Esli chose to take Liz to a modern clinic instead of a large hospital, but by that time, Ed had already lost all concern and was completely unaware of the situation. His mind seemed to stop functioning when he saw the blood.
Ed didn't even react—he was unable to comment when the doctor explained Liz's condition. He just stared as the doctor expressed condolences in a hoarse voice, mentioning that Liz's pregnancy couldn't be saved.
He also didn't turn to look at Esli, who was grieving beside him, crying with her face in her hands.
"Where's Liz?" After the doctor finished, Ed was able to function slightly, and he waited to see if there were any other questions.
"Please, go ahead. We've moved her to the ward." The doctor indicated the room where Liz was.
"You go first. I'll follow later; I can't bear it yet." Esli shook her head, turning away. Ed would have entered without any prompting.
And as soon as the door closed, Esli smiled with sa
"Where are you going?" As he saw Liz leaving the house wearing a long coat and high heels, Ed asked. Ed had just come home, and they met at the front door.Liz glanced, her eyes already adorned with glitter. "None of your business!"Liz retorted harshly, then turned away, but Ed grabbed her hand."Liz, stop this! Haven't you punished me enough? It's been almost six months. Come back to me." Ed pulled Liz's hand away, trying to hold her close.Ed restrained himself, letting Liz do whatever she wanted. He never forbade her. The only thing Ed did was have his men keep an eye on her to make sure nothing bad happened.Ed could be patient, but six months should be enough. He wanted, at least, for Liz to stay and talk to him.But Liz was completely untouched; she pushed Ed away, rejecting his comforting gesture with anger."Enough? Even now, you're still trying to stop me. Will you only be satisfied if I fall down again?! Do you want m
Ed wiped away the dust that covered Javier's name. The rainy season made the tombstone look dirty, especially since Javier's was black.“I’ll arrange for it to be cleaned,” said Otiz. He had been standing behind Ed all this time, and now he handed over the bouquet of flowers he was carrying. His hands were full. He also had an umbrella for Ed, because it was indeed cloudy that day.Ed placed the predominantly yellow bouquet on the grave. Javier never mentioned what kind of flowers he liked, but Ed brought yellow ones, a bright and cheerful color. Because that was what Javier was. Bright and happy.Ed then wiped Javier's name again, but not because of the dirt. He was just trying to find something to touch. Something that wasn’t a shadow that could disappear.“It’s hard... not fun without you,” Ed muttered. He didn’t want to complain. Usually, he never talks about heavy stuff when visiting Javier, but today w
"AJ! Don't read while eating! You'll be late!"Ruby scolded him a second time because her only son had not yet finished his breakfast, even though it was just bread with peanut butter.AJ, who had sneaked one of his books onto the table, slowly set it aside. He didn't argue and immediately started chewing the rest of his breakfast."I am aware of your ability to read and your love for it. That's not a terrible thing, but it shouldn't happen right before you leave for school. If you eat like a snail, we'll be late."Ruby, of course, felt awful after scolding him, and she gently comforted AJ while stroking his small, curly-haired head. She also gave him a kiss on the forehead, not wanting her son to pout all day.AJ was generally cheerful, but when he got upset, he would be very quiet. Ruby would panic because she had no one else to talk to at home until AJ felt better."Come on, hurry up." Ruby hurriedly locked the door, then zipped up the th
“Why is my desire not clear enough until you want me to come here?” As he sat under the shade of an elegant gazebo in the garden adjacent to Russell's opulent home, Ed questioned Russell. He's the man he had to meet in New York.Russell was a new link in his product distribution chain, but he was a bit fussy and insisted on talking to him in person.Ed didn’t really want to come, but he also didn’t want to lose the large profits. Among the options Marco had suggested, Russell possessed a reasonably extensive network. The other choices were not yet on Russell’s level.“I wanted to meet you in person, Don Rosas. I’m a businessman who likes close relationships. If we are going to work together, then I want us to meet face-to-face, at least to greet each other directly,” said Russell.“So, what now? Are you mesmerized by looking at me?” Ed inquired as he removed his sunglasses, revealing a markedly improved face.Ed had followed Diego's advice two years ago. Diego had suggested plastic su
Aside from feeling insane, Ed also thought that his injury might be fatal. It sounds impossible, but how else could he see Javier in front of him? Ed thought that it made more sense that he was hallucinating and reliving his life because he was dying.So, it made sense that he was seeing a young Javier.But after five seconds of staring at each other, Ed realized that this boy had green eyes. Since Javier's eyes weren't green, he couldn't be dying from a torn ear tip. Moreover, he was skinny, whereas Javier was chubbier as a child.But otherwise, he looked exactly like Javier. Even his curly hair resembled Ed's."Mister, you're hurt."The boy finally spoke, and Ed was relieved that he wasn’t dreaming. He wasn’t hallucinating about Javier. The boy spoke fluent English. Javier had a thick accent, even as a child.“Yes.” Ed slowly sat on the floor, leaning against one of the nearby wooden walls. The shock of seeing Javier’s face was enough to make him feel weak, or maybe it was the effec
"Ah, my favorite!"Grace exclaimed with delight, accepting the glass of hot coffee and the box of apple pie that Ruby had brought from Casa Nueva—her café."This is perfect, as always." Grace inhaled the aroma of the coffee and smiled gratefully. Whenever Ruby visited her mother, she always brought something for Grace as a token of appreciation."You’re too kind to me, Ruby. I’ve gotten so used to your sweet gestures now. I’ll have to hold you accountable if you ever come without bringing anything." Grace glanced at the pie Ruby had brought and smacked her lips impatiently. The aroma was incredibly enticing."Don’t worry, I’ll always be sweet to you." Ruby winked at Grace.Of course, Ruby never minded being kind to Grace. According to her, the woman was like an angel. Since Ruby first arrived in New York, Grace has always helped her.It wasn’t just about caring for her mother at ADDF; Grace al
"AJ? Where are you?""Is that your mom?" asked Ed, pointing at the chubby woman calling out. He peeked through the window.“Pffft… no. My mom is beautiful. She's named Ms. Rosemore. A teacher.” AJ shook his head vehemently, not accepting that Ed’s guess was so far off.“Go, or she’ll report you to your mom.” Ed pointed to the door. AJ had to leave before the woman considered where he might be.“Yeah…” AJ nodded reluctantly, then hoisted his backpack.“Keep this meeting a secret from her.” Ed pointed at the woman below.“Of course! I won’t introduce my friend to her!” AJ shook his head immediately.Ed felt relieved but also amused. Seeing him pout was similar to seeing Javier sulk.“You’re smart.” Ed patted AJ’s head, and his nose seemed to flare with happiness at the compliment.“Go.” Ed whisper
"Beast? What beast?" Ruby was confused."The beast from the fairy tale," said AJ.Ruby chuckled softly. "Now isn't the time for you to talk about fairy tales, AJ. You're sick.""But...""Answer first. What were you doing before your nose started bleeding?" Ruby asked. She wanted to know the cause."Mm, what was I doing? I was playing." AJ answered hesitantly, avoiding eye contact.Ruby recognized this behavior as an attempt to lie. "AJ?" Ruby pressed firmly.AJ's lips immediately pouted. "I was hiding in the treehouse," AJ admitted in a whisper.Ruby sighed and sat on the edge of AJ's bed."Ms. Rosemore didn't mean to doubt your abilities, AJ. She just didn't expect you to read so fluently. You shouldn't be upset at her just because of that. You...""Oh my, AJ. Is that true? Are you upset at me?" Ms. Rosemore, who had just followed them in, replied in surprise. This was the first time she heard about AJ's anger.
“Such chaos,” Liz lamented as she watched the crowd of rowdy children, who had become the main guests at her wedding.“Yeah, I didn’t expect it to get this wild either.” Ruby sat beside her, watching AJ hand out chocolate-covered strawberries to the other kids.He wasn’t alone—Claud, Val's second child, was helping him. They eventually grew close, even though their conversations were sometimes limited because Claud was more fluent in Italian than English. Still, they got along well enough.“How did it all start?” Ed frowned.“I don’t know.” Ruby was also unsure.“Maybe I shouldn’t have agreed when AJ asked.” Liz deeply regretted it.Somehow, AJ had convinced Liz to provide a chocolate fountain for her wedding, and it had become the source of chaos. The younger children were enjoying it, but soon chocolate stains appeared on the white tablecloths, as wel
"Do I have to? I already checked that document yesterday. Can’t you do it instead?" When Ed saw another email from Otiz, he complained.It was a financial report. Since Matteo had spread his investments in every direction—across more or less thirty companies—the financial reports Otiz received came from all directions, across different types of businesses. Ed hadn't anticipated this.Being an investor wasn’t as straightforward as it seemed. He still had to work.“You’re the one who has to check it. I’m just the middleman,” Otiz firmly refused.He could refuse because the request was made over the phone. Perhaps if they were face-to-face, Otiz would be more compliant. He was no longer blindly following Ed's orders, carefully sorting out what should and should not be done. He was only responsible for delivering financial reports, not reviewing them.Ed grumbled. He was quite used to reviewing company pa
"‘What do you want to show me?’ As she approached Ed, Ruby inquired.She left AJ's side; he was busy reading a story to his two younger siblings. Elena and Elisa sat quietly, either really listening or getting sleepy. It was already time for their afternoon nap."Read this," Ed shifted, making room for Ruby to sit beside him, and handed her a phone displaying an article in Spanish. Less than two hours had passed since the publication of this hot news story.Ruby didn’t pay attention to that, though, because she was immediately stunned by the headline.‘DEA ARRESTS MAJOR MEXICAN CARTEL AND EXPOSES BILLION-DOLLAR BUSINESS NETWORK’"What... you...?" Ruby turned pale and panicked, of course."Read it to the end," Ed said, pointing to the rest of the text that she had not yet seen.Ruby read quickly and frowned. There was no mention of Ed or Rosas anywhere. Only Reyes. Marco Reyes. He was the story's
Two black vans speed down a deserted road. It was already nighttime, and they were the only ones there. The end of the road was in sight—a black iron gate.“Ram it!”A shout rang out, and the vans didn’t slow down. The passengers inside, all dressed in black, held on tight as a deafening crash echoed.The gate fell, bent, but opened. The two vans barged through and stopped right in front of the brightly lit house.“Get in and kill everyone!”Another shout, and the people inside the vans scrambled out, storming into the beachside house. Some were carrying firearms; others were wielding clubs.However, as they entered, everyone froze. No one came to greet them. The house was supposed to be full of guards, which was why they had come in numbers—ready for a confrontation.In reality, what greeted them was silence. Not a single person appeared, even though the house was brightly lit.“
"AJ, don't make Abuela tired!" Ruby reprimanded AJ for running away with something, while Mia pursued him.But it was impossible to make AJ stop, especially since his younger siblings were laughing joyfully at his antics. Elisa and Elena had just learned to walk, and they happily followed him around.AJ couldn't stop when he had such an audience. Mia seemed to be scolding him, but everyone knew Mia could never really be upset at AJ.Ruby had to step in, followed by Ed to watch over Elisa and Elena. Although falling on the sand wouldn't hurt, the beach had sharp rocks that could scrape them."Mommy! They should chase me! Don't pick them up!" AJ didn’t want his little sisters to be carried away and stop the fun."Alright," Ruby said, intending to supervise them closely."How about we take a vacation?" Ed abruptly proposed the idea, having just finished reading a message on his phone."Hm?" Ruby was surprised. There had been no suc
"Here."Ed gave Otiz a handkerchief to wipe away his tears. If it had been just a few, he would have let Otiz cry—and wiped the tears with the sleeve of his jacket.The problem was that Otiz couldn’t stop crying. He had already been emotional when Ed stood beside him at the altar, and it got worse when he saw Lori walking down the aisle, escorted by flowers. It was all too beautiful and dazzling for his eyes.“Sorry,” Otiz stammered, wiping the remaining tears from his face.“What are you apologizing for? At a wedding, shedding tears is not considered inappropriate. You're just too happy. No one will blame you.” Ed gently patted Otiz’s shoulder and then turned his gaze forward.Of course, Lori was the focus of the event. Her choice of dress was perfect, blending seamlessly with the entire garden decor. Flowers, ribbons, music, and all the other elements were carefully and precisely chosen—now showcasi
Ed tapped his finger on the glass in his hand. His eyes were fixed on a single point—Marco Reyes.The man was speaking with Otiz. Nothing important. Marco was just making small talk, and Otiz was doing the same—being polite, answering Marco's questions about his law firm's progress. Ed actually needed to speak to both of them, but he chose to start with Marco first.Ed just needed to gesture with his chin, and Otiz understood immediately. He excused himself, making up a reason, and left Marco alone."I need to talk to you," Ed said as he approached."Oh? What is it?" Marco immediately followed Ed, moving to the quiet side yard. The other guests filled the living room."I want you to handle the shipment to Ecuador and Brazil next week."Marco looked as if he had choked. This was incredibly surprising. Ed had never let him touch the South American market before. Ed had always handled it himself. Marco had only been managing North A
"Mommy, I want to try! You be Elena, and I'll be Elisa."AJ reached out his hand, asking for the milk bottle from Ruby. He wanted to try feeding the babies—and he chose Elisa.Usually, Tita was around to help Ruby, but today Tita was busy, so Ruby had been on her own since earlier."You can, but please be careful, okay? Don’t let her choke, and don’t squeeze." Ruby guided AJ's hand to hold the bottle filled with pre-warmed breast milk, helping him apply just the right pressure so it wouldn't press too hard against Elisa's lips."Wow! Look, Mommy! She's drinking!" AJ exclaimed happily, eyes sparkling with joy. This was the first time he was directly involved—doing something for his little sister. AJ usually watched, but at first he was afraid to hold the babies. He would look in awe but wouldn’t dare touch them.“See? It’s not a big deal, right? You don’t have to be scared anymore.”&l
From their disheveled appearance, it was clear that Liz and Asher had either just rushed out of a room or possibly run over here. One thing was certain: as soon as they heard the news about Ruby, they had hurried over."Where? Ruby... You're pale. Why... It shouldn't be happening now."Just like Lori, Liz was out of breath as she approached Ruby, panicking. The news had shocked everyone. Liz had already planned to stay in Puerto Vallarta next week to be there for Ruby when she gave birth.Of course, Liz no longer lived at Ed’s house. She had managed to buy her own apartment.“I’m fine, and they’re fine too. But the nurse hasn’t brought them here yet. Calm down… breathe.”Ruby was already able to speak clearly and now had to calm Liz down. She was the one lying down, barely conscious, yet had to reassure everyone else."Are you really okay? No problems? Any complications?" Liz touched Ruby’s bo