He lay on the bed until Lydia opened her eyes.When she saw Eugene, she froze for a moment, her mind going blank. She struggled to speak, “Last night… how did we end up here?”The fragments of memory lingering in her mind told her that she had been with Quincy, so why was it suddenly Eugene? She couldn’t accept this reality.“Lydia, I told you to head home early last night, but you insisted on letting me go alone. How could I leave you there at the bar? Surrounded by men who were eyeing you like prey? I couldn’t risk that, but despite all my precautions, you still fell into their trap.” Eugene’s voice dripped with false sincerity as he spun his tale.His expression conveyed nothing but concern. “They slipped something into your drink. When you went to grab some juice, you lost consciousness and nearly got taken away. Luckily, I arrived just in time to save you.”Lydia struggled to remember what had happened the night before. She recalled the sleazy guy who had tried to make a move
“Right,” Lydia suddenly stopped in her tracks. “I need to check out.”“No need for that. I booked last night’s room under my name, so we can head straight to the hospital. I’ll take care of everything else,” Eugene quickly interrupted her.Just as they were leaving, Quincy returned. He was holding breakfast from a popular spot that he had waited half an hour in line for. But it didn’t matter. If Lydia liked it, he would gladly wait even longer.“Excuse me, sir,” the receptionist suddenly called out to him. She looked at Quincy with sympathy, almost as if he were a tragic character. Here he was, up early to buy breakfast, only to find his girlfriend with another man. Unable to resist, she said, “Your girlfriend has already left. Would you like to check out?”“Uh, yeah, let’s just check out,” Quincy replied, startled. So, Lydia had woken up. She must have slipped away quietly, still unsure of how to face him. It might be best to let them both cool off for a while.After checki
She couldn’t just get divorced and then marry again right after. She also didn’t want to be tied to Eugene for the rest of her life. Even though they had slept together under the influence of the medication, her mind was always on Quincy. Now that she was awake, she felt a strong aversion to any physical contact with Eugene, even just a touch of hands.Eugene looked at her, disappointment evident in his eyes, but he was reluctant to give up. “Think it over, Lydia. There’s no rush to make a decision.”If she continued to refuse him, he would go to her parents. They had been so supportive of him and wanted to see them together. He was sure they would join forces to persuade Lydia.Lydia remained silent. No matter how long she considered it, she wouldn’t agree to marry Eugene.……Meanwhile, on Nina’s side, they hadn’t been in touch since Lydia left. During this time, Nash had approached Quincy about taking on a project, but Quincy was overwhelmed with family matters. Maintaining
Nina nodded. Although she wasn’t the best singer, she could carry a tune. Orion clapped his hands in excitement. “That’s great! Mom and Dad, tomorrow the school is having a family event. It’s a singing competition. Will you come with me?”Tomorrow was Saturday, and the school scheduled the family event for this day, considering that parents had to work during the week. If there was nothing on his plate, Nash would certainly accompany Nina and Orion to the school, but he had a new project to handle.With the traffic light turning red, Nash discussed it with Nina. “Honey, why don’t you take the kids to school tomorrow? I have to meet a client that day.”Nina nodded in agreement. While both parents should share the responsibility of taking care of the kids, as a married couple, they should understand each other’s commitments. Nash was working hard to create a better life for their family, and she completely understood that.Orion, being a very considerate child, didn’t complain at a
Nina wanted to perform well and earn a good ranking to make her child proud of her.On the way to kindergarten, she even wore her headphones and listened to the song she had prepared a few more times. When they arrived at the kindergarten entrance, she held Orion's hand as they walked towards the school.Orion's class was on the third floor, and most of the other children and parents had already arrived. As Nina walked into the classroom, several people looked up at her. The reason was simple. Among the parents, Nina stood out. Today, she wore a long black dress that accentuated her figure and exuded confidence.Some kids even ran over to Orion and whispered, “Your mom is so pretty! I wish my mom looked like yours.”“All our moms are pretty,” Orion corrected his friend. In his eyes, he believed his mom was the most beautiful in the world.The teachers had already arranged chairs for the parents, and since the classroom was spacious due to the small class size, it was easy to set
It wasn't until they left the school and got into the car that Nina noticed her bag's zipper was open. She quickly zipped it up and asked, “Orion, do you want to head straight home, or do you want to go somewhere else?”“Let’s go straight home, Mom. I’m a bit tired and want to rest. I still have school tomorrow,” Orion replied as he fastened his seatbelt.“Okay, that works for me,” Nina agreed, and they chatted as the driver navigated through traffic. Before they knew it, they were back home.Once inside, Orion didn't stay in the living room to play like he usually did. He took off his coat, changed into his house slippers, and ran up to Nina. “Mom, I’m going upstairs to do my homework. I should finish before dinner.”“Homework?” Nina was taken aback by the phrase. After all, Orion was only in preschool, not elementary school. Why did he have homework already? She understood that teachers assigned it for the kids' benefit, but she couldn’t help but worry that the pace might be too
She didn’t want to dwell on it.“I always knew I married the best woman. Being with you is truly a blessing,” Nash said as he took her hand.He suddenly realized that Orion wasn’t in the living room and asked curiously, “Where’s our son? Is he sleeping in his room?”“No, he’s working on his homework.”Nash felt a wave of emotions. “It’s hard to believe how much he’s grown. Remember when he was just born and so tiny? Now he’s already doing homework! Before we know it, he’ll be walking to school all by himself.”“That’s a good thing! Orion takes his studies seriously, and he’s really getting the hang of it,” Nina said, giving him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “Come on, he’s just doing homework, not starting a family. Why so sentimental?”Gemma reached out her tiny hand to touch Nash’s chin, then handed him her favorite toy. This was her most cherished toy, but she loved her daddy even more and wanted to share it with him.Nash took the plush toy from his daughter, squeezing
Nina was about to put down the knife and head outside when Nash stopped her. “You still need to wash your hands. It’s a hassle. I’ll go get it.” “It’s in my backpack. Just unzip it, and you’ll find it,” Nina replied, completely unguarded. She had nothing to hide, so she wasn't worried about him going through her bag. Nash left the kitchen and, along with Orion, made his way to the entrance. “Hey, buddy, do you want to share how the singing competition went today?” “Sure! Mom was amazing! Everyone was clapping for her!” Orion excitedly shared. He thought his mom was not only the prettiest but also incredibly kind. Unlike many of his classmates, he had never been scolded! A smile spread across Nash's face as he unzipped the bag and quickly found the two stickers. He handed them to Orion and placed the bag on the rack. As he turned to head back, Orion accidentally stepped on a shoe nearby and almost fell. Nash rushed to catch him, but in the process, he accidentally knocked
Hunter took a bite of the biscuits and ravioli she had made. The taste was surprisingly good. It wasn’t on the level of a Michelin-starred chef, but it had something even more special—the taste of home. And of course, there was the oatmeal. He took one spoonful after another, finishing the entire bowl. *Meanwhile, Vera still hadn’t found her brother. Disappointment weighed heavily on her as she prepared to leave. But just then, her phone buzzed. An anonymous message. She tapped it open and stared at the image attached. It was a watch. Alone, a watch meant nothing. But this watch was her brother’s. Vera immediately zoomed in on the photo, carefully inspecting the engravings inside. There they were—his initials. No mistake. This was his watch. Below the image, a location pin was attached. The place was nearby. Vera’s eyes filled with determination. If she had found nothing, she would have simply left. But now, she had recei
When Yelena woke up again, she was shocked to find that she wasn’t at the club. She sat up abruptly, looking around in confusion. Then, she got out of bed, slipped on her slippers, and pushed the door open. “Where am I?” “At my place,” Hunter replied casually. He was working in the living room when he saw her wake up. “You slept for a long time. I couldn’t just leave you alone at the club, so I brought you back here.” Seeing the uncertainty on her face, he added, “It’s already late. Just stay here for the night. I’ll take you back tomorrow.” Yelena nodded. There was no other choice now. “There’s food in the fridge. If you’re hungry, heat something up. There are also snacks in the drawer—take whatever you want.” “Alright.” She really was hungry. She opened the drawer, grabbed a few small bread rolls, ate them quickly, and then went back to her room to rest. *The next morning, Yelena woke up early. Thinking about everything Hunter had done—treatin
Yelena quickly lowered her arm, letting her sleeve fall over the mark to cover it. “It’s nothing. Here’s your cocktail. Please enjoy.” “Yelena.” Hunter grabbed her wrist without warning. He pulled up her sleeve, revealing the deep, ugly scars on her arm. His brows knitted together instantly. “Who did this to you?” The force behind it was brutal—downright inhuman. Yelena remained silent. Who else could have done this besides Liam? But she had agreed to this. She had willingly accepted Hunter’s request and entered Liam’s world. She had no right to complain. Her silence gave Hunter all the confirmation he needed. “Liam did this to you, didn’t he?” Yelena nodded. “It’s nothing. The wounds have already started healing. They look worse than they feel. Give it some time, and they’ll fade.” “Wait here.” Hunter stood abruptly and walked away. Yelena had no idea what he was doing, but since he told her to wait, she didn’t argue. A few minu
Then again, it made sense. How could a normal person possibly empathize with a lunatic? If Yelena could understand Liam, that would make her just as twisted. *For the next few days, Yelena stayed home to recover. During that time, Liam came back a few times, bringing her flowers and food. Like a child showing off a treasure, he placed the food in front of her. “Yelena, these are your favorite honey crullers. I got them fresh from the bakery. Try them and see if you like them.” “I’m not really hungry.” She didn’t want to eat anything he gave her. She couldn’t even stand looking at him. But she had made a promise. So, she had to force herself to stay. Liam’s expression darkened. “Are you really not hungry, or do you just not want to eat what I give you?” For someone like him, once he had lost his temper once, the second time would only come faster and smoother. With a heavy thud, he slammed the honey crullers onto the table. “Yes, I hit y
If Liam had been a normal person, Hunter never would have sent her here in the first place. But of course, Yelena could only think that. She wasn’t suicidal enough to say it out loud. Instead, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. “I was really just messaging an old classmate. If you don’t believe me, go ahead—check my phone.” She wasn’t worried. Whenever she contacted Hunter, she deleted each message immediately. She had even forged an entire fake conversation just in case Liam ever got suspicious. So, no matter how thoroughly he checked, there would be nothing for him to find. Liam narrowed his eyes. “Is that so? Then why do I still feel like you’re lying? Women like you—nothing but liars, every last one of you.” Then, he struck her again. Yelena screamed. The pain was relentless, merciless. She had no idea how long it lasted—only that by the time he finally stopped, she was barely breathing. Her body slumped against the floor
Suddenly, footsteps sounded behind Yelena. She spun around, her heart hammering in her chest. Liam was walking toward her, a faint smile on his lips—but the coldness in his eyes told a different story. Memories of his past cruelty flashed through her mind, sending a shudder down her spine. She forced herself to stay calm. “Who are you messaging?” He was getting closer. So close that when he finally stopped, they were nearly pressed against each other. Then, without warning, his fingers clamped around her chin, gripping tighter and tighter. Pain shot through her jaw, and Yelena winced. “No one. Just an old classmate. I ran into her a few days ago while I was out.” “Oh? Is that so?” Liam’s voice softened, almost gentle. To anyone watching, he might have seemed like a kind, easygoing man. But Yelena knew better. He would never let her off that easily. And sure enough— In the next second, he grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her hea
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.“Haven’t I been just fine lately?“Or do you think my hand isn’t injured enough? If that’s the case, go ahead—do it yourself. “You already know I wouldn’t fight back no matter what.” Without warning, Yelena stretched out her injured hand, an act that instantly enraged Liam. “What the hell is wrong with you?” He snapped. “I was just making a casual remark. Is that really what you think of me? I already told you—I’m not going to lay a hand on you.“It wasn’t intentional before, and you know it. We both do. Stop acting like you’re above all this when we both know who sent you here.” Yelena felt a pang of sadness. They had spent so much time together, yet this was how he treated her—always choosing to hurt her. “I know—I wasn’t someone you chose, and none of this was intentional. But after all this time we've spent together...“I thought maybe I was a little different to you. But I guess I was wrong. Nothing has changed at all.
“Why do you even care about what happens to other people? Haven’t I made myself clear enough already?“Whose card is this—yours or mine?” His assistant immediately apologized upon hearing Caleb’s tone. “I hope you won’t hold this against me. I really wasn’t thinking clearly at the time—I should have considered this more carefully.” Caleb didn’t bother responding. After hanging up, he focused entirely on investigating Vera’s brother. *Meanwhile, Vera was deeply worried. If things had been somewhat under control before, now they were completely off track. The situation on both sides was far more complicated than she had anticipated. “Don’t worry. That’s exactly how it is. If you don’t want to go in person, I can go for you—but it won’t be cheap,” the private investigator said.Since Caleb had warned her about the private investigator, Vera started testing him, probing for inconsistencies. And sure enough, his story had too many holes. “Why are you so sure my b
As Caleb spoke, he looked at Vera with a hint of helplessness. After all, her hand had been injured because of Luna. “Don’t feel guilty about this. Honestly, it’s nothing to me.“And I’m not the type to carry burdens over things like this.“Besides, it’s been so long. If this had happened back then, I might have cared. But now? I just don’t think it matters anymore.” Vera’s voice was steady and sincere. But Caleb’s expression darkened. “Why would you say that? Why do you think it doesn’t matter? Do you really see me as just the same as everyone else?” For some reason, at this moment, Caleb took it personally. Vera couldn’t help but laugh. “Of course not. You’re different from the rest—so obviously, I wouldn’t see it the same way.“You’ve helped me so much. The least I can do is acknowledge that, instead of stubbornly nitpicking about what’s right or wrong, don’t you think?“Besides, whatever happened between you and Luna, that’s none of my business. It’s in