Amory POV Arriving back at my hotel room, I dragged my luggage inside, my gaze drifting to the small staircase where Emma and I had shared our first real conversation. Her words replayed in my mind, echoing in the quiet room:“Has your life ever flashed before your eyes? I've seen it. Every moment of my life… spreads out right in front of me like a photo album.”The memory of her voice pulled at something deep within me. I let go of my luggage, my feet leading me over to the staircase as if she were there, sitting on it just like that night. Her voice continued in my mind, hauntingly clear:“But the surprising thing was, I didn't have any moments that I wanted to hold onto. How does that make sense? That means I've never been happy.”Regret washed over me as I leaned forward, as though reaching for a memory that wasn’t really there. “I should have told you then,” I murmured to myself, my hands running through my hair in frustration. “Amory, you dumbass…”---The following morning, ne
Emma POV It hurt deeply to stay alone in this big, empty house, with no one around to talk to or pull me out of the loneliness that pressed down like a weight on my chest. I didn’t want to admit it, but I missed Amory. He had only been gone for a few hours since our argument, but it already felt like an eternity. I picked up my phone and, in a moment of weakness, typed out a message to him: *“I saw on the news there's been a fatal accident. Is everything okay at work?”* But as my finger hovered over the send button, doubt crept in. He should be the one reaching out. He was the one who kept secrets, even though he knew all of mine. I quickly deleted the words and let out a sigh, setting the phone down with a mix of frustration and hurt. Suddenly, a message notification lit up my screen. *“Emma, how are you feeling? I'm worried about you,”* it read. It was from my mother. We hadn’t spoken in a while, and seeing her message brought a strange comfort. After a few exchanges, I agreed t
After Emma’s encouragement to dig deeper into the worker’s death, I knew it was time to take action. I arranged a meeting with Fielding's manager who is also the Minister of Finance, choosing a quiet restaurant where we could talk without distraction. As I entered, I scanned the room until my eyes landed on her. She was already seated, finishing up a phone call.I approached the table, pulling out a chair. She glanced up and ended her call, offering a slight nod. “Vice President,” she greeted, her tone reserved yet polite.“Thank you for meeting me,” I began, giving her a calm but serious look. “I hope it wasn’t too much of a bother to call you in.”She shook her head politely. “Not at all. Please, go ahead.”“Then I’ll get straight to the point.” My voice was firm as I continued, “I need you to give me the paperwork on Kim, the worker who died.”A brief flash of surprise crossed her face, but she quickly composed herself. “I’m… I’m afraid that’s outside my authority, Vice President.”
As early as 10 a.m., both Grandma and I were present at the highly anticipated press conference regarding Emgrand Construction’s tragic accident. The room was buzzing with reporters, cameras flashing as we stepped up to the podium. I felt the weight of the situation, knowing the painful truths we were about to reveal. Grandma adjusted the microphone, took a deep breath, and began to speak, her tone firm and unyielding.“Today, I stand before you,” she said, pausing as her gaze swept over the crowd. “Recently, at Emgrand Constructions, an accident occurred on one of our apartment construction sites, resulting in the tragic death of Mr. Kim. I am here to tell you the truth about this incident.”The room went silent, hanging on her every word.“The death of Mr. Kim was not an isolated tragedy,” she continued, her voice sharp and resolute. “It was the result of an extreme work schedule that led to inadequate safety measures on-site. It was entirely the fault of Emgrand Constructions.”A r
The night was filled with warmth and laughter, unlike any we’d had before. Amory’s arms wrapped around me as he pulled me closer on the bed, a sense of contentment radiating between us. But even amid the laughter, a dark thought hovered in my mind, one I couldn’t shake. Glancing at the small timing countdown etched into my wrist, I couldn’t help but feel an unease that had been steadily growing. “Amory,” I whispered, my voice betraying the fear I’d tried so hard to hide, “the numbers—they’re getting darker. What does that mean? Is it a sign that something will happen when they reach zero?”He hesitated, his gaze lowering. “I don’t know,” he murmured, and the uncertainty in his voice did little to calm me.I turned to face him, searching his expression as we lay together. “There’s somewhere I want to go with you,” I said, the resolve clear in my voice.“Where?”---The shaman’s house was hidden away from the bustling world outside, a quiet sanctuary filled with a thick, mysterious ene
Seven months had flown by in peace and joy—a time so smooth and quiet it felt surreal. “Everyone’s setting up the food, and here I am just relaxing,” I said to Amory over the phone, settling comfortably on the couch. “Good, you deserve a break. Eat a lot of delicious things. I’ve noticed you’ve been looking a little thin lately. People might start thinking I’m working you too hard,” he teased, his voice warm and familiar.I chuckled, enjoying the moment. “Alright, I’ll eat a lot and pack some for you home too. Bye,” I said, ending the call and standing up, ready to join the others.When I reached the dining table, my jaw dropped at the spread. “Wow! Did you two actually make all of this?” I asked, marveling at the dishes Catherine and Mia had prepared. “My mom really must be a world-class teacher,” I joked as I took a seat at the table.My mom gave a proud smile. “They both put in a lot of effort. Neither of them missed a single lesson. They worked hard,” she said, casting a teasing
Today felt like a rare break from the usual chaos, a day I could simply stay home, relax, and take care of myself. After a long week, all I wanted was a moment to unwind. I settled into the massage chair, switching on the back massage feature, letting it knead the tension out of my shoulders and lower back. My thoughts drifted, imagining a future with Emma, picturing her with a child in her arms, our child, and for the first time, that vision felt real.Minutes later, the massage finished, and just as I was starting to feel a deeper calm settle over me, Emma appeared in the doorway, her expression both anxious and excited. She seemed jittery, shifting on her feet, and I could tell something was on her mind. “What’s going on?” I asked, curiosity tinged with a hint of concern as I got up.She glanced down, then looked back up at me with wide eyes, almost shyly. “I… I think I’m pregnant,” she said, her voice barely a whisper, but the words were like a thunderclap.I stared at her, momen
The quiet solitude of my room was broken by the sudden chime of the door alarm. I leaped up, thinking it was the food I had ordered. My mouth was practically watering as I hurried to the door, my phone in one hand. I punched in the unlock code with my other hand, expecting nothing more than a friendly delivery driver. With a bright smile, I flung open the door, about to thank them when the words caught in my throat. "Hi, thank you so-"Standing before me was no delivery driver. A masked figure, clad entirely in black, stood ominously in the doorway, a pair of dark gloves covering his hands. Every instinct screamed for me to shut the door, but before I could react, he moved swiftly, jamming his foot between the door and the frame, blocking me from closing it. I pushed with all the strength I could muster, but he was stronger, forcing the door open until I stumbled back, hitting the wall hard.The man standing there was dressed all in black, his face obscured by a mask, with gloves cov
**Emma’s POV** Now I understand that there’s no greater joy than marrying the person you love and knowing they love you back just as deeply. A smile tugged at my lips as both Amory and I signed our names, finalizing our marriage registration. “Now, we just have to…” he said, glancing at me with a playful grin as we both reached for the stamp. “One, two, three,” we counted together, pressing the stamp onto the marriage license. With the finality of that gesture, we submitted our paperwork, and Amory pulled me into a hug, wrapping his arm around my shoulders as we walked through the lobby. “Congratulations!” voices echoed around us, and I turned to see Catherine, Mia, and some of Amory’s colleagues gathered there, cheering in surprise and joy. “Congratulations, brother! Congratulations, Emma!” Catherine’s voice was bright and happy. Her husband chimed in, grinning, “Just like old times, huh?” I couldn’t help but beam back, the warmth of their celebration washing over me
**Emma’s POV** The sun was barely up, and the morning air held a slight chill, but there was a warmth blooming in my heart that no weather could touch. I reached across the breakfast table, picking up a slice of toast, and took a contented bite. “I think my morning sickness is finally gone,” I said with a sense of relief, smiling as I chewed. My mother’s expression softened as she watched me, her own breakfast momentarily forgotten. “Thank goodness,” she sighed, her hand resting briefly on mine. “I was starting to worry about you, you know, since you’d barely been eating.” She reached over to fill my glass with water, the sunlight catching the faint lines on her hands, a reminder of all the years of love and work she had put into raising me. “Do you have a busy day ahead?” she asked, glancing up at me with a hint of curiosity in her eyes. I nodded, swallowing a sip of water. “There’s a meeting with Dad and Grandpa about the foundation, and then I’m meeting Amory in the evening
Emma POV After leaving Amory's father and grandmother, we finally made it back home. The quiet felt almost surreal after everything we'd been through. I helped Amory settle down on the couch, his steps still unsteady, his recovery a slow process. I could see the weariness in his eyes, but I also saw something else—a lightness that had been missing for so long. We hadn’t been sitting long when a sudden chime from outside caught our attention. I quickly stood, realizing what it was. I hurried to the door, finding a delivery man waiting, a small package in his hands. As I took the package and shut the door, Amory looked over, puzzled. “What is this?” he asked as I placed the package on the table. I couldn’t help but smile. “It’s from my mom. She sent some of her special homemade dishes for you. She thought you’d need the extra strength.” “Your mom actually did that?” he asked, looking genuinely touched. I nodded, feeling warmth at the memory of her kindness. “She took such g
Amory POV It had been almost two and a half months since I’d been confined to a hospital bed, and now, finally, I was going home. My body still felt weak; each step was slow and careful, but I was free. Emma, my mom, and I decided to stop by and visit Grandma and Father before heading home. I knew they’d been waiting anxiously for this moment. As soon as we stepped inside, my mother’s voice rang out, “Mother! Honey!” The joy in her voice was unmistakable. Grandma’s eyes widened as she saw me, her expression shifting from shock to sheer happiness in an instant. She rushed forward, enveloping me in a tight embrace, her joy overflowing. “Amory! You’re home!” she exclaimed, beaming. “You did good. You did good,” she murmured, releasing me and turning to give Emma a hug as well. “You, too,” she added, smiling warmly at her. My gaze shifted to my father, who moved closer, his own smile breaking through the usually stoic expression. “You did good,” he said simply, before pulling me i
**Emma’s POV** Two long, agonizing months had passed since Amory been injured by Fielding leaving him lying motionless in that sterile hospital bed, a shadow of the vibrant man I loved. Every day, I had sat by his side, watching the faint rise and fall of his chest, searching his face for any sign of movement, any flicker of life. Even after his second surgery, he lay unresponsive, leaving me to grapple with an ache that felt impossible to mend. I sat quietly, watching him. He looked so peaceful, as if he were only asleep. I reached for his hand, feeling the gentle warmth of his skin beneath my fingertips, and clutched it close. "Amory," I whispered, my voice barely audible in the stillness, "I finally understand why I was given a second chance at life… why I came back." The quiet beeping of the machines filled the silence, steady and constant, a reminder of just how fragile he was. I took a shaky breath, pressing his hand against my cheek, my tears flowing freely as I whispered, “
Emma POV After Madam Elizabeth left, the room fell quiet, filled only with the hum of machines. I was still processing all that had happened when, to my surprise, Mr. Foden entered. It had been days since I’d last seen him—days since I learned the shocking truth that artist Edward Jones was his father.“You don’t look well, Ms. Emma,” he said, settling into a chair nearby. His gaze was steady, filled with a mixture of concern and curiosity.I sighed, sidestepping his observation. “How’s your father doing?” I asked, shifting the conversation away from myself.“He’s at the nursing home,” he replied, his voice carrying a hint of sadness. He studied me closely, then continued, “What I said at the police station was quite shocking, wasn’t it?”I took a deep breath, the weight of it all pressing down on me. “I thought you might be connected to Edward Jones in some way. I didn’t know you were father and son.”He gave a small, regretful shake of his head. “I was sent to an orphanage so young
madam Elizabeth POV I sat down heavily on the couch, the tension from the hospital clinging to me like a weight I couldn’t shake. Emma was with Amory, still in critical condition after his first surgery, and the doctors were already discussing the need for another procedure. My heart twisted just thinking about it. “So, is there no progress on Amory?” Grandma’s voice was soft, yet tinged with worry. She was sitting across from me, her hands tightly clasped in her lap. I let out a long sigh, meeting her gaze. “They need to operate again. I’m so worried, Mother. What if he…” I trailed off, unable to finish the thought. I couldn’t bear to voice my fears. “Don’t say that. We have to be strong, somehow,” my husband interjected as he stood from his chair. His voice was firm, but I could see the concern etched into his face. He left the room without another word, leaving Grandma and me in a heavy silence. Just then, the sharp sound of the doorbell shattered the quiet. One of the mai
Fielding POV The clanking of the cell door jolted me from my thoughts. A police officer swung it open, gesturing for me to step out. I was handcuffed, and as I stepped into the hall, I saw him: my father, sitting stiffly in the visitor center. His eyes fixed on me as I entered, an expression that was as cold as it was unforgiving.For a moment, I froze, unable to take another step. But I forced myself forward, one heavy step after the other, until I reached the chair across from him. We were separated only by a small table, yet the distance felt insurmountable. He remained silent, his face a tight mask of anger and disappointment.After a painfully long silence, he finally spoke, his voice a low growl. “How could you do such a thing?” he asked, his words dripping with disdain. “I thought, maybe, after all this time, you would change. I thought you’d learn something.” His voice broke, raw and filled with an intensity that made me look away, unable to hold his gaze.He continued, his t
We reached the hospital, and Amory was rushed inside while I was directed to the waiting area. I sank into one of the chairs, numb, with tears streaming down my cheeks as the reality of everything crashed over me.“Emma! Emma!” someone called, but I was lost in my turmoil, barely aware of my surroundings. I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up to see Amory’s mother, Madam Elizabeth, standing before me, her face etched with worry.“What happened?” she asked, her voice trembling with fear as she knelt beside me.I took a deep breath, trying to muster the strength to explain, but the words felt heavy, almost impossible to say. “Amory… he got hurt trying to protect me,” I finally managed, my voice barely a whisper as I avoided her gaze, feeling the weight of guilt settle deeper in my chest.Madam Elizabeth gasped, her hands trembling. For a moment, I couldn’t bear to look at her, but she surprised me by pulling me into a gentle embrace, her hand rubbing my back soothingly. “It’s okay,