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
The neighbor's complaints only got louder. “Look, if someone’s home and they’re not opening the door, it means they don’t want to see you! Haven’t you heard of calling or texting? You can’t just keep pounding on the door. There are neighbors on both sides, you know!”Hearing the argument outside escalate, Lydia had no choice but to give in. She didn’t care how long Eugene waited out there, but she did care about the neighbors. They didn’t deserve to be disturbed.She walked briskly to the door, apologizing profusely to the neighbor. “I’m so sorry, I was sleeping deeply and didn’t hear the knocking. I didn’t mean to disturb you. I’m really sorry.”“Fine, just take it inside. Whatever argument you two are having, don’t make it the whole building’s business,” the neighbor muttered, their expression still sour but tempered by Lydia’s sincere apology.After the neighbor left, Lydia went to close the door, but Eugene quickly wedged his foot in, blocking it.“Just let me in, Lydia. We ca
“Lydia, do you really not feel anything for me? Not even a little?” Eugene asked, still clinging to a thread of hope. “Just a little, that's all I’m asking.”He had tried so hard, done everything he could, and still, it was as if he couldn’t melt Lydia’s heart.“And we've already been involved. I want to take responsibility for that. I'm not trying to play around. Lydia, please think this over carefully. We slept together!”“Do you hear yourself right now?” Lydia sighed, her patience running thin. The more he clung to her, the more determined she felt. It was clear they couldn't even remain friends.With a final attempt at patience, she said, “That night is behind us, Eugene. Stop bringing it up. According to your logic, since I have a child with Quincy, he and I should be bound together forever. But that's just not how things work.”Eugene clenched his fists, his jaw tightening. “Lydia, don’t say things just to push my buttons.”The thought of Lydia and Quincy reconciling made E
Eugene and Lydia had hardly even held hands, let alone discussed something as specific as her wrist size.“Do you have any adjustable bracelets?” he asked.“We do, but the options are limited. The more popular designs are sized,” the associate replied, eyeing him thoughtfully. It seemed odd. On one hand, he was picking out the most extravagant pieces, but on the other, he didn’t know basic details about his fiancée. By this point, most couples would have had a bit more familiarity, right?“No problem. I’ll take this one,” Eugene said, picking out the most expensive bracelet available. “And add a necklace, too.”Money wasn’t a concern for him. He wanted Lydia’s parents to see just how serious he was, so he chose the priciest pieces he could. By the time he finished, the associate’s smile was almost frozen in place. He had singlehandedly hit her monthly sales quota in one go.Next, Eugene bought a selection of fine cigars and spirits before heading over to Lydia’s parents' house,
Winnie reacted strongly, refusing to believe any of it. “We’ve known each other for so long. He’s always been so good to me, and he’s incredibly dedicated to his work. He’s an exceptional lawyer. How could he possibly do something like this? You have to investigate thoroughly and clear his name,” she said, her voice trembling. The captain waited until she finished before asking, “Miss Lewis, just now you called him ‘Jack.’ Is that right?” “Yes, that’s his name, Jack Green. We’re engaged, and we’re getting married soon. Is there a problem with me calling him that?” Winnie responded, momentarily stunned. Her first thought was that the captain was being unnecessarily nosy. Was it wrong for an engaged couple to call each other by their first names?The captain shook his head. “This has nothing to do with your upcoming marriage, but the name you’re using doesn’t match the one on his ID. Were you aware of that?” “You’re joking, right? That’s not funny,” Winnie said, her face
While Nash spent time with his daughter, Gemma, every day, Nina and Pharaoh had missed out on so much together. Now that the doctors had given Pharaoh only five years to live, it was clear they needed to make the most of the time they had left and create as many good memories as possible.Lydia completely understood.She waved goodbye to Nash, then linked her arm through Quincy’s as the two walked toward their parked car.“I was thinking that, since work has been slow, we could take a short trip to a nearby city,” Quincy said, glancing at her with a warm expression. “But it looks like we’ll have to postpone it.”With her by his side, life felt perfect.Lydia smiled. “If not this week, then next week or the one after. We’ve got all the time in the world.”They were still young, with plenty of time to do everything they wanted.……Meanwhile, Winnie was left alone at home since Jamie went out to work. With nothing else to do, she decided to tidy up. The villa was large, and clea
Nash was the first to speak. “Mrs. Lucas, what exactly happened to Ben? Can you tell us everything? Let’s see if there’s a way we can help.”“Alright. Thank goodness he has friends like you. Otherwise, I’d have no idea what to do right now.” Mrs. Lucas recounted the situation in detail but carefully omitted her own involvement.The living room fell silent, and everyone’s expressions darkened.“I raised Ben. I know my son. He would never do something like this. It must be a setup,” Mrs. Lucas said, her voice trembling with emotion. The more she spoke, the more heartbroken she felt. All she could think about now were her Ben’s virtues. Apart from refusing to listen to her about marriage and career plans, Ben had always been a good son.“Don’t worry, Mrs. Lucas. We’ll figure something out,” Lydia offered as she stood and gently guided Mrs. Lucas to the nearby study. “You should rest for a bit. Don’t wear yourself out.”Quincy watched Lydia closely as she left the room. Only when sh
Mrs. Lucas deeply regretted her decision. If she had known it would come to this, she would never have sought out this man for help. “You hide behind a mask and won’t even show your face. How can you call yourself a man?”“Mrs. Lucas, do you really think throwing insults will make me take off the mask and obediently do your bidding like a dog?” The masked man remained calm, his tone even laced with amusement, which only added to Mrs. Lucas’s frustration.She was on the verge of breaking down. “Just name your price. How much will it take to get my son out of there?”As long as Ben could walk out safely and unharmed, no amount of money was too much.But the masked man shook his head. “This isn’t about money. If it were that simple, you wouldn’t be here begging me for help.”The truth was, Mrs. Lucas had come to him because she had run out of options. He was her last hope. Yet, he shrugged nonchalantly, as if to show her just how powerless he really was.“I don’t make the laws, an
Why would Caden do this?“And then there’s that recent case you handled. The client is suspected of laundering money for an international corporation, and these are the ‘evidences’ you submitted.” The captain’s brows furrowed as he pulled a file from the side, placing it in front of Ben. “Take a look at what you turned in.”The documents were full of evasive arguments, but the worst part was that a check had somehow been slipped between the pages. With all this evidence piled up against him, even as a lawyer, Ben had no way to prove his innocence.He had no idea how things had come to this. He had personally organized and submitted these files to the court, but the ones on record were completely different. Someone had swapped them out.But who?Ben handled everything himself, except for having his assistant print the documents. Could it be…?“Mr. Lucas, the evidence is overwhelming. You’d better think about how to clear your name,” the captain said, standing up and looking at Ben
“Please come with us,” one of the officers stepped up, holding a pair of silver handcuffs.Ben was even more puzzled. He hadn’t done anything illegal. Why were these officers showing up at his office? And why the cuffs?His first reaction was to step back. “You must have the wrong person.”“Your name is Ben Lucas, right? We’ve already matched your photo. I suggest you don’t resist and just come along quietly,” the officer barked.They wouldn’t be here without solid evidence. There was no mistake.“If you’re taking me in, I’d like to know the reason,” Ben replied, still trying to make sense of what was happening.To the officers, his reaction came across as defiant, making him look even more suspicious.“Don’t tell me you’re unaware of your own wrongdoing? You’re supposed to be a lawyer, familiar with the law. How convenient to play ignorant when it applies to you!“Think carefully! Confess, and things might go easier for you. Resist, and you’ll only make it worse. Don’t interfe
How could Jamie feel right about taking the money? In just a few days, Winnie had already lent her so much. She couldn’t keep taking advantage of her.“Jamie, if I were living alone, I wouldn’t care so much. But now, with Jack and the baby on the way, it’s unrealistic for us to keep living together forever. Take this money. It’s enough to cover at least half a month’s rent,” Winnie said firmly.Jamie could hear the underlying message. Winnie was trying to hint, as gently as possible, that it might be time for Jamie to find her own place. It made sense. Winnie was building her own family and naturally wanted privacy. Having a relative around wasn’t exactly ideal, especially with everything Ben had been doing lately. While he hadn’t openly revealed anything about their past, it was clear enough that Winnie had noticed something.Jamie truly wanted to move out, but the moment she started looking for a place, Ben would make her life difficult. She didn’t mind for herself, but with
The next morning, Ben opened his eyes. He immediately noticed the blanket covering him. Could Jamie have been the one taking care of him last night?He sat up, only to see Winnie sleeping on a makeshift bed on the floor.“You’re awake? You were so drunk last night that you passed out on the way home. It was a struggle just getting you here. I even tried to wake you up for some tea to help sober you up, but you were completely out,” Winnie said as she woke up, too.After straightening up the living room a bit, she went to the kitchen and came back with a mug of warm herbal tea. “I’m guessing the hangover’s mostly gone, so you probably don’t need anything strong. But this will soothe your throat.”“You don’t have to go through all this trouble,” Ben replied, placing the mug on the coffee table without drinking it.Ben looked around the room. It was just the two of them. Where had Jamie gone?The thought nagged at him, so he asked directly.“Jack, I’m not sure if I should say this…
“He… likes my sister?” The shocking thought had barely surfaced before it jolted Winnie. “You’ve got the wrong person. I’m not Winnie,” Jamie quickly pushed Ben toward Winnie’s side.A look of irritation crossed Ben’s face. It was Jamie he wanted to hold. What did Winnie have to do with him?Annoyed, he grumbled, “Why do you keep pushing me away?”“Jack, you’re mistaken. I’m your fiancée!” Winnie finally couldn’t hold back anymore. She strode over, took Ben’s hand, and placed it around her waist. “I get that my sister and I look a bit alike, but you can’t keep confusing us like this!”She had brushed it off the first couple of times, but this was going too far.Ben still seemed inclined to push her away.Just then, the taxi arrived, and Jamie opened the front passenger door, slipping inside. Seeing this, Ben staggered in her direction, while Winnie hurried to open the back door for him.Once inside, Ben leaned back in the seat and fell asleep almost immediately.Not wanti