Orion didn’t know what was wrong with Nina, so he quietly asked, "Mom, are you not feeling well?"Nina pinched his little cheek and smiled. "Orion, you’re so thoughtful, always worrying about Mom. But I’m fine, don’t worry. What about you, Orion? Do you want to go home now or stay and watch the rest of the competition?"He glanced toward the field and, after a moment of silence, whispered, "I think I’ll stay and watch the rest. The teacher said winning isn’t the most important thing. It’s about participating. Mom, aren’t you supposed to make that royal feast later? I can help you."Nina was overjoyed and planted a big kiss on his cheek. "That would be wonderful! I’ll be counting on you, my little helper, Orion.""Got it! I promise I’ll be the best helper ever," Orion declared, raising his hand as if making a solemn vow. He had already forgotten the pain in his leg.With the medicine kicking in, the pain was gradually fading, and Orion had returned to his usual lively self, shaking
"She’s not our nanny. She’s my mom!" Orion shouted angrily, pounding on Madison’s leg. In response, Madison kicked him away, sending him to the ground. He landed on his backside, and looked up at her with hurt and confusion in his eyes.The incident happened so quickly that by the time Nina realized what had occurred, Orion was already on the ground. She hurried to scoop him up, holding him tightly. When she stood up again, she fixed Madison with a cold stare.Madison took two steps back, her voice trembling. "What are you going to do? I didn’t kick him that hard! He fell on his own. It’s not my fault!""So, you’re Madison, huh? I’ll remember that. If my son has any issues because of this, my lawyer will be in touch. And by the way, isn’t your husband a big-time manager at some company? I’m sure you can afford the medical bills, right? Just make sure not to dodge the responsibility."Nina hadn’t intended to make a big deal out of this, but kicking her son was crossing the line. I
The commotion caught everyone’s attention. Some sharp-eyed parents recognized the uniforms of the chefs. They were from the most famous hotel in Birkham. Gasps spread through the crowd as people marveled at how much the school must have spent.The principal forced a smile. He knew there was no way the school could afford such top-notch chefs and wondered which parent had provided this surprise."Ma’am, as per your instructions, the Royal Feast is ready. Could you please direct us to the dining area?" The hotel manager approached Nina with such respect that jaws dropped all around.Madison's face turned red, then pale. She felt utterly uncomfortable."That hotel’s food is ridiculously expensive," someone whispered. "That mom doesn’t look like she’s made of money. Do you think she’s just putting on a show?""Yeah, I saw her arguing with the PTA president earlier. Maybe she’s doing this out of spite."Madison overheard the murmurs and smirked as she walked toward Nina. Before sh
The dishes Nina arranged were a big hit, making her the talk of the school. In the eyes of the other parents, she became known as the mom who wasn’t afraid to spend money. She had stolen Madison's spotlight, and Madison couldn’t let it go.In the afternoon, since Orion was still feeling uncomfortable from his injury, Nina took him home after lunch, excusing them from the rest of the field day.Not long after they got home, Nina received an invitation from Madison to join the class parent group chat. Madison also sent her a message, emphasizing that all the moms were in the group, and it was useful for discussing their children's education.Nina didn’t accept the invitation. She felt that the parent group chat didn’t seem to offer much value. After Orion fell asleep, Nina went downstairs to call Nash, but all she got was a busy signal. Thinking back over everything that had happened at the field day, she felt increasingly uneasy, a suppressed anger building up inside her that she
Since it was a work-related issue, Nina didn’t hold it against Nash. She arranged for the nanny to take care of Orion and told Nash that she was going out with some of Orion's classmates' moms.While she was still in contact with Nash, the car had already driven out of the city. Nina felt puzzled. "Weren’t we supposed to go shopping?""You see, ma’am, that PTA president tends to change plans at the last minute. If she didn’t, I wouldn’t have had to wait for you back there, right? Don’t worry, their car can’t go that fast. We’ll catch up to them."As he spoke, the car turned onto a narrow country road. Nina looked around but saw no villages, only a road leading deeper into the mountains. Her brows furrowed slightly, and she was about to ask a question when the narrow road turned into a wider highway, leading to a gas station.The bearded man pulled in to refuel, and Nina seized the opportunity to try calling Madison, but there was no answer."Miss," someone called out to her. N
Nash’s phone still wouldn’t connect, and Nina’s frustration kept building. Just then, Zoe called. In her irritation, Nina vented about everything that had happened that day and what she planned to do next.Zoe suggested they meet at a bar on the outskirts of town, just a few minutes from where Nina was. Knowing Zoe was considering her convenience, Nina walked over to the bar. She had barely arrived when they pulled up."Mrs. York, I heard you’re looking to investigate someone," Eugene said bluntly as he got out of the car.Nina nodded and handed him a photo of Madison. "I’ve heard her husband is some kind of manager at a company. Find out where he works. She tried to have me killed, so I’ll make sure her whole life falls apart."Eugene didn’t bat an eye at the intensity of her words. After getting Nina and Zoe settled into a private room, he quickly left to arrange the investigation.Not even ten minutes later, Eugene returned to the room and handed Nina a printed report. Madi
He couldn’t bear to imagine what would have happened if something had really gone wrong with Nina. The very thought sent chills down Nash's spine.His heart was racing, and Nina, sensing his worry, felt her earlier frustration fade, replaced by forgiveness. She reached out, hugging Nash and softly reassured him, "I'm fine. You know my skills. No ordinary person can trap me.""I was really scared, honey. From now on, no matter how busy I am, I promise I won’t leave your side," Nash vowed, holding her tightly."Look, I’m okay now, aren’t I?" Nina noticed the worry still etched on his face and playfully pouted. "I’m hungry. I barely ate any of that Royal Feast earlier. Everyone was too busy talking and taking pictures. Since they weren’t eating, I didn’t either."In truth, she had eaten well enough, but Nina wanted to distract Nash from what had happened. After all, it was over now, and dwelling on it wouldn’t change anything.Nash picked her up and started heading out. "Let’s go g
Nina stayed with Nash at the hospital all night. The next morning, she went downstairs to buy breakfast and spotted Madison rushing toward the inpatient wing. Nina smirked but didn’t think much of it."Nina!"She hadn’t expected Madison to notice her, but there she was, stopping right in front of her, eyeing her up and down."Surprised to see me doing just fine?" Madison snapped.Now that they were closer, Nina noticed a red mark on Madison’s face. Someone had clearly hit her. Nina couldn’t help but chuckle."What’s so funny? It was you, wasn’t it? You told me about Mabel to destroy my family, right?"Nina was a bit taken aback by how quickly Madison had figured it out but didn’t deny it. "Yeah, it was me. But compared to what you did, I’d say I was being merciful."Madison screamed in rage, "I’m going to make you pay for this!" She lunged at Nina, but Nina swiftly dodged.Madison crashed into the nurse’s station, sending items tumbling to the floor. Nurses quickly surrounded