Nolan’s POV.“Mr. Nolan, Mr. Nolan…”The voice and the shaking woke me up gradually. After many sleepless nights, I didn’t even realize I had dozed off on the sofa.But when Martin's face came into view, I frowned and sat up abruptly. I grabbed the blanket that had slipped off me and glanced at the empty hospital bed, “What’s going on? Why are you here at this hour?”“Didn’t you tell me to bring the USB to the hospital immediately?” Martin looked at me, visibly surprised.“Me? What USB?” I shrugged slightly and asked, a bad feeling creeping in as I reached for my phone to check.Martin patiently replied, though with some hesitation, “Liam's USB that we’ve been looking for. I texted you half an hour ago and brought it to the hospital.”Rosalynn must have answered the message while I was sleeping. That meant she must have read what Martin sent. My face darkened, and I lowered my voice, “Where’s Rosalynn?”“Huh? I just got here and didn’t see her. Could it be…”“Find her immediately!” I
Rosalynn’s POV.I slowly opened my eyes, feeling pain spreading throughout my body. My lips weakly murmured, "My child… Save my child…"My mind was still lost in the moment I fell. My belly was in agonizing pain, and I clutched the man's leg, begging him for mercy. But he just pulled the knife out of my hand and walked away ruthlessly.The pain numbed me, and I no longer knew what happened after that."Rosalynn, you’re awake?" A kiss fell on my forehead, and Nolan gazed at me with his beautiful amber eyes."Nolan?" I asked, slightly confused. His face was the last thing I remembered before losing consciousness.Nolan gently embraced me, pressing his forehead to mine. His voice trembled with heartfelt emotion, "It's all over now, you’re safe. I'm here.""Our child…" I tried to touch my flat stomach. I started to sob, fearing the worst, the pain so intense it left me numb.He wiped the tears from my cheeks and caressed my face, nodding reassuringly, "Our daughter was born safely. She’s
Rosalynn’s POV.One month later.“How can you stay silent about everything, Rosalynn?”Katherine angrily slammed her phone down on the bed after reading the news about Christine’s radiant appearance at a recent piano event. It hit the mattress with a loud thud, and bounced twice on the blanket, but fortunately didn’t fall to the floor and break.Her face was full of panic as she quickly moved closer to Hailey, the little girl I was holding in my arms, “Oh baby, I didn’t scare you, did I?”I gently patted Hailey, who was sound asleep, and shook my head with a soft smile, “It’s okay. You still haven’t changed your fiery temper even though you’ve been in Washington for quite some time now.”“Sorry, I’ve been too busy to visit you often. But you’re really at fault for not telling me about all the injustices you’ve faced during that time. Are you really going to let Christine get away with what she did to you?” She hugged me and leaned her head on my shoulder, whispering gently.“Nolan wil
Nolan’s POV"Rosalynn, let's get married," I said, swallowing a lump in my throat.After a few moments of silence, I anxiously awaited her response, gazing deeply into her beautiful eyes. However, from my observation, I didn't sense any excitement on her face after my proposal.She seemed calmer and more distant than she used to be. Even her startled reaction and aversion to my touch reminded me of the early days when we first met.Fearing she hadn't heard me clearly, I began to repeat myself, "Rosalynn, let's—"But she cut me off, offering a faint, indifferent smile instead of an answer, "Let's talk about this later. Now isn't the right time to get married.""Why isn't it the right time? I'm ready for our wedding," I said hastily and reached out to touch her face.Her warm palm covered the back of my hand. Rosalynn let out a soft laugh and closed her eyes, "Have you found out who pushed me down yet?"I was taken aback for a moment and raised my eyebrows slightly, "Give me a little mo
Nolan's POV.Richard sat obediently in front of me, looking submissive now that I had discovered his weakness. His trembling hands were clasped tightly together, the veins standing out starkly."When did you find out?" Richard snapped, turning his face away after meeting my amber eyes.Unlike him, I remained calm and confident, the master of this game. I uncrossed my legs, leaned forward slightly, raised an eyebrow, and replied, "Before you returned to Las Vegas and threatened me."Richard's lips twitched into a faint smile, but his pale face couldn't hide his fear, "And you let us be for so long? You are patient, Nolan.""Why would I act hastily before understanding all your motives and schemes? Isn't it more entertaining to toy with a mouse until it dies than to kill it right away?" My expression suddenly hardened, my face darkening for a moment.Compared to the tragic fire that took my entire family, I wanted them to taste that same pain slowly. I wanted to hear them beg for forgiv
Rosalynn’s POV.As soon as I stepped into the house, I saw a man tied to a chair. He was drenched from water leaking onto him and kept shaking his wet hair.Then, he caught my eye and gaped in surprise.That day, my surroundings were too dark to see his face clearly. But he must have recognized me, which is why he felt so scared now.Nolan came up from behind and gently rubbed my shoulder. We sat down on the sofa opposite him, and I clasped my hands tightly in my lap.The man stammered before we could say anything, "Who... who are you? Why did you bring me here? Do you know that kidnapping is against the law?"I raised my carefully bandaged right hand and retorted, "Then does attempted murder and causing injury count as breaking the law?""What the hell are you talking about? I don’t understand." He bit his lip and avoided my gaze, his voice growing smaller."Sir, I recognize your voice. There's no need to keep pretending. Today, I just want to ask you one question: who ordered you to
Rosalynn’s POV.“We’ll talk later.”Those were the last words Nolan said to me before leaving me alone in this unfamiliar house.I had always been the last priority for him. And now, he decided to go to Christine while we just had an argument about her.Was this really the love he always claimed to have for me?Shaking off the delusions, I realized his true nature had always been this cold. Or rather, he had mistaken his feelings for me as love and constantly said he loved me. When I was weighed against Christine, I would never come out on top.I wiped the tears from my face and stood up to go home.When I walked into the living room, Anne and a nanny were playing with Hailey.She had big, sparkling amber eyes just like her father's, and every time she looked at me, I melt."Ah, Rosa, you're back. Hailey was looking for you," Anne said, picking Hailey up and cheerfully coming toward me.I reached out to take my child into my arms and bent down to kiss her forehead. "Mommy was only awa
Rosalynn’s POV.Soon enough, the day of the piano festival's opening ceremony arrived.Sitting in the car, I gazed blankly at the bustling scene outside."Miss, are you okay?" Alex asked, observing me through the rearview mirror after we had been parked there for over five minutes.I clenched my right hand and turned to smile at him, "It's fine, I will get out here. I will call you when the ceremony is over."Since the chaos at the mansion in the suburbs, Nolan and I had been in a cold war. Every time he returned home, I hid in a corner with the piano and tried to move my fingers. The condition of my right hand hadn't improved much despite the rehabilitation efforts. However, it was okay; I didn't come here to play for them.Additionally, Nolan seemed more cautious of me when insisting that Alex closely watched me."I'll wait for you in the parking lot of this area," Alex said, slightly bowing his head when getting out to open the car door for me.Today, I was wearing a form-fitting w
One year later.In London.“Hailey, Ryan, stop running around!”“It’s raining. Hurry up and get inside!”I sipped on my hot tea and watched Marie trying to keep the two kids in line. As I saw the rain splashing against the clear glass window, I thought about getting up to fetch an umbrella for them, but Nolan stopped me.“Just relax, I already gave them one. Hailey will come inside soon—she hates getting wet in the rain.” He set a plate of pastries in front of me and sat down beside me.Then, he rested his head against my large, round belly and playfully asked, “Son, have you been making mommy tired today?”That’s right, I was nine months pregnant, and the little one inside me was a boy. Every night, I eagerly awaited his arrival, imagining his face and thinking he would probably look just like his dad, Nolan. The doctor said my due date was approaching soon, so I had to be careful with every move I made.I ran my fingers through Nolan’s soft, short hair, teasingly saying, “I think yo
Rosalynn’s POV.A musty smell enveloped me as I slowly opened my eyes, realizing I was tied up. My heart skipped a beat when I remembered my daughter.Just then, something soft brushed against me. I looked down and saw Hailey lying next to me, fast asleep. Relief washed over me, but my head still throbbed, likely from the lingering effects of the sedative.I sat up and scanned the room. It was clear—we’d been kidnapped.But who would dare pull this off so close to Nolan’s estate? And how did they slip past Alex’s guard?“You’re awake, huh?” A woman’s voice echoed through the room as the door to this dingy warehouse creaked open.Being a pianist, I was more sensitive to sounds than most, and my memory of voices was sharp. I recognized her immediately without needing to look, “Christine Watson. You should be locked up in the police station awaiting trial. How did you escape?”Christine let out a loud, deranged laugh, “If I told you Nolan had mercy on me and didn’t hand me over to the po
At the Watson family mansion.Nolan's POV.“What the hell are you doing? Let my father go. Do you have an arrest warrant, or are you just barging into our home?”As I stepped into the Watson family's grand hall, Christine’s screams echoed loudly. She showed her sharp and aggressive side in front of the officers arresting Kyle. That sweet, gentle expression of hers, it seemed, only ever appeared when she was with me.The moment she saw me, Christine’s eyes lit up as if she had found a savior. She rushed over to me and pleaded, “Nolan, please! There must be some mistake. Tell them to release my father.”I pulled my hand away, not hiding the annoyance on my face, “Enough, Christine.”“What?” She froze, looking at me with confusion in her eyes, “What do you mean?”The officer beside me presented the arrest warrant and said firmly, “Mr. Kyle Watson is suspected of orchestrating the fire at the Kingston mansion 27 years ago. And Miss Christine Watson, you are believed to be an accomplice fo
Rosalynn's POV.Early afternoon on Saturday, I impatiently sat in the living room of Nolan's mansion and waited for the team to decrypt the USB I had just found. Looking at the clock as the minutes ticked by, I kept walking back and forth so continuously that Hailey got dizzy and she frowned at me.“Rosa, can you stop walking? You're influencing me to study!” She pouted at me, holding a crayon on her hip, looking very adorable.Today I braided Hailey's hair into pigtails. Every time she bent down to study, the ends of her hair will wiggle with each movement of her pen.I sat down and hugged Hailey and kissed her head affectionately, “I'm sorry, sweetie. So now I'll sit quietly and watch you study, is that okay?"Hailey nodded and then held up the painting she had just completed for me to see with bright eyes. It seems that since childhood, she has loved painting. She is very sensitive to mixing colors, more interested in pictures than numbers. One day when I went to school to pick her
Rosalynn's POV.Mark seemed scared by Nolan's appearance as his face turned pale and all of his aggressive appearance was gone. He glared at his wife and then grabbed his suitcase to leave the house, but Nolan's large body was blocking the door.He didn't dare to speak to Nolan, so he turned and walked back to his room, then slammed the door hard.Mark's wife, her name was Rachael, immediately collapsed to the floor and covered her face, crying helplessly. I moved closer to comfort her, and at the same time, Riley's room door also opened.The little girl, her face filled with tears, ran out and hugged me and her mother. Perhaps I always deeply sympathize with Riley because her eyes are exactly the same as when I was adopted by the Carter family. Every day there would often be thugs coming to collect debt, they would destroy things and my adoptive parents would have to kneel down to beg them. I once desperately begged everyone to spare our family, but at that time I did not understand
Rosalynn's POV.In the middle of the large living room, I sat next to Anne and leaned my head on her shoulder like we were once so close. My eyes looked toward the closed piano box, and a ray of pain gently passed through my heart, making the bridge of my nose sting.Anne patted my shoulder and her warm voice rang out, “Mr. Nolan always cleaned this piano himself without anyone touching it, not even Hailey.”“I know that. A few days ago, Hailey revealed it to me.” I chuckled and sat up straight, holding Anne's hand tightly.When she looked at my face again, tears welled up in her eyes and she pursed her lips to control her choking, “Luckily you're alive and well, Rosa. Where have you been lately? It is said that you have found your family, they are very rich and also love you. I was very worried when I heard you left with nothing."I felt the back of Anne's hand. Because of regular housework, combined with her growing age, her skin has shown signs of aging. Listening to her ask a seri
Rosalynn's POV.I clearly understood what Nolan was about to say, as well as being fully aware of the meaning of today's dinner with our little daughter. But making this sudden decision was very difficult for me.When I saw Mark and the man with freckles on his face walking out of the restaurant together, the first thought that popped into my head was to chase them. They were the most important clues in this case that I was quietly working on, and it seemed like my intuition was right.When I arrived at the parking lot, I hid behind a car parked closest to them and kept quiet about their next movements.“Sir, when will I receive the money you said? We are gradually transferring our convenience store. Before the next term starts, I have to transfer my daughter's school. So please hurry up a bit..." The other Mark's voice was filled with flattery.Right after that, another male voice rang out, that of the man with freckles, "Wait a minute. I will arrange your accommodation when you go t
Nolan's POV.The strong scent of perfume entered my nostrils, making me frown in discomfort. Immediately after, I grabbed Christine's arms and pushed her body, “What the hell are you doing?” I huffed.She was crying with tears streaming down her eyes and her eyes were completely red, but I had been feeling this annoying for a long time.Christine tried to grab my arm even though I pushed her out of the room, “Nolan, do you know what you're doing? We made an appointment last night, but you went to sleep with another woman. She finally…”While scolding me, she pointed at Rosalynn who was sitting up on the bed. Only when her eyes clearly saw Rosalynn did she shut her mouth and her expression revealed an unacceptable look.“That bitch Rosalynn!” She stomped her feet and tried to rush towards the bed, but I quickly grabbed her.Not only was she trembling, but even I felt confused when I saw Christine's presence here. I knew what I was afraid of, what Rosalynn would think about Christine's
[WARNING R-18] THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MATURE CONTENT NOT SUITABLE FOR YOUNG READERS.Rosalynn’s POV.After over ten minutes of struggling, I finally managed to get this large man into the elevator. I knew Nolan had a presidential suite on the top floor of the JW Kingston hotel; I just needed him to give me the password to get inside.As we exited the elevator, he started kissing along the side of my face and held me tightly. His hot breath on my skin made me feel flushed.“Nolan, stop messing around.” I pushed his head away after he nibbled on my earlobe.Reaching Nolan's room, I shook him gently and asked, "Hey, what's the room password?"This damned man didn’t answer my question. Instead, he leaned down to bite my lower lip, attempting to kiss me again. Earlier, I had barely managed to push him away to catch my breath, but the drug was taking stronger effect as he clung to my waist.“Damn it!” I lightly tapped his head as he hugged me from behind. Glancing at his face resting on my s