Ernesto sat in the car, picking up his phone, ready to dial Andreas’s number, but then he remembered that he had a task tonight.A pungent smell wafted from his body, making him frown. He put down the phone and started the car.Twenty minutes later, the car arrived at its destination.The vast underground parking lot of the Skyline Apartments was silent, except for the moment the car door opened—when a sharp, off-key singing voice pierced the quiet air.“La la la…”Ernesto roughly pulled the still-humming woman out of the car, his movements a bit forceful.He had endured the nauseating smell all the way here—given his temperament, not abandoning her halfway was already an act of great mercy.The woman, resilient as ever, protested while being dragged along. “Can’t you be a little gentler? Have some pity for a delicate beauty like me!” She even brushed back her hair, attempting to showcase her natural charm.Bang!Ernesto slammed the car door shut.“Aww, I didn’t mean to!” As if realiz
Karsyn pursed her lips. Her mouth was already dry, and drinking this bottled water didn’t help at all—it was completely tasteless. Her hazy eyes struggled to focus on the blurry figure in front of her...“No!”Ernesto refused without even thinking.There was nothing but bottled water in his home—no other drinks at all. Though he did have alcohol, seeing the state she was in now, if he gave her any, he’d either be spending the night soaking in the bathtub or listening to her sing all night again...“So stingy! So petty!”Karsyn pouted in dissatisfaction.“Drink it or don’t. Up to you.” Ernesto bypassed her and walked toward the living room. “I’ll change my clothes and take you home.”Karsyn tilted her head back and gulped down a couple of mouthfuls of water. Since he wasn’t talking anymore, she casually placed the half-empty bottle somewhere and then headed for the couch.Ernesto returned to his bedroom, closed the door, and was about to find a change of clothes when he suddenly rememb
Karsyn was kneeling on the sofa, trying to ignore her hunger while waiting to clarify the situation. Suddenly, she felt a vibration under her bottom.Startled, Karsyn jumped in surprise, patted her chest, and fumbled around underneath her, eventually finding her phone wedged in the sofa cushions.Seeing the contact name on the screen, she nearly dropped the phone.Oh my god!Honey, Franklin!This was trouble!He rarely called her, and to her surprise, he was calling her now..."Um, don't make a sound, okay?" Karsyn whispered, holding the phone and smiling at Ernesto with a face that looked like she was asking for trouble.Ernesto turned around and walked toward the balcony.Karsyn tugged at her stiff cheek, answered the call, and put on a flattering smile, "Franklin!""Still not up?" Franklin had just finished a meeting and returned to the office. He remembered that Karsyn had asked him to take a symbolic engagement photo after work. Because of the special circumstances and the nature
Karsyn pointed at the door, her lips slightly parted as she silently mouthed, "Who?"Should she open the door?The doorbell rang twice more.Ernesto furrowed his brows. Not many people knew about this place, and even fewer would actually come here..."Do you need me to hide?" Seeing his expression, Karsyn assumed he was feeling awkward—probably the same way she felt when taking Franklin’s call.After all, she knew Ernesto had a girlfriend.Ernesto didn’t respond to her question. Instead, he walked past her and headed toward the door."Ernesto, I made you some soup! It's my first time trying, so it might not taste great..."As the door opened, Elena stood outside, lifting the container of soup with a bright smile, especially when she saw Ernesto standing there.She had been putting effort into their relationship every day, and time was running out—only a month left. Since Ernesto often worked late, she figured he needed some nourishment. After researching recipes for a long time, she h
Their conversation gradually became more and more tense.Elena sneered and continued, "I heard you’re getting engaged in just a few days. And yet, you spent the night entangled with my boyfriend? Do you really think you’re in the right?""Elena, what do you mean by that? When did I ever entangle myself with your boyfriend? Yes, I was in the same house as him last night, but who told you that we spent the night together?" Elena’s harsh words had pushed Jo Xia to her limit.Damn it!She had stayed at Ernesto’s house, but even she wasn’t sure why. Now Elena was coming at her without even getting the full story? What a joke!Hearing Jo Xia admit she had been there, Elena's breathing grew heavier."So you admit it?"What the hell? Was this woman even paying attention to what she was saying?Jo Xia huffed, "I'll tell you one last time—I did stay at Ernesto’s place last night… No, I was in the same house as him, but we didn’t do anything! I was drunk, and I slept on the couch, I swear. If yo
Karsyn had no idea what the food in her mouth actually tasted like…But she didn’t have the luxury to be picky—filling her stomach was the only thing that mattered.Sluuuurp!She wolfed down the soup Elena had prepared, drinking every last drop!Clatter—She plopped the empty container onto the table and collapsed onto the couch like a satisfied lord.One word: Bliss!Two words: Utter bliss!She finally felt alive again, though she could probably still eat a little more."Your girlfriend’s soup isn’t bad!" she commented. Honestly, she hadn’t even tasted it properly, but the fact that it saved her life was undeniable. After a brief pause, she added, "But there’s no rice or side dishes with it."A proper meal would’ve been even better!Seeing Karsyn’s playful expression return, Ernesto sat coldly to the side. "You’re done eating. If you have the energy, you can leave now.""I can’t find my way out…" Karsyn muttered helplessly. "Otherwise, I wouldn’t have come back!"She wasn’t trying to
"Brother Chu, how's my sister?"As soon as Andreas stepped out of the elevator, he saw Ernesto holding a stack of hospital bills."Acute gastroenteritis..." Ernesto glanced at the anxious Andreas, his handsome face as cold as ever."Is it serious?" Andreas followed him toward the hospital room, his voice filled with worry.After finishing the tasks Brother Chu had assigned, he had barely rested before nearly missing the call.Ernesto handed him the doctor's report. "She might need to stay in the hospital for observation for two days."Andreas glanced at the report but couldn't really make sense of it. Hearing this, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't even dared to tell the old man at home. Luckily, it wasn't too serious.Despite how their father usually scolded them, deep down, he truly cared for them.However, there was one thing that had been bothering Andreas since he got the call. Before leaving home, he heard that his sister hadn’t returned all night. Could it be that
The moment Karsyn saw the name on the phone screen, she felt a headache coming on.Andreas glanced at his sister's half-dead expression. At this moment, there was only one person who could make her look like this.He didn’t say anything, just closed the door behind him, leaving her to answer the call while he went out to buy her something to eat.Might as well face it head-on!Karsyn picked up the phone. "Franklin!"She was worried that Franklin would find out that she got drunk just days before their engagement. The worst part? She had spent the night at another man’s place!"Where are you now? Should we meet at the photo studio?" He had canceled their appointment due to an emergency. After confirming the cancellation, he called her, but she didn’t answer or call back. That was very unlike her, so he had no choice but to call again."Um, Franklin… We can’t go today."Karsyn glanced at the IV drip that had just been replaced. It would take at least another half an hour to finish, and
Skyler had fallen asleep, but her mind remained alert. After all, Raiden had left a psychological scar on her today.As soon as Raiden mentioned being hungry, she couldn't help but complain to herself. He hadn't felt hungry earlier, and now, suddenly, he was.But despite the resentment in her heart, she didn’t dare voice it. After all, he was the young master, and she was just a servant..."Should I heat it up for you?" Since this "ancestor" had called for her, it was clear he wouldn’t do it himself. And it was late, so the other family members had likely already gone to sleep.Sure enough, the young master kicked his feet and said, "Should I do it myself?" If he was going to do it himself, why bother calling her? The real reason was that he couldn’t sleep and, seeing her sleep soundly beside him, a psychological urge stirred within him.If he couldn’t sleep, neither should she. It was a kind of unhealthy mentality.He wanted to wake her up
Skyler finally had the chance to observe the entire room. The decor was simple yet refined.A large sky-blue bed, a desk with a desktop LCD computer, and some model decorations—all expensive just at a glance. It matched his unruly personality well. However, it was clear he didn’t come home often; everything here still looked brand new."Where are you sleeping? Why are you asking me?"Since his father let her move in, he must have arranged a place for her."Do you have an extra blanket? I’ll sleep on the floor."The bed was big enough for two people, and she had slept with him before—otherwise, how would she have gotten pregnant? But at this moment, she didn’t dare sleep with him. She hadn’t forgotten the way he had looked downstairs, as if he wanted to devour her alive.She didn’t dare provoke him again, afraid that if she shared a bed with him, she might not even know how she died.She knew t
"Do you think you've found yourself a backer now? Is that why you feel so important?"Raiden’s tone was full of sarcasm.He looked exactly like a little kid afraid of losing his father's love.It’s often said that women mature faster than men, and Skyler was one of those women. She could see exactly what Raiden was upset about, and a smile tugged at her lips."No, Mr.Calderon! My biggest backer is you," Skyler admitted her mistake.Like hell he’d believe that! The innocence she had before was completely gone now.Raiden let out a cold snort and sneered, "Skyler, I didn't expect your appetite to be this big. First, you took my house, and now, in the blink of an eye, you've managed to squeeze a fortune out of my dad. Did your brain suddenly become enlightened? You’re making money at an impressive speed!""Mr.Calderon, I did go back on my word in this matter. I’m sorry! Here’s the key to the house you
Every parent, when talking about their child, always wears the kindest smile. Frankie was no exception. And when he thought about the fact that he would soon become a grandfather, his mood improved even more.Feeling good, he couldn’t help but chat a little more with Skyler.As Frankie flipped through old photos of Raiden’s childhood and talked about his younger days, Skyler truly saw how adorable he had been as a child.Uncle Calderon wasn’t lying—Mr.Calderon had been handsome since he was little.Big eyes, double eyelids, a high nose bridge, rosy lips, pearly white teeth, and fair skin—all combined with that charmingly arrogant expression…Skyler subconsciously placed her hand on her belly, wondering if the baby inside would be just as good-looking. If it were a girl and took after Mr.Calderon, she certainly wouldn’t be unattractive."Master, dinner is ready!" a servant came forward and announced.
"She should take a good look at herself! She doesn't want to marry me?" Raiden shouted.Who did she think she was? And who was he? Since when did a woman have the right to reject him?Since he was old enough to understand things, he had been surrounded by countless women, all vying for his attention. Which woman didn't want to marry him?Raiden sneered internally. This woman was definitely playing hard to get in front of his father, trying to win his favor so that he would pressure him into marrying her.I didn't see this coming.Skyler, so you dare play tricks on me!Skyler shivered slightly under Raiden’s sharp gaze. Was it a crime now to not want to marry him?Frankie stepped forward and kicked his own son. "And you should take a good look at yourself!"That kick wasn’t light. Raiden gasped in pain and quickly pulled his leg back to clutch it.Damn it!He was almost thirty, yet his old man still kicked him with
When Raiden walked in, he actually found that woman in his house!Without a word, he rushed up to her, grabbed her wrist, and started dragging her outside with large strides."Mr.Calderon, what are you doing?" Caught off guard by his strength, Skyler’s wrist throbbed in pain as she frowned and couldn't help but cry out."Don't ask, just come with me!"As soon as Raiden received a call from the person he had arranged to take Skyler to the hospital, he rushed back immediately.He had sent her to get an abortion, and she was already on the operating table—yet somehow, the old trickster in his family had intercepted her! Just thinking about how the plan was almost completed but was suddenly interrupted made him incredibly frustrated.How could he not know what that old fox was scheming?For the past few years, every time he returned home, the old man would pester him about marriage. Eventually, he got so fed up that he outrigh
Frankie was setting up Skyler, but unfortunately, she was too young and inexperienced to realize it. She had never encountered such schemes before, let alone faced an old fox like Frankie.At first, Skyler had no idea who had decided against her abortion. It wasn’t until she had spoken with Frankie for a while that she finally understood—it was the old master himself who wanted to keep his grandchild.She had already promised Raiden that she would terminate the pregnancy, and she had struggled internally for a long time. But in the end, her heart leaned toward keeping the child.“However, I have three conditions.”“Go ahead, go ahead…” Frankie was so delighted that she had agreed that he would have accepted a hundred conditions if necessary.“First, after the child is born, I want to be able to visit them whenever I wish. But you can rest assured—I will only be visiting the child and will have
Raiden’s Father...Hearing Frankie's words, Skyler couldn't help but look up. He wasn’t like what she had imagined. The middle-aged man in front of her was well-maintained, looking energetic and full of vitality. His smile was warm and friendly. There were indeed some resemblances between him and Raiden—he must have been quite a charming man in his younger years.Seeing her subtly relax, Frankie chuckled, “What do you think? Not quite what you imagined, right?”Having her thoughts seen through so easily, Skyler blushed, feeling slightly embarrassed. “It’s a bit different from what I expected,” she admitted.“Sit down and talk. I’m not used to looking up at people while speaking.” Frankie deliberately said this, knowing that otherwise, she wouldn’t sit down.Just as he had anticipated, Skyler realized that standing while talking to someone like this was somewhat impolite. Beside
Skyler looked at the cold, sterile operating table, her steps heavy as she walked over and lay down with the nurse’s help. Staring at her still-flat stomach, she silently whispered to the tiny life inside her, "Baby, I'm sorry."He had been so well-behaved. She had heard that during the first three months of pregnancy, morning sickness was common, sometimes severe enough to make one feel like the world was spinning. Yet, she hadn’t experienced any of that—she felt just like a normal person. She knew her baby must be a very obedient child.Unfortunately, she had no ability to keep him. If she forced his birth, he would only suffer alongside her.So, I’m sorry. It’s because I’m not brave enough…She had never intended to keep this child, but that didn’t mean she had no feelings for him. He was, after all, her own flesh and blood."Miss Oneal, we’re going to administer the anesthesia now. Try to r