A week had passed since Yvonne's failed attempt to win David back, yet she wasn't as sad and devastated as she had anticipated. A little ray of light continued to illuminate her life, and she found herself smiling more often than usual. That light was Lillian, Micheal's three-year-old daughter. The little girl called her every single day, initiating innocent conversations that always warmed Yvonne's heart. After dropping the call, Yvonne's heart would linger on those sweet moments until she either worked on the children's activities for the following day at school or simply fell asleep with a happy smile on her face. Although it had only been a week, Yvonne found herself growing a little greedy for more of that joy. At first, when Lilly asked if they could visit her house with their daddy, Yvonne would deftly talk her way around the question and then smoothly avoid it. But by the fourth time, she was starting to crave those brief moments when Micheal and his children had dined at he
Micheal hadn’t meant to be harsh with Yvonne, but he was conflicted. A part of him wanted to dig into her life, to learn more about her fiancé, which shouldn’t concern him. The night he had carried her in his arms, Micheal found it so natural that it didn’t even feel like a chore. She had wrapped her arms around his neck, muttering about her life. She had seemed so fragile and vulnerable. Yet, the next day, she was suddenly a stranger again—not the woman who had fit so perfectly in his arms the previous night. He wanted to step back, to keep his distance and not get more entangled than necessary. But then his children had fallen in love with her. He was doomed to be near her at all times, and he wanted to limit physical contact. He hoped that if he kept her at arm's length, the urge to investigate her would diminish. But then she had invited him out. For some reason, seeing her again in a much better state eased his mind. Her skin had regained its color, and the constant flush of e
Yvonne settled down opposite Micheal once again and spoke more calmly. “I wanted to try explaining things to Jack again, using simpler terms that he will understand instead of my former stance,” she said. “We have plans for them to visit their grandparents. We can have a day out on one of your spare days when we return,” Micheal proposed. “Sure. Absolutely!” Yvonne replied, and with that, their conversation was over. Micheal excused himself a few minutes later after paying for the meal. Yvonne was displeased, but he insisted, claiming he would count it as a date if she paid. She could only step back and gesture for him to do what he wanted. That night, both sides were in a good mood. The twins were pleased by the news that a day out with their favorite person had been planned following a visit to their beloved grandma. She was the closest person to a mother the children had in their lives, but Micheal had separated them. His family was too controlling. Even when looking at a
When old Miss Langston saw the murderous expression Micheal wore at that moment, she coughed slightly to break everyone out of their stupor.Before the elders could start berating Jack for his rude comment, she spoke first. “Said like a true leader. A man should follow rules and etiquette. I'm proud of you, Jack. Everyone can have this conversation after dining.”Those who were about to voice their displeasure quickly shut their mouths.They weren’t pleased that out of the six eligible men in the family around Micheal’s age, he was chosen as the family head. The most annoying part was that Micheal had not been involved in their line of profession. He could have just been appointed as the head of the technical team of their empire, but the old patriarch dumped him into the role everyone had their eyes on.They couldn’t wait for the old woman to die so they could fight for the position with everything they had, but with Micheal being so young and already having two brilliant heirs, the
At the same time, a heated argument broke out between the old patriarch and Micheal.Micheal had tried to overlook the situation, knowing full well that his next visit to his family home might not be for another eight months or even a year. If Yvonne turned out to be a reliable ally in his quest to see his children live happy childhoods, Micheal wouldn't have a reason to come back. But to his shock, his grandmother actually suggested he allow her to raise Jack. It seemed she wanted to mold him into a puppet, just like they had done to Micheal.That same day, Micheal decided he had to return to his home with his kids. However, the old woman feigned a headache and dramatically collapsed. Micheal could only sigh as he listened to her rant about her pure intentions, claiming she just wanted to see the children more often, with nothing else attached.Grandma Langston had initially planned to focus on Lilian, given how close she felt to the little girl. But after Jack boldly commented duri
A few days passed, and Sammy only grew more anxious. David still hadn't shown up at their new home, and the man she hired to keep an eye on Yvonne’s home claimed he hadn’t gone there either.Sammy wanted David to realize his errors and beg her for forgiveness, but he was still feeling guilty for hurting her and thought that staying away would solve the situation.At work, he stuck to his department, and since she made no attempt to approach him either, they managed to stay out of each other’s line of sight. Many of their colleagues had asked both parties if everything was fine, and they both replied that they just needed some space. Nothing too serious.Sammy's mood, however, took a turn when she was notified that Yvonne hadn’t been to her apartment for over two days. Her first thought was that David and Yvonne had created a secret meeting place, but after further investigation, she found out that he had still been sleeping at the office.Unable to shake the feeling that she was givi
Yvonne stayed for quite a while at Amy's house, and during that time, she discovered the profound sense of peace she felt away from the home where all her trauma had originated. After expressing her desire to move out from her former house to secure the peace her heart needed, Amy discussed it with her fiancé. He eagerly asked Amy to move in with him, allowing Yvonne to remain at Amy's apartment.Amy suggested that Yvonne should consider settling the paperwork of ownership with the building management after Amy's lease ended. Yvonne insisted she would only stay if she was allowed to pay Amy back, and finally, a decision was made after Amy reluctantly agreed.Yvonne now had a new apartment. Amy came regularly to take her personal belongings until the house was ready to be rearranged to Yvonne's liking. Aside from work, Yvonne procrastinated on decorating her new home and eagerly anticipated the day Lily and Jack would return. The nightly video chats with Lily made her evenings, affecti
Micheal coughed in embarrassment. The lengths his children would go to use him to impress their new friend were immeasurable.“I am very useful,” he echoed his son's words, and Yvonne couldn’t help but burst into laughter.Micheal grew confused. “My usefulness is funny to you, Miss Yvonne? Ha, I’m glad,” he said sarcastically.“You should see your expression, Mr. Langston. You look horrified,” Yvonne replied.She was sure Micheal would never help her unpack, and his expression confirmed her thoughts. Micheal looked as if he had swallowed an abomination. His lips twitched in obvious irritation but morphed into a forced smile when his kids turned around.It was simply hilarious.“He looks grumpy, right?” Lily asked.Yvonne nodded, still smiling.“Don’t worry. He’ll do it anyway,” Jack added, and with that, both kids dragged Yvonne toward the table set for their dining in the private room of the restaurant.Yvonne's and Lily's plates were packed full of food. Jack kept filling Yvonne’s
Micheal had never been one to rush his moves. Every step he made was calculated, deliberate. And now, his plan was finally taking shape.It wasn’t just about revenge—it was about balance. About consequences. He wasn’t going to lift much of his fingers to destroy David and Sammy. He was going to let them destroy each other.All he had to do was expose the truth—and let the rot eat its way through their little empire.He had taken a step back and observed. Let them feel safe. Let them think they hadn't been found out. It will made their downfall even more satisfying.He’d already identified the pressure points.David’s ambition. Sammy’s obsession.He knew what had driven them. And he knew how to make them lose it all.Sammy, for all her manipulations, didn’t care about wealth. No—what she wanted was permanence. A life with David. Security in the man she had clawed her way into. She had the skills, no doubt. If left alone, she would’ve done fine climbing the corporate ladder at any other
Micheal hadn’t moved from the same spot in hours. He had just tucked the kids into bed and slipped quietly onto the terrace outside their room.The night was still. The air held a gentle chill, the kind that slipped beneath the skin and settled deep in the bones. Birds chirped softly in the distance, and the wind rustled the trees, but even that felt far away—like he was underwater, drowning in everything he wished he’d done differently.She was gone.Yvonne had left him.She hadn’t said much—her words were soft but sharp, laced with pain. He could still hear her voice, low and trembling: “You should’ve told me. All this time, you knew something, didn’t you?”He had tried to explain, to reach for her hand, but she’d pulled away. Her eyes, once filled with cautious affection, now brimmed with something heavier—betrayal.And just like that, the air had left the room.An hour later, he was back in his study.Micheal paced the floor barefoot, his shirt rumpled, sleeves rolled to his elbow
The quiet hum of the ceiling fan was the only sound that filled the room for a long while. Yvonne sat propped up against her pillows, a warm blanket tucked around her legs, and her mother seated close beside her on the edge of the bed. The soup bowl sat in Anna’s lap, and she offered spoonfuls to her daughter between soft words and careful glances.“To say your father is trying would be an understatement,” Anna said gently, brushing a stray curl from Yvonne’s cheek. “He’s doing everything in his power to hold himself together… and to redeem himself the only way he knows how.”Yvonne gave a soft nod, accepting the next spoonful.“David was arrested. But… they had to release him,” Anna continued with a sigh, her voice growing brittle. “There just wasn’t enough evidence. Not yet. But your father—he’s not letting this go. He’s digging. Talking to people. Trying to make something stick. He wants to see that man locked away.”Yvonne let out a breath, slow and even, the soup lingering on her
To say Yvonne was surprised to be carrying a child would be an understatement. She and Micheal had been wild when it came to intimacy.It was impossible to deny—she had gotten addicted to his touch, to that other side of him that contrasted so sharply with the calm, patient father and composed CEO he presented during the day.Micheal was a passionate man in many ways, and Yvonne had grown to crave them all. He was attentive, tender, yet strong—always able to meet her desire with a fire of his own. There wasn’t a single memory with him that left her feeling regret or discomfort. And yet, they had been careful.She always took the morning-after pill, even when he held her afterward and stroked her hair with words that left her heart warm and content. It never crosses her mind that their relationship is deep enough to hope for a child together, especially when their deal was nothing but a dignified nanny until the children’s love and affection changed that notion in her heart.She remem
Micheal’s mind churned as he replayed the grainy footage, his jaw clenched tight. The recovered videos from five years ago had given him something—but not enough. Not enough to piece together the full picture. Not enough to explain the nightmare that had haunted both him and Yvonne.In the feed, he could see himself staggering down a hotel corridor, disoriented, clearly intoxicated—or worse. He barely recognized the version of himself swaying, confused, squinting at the doors as if trying to find the room number he couldn't make out.Then she appeared.A woman stepped into frame, speaking to him softly. Her hand pointed at a specific room. Without hesitation, his silhouette obeyed, walking toward the door she’d indicated. She turned and walked away like her part had been played.At first, Micheal had been baffled. The footage stopped there—nothing out of the ordinary. But something didn’t sit right.Then it hit him.He rewound. Slowly. Frame by frame.And there she was again.Sammy.T
The house felt like a tomb. Silent, suffocating, and filled with ghosts of emotions Yvonne couldn’t name.She had locked herself in for days, refusing contact with the outside world. The mere thought of facing reality made her sick to her stomach—literally. Every meal her mother forced upon her barely made it past her throat before nausea clawed its way up, rejecting the sustenance she knew she needed.She was wasting away.Her reflection in the mirror had become a stranger—sunken eyes, hollow cheeks, a shadow of herself. And yet, she couldn't find it in her to care.Because how could she?How could she pretend to be okay when the one person she had given her trust—her safe place—was the very reason her world had collapsed?Michael.She had once whispered his name with reverence in her heart, with an aching sort of longing she never dared admit to him yet.Now?Now it felt like a curse.She should be grateful, right? Fate had played a cruel joke on her, but in the end, she hadn’t los
A few hours after David’s arrest—outside the police station.Sammy stood stiffly by the station’s entrance, arms crossed tightly over her chest as she watched the doors swing open. David stepped out, his expression set in a tight scowl, flanked by his lawyer.She had done all she could. After failing to secure help from the company’s legal team, she had arranged a private lawyer for him and stayed with him through the exhausting process. But it hadn’t changed much.Yvonne’s father had opened a case against David, and while there wasn’t enough physical evidence to detain him, the investigation was ongoing. David had been warned—he could be summoned at any time.Just as David took his first breath of fresh air, a furious voice cut through the tense atmosphere."You used my daughter."David barely had time to react before Yvonne’s father stormed toward him, each step fueled by pure rage. His cane tapped harshly against the pavement, his other hand pointing a trembling finger straight at
A lot had happened that day.Micheal had barely left the twins’ room when he received an urgent call from his personal assistant, Sandra. The moment he answered, her voice carried a mix of urgency and disbelief.“There’s chaos at the company, sir. Something big happened early this morning.”Micheal frowned, gripping his phone tighter. “What kind of chaos?”Sandra took a deep breath before delivering the bombshell.“It’s about David… He was arrested.”For a moment, Micheal said nothing, his mind processing the unexpected turn of events.Apparently, Yvonne’s father hadn’t been able to stomach the full scope of what his daughter had suffered. And unlike before—when he had turned his back on her—this time, he had taken action. He had wasted no time in seeking legal justice, making sure David paid for what he had put Yvonne through.The arrest had sent shockwaves through the company. Employees had been left speechless, watching in stunned silence as one of their highest-ranking executives
The Twins' Innocent ConfrontationAs soon as Micheal left the twins' room, Rebecca took a deep breath, regaining her composure. Now that she knew the truth, her purpose had shifted—this wasn’t just about being a temporary nanny anymore. She was genuinely ready to care for the children in Yvonne’s absence.With renewed confidence, she approached the twins, a warm smile gracing her lips."Let’s get you two ready for school."But the moment her words left her mouth, she noticed a familiar exchange of glances between Jack and Lily—silent yet unmistakably purposeful, like they were communicating without speaking.Then Jack turned his gaze to her, his small brows furrowed. His voice, though soft, carried an unmistakable weight of accusation."Why did you lie to Mommy?"Rebecca's heart skipped a beat. The innocent yet mature expression on their faces made her falter, the sheer seriousness of their demeanor contrasting with their adorable features.She swallowed, suddenly feeling exposed unde