Michael's CarManhattan, New York, US. 10 AM"Michael," Claire muttered under her breath as she looked at Michael doubtfully."Yes?" Michael looked up, “what is going on now? Are you trying to force me to take a shower and call me smelly?” He grunted in annoyance.Claire feels guilty for what she said to Michael last night. However, she had no choice but to say so.Last night Michael came back from Italy without telling her. Michael gave her a surprise, and she was very surprised.However, something strange happened…She felt that Michael was very smelly. It felt as if something had happened to Michael to make his breath stink and make her sick.She had tried to restrain herself as best she could, but in the end, she couldn't, so she told Michael everything in the hope that he wouldn't take offense at her."I apologize." She lowered her head and held her hands together—trying hard to hold back nausea when she had to be in the same car with Michael.God, this is a suicide mission!Mich
RestaurantManhattan, New York, US. 7 PM"Don't be cold to him even though I know you don't like him," Claire said while holding his hand.Mikael turned and looked at her from the side.Claire moved closer and rested her head on his shoulder—making him hold his breath when he felt the soft touch of Claire's arm.Tonight they were meeting someone very important to Claire—her biological father.Well, Mikael was indeed a bit surprised when Claire told him about her biological father a few weeks ago, but he didn't really respond to her because he still doubted the existence of her biological father. However, this afternoon Claire was back talking about her biological father, and Mikael couldn't refuse when Claire asked him to come to see her father for dinner.So, here he was—sitting with Claire in the car to come to see Claire's biological father.He didn't know how Claire ended up in an orphanage and became his parents' adopted child.When Claire came to his house 20 years ago, he wasn'
Michael's MansionManhattan, New York, US. 10 PMClaire stepped hesitantly into Michael's room. His room looked… very chaotic.Her eyes stared at Michael's back, who was standing at the end of the room's balcony. He looked at the backyard of their mansion which is adjacent to the swimming pool.Claire stopped walking and closed her eyes to endure her nausea.Oh God, not now. She was willing to endure nausea all day tomorrow, but not now. There was something important she had to do… and she wouldn't be able to do it if she couldn’t stand around Michael.She knew something happened when Michael met Anderson. However, she did not have the chance to ask.Michael looked completely taken aback when he met Anderson—as if he had seen a ghost in front of his face. His eyes flashed with anger—hatred so obvious that Claire could see it clearly. However, Michael didn't say anything.They sat together for two minutes, but Michael immediately took her home without giving any explanation.Claire rea
Mikael's MansionManhattan, New York, US. 4 AMMikael almost swore when he heard a knock on his bedroom door in the middle of the night—disturbing his sleep when he could only close his eyes about an hour ago.He heard Claire groan uncomfortably as he moved to break free from her hug. "Calm down," he said while stroking Claire's cheek gently.He stepped off the bed and walked quickly to the door before opening it roughly. "How dare you disturb my sleep, Lionel!" Mikael closed the door and let Claire sleep peacefully in their room.His eyes flashed angrily at Lionel who was standing in front of his bedroom door. "Can't you wait until morning?""No," Lionel looked worriedly, "I'm afraid we'll be late if I wait until morning."Mikael frowned, "what happened?" His eyes narrowed suspiciously.Before Lionel could answer, he heard footsteps and quite a loud commotion on the first floor.Lionel turned his head, and then he looked back at Mikael. "He's coming," he said calmly.Mikael snorted a
Manhattan, New York, US. 17 Years AgoClaire opened her eyes slowly… stared at a light coming from the door.Faintly she heard the sound of approaching footsteps, followed by the sound of throwing plates made of aluminum."Eat!" A man's voice boomed through the darkness of the room.Claire stared at the plate along with the food strewn across the dirty floor.Same. The food was still the same as the food she had eaten for the past few days. However, that was not the problem, but again, she was only getting food…no drink.Claire raised her hand—trying to grab the hem of the man's clothes even though she knew that her strength wouldn't be able to reach him, “please…” her throat was dry—her voice was barely audible because it was too low. "Help me…""Eat if you don't want to be punished," the man let out a deep breath, "or you want to sleep without eating like yesterday."She shook her head.Punishment…She had received a lot of punishment over the past few days. And… she couldn't imagin
Venice, Italy. 17 Years Ago"Leave me, Lionel," Mikael turned and looked at the suitcase Lionel was carrying.Lionel looked up, then frowned, "is there anything you want?"Mikael shrugged, "you don't need to help me," he said while taking the suitcase from Lionel's hand, "if you want, you can go back to the United States.""What?" Lionel looked at him in surprise. Then he took a deep breath, "come on, the car is waiting outside the airport."Mikael stopped his steps, "are you going to drop me at my uncle and aunt's house?"Lionel turned his head and then stepped back, forcing Mikael to follow him."Not only am I dropping you off, but I'm going to live here with you."He stared at Lionel in surprise. “Why do you have to be here? Weren't you just ordered to accompany me?”Mikael vaguely recalled the incident this morning when he fought with John.Oh, how John hated him so much that he arranged for him to go to Italy during the day so that he would be in a foreign country by night.Well,
Claire's ApartmentManhattan, New York, US. 7 AMClaire felt immense emptiness with every step she took from the lobby to her door.Her hands stopped moving when she remembered the password on her apartment door.Michael's birthday...Or maybe from now on, she would remember the password as Michael and Mikael's birthdays.A 'bib' sound was heard when Claire pressed her password button. Then the apartment door opened and revealed the main living room.Her apartment wasn't a luxury apartment like… Michael's. However, she always felt comfortable here—in a place that she managed to buy after one year's hard work.She has many memories of this place.When she first walked in and celebrated her new apartment with John, Josephine and Michael. As they had dinner here, laughing all night. The time she and Michael shared their first kiss… even when they stayed up until midnight preparing for the wedding.Then… everything fell apart without a trace.Claire lost everything. There is nothing left
Mikael's Mansion Manhattan, New York, US. 7 AM “We found her location,” Lionel said calmly while showing the location point on his iPad. "She's in her apartment?" Mikael raised his eyebrow. "Are you kidding me? Hernandez couldn't have let her in there, could he?” “Yes, he did,” Lionel nodded his head, “looks like this is a trap. I feel as if he allowed Claire to stay there to lure us and—” Josephine knocked on the door and interrupted their conversation. Mikael and Lionel turned their heads together. After their conversation a while ago, Josephine didn't really know what Mikael was doing. Her son had gone with Lionel—just as had happened years ago when Mikael went to Italy with Lionel. In the past, she couldn't do anything but cry and watch Mikael leave. However, now she did not want to repeat the same mistake. She didn't want to let Mikael get away from her... “Can I… come in?” She spoke doubtfully. Lionel turned his head to Mikael. Then when he saw Mikael not giving any r
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