-aids because my new shoes gave me blisters.

He gave me a voice recorder because I always forgot details from court hearings.

He gave me a folding umbrella because I never checked the weather forecast.

They were all inconspicuous little things, but each one precisely met a need of mine.

So when he asked me seriously one more time if I'd give him a chance, I nodded.

Clearly, all I ever wanted was him as a person, not his money.

But now I knew. Even him as a person was fake.

I opened my eyes.

The office was nearly empty now, and the lights in the hallway were going out one by one.

I stood up to gather my things from the desk, preparing to leave.

I pushed open the office door, and suddenly the safety stairwell door at the end of the hallway burst open.

A man stumbled out, his suit rumpled, reeking of alcohol, holding up his phone with my photo displayed on the screen.

"It's you."

The man squinted as he looked me up and down, the corner of his mouth twisting upward.

"Miss White, you're prettier in person than in the photos."

I took a step back.

"Who are you?"

The man grinned, his steps unsteady as he closed in on me, grabbing my wrist.

"Don't be nervous. If you can sell your photos, surely you won't cost more than the photos, right? Name your price. I can afford it."

His grip was strong, causing a sharp pain in my wrist.

I struggled hard but couldn't break free. Just as I was about to kick him, a hand reached from the side, grabbed the man by his collar, and yanked him backward.

Then came a dull thud.

Liam's fist slammed into the man's face with enough force to knock him to the ground. Blood immediately gushed from his nose.

He kicked the man.

"Get lost."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was as cold as ice.

The man covered his face and scrambled away.

Liam turned around and looked at my wrist.

Red marks had already surfaced.

He frowned and reached out to examine it.

"Why are you still at the office this late? Does it hurt? I'll take you-"

I pulled my hand back.

I looked at the face in front of me.

The same concern as always, the same tenderness as always, the same... perfectly timed response as always.

Perfectly timed enough to make me believe he actually cared about me.

"Nora? Still angry about the document?"

Liam's tone softened.

"I didn't send that document. I lent my phone to a friend for a few days. He went too far sometimes. I already scolded him and I'm having people delete it."

"Liam."

I interrupted him.

My voice was so soft that the echo in the hallway was louder than my own voice.

"Let's break up."

Liam's expression froze for an instant.

Before he could speak, the elevator door at the other end of the hallway opened.

Vivian Whitlock walked out.

She wore a white dress today, her long hair falling over her shoulders, holding a bouquet of flowers.

Seeing Liam and me standing face to face, her steps suddenly halted.

The bouquet slipped from her hands.

"Liam... you and her..."

Her voice trembled, tears immediately welling up in her eyes.

"Are you two really together?"

Before she could finish, she turned and ran into the stairwell.

Liam's expression changed.

He glanced at me once, then turned and chased after her.

As he passed me, his shoulder slammed heavily into mine, causing me to stumble back two steps. My back hit the wall.

I didn't cry out in pain.

I slowly steadied myself and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window at the end of the hallway.

Below was the firm's courtyard garden.

In the night, the streetlights stretched two people's shadows very long.

Liam grabbed Vivian's wrist, rain falling on his shoulders. He seemed oblivious to it.

"Yes, the Hunters and Whitlocks are enemies. So what? Even if it means defying the entire Hunter family, even if the whole world opposes it, I only want you."

Vivian looked up, tears and rain mixing together. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his lips.

Liam cupped her face with both hands and kissed her back forcefully.

I stood at the window, looking down at this scene.

I returned to my apartment, took a shower, and lay in bed.

I didn't sleep all night.

Nora White POV

The next day, I went to the firm as usual.

When I walked into the office area, the atmosphere was wrong.

A group of people surrounded my workstation, talking over each other.

When they saw me approaching, the crowd fell silent for a second, then someone whistled.

"Miss White, another deposit today? A check for five million dollars."

My steps halted.

I pushed through the crowd.

An envelope sat on my desk. It had already been opened. Inside was a check from the Hunter family's exclusive account.

Amount: five million dollars.

It was from Sophia Chambers.

Before I could reach for it, the check was snatched away by a male colleague nearby. He held it up to look at it, then passed it to the next person.

"Who gave you permission to touch my things?"

My voice was very low.

No one paid attention to me.

The check passed between several people's hands, and every time I reached for it, I couldn't get it.

Those people were a full head taller than me, and their passing motion even carried a kind of playful coordination.

A female colleague tilted her head to look at me, her tone rising.

"Miss White, shouldn't you update the price list in your document? The market's going up."

Another person chimed in.

"No wonder she wants to break up with Mr. Hunter. Turns out she found a higher bidder."

"You're all overthinking it. She's just holding out for the best price."

"Enough!"

I practically shouted these two words.

I never lost my composure in front of others.

But now, my whole body was shaking. My throat felt like something was stuck in it, my voice hoarse and tight.

The surroundings fell quiet for a second.

Then came laughter that couldn't be suppressed.

"All right, everyone back to work."

At some point, the administrative supervisor had walked over, frowning as she dispersed the onlookers.

I stood in front of my workstation, fists clenched, nails digging into my palms.

I had to get that check back and return it to Sophia.

That afternoon, I finally cornered the colleague who had taken the check in the hallway. Just as I was about to get it back, a familiar voice came from behind me.

"Looking for this?"

I turned around and met Liam's dark gaze.

The check was pinched between his fingers, already creased.

"So you said you wanted to break up with me because of this money?"

His voice was very soft, close to my ear, like a blade cutting across skin.

I shook my head.

"No, this money I never even-"

A slap landed on my face.

Several colleagues passing by all stopped in their tracks.

Liam's eyes were cold to the extreme, but a smile hung at the corner of his mouth.

"Nora, I didn't think your appetite was this big. A small-town lawyer with a humble background, this face of yours is really worth a fortune."

I covered my cheek, half my face burning.

I opened my mouth, wanting to say that the money was from your mother...

"I heard Miss White's family still has quite a bit of debt?"

Vivian had somehow walked to Liam's side, her tone as gentle as if chatting about everyday matters.

"Your father is a high school teacher in a small town with limited income, and he had to put you through law school. It really wasn't easy."

Every word was fact. Every word was a knife.

Liam looked down at the check in his hand, then raised his hand and threw it at my face.

The thin piece of paper stuck to my cheek for a second before sliding to the ground.

"I will recommend that the management committee conduct a financial audit of all cases you've handled."

His voice had no fluctuation.

"People who practice law can't have dirty hands."

Vivian added at the right moment.

"This is for your own good. The innocent will be proven innocent."

The two of them turned and left side by side.

A few passing colleagues slowed their pace, their eyes sweeping back and forth between me and the check on the ground.

I bent down to pick up the check. My hands were shaking, but my movements were slow and steady.

That afternoon, an announcement was posted on the firm's internal system.

My case representation authority was suspended, and an internal audit of all case accounts I had handled would begin immediately.

I stood in front of the bulletin board, hands clenched into fists.

Without case representation authority, I couldn't appear in court, couldn't sign documents, couldn't access any case files.

For a lawyer, this was no different from being crippled.

And even worse, without representation authority, there was no performance commission.

My current monthly income went toward student loan repayments, rent, and living expenses I sent to my father.

If this money stopped, I couldn't even survive in this city.

Someone passed behind me, their voice neither loud nor soft.

"An audit? I think it's just for show. Everyone already saw what needed to be found."

"Right? She made so much money and still pretended to be poor. She also applied for quite a few of the firm's pro bono case subsidies, didn't she?"

"Tsk, what kind of person."

I didn't turn around.

I stared at that announcement, reading it word by word, then turned and walked back to my workstation.

I opened my computer and began writing an email.

The recipient was the firm's management committee.

I would compile every transfer record I'd returned, every gift list I'd sent back, every complete financial record of cases I'd handled, and list them out one by one.

Not to show anyone.

But because I, Nora White, had nothing to feel guilty about to anyone.

Nora White POV

Before the appeal email received a response from the management committee, I received even worse news.

Simon Yale came to find me personally.

"Nora, come to the conference room for a moment."

His expression was much more serious than usual, and as he walked ahead, he didn't say a single unnecessary word.

I followed him into the large conference room.

Three senior partners sat at the other end of the long table. One of them was the management committee chairman, Vincent Pearson, the person who truly called the shots at Kingsley. A stack of documents lay in front of him, his gaze sharp.

Vivian was also there, sitting in the corner with slightly red eyes, looking like she'd been wronged but was trying hard to hold it in.

"Nora White, sit."

Vincent spoke, his tone flat but without pleasantries.

"Yesterday, DuRay Corporation's legal representatives formally sent us a letter stating that someone inside Kingsley leaked core evidentiary materials from the DuRay case to the opposing party. This case involves over eight hundred million dollars."

He pushed up his glasses.

"We retrieved the backend records from the document management system. The last two people to access the DuRay case electronic files were you and Vivian Whitlock."

I sat up straight.

The DuRay case was my most important project over the past six months. Most of the work, from filing to evidence collection to drafting the brief, was done by me.

Vivian was brought in midway to assist, nominally responsible for client liaison.

"Mr. Pearson, the last time I opened the case files was last Thursday. Simon assigned me to organize the data for the closing statement."

My speaking pace was measured.

"That day my work records, email correspondence, and system logs can all prove that after I finished organizing, I logged out of the system. If needed, Simon can confirm this."

Simon nodded.

"I can confirm that I assigned her that work that day."

Vincent's gaze slowly moved to Vivian.

"Miss Whitlock, what about you? Last Friday afternoon between three and five o'clock, you accessed all of the DuRay case electronic files. Please explain why."

Vivian's lips trembled slightly, and she was about to speak.

The conference room door was pushed open.

Liam walked in.

His expression was cold, as if attending an unimportant routine meeting.

"Mr. Pearson, there's no need to investigate further."

He walked to Vivian's side, facing Vincent, and placed a USB drive on the table.

"I found this USB drive in Nora White's drawer yesterday. It contains the exact files that were leaked from the DuRay case."

What!

My drawer?! There had never been any USB drive in my drawer.

"Also."

Liam took out the creased check from his pocket and gently placed it next to the USB drive.

"This is the five million dollar check Nora White received the day before yesterday. Everyone in the firm saw it."

He tilted his head slightly to glance at me, his gaze as calm as if looking at a stranger.

"A lawyer whose representation authority has been suspended suddenly receives a large sum of money from an unknown source. Mr. Pearson, do you think this is a coincidence?"

I stood up.

"That USB drive isn't mine, and that money wasn't payment for any transaction."

"Miss White."

Vivian spoke softly, her voice carrying a trace of grievance and reluctance.

"I don't want to wrongly accuse you, but... when I accessed the system that day, I was only recording client follow-up notes. I didn't copy anything. If it wasn't me, then it could only be..."

She didn't finish, lowering her head.

But the meaning was clear enough.

Several voices came from the doorway. At some point, people had gathered outside the conference room.

"I saw it. Miss White did bring a USB drive back last week. I thought it was strange at the time. Isn't all the DuRay case material in the system?"

"Plus her financial situation hasn't been great lately, right? Her representation authority was suspended, her performance went to zero, and I heard her family still has loans to repay..."

"She accepted a five million dollar check. What wouldn't she do?"

Vincent was silent for a few seconds.

Then he closed the file in front of him, his voice heavy.

"Nora, until the matter is investigated, the firm has decided to suspend our internal recommendation for your professional certification. This incident will be recorded in your practice file."

My heart skipped a beat.

A lawyer's practice file was my lifeline.

Once I was marked with suspected leaking of client confidential information, I'd never be able to establish myself at any legitimate law firm for the rest of my life!

"Mr. Pearson, I request a full review of the system operation logs and surveillance footage."

"The investigation will proceed according to protocol."

Vincent interrupted me.

"In the meantime, go back and wait for notification."

His tone no longer held the neutrality from the beginning.

I looked at Vincent, then at Vivian sitting in the corner with downcast eyes, and finally at Liam.

He didn't avoid my gaze.

There was even an extremely faint curve at the corner of his mouth.

Nora White POV

I left through the back door of the conference room.

I leaned against the wall for a while, until my legs no longer felt weak, then slowly walked forward.

I bought a bottle of water at the convenience store downstairs, sat on the steps by the roadside, opened the cap, and took a sip.

Then I pulled out my phone.

There was a message from Simon.

"Nora, I believe you, but the Hunter family put pressure on this. Vincent Pearson can't stand up to them. Don't worry, I'll help you figure out a way to pull the surveillance footage and logs."

I replied.

"Thank you."

Then I scrolled to my chat window with Liam.

The last message stopped three days ago. He had sent it.

"I'll pick you up after work tomorrow. Let's go to that restaurant you said was pretty good last time."

I never replied to that message.

And I didn't plan to reply now.

I closed my phone, sat on the steps, and stared at the trees lining the street across the road for a long time.

I thought of the day my father sent me to this city.

The bus ride took nearly eight hours. My father helped me load my suitcase onto the bus, stood outside the window, and waved at me on his tiptoes.

He wasn't good with words. After thinking for a long time, he only said one thing.

"Nora, Dad doesn't have much ability. From now on, you'll have to rely on yourself. When you run into trouble, don't be afraid. The sky won't fall."

I lowered my head and took a deep breath.

Then I stood up, patted the dust off my pants, and walked back to the firm.

When I reached my workstation, Liam was already waiting for me.

He leaned against the edge of my desk, hands in his pockets, posture relaxed.

Seeing me return, he raised an eyebrow.

"Cooled off yet?"

I didn't look at him. I walked around him, sat in my chair, and opened my computer.

Liam frowned, his voice lowering.

"About the DuRay case, don't take it to heart. You know what Vincent is like. It's just going through the motions. He won't really do anything to you."

My fingers stopped on the keyboard.

"You know full well that USB drive isn't mine."

"You also know full well that check was from your mother."

I looked up at him.

Liam's expression stiffened for an instant.

So brief. Too brief to truly capture.

But my eyes had seen too many witnesses' microexpressions in court. I saw it clearly.

He knew.

He knew everything.

"Vivian needs the credit from the DuRay case project to compete for a partner seat."

Liam's voice returned to calm.

"You've already decided to leave anyway. This project is meaningless to you now. Sign a voluntary transfer statement and give your signature rights and project results to her."

I looked at him.

The person in front of me had blocked drinks for me, covered me with his jacket, and found the breakthrough in my case in a conference room at three in the morning.

This same person had personally placed a USB drive that didn't belong to me on the table in the conference room, using a check I never intended to accept to nail me to the pillar of shame for selling client secrets.

"I won't sign."

I said.

Liam stared at me for a few seconds. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly, as if he wanted to say something.

In the end, he just straightened up, adjusted his cuffs, and left.

I thought that was the end of it.

If I didn't sign, what could he do?

I was leaving next week, flying to London, and would have nothing to do with anything here.

But I was wrong.That night, my phone rang.

It was my uncle Mike calling.

"Nora! Something happened to your dad! Heart attack! The town hospital can't handle it. He needs to be transferred immediately! The doctor said the surgery will cost at least three hundred thousand dollars!"

I sat up too quickly from the bed. My vision went black.

"Tell the hospital to save him no matter what it costs. I'll figure out the money right away."

"Figure it out?"

Mike's voice suddenly shot up.

"Nora, your dad received an envelope today! It was full of your... those... photos! And some kind of invoice! Your dad couldn't handle it on the spot and..."

His voice choked.

"Nora, your dad saw those things and couldn't take it. He collapsed. If you have the money, send it over quickly. The hospital is pressing hard..."

It felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over my head.

Nora White POV

Who sent the photos and an invoice?

I thought Liam had deleted the document before, but those photos were still saved on his phone. He could use them however he wanted.

And the letter was sent to my hometown.

Only Liam knew my hometown address.

My hands were shaking, but I still dialed Liam's number.

It rang for a long time before he answered.

"You're the one who sent it, aren't you."

There were two seconds of silence on the other end, then Liam's unhurried voice.

"Come to your senses? Then come to the office tomorrow."

He hung up.

I gripped my phone, standing in the cramped living room of my rental apartment. Outside the window were the lights of this city that would never go out.

Three hundred thousand dollars.

My bank account held less than twenty thousand.

With my representation authority suspended, I had no income.

I still owed sixty thousand dollars in student loans and had maxed out eight thousand dollars on my credit card last month.

Three hundred thousand dollars, where could I possibly get it?

Early the next morning, Nora White appeared at Kingsley Law Firm.

Liam was waiting for me in his office.

Vivian sat on the sofa holding a cup of coffee. When she saw me come in, she even smiled slightly.

A document lay on the desk.

"Sign this voluntary project credit transfer statement, apologize, and I'll handle the money."

Liam's tone was like he was discussing an insignificant business deal.

I stood in place, looking at that document.

The DuRay case was something I'd poured six months of my heart into.

This case was my entire proof of existence at Kingsley.

If I signed, I'd be completely erasing myself from this case, as if I'd never participated at all.

But my father was lying in a hospital.

"Lend me three hundred thousand dollars. I'll sign."

Liam's expression shifted.

"Three hundred thousand dollars?"

He laughed lightly.

"Nora White, bow and apologize to Vivian, and I'll give you five hundred thousand."

The air fell silent for a second.

Vivian sat on the sofa holding her coffee, the curve of her mouth unchanged.

I stared into Liam's eyes.

When he said these words, his expression showed no fluctuation whatsoever.

Thinking of my father's condition, I couldn't wait any longer.

I bent at the waist.

"I'm sorry."

I looked at Vivian.

Vivian lowered her head and sighed softly, looking full of pity.

"Nora, why go this far? Get up."

I didn't move.

I took the document from the desk, flipped directly to the last page, and signed my name.

Then I stood up.

I stood very straight.

"When will the money arrive?"

Liam looked at me. His gaze grew complex for an instant, then returned to coldness. He picked up his phone and operated it for a moment.

"The five hundred thousand is transferred."

My phone vibrated.

I didn't look at it. I turned and walked toward the door.

When I reached the doorway, Vivian's soft voice came from behind me.

"Liam, thank you. Actually, I've been too embarrassed to say this, but the DuRay case really was a project I put a lot of effort into following up on."

Liam's cold voice interrupted her.

"You don't need to explain to me. I've seen your hard work. As for Nora-"

He paused.

"Someone who can sell anything doesn't deserve your concern."

The door closed behind me.

I thought my heart had already died last night when I received Mike's call.

I didn't expect it could be stabbed again.

Walking out of the law firm building, I pulled out my phone.

Five hundred thousand had arrived.

I transferred three hundred thousand to Mike with a message.

"Use this money for my dad's surgery. Please."

The remaining two hundred thousand, along with all the previous medical bills, I transferred down to the last cent to the Hunter family's corporate account.

Then I bought a ticket on the earliest train back to my hometown.

Four and a half hours later, I stood outside the ICU door at the hospital.

Mike leaned against the hallway wall, his hair seeming to have turned white overnight.

When he saw me arrive, he opened his mouth and his eyes immediately reddened.

"Nora... your dad... he didn't make it."

My body swayed. I barely managed to stay standing.

I was still too late!

I didn't cry.

It was just that all sounds disappeared in that instant.

The world became silent.

I spent one day handling my father's funeral arrangements.

I buried my father next to my mother.

I stayed in front of the tombstone for a long time.

When the sun had half-set, I cried.

"Dad, I'm sorry."

"I couldn't give you a good life."

"I have to go now. I'll come back to see you."

Mike stood not far away. After hesitating for a long time, he walked over.

"Nora, I burned all the stuff your dad received for you. I'll explain things to the townspeople. Don't take it to heart."

I nodded at him and said thank you.

My voice was already hoarse.

That evening, I returned to my rental apartment.

I canceled my phone number.

I canceled my bank card.

I deleted all my social media accounts.

Finally, I opened my closet and packed all the things Liam had given me, a windbreaker, two scarves, a pair of headphones, into a cardboard box, wrote the Hunter family address on it, and placed it by the door.

I'd have it picked up by courier tomorrow.

Then I picked up my luggage and called a car to the airport.

My flight was in the early morning hours, heading to London.

After arriving at the airport, I had no nostalgia whatsoever. I smoothly passed through security and boarded the plane.

I sat by the window. As the plane took off, the city lights grew smaller and smaller, finally becoming a blur of light.

I turned my face toward the window, my forehead pressed against the cold porthole.

From this moment on, all that remained between Liam Hunter and me was hatred and enmity.