Solomon paused, looking sympathetically at the couple. “But she didn’t stop there. She then collaborated with another gang leader she had seduced, forming a new gang called the Dragon Gang.”After his introduction, Solomon added, “By the way, the five key leaders of the Dragon Gang are all Odelia’s lovers, and she has become the gang’s big sister and strategist.”Even the well-informed Old Mr. Hiram was left speechless.Such a woman was indeed formidable, and to make her an enemy would be a significant problem!Odgen and Nydia were stunned. The daughter-in-law they had thought to be gentle and graceful was actually so cunning, and her current actions were deeply unsettling.The couple exchanged a grave look, realizing the severity of the situation. Solomon continued, “Uncle, Auntie, I don’t know the specifics of your grudge with Odelia, but one thing is certain: she’s not someone to be trifled with. Be very careful!”Odgen nodded solemnly, while Nydia grew increasingly anxious.They r
Nydia felt like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered, overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness."Is anyone there?" she hesitated, calling out, but there was no response.Time crawled by, each minute feeling like an eternity. Nydia wanted to scream, but she could only swallow her fear, unable to give it voice.Nydia was being held in an abandoned warehouse, where cameras captured her helplessness and fear, transmitting it to a nearby room. In that room, Odelia sat in front of a screen, casually watching Nydia’s torment.Several of Odelia’s henchmen stood behind her, puzzled. “Big sister, what’s so interesting about this old woman? We’ve already kidnapped her. Why not just call for ransom?”Odelia sneered. “This woman has always acted high and mighty. Now that she’s finally in my hands, how can I let her off so easily? Let her stew for a few hours. When the Halsey family starts to panic, we’ll discuss terms.”A cold, decisive light flashed in Odelia’s eyes as she smirked. After a moment, she
"Spit! Don't talk to me about money. Do you think a few bucks can buy everything?" Odelia's eyes were filled with hatred.Nydia looked into her eyes, frightened by the coldness and hatred she saw there."What... what do you really want to do?" she asked.Odelia sneered, "A debt must be repaid, a life for a life! Nydia, you killed my child. It's only fair that you pay with your life, don't you think?"Odelia's voice dropped to a menacing whisper, sending shivers down Nydia's spine. Terrified, Nydia raised her voice, "No! You can't kill me! Besides, that was just an embryo, it wasn't even a child!"Odelia looked at Nydia with cold eyes, seemingly savoring her fear. "Don't worry, I won't kill you now, for old times' sake. But since you owe me a life, shouldn't someone else pay it?"Feigning seriousness, Odelia mused aloud, "Since your son cares so much about Lydia, why not trade her for you?"With that, Odelia picked up a knife and patted Nydia's face with it. Nydia was terrified. This w
"Did you see the photos?""Odelia, what do you want?""Lambert, I used to have a good impression of you. You're handsome, capable, and of high status. If you had chosen me, I would have led a stable life. But you were blind, rejecting a great woman like me for that idiot Lydia. And your mother went further, not only killing my child but also making it impossible for me to become a mother again. Don't you think your family owes me?""So this is revenge?" Lambert asked calmly, his tone steady. "Odelia, I think you need to see a psychologist.""Stop the nonsense! I'm asking you a simple question. Do you want to save your mother or not?"Lambert's pupils contracted slightly, his palms sweating. Despite his outward composure, his heart was racing. Seeing his usually dignified mother being humiliated stirred an indescribable pain within him. After a long pause, Lambert adjusted his emotions and asked, "What do you want?""My demands are simple: a
"I’m not that stupid!" Lambert hung up the phone decisively. Westside warehouse, huh?Lambert indeed wasn't going to call the police, but that didn't mean he couldn't seek help. He made several calls to his friends.Families like theirs typically employed bodyguards, and he intended to use them.Not knowing the exact situation, these bodyguards needed to be prepared and discreet to avoid alerting the enemy.After making the necessary arrangements, Lambert drove towards the Westside warehouse.The Westside warehouse was a cluster of abandoned warehouses on the outskirts of the city, an area notorious for its poor security and a haven for delinquents, even beyond the reach of the police.Odelia’s choice of this location was strategic; unless she exposed herself, it would be hard for anyone to find her.By the time Lambert arrived, it was completely dark.The area was teeming with idlers dressed in bizarre outfits, som
"What will it take for you to release my mother?" Lambert’s tone was somewhat harsh, which made Odelia laugh. He was anxious, which was good for her."Why don’t you beg me? Maybe if you beg, it will work." Odelia suggested, her eyes twinkling mischievously.Lambert remained silent, prompting Odelia to continue, "But begging alone isn’t enough to show your sincerity. How about you kneel and beg? Maybe if I’m in a good mood, I’ll let Nydia go."Nydia's eyes widened with hatred as she glared at Odelia. How dare this woman...Odelia noticed Nydia’s gaze and her expression turned cold. "What are you looking at? Look again and I’ll gouge your eyes out!" She quickly corrected herself, "No, I can’t do that yet. You need to see your son willingly kneel before me."Odelia’s eyes then settled on Lambert. Would this god-like man kneel for his mother? She was oddly excited to find out.With a loud thu
It was late at night, and the neighborhood where Lydia lived was quiet. Wythe’s shouting was particularly conspicuous. Afraid of attracting unnecessary trouble and delaying the plan to rescue Nydia, Odgen ordered the bodyguards to knock Wythe out.Seeing this, Lydia struggled desperately, but it was futile.Frustrated, Odgen knocked her out too. He left a bodyguard to look after Wythe and then took Lydia out of the house.After leaving the neighborhood, Odgen dialed Odelia’s number. Odelia, seeing the call, smiled playfully. The show was finally about to begin, and she was excited."Odelia, I have Lydia. Where do we exchange the hostages?" Odgen’s voice was urgent; he didn’t want to waste a second. His long-time wife was being held, and he couldn’t let her suffer.To Odgen, Lydia was the cause of all the problems.If not for her, none of this would have happened, and Odelia wouldn’t be so crazy. It was onl
Upon hearing that Odgen had arrived, Nydia's eyes lit up with hope. Surely he had come to rescue her!Meanwhile, Lambert was deeply suspicious of Odelia and her associates' demeanor towards Odgen's arrival. Why were they so pleased? Had Odelia struck some other deal with his father behind the scenes?Lambert's unease grew, realizing he had underestimated Odelia. Her cunning was truly surprising.Soon enough, Odgen was brought in, accompanied shockingly by the unconscious Lydia. In an instant, rage surged within Lambert as he rushed forward, attempting to seize Lydia."Stop him!" Odelia quickly ordered her henchmen. Lambert found himself outnumbered and blocked, forced to watch helplessly as his father and Odelia continued their "exchange".Odgen's gaze fell upon the bound Nydia, eyes reddened with fury. He demanded of Odelia, "I've brought the person, now release Nydia!""Dad!" Lambert interjected angrily, "You can't do this!""Why ca
"Lambert, at this rate, you could almost switch careers to become a nanny!" Horace teased, noticing how expertly Lambert cradled the baby.Unfazed by his friend's jest, Lambert beamed with happiness. "You wouldn't understand if you don't have kids. Once you get married, you'll know. This is my legacy, and I didn't get to care for Wythe when he was a baby, so I'm determined to be hands-on with Candice."No one could truly grasp this sense of compensation!Horace rolled his eyes, clearly at a loss for words. It was pointless to engage with someone so enamored with fatherhood.While the men gathered to chat, Thera leaned closer to Lydia and whispered, "So, Lydia, are you really back together with Lambert?"Lydia nodded. "Yeah. After everything that happened, I realized I need to cherish every single day. And Lambert is sincere—I can feel it.""That's great!" Thera sighed in relief, finally putting her worries to rest."What about you, Thera? I see you and Andrew getting along quite well!
At this moment, Lambert felt completely at ease. It seemed that Lydia's earlier words were not just talk; she was genuinely ready to give them a chance!A smile crept onto Lambert's lips, but there was no time to think of anything else; he needed to take care of their baby, Wythe. Thanks to the maternal training classes he had attended with Lydia, he had learned a lot about caring for newborns. Gently, he picked up his daughter and quickly checked her diaper, only to find that she had wet it.With nimble hands, he changed her diaper, and the little one fell back asleep. Looking at her innocent face, Lambert's heart melted. This was his child, the result of his and Lydia's love.The baby slept soundly, and Wythe had been temporarily taken away by Bob, who had come to deliver some items. Now, only Lambert and Lydia remained in the room, but Lydia, having slept quite a bit earlier, was no longer drowsy."Are you still feeling unwell?" Seeing Lydia frown slightly, Lambert asked with conce
Lambert glanced at his son's disapproving expression and was momentarily at a loss. "Wythe, you might've looked even more wrinkled than her when you were born, yet look at you now—a handsome young man," he teased, smiling at his daughter. Though wrinkly, he found her to be the most beautiful and precious little girl.Wythe huffed proudly, his lips in a slight pout. "I wasn't this ugly! Besides, you didn't see me when I was a baby." A hint of sadness crossed his face; he hadn't been as lucky as his sister—he hadn't had his dad by his side when he was born.Hearing the touch of bitterness in his son's voice, Lambert immediately understood. Wythe was jealous, understandably so. For all his maturity, Wythe was still just a child. For his first five or six years, he had only his mother and no father. He often envied kids with both parents, and when Lydia finally returned home, her on-again, off-again relationship with Lambert had left Wythe hurt and forced him to grow up faster than other
Lambert paced restlessly in the hallway, nearly losing his mind. Every moment was agonizing, with Lydia's screams from the delivery room piercing his heart. He prided himself on being strong, yet in that instant, he felt an overwhelming urge to flee, especially as her cries of pain echoed through. Angry at himself, he slapped his own face—Lydia was suffering because of him, and he'd never realized how terrifying childbirth could be."Calm down. This is what childbirth is like," a woman nearby said kindly. She was the mother of a little girl, and both she and her husband couldn't help but notice how visibly nervous Lambert was. "You've been through this once before, so you should be able to handle it," she added."Why isn't it over yet? Is she in danger?" Lambert's mind was in turmoil, fighting the urge to rush inside and see Lydia himself.The little girl's father stepped in, attempting to reassure him. "You and your family will be just fine," he said. The man recalled his own frantic
At that moment, Lydia was on the verge of total collapse, as if her entire world had crumbled in an instant, and sorrow overwhelmed her.What had she done? What had she been doing these past days?She had been recklessly indulging in Lambert's affection, without any sense of gratitude or restraint. Now, she regretted her actions deeply. If only she had known this day would come, she would never have argued with Lambert or dismissed his love and efforts out of a misguided sense of pride.All she wanted was for him to be safe, to live happily with her and their children, never to be apart.Lydia's vision blurred as she stood in shock, unable to step closer to the crowd to confirm what had happened. But through a gap, she caught sight of a blood-red stain spreading across the ground. The sight was so jarring that it felt as though her heart had been ripped out of her chest."Mom, are you okay?"Wythe ran over, panting, to see Lydia sitting dazed on the ground, staring at the red stain in
Lambert's words made Wythe roll his eyes, secretly exasperated. What was going on with his dad? Wasn't everything decided? Why was he suddenly backing out at the last moment?Men! Their thoughts are just impossible to figure out!Lambert had indeed changed his mind unexpectedly. He didn't want to deceive Lydia, even if it was just a harmless joke. Something about it felt wrong. Even if it was to bring them closer, lying to her didn't seem right.Wythe's plan had been simple he wanted Lambert to stage an accident, making it seem like he'd been hit by a car. He was certain his mom would show her true feelings; if she still cared for him, there was no way she'd just stand by. It was a good plan, but now that the moment had come, Lambert didn't want to test Lydia this way.People's feelings shouldn't be tested.Wythe grew increasingly anxious. They'd prepared everything, but now his dad was retreating? That wasn't like him at all! Taking advantage of n
Half a month had passed since Lydia's last check-up. Lambert continued caring for Lydia with the same attentiveness, unbothered by her cold attitude towards him. Although her indifference saddened him, he was undeterred; his determination grew in the face of difficulty, a testament to his personality.But little Wythe had had enough. He felt it was time to give his parents a nudge towards reconciliation. Yes, it was his turn to step up!So, one morning, when Lambert went out early to buy groceries as usual, Wythe found an excuse to tag along. Lydia didn't think much of it; over time, she had noticed Lambert's earnest efforts and couldn't deny feeling somewhat touched, even if her heart remained conflicted. Deep down, she feared reopening herself to love, only to be hurt again.After all, "Once bitten, twice shy," as they say. Lydia never saw herself as particularly brave—in fact, in love, she was timid and afraid. She longed for a peaceful, uncomplicated l
Once, Lydia believed she and Lambert would grow old together, inseparable and loyal. But her genuine love had only brought repeated hurt and disappointment. That's why she had fled Nova City, leaving behind everyone she knew, so this time, she refused to open her heart again.Lambert sighed, his tone gentle. He knew Lydia wouldn't easily open up to him again, but he didn't mind; he was willing to wait. Determined, he led her to the prenatal clinic, aware of the many tests ahead—ultrasounds, blood tests, monitoring the baby's heartbeat—a series of over ten examinations. Each department was exceptionally busy, requiring an immense amount of patience.Throughout, Lambert remained unwaveringly attentive, showing no sign of impatience. He stayed by Lydia's side with the eager anticipation of any expectant father, his heart fully in it.Before the ultrasound, Lydia needed to drink water, but Lambert, inexperienced in these matters, hadn't prepared any. She didn't feel inclined to remind him
Happiness, it seems, makes people wish the same for those around them. Like the husband in the next hospital bed—he had the sense to keep quiet the moment he sensed the tension between Lydia and Lambert.Lambert didn't seem to mind Lydia's sudden outburst. He simply took off his suit jacket, now stained with soup, and said regretfully, "The soup spilled, Lydia. I'm afraid you'll have to wait a little longer. I'll have someone bring a new one right away! Why not have a piece of cake to tide you over?"Lambert's calm demeanor only made Lydia feel as if her anger was landing on nothing but soft cotton, frustrating her even more. What was Lambert up to? Was he mocking her on purpose?It was infuriating!Lydia knew her emotions were out of sorts lately. Ever since Lambert left, she hadn't had much of an appetite. When she found out his trip was delayed, everything around her began to irritate her. It was as though a cloud of anger clogged her heart, but she couldn't find a way to let it ou