"Maya Lin, we need to think about something so useless like that. I'm a man who already has a child. Why should I waste my time on them?" Samuel explained. He set down his drink and embraced Maya. "There's no need to be jealous of what that woman said."Maya released the hand that was wrapped around her roughly. "I'm not jealous. Let go of me! Aren't you supposed to take Stelio to school? It looks like his school hours are over.""Come on, come with me. We'll take him to his music practice class and then go on a date," Samuel said.Maya declined his invitation coldly. "I'm not in the mood to act like a happily married couple right now."Samuel sighed and forced Maya to turn towards him. "Maya, I'm trying to be kind to you. Why do you keep acting indifferent like this?""I already said it's useless. Samuel, there's no one here. Do we have to keep acting like a couple? I'm very tired. Go! I want to focus on reading my script."Samuel felt frustrated and left with an angry mood. Left alon
"Maya Lin, we can adjust to his school schedule, so it won't be too affected," Director Wang was still trying to persuade her."Mama, I'll definitely do well for both," Stellio said."My wife, just let our child do what he wants. As parents, it's better to support him. I'll also inform his new school," Samuel added, further burdening Maya's mind.Maya sighed. These people had their own motives that made her irritated. If she knew she couldn't avoid having this kid work outside, she wouldn't have chosen the project from Director Wang. Although it would benefit her career, her freedom was now limited."There's nothing more I can say. I hope there won't be many scenes for the kids that will make them work late," Maya acted like a worried mother."Don't worry about that. I've also prepared a contract for your child."Maya looked at it suspiciously, but she didn't dare to express her suspicions. Samuel, on the other hand, spoke on her behalf. "Why did you prepare a contract for my son?""I'
Maya displayed a distressed expression upon hearing what Samuel wanted. "It does seem like there's something wrong with your mind."Samuel gripped Maya's chin. "Are you getting bold with your language? I'll tolerate it this time. What's most important now is that you agree to what I want."Maya forcefully pushed his hand away. "No way. How can I attend a party and pretend to have fun on the same day as the anniversary of my son's death? I'll spend the evening at his gravesite.""What's the point of going to the gravesite? You've never visited it since you left S city, and the corpse hasn't complained either, right?" Samuel said mockingly. "Stelio needs you, and people will find it odd if you, as his mother, don't show up at his birthday party."Maya sighed. She really didn't want this. "Fine, I'll come. But I don't want to be responsible for the party, and I'll just show my face and then spend the evening at my son's gravesite."Samuel clenched his fists. "Why don't you pray at home in
"Is this what he meant, this paper?" Maya wondered as she looked at another piece of paper besides the birthday invitation. "What did the child write here?"Maya was about to open it, but her phone rang. She quickly placed the paper back into her bag and reached for her phone.Her brow furrowed as she looked at the screen. The number wasn't saved in her contacts. Her finger slid to answer. "Hello, who is this?""Maya Lin, it's me, Robin Lee. My manager told me that you'd be coming to the studio to meet me.""Yes, that's correct. Do you have any other appointments, and do you want to reschedule our meeting?" Maya inquired."No, I don't think so. I'd like to change the location, though. What if we meet at Cafe X?""Why the sudden change of location?""I just want a more relaxed atmosphere. I'll wait for you there."Before Maya could respond, the call was abruptly ended by Robin. She thought about it, isn't this strange? The man didn't seem to be misunderstanding something else, did he?
Maya entered a store. "Welcome, is there anything you're looking for?" A salesperson approached, offering assistance."Do you know what's suitable for a 7-year-old boy?" Maya asked."Sure, please follow me. I'll show you some options."Maya followed the salesperson. She looked around; there were many nice products. "Feel free to choose. Do you know his size?""Let me pick myself. You can go. I'll call you later.""Alright. I'll be over there if you need me." The salesperson left Maya."What's the boy's size?" Maya pondered. She spotted clothes that might be suitable but wasn't sure.Maya grabbed her phone and called Samuel, the only person who knew the child well. "What's up?" His voice sounded cold."Do you know Stelio's clothing size?" Maya asked directly."Why do you want to know?""I'm choosing a gift for him, but I don't know his size. Can you tell me?""He's your son, but you know nothing about him. Even the servants and his caregivers know him better than you do. You need to ge
"Are you satisfied now?" Samuel asked coldly as they had just finished shopping for bikes at a store.Maya beamed, displaying her joy at the items she had just purchased. "Mario will surely love these."Samuel glanced at Maya, realizing that she wasn't as enthusiastic when shopping for Stelio's birthday gift before. Now, seeing her so happy buying seemingly useless things, he felt irritated. "Just because of this, you're so happy? Why don't you rethink Stelio's birthday with the same smile?""Why should I be happy for someone else's kid's birthday? I just want to be happy for my own," Maya asserted firmly."You always like that!" Samuel felt displeased, steering in silence."It would be better if you visit his grave tomorrow too," Maya suddenly expressed her hope. "Mario would be happier seeing his biological father celebrating his birthday and remembering him.""Impossible. Why should I go there? Don't bring it up; you're ruining my mood."The car fell silent again until Samuel broke
"Freshen up! We're heading to Stelio's room soon," Samuel stated with a chilly demeanor, his gaze piercing even. Maya recalled similar looks from the past, reminiscent of the indifference Samuel displayed when she coerced him into sharing a bed."I'm not moving. You're the one planning surprises. Plus, this is your fault!" Maya retorted, matching his cold tone."Mama Lin, if you don't get up now, I'll personally throw you into the bathtub.""Go ahead. I'll catch a cold, and then I'll have a reason to skip your child's birthday party!"Samuel sighed. "Rest; I'll take care of the celebration."Dressing swiftly, Samuel left, slamming the door. Maya fell into silent contemplation, feeling transported to a past moment yet realizing it was a better circumstance.If Samuel were gentle all the time, it would be challenging for Maya to keep her emotions in check. She feared heartbreak again, dreading that her hopes might be mere illusions. Tears welled in Maya's eyes as she closed them, hoping
Samuel sighed, stepping out of the car. "I never expected to come to this place again."Despite his infrequent visits, Samuel confidently strode forward as if he were familiar with the surroundings.Within a few steps, he spotted a woman who had disrupted his day. His long strides quickly brought him closer to her."As I suspected, you had to come here. Why leave without a word, causing everyone to panic? Do you know how worried Stelio was?"Maya Lin, the woman in question, remained silent, focusing on her prayers. Samuel sighed and waited until she finished."Why are you standing behind? Sit next to me and pray for Mario," Maya said without looking at Samuel."No. This child has nothing to do with me. Maya Lin, are you done? Come on, let's go back!"Maya refused, "I'll stay here until noon. Didn't you allow me to spend time with your son? Besides, I came for his birthday party.""Yes, that was before you made a scene in the morning. Why did you have to leave so early, even without te
"Do you know where Maya Lin is?" Samuel asked upon receiving a call from Manager Chen about Maya's sudden departure."No, Young Master, I think something has happened. Especially since that number is not registered. It's my fault; I should have blocked it.""Do you remember the number?" Samuel persisted, staying calm."Yes, the number..." Manager Chen mentioned the number. Samuel's face began to harden."Assistant Jung, have someone trace the location of this number. I'm sure that person is behind all this. Ask them to do it quickly," Samuel instructed his assistant.Assistant Jung began contacting someone. "Young Master, we have found its location!""Let's go there right away!" Samuel said.Assistant Jung informed the driver of the address they were heading to. "Drive fast. We need to get there quickly," Samuel ordered coldly.***Maya stared at the small bottle. She was sure it contained poison."Mama, don't drink! I beg you!" Stelio tried to rebel, but he was too small to break free
"Maya, if something important happens, I will request permission for someone to replace you," Manager Chen said, sensing Maya's anxiety.Maya shook her head. "It's okay, it's not something important."Maya was confident that without her interference, Samuel would find Stelio. As usual, she handed her phone to Manager Chen, letting him keep it during her shoot.Maya tried to remain cheerful during the shoot and socialize with other reality show members, but her mood was off. Many thoughts raced through her mind. "Has Samuel found him? How is the child? What made him leave suddenly?""We'll take a short break, be ready for the next session."Maya immediately went to her manager. She was informed, "Maya, there's a call from an unknown number. He's been calling repeatedly.""Let me check it!"With the phone in her hand, Maya received a call from the intended person."Maya, I'm leaving for a moment!" Manager Chen said, leaving Maya.Maya nodded, bracing herself to answer it. "Hello.""Oh,
Stelio's mouth dropped open wide as he read the name on the tombstone. Marion Lin Ren. "This person has a middle name that's Mama's surname and also Ren. Could there be a connection to the Ren family?"Things were becoming clearer for Stelio, especially after Maya's statement earlier. However, a part of him found it hard to believe. Numerous questions filled Stelio's mind.The small man looked at a photo of a baby repeatedly touched by Maya. Unconsciously, he felt a twinge of envy. Stelio turned around, his mind filled with complexity and headed home.Someone suddenly tapped his shoulder. Stelio's body jerked in surprise. He turned hesitantly, fearing it might be Mama."Little Master Stelio, it's time to go home," Stelio felt relieved as the chauffeur approached.***"Papa, do you have another child?" Stelio couldn't bear not to know. Samuel, focused on typing something shifted his gaze to Stelio. "No. Don't you know you're my only son?""Is Papa sure there's no other child with the l
"Why can't I open it? Did Samuel take the child home?" Maya said. This morning, she mustered the courage to meet Stelio after the heated argument."Excuse me, Madam. Is there anything I can help you with?" A neatly uniformed hotel employee approached Maya."Do you know the guest staying in this room?""The guest in this room checked out last night. Is there anything else?" the woman asked politely."No." Maya felt a bit relieved. Stelio must be getting better care in S city now.***A few days later, Maya had resolved her drama. She decided to return to S city. "Manager Chen, is there any schedule after this?""No. Even the schedules for this month, including both advertisements and dramas, have all been canceled," Manager Chen replied."What? Why suddenly? Isn't my popularity rising now? Has the company not assigned any projects to me?""No. I also don't know what happened. Maya, did you perhaps offend CEO Ren?"Maya didn't answer. Manager Chen quickly interpreted her silence. "Didn't
Stelio faced numerous negative comments, and even haters began resorting to cruel actions like throwing rotten eggs at him when he met fans. Maya couldn't stop it in time. She could see Stelio's displeasure, but a professional smile remained on his lips as fans expressed concern. "Don't worry, I'm fine. I just need to clean up."However, it wasn't as simple as that because Stelio's skin turned red. It seemed the eggs were laced with something causing skin irritation. Luckily, Stelio had completed his part. Maya couldn't bear to see this anymore."Stelio, you better quit after this!" Maya said sternly when they were in the room."No, Mama, I--""I can't take it anymore. You're always getting into trouble, and now your image is tarnished in the public eye. Plus, you have a lot of anti-fans; this will only reflect badly on me!""Mama, don't worry about it. Papa can handle all the internet news and annoying people--"Maya frustratedly cut Stelio off. "Enough! I don't want to hear it. How
Maya initially ran the shoot smoothly, but in a few days, everything changed. When the child suddenly arrived."Director, what's this? Why did the plot in the script change so drastically? Moreover, you've added a child character?" Maya protested about what was happening. She intentionally spoke privately with the Director."Maya, this isn't a drastic change. The writer just added it. Some scenes support it. Besides, we can capitalize on your popularity for this drama when it airs."Maya still suspected something. "Director, did my husband meet you and provide a significant investment with the condition that the story is altered to include a child?""Nothing like that happened. I chose to include it myself. Maya Lin, you don't need to worry about this. Just focus on acting. It should be easy for you to interact since he's your son, right? Don't complain too much; just do what's been determined."Maya left feeling disappointed. She was very sure that Samuel was behind all of this."Mam
Samuel gave flowers to Maya and Stelio. "Congratulations on completing this drama shoot!""Thank you, Papa." Stelio smiled happily.The crew and actors involved began celebrating with group photos."As a celebration, I'll treat all of you to a restaurant," Samuel announced, a statement that both actors and crew eagerly anticipated. "Come on, let's head to the restaurant I've booked right away."Everyone started getting ready. Samuel stopped Stelio, who was about to follow Maya and Manager Chen. "Stelio, you'll be in my car. There's something I want to talk to you about."Stelio looked at Samuel with confusion but still got into the car. During the journey, Samuel immediately posed a question."Are you close to Mike? What kind of relationship do you two have?" Samuel asked."Papa, didn't you want me to separate them? I don't have any relationship with him other than this," Stelio calmly replied."Are you sure that's all? Mike hasn't done anything wrong to you, right?"Stelio hesitated
"Stop looking for excuses. I know you're just talking nonsense to leave this place," Samuel said, not intending to let go of Maya."Samuel, can't you use your eyes properly? It's so obvious, but you didn't see it. Come on, we need to go to the eye doctor!" Maya said irritably.Stelio observed his parents arguing. He then shifted his gaze towards the door, his brow furrowed as if contemplating something.***Days passed, and Stelio's body slowly began to recover. He insisted on resuming shooting. Samuel was still concerned about his condition. "Are you sure you're feeling better?""Yes.""Alright. If that's what you want. Stelio, starting tomorrow, you'll have a guard to watch over you," Samuel informed his son.Stelio disagreed with Samuel's decision. "Why do I need a guard? Wouldn't it be safer if I'm with Mama? Dad, those guards could be one of the bad people like what happened at the party.""This time, I've chosen more carefully. Being with Maya is not too safe; look at yourself n
"Did Boss instruct you to do this? If anything happens to him, you'll know what we can do. Be aware, never touch the child recklessly," the person on the phone warned.The call ended, leaving Mike feeling anxious. Now, he had to ensure the child was okay to save himself. Mike immediately contacted someone he trusted to handle the situation.***"What the kid ate, I also had the same menu. If something's wrong, I would have experienced it too," Maya insisted."No, that's not necessarily true. Maya, you've always been careless about these things. Someone must have tampered with Stelio's food to harm him. Who's the lunatic daring enough to hurt a child?" Samuel felt frustrated."What about his condition now?""Lucky that the doctors could handle it, but Stelio hasn't woken up yet.""Samuel, you better reconsider your decision. Now you know the outside world is too harsh for a child. It's better for him to focus on school and play rather than pursuing a career as an artist like this!""I