Justin knew that the moment he pushed open this door, every doubt he had—all the questions swirling in his mind—would finally have an answer. And yet, he hesitated. He couldn’t bring himself to open it. The bodyguard standing at the door, noticing his hesitation, reached for the handle to open it for him. Justin instinctively raised a hand to stop him, then motioned for them to step aside. The bodyguards exchanged uncertain glances, unsure whether to follow his command. After a brief pause, they finally stepped away from the door. Justin had been at the hospital long enough. They knew he meant no harm to Haley. Inside the room, Chase carefully placed the fruit basket and bouquet on the bedside table, then pulled a tissue from his pocket. He wrapped the strands of hair he had collected and tucked them securely into his backpack. Alex had already set his things down. Now, he stood quietly by the bed, watching his mom sleep. Chase walked over, and Alex turned
In Merika State, the two of them lay close together on the hotel bed. As their passion grew, Justin Yates’s husky voice, filled with allure, murmured, “Em, how about having a child with me?”Caught up in the moment, Emily Yates replied without thinking. It wasn’t until they were lying together afterward that she remembered what he had said.“A child?” she repeated, a trace of intimacy lingering in her eyes.The look stirred Justin’s desire again. She was a constant temptation to him. Pushing those thoughts aside, he pulled out a ring and slipped it onto her left hand.“Are you proposing to me?” she asked.“Yes.”“Can I finally have your child now?” Justin asked, smiling. His eyes were warm, but there was no love in them, as if he were gazing past her, waiting for someone else’s answer.“I’ll give you plenty,” she replied, momentarily surprised. Proposing in bed wasn’t exactly romantic or formal, but she didn’t mind. She had waited three years for this moment, and it was worth it
Tears had fallen without her noticing, smudging the fresh makeup around her eyes. Emily glanced down at the diamond ring on her left hand, a sense of foreboding spreading through her. The sudden appearance of this woman might shatter the happiness she had been waiting for. She couldn’t just stand here. She had to know who this woman was. After a moment to gather herself, she headed back to the hotel.The plane flew from Merika State back to Haven State. At Lichfield Hospital, Emily stood at the door of a hospital room, arms crossed, trying to see inside through the window. Justin’s friend, Zac White, the director of Lichfield Hospital, along with other doctors, were examining the restless woman on the hospital bed. Two female nurses held her steady as they conducted their checks.On the plane, her face had already been cleaned, and she had been given fresh clothes.“Emma Xander? Hasn’t she... disappeared for the past four years?” Zac was shocked. Where had Justin found her?
In the hospital’s back garden, the spring night was still a bit chilly, and a cold wind stirred, adding a bite to the air. The flick of a lighter sounded, and two glowing points of light appeared as smoke drifted, blurring their vision.“So, Emma Xander’s back. What are you going to do?” Zac asked, breaking the silence. He didn’t mention Emily, but they both knew what he meant.One woman was the college sweetheart, the first love who had once saved Justin’s life. The other was the girlfriend who had been with him for three years, sharing his most intimate moments, and now, his fiancée.After a long pause, Justin replied, his voice cold and detached. “She was just a stand-in. She could never compare to Emma.”He went on, his tone utterly indifferent, as if he hadn’t been the one to propose to Emily in Merika State. “The role of Mrs. Yates will never be hers. It can only belong to Emma.”In a way, Emily had saved him the trouble of saying it himself when she had brought up their mar
Emily found the remote to turn on the lights, then looked for something handy to snuff out each candle one by one. Afterward, she retrieved her nightgown from the closet and headed for a shower. As she walked into the bathroom, she noticed the ring still on her left hand. She slipped it off and tossed it into the corner of her jewelry box. When she returned to the bedroom, she brushed all the rose petals off the bed and settled under the covers, pulling them over her head.She instinctively lay on the left side of the bed, where she was used to sleeping. Justin would always hold her close, gradually shifting over to the left with her until they were practically glued together. Now, the right side of the bed was glaringly empty. To fill the space, she scooted to the center, tossing the extra pillow onto the floor, finally feeling comfortable.She turned off the lights and went to sleep.Two days passed without any word from Justin. He was likely at the hospital with Emma or busy wi
People said billionaires were cold and indifferent in their personal lives, switching women as easily as they changed clothes. For the past three years, Mr. Yates had only been with Miss Yates, making him seem like a devoted man. But it looked like he could move on in an instant. Who knew how long Miss Xander would last by his side?Sam had joined the company three years ago, right when Justin took over RC Corporation, so he wasn’t familiar with the complicated history between Emma and Justin.Inside TC Mall, Emily was browsing through clothes, each piece a far cry from her usual sweet and innocent style.“Babe, switching things up?” Helen asked, watching as Emily picked up a long black dress with a sexy, slitted hem. It would look stunning on Emily’s curves.Emily held the dress up to herself in the mirror, unfazed. “Yep, time for a change. Do you think this would look better with a shawl or a jacket?”She turned to give Helen a look.“A shawl, definitely. It’ll highlight your
Emily took out her phone and sent Justin a message. “Stop by Villa One when you have a moment. Let’s settle things between us so you can go back to your precious first love.”After hitting send, she prepared to leave the hospital.“Miss Yates, may I speak with you for a moment?” Suddenly, Emma was beside her, having wheeled herself over without Justin in sight.“We don’t really know each other,” Emily replied, feeling awkward.“Miss Yates, I’ve just been away from Justin for three years. I wanted to ask you how he’s been and if he’s been eating and sleeping well. He couldn’t find me, so I’m sure he must’ve been terribly sad,” Emma said, her frail voice laced with a hint of smugness, as if she was savoring her importance to him.“If you want to know, ask Justin directly.”“He won’t tell me. He’s worried it would make me anxious.”Emily saw no point in continuing the conversation and turned to leave. Suddenly, behind her, Emma’s voice rose in a frantic shout, her tears streaming
Emily gripped the contract tightly, her anger burning inside her.Justin leaned back in his chair, his thin lips parting slightly as he spoke. His voice was cold and dripping with arrogance, as if he were granting her a favor. “These past three years have been hard on you. You’re an orphan, with no family or place to go. I’m willing to support you financially with sixty million a year.”He continued, “We’ll renew the contract every three years. If you behave and stay out of my and Emma’s way, I’ll keep you until you’re old. You can stay in this villa, but you’re not to show yourself in front of Emma again. I won’t be coming here anymore, and I won’t be with you.“As for what happened at the hospital today, I don’t care who was right or wrong. I don’t want a repeat of it.”His tone was cold and dismissive, as if her thoughts and dignity didn’t matter at all.By the time he finished, Emily’s anger was so intense it felt like a physical pain. Where did he get the nerve to think she w
Justin knew that the moment he pushed open this door, every doubt he had—all the questions swirling in his mind—would finally have an answer. And yet, he hesitated. He couldn’t bring himself to open it. The bodyguard standing at the door, noticing his hesitation, reached for the handle to open it for him. Justin instinctively raised a hand to stop him, then motioned for them to step aside. The bodyguards exchanged uncertain glances, unsure whether to follow his command. After a brief pause, they finally stepped away from the door. Justin had been at the hospital long enough. They knew he meant no harm to Haley. Inside the room, Chase carefully placed the fruit basket and bouquet on the bedside table, then pulled a tissue from his pocket. He wrapped the strands of hair he had collected and tucked them securely into his backpack. Alex had already set his things down. Now, he stood quietly by the bed, watching his mom sleep. Chase walked over, and Alex turned
Justin glanced back down the hallway. Hadn’t Alex just walked away? Then who was this? Chase blinked, recalling how Alex usually reacted when he saw an adult he liked. Got it. With his arms full—a bouquet in one hand, a fruit basket in the other, and a backpack strapped to his back—he launched himself forward like a little cannonball, sprinting toward Justin. “Uncle Justin!” he called out in an enthusiastic, high-pitched voice, deliberately mimicking Alex’s tone. Justin crouched down to catch him, his arms wrapping around the small boy. He didn’t lift him up, though—Chase was carrying too many things. His sharp gaze swept over ‘Alex’ from head to toe. Same outfit. Same backpack. The only difference? This ‘Alex’ had his hands full. “Alex, what are you doing at the hospital? Did you come here alone?” The same question, asked twice in one day. ‘Alex’ shook his head, giving almost the same answer. “Nope, I came with Mommy.” “Oh…” Justin responded, waiting f
Justin walked up to the elevator and pressed the button for the upper floors, waiting as the numbers on the display steadily climbed.The elevator ascended floor by floor, the digits flickering until it reached the VIP inpatient ward.With a soft ding, the doors slid open.Inside, a small figure stood patiently, a backpack neatly strapped to his back.As soon as the doors parted, Alex stepped out first.Justin was about to step in when—Wait.Alex looked up. Then up again.His tiny hands rubbed his eyes as if making sure he wasn’t seeing things.“Uncle Justin!”His face lit up with excitement as he threw his arms wide and practically launched himself into Justin’s embrace. “Uncle Justin, what are you doing here?” Justin had already crouched down the second the doors opened, instinctively ready to catch him. “Alex?”Alex wrapped his arms around Justin’s neck, nuzzling against him like a kitten. “I missed you so much!”For Alex, coming to see his mom and running into
At their young age, Chase and Alex didn’t really know much about leftovers. All they knew was that they couldn’t show up empty-handed when visiting their mom. With their lunchboxes carefully packed, the two little boys tiptoed upstairs to their room. They pulled out their pre-packed backpacks and stuffed the food inside. Of course, they didn’t forget to slip in a couple of their favorite snacks. This was the highest form of etiquette they could think of. Mom and Grandma always said that eating well helped build strength and recover faster when sick. Opening the back window of their bedroom, they each secured a safety rope around their waists, fastening the other end to the bed frame. The ropes were custom-designed by their family’s company, tested to support hundreds of kilograms. Evelyn, had used the same kind of gear during her missions. If it could hold an adult’s weight under extreme conditions, carrying two little boys was nothing. Carefully, they gripped t
Justin turned and headed downstairs, making his way toward the garden in search of Haley. It didn’t take long before he spotted her under the grapevine trellis, walking with a noticeable limp. And right beside her was Sean. The two were deep in conversation, laughing and smiling. Though he couldn’t quite make out what Sean was saying, whatever it was had Haley grinning even wider, her laughter carrying across the warm summer air and reaching his ears. Despite the scorching heat, Justin’s gaze remained ice-cold. He stood there, exuding an unsettling chill, like a walking refrigerator in the middle of summer. His steps were firm as he moved forward, fully intent on interrupting their little moment. But before he could close the distance, his phone vibrated in his pocket. Haley was starting to feel drained. The sun was relentless, and even in the shade, the air felt thick and warm. “I think I’ve walked enough. My stomach doesn’t feel so full anymore. Let’s head
Outside the restaurant, Justin dismissed his subordinates, sending them back to work. He remained by the roadside, pulling out his phone to call Haley.She hadn’t responded to his messages. Fine.If she wouldn’t text back, then he would just call her instead.He dialed twice, but both times, the call rang unanswered.Frowning, he got into the car, his persistence kicking in. He kept calling again and again, stubbornly waiting for her to tell him to come home. It became a battle with himself, a childish need to hear her say it. Finally, after multiple attempts, on what he swore would be his last try, the call was answered. “Hello?” Haley’s indifferent tone came through the receiver. Justin’s voice was full of grievance. “Did you even see my messages?” He had seen firsthand how glued she was to her phone when he was with her. No way she hadn’t seen them. “Yeah, I saw them.” Haley responded matter-of-factly. Justin pressed on, “Then why didn’t you call me? Why
Justin lifted his glass and offered a toast to the chairman. “A toast—no wine, just a drink—to celebrate your wonderful family.”His words were warm, but there was a faint bitterness in his eyes. He had once been so close to having that kind of happiness—just one step away. If things had been different, he too would have a wife by his side, a home filled with laughter, and children to go home to.The chairman smiled, lifting his own glass as they clinked them together. After that, they shifted back to business, finalizing contract details and discussing future development plans. By the time lunch was wrapping up, the chairman’s phone rang—it was his wife. Since there were no outsiders in the room, he answered directly. “Hey, honey.” “Are you done with the contract talks? And don’t drink at lunch—you have fatty liver. The doctor said you should avoid alcohol as much as possible. If there’s a social event, let your team handle it instead.“If you really can’t a
The cool mist of the medicine sprayed onto Haley’s ankle, making her instinctively pull back. Justin tightened his grip, refusing to let go until he was satisfied that he had applied enough. Only then did he release her foot. “If you’re injured, stop moving around so much.” “Justin Yates, could you please figure out your place here? I don’t need you to apply the medicine, and you definitely shouldn’t be sleeping in my bed!” “Got it. There won’t be a next time.” He casually promised there wouldn’t be a next time, making Haley huff in frustration. Arguing with someone who stayed so calm only made her feel like the unreasonable one. It was like throwing a punch, only to have it land on nothing but air.Annoyed, she shot Justin a sharp glare before hopping off the bed and limping toward the bathroom. Seeing her struggle, Justin instinctively stepped forward to help, but Haley swatted his hand away. She didn’t need his help. Neither of them brought up yesterda
Zac didn’t say anything, but Justin understood exactly what he meant. The call ended. Just as he put his phone away, William approached from across the underground parking garage, carrying a black plastic bag in his hand. “Mr. Yates, what do you want us to do with this hand?” “Get rid of it,” Justin replied, tilting his head back against the seat, his voice cold and emotionless. There was no trace of sentimentality for its former owner. “Understood,” William responded without hesitation. He handed the bag to two bodyguards and instructed them to dispose of it properly. Then, without a hint of blood on him, he got back in the car and drove Justin back to the hospital. Evelyn, Helen, and Zac had already left the hospital, leaving only Haley in the room. Instead of heading straight to her, Justin first stopped by Zac’s private lounge to take a shower. He scrubbed himself thoroughly, changed into fresh clothes, and made sure there was no trace of any lingering sc