At the thought that her mother was the one at the door, Isabella tensed up, but Lorenzo walked toward her and embraced her from behind.She became nervous.Kissing her nape, Lorenzo whispered, "Your mother isn't the one at the door. Go get your laptop from the delivery agent."That was when Isabella relaxed. She glanced at Lorenzo briefly before lowering her head and walking toward the door. She opened it to find the delivery man waiting.After signing the papers, she carried the package to her room. When she unpacked it, she saw the latest laptop model, which had a better system than her old one.A smile appeared on her face, and she grinned as she continued to stare at it with admiration and delight. She didn't even realize she was being watched by Lorenzo, who leaned against the door, observing her."You like it?" Lorenzo suddenly asked.Isabella tensed up, but she nodded. "Yes, I like it. It’s nice."Lorenzo nodded. With a hand in his pocket, he turned to leave, but before he coul
When Isabella heard this, she was shocked. She asked tentatively, "Which hospital?"Cecilia replied helplessly, "Lewis didn't tell me which hospital it is; he didn't want me there."Isabella frowned, but she didn't make any comments. Throughout the lesson period, she was thinking about Lewis's well-being, wondering how he was holding on.The moment it was break time, she got out of the room and made a call secretly, without Cecilia's knowledge.But Lewis didn't pick up her calls, no matter how many times she tried. After school, she still tried Lewis's number, but he didn't answer.Annoyed, she stopped calling and got on the school bus. When she returned home, she was grumpy. She still tried his phone number, but he never answered.When she arrived home, she didn't see Lorenzo at the door. She opened the door and walked in, only to find that Lorenzo wasn't at home.She went to check the kitchen and saw that there was no prepared food. She returned to her room and checked her phone, ho
Lorenzo looked at her intently without saying a word, which made Isabella nervous; she fidgeted while avoiding eye contact.Wordlessly, he took off his gloves and then left the farm for the farmhouse to clean up. When he came out of the farmhouse, he had already changed into a white button-up shirt.He looked at Isabella, who hadn't moved an inch for the past ten minutes, and then said, "Isabella, you should realize that no one cares about you and your mother. None of them came to your rescue when you needed them the most..."He paused, staring at Isabella's face and studying her reactions. Isabella felt anxious as she remembered how her mother would always return home tired and exhausted, to the point that she would worry; nobody even offered to help."Lewis doesn't love you; rather, he hates to see you and me happy. He didn't want our family to exist, and when he achieves this, do you think he will still care about you?" After finishing his speech, Lorenzo didn't say another word an
Isabella suddenly fled from home.She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, and when she couldn’t run anymore, she sat under a tree and laid her head down. She didn’t realize when she fell asleep.When she opened her eyes, it was already dusk. Thinking Lorenzo would come looking for her, she walked to the town on foot, about five to eight hundred meters from the tree where she had been resting.When she arrived in town, her heart became numb from consistent disappointment. Step by step, she strode to the nearby store to get some snacks and water.After consuming them, she decided to turn on her phone, hoping to receive a call from Lorenzo, who would have already discovered that she wasn’t at home.She sat on a bench in the street, staring at her phone blankly. She couldn’t believe Lorenzo had forgotten about her—her own mother too.She clenched her phone tightly."Are you heartbroken?" she suddenly heard a voice ask.Startled, she craned her neck toward the direction of the voice,
When Laura, standing behind the door, heard Isabella's scream, she was shocked."Isabella, are you alright? What happened?" Laura asked worriedly. She hadn’t expected Isabella to scream at the top of her lungs.Isabella covered her ears and then hid under her duvet, completely ignoring her mother at the door.Laura continued to knock, but Isabella refused to open it. While she was at it, Lorenzo approached her and said, "Let her be. It’s the stress of her upcoming exams; she has to study well. Don’t you want her to do excellently? If you keep pestering her, she won’t be able to go to the best university."Laura immediately stopped knocking. She also wanted Isabella to be among the top-ranked students taking the upcoming exams. Although she had managed to attend adult school to get certified as a nurse, she knew how rigorous studying could be.Reluctantly, she replied, "Are you sure she’s fine?"Lorenzo answered without hesitation, "Of course she is. Come on, let’s go for a walk. You’r
When Isabella heard what Lorenzo said, she stared at him in shock and disbelief. She couldn't believe her ears, so she repeated, "What?"Lorenzo unapologetically retorted, "You heard me, Isabel."Isabella's eyes turned bloodshot with anger, and her lips trembled. She wanted to say a thousand words at once, but she couldn't speak. Her face was creased with so much anger."You took my virginity, and this is what you're saying? That I am your stepdaughter now?" Isabella asked, looking surprised, hurt, and furious.Lorenzo nodded and continued without showing any remorse. "That was the biggest mistake I made, Isabel. Now I regret it. I have no intention of having sex with you anymore."Isabella was so angry that tears rolled down her cheeks. She just stared at him without speaking."Lorenzo, honey, I just got an email from the City Bank. Not bad! I think I got a grant approval," Laura's voice traveled from outside the kitchen. When Lorenzo heard what she said, he walked out of the kitchen
Lorenzo stopped what he was doing under the car bonnet and straightened his back. He looked at Isabella and smiled warmly before gently asking, "You look so nervous, Laura. Are you alright?"Laura nodded fervently and rubbed her palms on her trousers. She then replied unhurriedly, "Lorenzo, you know Isabella is just a kid. She has never called anyone her father, and I hope you can understand this."Lorenzo chuckled, grabbed the tools in his hands, and continued working on his car while responding, "Is that what is making you so nervous?"Laura didn’t deny it. She replied, "I don't know what is wrong with Isabella; she is acting so strangely."Lorenzo laughed and replied, "She is just throwing tantrums. Give her some space; she will be alright."He closed the car bonnet, turned around, and kissed Laura's forehead. Then he added, "You shouldn't think too much about it."He carried his tools into the toolbox in his car boot, then said to Laura, "Are you ready? Let's go."Laura looked at h
That was all Laura needed to hear before she walked toward the young man staring at her.When she stood over him, she said quickly, "Follow me to the restroom."Then she quickly walked away, panicking.The young man's face was filled with question marks.As Laura walked toward the restroom area, the more nervous she became. She didn't look confident anymore; she became even more anxious and began doubting her charm.She even regretted doing it at first. She didn't realize she was walking too fast, and the young man was struggling to keep up with her.She was about to step into the restroom area when the young man called out to her, "Hello, miss, hold on!"That was all she needed to hear before she regained her confidence. She took a large stride into the restroom area. The young man was confused, wondering what she was up to, but he shrugged and followed afterward."Hold on, miss. You asked me to come to the restroom; can you explain why?" the young man asked, looking a little impatie
Isabella looked at him coldly, despite being choked. She stared at Lorenzo fearlessly without making any sound.Lorenzo stopped strangling her and then spoke softly, "I never planned to hurt you, Isabel. Why...?"While he was talking, Laura's voice came from inside the house, asking, "Honey, is that Isabel?"Lorenzo glared at Isabella with a threatening look before replying, "Yes, she is here with me, darling. We will talk some other time."He turned around and left, while Isabella pushed the entrance door open and walked in. When Laura saw her daughter, a smile appeared on her face.But the moment she noticed the palm prints on Isabella's neck, the smile disappeared. She asked worriedly, "What happened to your neck, Isabel? Did you fight at school?" Isabella shook her head and retorted, "No."Laura then looked toward the door, filled with panic, knowing that Lorenzo was the only one outside the house.Although she was suspicious, Laura still asked, looking very uncomfortable, "Isabe
Done talking, she turned around and walked back inside the classroom.When she returned, Cecilia was no longer crying; rather, she was writing. As Isabella approached, Cecilia gripped her pen tightly and forced a smile. "What did he say?"Isabella looked regretful, shook her head, and then sat down.Although Cecilia feigned sadness, the evil glint in her eyes couldn't be hidden; she was truly furious.Isabella was unaware of this. She was pondering what Lewis had said. Although she wanted Lewis, she knew that with Lorenzo around, it was impossible.Lorenzo hated Lewis so much that he would never allow their relationship. Isabella clenched her fists tightly, wondering why she had to consider how Lorenzo would feel when he didn’t care about emotions.She lowered her head while thinking and didn’t even realize that the electric bell had already announced the end of classes for the day."Isabella, you are the only one in the classroom. Is something the matter?" her teacher, who had just n
Faced with this question, Isabella stared at him with an expressionless face; she had been too hurt in the past few days for her heart to feel anything but pain."I don't owe you anything, Lorenzo. You belong to my mother, and you are my stepfather. I have to keep some boundaries," Isabella repeated his words.When Lorenzo heard this, a smile appeared on his face, as if he had expected the response. He rubbed her cheek with his fingers and then said softly, "Isabella, no matter what you say, you will always be mine, and mine alone. No one can have you."Isabella just stared at him blankly, not bothering to respond.No matter what Lorenzo said, Isabella remained silent, which infuriated him. He grabbed her arms in anger, shook her, and sneered, "Talk to me, Isabella!"Isabella yelled in response, "Let go of me!"Immediately, Laura's voice came from inside the house. "Isabella!"Lorenzo quickly let go of Isabella's arms, and she ran off. When Laura came out of the house with a face crea
Then she came out of the room, walked into the kitchen, and stood before the fridge. She hesitated and then turned around, re-entering the room.She set an alarm for 5 AM, woke up, quickly took a bath, and got dressed. Stepping out of her room, she went into the kitchen and started cooking.When Laura woke up and saw Isabella in the kitchen, she was surprised; she didn't expect Isabella to wake up this early to prepare breakfast."Isabel, dear, you are awake," Laura said with a smile on her face.Isabella looked towards her mother and replied, "Mother, I am preparing your favorite meal."When Laura heard this, a smile appeared on her face. "Thank you, Isabel. Do you want some help?"Isabella, who was busy at the cabinet, retorted, "No need, Mom. I can do it myself.""If you say so," Laura replied, not wanting to pester Isabella. For the past few days, Isabella had been hiding away from everyone, so Laura was naturally happy that she was ready to step out of her room and cook.She turn
Lorenzo lit a cigarette and watched from the chair he was sitting in.He sat quietly, observing every movement around him. His gaze darted toward the direction where three men in suits were walking into a private room through a doorway that led to the east wing of the bar.A smile appeared on his face when Laura turned around and ground against the man she was dancing with provocatively. When the man wrapped his arms around Laura's waist and kissed her cheek, Lorenzo began whispering words into her ear. Lorenzo squinted his eyes while a smile danced at the corners of his lips.He stood up when Laura slapped the man and then tried to run away, despite the loud music.Lorenzo could hear the violent roar of the man as he cursed, "Fuck you, bitch!"He wanted to drag Laura back to the dance floor when she ran toward him, but when he stretched out his arm, he saw Lorenzo staring at him coldly.He froze, and fear creased his face.Laura walked up to Lorenzo, grinning foolishly. She appeared
That was all Laura needed to hear before she walked toward the young man staring at her.When she stood over him, she said quickly, "Follow me to the restroom."Then she quickly walked away, panicking.The young man's face was filled with question marks.As Laura walked toward the restroom area, the more nervous she became. She didn't look confident anymore; she became even more anxious and began doubting her charm.She even regretted doing it at first. She didn't realize she was walking too fast, and the young man was struggling to keep up with her.She was about to step into the restroom area when the young man called out to her, "Hello, miss, hold on!"That was all she needed to hear before she regained her confidence. She took a large stride into the restroom area. The young man was confused, wondering what she was up to, but he shrugged and followed afterward."Hold on, miss. You asked me to come to the restroom; can you explain why?" the young man asked, looking a little impatie
Lorenzo stopped what he was doing under the car bonnet and straightened his back. He looked at Isabella and smiled warmly before gently asking, "You look so nervous, Laura. Are you alright?"Laura nodded fervently and rubbed her palms on her trousers. She then replied unhurriedly, "Lorenzo, you know Isabella is just a kid. She has never called anyone her father, and I hope you can understand this."Lorenzo chuckled, grabbed the tools in his hands, and continued working on his car while responding, "Is that what is making you so nervous?"Laura didn’t deny it. She replied, "I don't know what is wrong with Isabella; she is acting so strangely."Lorenzo laughed and replied, "She is just throwing tantrums. Give her some space; she will be alright."He closed the car bonnet, turned around, and kissed Laura's forehead. Then he added, "You shouldn't think too much about it."He carried his tools into the toolbox in his car boot, then said to Laura, "Are you ready? Let's go."Laura looked at h
When Isabella heard what Lorenzo said, she stared at him in shock and disbelief. She couldn't believe her ears, so she repeated, "What?"Lorenzo unapologetically retorted, "You heard me, Isabel."Isabella's eyes turned bloodshot with anger, and her lips trembled. She wanted to say a thousand words at once, but she couldn't speak. Her face was creased with so much anger."You took my virginity, and this is what you're saying? That I am your stepdaughter now?" Isabella asked, looking surprised, hurt, and furious.Lorenzo nodded and continued without showing any remorse. "That was the biggest mistake I made, Isabel. Now I regret it. I have no intention of having sex with you anymore."Isabella was so angry that tears rolled down her cheeks. She just stared at him without speaking."Lorenzo, honey, I just got an email from the City Bank. Not bad! I think I got a grant approval," Laura's voice traveled from outside the kitchen. When Lorenzo heard what she said, he walked out of the kitchen
When Laura, standing behind the door, heard Isabella's scream, she was shocked."Isabella, are you alright? What happened?" Laura asked worriedly. She hadn’t expected Isabella to scream at the top of her lungs.Isabella covered her ears and then hid under her duvet, completely ignoring her mother at the door.Laura continued to knock, but Isabella refused to open it. While she was at it, Lorenzo approached her and said, "Let her be. It’s the stress of her upcoming exams; she has to study well. Don’t you want her to do excellently? If you keep pestering her, she won’t be able to go to the best university."Laura immediately stopped knocking. She also wanted Isabella to be among the top-ranked students taking the upcoming exams. Although she had managed to attend adult school to get certified as a nurse, she knew how rigorous studying could be.Reluctantly, she replied, "Are you sure she’s fine?"Lorenzo answered without hesitation, "Of course she is. Come on, let’s go for a walk. You’r