Chapter 1 This Is Your Retribution

"You must know that this is your retribution. This is what you deserve after betraying me. Unfortunately, your daughter will have to suffer your retribution too. It's worse than death, isn't it?" Hugo Hua, a tall and handsome man, leaned against the desk and crossed his arms across his chest, his left foot across his right. He looked so lazy but noble. With an undisguised sneer at the corners of his mouth, he raised his eyebrows. He waited for an answer from her.

They were in an extremely luxurious office. As a matter of fact, each room in this office had its own design for its unique functions and characteristics. The layout was casual and relaxing, creating a natural atmosphere. But it was easy to identify its simple yet elegant northern European style.

Eight chandeliers with Swarovski crystals were hanging on the ten-meter high ceiling. Each crystal was so eye-catching, reflecting the owner's unique taste.

It was noontime, and the bright sunlight seeped through the French window, illuminating the whole office. Wendy Luo stood in the middle of the office with her head down, looking so helpless.

If it weren't for the pressure of life, she would never step into this office where she didn't really fit in. She couldn't help thinking that even if she sold all of her belongings, it couldn't even pay for a bottle of hand soap in his bathroom.

Looking at the customized Persian carpet on the floor, she felt uneasy. If she could, she wanted to lift her feet in fear that she might stain the carpet.

Hugo Hua stared at Wendy Luo. But since her head was bowed down, he could only see the top of her head. The sunlight sprinkled on her head, making her hair look more desiccated. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail with a rubber band. She was wearing an old down-filled coat and white jeans.

She kept her head down. She never looked up no matter how harsh his words were. With a frown, her mouth remained shut. But with his last words, she felt like she had to say something now. So she took a deep breath and slowly raised her head. With an expressionless face, she stared at Hugo Hua. "Let's make a deal," she said.

Hugo Hua burst into laughter. "Who do you think you are to bargain with me? Do you really believe that I'm still interested in you?"

Wendy Luo didn't say anything. She lowered her head again, took out a small box from the reusable bag at her feet, and opened it carefully.

Hugo Hua noticed the skin at the back of her hands was rough and dry. In the past, her hands were so slender and smooth that he couldn't help but hold them. But now, he could barely recognize this pair of hands. There were also some fresh long red marks on her arms that looked like scratches. He could tell that she had done some heavy work. As he thought about it, his heart twitched a little. He could somehow feel the pain.

He walked up to her, took the box, and asked, "What is this?"

"Inside this box are all the things you gave to me. Since you don't want to have anything to do with me anymore, I'm giving them back to you. You can do anything you want with them. You can throw them away or destroy them. Without these memories, we will become strangers to each other. But I will only give them back to you on condition that you have to give me one million dollars." After she finished talking, Wendy Luo breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, she had said them all.

The gifts that Hugo Hua gave her were all limited editions that worth millions of dollars. If she sold them, she would be rich. But she couldn't just sell them to anyone else because she knew that if he found out, he would do something to torture her. So returning them to him in exchange for one million dollars was the only way she could think of to get some money. Although it wasn't that much, it could help her start a new life. Besides, it could also give Hugo Hua a closure to their previous relationship.

Hugo Hua gently fiddled with the things in the box with his fair and slender fingers. There, he saw his letters to her, tied together with a red ribbon. There was also a Stephen Webster necklace, a Chanel bracelet, and a Wellendorff ring. It was actually a couple ring, and he was still wearing the other one on his finger.

These were all the things he had given to her. And now, she was returning them to the original owner.

"Something is missing. Where is the brooch from Van Cleef and Arpels?" Hugo Hua looked at Wendy Luo's face and curled his lips.

"I need money for my daughter's hospitalization, so I sold it," she admitted frankly.

"Good. Very good."

Wendy Luo didn't know what he meant, and she wasn't interested either. Her only concern now was to get the money for her daughter's treatment.

Hugo Hua pressed a button on his table and said, "Give me one hundred thousand dollars right now." He then lowered his head to write something.

Wendy Luo was confused, but she had made a concession in her heart. If he would only give her one hundred thousand dollars, she would accept it. After all, she badly needed money right now.

A few moments later, his secretary knocked on the door and came in. There were two guards behind her, holding cash in their hands. They walked to Hugo Hua's desk, put it down carefully, and left. The secretary was a little surprised to see Wendy Luo standing in the middle of the room. She couldn't believe that such a shabby woman entered the president's office.

Hugo Hua didn't mind the people who came in. He continued writing without raising his head. After a while, he stood up and threw the piece of paper in front of Wendy Luo. With an expressionless face, he said, "That check is for nine hundred thousand, and this cash here is one hundred thousand." His voice was still as cold as usual. He didn't even spare her a glance when he spoke. She didn't know if she had annoyed him, but the faint feeling made her shiver.

Wendy Luo lowered her head and looked at the check on the floor. Indeed, it was nine hundred thousand dollars. She didn't expect him to just agree to her demand so easily.

"You said that everything was here. But just now, you also said that you sold the brooch. This is not a fair deal. But for the sake of your child, I will still give you the full amount. However, you must take the brooch back and return it to me." Finally, Hugo Hua looked at her.

Wendy Luo didn't say anything but just nodded slightly in agreement. She would definitely return the brooch to him because she didn't want to owe anything from him.

She picked up the check and put it in her bag carefully. She then walked to the desk to get the cash.

"Why in such a hurry? Are you afraid that I will go back on my word?" he said as his lips curved into a faint smile.

"If you don't want to give the cash to me, it's alright," Wendy Luo said as she retracted her steps and turned around to leave. But Hugo Hua stopped her. "Wait a minute."

He pushed all the bundles of cash on the desk, and they fell to the floor. She could see his face as he sat opposite her. It made Wendy Luo realize that they really belonged to two different worlds. She didn't even know if she could still have the courage to enter his world.

Hugo Hua smiled at her and said, "Pick them up one by one. Make sure that you don't miss even a single note." He then stood up and walked to the lounge in his office. Tears streamed down her face as she watched his receding back. This day finally came. From now on, the two of them would have nothing to do with each other.

It took them twenty-five years just to end up like this. Wendy Luo was adopted by Hugo Hua's father, Hale Hua. At that time, he was the CEO of H Group. She was five years old back then and Hugo Hua was eight. The first time that they looked at each other, she didn't expect that her fate would intertwine with his.

She squatted on the floor and picked up the money one by one. Looking at the bills in her hand, she remembered the time when he gave her the 999 roses. It was the first time that he had told her he loved her. It was also the first time that she had felt the happiness she had never felt before. Wendy Luo didn't know how long she had picked up the notes on the floor

and how much memories she had recalled. When she was done, she looked around to make sure that she had picked up everything. It was only then that she was able to breathe a sigh of relief.

She stood and straightened up, finding that she was still alone in the office. Wendy Luo held the bag of money in her hands tightly as if she was afraid that someone would take it away. This money would save her daughter's life, so she must take good care of it. She shouldn't waste her time thinking about the past. Those memories were nothing compared to her daughter.

She didn't even cast a glance at the door to the lounge. She raised her arm to wipe the tears on her face with her sleeves. She then took a deep breath and walked to the office door. She opened it and went out as if nothing had happened.