No Love, No Hate, No Us

Synopsis

Edward Lane was a rising star in Bayview City's tech scene, and he couldn't wait to propose to Claire Wynn. But the very next day, the powerful Ford family sent people to drag Claire into the mountains, where they whipped her ninety-nine times. To save Claire, Edward was forced to accept Richard Ford's demand: to marry his daughter, Jessica Ford. By then, Claire was already pregnant. Edward held her in his arms, his eyes red from crying. "Claire, wait for me," he said. "One day, I'm going to bring you and our daughter back to my side, out in the open." So Claire moved from downtown to the suburbs and lived as Edward's hidden mistress. She gave birth alone in a delivery room, cramping in pain, while on the big screen above her, Edward and Jessica kissed at their lavish wedding. She stayed up late at night breastfeeding their daughter, exhausted and losing weight, while on the news she watched Edward take Jessica on a honeymoon to Paradise Isle. Claire felt miserable. But Edward came to her, held her, and comforted her in a shaking voice. "Claire, you have always been the one I love," he said. "What I have with Jessica means nothing. It's just for show." Five years into the marriage, Edward finally tore apart the Ford family's twisted web of power. He acquired Ford Group and made Lane Technologies the top tech company in Bayview City. To avenge what had happened to Claire, Edward arranged a car accident for Richard. On the day he went to the suburbs to bring Claire back to the city, Edward wore a perfectly tailored black suit. His tall figure was cast in shadow. Claire stared blankly at his sharper, more handsome features and felt lost for a moment. Her husband had come back. Their daughter Lily was finally going to have her father at home. Claire thought they would finally live happily as a family of three. But soon, Edward started staying out all night, using overtime as an excuse to barely come home. When she pressed him for the truth, Edward admitted it in a low, hoarse voice, "Claire, Jessica still doesn't know you and Lily exist. Don't blow our cover."