"Am I cursed? Are you kidding? That finger should be pointing at your own face!" Liz snapped.It was a startling outburst, but Ed wasn't too surprised after remembering how Liz had also been brave enough to confront Mia in the warehouse where Pedro was held captive yesterday."You dare to fight me now?! This bitch finally reveals her true face!" Mia, of course, was immediately furious."Bitch? Funny. You're the one married to a rapist, which means you're the bitch! You're such a slut that you willingly accepted that disgusting man as your husband. You want love so badly, you don't care what kind of man he is!" Liz knew what had happened in detail because Esli had asked Ruby about the incident that put her in the hospital. But the barrage of insults was shocking. No one expected Liz to say such things.The living room fell silent. Tita, Ed, and even Mia were stunned, staring at Liz."You... you..." Mia was red with anger but too shocked to respond.
In the dim light, Ed gazed at Liz and slowly lay back down."Well, good night." Ed pulled Liz's body close and hugged her.He didn't close his eyes immediately, unable to wipe the odd feeling from his lips.The kiss shouldn't have been wrong or strange. It should have been normal, as usual, but for some reason, it didn't feel right to Ed. There was something different.A small difference. The way Liz breathed or moved her lips was different. After that, Ed usually understood what Liz wanted. Liz would hold her breath, or if she wanted more, her breathing would become more rapid.Liz was serene at this moment. Like an undisturbed surface of water."It was just a kiss," Ed thought as he closed his eyes.He was fussing over something unnecessary. Liz might just be tired, or maybe he was too tired, making a big deal out of something trivial.Ed decided to let go of the odd feeling. There is no need to overthink it; a kiss is just a
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