Early the next morning, Kyle set off for Verdantia.Since Verdantia was only about a two-hour drive from Reeds City, he chose to travel by car.Sebastian sat in the passenger seat. Hearing Kyle sigh, he expressed his concern, “Mr. Reinhart, did you not sleep well last night?”“That’s right.” Kyle massaged his temples with a frown. To be precise, he had barely slept at all.Thinking back to the previous night, he had been so sure that he was finally about to "feast" on his wife. But just as he was getting ready, that sassy little woman had called out from the bathroom, casually informing him that she was on her period.As if that wasn’t enough, she had spent the entire night lying on top of him, wrapped in a lacy, seductive nightgown, teasing him mercilessly. His ‘glorious boy’ had been standing at full attention, tormenting him to the point of utter exhaustion.At that moment, his mind had wandered back to the time they had made love so wildly in his office. He had poured every last b
In the stillness of the night, Lysia slowly opened her eyes, only to find herself slumped over the steering wheel. A sharp pain radiated from her forehead. When she reached up to touch it, her fingers came away stained with blood.The world outside the car was pitch black. Fumbling around in the center console, she searched for her phone. The moment she managed to turn it on, the screen flickered briefly before shutting down completely.Before losing consciousness, she had been speeding through the storm, rain lashing violently against the windshield, blurring her vision. But none of it compared to the raw, gut-wrenching pain she had felt when she saw Charlotte in Kyle’s room. Her heart had shattered, and with her vision clouded by tears, she had screamed in anguish, the sound of her cries swallowed by the roar of the engine.Then, without warning, a landslide erupted right in front of her. In sheer panic, Lysia slammed on the brakes, but the car skidded out of control. The tires lost
A few days later, Lysia and Kyle finally returned to Reeds City after her health had fully recovered.Throughout the journey, Kyle held her hand tightly, never letting go, as he shared countless stories from his childhood. That night, she suddenly realized why she had been so vulnerable to Charlotte’s attacks—just like that evening at the European restaurant. It was all because she barely knew anything about Kyle’s past.He had never taken the initiative to share what he had gone through, the people he had met, or the experiences that shaped him. And, sadly, Lysia had never thought to ask.As they entered the outskirts of Reeds City, they decided to visit the cemetery to pay respects at his mother’s grave.From a distance, Lysia spotted an elderly man tending to Samantha’s resting place. She glanced at Kyle and noticed that his expression had grown complicated."Let’s come back another day. Let’s go home now." Kyle gently pulled Lysia, urging her to turn back.But she held his hand ev
*** FLASHBACK: 10 YEARS AGO ***“Mommy, I already gave Ryan the lunchbox you made for him. Can you please stop calling me over and over?” Lysia said in a frustrated tone over the phone.She walked through the vast campus of Reeds University, occasionally glancing up at the rooftop, where a young man was looking down at her. She waved at him briefly before flashing a bright smile and dashing toward the school gate, having completed the task her mother had assigned her.Since high school, Rachael had prepared lunch for Lysia every day. Worried about Ryan, she often asked Lysia to bring him a meal as well. All because Reeds University was just a few steps away from her high school.After turning 18, Ryan moved out to live on his own, something Lysia deeply admired. She longed for the freedom to do whatever she wanted without her mother constantly nagging her about eating balanced meals. If she lived alone, she could indulge in sweets instead of being forced to eat salads and nutritious g
*** FLASHBACK: 10 YEARS AGO ***The kidnapper forced Lysia into his carnival van and drove towards an abandoned house that he had claimed as his hideout. It wasn’t far from the last bus stop. Surrounded by hills, this area became eerily deserted at night.Inside the damp, moldy house dimly lit by a yellowish light, he shoved Lysia onto a wooden chair and violently ripped the tape off her mouth.A stinging pain spread across her lips, making her wince before slowly opening her eyes. Her first reaction was to struggle against the tight ropes binding her to the chair. But when her gaze landed on her kidnapper, sheer terror rendered her speechless.“H-How much do you want? Just name your price, and I promise I’ll give it to you,” Lysia stammered, trembling.The man slammed a pair of pliers onto the table before turning to face her. Leaning back against the creaky surface, he smirked. “Smart girl. I knew you had to be some rich brat. Everyone living around Elmwood Crossroad is filthy rich
Austin Miller, Lysia's boyfriend, was also her first love when she was 16 years old. He was a guy who went to the same high school as her and was 2 years older than her. On the first day of school, Austin helped Lysia when she went into the wrong classroom. Since then, she often met him at the basketball court every time she went there with her friends to cheer for the matches.At school, Austin always stood out with his handsome appearance, studied well and was also the captain of the basketball team, so he received a lot of love from the girls in the school. Once, Lysia accidentally got hit in the head by a basketball, those male students teased her, but Austin came to help her.Since then, Lysia fell in love with him and feelings began to blossom in the heart of a 16-year-old girl. And not long after, they became closer and closer and decided to fall in love when Austin confessed.It was ironic that just a few days after they had their first kiss, Austin had to hear these humiliati
*** END OF FLASHBACK: BACK TO PRESENT *** “Get away, don’t touch me!” Lysia screamed and pushed Kyle away from her as he tried to come closer to hug her. She sat curled up in the living room of the Kingsley mansion with a lifeless look. Her face was pale without a drop of blood, but she didn’t shed a single tear. However, she was being haunted by the past, causing her to unconsciously oppose everyone to protect herself. Kyle looked at Lysia shaking her head and muttering under her breath, unable to help but feel heartbroken and helplessly sigh. Standing with him was the Kingsley family. Matthew and Ryan could only look at each other and shake their heads as they saw the situation from 10 years ago repeating itself after they saved Lysia from that kidnapper. At that moment, she went crazy like a completely different person, becoming afraid of any man approaching her and locking herself in her room for a whole month. Only Rachael, her mother, could stay by her side. The three
"Lysia Kingsley, if you have the guts, say that again!" Kyle shouted furiously.His outburst seemed to have startled everyone in the Kingsley household. Matthew and Rachael opened their bedroom doors, glancing toward Lysia’s room at the end of the hallway.Swallowing his anger, Kyle grabbed Lysia’s hand, pulled her into the room, and slammed the door shut. He braced both hands against the wall, gazing down at her, his eyes filled with heartbreak.By now, Lysia had calmed down a little. She turned her face away and muttered, "I think I've made myself clear. Let’s break up. Our marriage contract is almost up, and I don’t want you to pity me anymore."In an instant, Kyle seized her lips. He cupped her delicate chin and kissed her fiercely, yet his touch carried an endless tenderness. For over a week, he had missed her to the point of madness. Not a single night had passed peacefully since the day the news broke, and he saw her crying in pain.She wasn’t the only one suffering—Kyle was ju
At Austin Miller’s house. Austin sat on the sofa, watching as the doctor and nurse checked Lysia’s vitals once again. About two minutes later, they completed the health examination and began packing up their equipment. Before Austin could say anything, the doctor removed his mask and calmly informed him, “Mr. Miller, you can rest assured—your wife is fine. She only has a common cold, which caused some physical weakness and led to her fainting. However, she must stay in a relaxed state, as that would be best for the baby. In these early stages, you and your family should take good care of her.” This doctor had been called in for Lysia’s emergency case and had witnessed Austin’s deep concern for her from start to finish. Naturally, he had misunderstood the relationship between the two. The more Austin listened, the more confused he became. His brows furrowed as he asked, “Excuse me? What baby are you talking about?” “The baby in her womb. Your child? Don’t tell me you didn’t kn
That night, instead of returning to Reinhart Grand Apartment, Lysia went back to the Kingsley estate. As soon as she entered her familiar bedroom, she collapsed onto the bed, burying her face in the pillow. Before long, soft sobs echoed through the room.Kyle’s sharp, scolding voice kept replaying in her mind, over and over again.For someone who had always been cherished like Lysia, this was a severe emotional blow, especially since it came from the man she loved deeply.The next morning, Lysia woke up and got ready for work as usual.When she turned on her phone, there were no missed calls. No messages.She truly wanted to stand in front of Kyle and ask him, “Just what exactly do you mean by this attitude?”When she went downstairs, the butler looked surprised to see her in the mansion. After all, she had returned in the middle of the night when everyone was already fast asleep. Only the security guards knew she had come back.“Lys, I didn’t know you were home, so I didn’t prepare b
“Thank you, Captain Grey. It was truly fortunate that you arrived in time,” Lysia shook hands with James Grey and smiled in gratitude.James returned her smile, a stark contrast to the serious demeanor he had while on duty. “You did well by calling the police in advance, Mrs. Reinhart. I live in the apartment across the hall, so jumping in to handle an emergency like this is just second nature to a cop.”“You live here?” Lysia asked in surprise before turning to glance at Helen, who stood behind her.Noticing Helen grimacing in pain, Lysia stepped closer and lowered her voice, “Are you okay?”Helen tried to suppress her discomfort, her face pale as she forced out, “I… I’m fine…”Lysia, however, was unconvinced. She firmly pulled back the hem of Helen’s shirt, revealing a large bruise along her side. Her expression darkened for a brief moment before she grabbed Helen’s arm and led her toward her car. “I’m taking you to the hospital for a checkup.”“Mrs. Reinhart, wait a moment,” James
"Mr. Reinhart, R-Tech's stock is continuously declining. It seems that news of our technological defeat has spread throughout the city," Sebastian reported from his seat to Kyle’s right, his eyes fixed on the candlestick chart displayed on his computer screen.In just a few short hours, R-Tech had lost 500,000 shares."This is a sign of a sell-off," Kyle observed coldly."A sell-off?" Sebastian and several other R-Tech employees exchanged surprised glances.Kyle held the latest stock market report for R-Tech, tracking data from the past two months—the exact timeframe when NexusAI had begun making moves in Reeds City. A massive influx of capital had surged into R-Tech, rapidly driving up its stock price, even before Kyle had approved funding for the company's new project. As an astute executive, Kyle had noticed the unusual activity early on.However, he lacked the concrete evidence to draw conclusions. Reeds City was home to many hidden affluent investors. Initially, he had assumed th
“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. On behalf of Mr. Ryan Kingsley, I would like to announce the start of today’s meeting. We have placed the two plans of R-Tech and NexusAI on the table at your seats. Before listening to the presentations of each party, please read them first to make your own assessment, contributing to the objective vote at the end of the meeting.” David Thompson, the head of transportation and logistics of Kingsley Group’s headquarters, stood at the podium. He then added, looking down at the seats filled with shareholders and representatives from the two companies, “Okay, now which company wants to present first?” In an instant, the whispers suddenly disappeared. The entire room seemed to be holding its breath, waiting for one of the two parties to volunteer to come forward first. Austin leisurely tapped his fingers on the armrest of the chair and then smirked, “Because it is a small business that has just entered the Reeds City market, then Reinhart Corpor
One week later.Today marked the presentation of technology solutions by R-Tech, a subsidiary of Reinhart Corporation, and NexusAI. As a shareholder of Kingsley Corporation, Lysia attended the event and participated in the voting process. Initially, it was believed that only NexusAI possessed the innovative technology they needed. However, in just a few short months since NexusAI's announcement, R-Tech's team had successfully developed a similar system with additional enhancements.Kingsley Corporation’s logistics system had been facing severe issues. Fortunately, with Reinhart Corporation's assistance, the situation had temporarily stabilized, allowing operations to continue smoothly until a new technological system could be implemented.Reinhart Corporation was given a one-week deadline.Most Kingsley shareholders were astonished by Reinhart Corporation’s impressive capabilities. Under Kyle Reinhart’s leadership, the company had experienced exponential growth and demonstrated signif
[WARNING R-18] THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MATURE CONTENT NOT SUITABLE FOR YOUNG READERS. “Kyle… mmh… let me go first,” Lysia spoke in broken breaths. She was nearly out of air from Kyle’s deep, consuming kiss. Her back felt cold against the surface of his car, and the only way she could stay steady was by wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. They had just bid farewell to their parents and were still in the parking area of the Kingsley estate. Kyle slowly pulled away from her lips, tilting her delicate chin up as he murmured in his husky, seductive voice, “Didn't you say you missed me? So I had to come to you right away. Still clinging onto him, Lysia pouted, “You drank too much again. I told you not to have more than three glasses, but you never listened to me!” Kyle's deep chuckle brushed against her ears like an intoxicating melody, blending with the soft evening breeze. They stood there like a picture-perfect couple, bathed in the dim glow of the parking lot lights, m
Knock, knock.The sound of two knocks on the car’s window abruptly pulled Lysia out of her wandering thoughts.She quickly rolled down the window, revealing a stern-faced police officer. However, his serious demeanor softened into a small smile upon recognizing her."Good afternoon, Mrs. Reinhart. I wasn’t expecting to run into you here," he said. "I’m sorry to inform you, but this area has a strict 30-minute parking limit during peak hours. I’d appreciate it if you could move your car soon.""Captain Grey, thank you for the reminder. I apologize for the inconvenience," Lysia replied, fastening her seatbelt and pressing the ignition button.Captain Grey shook his head slightly before continuing, "Parking on this street… Are you heading toward the Kingsley estate? Please send my regards to Mr. and Mrs. Kingsley, Ryan, and Mr. Reinhart.""Of course. And please extend my greetings to Mr. and Mrs. Grey as well. My father must miss them since they moved back home," Lysia responded politely
At the restaurant across from RRC Newsroom. “Oh my God, I can’t believe there’s a tiny little life inside this perfectly flat stomach of yours. You’re not messing with me, are you? It’s not even April Fool’s Day yet.” Lysia squinted at Catherine with suspicion. She reached out, placed her hand on Catherine’s belly, then pressed her head against it, as if trying to hear the baby inside. Catherine laughed, gently pushing Lysia’s head away before pulling a medical report from her purse and placing it on the table. “It’s only been three weeks. How could you possibly hear the baby move? If you don’t believe me, see for yourself.” After reading the report, Lysia froze for a moment before suddenly jumping up and wrapping Catherine in a tight hug, her voice filled with excitement. “Sweetheart! That means I get to be a mom too, right? We promised we’d be godmothers to each other’s children!” “Lysia, you’re squeezing me too tight—I can’t breathe,” Catherine gasped, lightly patting Lysi