Leanna had had a drink. She stood in front of the Rolls-Royce Phantom in a form-fitting and seductive dress. Her arms were opened in a final attempt to win Lorian back, who was sitting inside the car.Lorian quietly observed Leanna from the black Rolls-Royce Phantom. It was true that he had never loved her. On top of that, their engagement had been called off. However, he still felt compelled to get out of the car and speak with her.Leanna's face lit up with surprise. She called out his name and reached out to touch him. However, the indifference in his eyes made her hesitate. Overwhelmed, she shook her head gently and took a step back.Leanna glanced at the villa in the darkness. Then, she looked back at Lorian. Her voice was soft and filled with pain. “You’ve moved back here? From the very beginning, you didn’t want to part ways with Tegan, did you? You were just too proud, too afraid of disappointing her. "Now that she’s given birth to your child, you finally have a legitimate
Lorian said, “Tegan doesn’t want to come back. She wants to stay in Crocksten a bit longer. I’m running back and forth. Sometimes, dealing with women is just impossible.”The servant smiled in agreement. Lorian sat briefly before heading to the study on the second floor. He aimed to finish his work early so he could fly to Crocksten on Friday to see Lola and Tegan, even if it was just for a couple of nights.In the blink of an eye, it was 2:00 am. When the night was quiet, Lorian exited the study and walked into the villa’s corridor. He opened the door to the master bedroom, which he had shared with Tegan. He stood in the center of the room and removed his tie gently.At that moment, he was overwhelmed by longing. Lorian hadn’t expected that Leanna would already travel to Crocksten before he himself had a chance to go there.Back in Crocksten, Tegan sat in a café. She was dressed in a white shirt and a light gray woolen shawl over her. She might've looked delicate and slightly weak
Lorian’s voice was calm and unyielding. “Yes, I’m heartbroken.”Leanna could hardly believe it. She hadn't even done anything to Tegan, and yet he was this protective of the latter. It showed how much he cared. Leanna’s heart ached, but Lorian turned to Tegan and said, “You should go back first. I’ll talk to her for a bit before coming home.”Home? Leanna was stunned. Lorian referred to Tegan’s place as his home, which left her feeling even more bewildered. What did that make her? Was she the former fiancée? Leanna watched as Tegan left. Lorian even helped the latter up thoughtfully, indicating how much he longed to be with Tegan. What did that make Leanna, then?After Tegan left, Lorian’s gaze returned to Leanna. He couldn't smoke inside the café, so he placed his cigarette case on the table as he sat down. His eyes were fixed on Leanna, and his voice was unusually cold. It was a stark contrast to the warmth he had shown in Brookesville. Leanna’s presence in Crocksten had cle
Lola's skin was soft and tender, but her hair was sparse, resembling a cute little kiwi. As Lorian gently touched their baby daughter, Tegan shifted uncomfortably. He couldn't help but chuckle softly.Lorian's voice was very hoarse. "We're still married, Tegan."Tegan turned her back to him. "Not anymore."Lorian moved closer and sat beside her. He gently embraced her from behind and displayed a tenderness he had rarely shown."Are you still upset about Leanna? We’ve already called off our engagement. Don’t take her words too seriously. She means nothing to me now. Also, nothing ever happened between us."Tegan instinctively resisted him, but Lorian did not relent. He continued to hold her and play with Lola, who was in her arms. It turned Tegan's face red and her heart raced. She couldn't control her emotions.They had been married and were deeply familiar with each other's bodies and feelings. Lorian’s chiseled face pressed against her neck. His voice was soft and seductive.
Tegan looked at Lorian.The bedroom lights were all off. The only thing visible was Lorian's outline as he lay on the sofa. The weather at the end of August was starting to get a bit chilly. However, Lorian liked the coolness and only had a thin blanket over him.Tegan's mind was swirling with Paityn's words from earlier. Did she still love Lorian? She couldn't fall asleep with so much on her mind. She tossed and turned.In the darkness, Lorian's low and husky voice came through: "If you really can't sleep, how about we do something else?"Tegan was at a loss for words. She thought Lorian was truly shameless. However, she did feel a bit unsettled. So, she decided to get up. She intended to go to the bathroom to wash her face and calm down. As soon as Tegan started to rise, a firm arm grabbed her. The next thing she knew, a warm body was lying beside her, holding her tightly and refusing to let go.Tegan froze for a moment. "Lorian!"Lorian held her close in the darkness. He did
At 9:00 am, Lorian took Tegan and Lola to the hospital for a check-up.Once they were in the car, Lorian turned to look at his wife and daughter in the back seat. He spoke in a very gentle tone. Tegan responded softly, "Okay.” Instead of starting the car right away, however, Lorian continued in a softer voice: “How about moving back to Brookesville with me? If you want to visit your mother, we can fly over together. I want to be with you and Lola every day, Tegan. Let’s remarry!”Tegan’s smile froze slightly.Lorian wouldn’t let her avoid the issue. He fixed his gaze on her, “Have you still not changed your mind after you have all night to think about it?”In the past, Tegan would have agreed without hesitation. After what happened last night, however, she felt less certain. She gently touched Lola's face with her delicate fingers and murmured, “Let me think about it.”Lorian playfully added, “A man’s youth is limited too.”“Find someone else, then,” Tegan responded with a hint
Bright red blood flowed down from Lorian's forehead, gathering drop by drop along his nose before falling onto the hood of the car. The world seemed to freeze, leaving only the sound of his blood dripping.Lorian's long, delicate hands pressed against the car hood. He tried very hard to stand up. Despite that, however, he couldn't muster any strength. In the end, he could only blink gently as he gazed at Tegan and Lola. Their figures were reflected in his pupils, his sight, and his world.Tegan turned around. What she saw was Lorian lying in a pool of blood. Her pupils dilated, and she couldn't make a single sound. She couldn't even call out his name. For a long time, she could only stand there, locking gaze with him.Every time Lorian blinked, it felt so long. Every inch Tegan moved closer to him was an immense struggle. She fell into deep thought.You cannot die, Lorian. I hadn’t forgiven you yet. Our child was only 100 days old. We hadn’t even watched her grow up, nor had we s
The waiting felt endless. The entire family stood by the operating room door. All of them stared at the light above, and their eyes were filled with hope. Even Lola seemed to sense something. She was in Ocelotte’s arms, and her eyes widened as she looked at her uncle’s face. Her big dark eyes shimmered with a layer of moisture.Tegan hadn't blinked once. She refused to sit down. Instead, she stood at the door of the operating room for hours. Her eyes grew sore and swollen, and her body began to sway from exhaustion.At long last, the door to the operating room opened. The lead surgeon was the first to step out. He removed his mask and smiled faintly at the Sanders family. "The surgery was a success. Although Mr. Lorian had his spleen removed, it won’t affect his future life."At those words, the Sanders family breathed a collective sigh of relief. Tegan’s legs gave out, but Noah caught her just in time. Noah had always been fond of and satisfied with Tegan. He used his financial