Venice, Italy, 3 AM After landing in Venice, Mikael drives his car at high speed and hears the news that Claire has been kidnapped. He still remembers his mother's panicked voice when he called her a few minutes ago, and he also remembers how crazy he was when he asked Lionel to track Claire's location through the CCTV in his house. “We found her,” Lionel's voice through the invisible earpiece he was using broke the silence in Mikael's car. “Send the location to my car,” Mikael replied quickly. In just seconds, Lionel immediately sent the location that Mikael requested. The car license plate number, type, and color of the car that Claire was riding in immediately appeared on his car's screen. "How many people are around there?" Mikael asked how many troops he had. "Three cars of shooting agents are heading to the location," Lionel responded quickly. Mikael reached out to turn the wheel—take the fastest route he could take to get to Claire quickly. The car horns from the
Venice, Italy, 4 AM"She passed out from the shock of what happened," Kennedy released Claire's wrist after applying ointment to her bruises."How about her eyes? Is she okay?” Mikael stared intently at Claire, trying to ensure that tonight's incident didn't affect Claire's sensitive corneas.“I'm not an ophthalmologist, but it doesn't seem like her eyes have any problems. Her eyes were bloodshot because she was still sensitive to light.” Kennedy—his personal doctor, explained calmly."Okay," Mikael crossed his arms and walked out of Claire's room with Kennedy.As soon as he left the room, he was immediately greeted by Nancy and Josephine, who looked worried.Mikael took a deep breath.Honestly, he was too lazy to talk to anyone when his emotions weren't stable. However, seeing how worried his mother was as he walked out of the car carrying Claire toward the plane, he had no choice but to explain Claire's current state."She is fine." Mikael spoke briefly.Kennedy was already sitting
Chapter 14 A Doubt Michael's Private Jet New York, US, 6 AM The flashing light made it difficult for Claire to open her eyes. The room wasn't too bright, but it wasn't completely dark either. There was a light burning directly above her face—it looked dim as if it had been set that way on purpose. When she first opened her eyes, the only thing she could think about was where she was now. In her head still vividly remember the terrible incident that happened to her. Someone came and took her away from the house, her hands were handcuffed, and there was a man who punched her in the face because she was screaming and crying so hard. Then… Michael came and… there was an accident. The man who hit her… was injured, and so was the driver. Michael took a revolver out of his pocket—shooting her wrists which were cuffed. The sound of the gun made her startled and scared—very scared. It felt as if Michael was going to shoot and kill her. Then…Claire couldn't remember what had happened
Michael's Mansion Manhattan, New York, US. 10 AM "Where are we?" Claire desperately wanted to look around her, but the bandages on her eyes restricted her view. The sound of the elevator chiming was followed by respectful greetings from several men and women—which Michael ignored, making Claire frown in confusion. Even though she couldn't see, Claire could feel that they were in a strange place—a place she had never been to before. Michael touched her hand and led her walking, "this is my house." He said slowly, "even though it's not as big as my house in Venice, I'm sure this place will feel comfortable." “Wait…” Claire stopped her steps. A doubt filled her mind again, “since when did you… have a house? Is this Daddy and Mommy's house?” They were in separate cars after getting off the plane, so Claire assumed that Josephine and John had gone to their house while Michael drove her to her apartment. Michael was silent for a few moments, and Claire didn't know what he was doing,
Mikael's Mansion Manhattan, New York, US. 8 PM "Why didn't you ever tell me that you had a twin brother, Michael?" Mikael felt the world he was standing on stop for a moment. He knows that in the end, his lies will be exposed and cause big problems. However, he still chose to continue the lie with hope—What did he expect? Did he still dare to hope that he would be back with Claire like before? Like the years he spent together at the Williams mansion? "Michael?" Claire spoke hesitantly. Mikael took a deep breath. His hand caught Claire's hand and stroked it gently. "Yes, I have a twin, Claire." Once again, he suppressed his ego—trying to restrain himself when he was facing Claire. Throughout his life, he knew he had a different personality from Michael. Their faces are indeed the same. The color of their eyes, hair, and even their height is the same. However, their personalities are opposites. Michael was the most patient person he'd ever met—just like Josephine. Michael inh
Williams Mansion. Manhattan, New York, US.19 Years Ago…"Didn't I tell you not to swim in the lake?!" Lionel's screams were deafening. He glared fiercely, indicating he would not hesitate to punish Mikael and Claire even though their status was the child of the owner of the Williams Mansion—his boss.Claire hugged her towel tightly—she would have almost died if Lionel hadn't pulled her from the lake in time."Claire asked me to swim," Mikael shrugged casually, "what can I do if she forces me?" Mikael gave a mocking look—completely indifferent to Claire, who was still crying from fright.Well, doesn't that orphanage girl deserve to be drowned in the lake? She was the one who bothered him, so why was he the one to blame?"Mikael," Claire's lips were blue with cold, muttered under her breath as she stared at him.As usual, that little girl was always crying."Do you understand now why I told you not to listen to Mikael, Claire?" Lionel touched Claire's shoulder, looking at her intently
Mikael's MansionManhattan, New York. 8 AM"Michael, can you come home early today?"Mikael looked up and looked at Claire who was having breakfast with Nancy's help, "is there anything you need?"Claire nodded quickly, “doctor Stacy said that she wants to talk to you about something. And… I will also start removing my bandages this afternoon. She asked me to come to the hospital for a check-up.”Mikael raised his eyebrow. "Don't force yourself if your eyes still hurt.""I tried getting my bandages off yesterday, and Mrs Stacy says my eye is fine.""Very well then," Mikael replied curtly."That's why I need you to come home early today to take me to the hospital," Claire shook her head as Nancy fed her, "you weren't home when I took off my bandages for the first time. However, I want to see you this time while removing the bandages.”"You can see me at night," Mikael said nonchalantly. He asked a waiter to pour wine into his glass—his habit every time he ate. Sometimes he just takes a
NYU Medical Center, New York, US. 3 PM"Her condition has improved. Now she can remove her bandages during the day, as long as she doesn't look directly at the light that is too bright."Claire smiled happily as she listened to Stacy's explanation to Michael.Michael comes home. He kept his promise this morning, came home at lunchtime, and drove her to the hospital. Well, even though he was a bit late—something Michael had never done before.However, she was glad that Michael drove her to the hospital so she didn't have to go alone with Nancy.And not only did she do an eye check-up, but Stacy also asked her to do a check-up. Blood, urine, even… ultrasound. She doesn't know the purpose, but Claire doesn't ask much because Michael said the check-up was necessary after her accident one month ago."That means she doesn't need to use bandages anymore?" Michael frowned and stared at her for a moment.“That's right, Mr. Williams. We've been experimenting for three days now, and Miss Claire
Mikael’s Mansion.Yonkers, New York, US. A few months later.Mikael gazed at the sprawling grounds of his mansion, which had begun to bloom with flowers, with butterflies fluttering freely.Claire had started planting flowers in their mansion’s yard two weeks ago, and the blossoms were beginning to bloom in the spring, transforming the once-dreary mansion into something beautiful.Mikael had been away from that building for nearly six years. Even though there were still servants cleaning and maintaining the place every day, it had felt gloomy when they first moved in a few months ago.However, Claire only took a few days to make significant changes to the mansion. Cecilia's laughter echoed in every corner, bringing a new light that Mikael had never imagined before. Claire had begun to do her part—adding magical touches that his mind struggled to comprehend, but his heart could feel.And now, as spring had arrived, everything was starting to grow lushly—especially Mikael's heart, which
Chapter 117 Perfect Family in the MorningMikael’s ApartmentManhattan, New York, US. 9 AMClaire nearly jumped in surprise when she felt a cold kiss on her neck in the midst of the chilly air. Her hands moved to push the man away—the only person allowed to do such a thing to her.“Mike,” she groaned irritably.“Are you going to keep hiding under the blankets until the afternoon?” Mikael chuckled and continued showering her with cold kisses along her neck and face.Claire opened her eyes and pouted. When she turned her head, she didn’t find Cecilia there and concluded that she had woken up late, meaning Cecilia was already awake.“Get away from me!” she said while pushing Mikael away, even though she knew her refusal was futile.“Do you really want me to go?” Mikael raised his eyebrows.Claire rolled her eyes as she noticed the drastic change in their interactions.She had known Mikael her entire life, but she felt unprepared for all of this. Waking up to see Mikael’s handsome face in
Mikael’s ApartmentManhattan, New York, US. 1 AMOnce again, Claire woke up with soreness between her thighs, and the memories of what she’d done replayed in her mind. Her eyes weren’t fully open yet, but she knew it was still nighttime—the sun hadn’t risen, unlike a few days ago when she awoke.A large, warm hand wrapped around her waist tightly, keeping her from falling off the sofa in the living room. A thick blanket covered her bare body, and she knew that the man behind her was also still undressed, even though he was awake.She could feel the gentle strokes along her back and steady breaths against her neck. The man hadn’t said a word, but Claire knew he was awake, or at least hadn’t slept since she had immediately closed her eyes after their last... game, however many hours ago.She had been right to worry—she’d lose control again if she let Mikael talk to her at night. And yes, she had lost control once more.There was no denying that she missed every touch from this man. Ther
Mikael’s ApartmentManhattan, New York, US. 9 PMSnow once again blanketed the streets of New York, which were adorned with Christmas lights and bustling with pedestrians going about their activities. Some chose to step aside, seeking warmth from the cold, while others continued to stroll, enjoying the frozen snowflakes falling around them.Amid the hustle of New York, Mikael opted to sit in the main room of his apartment with two mugs of hot chocolate—one for him and one for Claire.The cool air from the balcony door, which wasn’t fully closed, made the room feel cold—typical of the chilly end-of-year weather.Mikael had endured many terrible years, but it seemed he would close this one with a sweet gift—Cecilia.“This is the best year-end I’ve ever had,” Mikael smiled.Sometimes, he forgot the last time he had smiled, but in the past few days, he had lost count of how many times he’d smiled because it happened so often.“Good for you,” Claire responded flatly.Sometimes, Mikael wond
Michael’s GraveManhattan, New York, US. 9 AMClaire stepped forward, clutching a bouquet of white roses she had bought just before arriving at... her destination.“Mom,” Cecilia reached for her hand, prompting Claire to turn and offer a brief smile to the little girl.“That’s okay, Cecilia.” Mikael crouched in front of Cecilia and lifted her into his arms when he noticed she felt scared.Claire had never taken Cecilia to a cemetery before, but Cecilia had seen graves on television, and it always piqued her curiosity.Cecilia didn’t have anyone to visit in Canada, so she never went to a cemetery. But now, she was in New York, and… she felt like she had to visit one of the graves she missed the most—Michael’s grave.“Daddy, I’m scared,” Cecilia said quietly, hiding her face against Mikael’s chest.“Aren’t you here with Daddy and Mommy?” Mikael kissed her hair softly, “You don’t need to be scared, right?”“Yes, Daddy.” Cecilia nodded but kept hiding her face, making Mikael chuckle affec
Mikael’s ApartmentManhattan, New York, US. 11 PMTime passes day by day, and Claire feels unable to stop them. The end of the year is approaching, but she feels she still can’t leave this year behind—a year that has brought her many surprises and… happiness.She is living in Mikael’s apartment.They sleep together in the same room, on the same bed, and under the same blanket. However, nothing happens between them except… sleep, in the literal meaning.It’s not that Claire wants anything else. Honestly, she still can’t believe what she did with Mikael on the nights following the moment she killed Anderson with a gun in her hand.That night, she was completely unhinged and couldn’t think clearly. Everything she discussed with Mikael drove her further into madness, and they ended that madness in an even crazier way. However, she would try to control herself not to do that again… at least until she was truly sure about her decisions and what she wanted to do next.Now, she lives with Mik
Williams MansionManhattan, New York, US. 1 PM“Oh my God,” Josephine Williams gasped, covering her mouth in surprise when she saw Claire standing at the mansion door.“Mom,” Claire gave a brief smile and reached out to hug her.They had met briefly yesterday, but that encounter meant nothing to either Josephine or Claire. At the time, everything was chaotic, and Claire’s only concern had been calming Cecilia, who was crying hysterically out of fear.“My dear,” Josephine sighed as she hugged Claire, “I’ve been waiting for word from you since last night.”“Sorry to make you worry, Mom. I’m fine. You don’t have to worry about me.”“I know you’re fine,” Josephine released the hug and cupped Claire’s face, looking at her closely. “I just needed to hear from you. It’s the only thing that could ease my mind.”Claire smiled and nodded. Years had passed since her childhood, but Josephine still saw her as a little princess she would always worry about. Claire hadn’t understood Josephine’s mind
Mikael’s Mansion Manhattan, New York, US. 10 AM “Do you like these eggs, Cecilia?” “Can I have more?” “You want more?” “I want! I want!” “Sure, Princess! You’ll have mine, and I’ll make another one for you.” Claire blinked as the voices broke through her sleep. She opened her eyes for a few seconds, but the pull of sleep soon coaxed them shut again. Sunlight poured through the large windows at the center of the room, illuminating the sofa that faced the balcony. Despite it being late in the year, the day was bright enough for the midday sun to break through and gently warm Claire’s still-closed eyelids. She stretched, feeling a familiar ache from yesterday morning—the same kind of soreness she used to experience years ago. As much as she wanted to forget what had happened last night, Claire couldn’t deny that when she closed her eyes, all she could think about was the way Mikael had kissed her, letting his hands roam her body—touching her with tenderness and passion. “Daddy,
Mikael’s ApartmentManhattan, New York, US. 4 AMMikael still couldn’t believe what had just happened.Yes, it was hard for him to truly accept that, at this moment, he was lying next to Claire, who was curled up, shivering under his arm. Her eyes were closed while her body, from her waist down to her feet, was covered by the thick blanket he had given her after they had finished their long, wild sex.Claire’s confession had made Mikael lose control. He didn’t know how else to express the madness in his heart but through a kiss, a reflex to Claire’s long confession. However, that kiss had only ignited a fire within him, pulling him back into the burning circle.And the more surprising thing was... Claire accepted his touch.Mikael leaned down to kiss Claire’s shoulder and whatever else his lips could reach—her head, her forehead, and the nape of her neck, which was covered by strands of her red hair.Claire had stopped coloring her hair since Mikael wasn’t sure when. But he remembered