Lina finally finished the last document of the morning and stretched as she glanced at the calendar on her desk. It was covered with circles and notes, all added by Zuko. He wanted to ask for more "allowance" on those days. Hopefully, there might be unexpected gains aside from pocket money.Lina smiled, turned off her computer, and prepared to leave for home at noon. Just then, her secretary knocked on the door and entered."Ms. Thompson, look who's here!"Lina looked up and was delightfully surprised to see Linda and Melissa coming together.Abandoning the thought of Zuko's request for "allowance", she rushed over and linked arms with her mothers.-The three women sat at a hotel restaurant near the company. Lina ordered dishes that Linda and Melissa loved and happily watched the two mothers interact like old best friends.In fact, they had indeed become like long-time best friends. Melissa had learned how to appreciate reading, tea tasting, and flower cultivation from Linda, w
Renee nodded slightly and greeted her.Jacquelin was sharp at observing people's expressions and could tell Renee had something on her mind. Following Renee's gaze, she noticed her looking in the direction of Jade and Lena.Renee did not have many interactions with Jade, so the only possible reason for her attention was the person dressed in black.Jacquelin chuckled softly. "Ms. Thompson, it's been a while since you've been to the company. Did you notice some significant changes when you came today?"Renee hesitated, pretending not to understand.Jacquelin persistently continued, raising her chin slightly. "Are you looking at her?"Renee did not say anything, but Jacquelin noticed her fists clenching even tighter."Oh, Ms. Thompson, there's nothing special about Granny Harding! How about I treat you to coffee instead? Come on. Let's go upstairs now. There are a few new items...""What did you just say?" Renee was puzzled. "You called her...""Oh, Granny Harding? That's what w
Renee hesitated for a moment and answered the call.The voice on the other end introduced themselves directly, "Is this Renee Thompson? This is Centrolis Suburban Prison."Renee's heart raced, and her legs suddenly felt weak."We need to confirm with you." The voice continued. "Your father is Melvin Thompson, is that correct?""Yes...""Melvin Thompson's execution date is the 14th of this month."Renee took a sharp breath, staggering and leaning against a nearby tree."Ms. Renee Thompson, are you there?"Renee took deep breaths, trying to remain calm. "Yes, I'm listening...""As per usual practice, a death row inmate is allowed to meet with family members before the execution. Melvin has expressed his desire to see you. The specific time is..."It was as if millions of insects were buzzing loudly in Renee's ears. She hung up and started running along the street, hoping she could escape the mockery of fate by doing so.However...Renee ran all the way to the seaside, her min
"No! No!" Renee seemed trapped in an endless nightmare, covering her ears and screaming in terror. She wanted to escape, but an invisible hand seemed to grip her tightly, throwing her into a quagmire from which there was no salvation."You worthless girl! Just like your mother, brainless trash! You had the chance to revel in endless glory and riches, but you insisted on giving it all away! Useless waste!""Shut up!" Renee lunged forward, pounding on the glass as if possessed. "You animal! It's all because of you! My mother... It's because of you she suffered and ended up with dissociative identity disorder... And now she's dead! Are you satisfied?!""What?" Melvin was surprised, then burst into increasingly loud laughter.The prison guards had warned him multiple times, but it was futile. Thus, they eventually decided to push him back into his cell.A female guard outside gently patted Renee's shoulder and guided her to sit down.Just as Melvin was about to be pushed back through
Toph no longer needed crutches. The doctors had said it was due to his good physical foundation and his optimistic attitude.Toph finally had something to boast about. He often patted his chest before his parents, Zuko, and Lina, saying, "You used to think I was just foolishly cheerful! How about now? A smile can make you ten years younger! A good mood is the magical cure for everything!"In spite of it, Renee lost her smile after Kaitlyn's death, and Toph's laughter also diminished.-Renee arrived at the Hamerton's residence. Even though Toph had his place, Cordelia insisted he should not be alone due to his recent injury. He had to stay with them for the convenience of taking care of him.Toph was sitting by the sofa with a litter of kittens on the coffee table, mewing cutely and melting everyone's hearts.Worried that the kittens were too small to drink milk, Toph had prepared several small bottles and was carefully feeding them with the bottles. This delicate work was not ex
Toph paused, then he smiled, ruffling Renee's hair affectionately."I really want to marry you soon, too," he said gently. "But... Aunt Kaitlyn just passed, so it might not be appropriate for us to have the wedding now.""Toph, do you also believe in these things?""I'm not superstitious," Toph explained seriously. "It's just human nature. To hold a wedding immediately after a funeral, the outsiders might think—""Do you care a lot about what others think?"Toph furrowed his brow, at a loss for words. He felt that Renee was somewhat different.No, it was not just today. Since Kaitlyn's death, it was as if all of Renee's happiness had been taken away along with her mother. She became sensitive and suspicious and rarely smiled or spoke. Her once introverted personality had become even more gloomy and melancholic.Toph tried his best to make her happy. But he knew it wouldn't be easy for her to feel better quickly. Losing her mother had been hard, especially because she was there w
"What were you swearing about?" Cordelia asked while glancing subconsciously at Renee. The latter stood by, clutching her clothes and appearing quite nervous.Cordelia was not sure if what she was doing was right or if she had frightened Renee.Perhaps that was just the display of affection from young lovers. After all, she had been young once, and Zephyr had also made all sorts of promises when they were deeply in love.It was just that... swearing and making promises was something done willingly, not something forced upon someone.Cordelia furrowed her brow. Maybe she was overthinking this, but she did not want to give anyone a chance to harm her son!"Toph, an oath is a sacred thing. If you make reckless oaths, God will hear you. Don't think He won't punish you!""Mom!" Toph laughed heartily. "Who said I was making reckless oaths? When I swear, it's with a sincere and solemn attitude!""You..." Cordelia glared at him.Why was her second son so unruly? If it were Zuko, she wo
Cordelia nodded and smiled tenderly, leaning against him. After spending most of their lives together, he was still her haven and her superhero.-It had been over a month since Lena joined the Thompson Group. Her first paycheck was not substantial, but the amount left her content compared to before.The only regret was that it was just the base salary, whereas her colleagues were all rejoicing, clearly receiving significant performance bonuses. Some of them could even afford to buy a small sports car with their bonuses.Lena bit her lip. Honestly, she did not envy their ability to earn a lot of money. Money had long become something external to her. What she regretted was not selling a single property in this past month, not achieving any results, and disgracing Lina.While sitting at her desk, someone unexpectedly patted her shoulder. She turned around, surprised to see Jade standing there with a gentle smile."Feeling good about receiving your first month's salary?"Lena hurr
"Only Morpheus and Sephy aren't like that. They respect and understand me. Sephy told me once, 'One's appearance doesn't indicate anything. A clean heart is what truly matters!'"Rebecca chuckled dismissively."You're a psychologist, yet you fail to grasp this," Wynn said coldly. "Actually, I pity you. You could have stepped out, yet you insist on dwelling on the trivialities."Morpheus has psychological barriers, a consequence of returning from the battlefield. No one has cured his PTSD except Sephy... It shows that a true psychologist is never just a title."What truly heals everything is love!"-One particular morning a year later, sunlight streamed through sheer cream curtains onto the floor.Persephone was sound asleep when she suddenly felt something pressing down on her... Then, Morpheus' strong arms wrapped around her slender waist. She drowsily opened her eyes to find him sealing her lips with heated kisses.Over the year, his kissing skills had improved, and Persepho
With Morpheus' involvement, the police didn't slack off and quickly found Rebecca.That day, Rebecca was preparing to escape from a small port. The boat she had found was an illegally operating one.As she was about to board, piercing sirens sounded nearby.The boat owner, enraged upon hearing the sirens, grabbed Rebecca by her hair and pushed her into the water.Rebecca screamed for help, but he roared, "I didn't expect you to be sent by the cops!""I'm not..." Rebecca choked on water. "Sir, let's leave now. Your boat is fast. As long as we reach the open sea, no one will catch you!""Dream on!" The boat owner wanted to strangle her. "Do you not understand? These sirens are from the royal guards! Who did you bitch provoke?"Rebecca was dumbfounded. Being a foreigner, she naturally didn't understand the local affairs in the Southeast Aciatic region.The police and royal guards quickly caught up, armed, and surrounded them.Rebecca turned pale and trembled all over, her gaze gr
"You had no choice on the battlefield."Persephone looked at him with her crystal eyes. There was a magical power in them. Even if a devil was tearing him apart, her eyes would always bring him back to light.She smiled and caressed his cheek. "Though you killed your father, you saved the country.""Do you really… think so?"She nodded. "You're not at fault. He was the one who made a mistake. You were just fulfilling your job as a general to protect the country."But I also understand that he's your father who brought you up, after all. You guys must have had happy days before that happened, right?"Morpheus held his head low in silence."You did well as the protector of the country," she said softly. "But as a son, you can secretly pay homage to him."Persephone held his hand. "Reconcile with your father, Morpheus. You'll also reconcile with yourself by doing that, okay?"He was stunned for a long time and felt a lump in his throat.-Morpheus stayed with Persephone in the
"No way!" Christopher smirked, glancing at Morpheus. "To him, you're his only princess! I just got lucky for the princess carry, thanks to you!""Yeah, at least you're self-aware!" Persephone nodded, rubbing her chin."We've known each other for so long! What kind of person do you think I am?" Christopher laughed. "I can be a bit shameless at times, but..."But upon learning that the one she loved was the unbeatable god of war, he willingly stepped back, offering his blessings with a smile."Okay, okay. You two stop crowding around me!" Christopher waved his hand. "Sephy needs more rest, and I'd like to get some more sleep, too! Once we heal, let's go out and have some fun together!""You're still thinking about fun?" Morpheus' deep voice intervened with a wry smile. "With the factory explosion incident, the royal family is furious and will thoroughly investigate it. Many people will probably be coming to talk to you both in the next few days. After all, you two are the most direc
"Let's get out first!""Hey, wait..." Persephone pointed to the other side.In moments of life and death, it wasn't appropriate to laugh, but Morpheus still chuckled. The young Prince Christopher was sprawled on the floor in a very ridiculous pose, and they almost forgot about him!"Don't worry," Morpheus whispered. "I won't let anything happen to him."He had Persephone cling to his back and then carried Christopher.Christopher was a tall fellow, so it took some effort to carry them both to a safe place.Fire trucks, ambulances, and police cars rushed in. Their sirens pierced the sky, startling a flock of birds.The fire was soon extinguished, and Persephone and Christopher received timely treatment. Luckily, their burns weren't too severe, and even more fortunately, their faces were unharmed.When Christopher woke up, he felt bandages wrapped around his head, and his skin had a burning sensation. His heart sank, and he was almost on the verge of tears."Tell me the truth! A
There was fire everywhere. Flames rushed toward Persephone like menacing dragons. Her consciousness grew increasingly blurred, but the searing pain coursing through her body became clearer. She struggled to get up, the agony almost unbearable.Despite several attempts, it was futile...Something was pinning her feet down, and stones kept falling on her. She couldn't even muster a shout.Many images flashed through her mind in that fleeting moment, each frame featuring Morpheus' face…She remembered the times they had spent together in Flinge, how he had initially distanced himself from her, then later had exerted every effort to protect her. She recalled how he would gently ruffle her hair and call her "silly goose"..."Morpheus, I'm afraid I might have to go first..."The fire grew fiercer, explosions resonated continuously, and she could no longer hold on.Christopher, who was nearby, wasn't any better.Amidst the roaring flames, he couldn't see anything clearly, only pulling
"No need, you can go back first." Morpheus glanced at him. "I'll wait here for her a little longer.""Prince Christopher wouldn't do anything to Ms. Hamerton...""Alfred, what are you thinking?" Morpheus couldn't help but chuckle. "I know exactly what Christopher is like, but I just want to wait here for Sephy. Christopher mentioned that she'd specifically designed these fireworks for me. Hah! I'm the useless one. I don't even dare to go inside and take a look.""Sir, don't say that.""If I wait here, will it count as accompanying her in her efforts?"Alfred nodded.Morpheus smiled and sent Alfred back. He continued waiting under the tree.The air in Southeast Aciatic was hot and humid. The shade of the banyan tree offered some relief, but it couldn't completely dispel the oppressive heat.Morpheus took a deep breath, about to move elsewhere, when he glimpsed a suspicious figure swiftly darting through the factory's side gate.The security at the side gate was lax, making it e
Christopher struggled to swallow the bite of the sandwich in his mouth for what seemed like ages. He gazed at Persephone, his mind wandering back…He didn't just know Morpheus. He had been close since childhood to the children of the two prominent military families in Southeast Aciatic.Compared to the Harrises, he preferred visiting the Ortons, especially when he got to spend time with Morpheus. He considered Morpheus a friend, a brother even, having engaged in countless mischief together, much to their parents' dismay.In his memory, Morpheus was someone who smiled a lot, radiating warmth and brightness like the Southeast Aciatic sun when he did.However, from the moment Kaiden betrayed the country, Morpheus never smiled again, gradually growing distant from Christopher as well.It wasn't until that evening at the gates of the palace that Christopher felt like it had been a lifetime."I... I don't know him." Christopher forced a smile. "Where would I have met your boyfriend!"
Morpheus wasn't just an ordinary person!Christopher wholeheartedly accepted his defeat to Morpheus."Then... I'd like to invite you to come over to my place for a while as a friend. That's fine, right?"-A few days later, Persephone finally ran into Christopher, who had been missing in action for days, in the classroom."Hey, you finally showed up!" She dashed over, plopping down in the seat beside him and handing him breakfast. "You haven't eaten, right? Let's eat together!"Usually, Christopher would readily accept, but he waved his hands now. "No, no, no!""What's wrong?" Persephone widened her eyes. "This breakfast isn't poisoned!"Christopher awkwardly smiled. "You have a boyfriend, so maybe... we should keep some distance."Persephone burst into laughter. Then she remarked, "Strange... Morpheus was right!""Uh, what?""My boyfriend!" She chuckled. "He made this breakfast. I asked if he could also make a portion for you, and he said sure, just worried you wouldn't tak