Liam lowered his eyes to look at Lana, shooting a look that seemed to say, "Why do you get bullied everywhere you go?"She returned an awkward smile that said, "I'm innocent!"It was the truth. She was innocent. It was the rest who had a problem with her. Liam's sudden appearance caused Chris to jump in surprise. Frightened, he stammered, "L-Liam, why did you come?""Why?" Liam pulled Lana behind him, clearly indicating that he was protecting her. "Can't I visit my sister's home?""Uncle? When did you come?" Having caught wind of his arrival, John appeared before them. He seemed to have transformed into a well-behaved, thoughtful little kid. "I've finished my homework!"Liam nodded before asking Darla, who was behind John, "Why don't you teach your child not to invite just anyone home?"His statement was pretty direct. He didn't like that Carol was in his vicinity.Without even sparing Carol a glance, Darla pointed at Chris and, rather dotingly, said, "Chris is still young.
Amidst the gathering, all eyes were on Lana, except for Chris. He seemed unaware of the attention.Lana thought it over carefully before replying, "I like someone who treats me well."John's brow furrowed in disbelief. "Is that all?" he asked.Lana nodded resolutely. "Yes, that's all I look for.""Don't you care about appearance or social status, like dating a celebrity or someone influential?" John asked, his surprise evident in his eyes. He believed Lana should understand who he was hinting at.However, Lana simply shook her head. "Looks don't matter to me. I can earn my own money. It's just that in today's world, finding a genuine lifelong partner is challenging."John felt disheartened. Despite his obvious hints, Lana didn't seem to recognize that he was the one meant for her.Liam, on the other hand, was the only one who truly appreciated Lana's sincerity. After all, he felt the same way. Changing partners in the middle of a marriage seemed too complicated for him.The g
Lana's words left Liam dumbfounded.What did she mean by that?Did she want someone else to kiss her?"What's the matter? Am I not who you had in mind? Are you disappointed?" Liam asked.In truth, Lana wasn't disappointed. It was just that there were other men in the room besides Liam, and she hadn't expected him to "take the initiative" like this.Lana quickly gestured in apology, saying, "No, no, Mr. Liam, that's not what I meant."Liam shot her a cold glance before resuming his seat.Lana let out a dry laugh and followed suit, finding her own place.While the two kept their composure, the others in the room couldn't help but express their reactions.Darla, in particular, watched Liam with a pensive expression.While it was a positive sign that Liam could develop feelings for someone else, continually making exceptions for the same person was risky. It revealed his vulnerability.For someone of Liam's stature, having vulnerabilities was a daunting prospect.The fact that
Upon hearing that, Darla was enraged, which was rare for her. "That's despicable. It was bad enough that they pressured you back then. But to be as heartless as to curse the birth of a child? It is still their flesh and blood! How could they be so ruthless?" Mandy looked desolate and sighed helplessly. "If only I were from a better family, my poor child wouldn't have suffered." Darla asked furiously, "And what about him? You've dedicated yourself to him all these years. Now, we don't even know where the child is. Don't you resent him at all?" Mandy's beautiful eyes filled with tears as she shook her head. "Darla, he had no choice." Darla shook her head in resignation. "Since you were young, you've always been so soft-hearted. If I were you, I would never forgive him even if I died." Darla's good temper was well-known. It took a lot for her to utter such harsh words. Seeing Mandy in distress, Darla couldn't bring herself to ignore her matters. "Where do you plan to s
"Mr. Clark, I hope it won't be too much trouble for you. Can you say a few kind words to Carol?" At the dining table, Zeke happily accepted toasts from others. With a half-burnt cigarette in his mouth, he grinned and said, "You can rest assured. My Carol would never neglect anything related to you, Mr. Perez."After a period of lows, the Clark family had once again risen with the help of Carol and Chris.Looking at people who had ignored him before, Zeke felt satisfied as they always invited him for meals.Carol had always spread rumors that she and Liam were a couple. From that, many people sought to collaborate with Zeke because of Liam.But after observing for a while, they found that Liam rarely paid attention to Carol. They couldn't understand where she got the audacity to claim that Liam liked her.This led to their collaborations with the Clark family being one-time deals. That in turn hindered the Clark family's growth.Now, it was different. Carol and Chris had offic
"Have you noticed how close you've been getting to Howard recently?" Lana suddenly asked during breakfast.Nadia paused for a moment before replying, "What makes you think that? Dr. Howard and I are just good friends."Lana found it perplexing. The two often went out together. They would stargaze and enjoy the view of the sea, yet she said they were only friends. Lana observed that Nadia seemed focused on making money, even more so than herself. It might have been a result of scars from her past relationship. She also showed little interest in anything else.Nadia might not have been aware of the depth of Howard's feelings for her. However, Lana could tell that Howard's feelings went beyond the usual doctor-patient relationship.Despite that, Nadia didn't seem to want to discuss it, and Lana respected her decision.She steered the conversation toward the topic of money. "Nadia, have you completed the plan I asked you to work on?""Are you referring to the plan for opening new b
"Are you 'S'?" Lana asked.Carol avoided her gaze, and her response remained ambiguous."I'm sorry, but I can't disclose that information. People from the National Security Bureau tend to keep their identities confidential."Carol's response was carefully crafted, leaving room for two interpretations.The first interpretation was that she was "S". However, her association with the National Security Bureau stopped her from confirming it.The second interpretation was that she wasn't "S". But her position within the National Security Bureau prevented her from speaking freely.However, despite Carol's explanation, Lana remained unconvinced.The truth was, Lana was "S"!Lana quickly figured that Carol must have a hidden motive for impersonating "S".One onlooker exclaimed, "Ms. Carol, you're 'S' after all? What a surprise! I've been a huge fan. I've been revisiting your exploits every day."Another chimed in, "You've been trending all over recently. You're a true hero in Zanteles
In the evening, Liam attended a wine-tasting event at Irwin Winery. It was the largest winery in Gilsbury. The owner, a true Fleinese, exclusively imported their red wines from Fleines by air.Businesspeople were drawn to this venue for their negotiations. On one hand, the atmosphere was tranquil, and on the other, they could enjoy authentic wines. It was a perfect win-win.Liam, a connoisseur with a taste for meat and red wine, held a VVIP status here. The winery's owner extended a personal welcome, even pouring a glass of wine that had just arrived on a plane earlier that afternoon.Savoring his drink leisurely, Liam quietly eavesdropped on conversations around him. His deep gaze was focused on a particular spot, showing his thoughts were elsewhere.As the evening unfolded, people entered and exited, yet Liam remained silent. He didn't say a single word.The others believed Liam was in a foul mood and it was wise to avoid him.Before long, two more individuals arrived—a man
Would Lana forgive him and spend the rest of her life with him?Liam's heart was filled with a sense of anticipation.Since the reason for the incident had been clarified, everyone let out a sigh of relief at the same time and also went back to rest. Even Leonardo was taken away just to give the two people who had been apart for a long time some space to be alone.After everyone had left, Liam straightened out his clothes and approached Lana, then proceeded to slowly crouch down."Lana!"In the man's deep and sexy voice, there was an unusual tremor and a hint of choked emotion.Liam had no idea what kept him going during these years after losing Lana.Liam didn't dare to do anything too bold. Instead, he gently leaned his handsome face against Lana's hand, repeatedly calling her name.Three years had already passed since Lana left in a fit of anger, setting off a series of events afterward.If she still had any resentment, it would have vanished when she saw Liam's tall figu
Liam's outstretched hand awkwardly hung in the air, and eventually, he could only withdraw it."Speak up if you have something to say, or else, stay quiet. We're not in the mood to listen to you." Hector's attitude toward Liam was still unfavorable, to the extent that he didn't even want to see him.Lana suddenly said, "Something very serious actually happened today."Following that, she placed Leonardo down and showed everyone the wound on his neck.A ring of red marks surrounded Leonardo's delicate neck. In some places, the marks were so swollen that it looked like a tire had been wrapped around his neck. It was a shocking sight to behold.Hector, Violet, Mandy, and Romelius were immediately enraged."What happened to Leo?""What happened to his neck? It could have been fatal if it was any worse.""Who was responsible for watching Leo today? How could they be so negligent and let the child get injured so badly?""This doesn't look like any ordinary wound. It looks like it wa
"Stop looking at me like that. If you want to kill or torture me, go ahead." Cynthia knew what would happen to her after the truth came out, so she gave up struggling. "However, even after my death, I'll haunt you for the rest of your life!"As they listened to her absurd threat, Lana and the Traffic Light Trio burst into laughter."If ghosts were real, then Emilia would be the first to look for you."When her deceased sister was mentioned, Cynthia's smile remained unchanged. "That fool probably never knew it was me who betrayed her until her death."Considering the situation, Cynthia didn't believe she could leave the Garrison Villa tonight."What exactly do you gain by single-handedly destroying the Cooper family?"Lana was still very confused by Cynthia's actions.After all, Emilia and Cynthia were twins and had the same blood coursing through their veins. With all the Coopers gone, Cynthia had nothing to gain from it either!Cynthia sneered at Lana's question. "Lana, yo
On the evening of the banquet, the Garrison Villa was bustling with distinguished guests.Initially, everyone's attention was on the precious great-grandson of the Garrison and Kane family. With his confident and lively demeanor, the chubby child was absolutely adorable. Everyone was naturally curious about who the child might have chosen as his stepmother.It should be noted that the Garrison and Kane family only had one great-grandson. His future was destined to be extraordinary. As long as one could control the child, it was much more worthwhile than dealing with those individuals from the two affluent families.After all, the elders from the two families were very attentive and doting toward this child. Surprisingly, Liam, who was said to have been away from home for a long time, had returned. During the reception of guests, he unexpectedly had a smile on his face.The ladies who had come tonight, vying for the position of Liam's wife, became even more excited.Liam typi
On the night before the banquet, Romelius and Mandy finally brought Leonardo back.Lana was overjoyed, and she immediately went to the bungalow where they were staying.At that time, Leonardo had just returned home and was playing with toys on the living room floor."Leo, you're back! Did you miss Mommy? Mommy missed you so much!"Lana ran toward Leonardo, talking to him while reaching out to hug him. In a flash, Leonardo suddenly ran toward Romelius while holding a toy car.After that, he kept hiding in his arms, refusing to come out. He would occasionally peek out from the gaps to glance at Lana.His actions clearly showed that he refused to accept Lana.Lana's enthusiasm was dampened, and her outstretched arms awkwardly remained in midair. She looked at Romelius and then at Mandy as if waiting for them to persuade Leonardo. However, these two remained silent and only greeted Lana in a casual manner."Oh, Lana, you've come?" Mandy said while presenting her with a basket o
Due to the fact that the Garrison family was going to hold a banquet to introduce the mother of their beloved great-grandson, Leonardo, the Garrisons once again became the talk of the town in Dawsbury.The last time Dawsbury was so lively was when Hector introduced the Garrison family's heir to everyone.As soon as the news was released, the Garrisons became noticeably busier in the following days. All of them were busy scurrying around and helping Hector deliver the invitations.In addition to people who had business dealings with the Garrison family, the invitations were naturally sent to people who were familiar with Lana in the past. Therefore, as soon as the Traffic Light Trio received the invitation, they didn't even go to work and immediately ran to Liam's office—intending to get an explanation from him.At that time, Liam had just finished a phone call from overseas and was deep in thought when the office door was suddenly kicked open.Lincoln stood at the door, looking
With that, Sawyer ignored the unpleasant expressions on Freya and Hector's faces. He immediately picked up his child and walked away.Hector was furious. He glared at Liam, his eyes burning with anger. It was clear that he thought Liam was the one responsible for Lana's predicament.Liam was once again innocently caught in the crossfire.Freya set aside her current tasks, offered some comforting words to Hector, and then got up and chased after them.She knew Sawyer well enough and was certain that he would never have treated someone like this unless there was a reason.As Freya's family of three left, Lana's face bore a sorrowful expression. "Since I'm not welcome here, I guess I'll just go."With that, Lana got up and walked toward the door.Hector and Violet had been waiting for Lana's return for a long time. Now that she was finally back, how could they possibly let her go?Naturally, the two of them chased after Lana and tried to talk her out of leaving. They eventually ma
Liam sensed a challenging undertone in Lana's stare. After all this time, had they truly become adversaries?Releasing Lana abruptly, Violet gently patted her arm, her eyes filled with profound hurt."You're here, alive and well. Why did you leave us in the shadows? Even if you chose not to contact anyone else, you should've considered reaching out to me. Do you have any idea how much I missed you?"Over the years, Violet had been grappling with a deep sense of loss.Though it remained an unspoken sentiment among them, Violet was aware of the underlying blame directed toward Liam for what was believed to be Lana's demise.Had Liam been more emotionally available, their relationship wouldn't have crumbled. It would've stopped Lana from seeking refuge overseas while carrying their child, an act that set the stage for her heartbreaking destiny.Witnessing Liam's anguish and believing Lana to be lost forever had taken a severe toll on Violet's health, aging her considerably."Gr
Liam guided Leo to Lana's room.As they entered, Lana was already awake, bathed in the serene morning light streaming through the window.Upon hearing their arrival, Lana, while brushing her hair, shifted her gaze toward them—a familiar scene echoing times gone by."Good morning, Liam and Leo!" she greeted them effortlessly.Without hesitation, Leonardo squirmed out of Liam's embrace and darted toward Lana, exclaiming, "Hi, Nana!"Lana paused, momentarily surprised by Leonardo's nickname. "Leo, you should be calling me 'Mommy'!" she gently corrected him.Leonardo hesitated momentarily before redirecting his attention to Liam.Even though Liam hadn't exchanged a single word with Lana, he spoke up when Leo glanced his way, firmly stating, "Feel free to do as you wish. There's no need to seek my approval. Alright?"Leonardo nodded obediently and turned his gaze back to Lana, continuing to address her as "Nana."While Lana appeared somewhat displeased by this unexpected turn of ev