CHAPTER 27Pristine white sand was the signature of the Island Resort. Elizabeth couldn’t contain her excitement to run on the beach and swim in the inviting crystal blue water.But before that, she needed to accompany Wulfric to his launch meeting with Mr. Llewon. Roxy had mentioned their boss had known the client for a long time.“Nikolaus,” greeted the man in his fifties as her boss shook hands.“Mr. Llewon.”“Just Raf. Mr. Llewon sounds too formal. I was good friends with your late mother.”So Wulf’s mother had passed away? That explained why, aside from Sozy, she hadn’t met anyone from his family. She never really had any intentions of getting to know them either, knowing they likely considered her as nothing more than a mistress.“Raf, how are you?” Wulf’s voice remained formal.“Enjoying my life with my wife. Retiring was the best decision I made. So, I could travel the world before my time is up. It’s something Cairus needs too. Your father takes work far too seriously.”Liz
CHAPTER 28"Momma needs to know," Earl nodded firmly as if they were having a serious meeting. "We’ll tell her, Lottie. Ask Auntie Sozy if we can borrow her phone. Let’s tell her we wanna call Momma and give her kisses.""Okay."The two high-fived and stood up, ready to leave the room. But their jaws dropped when they saw Liz standing at the door."Momma?"Lottie immediately ran towards her. Clung to her leg as if they hadn’t seen each other in days. "We miss you, Momma. Liz sat with them on the carpet. "What is it you want to tell me?"The twins exchanged glances, silently nudging each other to see who would speak first."Come on. Did you do something wrong?" "No, Momma," Earl shook his head quickly and climbed onto her lap. Lottie followed, planting little kisses on Liz's cheek. "Then tell me, why do you seem hesitant?""Because Aunt Sozy said we might have seen it wrong. But we’re sure," Lottie explained. "Hmm…" Liz gently ran her fingers through her daughter’s hair, encouragi
CHAPTER 29She had no right to confront him.The nerve she’d have if she even tried. Elizabeth was just the mother of his children. Whatever the reason Eva left or distanced herself, the undeniable truth remained—she was the legal wife.Hadn't Liz noticed that Wulfric never took off his wedding ring? There was only one meaning to that—Wulfric loved his wife and was still waiting for her to return. Now that the woman was back, it was time for Elizabeth to leave.When she returned to the office, Roxelana was frantic on the phone, juggling one call after another. Even the phone on Liz's desk wouldn’t stop ringing.“Yes, Sir. I assure you; everything is under control,” Roxy said, gesturing toward her, asking where their boss was. Liz shook her head that made Roxy's shoulders slumped.“What’s going on?” Liz asked after Roxy put the phone down.“The clients are looking for CEO Montiner. It seems news has leaked that money is missing from the company.”Her blood ran cold. “M-Missing?”Roxy
CHAPTER 30She would have to borrow from Dory since she didn't want to use Wulfric's VIP card. That might become yet another thing he'd throw in her face once confrontation happened. "Hello, Auntie Pretty.” Lottie waved when Dory opened the door. She wrapped her little arms around Dory's legs and looked up at her with a wide grin. "Did you miss us? We missed you too."Dory glanced at her. Liz bit her lip and lowered her gaze. Her best friend immediately understood. She was so dizzy she could barely keep herself upright."Of course, I missed you! I've been bugging your mom for days to bring you over. Come in, my babies! Auntie will make cookies, milk, cake, and candies for you."Dory carried Lottie inside. While Earl stayed close to Liz, casting concerned glances at his mother.Liz collapsed onto the couch, her temples throbbing, her eyelids heavy."Momma, are you okay?" Earl asked while munching on a cookie.She weakly gave him a thumbs-up and, with half-closed eyes, tried to smile a
CHAPTER 31She must be hallucinating!When Liz opened her eyes, she saw Wulf's face—worried and panicking.Yep! Her fever must be really high for her to start seeing things like this.There was no way Wulfric would be in Dory’s condo. He was mad at her, after all. He might even have the police waiting for her at the office tomorrow. But no matter what, at least she was certain that he loved the kids.It felt like a dream. When she woke up again, she’s already in Wulfric’s bedroom.“Daddy, Momma’s awake again!” Lottie shouted beside her.There was a sudden clatter from the bathroom before Wulfric rushed out like lightning, followed closely by Earl, still half-dressed in his pajamas.“Are you okay? How do you feel?”Before Liz could react to Wulfric’s concern, their eldest son pushed him aside and snuggled into her waist.“Momma, Lottie, and I were so scared.”Wulf sighed and chose to remain standing, instead. Twins had already taken their places on either side of her.“Did Daddy make y
CHAPTER 32The lights in the conference room flicked on. Elizabeth hung her head low in shame as whispers spread among those present.“What are you doing, Ms. Clementine?!” Wulfric's voice thundered across the room, his anger reverberating in the walls.“I already told you it was her, didn’t I? We’ve been beating around the bush for too long. Why not get straight to the point and send this woman to jail!”Idella’s father stood abruptly. “Is this true, Mr. Montiner? You knew all along but chose to ignore it and didn’t plan to tell us?”Instead of answering he removed Idella’s grip from her arm, roughly.“Ouch! Nick, you’re being harsh!”“Stop this right now, Ms. Clementine!” Wulfric warned and pulled Elizabeth closer to him.“I can’t believe you. Are you blind? She’s the one who took the millions missing from the company!”“Stop before you embarrass yourself!”But Idella had no intention of backing down. She handed out folders to the people in the room, giving each one a copy.“Let’s s
CHAPTER 33 (PART 1)[MONTINER CONSTRUCTION FIRM]"Roxelana, did you give her the files?" Wulfric asked while twirling the ballpoint pen Rufus had given him, between his fingers."Yes, Sir. She's almost done with the financial statements for the first to third months.""Good.”Nodded but still didn’t move from where she stood.Wulfric’s blank gaze met hers, making her flinch as she clutched the organizer tighter. "W-Why is Liz doing that? Isn't that the accounting department's job?"Instead of answering, he continued signing the papers.“No question. Yes, Sir. Understood.” Roxelana left the office—all smiles. Felt giddy how CEO Montiner protects Elizabeth secretly.Just as he expected, Liz had embezzled several million from the company. Wulfric was impressed by how she did it.If she worked in the accounting department, the discrepancies in the financial statements might not have been noticed so quickly. He wasn’t wrong in thinking she knew her way around the inner workings of the comp
CHAPTER 33 (PART 2)Wulfric knew Angus feared him more than their own father.“I’m just asking, Angus.”“But you’ll be mad at me.”“I said I’m asking,” Wulfric repeated in his strict tone.“They teased me. They said my parents were just a maid and a driver. And that Mommy is always out partying.”“What did you do?” Wulfric eyes remained serious as Angus began to shrink under his gaze.“We punched each other…”“You started the fight with your fists. You used your taekwondo skills to your advantage?”“I’m sorry, Papa.”“Does it hurt?” Wulfric's voice softened as he spoke again. He could see himself in Angus—rebellious and quick-tempered even at such a young age.He cursed his father in his mind.Even though he was all grown up, the old man hadn’t changed one bit. What could Cairus expect from Eva who only cared about drinking and partying? Damn it!“Wipe your tears, Angus.”Angus obeyed, though still sobbing.“I-Is it true? You already have children?” the boy asked as Wulfric was about
CHAPTER 98"I can’t, Allenon. The kids are waiting for me."His smile faded as soon as he heard her response. By six o’clock sharp, he was already outside the restaurant, hoping to pick her up.“Then let’s bring them along.”She shook her head. “The kids asked me to come home early.”“They’re your parents now?” he teased.“They just want to spend more time with me. My children are still young—they need me more than anyone else.”He was about to argue when Giovanni approached them, stepping in between her and Allenon.“Angus is looking for you,” he said seriously.He didn’t budge until she replied.“Fine, I’ll take a time-out.”“I’ll take you—”Van cut Allenon off. “I’ll handle it. Angus specifically asked for me.”Giovanni even accompanied her while she clocked out, ensuring her suitor had no chance to offer a ride.As she walked toward the apartment, she noticed Giovanni trailing behind, but he quickly disappeared when she caught sight of a figure standing in a dimly lit spot. Her he
CHAPTER 97She was absolutely furious about Maddoxx Almir’s sudden appearance.The way he claimed to have found her felt like a raging storm sweeping through her life. If not today, then tomorrow or the next, someone else from Southshire would undoubtedly come looking for her. The peace she had carefully nurtured over the past five months was on the verge of being disrupted.“Did you talk to him?” Mrs. Ivanovich greeted her with the question as she came inside.“Yes, Ma’am. Just an acquaintance,” she answered politely.“Oh, he seemed so eager to speak with you. We thought it was something urgent. He even said he’d trespass if we didn’t let him in.”“He just wanted to say something, Ma’am. He won’t be coming back,” she replied and apologized for Maddoxx Almir’s behavior.Mrs. Ivanovich insisted on having them driven home, even though their apartment was just in the center of Northshire. During the ride, she couldn’t help but glance repeatedly at the side mirror. Maddoxx’s car had been
CHAPTER 96“Ms. Shanon?”She blinked several times.“Are you okay?”She nodded at Cale and quickly averted her gaze. She wished she could just crawl under the table out of embarrassment. She’d been completely lost in thought while staring blankly at him.Why did his eyes have to be gray, too?“Sorry, Sir. I suddenly got a headache,” she explained.“You can go home early.”Her boss was considerate to all employees. It wasn’t obvious because he was always serious and rarely smiled, but his kindness showed in moments like this.His son, Giovanni, had clearly inherited his personality rather than his mother’s. Ma’am Jenza, on the other hand, was warm and approachable, always smiling and quick to connect with everyone—even though she practically owned most of the land in Northshire.“I can manage, Sir. It’s only a few hours until my break.”“Alright. Will you pick up these spices then?”“Sorry, Sir,” she declined. “I can’t leave my kids alone at home.”“Ah, yes. I forgot. I’ve been to Sout
CHAPTER 95"Wokey dowkey, Momma."Though she was exhausted and still half-asleep, Elizabeth had no choice but to get up when she heard Charlotte’s voice. It was too early, and yet the little troublemaker was already causing a noise.Charlotte suddenly jumped on top of her, making her gasp for air."Wokey dowkey now, Momma. The baby princess is hungry!”"Where are your brothers?""Earl is playing with Harmony." Charlotte answered, referring to the golden-haired cat from the next apartment. Its chubby frame had completely won over her eldest. "While brother Angus is doing the laundry. He doesn’t want me to help him."That got Elizabeth fully awake. Despite telling Angus that she could do the laundry for him, he insisted on doing it himself. If she hadn't stopped him from cooking in the kitchen, he would probably have been the one preparing meal while she was at work."I'm almost done, Momma," Angus called from the laundry room, standing proudly in front of the washing machine."Thank yo
CHAPTER 94“I’ll have the driver take you home, Elizabeth,” Cairus said while gently gripping her arm to lead her away from the interrogation room.Her entire body felt numb as she let him guide her.“My son didn’t mean what he said.”She gave a soft, bitter laugh and shook her head. “Please tell him I wish he hadn’t messed up my life.”Leaving him looking sympathetic, she walked away.She didn’t need Cairus’s pity. Even if he beat Wulfric to a pulp, it wouldn’t change the fact that his son had something to do with her father’s death. He’d mentioned her father’s name to Wulfric, knowing full well how violent her husband could be, yet he still mentioned it.Did Cairus not consider what that could lead to?“Condolences, Elizabeth. We didn’t expect Arthur to leave us this soon.”The woman who spoke reached for her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze before pulling her into a brief hug. Sensing Elizabeth’s stiffness, the woman let go and walked away, understanding that she needed space to gr
CHAPTER 93A Nightmare.She wished it was just a terrible nightmare. That she would wake up and still see Arthur's cheerful face lighting up whenever he looked at her.Not like the cold, lifeless body now lying before her.“P-Papa, why are you sleeping there?” Her voice was weak and trembling as she stared at her father’s pale body.He didn’t respond. Desperate, she gently shook him, but his eyes remained shut. The tears she had been holding back finally spilled over.“Papa…”Elizabeth clung to her father’s lifeless form while sobbing uncontrollably.“Wake up, Papa. Please. Please, wake up,” she pleaded. Her voice breaking like a child begging for a miracle.“You can’t leave me. You promised me. You said you’d make it up to me. I’ve only known you were my father for a year. Why did you leave me?”Her hands slipped from his lifeless body as her knees buckled, and she collapsed onto the floor.Melba quickly rushed to her side, draping a coat over her trembling shoulders. Elizabeth hadn’
CHAPTER 92Elizabeth felt a surge of relief when she got home. The familiar sports car was parked in front of the mansion, and she could hear Lottie’s delighted squeals. The sound of two boys laughing and Wulfric’s deep voice echoed from inside.“Momma’s here! Momma’s here now!”Charlotte quickly slid off the couch when she spotted her mother. The children raced toward her and wrapped their little arms around her legs.“Daddy picked us up from school, Momma! Where were you?”“I went to your Grandpa Art’s house.”“You didn’t wait for us! We wanted to see Grandpa Art, too.”She gently pinched Lottie’s cheek. “Next time, okay?”Obediently, Lottie nodded before running back to Wulfric, proudly announcing her mother’s presence as though he hadn’t noticed.“Daddy’s home now! Momma, say ‘I miss you’ to him!”Elizabeth hesitated, unsure whether to approach Wulfric or stay where she was and wait for him to make the first move.Angus and Earl gave her a playful shove.She stumbled right into Wu
CHAPTER 91Dorothea handed her the invitation for the ribbon-cutting ceremony of her mall's opening.“That’s not until the end of the month. You have to come, Bestfriend. No excuses.”She gave her friend a faint smile and glanced at the names printed on the scented paper.She couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy. Dory could freely go out and meet people. Her best friend was a career woman, while she spent her days staring at the walls of a massive mansion.“Don’t be sad. Talk to Alpha again and tell him you want to work.”“I already did,” she said, shaking her head. She wanted to push her husband further, but how could she when even his shadow was nowhere to be found?She and the kids had been staying at the manor for several days, and during those three days, her husband hadn’t come home even once.“I’m sure you two will make up. Your husband loves you so much.”“He doesn’t trust me. He even accused me of having an affair with the Chairman. I’m not Eva. I would never stoop to her
CHAPTER 90 (PART 2)He shook his head in dismay, even though he’d always known how irresponsible his father could be. Saying something like that to Angus felt like treating the boy as a dog that could simply be given away.“I love Momma and Papa. But you’re my father, Chairman. Papa Wulf may not like it.”“Use your brain, kid. I’m giving you an idea to have a complete family. Your mother isn’t coming back.”“Don’t you like me, Chairman?”The sad tone of his brother’s voice made Wulfric’s jaw tighten. He could tell Angus was holding back tears and struggling not to break down.“You’re a bastard. There’s no place for you—”Wulfric’s patience snapped. He kicked the door open with force. His fists clenched as he stormed toward the two, and both frozen in shock at his sudden appearance.“You motherfucker! Heartless old man!”“We’re having a conversation, Nikolaus Wulfric. I didn’t ask you here to my office,” Chairman Channing said coldly.“Fuck your rules.” Wulfric pointed at Angus. “He’s