Christian led Allison through the crowded club until they reached his table. His friends, already deep in conversation, looked up as they approached."Guys," Christian started, placing a hand lightly on Allison’s back, "Meet my new friend…"Allison flashed them a charming smile, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she introduced herself. "Hi, I'm Rachael. It’s nice to meet you all.”Christian’s eyes narrowed slightly the moment Allison introduced herself with a fake name. Rachael?A sneer tugged at the corner of his lips, but he quickly masked it. So, she was playing games. That much was clear. His suspicions grew stronger. If she had nothing to hide, why lie about her name? Allison was definitely up to something. Still, he didn’t call her out. Instead, he decided to play along. "Well, Rachael," he said, his voice holding the slightest edge of amusement, "these are my friends—Jake and Mark." He gestured at each of them as he introduced them, and they nodded in greeting.
Allison glanced at Christian, truly taking in his features for the first time. He was incredibly handsome—strong jawline, piercing eyes, broad shoulders. There was no denying it. Emma really did have great taste in men. Just then, Christian’s deep voice cut through her thoughts. “What are you thinking about?” Before she could react, Christian’s fingers gently lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. His touch was light, almost teasing. Allison blinked, feigning innocence. “Oh… it’s...its nothing.” But then, she quickly decided to add another layer to her act. She lowered her lashes and let out a small sigh. “I was just thinking about how I don’t want to go home,” she murmured. “I have a… really crazy boyfriend.” Christian’s brows lifted slightly. “Crazy boyfriend?” She nodded, biting her lip for dramatic effect. “Yeah… that’s actually why I came to the bar. To clear my head.” Christian leaned back, watching her carefully. Crazy boyfriend? Was she talking abou
The hotel room was silent, but the tension in the air was thick. Allison felt like the walls were closing in on her, but she forced herself to stay calm.She had expected this night to go differently. Everything had been planned perfectly. She was supposed to be in control. But now, as she stood there, staring at the man sitting in front of her, a cold shiver ran down her spine.What was he doing here? How did he find her? Most importantly…what the hell was he doing with Emma's boyfriend?The older man had sharp eyes that held a knowing look, like he had been waiting for this moment. His presence alone made her feel trapped.Christian’s voice cut through the silence. “Do you know this man?”Her eyes darted from Christian to the older man sitting across the room, trying to understand the relationship between the two of them. The old man's sharp eyes bored into her, searching, waiting.Christian leaned forward, his eyes dark with something unreadable. “Do you know this man, Rachael?” h
Darkness surrounded her. A faint voice echoed in the void, calling her name. “Allison…” At first, it was distant, like a whisper carried by the wind. Then it grew clearer. Someone was calling her. A light tap on her cheek followed. “Allison.” The touch jolted her back to reality. Her eyelids fluttered open, and the blurry figure hovering above her slowly came into focus. Christian.He was staring down at her, his sharp features impassive, his expression unreadable. “You decided to go all Sleeping Beauty on me,” he said dryly, amusement flickering in his voice. “Turns out, that’s not going to save you.” Allison blinked rapidly, her mind struggling to catch up. For a few seconds, she simply stared at him, dazed. Then everything came rushing back—the confrontation, the revelation, the sheer terror that had paralyzed her. Christian was her brother-in-law!She jerked upright, her heart hammering against her ribs. Her eyes darted around the room, searching for an escape rout
Silence stretched between them. Allison’s stomach twisted. She clenched her fists as Christian’s words hung in the air. Her heart pounded—not from fear, but from the weight of the choice she had to make. She felt trapped, with no way out. She had married into the Muller family because of her pregnancy, and when her husband died, she received a large inheritance because of Henry. That money gave her security—a future. If she admitted that Henry was Nathaniel’s son, Christian would take him away. And if that happened, she would lose everything she had built with David. But if she said Henry was David’s son, she would lose all that inheritance. And to think that David only stayed with her because of Henry. Her son was her only source of power in the Lawson family. Without Henry, what did she have? Nothing. She had spent years securing her place beside David, making sure he saw her as the mother of his child. That title gave her status—a reason for him to keep her close. If
Children were running across the playground, climbing monkey bars, and playing on slides. Among them, two young girls sat on the swings, their small legs kicking forward as they tried to soar higher. Claire giggled as she swung back and forth, enjoying the light breeze against her face. Beside her, her classmate and friend, Emily, smiled, trying to match Claire’s rhythm. “This is fun!” Emily said, gripping the chains tightly. Claire smiled brightly. “I told you! Swinging makes you feel like you can fly!” Just as Emily was starting to relax, a shadow suddenly loomed over them. A bigger boy, taller and older than them, stood in front of the swings with his arms crossed. His dark shone with arrogance, and he tilted his chin up in a display of confidence. His name was Lucas, Claire and Emily's classmate, and everyone in school knew him. He was the son of a very wealthy and influential man, and he never let anyone forget it. “Get off right now,” Lucas ordered the girls in a sh
Christian quickly masked his expression, forcing himself to remain composed despite the unexpected revelation. He hadn't anticipated running into Allison’s son like this—let alone seeing how close he and Claire had become. His mind was still racing when Henry, his tone curious, spoke up. “Claire, why do you call him Uncle Chris instead of ‘Dad’?”Claire blinked at the question, glancing up at Christian with a nervous smile. She didn't even know when she had addressed Christian as ‘Uncle Chris’ in front of everyone, whereas everyone thought he was her dad. Before she could respond, Christian smoothly stepped in, flashing his usual confident grin. “Well, you see, Henry,” he said, crouching slightly to the boy’s level, “Claire and I like to play a little game sometimes. She calls me ‘Uncle,’ while I call her…” He trailed off for a little dramatic effect, turning to Claire with an amused smirk. “What’s that name again? Oh, right! My little tornado.”Claire groaned, rolling her eye
Claire sat on the swing while Henry stood behind her, gently pushing her forward. Unlike the other children playing wildly, their play was calm—almost too quiet.After a few moments, Claire suddenly dragged her feet on the ground to stop the swing. She twisted around to look at Henry.“Henry, what’s wrong?” she asked. “You’ve been very quiet. Are you okay? Are you tired of pushing me?”Without hesitation, she got off the swing and offered, “If you're tired, I don't mind pushing you on the swing.”Henry blinked at her and quickly shook his head. “No,” he murmured. “I'm not tired.”Claire tilted her head, unconvinced. “Then what is it?”Henry hesitated. His gaze shifted slightly, and Claire followed his line of sight to see the two men standing a few meters away. They were dressed in black, their eyes scanning the playground with vigilance.Henry’s special guards.He sighed and kicked at the dirt with his shoe. “I just… I don’t like being followed all the time,” he admitted. “It’s annoy
The heavy silence in the room was abruptly interrupted by the soft click of the door.Mathew Smith stepped into the living room. His gaze swept across the room, landing on each person, one by one, noting the uncomfortable tension thick in the air.His eyes narrowed."What is going on here?" he asked.No one spoke. Not even the servants. Everyone seemed frozen, unsure of how to respond.Isabel's angry expression shifted in an instant. The moment she saw Mathew walk in, the sharp look on her face softened, replaced by one of hurt and grievance. She hurried over to his side as if she couldn’t wait to be the first to speak, to let him hear how unfairly she’d been supposedly treated by Emma."Darling, You're back," she said softly, with a sigh. "I tried to be accomodating. I truly did. But Emma... I just don't know. She disrespected me in front of the servants, all because I asked about her daughter. I really didn't mean any harm."Isabel already knew that none of the maids would dare spe
Emma’s heart stopped for a split second, then her feet were already moving. She rushed into the living room, her breath caught in her throat, her eyes darting everywhere until they landed on Claire.Claire stood frozen, just a few meters away from Isabel, her tiny face filled with fear and confusion.A broken glass cup lay in pieces on the floor near Isabel's feet, and the older woman stood rigid, glaring accusingly at the child. The atmosphere in the room was thick.Emma rushed to Claire’s side, instantly kneeling to examine her. “Claire! Are you alright?” she asked urgently, her voice sharp with worry.She scanned her daughter for cuts or injuries, running her hands gently over the little girl's arms and checking her clothes.Claire nodded, eyes wide. “I’m okay, Mommy,” she whispered, her small fingers clutching at Emma’s sleeve.Emma stood up and turned sharply to Isabel, her brows furrowed. “What happened?”Isabel raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. Her tone was laced with irrit
Emma was at the hospital, jotting down notes from a patient’s chart. She was focused on work, as usual, when her phone vibrated in the pocket of her coat.She pulled it out and saw the caller ID. It turned out to be her father.She blinked at the screen. Her fingers paused in mid-air. Why was her father calling her now?Her heart skipped slightly. It had been a while since they last spoke—and even then, their last conversation hadn't ended well.What could he possibly want now?She took a deep breath and answered, slowly pressing the phone to her ear."Hello?"Her father's voice came through—deep, stern, and cold. "Is it true?"Emma frowned. "Is what true? What are you talking about?"There was a short silence before his voice came again, this time quieter, but with disappointment clinging to every word."That you have a child."Emma froze.Her grip on the phone tightened. She shut her eyes briefly, letting out a slow breath. So he already knew.Of course, he would find out. News trav
Emma gave a small smile to herself, sat up straighter, and gave Irene a gentle smile.“I’ll admit it—I’m not exactly a social butterfly,” she said with a light laugh. “These kinds of events aren’t really my comfort zone.”She paused, her expression turning thoughtful. “But as a medical doctor, I’ve always believed there are so many other meaningful ways to give back. Reaching out to people who truly need help—that’s where I feel I can make the biggest difference.”Allison scoffed and looked away, clearly uninterested in what Emma had to say. But Irene’s expression was different. She looked at Emma with interest, her eyebrows raised and her lips slightly parted, as if she was thinking carefully about Emma's words."How can I help?" Irene asked, her voice soft but curious. "How can I reach out to people who need help?"Emma nodded and began to speak with more confidence."There are so many people who can’t even afford basic medical care. It breaks my heart. In some underdeveloped countr
David came back to the table and found everyone laughing and smiling. Christian was busy chatting with Alfred and Irene, and even Allison seemed to be in a good mood. David paused for a second, then cleared his throat and gave a small smile."Sorry for the delay," he said.Alfred turned to him right away. "David, are you okay with the contract now? Do you think we can move forward with it?"David glanced briefly at Emma. He had thought long and hard about it and had made up his mind."Yes," he answered. "I'm willing and ready to partner with Christian."Alfred smiled, clearly pleased. Irene nodded along, looking happy as well."That's wonderful news," she said."Then let's make a toast!" Alfred raised his glass. "To a successful partnership. We can discuss further details later."Everyone lifted their wine glasses and made a toast. There were smiles all around, and the mood at the table grew lighter and happier. Soon, the waiters came in with their meals, and the plates were filled wi
David couldn’t believe his ears. His mind went blank for a moment as he stared at the man seated across the table from him. Of all the people in the world, why did it have to be him? Why did it just have to be Christian Muller?!Alfred, sensing David’s shift in demeanor, leaned forward, sounding concerned. “Is something wrong, David?” he asked. His eyes flicked briefly to Christian and then back to David.David didn’t answer. He couldn’t. His eyes remained locked on Christian, unmoving, his fists clenched in anger.Alfred, however, misunderstood David’s reaction and gave a light-hearted chuckle. “Ah, I see. You’re wondering if Christian is capable. I assure you, David, Christian is very good at what he does.”He leaned back, his tone proud. “His father has been a close friend and business partner of mine for decades. When I found out Christian was in New York, I didn’t think twice. He’s quite sharp, innovative, and has a mind for business. I truly believe the synergy between you
Weeks slipped by quickly for David. Each passing day blurred into the next, his thoughts haunted by the confrontation with Emma.The memory of her harsh words—of him not being worthy to father a child conceived by her—echoed in his mind over and over again. He tried to throw himself into work, convincing himself that focusing on it would help him forget.Tonight, however, demanded his full attention. The Whitmores had scheduled a dinner meeting with the other potential business partner they hoped David would collaborate with.This partnership had been in the works for weeks. The Whitmores believed it would be mutually beneficial to bring both companies together, and today, both CEOs would be discussing the proposal with the Whitmores.David adjusted the cuffs of his navy-blue suit and straightened his tie in front of the mirror. The tailored suit hugged his frame sharply, making him look good. Just as he reached for his cufflinks, a soft knock sounded on the door.Allison walked in, d
Allison sniffled, pretending to be hurt, but Emma ignored her entirely. She turned, took Claire’s hand, and pulled her toward the door.David watched Emma leaving with Claire and hesitated. He felt torn, caught in the middle of a whirlwind of emotions. His heart pounded in his chest as he watched her figure disappearing from the room. There were so many questions swirling in his mind—questions clawing at his chest, demanding answers. His need to know, to confirm what he feared, overpowered everything else in that moment."Emma! Wait!” he called out.Allison, sensing the shift in attention—seeing that David was about to go after Emma—immediately let out a dramatic gasp, clutching her cheek as though in pain.Her voice trembled as she cried out, "David... David, please... my cheek... it hurts so much..." She placed a hand dramatically over her face, letting tears well in her eyes, using every ounce of her performance to redirect David’s focus back to her."How could Emma do this to me
Emma stormed into Allison's house, anger burning in her eyes. But the moment she walked right in, she stilled. It felt like the air had been knocked out of her chest. Her eyes landed on Claire and David. There they were—smiling at each other, their expressions filled with warmth. Emma stood frozen, her mind struggling to process the scene before her.They had finally met!At first, she felt nothing but shock. It was as if time had stopped. But then, a sharp pain hit her heart, and her shock quickly turned into anger. Her hands clenched into fists, her jaw tightened, and her face darkened. David turned at the sound of footsteps and was startled to see Emma charging toward him. His brows furrowed in confusion. What was she doing here? Had she come to see him? He never expected that Emma would take the initiative to seek him out.A flicker of something almost like hope surfaced in his chest. He opened his mouth to call her name, to ask—but before he could utter a single word, Emma br