“The client requested natural conception.” At night, in a luxurious villa, Adela lay naked on the bed. The room was dark. She stared at the blurry patterns on the ceiling, her palms already drenched with sweat. The sound of water flowing from the bathroom gradually stopped. Adela struggled to breathe, her heart pounding as if it were about to jump out of her chest. This was her first time, but she wasn’t here as a lover. She was here as a surrogate mother. The bathroom door was pushed open. From the narrow gap came a warm yellow light. A man, wrapped in a towel, stepped out. Adela couldn’t see his face clearly, only sensing that he was a tall and imposing figure. …… Adela initially thought this was just a transaction—she needed money to fend off the ruthless men who came knocking because of her father’s gambling debts. But what she didn’t expect was for her fate to become entangled with this man. He was a man of absolute power and dominance, yet every time she was on the brink of despair, he was the one who held her up. More importantly, as time went on, Adela began to uncover the truth about her own identity. Her real family—her true origins—were deeply connected to this man. Their destinies became even more intertwined, especially after she gave birth to their child…
더 보기When Adela got Layson’s call, she was still at the office. The moment she heard that Ralph was missing, her voice shot up several decibels.Marah, already paying close attention to every move Adela made, immediately walked over, her face full of concern.When Adela hung up, Marah gently asked, “Did something happen to Ralph?”Then she quickly added, “I wasn’t eavesdropping—I just heard you mention his name.”Adela was too panicked to analyze her words. Instead, she felt a wave of gratitude for the concern.“He ran away from home,” she said, voice shaky. “I need to take the afternoon off to go find him.”Marah was technically her team leader, so she needed her approval for leave. That’s why she told her.“Oh my God, then you should go right now! Ralph is only five—it’s serious. I’ll approve your time off. I’ll even head out and help look. I mean, I am his aunt, after all.”Hearing those words, Adela didn’t wait another second. She grabbed her bag and bolted—completely missing the flick
Adela kept her expression neutral. She’d already known Marah was Layson’s cousin, but she hadn’t realized she actually lived at the Norman family’s old estate. Still, it didn’t bother her much—Layson usually stayed at his apartment anyway.Watching Marah chatting so happily with Richard Norman, Adela didn’t try to join in or interrupt. In Richard’s eyes, that aloofness came off as arrogance.To him, Marah was being warm and friendly, and Adela wasn’t even pretending to appreciate it—not even a polite smile. It ticked him off instantly.He turned to Diana and muttered, just loud enough for the room to catch: “The Norman family’s daughter-in-law needs to be gentle and well-mannered—not someone who expects us to tiptoe around her.”That line caught everyone off guard. But the words “daughter-in-law” had people glancing toward Adela.Just then, Layson walked in from outside, carrying something in his hand. The moment he set it down, he caught the tail end of Richard’s comment. His tone wa
Layson tossed his phone onto the table, lit another cigarette, and took a deep drag. He wasn’t even a smoker, but today he’d had more than he usually did in a month.Liam Walton raised an eyebrow, watching him with a strange expression. “That sounded like your dad on the phone. What’d he say?”Layson barely moved. His eyes lifted lazily. “He wants me to bring Adela home for dinner tonight.”Liam didn’t even need to meet Richard Norman to know he was a stubborn man. The way this was playing out—Layson had just gone public about his relationship, and now suddenly there was a family dinner? Yeah… this smelled like a trap dinner if he’d ever seen one.“I don’t think Adela should go,” Liam said flatly. “She has no idea what she’s walking into. Your family could crush her, and I’m not about to stand by while my little sister gets humiliated.”“She’s going to meet them eventually. Might as well get it over with,” Layson said coolly, tapping ash into the tray. “Besides, Ralph will be there. H
Adela stayed quiet, still chewing over what Cici had just told her—Layson had actually gone public with their relationship.She knew the guy never did things halfway. When he made a move, it was fast and decisive. But she really didn’t think he’d go so far as to just… blurt it out to the world like that.That morning, before they left the house, he’d looked her in the eyes and promised, “I’ll handle this properly.” Well—guess this was his version of “proper.”She couldn’t even pin down what she was feeling. Angry? Nervous? A little embarrassed? Probably all of it mixed together. But most of all, she just kept thinking: How the hell am I supposed to survive at work now?Her gaze drifted, unfocused, until it landed on Cici’s round, slightly babyish face. With a low voice, she asked, “Do you think I should just quit?”She hadn’t been with the company long, but this place already felt like home. It was her first stop after coming back to New York. She really didn’t want to leave.Cici dug
"Adela?" The woman standing in front of her stared in disbelief, stumbling over her words. “You—you... what’s going on?”Everyone at the company knew Adela was naturally beautiful. But she never really dressed up. When the girls got together to chat about makeup or clothes, she barely joined in.Other than a bit of foundation and lip tint for formal events, she usually just slapped on some sunscreen and called it a day. Because of that, she was often the topic of tea room gossip. The word they used for her most? Simple.She was pretty, no doubt—but her style was plain and unthreatening. She wasn’t someone that made other women feel competitive.Not like Marah. Marah had maybe a seven-out-of-ten face, but with the right makeup, she could hit a full ten. That’s why so many girls hovered around her—trying to pick up a few beauty hacks. With her talent alone, Marah probably wouldn’t have commanded so much attention.But today, Adela had gone all out with her makeup. And suddenly, it hit e
Layson leaned forward and gently pulled Adela into his arms, his eyes calm yet determined. “I’ll handle this. Maybe don’t go to work today. Reporters might be waiting for you everywhere.”If she could, Adela would’ve happily stayed hidden at home, avoiding the chaos. But the autumn product launch was already scheduled, and the new design director was waiting for her designs. She had to go.Even though her face was pale, she shook her head stubbornly. “I need to be at the office.”Layson kissed her softly, whispering, “Are you scared?”Irritated, she lifted her head sharply, glaring at him. “This scandal came out of nowhere! No matter what happens, my work has to go on. I'm going to the office.”Although she spoke bravely, she felt far from confident.Layson’s lips curved into a slight smile, unnoticed by Adela, who was distracted by thoughts of how she'd get to work safely. Just then, her phone buzzed urgently—Cici was calling. Adela's heart raced, and after a deep breath, she answere
Evelyn had been gazing lovingly down at her baby when Adela's gentle request startled her. She quickly lifted her head, eyes wide with surprise and her voice shaking slightly.“Of course you can! Hearing you say that makes me incredibly happy,” Evelyn replied, tears already forming in her eyes.She had never forgiven herself for the mistakes she'd made in the past. Hearing Adela's words today felt like forgiveness for the very first time.Adela, initially nervous, laughed softly at Evelyn’s emotional reaction and sat down beside her. Just as she was about to speak, her eyes caught Liam standing frozen at the doorway, looking utterly stunned.Evelyn laughed openly, teasing him, “Liam, what are you standing there for? You'll scare your daughter!” She turned to Adela with exaggerated annoyance, joking, “Ever since his daughter was born, she’s all he ever talks about. I'm getting jealous!”Though Evelyn and Adela weren't very close, Evelyn had spent the past month mostly alone at home, so
Adela stared at Layson in disbelief, murmuring, "How did she fall? Is the baby alright?"Layson gently pulled Adela onto his lap, holding her soft hand comfortingly. "Liam said everything's fine. Luckily, the baby was already full-term, just coming a few days earlier than expected."Adela hesitated, then quietly asked, "Should we go visit now?"Her feelings toward the Walton family were complicated—not quite resentment, but concern for both the mother and child."Going now would just add stress. Let's call later to check in," Layson replied gently.Adela nodded, letting go of her lingering worry.At the hospital, Liam Walton sat anxiously under bright hallway lights, still shaken. Evelyn had suddenly thought of knitting a new hat for the unborn baby, only to trip over a ball of yarn at home. Thankfully, Liam was nearby and quickly called an ambulance; otherwise, the outcome could've been much worse.Calvin Walton and Spencer arrived soon after, their faces filled with anxiety. The ori
Half an hour later, a car stopped in front of Adela. The backseat window slowly rolled down, revealing Layson’s calm yet unreadable profile, shadowed by the morning sunlight.Before she could approach, a small head popped out excitedly, calling out with a bright voice, "Mommy! I came to play with you!"Adela paused briefly, suddenly aware that she was still standing at the bus stop. Without further hesitation, she slid into the backseat.Ralph eagerly sat between them, looking up at Adela with bright eyes. He sweetly asked, "Mommy, our teacher wants us to write a weekend diary. Do you have time to take me out today?"His hopeful expression reminded her of Herbie when he was younger, bringing a gentle smile to her lips. Softly patting Ralph’s head, she asked warmly, "Where do you want to go?"Ralph’s face instantly lit up. "Anywhere! As long as I'm with Mommy, I’m happy."Adela hesitated. Usually swamped with work, outings weren't common for her. Realizing she hadn't even taken Herbie
“The client requested natural conception.”At night, in a luxurious villa, Adela lay naked on the bed.The room was dark. She stared at the blurry patterns on the ceiling, her palms already drenched with sweat.The sound of water flowing from the bathroom gradually stopped. Adela struggled to breathe, her heart pounding as if it were about to jump out of her chest.This was her first time, but she wasn’t here as a lover. She was here as a surrogate mother.The bathroom door was pushed open. From the narrow gap came a warm yellow light. A man, wrapped in a towel, stepped out.Adela couldn’t see his face clearly, only sensing that he was a tall and imposing figure.[Relax, what’s meant to happen will happen,] Adela told herself in her mind, trying to breathe deeply to calm down.The man sat on the edge of the bed, supporting himself with one hand, his eyes fixed on her.“Are you ready?”He spoke, his voice rich and smooth, like a fine wine.In the moonlight, Adela saw an unreadable expr...
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