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 34Elizabeth kept glancing at Wulf as they both entered the elevator. Unsure of what to say, she eventually just bowed her head and bit her lower lip.They were greeted by Rufus when they reached the lobby.“My wife is coming with me,” Wulfric announced.Her mouth fell open in shock especially when Rufus nodded at her before walking away.She quickly closed the gap between her and Wulfric. Grabbed the hem of his shirt.“I’m not your wife, Sir,” she whispered and glanced around nervously.He responded only with a frown. Clearly displeased by the words that came out of her mouth.Elizabeth was debating with herself what to say next when he started the car. She nervously bit her fingernail while sneaking glances at him. ‘Why did Wulfric still look so handsome even when he always had that grumpy expression?’“Quit staring and tell me what you want to say,” he demanded arrogantly.She pursed her lips. He acts as if he never stares at her. She didn’t even call him out when he would
CHAPTER 35“Why Daddy and Momma acting weird again?” Lottie sighed, noticing her parents still giving each other the cold shoulder since yesterday.Earl disagreed. “It’s just Momma. She doesn’t want to talk to Dad. Momma is avoiding him.”“Are they fighting again? Is Daddy our enemy? Again?”“No. Dad wants to talk to Momma. Just look at him.”Both kids slumped their shoulders and watched their father who kept glancing at their mother.“Daddy looks like a puppy, Earl,” Lottie giggled sticking out her lips to mimic a cute puppy’s face.The eldest chuckled softly and reached out his hand to give Lottie a playful high-five.“Daddy might hear you.”“I’ll just be sweet to him so he won’t get mad.”“What did Daddy do this time?”Lottie shrugged and craned her neck to peek at the sliding door leading to the swimming pool. “Let’s ask Rufus.”Earl nodded, and the mischievous twins quickly slipped out of the living room.Rufus was taken aback when the twins cornered him.He immediately tossed aw
CHAPTER 36 (PART 1)"Liz, my goodness, is that you?" Cecil couldn’t contain her excitement when she approached her.Like her, the old woman wore a mask and a hat to hide their face from the public’s eye."I missed you too, Cecil. Where’s Sir Arthur?" Liz asked."He’s upstairs. We need to hurry before Martha’s guard catches us." Cecil had sternly instructed her not to tell anyone where Arthur was admitted.She grabbed Liz by the arm and pulled her towards the stairs as she spotted someone approaching. Panic was etched on her face."I'm sorry, Liz, but we can’t use the elevator. We have to be careful.""Are you sure you can manage, Cecil?" Liz asked, concerned, when Cecil mentioned that Arthur's room was on the 26th floor. "I can go on my own if it's too much.""I’ll manage. I should’ve done this a long time ago. I was too afraid of Martha."Liz carefully assisted Cecil with each step."I should’ve made sure you were safe back then," Cecil said regretfully."I’m okay now,” Liz reassured
CHAPTER 36 (PART 2)“Where’s Auntie Pretty, Momma?”She made sure Earl’s seatbelt was securely fastened before answering, “I’ll meet her later.”“But Daddy said you went out with Auntie. Who did you visit at the hospital?” Earl even pointed directly at the Mother Sedon building in the distance.“Just a friend, Baby.”“A guy friend, Momma?”Why is Earl suddenly so nosy?“How did you know I was here?” she asked instead and raised an eyebrow at her kids who simultaneously pointed at Wulfric behind her.“Daddy’s a stalker!” Lottie yelled, giggling. “It’s not our fault, Momma.”Wulfric calmly responded, “Rufus told me.”She wasn’t surprised at all by his answer. Elizabeth had asked Rufus to drop her off a few blocks away from Mother Sedon yet they still managed to track her.Shaking her head, she got into the car. She thought the two little ones would give her a break during the drive but they continued with their questions—especially Earl who interrogated her like a detective trying to ge
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