CHAPTER 1Elizabeth glanced nervously around as she made her way to her boyfriend—Anderson's condo unit. Her heart raced, afraid that, Arthur, might have sent someone to follow her. She had escaped from the restaurant where he had introduced her to the old man she was supposed to marry—the owner of Channing Empire.Since childhood, Elizabeth had been under the care of Arthur Bently after her mother, who had worked as a maid in his mansion, passed away. Owing him a great debt of gratitude, she couldn’t refuse when the sixty-five-year-old man asked her to marry someone to save the Bently family’s failing business.She had barely held back the urge to throw up; he was even older than Arthur.The ‘Channing’ may have been filthy rich, but he was a complete slob.It might be better to just run away with Anderson."Catherine, you're so good at this, huh?" Anderson’s voice floated with a seductive and teasing tone.She froze in her tracks. Her heart sank as the sound of heavy moans followed.
CHAPTER 2 Arthur was declared comatose by the doctors, suffering from severe head trauma and multiple fractures. “This is all your fault!” She was frozen in place as Martha charged at her again. “If you hadn’t been reckless, this wouldn’t have happened to Dad." Martha wouldn’t let her go, so even the hospital staff had to intervene to separate them. Crying, Elizabeth curled into a corner of the hallway, her body aching all over. She hadn’t even begun to recover from what had happened last night, and now Martha’s relentless hitting continued. All she could do was sob in the corner, feeling the weight of self-blame. Once the guards finally managed to escort Martha and Catherine out, Arthur's secretary, Eldridge, approached her. “We have a problem. Martha refuses to release any funds for Arthur.” Elizabeth’s mouth fell open in disbelief. Eldridge let out a heavy sigh. “The company is on the verge of bankruptcy; if they withdraw any more money, Benzone Telco won’t recover.” “B
CHAPTER 3"I said no because you'll get more jobs. You’ll be tired," Earl explained in a soft voice. A warm feeling spread through Elizabeth's chest as her little boy shyly snuggled into her neck."You’re so sweet, baby. Thank you for thinking of me," she whispered.Lottie on the other hand, tapped her little fingers together as her rosy lips jutted out. She blinked up at her mother with wide, pleading eyes."It’s just a wish, Momma.”Elizabeth laughed and kissed her baby girl on the cheek. "It’s okay, Lottie. We’re going to the city. Momma has saved up some money."She had been hearing for a while now how much her children wanted to visit the city, so she made sure to set aside some savings for the trip."Yehey! Did you hear that, Earl? We’re going to the city! We’ll see big buildings and fast cars!" Lottie jumped in excitement. Elizabeth amusedly pinched Earl’s cheek when she saw him trying to suppress a smile. A grin broke across his face, showing his white baby teeth before he th
CHAPTER 4“It’s not acceptable that you can’t do anything!” Liz shouted at the train station’s staff when they told her there was nothing they could do but wait for a call.“Ma’am, please calm down. You’re partly to blame for this.”“My children are still so young! It’s their first time in Southshire. I can’t just sit here waiting for a call while I have no idea where they are. What if they can’t be found?”She pressed her hands to her face in distress. Receiving the same answer again, she left their office with slumped shoulders.It was already past five in the afternoon. In just an hour, the train would arrive at the Southshire station. Her mind was flooded with all sorts of horrific scenarios. Southshire City was a far cry from where the twins grew up. Crime was rampant there, especially the kidnapping of children for organ trafficking.Elizabeth turned sharply when she heard the noise of an approaching group. Her gaze immediately landed on Wulfric. He was the reason she had missed
CHAPTER 5Tears welled up in Liz's eyes when she found her children inside the Operator's office. She had practically argued with the staff at Louisiana, demanding they contact the manager of Southshire Train Station and search the entire area just to find her kids."Are you both okay? Did anyone get hurt?" she asked repeatedly. She paused when she noticed how unusually quiet, they were.Both had their heads bowed, looking utterly defeated. Lottie’s mouth quivered downward, on the verge of tears.“What happened?” she asked, worry filling her voice as her eyes scanned their tiny bodies. "What happened, Earl? Did someone hurt both of you? Were you scared? I’m sorry! This is all Momma’s fault."His lips trembled as if he was about to cry."W-We saw D-Daddy."Liz froze. "W-Where? There’s no Daddy, Earl.""There is, Momma," Lottie insisted, her voice sharp, as if she might stomp her feet. "Earl and I saw him, but he doesn’t like us."Liz pulled the little girl into her arms as she started
CHAPTER 6 Elizabeth adjusted her cap as the car pulled up in front of the client’s villa. Carrie had asked her to come along to an event hosted by her flower shop’s Southshire branch because they are short-staffed.The villa was in the city center, so Liz made sure to keep her face hidden. The city center was home to the headquarters of major companies, including Channing Empire and Benzone Telco.“Marlon, Erica, you two handle the front yard. Liz, I’ll assign you to the pavilion,” said Anne, the shop’s manager.Liz overheard that a party was to be held at the villa later that night.She was trimming the flower stems when she suddenly sensed a presence behind her. The first thing she saw when she turned around was a pair of hairy legs. Liz quickly stood and with bowed head, she greeted.“Good afternoon, sir.”The man didn’t respond right away. He cleared his throat before speaking, “Good afternoon.” Liz lifted her head, and her eyes widened in shock when she recognized Nikolaus Wulfr
CHAPTER 6 (PART 2)She didn't cross paths with Wulfric again for the rest of the day. The last she saw of him was when he was descending the grand staircase, talking on his phone. Thankfully, she managed to hide behind a divider before he noticed her.Erica, on the other hand, couldn’t stop talking about him all day. She kept raving about how good he smelled and how manly his presence was.Elizabeth bit her tongue to stop herself from telling Erica that he’s married. That would’ve shattered the woman’s fantasy. “Our boss called. We have to stay until the party ends. Part of the package is cleaning up the flower arrangements," Anne informed them.Excitement buzzed among her colleagues.Anne handed them paper bags with their outfits for the evening. The woman was always prepared, as this was a regular occurrence with their other clients.Elizabeth quickly applied light makeup and lipstick, then tied her hair into a high ponytail.The party was already starting downstairs when Anne knock
CHAPTER 7“You’re a whore! The guy has a girlfriend, and you’re still flirting with him!”Elizabeth was heading back to the party from the restroom when the woman who had kissed Wulfric earlier screamed and pulled her hair.“This is what you deserve! You’re a flirt!”The slaps came one after another as Elizabeth tried to block them, but sharp, red-painted nails scratched her face.“Idella! Damn it!”Someone pulled the woman away from her. Elizabeth struggled to breathe, her cheeks stinging from the blows she had received.“What the fuck are you doing, Woman?” Wulfric’s voice thundered.Dizzy, she tried to get up. She wanted to hit back, but her body felt weak.“S-She’s flirting with you,” Idella stammered.“You don’t understand…”Once again, she was shoved down onto the carpeted grass. Idella hit her several times—one slap near her ear, leaving her momentarily dazed. The next thing she heard was an angry voice, but the words were a blur.Murmurs filled the air, and she gasped as someo
CHAPTER 56 The investigation was immediately closed just days after what happened to Arthur. The truck driver who crashed into him was also dead, and Martha didn’t bother to file a case against the company that owned the vehicle.“The cellphone wasn’t among the things recovered from Sir Arthur during the rescue operation. We’re still looking for it.”The weight on her shoulders grew heavier. There was so much she didn’t know. She had settled into the idea that she was the reason for her stepfather’s coma.She paced back and forth in front of him.“Who was he talking to? That person is definitely responsible for all of this, Wulf.”“We’re getting there, Kitten. We have a list of suspects, but we need evidence.”“Martha—”“She’s one of the suspects,” he agreed with her accusation.“Who else could have done it but her?” Her anger towards the woman surged again. Wulfric reached for her hand, gently stroking it, slowly calming her down.“We’re also looking for Eldrige, Sir Arthur’s secret
CHAPTER 55"One, two, three. Charge!"Sir Arthur's body jerked as the defibrillator pads pressed against his chest."Again! Increase the charge!"It was only when a hand gently gripped her arm that Elizabeth snapped out of her daze."Ma'am, we need to step outside," a nurse said, deliberately blocking her view of Arthur."No. I'm staying here!” she screamed when they stepped in her way, preventing her from getting closer to the patient."Papa! Pa! Let me get close!"Wulfric's security team rushed back into the room, this time pulling her away. She cried and struggled, her vision blurry with tears, but she could still clearly see Arthur's heart rate spike before crashing back to a flatline."Let go of me! That's my father! Papa!""Ma'am, please cooperate. We'll be in trouble with Sir Wulfric if you don't. Please, come with us," one of them pleaded as they restrained her, pinning her wrists as they carried her out of the room.They set her down at the end of the hallway, but as soon as
CHAPTER 54They didn’t have dinner the previous night.After their moment on the countertop, Wulfric carried her to the living room, and eventually, they ended up in the master bedroom.Her sleep was interrupted several times, waking to find him between her thighs again, or sometimes, already inside her, thrusting deeply.So, by the time she woke the next day, it was already afternoon. She found herself alone in bed, wearing one of Wulfric’s loose t-shirts and boxer shorts. Feeling a mixture of hunger and the soreness in her body, she forced herself to get up and head to the bathroom.Wulfric found her washing her face. He had already prepared a warm bath for her, complete with her favorite bath bombs, filling the room with a delightful fragrance.She had plenty of stocks of these in both the master’s and the guest room, along with her other hygiene products that filled the bathroom cabinet. Wulfric never complained about it. In fact, he once helped her shop and organize everything in
CHAPTER 53“I-I’m not,” she whispered in reply.“I should be the one cooking—spoiling you with food and delights.”“It’s nothing much. Just lasagna and—”“Roast beef, apple pie. All made with effort and love.”Her heart pounded. Did he know? Could Wulfric sense that she’s in love with him?“Lottie and Earl often boast that you always cook them food with love.”“Y-Yeah…” she let out an awkward laugh, relieved that he hadn’t caught on.“Tell me more about them.”“They’re not picky eaters.” She suddenly felt excited to talk about their children and to share more. “Did you know that when they were babies, Lottie loved sweet potatoes? And Earl, he’d chew on corn even though he didn’t have teeth yet.”Wulfric’s eyes sparkled with interest, encouraging her to continue.“I’d gather those from the backyard or sometimes get extra supplies from the hacienda that people gave away. Whenever I dug up sweet potatoes, Lottie always trailed behind me.”“She’s clingy.”“Very,” she giggled, momentarily
CHAPTER 52“W-Wulf, maybe we could—”“No,” he cut her off firmly, shaking his head. “I already know what you’re going to say, Kitten. I won’t let you be soft-hearted about this. Have you forgotten what Martha did to Arthur?”“But I just feel sorry for them, and—”“I already gave in to you earlier. She made you suffer, and she even threatened to kill our children before they were even born. That woman is pure evil, and I would fight her to protect you and our kids. Honestly, I should have shot that bitch when I had the chance!”Before she could respond, Wulfric knelt in front of her, catching her off guard. She grimaced as he pressed a clean handkerchief against the wound on her knee.“Look at what you’ve done to yourself. You should’ve called me instead of climbing over the fence.”She pouted. “Rufus is such a snitch.”“He’s loyal to me. You nearly gave him a heart attack.”“I’ll apologize. Where is he?”Wulfric didn’t answer, and from his silence, she quickly sensed that there was mo
CHAPTER 51 She still couldn’t believe what she had discovered, especially after seeing the undeniable proof that Arthur’s properties had been under her name for a long time. No matter how she looked at it, she couldn’t understand why he did it. Martha was his daughter, not her.What shocked her even more was the extent of Arthur's assets. He owned several properties abroad, including condo buildings and commercial establishments that generated monthly income. It was more than enough to cover his medical expenses.If Eldridge knew about all of this, why had he insisted that she marry in exchange for the money?“Please wake up now, Papa. Earl and Lottie want to meet you.” She carefully wiped Arthur’s body as she spoke.The doctor had informed her earlier that there were some improvements. His body was starting to respond to the medication.Her thoughts were interrupted when Cecil stumbled into the room, looking as if she might faint. Liz rushed to her side as the housekeeper clung to h
CHAPTER 50Frustrated, Wulfric ran a hand through his hair, gripping it tightly before squeezing his eyes shut. He never imagined stepping foot inside his father’s lair again. He had cut ties with the Manor ever since his mother and older sister passed away. Every corner of that house was a painful reminder of the worst part of his life.Their family was a complete disaster!His mother was a martyr, while his father did nothing but chase after women.Living like a bachelor, as if he didn’t have a family to consider. He must have thought Wulfric was too young to understand what was happening. Unlike his sister, who would cry along with their mother every time she found out their father had another mistress.Cairus never cared. Wulfric doubted the old man even had the capacity to love.Even when his sister and mother passed away, Cairus remained cold, simply telling him there was nothing he could do—they were gone, and no amount of grief could bring them back.Fuckiing hell!That’s why
CHAPTER 49Eva is Wulfric’s ex-girlfriend?!No wonder Angus kept calling her husband "papa." Everything started to make sense now.Elizabeth and Wulfric were both startled when the elevator doors opened. She was on her way back to their children’s room.“Kitten,” Wulfric called out in a hoarse voice. His unshaven stubble and half-closed eyes made her think he hadn’t slept at all last night.“Kitten,” he called her again, reaching out for her.Without thinking, she instinctively pulled her arm back, causing him to frown.She hid her hand behind her back and offered him a small smile. “Hi. Good morning.”“Why are you keeping what’s mine from me?” he demanded firmly instead.She stepped back as he tried to reach her again, which only deepened the frown on his face.The door at the far end of the hallway suddenly opened, making Wulfric turn sharply in that direction. He glared and angrily asked, “What the fuck did you tell her?”“I don’t want to argue with you. It’s too early,” his father
CHAPTER 48After dinner, the helpers escorted Lottie and Earl to the lanai to enjoy the chocolate fountain and ice cream, personally prepared by an international chef.The children gave her puppy eyes and sided with their grandfather, and she reluctantly allowed them to go.As she walked through the hallway, her steps halted in front of a large, captivating painting in the second living room. At first glance, she thought it was Angus, a child around nine to thirteen years old, but as she looked more closely, she realized it was actually Wulfric.The painting also featured a younger version of Chairman Cairus Channing and two women. She guessed the woman standing next to the Chairman was Wulfric's mother, while the younger one appeared to be in her late teens.Aside from the household staff, there were no other family members around, which made her curious about the two women in the painting. Wulfric had never mentioned anything about them.The Channings were indeed a secretive family!