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
Rosalynn’s POV."You don't have to be so wary of me. We almost became colleagues if you participated in my company at that time. Do you know why I so easily gave up on inviting you?" Hades said as he approached me, a reassuring smile on his face. But knowing he was Christine's close friend, I couldn't trust him."Sorry, I'm not interested in the past." I turned my face away as he sat beside me.He raised an eyebrow slightly, "Really? Haven't you always been uneasy about Nolan and Christine's relationship? What if I told you their affair is truly over? Would you believe me?"His light laughter, laced with provocation, irritated me.As far as I remembered, I wasn't close enough to Hades for him to seek me out for a chat. After finding out I was pregnant, my life revolved around practicing piano, resting, and preparing for the baby. I didn't have many friends, and my life revolved entirely around Nolan Kingston.Tilting my head, I looked at the man sitting a respectable distance away and
Rosalynn’s POVAs night fell, I lay in Nolan’s arms, my head resting on his firm chest, listening to his steady breaths.I carefully slipped away to sit up, letting my legs dangle over the edge of the bed, and looked back at the sleeping man, his face troubled even in sleep. My trembling fingers wanted to touch him one last time, but I pulled back immediately, afraid that even a small gesture might wake him.After dressing, I pulled a suitcase from under the bed.I glanced around the room once more before leaning down to kiss Nolan’s lips.Holding back my tears as I felt his cool breath, I looked at his face one last time and whispered to myself, “Goodbye, Nolan.”Then, I resolutely stepped out of the room.Closing the door behind me also closed the chapter of memories from the past two years tied to this house.I believed that only by silently fleeing could I escape this man. Yet, no matter how determined I was, my heart ached deeply, the pain intensifying as I entered Hailey’s bedro
Nolan’s POV."Just this once." I kept muttering, hoping to see a change in her expression.I lowered my voice, begging Rosalynn to reconsider. I hoped she could forgive me for treating her as a stand-in for someone else. But no matter how gently or lovingly I treated her, it never seemed to be enough.Was it all because of Liam?Rosalynn stood still, her cold gaze piercing my heart. After a few seconds, she smirked and laughed bitterly, "Just this once? I’ve waited and trusted you so many times. Do you think I can forgive you for killing Liam?""Why won’t you believe me? I didn’t kill him!" I snarled in frustration, wanting to grab her."Stop denying it!" she screamed, "I heard your voice. I heard the recording of your plan to kill Liam. You’re a cruel bastard!"I clenched my fists and furrowed my brow, anger surging within me."For Christine, you’d do anything, wouldn’t you, Nolan? So why can’t you let me go?" Rosalynn's voice cracked, and tears streamed down her face.She was in pai
Rosalynn’s POV.FIVE YEARS LATER.“Ms. Wilson, why did you return to Las Vegas first after winning the international piano competition?”“Ms. Wilson, are you planning to develop your piano career in Las Vegas?”At Harry Reid International Airport, I strode confidently in a professional navy blue suit. In one hand, I held a designer handbag, and with my other small hand, I pulled a suitcase through the crowd.Flashes from cameras and reporters' microphones were constantly directed at me. However, this didn’t bother me as I had gotten used to it over time, and I had prepared for the media frenzy when I announced my return.Stepping out into the airport arrival hall, I slowly removed my sunglasses and smiled brightly as I took in the familiar surroundings.“There’s someone in Las Vegas I want to challenge. Please look forward to my upcoming performance.” I bent slightly and waved towards the cameras.“A piano challenge?” The reporters, catching onto the sensational news, immediately buzz
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