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
"Mama, did you choose it for me?" Stelio smiled happily."Yes. Samuel also helped me pick it out. If it weren't for him, I might have just given you random clothes without considering your taste," Maya said candidly. She didn't even care when Samuel gave her a stern look to reprimand her."It's okay. Even if Mama chose clothes randomly, I would still consider them precious. I always envied when I went to my friend's kid's birthday parties; they got gifts from their moms. Now, I finally got one." Stelio's smile didn't fade.Maya looked at this boy, reminiscent of her past. No grand birthday celebrations were there for her. She never even received a gift from her parents because everything revolved around Mathilda. Is this now the boy bearing the consequences? No, Stelio Ren is much luckier because Samuel always pays attention to him."Mama, why are you daydreaming? Is something bothering you?" Stelio asked."No, you've received your gift. Come on, we need to leave," Maya responded.Ste
"Maya Lin!" Samuel possessively approached and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. His gaze was sharp toward the man standing near his wife, then he turned to Maya. "Why are you with another man in a secluded place like this?""CEO Ren, don't misunderstand our relationship. I just came to accompany Maya, who was alone here. Maya is always uncomfortable at parties like this, so I was worried about her." The man explained."Allen, it seems like you know a lot about my wife," Samuel Ren sneered. He didn't look at the man with displeasure. "Now that my wife is with me, you can leave."Allen glanced briefly at Maya. "Fine, I'll go.""Allen, I'll meet you later; enjoy the party," Maya said with guilt.Allen just nodded and walked away.Samuel waited until Allen left the place. Maya turned her face away from Samuel. "Why are you so rude? Isn't it impolite to drive someone away like that?""You criticize me for being rude and impolite? What about you? Is your secret meeting with another ma
Her phone rang repeatedly, disturbing the woman who had passed the night and morning without sleep. Lazily, she picked up her phone, sliding the call without checking the caller."Hello, Maya Lin. Are you coming to my class?"Maya immediately opened her eyes wide. "Yes. I'll be there soon.""Alright, I'm waiting for you. Mike is already here. You better come quickly because if you're late, your time to practice scenes will be limited.""I understand." Maya ended the call, promptly getting up, but the pain in her body was tormenting her."Damn you, Samuel!" This was a curse she uttered for the umpteenth time since Samuel always used the bed as punishment for all his mistakes, and the man would simply comply with his desires without caring about Maya's feelings.Maya had a short time to soak and deal with the marks left by Samuel. "Even if I cover it with makeup, it won't work."Maya looked at the mirror with a grim expression, the marks printed so red and thick. She reluctantly wore a
"Maya Lin, where have you been? Do you even know what time it is?" Samuel stared intensely at the disheveled woman returning.Maya didn't seem to care; she just walked past Samuel. However, Samuel grabbed her hand. "Did you drink until morning? With whom did you drink?""Samuel, what's it to you? Did I ever ask you about this? Remember, I used to ask, and you said not to interfere. Let's mind our own business!" "Maya, you are my concern. As long as you are an artist from my agency, I need to know what you're doing so it doesn't bring trouble to the company.""Oh, are you going to monitor all the artists from Jinyue? How attentive our CEO Ren is," Maya sneered."Maya Lin, you are directly under my responsibility. As my wife, your reckless behavior will affect me. Do you still trivialize your careless attitude?"Maya raised her hand. "Relax, nothing will happen. Can you just be quiet now? My head is throbbing."Samuel sighed. "I'll make soup for you after you take your medicine, but cl
"Are you sure he's willing to help? Isn't he always on Robin's side? Even if he was there at that time, would he really choose to speak up, which might affect his friend?" Maya doubted Allen's idea."I'm sure; right now, it's not just a scandal involving you but will also affect him. You said he was there, too, right? If he speaks up, everything will be fine," Allen tried to convince Maya of his plan."Have you contacted him?"Allen shook his head. "I haven't contacted him because I wanted to discuss it with you first and find out if this man will be useful and can truly be the key. Now, I'll contact him.""Let me do it—""Excuse me, Mama. Can I come in?" Stelio suddenly appeared behind the door. "Ah, Uncle. So, you're Mom's guest?""Hello, little man!" Allen approached Stelio. "What's this you've brought? Give it to me."Stellio handed him the tray. "These are drinks and snacks for Mama and Uncle. What are you and Mom discussing?""Is it your Papa asking you to inquire about this? S
"Young Master, a man wants to meet with Young Madam," mad conveyed while Samuel was having breakfast. "Should I call Young Madam now?""No. Let me meet this man first," Samuel pushed his chair."Papa, can I join you to meet this guest? I want to see what kind of friend Mom has that makes her go out so often," Stelio said, feeling jealous that Samuel only mentioned Maya's frequent visits to a friend without revealing the scandal."No. You should stay here. Finish your meal, and then we'll leave," Samuel walked away, leaving Stelio behind.***When Samuel arrived in the living room, he directed his gaze at a restless man sitting. The man, dressed in casual but still fashionable attire, stood up."Mr. Ren, why did you come? Can you ask Maya to come out? There's something important I need to tell her," the man said."Mr. Allen, is it polite for you to force her to meet with my wife at a time when you've ruined her life? You must have betrayed her and collaborated with Robin Lee to trap my
"Samuel, you're really out of your mind, aren't you?! Get away from me! Someone might see," Maya said, pushing away the man who took advantage of her."Who's going to see? Aren't we in a closed room now?" Samuel reached out and gently caressed Maya's cheek. "Or are you afraid your special friend will find us? He should be used to it because we're a couple.""No, we still can't..." Samuel silenced her with a deep kiss."Don't refuse; you have to accept punishment for defending another man," Samuel said amidst their kiss. He continued his kiss.Bang!"Both of you!" The sound of the door opening and someone entering made Maya quickly push him away.Allen stared at the two of them without blinking. Samuel scolded him. "What are you looking at? Haven't you ever seen a couple being intimate?" Samuel retorted."Of course, I've seen it many times, but this is the first time I've found a man who can't control his desires. We're even playing with your son; aren't you ashamed if your son sees ho
"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