On the other side, after waiting all day, Phoebe finally saw Gavin return."Sir," Phoebe approached awkwardly."Is there a reason you're waiting for me?" He raised an eyebrow, a mischievous glint in his eyes. Clearly, her waiting had pleased him."Um." Phoebe nodded, biting her lip as she met his gaze. "I have something I want to discuss with you.""Go on," he replied tersely, pausing his actions and waiting for her to continue."I want to talk about Laura." She mustered her courage to say it.Gavin's eyes darkened for a moment but quickly masked his feelings. "What about her?""Why don't you let her go to school and get an education?" She rushed out the words, her heart racing.She couldn't understand how a brother could be so irresponsible.He was clearly intelligent, and with their parents gone, he should be acting as a guardian, taking care of his sister rather than ignoring her completely."..." Gavin didn't respond right away. He just gave her a meaningful look before speaking.
The next morning, when Melissa emerged from the bathroom, she didn't see Alex in bed. After searching the bedroom, she spotted him standing on the balcony.She approached him from behind and wrapped her arms around his waist, wearing only a towel and nothing underneath.Her body pressed against his solid back; she wasn't going to miss any chance to entice him.Morning was when a man's desire was at its peak, and she hoped to spark that in him..."Alex, what are you doing here?" she asked, resting her cheek against his broad back.Alexander stiffened slightly, his movements freezing as he looked out into the distance, his eyes unfathomable.Noticing the smell of smoke in the air, Melissa spoke up. "Are you smoking?""Yeah," he replied tersely.She couldn't see his expression, but it was clear he was troubled.Was he regretting something? Did he regret that the woman he slept with last night wasn't Phoebe, but her instead? What did that bitch have that made Alex like her? What was she l
Gavin kept his promise, and today, Laura could finally go to school. But since it was her first time leaving home, she felt a little afraid."Miss, it's time to go. You've been stalling for an hour," the driver urged impatiently from the side."Phoebe, am I really going to school? I... I'm scared..." Laura hesitated, too timid to get in the car. This was her first time going out, and she didn't know what to expect."Laura, don't be afraid. You'll love school," Phoebe comforted her. Today, Laura looked different—dressed in her uniform, she radiated a youthful, lively energy."I've never been outside before. Do I look okay?""You look beautiful today, and there's nothing scary out there.""I'm still scared.""Then I'll go with you.""Really?"As she got into the car, she glanced up and noticed the brooding figure of her brother on the second floor. He had a smirk on his face, watching her intently.Last night, she had spoken to him a bit harshly. Maybe he wasn't so hopeless after all, s
Phoebe tried to shift her attention elsewhere, but her gaze was frozen in place."Phoebe, why are you crying?" Laura asked, noticing something wrong."It's nothing," she said, quickly turning her head to the window and wiping away her tears."Wow, that man is really handsome."Alexander certainly was; he was the most attractive man she'd ever seen—and also the worst."My brother is handsome too.""Phoebe, is that the man you like?""Of course not." The truth was, she didn't just like him. She loved him."You're lying," Laura teased.Forgetting someone, it turned out, wasn't easy.Phoebe thought she would be able to move on in a month, but he had only become more ingrained in her heart, occupying every corner.She hated herself for it—why couldn't she let go, and why did she still yearn for him?How long would it take to forget him?As the car began moving again, he disappeared from her view.Yet, she couldn't help but keep glancing back at his fading silhouette. There really was no fut
Back in the bedroom, Phoebe lay on the bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Gavin's words echoed in her mind, leaving her confused, yet her heart remained unmoved.What did he mean by saying she was his? How could that be? Didn't it matter to him that she'd been with another man? That she was carrying another man's child? Don't men usually care about these things? A man as dazzling as him certainly wouldn't be lacking in women around him. How sincere was he? She couldn't tell. She turned on her side, her mind in turmoil, but quickly shook her head. What was the point of thinking about it? Her heart already belonged to Alexander, whether he was genuine or not. She could never accept Gavin, even if he didn't care about her past—she did.Besides, once she left tomorrow, she'd fade from his sight, and he'd likely forget her soon enough. Chances were, she and Gavin would never cross paths again.Right now, her focus was on safely bringing her baby into the world...***In t
This afternoon, Alexander left the hospital and, on his way back to the villa, unexpectedly took a detour.The road he chose happened to pass by Phoebe's school.His car stopped outside the campus gates, parked in a discreet spot where he could clearly see the coming and going crowd.Alexander's gaze was fixed outside the window, waiting in silence.He sat there for four or five hours, from afternoon until evening, as the streetlights illuminated the surroundings. He hadn't seen the person he was hoping to catch a glimpse of, and he didn't quite know why he'd come here in the first place.He didn't want to confront the reason, nor the answer. After smoking a cigarette and scanning the crowd one last time, he finally stepped on the gas and left."Phoebe, what are you looking at?" Alva asked, noticing Phoebe's dazed expression."It's nothing," Phoebe replied, shaking her head, but her gaze lingered on the black sports car that had just disappeared down the road.The car looked familiar.
During this time, Phoebe kept getting harassed by Gavin, and today was no exception; he showed up at school in his flashy sports car to block her way again.Phoebe avoided the crowd and quickly slipped into his car. She barely caught her breath before asking, "Gavin, why are you here again?"Her real meaning was that he should stop coming."If I didn't come, how would I make you mine?" Gavin smirked, raising an eyebrow, holding out a bouquet of roses."... " Phoebe looked at the large bouquet of red roses in his hands, blushing as she hurriedly tried to decline. She hadn't expected Gavin to be serious."I can't accept this." It was her first time receiving roses, and though she felt a little excited, she didn't feel moved; she simply couldn't accept them.Suddenly, Gavin took her soft hand. Phoebe froze, trying to pull it back, but he placed the large bouquet in her hand, closing her fingers around it. He smiled, his eyes filled with mystery. "Today's Valentine's Day."Phoebe looked s
In the evening, Gavin took Phoebe to Valleybrook's most renowned restaurant. Since it was Valentine's Day, Phoebe expected the place to be packed, but as they walked in, she noticed with surprise that it was completely empty, eerily quiet.Suspiciously, she thought, Isn't this the most popular restaurant? Why is it so empty? Especially on Valentine's Day.As she was mulling over this, Gavin took her hand, making her pause and grip his fingers a bit tighter, her cheeks turning a delicate shade of pink.She wanted to pull her hand away, but with the restaurant staff watching, she felt too embarrassed to do so. She glanced up at him, his face illuminated by the crystal chandelier above. She thought, If I pull my hand away now, he might feel embarrassed."Sir, everything is ready. This way, please," a waiter approached respectfully."Mmh," Gavin nodded, leading Phoebe towards a private room.He pulled out a chair for her in a gentlemanly manner before seating himself across from her."Wha
"Hermosa, let me explain.""Explain what?" He couldn't even bring himself to say it."Alex, why did you lie to me? You have to explain. I need to know the truth. Tell me!"Hermosa shouted. This was the first time she had gotten angry at Alexander since he regained his memories."Hermosa, calm down first."Seeing how agitated she was, Alexander softly tried to comfort her, wanting to hug her, but Hermosa pulled away."Tell me, where's my sister? Where did you hide her?"Tears immediately flooded her eyes. She wanted to know how else he planned to deceive her."Hermosa, this is something that can't be explained all at once."He tried to soothe her emotions."So, this means it's all true? You were really deceiving me?"Hermosa yelled in anger. Her emotions flared, and the next moment, she fainted.Seeing her collapse, Alexander panicked. "Hermosa! Hermosa!"He quickly scooped her up in his arms, calling
In the afternoon, Laura accompanied Phoebe to the hospital for a routine check-up. After two exhausting hours, they finally emerged.As they stepped out of the hospital, Laura spotted Wright walking towards them. She froze when she saw his bruised face, feeling a pang of guilt deep in her chest.Wright hadn't expected to run into them at the hospital. Due to the injury on his face, he'd been skipping classes the past few days, planning to return once he healed. Seeing the girl he liked in front of him while he looked so disheveled made him feel uneasy.But he quickly masked his discomfort with his usual cocky demeanor, squinting as he approached Laura and greeted her."What are you doing here?""I'm here to accompany Phoebe for a check-up,"Laura answered, biting her lip.Wright flashed a smile at Phoebe, offering a casual greeting. His eyes briefly lingered on her belly, and he thought to himself, Looks like Werner's chances just went
The next day, sunlight filtered through the thin clouds, casting soft, fragmented rays on the world. But Hermosa's mood was like the weather—unstable and filled with gloom.With a nervous heart, she walked toward the agreed meeting spot, each step feeling like she was walking on cotton—soft and aimless, filled with hesitation.She arrived on time and had barely sat down when her heart continued to race wildly in her chest, trying to calm her nerves. At that moment, a deep voice came from behind: "You're right on time."Hermosa's body tensed instantly, like a deer sensing danger. She instinctively wanted to turn around and see who was behind her, pulling the strings in this mysterious encounter.But before she could react, the voice continued: "No need to turn around. Just stay as you are."The words cut through the calm in her heart like a sharp knife, and she immediately became more guarded against this mysterious person.Hermos
Gavin slowly raised his hand, the same hand that had once struck her with force.Now, it was as gentle as the willow fluff in spring.He carefully brushed his rough fingers against her soft, yet burning, face—an expression of tenderness as if he were touching the most precious treasure in the world, or soothing a deeply wounded creature.His gaze involuntarily wandered, resting on her trembling body. The guilt inside him flooded like a burst of water, overwhelming him with its intensity.Had he been too harsh with her? Each of her slight trembles felt like a sharp dagger stabbing into his heart, tormenting him.His touch became even softer, his long fingers moving slowly across her face, first brushing over her furrowed brow, trying to smooth away the fear-induced wrinkles.Then, they traced down her small nose, as though sketching a delicate work of art. His fingers lingered on her eyes, gently wiping away the tears that threatened to
Meanwhile, at Wright's home, Laura remained trapped in the terrifying memories of the film, unable to escape...Wright stepped out of the bathroom, ready to go to bed, when the doorbell rang.He was puzzled. Who could be visiting him this late?Not bothering to put on a robe, he wrapped a cloth around his waist and went to answer the door, still naked.As soon as he opened it, a blast of cold air hit him. He looked up and saw a man of striking presence standing there."Can I help you?" Wright asked, his voice cautious.Gavin's cold, dark gaze swept over Wright's half-dressed body, and his face twisted with fury. Without warning, he swung his fist at Wright.Caught off guard, Wright was struck hard. His brain buzzed, and before he could react, he collapsed to the floor, unconscious.With a violent kick, Gavin slammed the door open, storming inside.Room by room, he kicked open the doors with force, each one shaking with t
Wright reached out to hug her, but Laura struggled, trying to push him away."No. No.""Laura, what's wrong?"Her reaction puzzled Wright. His brow furrowed in confusion, his expression full of disbelief. But beneath the confusion, a wave of worry surged within him, sending his heart into a frantic turmoil."No, no, I'm your sister!"Whatwas she talking about?A thousand thoughts flashed through Wright's mind, like tangled threads that he couldn't untangle. He instinctively opened his mouth to ask something, but the confusion bottled up inside him, and he couldn't speak."Don't be afraid. I'm Wright."Wright suppressed the growing panic inside and tried to make his voice gentle, comforting, as he cautiously approached her.But the closer he got, the stronger Laura's reaction became. She acted like a frightened animal, desperately fighting back. Her sharp nails scratched his face, leaving a few bloodied marks.Af
"Gavin, why do I never see Laura around lately? Is she busy with her studies?"During dinner, Phoebe set down her fork and gazed at Gavin's handsome and elegant profile, finally unable to hold back her question.The last time she saw Laura was just a brief encounter, and since then, she hadn't seen her once. Something felt off, but she couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was."...?"Gavin fell silent, clearly unaware of Laura's situation."Don't you care about your sister at all?"Phoebe complained, frustrated.What kind of brother was he? Gavin treated her so well, but he seemed so indifferent toward Laura. That really bothered her. She just couldn't understand it.Logically, a brother should care for his sister, so why didn't Gavin seem to care about Laura at all?Especially that day when Laura looked at him with such fear—Phoebe found that really strange.In the past, even though Gavin didn't seem to pay much a
The warm sun shone brightly as Hermosa and Alexander shared lunch in a cozy restaurant. Suddenly, Alexander's company called with an urgent matter, and he quickly drove her back to the X villa before rushing off to his office.Hermosa moved gracefully, the sound of her heels echoing through the empty hall as she opened the villa's front door. At that moment, a servant's voice rang out: "Miss, your letter.""A letter?"Hermosa raised an eyebrow, her voice filled with confusion."It just arrived,"the servant replied respectfully.A hint of suspicion rose in Hermosa's mind. Could it be from my foster parents? But that doesn't seem right. They always call. She extended a slender finger, taking the letter from the servant and examining it closely. The sender's name and address were both blank, leaving her with an unsettling feeling."Who brought this?"she asked, lifting her gaze to the servant."I'm not sure. When I went outside
On the other side, Phoebe found herself unable to decline the task of designing a wedding dress. She had considered resigning, but was told that without her, the project would fall apart entirely. Out of a sense of responsibility, she reluctantly decided to stay.After a few days of deliberation, she resolved to grit her teeth and see it through.The preliminary work was already done, but the latter stages would be more demanding. She needed to take Hermosa's measurements before beginning the actual construction of the dress.Once it was nearly finished, Hermosa would need to try it on again for final adjustments to ensure the gown was flawless.By her estimate, they would only need to meet four or five times in total.All she had to do was treat Hermosa like a stranger.She kept telling herself: "Just get through these days, and it'll all be over."Phoebe comforted herself with this thought.When she met Hermosa again, she exp