STIGMA

In the cold gloomy weather, a black Maybach cut through the rain, not slowing down even for the storm. Huge raindrops splattered across the windshield, sliding down the glass and making it difficult to see the road ahead. The man in the back seat of the car, however, seemed completely oblivious to the bad weather as he typed something on his phone.

All of a sudden, the driver slammed on the brake. The screeching sound of tires tore through the air as the car came to a halt on the empty bridge.

"What happened?" Edmund Lu asked unhappily with a frown.

The driver immediately turned his head and said nervously, "Mr. Lu, the car seems to have hit someone. I'll get out and take a look."

Before he could step out of the car, however, he saw a figure quickly approaching the window at the back seat of the car.

"Mr. Lu, please help me. My grandfather is in a serious condition at the hospital. The doctor said that he won't last even two months without a bone marrow transplant. There's no time left. In the whole S City, your bone marrow is the only match for my grandfather. Please save my grandfather, Mr. Lu," Pauline Song pleaded as she slapped the window hard. The rain mixed with the blood on her hands as it slid down the window. "Mr. Lu, I beg for your mercy! As long as you save my grandfather, I'll do anything!"

The rain was getting heavier and heavier, and lightning flashed directly overhead. The wind was so strong that Pauline Song could hardly stand. However, she firmly kept her eyes on the man in the car and continued, "Mr. Lu, please give me a chance to explain. I beg you!"

However, Edmund Lu just took a look at his watch and asked the driver to start the car again, as if he hadn't seen the woman outside the car at all. When the engine of the car started all of a sudden, Pauline Song was so startled that she staggered back a few steps and fell down. The rain sliding across her face made it hard for her to keep her eyes open. Instead of crying out or sitting there in pain, she quickly wiped her face and got up to catch up with the car.

To her surprise, she found the driver standing in front of her with an umbrella. She scowled in frustration and grabbed his sleeve. "James, why are you here?"

"Mr. Lu asked me to tell you that you're shameless for appearing in front of him and asking him for help three years after ruining everything. Doesn't Peter Gu have any other means?"

Pauline Song frowned as realization dawned on her. 'It turns out that Mr. Lu is actually Edmund. Of course, how many billionaires could there be in S City with the surname 'Lu'? I should have realized it long ago!' She could imagine the sneer and mockery in Edmund Lu's tone.

Due to the sudden turn of events, her face turned pale and her body trembled slightly. "No, it's not like that," she choked out with tears in her eyes. As if remembering something, she suddenly grasped James Gao's hand tightly and begged in a panicked tone, "James, for the sake of our past relationship, can you ask Mr. Lu to see me? I remember that he will listen to your advice."

James Gao subconsciously glanced at the back seat of the car and saw that Edmund Lu was staring at his hand, which was in Pauline Song's grasp. Feeling nervous, he quickly pulled his hand away. "You can tell Mr. Lu yourself."

Upon hearing this, Pauline Song sidestepped him and happily ran to the car. The door was suddenly opened. Before she could react, she was pulled into the back seat of the car and then into a strong embrace. The light smell of tobacco wafted over to her nostrils. "Mr. Lu!" she exclaimed.

She raised her head and saw a pair of cold and ruthless eyes staring down at her. When she was about to say something, Edmund Lu's powerful hand pinched her chin. He spoke to her in a soft voice as if he was speaking to his lover, but his words were beyond cruel. "It seems that you've grown a lot in the past three years. In addition to stealing, you have also learned to seduce men."