Aveline glanced in the direction of the warehouse. Hilda was still banging on the door. She didn’t seem worried about getting caught anymore, thinking she had Aveline cornered and was now acting with reckless confidence.Aveline hesitated for a moment, then walked over and opened the warehouse door.Hilda’s face was full of irritation. “Why haven’t you sent me away yet? Aveline, do you not want to know who your real parents are anymore?”Aveline’s expression remained cold as she looked at her. “If you don't want to tell me, I can find out myself. I don’t need you anymore. I might as well call them to take you away now.”At this, Hilda’s eyes widened. “You… you can’t do this, Aveline! I’ve raised you all these years. You can’t be so ungrateful!”Aveline let out a mocking laugh. “You did take me in, but any debt I owed you was canceled out when you kept trying to sell me off. And now you want to lecture me about gratitude? Where do you get the nerve?”“You—”Hilda was struck speechless,
As evening fell and the sun dipped below the horizon, the orphanage's dining hall buzzed with lively chatter. There were twenty children in all, seated around several tables, the older ones looking after the younger ones. After making sure everything was in order, Zachary made his way over to Aveline."You don’t have to leave in such a hurry," Zachary said. "You haven’t even had a chance to see the changes in Arthur Town yet. The resort villas, for example, they're already starting to take shape."Aveline smiled. "I’ll come back when I have more time," she replied. "And really, I should be thanking you for all you’ve done this time. Here’s to you."She lifted her beer with a grin, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Zachary.Zachary raised his glass in response. "There's no need to talk about gratitude. We grew up together; we’re practically family."Aveline nodded. "You’re right. Cheers."They clinked their glasses and took a drink, the cheerful sounds of children laughing and playin
“Lucas…” Aveline murmured his name as she dialed his number. Zachary watched her, shaking his head with a sigh. Maybe she didn't even realize it herself, but her resistance to Lucas had softened. After all, she wasn’t heartless. How could anyone remain unmoved in the face of sincere apologies and requests for forgiveness?The busy signal droned in her ear, and as the dull beeping continued, Aveline’s expression turned sour. Why wasn’t he picking up? Where had he gone?In the end, the call disconnected automatically. "He won't take my call… then I don't need him," Aveline muttered, wobbling slightly as she stood up and headed toward the door.Zachary quickly stepped in to steady her, preventing a fall.But Aveline pushed him away. “I… I’m fine. I can manage on my own.”He stayed close, ready to catch her if needed. Given how much she had drunk, her unsteady gait was no surprise. Thankfully, despite her zigzagging path, she managed to avoid falling.Back in her room, Zachary said,
Aveline’s face lit up with relief. She quickly asked, “Has the fire outside died down?”Braden replied, “It’s under control now. Please, open the door.”Wrapping the wet clothes around herself to shield against any remaining flames, Aveline carefully opened the door. Braden, covering his mouth and nose with a damp towel, exhaled in relief when he saw she was safe.“Mrs. Tudor, come with me!” he urged.Aveline stepped out and saw the source of the fire—it had spread from the kitchen, consuming the nearby rooms and sending thick smoke billowing through the air. Zachary, who had woken up early, had already evacuated the children and was now fighting the flames with a fire extinguisher.Baron, with a team of bodyguards, had hooked up a hose and managed to contain much of the blaze, giving Braden the chance to get inside and lead Aveline to safety.Aveline’s room was dangerously close to the kitchen; if the fire hadn’t been brought under control, it would have soon reached her.“Mrs. Tud
Jessie blinked her big eyes and walked straight up to Baron, staring at him with wide-eyed curiosity.Baron, feeling a bit uneasy under her intense gaze, cleared his throat, crouched down, and asked, "Hey there, little one, what's up?"Jessie flashed him a bright smile. "Sir you're amazing! You put out the fire!"The sudden compliment caught Baron off guard, leaving him momentarily stunned.He felt a little embarrassed. "Huh? Really?""Yes!" Jessie nodded enthusiastically.The other children chimed in, nodding their heads eagerly."Sir, you’re all amazing! You put out the fire! You're our heroes!" The children’s sincere eyes fixed on Baron, and he couldn’t help but puff up with pride.He glanced over at Braden, grinning. "See that? They called me a hero."Braden’s face remained expressionless. So childish!Jessie walked over to Braden and tugged at his sleeve, her voice soft and sweet, "Sir, you're awesome too! You're not even afraid of the fire. Are you a superhero?""Yeah, are you
"Did I come at a bad time?" Lucas' voice, laced with sarcasm, cut through the room just as Aveline managed to steady herself. Her head throbbed even harder.Zachary frowned and turned to Lucas. "You're mistaken. She felt unwell, and I was just helping her."Lucas walked over, noting Aveline's flushed cheeks and her lack of energy. She didn't look well at all. His brow furrowed, and without a word, he bent down and scooped her up in his arms.Zachary released her at the right moment and said, "She seems to have a fever. You should take her to the town hospital right away."Lucas' narrowed eyes were filled with a frosty chill as he shot Zachary a cold look before striding out.Baron and Braden had already slipped away quietly.Lucas carried Aveline to the car, eyeing the coat she wore with irritation. He swiftly tore it off and tossed it out.Feverish and dazed, Aveline squinted at Lucas, her voice hoarse. "Don't be unreasonable. He was just worried I’d catch a cold."Lucas replied cool
Aveline replied, "No need."She picked up the utensils and began to eat. After nearly a day and a night without food, she was starving and no longer cared about the way he was watching her, almost obsessively.Lucas sat by the side of her bed, his gaze fixed intently on her. He seemed so mesmerized that he reached out to touch her face.“What are you doing?” Aveline immediately dodged his touch, eyeing him warily.Lucas’ hand froze in mid-air. “Your hair fell in your face. I thought it might get in the way while you’re eating, so I was just going to help you tuck it back.”Aveline reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear. “I can do it myself.”Lucas smiled faintly. "You're very capable."Aveline gave him a look. What was wrong with this man?Ignoring him, she focused on finishing her meal. Once she was done, she asked, “How’s the orphanage?”Lucas shrugged. "How would I know?"It wasn’t his concern.Aveline paused, then asked, “Have you found out who started the fire?”Hearing thi
Aveline looked at him and said, "But I don’t need you by my side."Lucas reached out and tapped her forehead lightly. “Aveline, where did you learn this from? You just asked me to help investigate, and now you're saying you don’t need me?”Aveline pulled back a little and replied, "Aren't you expecting something in return?"If he didn’t want anything, maybe she could believe his words. But his intentions were too obvious. She couldn’t trust him.A flicker of exasperation passed through Lucas' sharp eyes. "The only thing I want in return is for you to become addicted to my body and my capability in bed."Aveline stared at him, utterly stunned.Was he serious?"What’s with that look?" Lucas guessed what she was thinking from her expression. “Did you think I only cared about my own pleasure?”He leaned in closer, his deep, magnetic voice dangerously seductive. “Aveline, be honest with yourself—haven't I always made sure you were satisfied first before thinking of myself?”Aveline felt her