Christian stepped out of David’s home, taking a deep breath to clear his mind. The weight of everything that had happened today still pressed against his chest, but for now, he focused on the sleeping child in his arms. Claire had refused to let go of him, even in sleep, her small hands clutching his shirt tightly. He couldn't help but wonder how scared Claire must have been before they found her and Henry.He glanced at Ali, his friend, who happened to be a hacker and a private investigator, one of the best in the country, nodding in gratitude. “Thanks for coming to help.”Ali gave Christian a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “I wouldn’t have let you handle this alone. You've helped me in the past; I only returned the favor.”Christian’s gaze darkened momentarily as he thought about the janitor. That dumb, senseless man was fortunate—very fortunate that he hadn’t dared to harm Claire when they traced his fat ass. If he had, Christian wouldn’t have hesitated to make him regret it.Wi
Emma stirred the simmering pot of soup, the aroma filling the kitchen as she focused on finishing breakfast. She was getting everything ready when a small, sleepy voice called out to her."Mommy..."Turning swiftly, Emma found Claire standing by the doorway, rubbing her tiny fists against her eyes, with her toy in hand. Her soft curls were tousled from sleep, and she yawned as she looked around.A smile softened Emma’s face as she wiped her hands on a kitchen towel and walked over to her daughter. Kneeling down, she scooped Claire into her arms, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead."Good morning, sweetheart. Did you sleep well?"Claire snuggled against her, nodding sleepily. "Mhm... but I had a dream."Emma chuckled lightly. "A dream? Do you want to tell me about it?"Claire shook her head. "Not now, mommy. Later."Emma smiled, brushing back a stray curl from her daughter’s forehead. "Alright then. Go upstairs and freshen up while I finish breakfast. I'll come help you in a few min
Emma sat stiffly on the couch, her fingers intertwined tightly in her lap as she looked at the two figures in front of her. Christian and Claire both wore the same pleading expression, their eyes wide with anticipation as they awaited her answer. It was almost funny how similar they looked at that moment—wide eyes, furrowed brows, and slightly open mouths, staring at her in shock. They turned to each other at the exact same time, their expressions matching perfectly, before quickly looking back at her again. It was like watching two characters in a cartoon reacting to a surprise. Emma had noticed before how much they acted alike, but this was something else. If someone else had been in the room, they would have no doubt that Christian was Claire’s real father. She shook her head and smiled. With the way these two behaved, she knew she could never really say no to them.With a sigh, she finally relented. "Fine. Claire can continue schooling here."Before either of them could cele
After a while, Christian set Claire down and gently nudged her toward the other room. "Go inside and watch your favorite cartoon on your iPad, Kiddo. I need to talk to your mom."Claire nodded and turned to leave, but then she paused, grinning. "Okay, Daddy!" she chirped before running off.Christian froze. His heart skipped a beat at the unexpected name, warmth spreading through him. Emma saw the way his eyes softened, the way his lips parted slightly as if he wanted to savor the moment forever.Then, as Claire disappeared into the next room, Christian turned to Emma, his expression shifting into something more serious."Emma," he said softly. " As much as I love this—being Claire’s father in every way that matters— I think there's something else we need to discuss."Emma frowned slightly, her nerves prickling. "What is it?"Christian took a deep breath. "Are you certain that you want nothing to do with David anymore? That you don’t want Claire to ever recognize him as her father?"E
Allison ran her fingers along the silk fabric of a designer dress, admiring the details as she flipped through the latest collection of one of her favorite brands. Shopping had always been her therapy, a way to distract herself from the chaos of life. But before she could fully immerse herself in the experience, a respectful yet firm voice interrupted her thoughts."Madam, it's time to pick up young master Henry from school," one of her guards informed her.She glanced at her phone and tsked, realizing it was indeed time. So soon? She'd just barely started shopping.With a sigh, she turned to the store manager, who was standing beside her, treating her like a goddess because he knew just how important she was."Wrap everything up quickly," she instructed sharply.“Yes, Ma'am.”She had been so careful about Henry’s safety since the kidnapping incident and wasn’t about to take any risks. Every morning, she personally dropped him off at school with the guards and made sure to pick him u
Emma let out a deep sigh as she began to pull off her surgical clothes. Today’s surgery had been a grueling one—tough, exhausting, but ultimately successful. She had known it would be complicated, but unforeseen delays and complications had stretched the procedure far longer than expected.Reaching for her phone, she frowned at the number of missed calls. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the name—Ms. Maryjane, Claire's teacher. Damn it.She quickly checked the time. She was already an hour late picking Claire up from school. Christian had mentioned earlier that he would be traveling for a business trip, meaning the responsibility was solely on her today.She hurriedly dialed Ms. Maryjane’s number while grabbing her things, ready to rush to Claire’s school. The teacher picked up after a few rings.“Ms. Maryjane, I’m so sorry! I just saw your missed calls. I had a major surgery today, and it ran longer than expected. I’m on my way to pick up Claire now.”A brief pause. Then, Ms. M
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
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
"The investigation into the overseas branch is getting deeper," Mr. Coleman, the Finance Director, said grimly, flipping through a folder. "They're looking into money laundering claims now. If we don’t act fast, it’s not just the fines we’re facing — it's possible criminal charges for the involved parties."A tense murmur passed through the room.David sat at the long polished conference table, his fingers loosely tapping a pen against his notepad. The heavy atmosphere in the boardroom matched the stormy skies gathering outside the tall glass windows. Around him, the board members of Lawson Enterprises discussed the growing list of problems their company was facing.He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. His voice, calm but firm. “We need to cooperate fully with the investigators. Scrub all accounts clean, audit every department, and terminate anyone even remotely involved. Transparency is the only way we survive this."Some nodded in agreement, others shifted uncomfort
After that chaotic and painful day, Emma's life gradually returned to its familiar rhythm.She picked up her work at the hospital again, focusing on her patients and responsibilities. Claire resumed school, her cheerful giggles echoing once more in the mornings. To outsiders, everything seemed back to normal — the same Emma, the same daily life.But inside, something had shifted.Emma and Christian were no longer just friends. They had crossed a line they hadn’t dared cross before, and although it still felt a little new, a little strange, Emma welcomed the quiet comfort it brought her. Christian's presence was steady and warm, and it wrapped around her like a safety net she didn't realize she had needed for so long.Still, some days, it surprised her just how much their relationship had changed.Like today.Emma was juggling her handbag, Claire’s lunchbox, and a folder of school papers as she stepped out of her apartment. Claire was already waiting in the backseat of the car, hummin
"Christian… would you… be willing to be with me?”The moment the words left Emma's mouth, she shut her eyes, unsure if she had said too much or not enough. Her heart was pounding now.There was a pause on the other end. For a second, she thought maybe the line had gone dead.Then his voice came through, gentle and serious."Are you still at home?" he asked."Yes," she replied quietly."Don’t go anywhere. Just wait for me."Before she could say anything else, he hung up.Christian stared at his phone for a second, as if trying to process what just happened. Then a wide smile spread across his face. His heart raced, his hands felt a little shaky, but in the best way possible.Without wasting a second, he grabbed his keys and headed straight for the door. He didn’t care how late it was or how tired he felt. All he knew was that he needed to see Emma right now. When Christian got to Emma’s apartment, he didn’t even wait for her to buzz him in—she was already by the door, waiting.He stoo
Christian pulled up in front of Emma's house. The car ride had been quiet, really quiet. As he parked, Emma unbuckled her seatbelt and said, "Thank you." Her voice was soft, almost distant.Christian watched her closely as she reached for the door handle. He wanted to say something—anything—that would make her pause, look back, maybe smile. But Emma just stared ahead, her face tired and unreadable.Before she could step out, he gently reached for her hand.“Emma,” he said softly, “how are you feeling?”She turned her eyes to him, surprised by the touch. There was a long silence before she finally shrugged.“I’m okay,” she muttered, but even she didn’t sound convinced.Christian gave her hand a small squeeze. “Don’t think too much about everything that happened tonight, alright? I know it feels heavy right now, but things will settle. Your dad… he’ll come around.”Emma let out a bitter scoff and looked away. “You think so? He’s too wrapped up in Isabel and Allison’s vines of lies to s
Christian stepped out of the car and walked straight toward David. His face was cold, and his eyes were sharp."I've given you enough chances, David," Christian said firmly. "More than once, and now, you've lost all your chances."David frowned, confused by the sudden confrontation. Before he could ask what Christian meant, Christian went on."I gave you the first chance to protect Emma. You failed. Then, I gave you a second chance—this time, to take her away with you. I deliberately stayed out of it, hoping you'd finally make a move. But, as always, you hesitated.”David opened his mouth to respond, but Christian cut him off."You decided to still be the same coward Emma fell in love with five years ago," Christian said bluntly.David's eyes showed a flicker of emotion, but he tried to stay calm. Christian just didn't care."Do you know the difference between the both of us?” Christian suddenly asked. “You don't need to answer that; I'll tell you myself. You're a very selfish man.”"
Christian didn’t waste anymore second.He stepped forward and pulled Emma’s hand away from David’s grip. His face was calm, but his eyes were sharp and cold. There was no need for words—his action said it all.“It’s getting late already,” Christian said, “Since the restaurant manager is here to handle things, and no one’s talking about what happened anymore. So, I guess everything’s fine and we can take our leave now.”David stayed quiet, his hands by his side, but his eyes followed Emma sadly.Christian turned to Mathew and gave a small, stiff nod. “Thank you for your hospitality tonight,” he said.And just like that, he turned to leave with Emma by his side.But they hadn’t gone far when Mathew called out.“Emma,” he said loudly.They stopped walking. Emma turned around slowly, her face calm but tired.Mathew walked toward her with a guilty look on his face. His voice was quiet and unsure.“I’m sorry… for how things turned out tonight,” he said. “I-”“This is the last time,” she sai
The garden had fallen into complete silence. Allison's words hung heavy in the air, like a bitter fog no one could escape from.David stood frozen, still holding Emma's wrist, but the strength in his fingers slowly weakened. His mind was in chaos, and guilt spread through his heart. Allison's voice kept repeating in his head, making him wonder if he had truly failed as a father.Emma felt David's grip loosen. She looked up at him and saw the guilt written clearly on his face. Her heart ached as she realized what he was thinking. He believed Allison's words. He believed he had been a bad father.Emma couldn’t stay silent anymore. Enough was enough. For too long, she had allowed Allison to control the conversation with her false accusations, her self-pity, and her guilt-tripping. But not anymore.She pulled her hand away gently from David and stepped forward, facing Allison head-on. There was a cold sneer on her lips as her sharp gaze met Allison's teary, dramatic expression."I don’t c
Christian, standing silently at Emma's side, had his eyes fixed on Isabel, but even he couldn't predict what was about to happen. He froze for a second, caught off guard. His instincts screamed for him to protect Emma, to shield her from the flying vase, but before his body could react, another figure shot past him at lightning speed.In that split second, Emma, standing still in shock, raised her arms halfway to shield herself. Her eyelids tightly closed, bracing for the sharp sting of glass and the crushing pain that was sure to follow.But the pain never came.Instead, she felt something else entirely. Strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her into a protective embrace.CRASH! The vase smashed against the figure's back with a loud, bone-jarring crack. The sound made Emma flinch even more as she closed her eyes even more tightly. Her heart was racing, her breath hitched, but the arms around her didn’t loosen even an inch.A loud voice broke through the heavy silence that followe
The commotion from the garden was impossible to ignore.The loud noise quickly pulled the attention of the guests inside the restaurant. Mathew and his family were not left out. They hurried to the garden, confused and anxious, only to find Allison sitting on the grass, tears running down her face. Emma stood a few feet away, her hands on her waist, her face calm but cold.Isabel let out a gasp the moment her eyes landed on Allison. Without a second thought, she rushed to her daughter’s side, crouching and cupping Allison's cheeks with trembling hands, her voice breaking as she asked, "Allison, what happened?! Who did this to you?!”Allison didn’t answer right away. She was in so much pain that she could barely speak. She was holding her cheeks, which still stung from the heavy slaps Emma had given her. For once, she wasn't faking the pain or the tears. Her head felt light, almost dizzy, from the force of the slaps.David, who had also seen the heartbreaking sight, stepped closer.