Lucas' face contorted in a mixture of anger and regret. Yeah. All Coco got was nothing. Even though he had finally realized he was already in love with her, Coco was unaware of it."Aubrey, why did you hurt her instead of me? You could've come at me!" Lucas hissed, his voice hoarse.Aubrey was stubborn as hell. "Without Coco, you'd be with me! Coco is a nobody. I want her to suffer more than me!""But... Isn't Coco a fool? Why would she risk her life for someone else's child?"Lucas murmured in reply, "Yeah... She's an idiot. She cares so much about others and forgets about herself."Coco had traded her life for Eden's chance of survival, not for Serenity, but for him! She must have been afraid. She knew he would live with guilt for the rest of his life should Eden die. That was why she made this choice.Coco thought giving Eden the chance to live was the best thing she could have done, but she never knew what he really wanted. He wanted her to live more than anything! He would r
Coco... Coco... He kept calling her name in his heart countless times, but it was always painful when he called her name!Lucas' parents came to Lanford, trying to help and talk to him. No matter any attempts to convince him that Coco might be dead, Lucas stubbornly insisted that Coco was alive. No one was allowed to mention the possibility of Coco's death before him.Three months later, the police announced that the search had stopped, and only the Gomez and Valor families continued the search for Coco.Serenity came to visit Lucas with Jackson one day. When she saw him, she could hardly associate him with the Lucas she remembered.Lucas' hair was messy, his jaw covered by his stubbly beard. He could barely stand straight and looked like he was about to collapse at any time,Lucas looked miserable. Who would have recognized him as the once powerful Prince Lucas who dominated showbiz?Lucas' parents were glad to see Serenity and Jackson come to visit. They told them, "Talk to him
"Do you think Coco wanted to save just the baby? She was also trying to save—"Serenity yelled, cutting Jackson off, "Jack, enough!"Jackson turned to his wife, and his voice trailed off when he saw the begging look in her eyes."Jack, stop it. It's our fault. Everything is our fault! It's our fault that Coco is missing!"Frightened by the situation, Eden started to cry in Serenity's arms. Serenity frantically tried to calm her daughter. "There, there. Be good, Eden. Uncle Lucas didn't mean to scare you, so stop crying..." she hushed gently.Jackson gave Lucas a warning glare. "I'm not letting you hurt Eden. If you need someone to pay for Coco's life, then come at me instead.""Pay for Coco's life?" Lucas erupted in hysterical laughter, more tears flowing from his swollen eyes. He knew he was the one who should pay for Coco's life!"I'm the one who should pay for her life! It's all my fault! I was wrong! I deserve to die!" Lucas yelled. He sounded like he was being strangled b
Somewhere, in a small village downriver from Lanford, an elderly lady had found the unconscious Coco and was caring for her in her simple house.Old Leia was tending to Coco with a cast on her leg, wiping and cleaning her body. A fellow villager saw Leia coming out of the house and asked curiously, "Hey, Leia. How is she doing? Has she woken up yet?" Leia shook her head."Why is she still unconscious? She's been in a coma for more than three months," the villager grunted. "Why did you even take her home? What if she never wakes up? You'll end up taking care of her forever!"Leia let out a heavy sigh. "I'll take it as a sign that God has given me another daughter, and I'll keep her."Everyone in the village knew Leia had lost her husband early in life. She had been living with her only daughter, who later drowned in the river. Her daughter had drowned and left her when she was ten years old, leaving Leia all alone. Since then, Leia often went to the river where her daughter ha
No one could predict what would happen if someone mentioned Coco’s name.Once, a journalist had mentioned Coco's name in front of Lucas and asked if they had broken up. Lucas had beaten up the journalist so badly that they ended up in the hospital. After that, no one in Solaria ever saw that journalist again.Those who witnessed Lucas's frenzied attack were left deeply shaken by his sheer fury and aggression. From that moment, everyone began to realize that Coco’s name was taboo. Nowadays, Minnie was frequently seen with Lucas, leading many to speculate if she was his new love interest. Minnie could only smile helplessly whenever she came across such gossip online.Lucas kept in touch with her because of their shared connection to Coco. During their weekly meetings, Lucas would ask Minnie to recount stories about Coco, whether from their school days or her work life. He was desperately trying to learn everything he could about Coco even though it was too late now.Besides t
That voice sounded familiar. Minnie almost jumped to her feet, her gaze fixed on the bedroom door. Could it be Coco? Was Coco still alive? Had she come back?!Minnie quickly put down the comic, stumbling as she barged into Coco’s bedroom. There, a slender figure was struggling to get up from the floor. Minnie’s eyes started welling up with tears.It was Coco!Even though Coco was much thinner than a year ago and her long hair was now short, it was definitely Coco!"Coco!" Minnie shouted, running to her and hugging her tightly. The touch and the warmth of Coco’s body made Minnie realize this wasn’t a dream.“You’re alive! Why didn’t you call me to tell me you were alive?! Do you know how worried we’ve been? Lucas hasn’t stopped looking for you! He is constantly sending people out to search for you!” Minnie rambled as she burst into tears. “I’m sorry...” Coco murmured.“Do you know how much I’ve cried for you? I thought I’d never see you again.” Minnie was crying happy te
Minnie quickly followed Coco. "How long will it take for your leg to heal? You should tell Lucas so he can take care of you!""Minnie," Coco took a deep breath and said solemnly, “My leg... will never heal.""Wait, what?" Minnie was stunned. She couldn’t comprehend the news. “Your leg will never heal? What do you mean?""I mean, my leg is permanently damaged," Coco said. She would be crippled for the rest of her life.Minnie felt a pang in her chest, making it hard to breathe. “No way! There has to be a way to fix it!” Coco looked at her sadly and forced a smile. "It's too late. I missed the best time for treatment. It’s too late to do anything now.” "So, you’re not seeing Lucas because of your leg?" Minnie asked."I... I will see him. I just haven't figured out how to face him yet," Coco hesitated and continued, "I know he's been looking for me, and I’ve seen photos of him online. I know he's been going through a tough time. I don’t want him to keep suffering because of me. I
"You woke up two months ago?" Minnie was shocked. "So, you were in a coma for 10 months?!""Almost." Coco then explained what had happened after she woke up, including how Leia had saved her. When she first woke up, she had no way to contact the outside world because she was in a very remote village. Even making a phone call required going to a neighboring village.In the beginning, she had experienced aphasia and couldn't speak. Her whole body was so weak that she couldn’t lift her fingers to write anything. Even if she wrote something, Leia, who had saved her, was illiterate and wouldn't have understood anyway.As her condition gradually improved and she regained her ability to speak, she learned that she had been in a coma for a long time.Although her broken leg had been treated with a cast, it hadn't healed properly. Now, it was too late to fix it. She had returned to Solaria yesterday by hitching a ride with a kind stranger, but she hadn’t figured out how to face everyo
“……” Morgan suddenly found himself unable to retort. She... wasn't wrong. “But when you play house, you can pretend to be parents with one person today and another person tomorrow. Real marriage is different; you can’t choose someone else.”Renee widened her eyes, listening intently.“The only person you can choose is me. Do you understand, Renee?” he continued.She nodded vigorously. “I understand!”“Do you really?” Morgan asked, a little skeptical. He was already fifteen, so he could grasp the concept of marriage, but she was only eight. Could she truly comprehend it?“So, in the future, I can only marry Morgan and be your bride, right? I can't be someone else's bride, right?” she asked. “I don’t want to marry other boys anyway. I like you the most, Morgan. Of course I’ll only be your bride!” she happily declared, her worries fading away.So she could be Morgan's bride when she grew up! That's great!After finishing another piece of snack, Renee thought of something. She put o
Despite her unease, she couldn’t resist when she saw the sweet desserts. She indulged herself.However, as she ate, her eyes remained fixed on Morgan, clearly still waiting for him to clarify Lucy’s claims.“You want to know if you’re a child bride, right?” Morgan began.Renee nodded.“Do you know what a child bride is?” he asked.She blinked. She had a vague idea, but not enough for her to articulate it.“To put it simply, a child bride is a girl raised by a boy's family. The girl will marry the boy when she comes of age. In the old days, some families were too poor to raise their daughters, so they would sell their daughters to become child brides for richer families,” Morgan explained.Renee blinked. “But my parents aren’t poor, and I'm raised by them, not by other people. That means I’m not a child bride, right?”“Correct, you are not,” Morgan affirmed.She breathed a sigh of relief, and a bright smile spread across her face. “I knew it! My parents would never sell me! The
"Morgan!" Renee turned to Morgan, unease etched on her face."The Moon family, eh? I'll remember this," Morgan replied calmly, then lowered his head to meet Renee's anxious and confused face. "Let's go, Renee. I’ll tell you what you want to know later."He led her away holding her hand.Benson looked worried. "Miss Lucy, how could you say that?""It's the truth!" Lucy shook off her fear and spoke defiantly. "Daddy and Mommy said she’s a child bride. A child bride is a girl sold by her own parents!""But the White family is not like that. Those things only happened to daughters of poor families in the old days," Benson explained. "You really shouldn’t have said that, Miss Lucy. You shouldn’t do that again.""Why do I have to listen to you?" Lucy retorted, displeased.Benson was too ashamed to tell Lucy in front of others that the Moon family simply couldn’t afford to offend Morgan. Dealing with the White family was already a headache, and Morgan's background was even more formi
Benson and Lucy were also dumbfounded. Benson started getting anxious. He felt like things were starting to unfold in ways that he did not expect."Mr. Grimes, I..." Benson stepped forward, intending to speak to Mr. Grimes.However, Mr. Grimes moved past Benson without so much as a glance at him. He went up to Morgan and said, "Master Morgan, I apologize for the oversight!"Everyone was stunned to hear that, including the security guards who had been called over. They were secretly relieved they hadn't forcibly removed anyone yet. If they had offended someone Mr. Grimes was showing so much respect to, it would have been really bad for them!Morgan regarded Mr. Grimes with an unreadable expression. He calmly recounted the situation to Mr. Grimes.After hearing about what happened, Mr. Grimes responded, "This set of stamps was not pre-ordered. If you like it, please take it. Feel free to take anything else in the exhibition that catches your eye."This declaration shocked every
"Who are you?!" Benson exclaimed, astonished. The mysterious figure remained silent, simply looking at Morgan.Morgan calmly reiterated to Benson, "I said, wait for Mr. Grimes." He then pulled out his phone and dialed a number. "I'm Morgan Wood. Please have Mr. Grimes from Lazy Cat Culture come to the Sleepy Cat Exhibition in Solaria. He should be in the area, right?"After ending the call, the person on the other end stared at the phone in disbelief.The Sleepy Cat Exhibition? What's going on?Benson, Lucy, and the staff stared at Morgan in shock, but the look in their eyes quickly turned to ridicule."Ah, a young man's naive bravado – how impudent!" Benson scoffed."Sir, please don't cause trouble," the staff member warned. "Or I'll have to call security."Morgan simply lowered his head to say to Renee, "Looks like we'll be here for a while. If you're bored, I can ask someone to walk around with you."Renee shook her head. "Morgan, what if this stamp set has really been p
Benson's words were not only meant to exert pressure on the staff, but also to inform him that they were on the same side.As expected, when the staff heard what he said, there was an instant change in his expression. He turned to Morgan and Renee and said, "I'm sorry, but it turns out this stamp set has already been pre-ordered by this customer."Morgan saw through the so-called pre-order as nothing more than an act. "When I asked you to wrap it up earlier, I didn’t hear you mention it was pre-ordered.""We forgot to mention that. Our apologies," the staff replied.Lucy, wearing a smug expression, raised her chin at Renee, causing Renee to puff out her cheeks in frustration.Benson calmly observed Morgan and Renee. The White family's White Maple Group had numerous overlapping businesses with the Moon Group. They were often competing with each other. Originally, the White Maple Group’s business activities weren't concentrated in Solaria, so even though there was competition wi
But before Morgan had even finished speaking, a girl's voice piped up, "I want this stamp set!"He turned to the voice and, upon seeing who it was, narrowed his eyes slightly. It was Lucy Moon, the girl Renee mentioned earlier. At the sight of Lucy, Renee immediately reacted like an angry little kitten. "Lucy Moon, why do you always try to take my stuff away?""Your stuff? How is this your stuff? You haven't paid yet!" Lucy shot back, her eyes fixed on Morgan.Morgan was well-known in their class, admired by many girls who claimed he was even more handsome than movie stars. If only Lucy had a big brother like that! She would be the envy of all the girls in class... no, all the girls in school!Unfortunately, her own big brother was not as good-looking.Last time, Lucy had tried to give Renee Sleepy Cat toys, asking for Morgan's email address in return. However, Renee accepted gifts from everyone but her, which infuriated Lucy."But if you want, I can give this stamp set to Re
Unlike many wealthy kids, Renee was quite restrained with her spending. She had never spent recklessly and often saved leftover money. Of course, when she wanted something beyond her budget, she would act cute and ask her Daddy or Morgan to buy it for her.Lisa was the least susceptible to her charms, so Renee didn’t dare to bother her!When they arrived at the exhibition, Renee’s eyes sparkled with excitement. There were so many adorable Sleepy Cat merchandise! They're all so cute! She wanted a lot of them, but realizing her limited budget, she knew she needed a sponsor! The best one was right beside her: Morgan!"Morgan," she said, flashing him a super bright smile.Seeing her like this, Morgan immediately knew she wanted to ask him for something. "What is it? Do you want me to buy you Sleepy Cat merchandise?""You’re so smart, Morgan! No wonder so many girls in our class like you and asked me for your phone number!" Renee praised him.As soon as she mentioned it, Morgan'
"Okay," Renee replied obediently, snuggling up to Morgan and acting cute. "Take me to the exhibition, Morgan! I know you’re the best. You’ll definitely take me, right?"Morgan pursed his lips. At 15, he was no longer a little boy. Although Renee was only 8, she was his destined wife.He had been protecting her since the day she was born. At first, he thought that he would only marry her because according to the family prophecy, she was the one most suitable for him. Over the years, however, he realized that his feelings for her ran deeper than he had initially thought.He found himself wanting to help her fulfill her wishes, and would clean up the mess when she caused trouble. Things had become different from what he had expected, but he welcomed them. He felt grateful that she was the one who was destined for him!With her by his side for the rest of his life, he would never feel lonely."Will you get into fights again?" Morgan asked."No more fighting, I promise!" Renee quickly