The staff assumed Lana was joking. They continued to smile politely. "Miss, you must be kidding. You two are perfect in both appearance and charm. So, how could a pair like you not be a perfect match? Who else should we choose?""But we're not ..." Lana started, intending to clarify their relationship. However, Liam abruptly interrupted, "What's the prize?"Lana fell silent.Was Liam seriously interested in such a trivial reward?It seemed the wealthier people became, the more miserly they turned.Upon hearing Liam's question, the staff ushered them to the counter. "We've prepared something special for you both. Please take a look."On the counter were two small black velvet jewelry boxes, each containing a pair of rings. They were simple 925 silver rings, elegant in their understated design. It was the kind found in any jewelry store."These rings serve as a testament to everlasting love. It paved the way for your journey to the altar," the staff explained. The gesture refl
Xander's face turned red, a wave of overwhelming sensations leaving his throat constricted.Heat surged from his face to his neck, his eyes fixed on Lana's hand in his. His heart pounded so fiercely that he feared he might collapse on the spot.Sensing Xander's nervousness, Lana promptly released his hand."I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," she apologized sincerely.Xander lowered the car window, welcoming the cool breeze to dispel the heat inside the car."Honestly, I wouldn't mind these sudden moments more often." He smiled, though a flicker of disappointment crossed his eyes. It hinted at his regret over Lana's swift withdrawal.Lana's cheeks flushed with a rosy hue. She made a conscious effort to suppress the playful thoughts that bubbled within her.Sensing Xander's sincerity, Lana grappled with her feelings about their budding relationship. Despite her uncertainties about the future, she respected his feelings. She was keenly aware of the depth of his sincerity
In the hushed atmosphere of the hospital room, Romelius shifted uneasily. His gaze fell to his quivering legs. Trying to conceal his discomfort, he mumbled, "My legs are itching."Lana's expression darkened as she retorted, "You're lucky you said that only around me. If the elders heard it, you'd be in some serious trouble."Nervously, Romelius nodded and managed a sheepish grin. "I won't say such words again in the future, I promise."Lana remained perplexed."Seriously, what's going on with you two lately?" She paused, searching their faces for answers. "Why do you act so cautiously around me? I'm not a monster, you know."This odd behavior from Romelius and Mandy had begun back in the previous hospital.Lana couldn't shake off her confusion. They seemed afraid she might bail on them at any moment.Romelius and Mandy exchanged uneasy glances.They couldn't meet Lana's eyes because of the guilt weighing heavily on their hearts.Despite Lana being sent away after birth, Ro
"Ms. Clark, I understand your concerns," Freya said persuasively. "Rest assured, if Mr. Garrison Senior can't be cured, we won't hold you responsible."However, should he recover, the Garrison family will owe you a favor. Given your new status in Dawsbury City, I believe some assistance in the business world would be invaluable."With just a word from us, the Garrisons, there's nothing beyond our reach."Freya's statement was tinged with arrogance. Even so, it held a genuine promise."Very well, please arrange for a car to pick me up," Lana agreed. Then, she gave Freya Mandy's hospital address.After the call ended, Romelius noticed Lana's troubled expression."Lana, is there something on your mind? You can talk to me. I'm here to help you."Lana shook her head. She recounted the details of her conversation with Freya."What? Freya contacted you personally?" Romelius was usually composed. However, he was visibly taken aback by Freya's direct approach."Is she truly that influe
The room brimmed with joy as everyone celebrated.Wearing a satisfied smile, Freya mimicked Lana's cunning tone. She playfully rubbed her round belly and teased, "Dad, when did you learn to speak like that?"Hector grew increasingly frustrated. He retorted, "What do you mean, learn to speak? I've always—"He abruptly stopped, startled by his own words.Just a few days ago, he had suffered a stroke and was unable to speak. He had to rely on conservative treatment from his private doctor.Yet now, after Lana treated him with acupuncture, he could talk again?Amidst his astonishment, Hector looked at Lana with newfound respect. "Lana, your medical skills are truly exceptional!"Lana didn't downplay the compliment and replied, "I'm just average, ranked third best in the world."Her mentor held the first position, and her senior colleague claimed the second. Hence, Lana considered herself third.Freya's face rarely broke into a smile. She commented, "Ms. Clark, I'm glad I made the
"Aim his arrow?" Hector's revelation left Lana stunned. "So he wants to shoot me to death?" she uttered in disbelief.Hector hurriedly clarified, "No, no, no! Cupid, the god of love, wants you and my grandson to be together!"Lana shook her head, denying the offer. "No, no, no. Such a good opportunity should be reserved for a nice girl from a good family. I'll pass," she said firmly.Recently crowned as the wealthiest woman in Zanteles, Lana had no intention of being ensnared in the cage of marriage again.Outside, there were plenty of handsome and caring young men waiting for her affection.Unfazed by Lana's initial rejection, Hector remained persistent. "Well, if you won't accept my proposal to be my granddaughter-in-law, at least do me the honor of attending the homecoming dinner for my stubborn grandson."Given that it was merely a dinner event, Lana agreed.She acknowledged her limited social circle in the new city. Thus, Lana viewed the Garrison family's invitation a
"Sorry Jeff, but I already have plans for Sunday. How about another time?" Nadia's polite decline was met with a familiar sigh from Jeff.He had grown accustomed to her rejections. Still, a hint of sadness lingered in his voice. "Nadia, when will you be able to accept my invitation?"Don't you trust me? If you need to, I can introduce you to my parents right away, even my whole family."Jeff was genuinely smitten. He was eager to express his affection for Nadia, the girl he deeply admired.As Jeff grew more patient and understanding, Nadia's heart weighed heavier with concern.Having experienced mistreatment in the past, she wrestled with feelings of unworthiness. Despite recognizing Jeff as a kind and decent man, she was hesitant. She didn't want to shatter his heart."Jeff, please don't misunderstand. It's not what you think. I just … I just …" Nadia hesitated, struggling to find the right words to convey her emotions.With a resigned sigh, Jeff replied, "I understand, Nadia.
Why was Lana here?What made her deserving of an invitation to the Garrison family heir's homecoming dinner?Rosa couldn't help but envy Lana's effortless charm. It was a quality that seemed to outshine her own carefully chosen outfit.Sensing Rosa's jealousy, Lana teased her with a disdainful whistle. It instantly cast a shadow over Rosa's expression.Reluctantly, Rosa approached Lana. She avoided eye contact as she whispered under her breath, "Hello, Queen Lana."Feigning ignorance, Lana asked, "I'm sorry. What did you say?"Rosa's frustration grew. It became increasingly clear that Lana was intentionally embarrassing her in front of everyone.Despite her irritation, Rosa felt compelled to adhere to the instructions Joyce had given her before they left the house.Reluctantly, in the end, Rosa complied and shouted, "Hello, Queen Lana." Her voice was laced with an unmistakable tone of grievance.Lana's smile turned into a mocking grin. "Good girl! If only you were this obedien
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