"Samuel, this is too much. We're not going to a state affair attended by officials or an award show that'll be in the spotlight. Why do I have to do this?" Maya complained on the phone. It wasn't the first time, but it still tired her from the insistence."It's more important than that; you'll appear as Stelio's mother, and everyone will notice you. It's not too much to look as good as possible. Just follow the people I've asked to make you look beautiful. See you later," Samuel abruptly ended the call."Hey, I'm not done talking to you!" Maya redialed the man, but an operator's response was all she received.***Maya Lin finished getting ready. Today, like her first party, a long beauty treatment and makeup session was required. She sat in the living room waiting for Samuel as Stelio had already left with his teacher.Samuel arrived, reaching for Maya's hand. This time, Maya wore a darker dress, still showcasing her beauty."Your hands are even softer than usual. They're really takin
"Maya Lin! Don't close your eyes! An ambulance will arrive soon!" Samuel tightly held the bloodied woman's hand. The middle-aged man desperately tried to stop the bleeding from her abdomen.Samuel immediately carried Maya out of the car. No one paid attention to them as everyone was in panic due to the declared bomb threat.Samuel encountered his assistant as he exited the car. "I'll take her to the hospital. You need to find and look after Stelio!" Samuel instructed."Alright, sir."Samuel quickly placed Maya into the car that Assistant Jung had prepared and rushed to the hospital. Along the way, Samuel kept urging Maya not to fall asleep. "I'm injured, and you're threatening me?" Maya's voice was weak."Don't talk too much. You need to conserve your energy."Samuel drove at full speed; luckily, the hospital wasn't far away. Samuel directed the car to the designated area. He didn't care about his status; Maya, on the verge of losing consciousness, made him restless.Samuel shouted as
"Why are you revealing this just now? He could be a key, but did we lose him again? Don't your subordinates do their job well?" Samuel felt angry.Assistant Jung apologized."Never mind, that person is no longer useful. Get rid of that person as far away as possible!" Samuel ordered."Young Master, should we inform the Young Master? After all, he is close to him as his caregiver." Assistant Jung felt worried."No need. That person has given bad memories to Stelio, but now he has even forgotten them."Assistant Jung only responded with a nod. "I will take a shower and change clothes. Take care of my wife well, don't let any suspicious people in. Even if it's a nurse, you must keep an eye on them!"***"Mike! Have you gone mad?" Robin Lee was shocked by the unexpected guest who immediately punched him. It was the second time a guest came to him, and his handsome face was swollen.Mike grabbed Robin Lee's collar. "I'm mad? Aren't you? That woman won't notice you, yet you're sacrificing s
"I can't stop thinking about this. ghost Mathilda won't stop sending evil spirits to possess those seeking revenge against me!" Maya's face turned pale, her voice weaker and filled with concern. "The threat I'm facing won't end unless we part ways," she said with a severe expression.Samuel sighed. "Once again, you bring this up. You should rest. Don't dwell on things that are useless and too early for us to divorce. What will we tell the public when they find out about our divorce? Will you say it's because you're haunted by your sibling? Will they believe that?"Maya was about to speak, but Samuel stopped her. "If you dare bring this up, I'll kiss you!"Maya could only remain silent. She chose to slump her body; Samuel wouldn't just kiss her."Mama!" Stellio suddenly entered with Assistant Jung behind him."Ah, Mama's awake! Why didn't Papa tell me?" Stellio exclaimed upon realizing Maya had opened her eyes."She just woke up, and I'll contact you shortly, but you're already here. H
"Didn't you side with her, and you just met her today, but you're reporting that she's the suspect? Do you have evidence?" Samuel stared at this uninvited guest.The man grinned, "Isn't it obvious? He hates Maya and could tarnish her image. Why wouldn't he try to kill her?""Is that enough to be evidence? You could be accusing him just to make him a scapegoat. I've been observing him, and there's nothing suspicious.""Mr. Ren, if I were the suspect, why would I come to you like this? You can investigate further. I'm sure he already knows you've been monitoring his calls too. I'm sure he used another phone.""Mike, why are you so sure that Robin is the culprit? Aren't you his friend?" Maya asked hesitantly."Because I know what Robin is like, and even though I'm his friend, I don't want to cover up the crimes he's committed."Maya and Samuel fell silent, exchanging glances. Stelio, on the other hand, just stared at people discussing things too complicated for his innocent mind.Samuel
"Please stop!" Mike shouted."Mike, what's wrong with you?" His manager looked puzzled."I have to find CEO Ren right now! Quickly! Back to the hospital now!"The manager tried to calm him down. "Mike, calm down! You can't create trouble with CEO Ren, you know that, right?""I know, but this is important! If you don't stop, I'll jump out!" Mike persisted.His manager got a headache from this. "Just do what he wants!"The car immediately turned around, heading back to the hospital. Mike crazily ran straight into the hospital, ignoring people questioning his actions.Mike forcefully opened the door, almost slamming it. He spoke loudly, "CEO Ren, why did you do that?""Uncle Mike, don't shout! Mama will--" Stelio was too late to stop this person. Maya, disturbed from her sleep, finally woke up and saw the situation. "What's going on?""Maya Lin, where is CEO Ren?" Mike asked frantically.Maya looked at Stelio, instructing him to tell Mike. Maya was sure that this kid knew where he was. S
"Maya Lin, who do you want to meet?" Samuel suddenly appeared, surprising Maya."Samuel, what are you doing here?" Maya began to feel nervous but tried to stay calm. "Have you been waiting for me since morning? Does Ren's CEO have so much free time?""I'm very busy, but I'm trying to make time to pick up my wife, only to find out that my wife has planned an affair.""I'm not having an affair. Don't accuse me openly like this. Aren't you worried that someone else might hear and spread it on the internet?" Maya protested."If not an affair, then what? Isn't the person you want to meet Mike? Private meetings between a man and a woman without informing the husband. What do you call it if not an affair?" Samuel insinuated."Enough, I won't meet him. Let's go home now!" Maya said. She didn't want to escalate the problem."Are you sure you don't want to meet him? I can accompany you," Samuel said with a smile.Maya shivered at the smile she found cunning. "No need, besides, he must have gone
Maya came into Stelio's Room. She had planned to wake him up rudely, but something stopped her."Why does this kid look so innocent?" she thought. It wasn't the first time Maya had such thoughts, and her thorny heart quickly softened.Maya opted for a different approach. "Stelio Ren, if you don't get up now, I'll leave you behind. You don't have to join the shoot!"The boy immediately opened his eyes wide. He woke dazed and turned to Maya, who had her hands on her hips."Mama, don't leave me. I'll get ready right away." Stelio quickly left Samuel's room and headed to his own.Maya smiled triumphantly, turning her face towards Samuel. "See! Wasn't that easy? You can't even do it."Samuel grabbed Maya's hand. "Wait, where are you going? Did you forget something?""What did I forget? My goal was just to—"Suddenly, Samuel kissed her lips. "You should give me a good morning kiss when we meet. Now, you can go ahead. I'll get Stelio's clothes."Maya's lips parted. She slapped Samuel's shoul
"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