No wonder Haley knew her so well. They had grown up together, spending every day side by side. She had nailed Helen’s taste perfectly. “Haley, this is perfect! No changes needed. I love it! Mwah!” Helen could already picture herself wearing the ring. She was practically vibrating with excitement. Wilfred leaned over for a glance. “Send me the digital version later. I’ll have the production team get started on it right away. It should be ready by the time I get back.” Though he and Helen didn’t talk much in their daily lives, he was clearly invested in making sure his little sister’s wedding was flawless. Haley nodded. “Got it.” The conversation moved on to other wedding details. Justin had nothing to add, and Haley wasn’t acknowledging him at all. Seeing that it was already past nine, he took Alex upstairs for a bath. “Chase, come on, let’s go shower together!” Chase frowned, his expression as cool and distant as ever. “I’ll shower on my own. You two go ahead.”
The "BANG" of a door slamming shut echoed down the hall. Justin barely managed to stop himself in time—any closer, and the door would have smacked him straight in the face. Now, with that single door between them, he and Haley were completely separated. Standing in the dimly lit second-floor hallway, he was utterly alone. Even the house staff had long since retreated to their quarters for the night. His lashes lowered, his entire presence steeped in solitude and quiet resignation. A few small lights remained on, preventing the villa from plunging into complete darkness. For a long while, he simply stood there, staring at the door in front of him. Then, finally, he turned. Each step down the staircase echoed heavily in the vast, empty space, matching the weight in his chest. By the time he stepped out of the villa, a familiar figure was already waiting. “Mr. Yates.” William had been standing by the entrance, anticipating his arrival. “Let’s talk in the car.
“Those women are all trained and they know exactly what they’re doing.“And the woman in the photo you sent me? She was part of one of their underground transactions.“But she’s been gone for years,” Alexander recalled, repeating what one of his high-profile clients had told him. “Five, maybe six? Something like that. She’s probably long dead by now. Word is, the women that don’t make the cut in that organization… well, they get dismantled and sold off piece by piece.” Alexander didn’t have direct dealings with Lori, but his family ran casinos overseas, so he was well aware of the dark side of the industry. And five-year-old information wasn’t easy to dig up. By sheer luck, a major client he met just a few days ago had actually been with the woman in that photo. “Ugh—” Justin’s stomach lurched violently. His entire body recoiled before he threw open the car door, stumbling toward a nearby tree and retching. “Ugh—ugh—” The nausea hit in waves, each one stronger
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
“Those women are all trained and they know exactly what they’re doing.“And the woman in the photo you sent me? She was part of one of their underground transactions.“But she’s been gone for years,” Alexander recalled, repeating what one of his high-profile clients had told him. “Five, maybe six? Something like that. She’s probably long dead by now. Word is, the women that don’t make the cut in that organization… well, they get dismantled and sold off piece by piece.” Alexander didn’t have direct dealings with Lori, but his family ran casinos overseas, so he was well aware of the dark side of the industry. And five-year-old information wasn’t easy to dig up. By sheer luck, a major client he met just a few days ago had actually been with the woman in that photo. “Ugh—” Justin’s stomach lurched violently. His entire body recoiled before he threw open the car door, stumbling toward a nearby tree and retching. “Ugh—ugh—” The nausea hit in waves, each one stronger
The "BANG" of a door slamming shut echoed down the hall. Justin barely managed to stop himself in time—any closer, and the door would have smacked him straight in the face. Now, with that single door between them, he and Haley were completely separated. Standing in the dimly lit second-floor hallway, he was utterly alone. Even the house staff had long since retreated to their quarters for the night. His lashes lowered, his entire presence steeped in solitude and quiet resignation. A few small lights remained on, preventing the villa from plunging into complete darkness. For a long while, he simply stood there, staring at the door in front of him. Then, finally, he turned. Each step down the staircase echoed heavily in the vast, empty space, matching the weight in his chest. By the time he stepped out of the villa, a familiar figure was already waiting. “Mr. Yates.” William had been standing by the entrance, anticipating his arrival. “Let’s talk in the car.
No wonder Haley knew her so well. They had grown up together, spending every day side by side. She had nailed Helen’s taste perfectly. “Haley, this is perfect! No changes needed. I love it! Mwah!” Helen could already picture herself wearing the ring. She was practically vibrating with excitement. Wilfred leaned over for a glance. “Send me the digital version later. I’ll have the production team get started on it right away. It should be ready by the time I get back.” Though he and Helen didn’t talk much in their daily lives, he was clearly invested in making sure his little sister’s wedding was flawless. Haley nodded. “Got it.” The conversation moved on to other wedding details. Justin had nothing to add, and Haley wasn’t acknowledging him at all. Seeing that it was already past nine, he took Alex upstairs for a bath. “Chase, come on, let’s go shower together!” Chase frowned, his expression as cool and distant as ever. “I’ll shower on my own. You two go ahead.”
After dinner, the Walker family gathered in the living room to go over wedding details. The venue options had already been sent over, and Helen quickly settled on an outdoor ceremony. She chose a lush hillside lawn overlooking the ocean, with the reception held indoors. A beach wedding was out of the question. She didn’t want to deal with sand getting everywhere, especially in heels. With the venue decided, the next steps were choosing a wedding dress and scheduling the photoshoot. Transportation was the least of their worries—both families had more than enough luxury cars. But deciding who would be in the wedding party, especially the send-off and pick-up groups, was proving trickier. The White family had plenty of relatives to fill spots, but the Walkers were another story. Given their background, their circle was small. Evelyn had been an orphan taken in by her former organization, meaning there were no extended family members to rely on. “So it looks like the whole
Besides, how could the second-best hotel in the country possibly be good enough for her wedding?Zac continued, “October 1st is a peak wedding date. Good venues book up fast—especially the best ones.“But since Justin owns the hotel, we get first pick of the venue. Pretty convenient, huh?” Helen hesitated for a moment before reluctantly nodding. “Fine.” At least Justin had some sense. Zac finally relaxed, letting out a relieved breath. He picked up his glass and raised it toward Justin with a smile. “Thanks for handling the venue. Let me toast to that.” Justin had, of course, noticed the little exchange between Zac and Helen, but he chose to pretend otherwise. Keeping his expression neutral, he replied, “No need for that—we’re all family here. I’ll have my team send over the venue details later.” His words were met with silence. Across the table, Richard scoffed. “Family? At best, you’re just Zac’s friend.” “Ow!” A sharp kick landed on Richard’s shin under the ta
That evening, at the Walker family dinner table, Justin sat in his usual spot at the far end, quietly adding food to Alex’s plate while the rest of the family chatted. “Have you set a date for the wedding?” Evelyn asked. “We have,” Zac replied. “October 1st—it’s a really good day.” “Good. Then we need to start making preparations.” “Are weddings in Haven State different from the ones in Merika State?”“Yeah, pretty different,” Zac explained. “Even within Haven State, traditions vary. Here, weddings usually take place in the afternoon. The bride and groom get ready separately in the morning, then meet for the ceremony around noon or later. After the vows, there’s a cocktail hour, followed by a formal reception with dinner, speeches, and dancing. Guests usually stay late into the night.”Having attended plenty of weddings, Zac summarized it as best as he could.“Noon?” Helen raised an eyebrow. “So I’ll still have to wake up at the crack of dawn?”“More like early morning,
“No! I won’t take the fall for this! It was Emma who stole the proposal—it was all her!” Tom muttered.Meanwhile, the entire executive office fell into dead silence. Justin, who had been about to leave, suddenly stopped in his tracks. His expression darkened instantly, like a brewing storm, and his sharp gaze locked onto Tom. The pressure in the room dropped, suffocating. “Who told you that?” His voice was even colder than his face, as if he were ready to tear Tom apart for spewing nonsense. “I—” Tom faltered, then stubbornly straightened his neck. “Everyone in the company is saying it! It’s been going around for ages that Emma is your woman!“Otherwise, I wouldn’t have let her stay alone in the project team’s office!” The executive office was dead silent. No one even dared to breathe.Tom must have a death wish.It was one thing to dig his own grave, but dragging them down with him? Unforgivable.Justin’s aura turned even darker, the storm in his pitch-black eyes near
“This wasn’t me!” Tom stumbled back, shaking his head furiously. His voice trembled with panic as he stared at the surveillance footage. The video was undeniable—it showed him letting Emma in, chatting briefly before stepping out, and then Emma stealing the confidential proposal. “Tom,” the team leader’s voice was cold, “the company is giving you a way out. Resign voluntarily. It’s in your best interest.” A resignation meant no termination record. He could still find another job. “It wasn’t me! It was her! Emma stole the proposal, so why am I the one getting punished? Just because she’s the boss’s woman, she gets to walk free?” His frustration boiled over, forgetting the strange attachment he once had for Emma. Tom’s anger clouded his judgment, pushing aside lingering feelings he once had for Emma. She was the one who stole the files. She was the one who carried out the act. So why wasn’t she being held accountable? How was it fair that he was the only one fo
“Do you know what to do now?” Alex asked smugly.“Yeah… I got it,” Justin replied. “You need to plan out what you’re going to say in advance. If you freeze up halfway, it’ll be so embarrassing.“And remember, when a girl is mad, you have to coax her!” Alex added, looking every bit like a little know-it-all. “Got it. I understand. Now go to sleep.” Justin pulled the blanket up over Alex and held him close. “Goodnight, Uncle Justin,” Alex whispered, but in his heart, he meant “Goodnight, Dad.” “Goodnight, Alex.” The night was still and peaceful, the faint chirping of insects drifting in from the lawn outside. Justin lay awake, his eyes open in the quiet night. Moonlight filtered through the sheer summer curtains, casting a soft glow over Alex’s peaceful face. In his delicate features, Justin could see traces of Haley—so unmistakably hers. This small body, curled up beside him, was a part of both of them. Their child. The one they had created together.*