As Mrs. Clara asked her question, the entire room fell into an awkward silence. Mrs. Perez’s face tightened with surprise. As she saw the changing expressions of Mrs. Clara and Tiffany, she scrambled to come up with an explanation. But before she could speak, Quincy bluntly stated, “I’m already married.”Tiffany dropped her utensils and her eyes were wide with shock. After a moment, her eyes filled with tears. Mrs. Clara stood up in anger. "Why didn’t you tell me your son was married?" she demanded.Mrs. Perez quickly shot Quincy a sharp glare. "It’s not like that. There’s a woman who’s been clinging to Quincy, but they ended things a long time ago."Mrs. Clara scoffed, clearly unimpressed. That kind of excuse might fool others, but not someone as experienced as her. If things were really over, why wasn’t that mentioned right away? Even if what Mrs. Perez said was true, Quincy would still be a divorced man. No matter how good his credentials were, was she really supposed to
But has Lydia really found the better life Quincy promised her? A hint of doubt clouded his eyes. He suddenly wasn’t sure if his determination had been right or wrong. Maybe if he hadn’t started his own company, they could have found other ways to convince her father. Would things have turned out differently?“You should go home. I’m done going along with your plans for these meetings. I won’t be getting involved anymore.” Quincy paused, then added calmly, “And hand over the rest of the herbal tea ingredients.”Without waiting for a response, he left.This time, their conversation ended in yet another argument. After that, Quincy spent all his time with Lydia, stepping away from the business and letting others take over for the time being. Luckily, Nash was there to help manage things.With Quincy’s constant care, Lydia began to show signs of recovery. The deep grief over losing the baby seemed to be lifting, though occasionally, she would stare off at a baby bottle or a child’
Lydiafroze on the spot, the voices around her cutting through like ice, each word colder than the last. Her fingers stiffened, and it felt as though her limbs had lost all sensation. All that remained was her body, like an empty shell, standing there like a lifeless puppet.So, this was the secret Quincy had been hiding from her?It took her a long moment to shake herself free from the shock, but eventually, she made her way upstairs.Meanwhile, Quincy was already sitting in the living room, his expression even colder than when he first walked in. His eyes seemed to have frozen over, devoid of any warmth.Across from him, Tiffany sat looking crushed, her disappointment almost palpable. She turned to Mrs. Perez with a confused and hurt expression. "Mrs. Perez…"She didn’t understand. By any measure, she was an ideal match. Even coming here was an act of defiance against her mother, who had disapproved of Quincy the moment she learned he had been married before. But Tiffany couldn
Quincy had no desire to drink the tea. He wanted to take what he came for and leave. However, the firm look in his mother’s eyes, mixed with a silent plea, held him back. He still needed to bring the herbal tea ingredients back to Lydia and explain everything. She deserved to know the truth about their lost child. And then there was his mother. Regardless of her actions, she had raised him for over twenty years.His throat tightened as he picked up the cup and downed the tea in one gulp. “Let this cup of tea be the end of it,” he thought.Once finished, he grabbed the jar of herbs and headed for the door.“Quincy, where are you going?” Tiffany’s voice trembled as she stood, but before she could finish her sentence, she staggered, her cheeks flushing deeply.At the same time, Quincy, who had made it to the entryway, clutched his head and collapsed onto the couch. His legs knocked into the coffee table with a loud scrape. His lower abdomen felt like it was on fire, an unbearable
Quincy coldly pushed her away, and Tiffany fell back onto the bed with a muffled groan. If he hadn’t held back a bit, she might have ended up on the floor instead of the bed. “I told you already, I’m not interested in any other woman,” Quincy said, his voice icy as he left the words hanging in the air.He walked toward the door and gripped the handle. His brows furrowed as he turned it, again and again, but the door wouldn’t budge. It seemed to be locked from the outside.Behind him, he heard soft sobs. He turned back and, seeing that Tiffany might also be a victim in all of this, his expression softened slightly. “You can take a cold shower if it helps.”Tiffany looked up with teary, red eyes. “I don’t have any clothes to change into.”Quincy paused, sighed internally, and said, “...Then never mind.”There wasn’t anything he could offer her to wear, and giving her his own clothes would be inappropriate.Meanwhile, Lydia was outside the building, having climbed several flights
Lydia lowered her head and, with a click, turned the doorknob. Just as she opened the door, Tiffany, overwhelmed by the effects of the drug, collapsed into Quincy’s arms. Quincy had been caught off guard. He had only meant to help her, but Tiffany, standing behind him, suddenly made a move, catching him by surprise. Without warning, she lunged, causing both of them to fall onto the bed.As she reached for his lips, Quincy’s eyes darkened, and he tilted his head just in time, causing her kiss to land awkwardly on his chin. He frowned, pulling away, but at that exact moment, the door swung open.He looked up, stunned, and saw Lydia standing there.She took a step back.“Lydia, wait! Nothing happened between us!” For the first time, the usual calm on his face cracked as he stumbled to his feet.But Lydia recoiled even faster. The sadness on her face was overwhelming, and without a word, she turned and left.Quincy tried to run after her, but Tiffany held onto him tightly.He
Meanwhile, Hope had been trying her best to impress Nina and Nash. Orion really liked her, and though Nina had initially planned to place her in an orphanage, Hope clung tightly to her arm. "Aunt Nina, can I come to your home now?" she asked, eyes pleading."It’s not just our home. It's your home, too," Orion corrected. "You can stay as long as you want. My mom and dad are really nice, and our little sister is super cute."Some kids were shy around strangers, but not Gemma. She always greeted people with a smile, never fussy or afraid."Mm-hmm," Hope nodded eagerly, grabbing Orion’s hand. "It feels so good to have all of you with me."Originally, Nina and Nash had planned to stay in the city for a few days, but now with Hope, they decided to head home sooner. Before they left, they asked the kids, “Orion, Hope, do you two want to go to the amusement park?”"Yes!" Orion nodded enthusiastically. He had been before, but this time would be different. Not only would his parents b
"Yes, now that Orion has a new friend, we might even have more time for ourselves," Nash said, his fingers tracing up Nina's hand in a way that was both warm and ticklish.Nina's cheeks flushed, and she gently pushed him away. "Stop that. The kids are right outside. What if they hear us? It’d be so embarrassing." She knew Orion was clever—too clever. If he overheard anything, she would be mortified and wouldn’t even know how to explain."The hotel's got great soundproofing," Nash replied with a playful grin. "And the TV’s on, too. But if you’re worried, I can just turn it up a little more."Before Nina could protest, he grabbed the remote and nudged the volume up a few notches. He rolled over and kissed her, and under his touch, Nina quickly melted. They stayed entwined until the early hours, finally breaking apart, thoroughly exhausted. Nina turned off the TV, lying on the bed, feeling too drained to move. She wanted to wash away the lingering heat, but exhaustion kept her stil