Sean's gaze was narrow and deep. He showed no emotion. "Are you threatening me?""Not at all. Regardless of your willingness to cooperate with me, I won't reveal this matter to anyone. You can trust me on this," Monica assured.…Meanwhile, Ned was clad in a sterile suit. He held Ingrid's hand tightly. His red eyes were filled with emotion, conveying his pain as he whispered, "The children are gone! Ingrid, please wake up. I made just one mistake. Don't torture me like this! Once you wake up, we'll get married right away. I've remembered some things, but... it's always been you I love the most! Please..."Ingrid's fingers twitched slightly. Ned abruptly stood up and called, "Ingrid! Ingrid!"Her eyelashes fluttered. Ingrid slowly opened her eyes after a long while. She murmured something, but the oxygen mask muffled her words.Ned let go of Ingrid's hand. He turned and shouted, "Doctor! Doctor! She's awake!"Ingrid struggled to grasp Ned's hand from the hospital bed. T
"Her figure clearly shows years of fitness!" fans of Ingrid, who came to pick her up, remarked. They couldn't resist pulling out their phones to snap photos of Angeline and her daughter.Ned's feet seemed glued to the spot. He watched until the black figure almost vanished from sight. Then he snapped back to reality. He pushed through the crowd before him and hurried after her.Once out of the elevator, Angeline's phone wouldn't stop ringing.Angeline and Yasmine Emmerson entered a coffee shop. They ordered hot milk and cake. Then she removed her mask."Yasmine, sit here for a bit. Mommy needs to take a call," she said."Okay!" Yasmine grasped the milk cup with both hands. She took a few sips, leaving a milk mustache on her lips.Angeline pulled out a tissue. She wiped Yasmine's mouth while listening to the anxious ramblings on the phone."Vitality Biotech Group's founder must attend the hearing in Marvonia. Otherwise, they'll take action against all our projects. They said
"Whose child is this?" Taylor and the other executives from Lawson Global looked around. They didn't see any parent in pursuit.Sean spoke on the phone, "If I can't make it back for this afternoon's press conference, have Vice President Mr. Wagler step in. The press release should go out without a single change." After speaking, Sean ended the call and picked up the little girl hanging from his leg. Despite her small size, she felt surprisingly heavy in his arms."Are you lost, kid? Where are your parents?" Sean asked."My mommy went to the restroom! I spotted Daddy at first glance! Daddy... am I smart? Mommy didn't want me to come back with her... I only tagged along and threw a tantrum to return to find Daddy!" Yasmine hugged Sean's neck tightly, continuing, "Mommy said I don't have a daddy, but she's lying. I'm not an orphan..."Yasmine's speech was scattered at three or four years old. She jumped from one topic to another without much focus. Although she didn't convey muc
"Let the driver go, too. Wait for my call," Sean instructed Taylor.He naturally took the suitcase from Angeline. He held the child in one arm and the luggage in the other. He said to Angeline, "Lead the way!"Yasmine looked at Angeline's face cautiously. Her little hand clutched Sean's coat tightly from behind.Angeline had no choice but to follow Sean to the parking lot.Both Angeline and Sean were striking in appearance. Carrying the adorable child only added to their charm. In his suit, Sean exuded an authoritative presence while still showing a down-to-earth side by handling the luggage and child. Together, the three attracted many glances from passers-by.As Sean and Angeline walked away with the child, the Lawson Global executives bombarded Taylor with questions."What's going on? Doesn't Mr. Lawson have an engagement with the Scott family? Why is the child already this grown?""Yeah, I never heard about Mr. Lawson getting married! Who is that stunning woman?""What a
Ned was afraid. He was afraid of recalling the past Angeline that was often mentioned in front of him. He was hesitant to learn he had once loved Angeline so profoundly that he would have given up his life for her. He wondered what all his actions after Angeline woke up would have amounted to.In the airport parking lot, Angeline took the car keys from the driver. By then, Sean had already placed Yasmine in the safety seat and fastened her seatbelt.Yasmine blinked her big eyes with long eyelashes at Sean. She asked quietly, "Daddy, why does Mommy want me to call you Mr. Lawson? Did you make Mommy angry? Mommy is easy to appease. My brother taught me when I make Mommy angry, I should do this..."Yasmine took Sean's index and little finger. She placed her chubby, fair little face against them."Just rub like this, and Mommy won't be angry anymore," Yasmine instructed Sean softly.Sean's eyes turned red as he looked at the gentle and soft Yasmine before him. He controlled his emot
Unlike Xavier, who was more composed, Yasmine had a way with words and was adept at charming those around her. Robert would often bring Jessica to visit the children abroad. Whenever the children were around, Jessica's smile would become more common.Consequently, Robert regularly arranged for Paul to take Yasmine and Xavier to live in a climate-friendly city for a short period. They would spend time with him and Jessica.Although Yasmine was unaware of the relationship between Angeline, Robert, and Jessica, the perceptive Xavier had already figured they were relatives.Both children felt the unabashed affection from Robert and Jessica. They naturally grew fond of them.However, Angeline dared not show herself before Jessica. She felt content just watching her play with Yasmine from a distance.Sean came to a realization.He realized Jessica's mental state had fluctuated over the years. Following a psychologist's advice, Robert had Jessica start keeping small animals as companion
"Angeline, my desire for you is beyond what you can imagine, even more than Ned ever had," he confessed while caressing the back of Angeline's neck. He kissed her swollen lips again."Since that night, it's like something inside me just snapped. I can't keep it in anymore... It's only getting stronger. I just can't let you go."Angeline's heart raced. She felt paralyzed as she gazed at the man before her. His high nose and sharp features usually displayed a rational and self-controlled expression. But now, they openly expressed an uncontrollable desire. Sean's admission left her unsettled."I came back for Anne and Henrietta." Angeline's voice trembled slightly."I know," he replied. "I've supported everything you've done. I've stayed out of it for four years. But... Don't push me away now! Don't just disappear from my sight."Angeline grabbed Sean's strong wrist. "Let's go back. Yasmine is asleep. It's not safe to stop here."Sean looked back at Yasmine, unconscious in her
Angeline's breathing quickened at Robert's suggestion. She softly responded, "Okay." After hanging up, joy crept into her eyes. Still, she carried the nervousness from her conversation with Robert. "Mr. Lawson Senior said I could have dinner with Jessica tomorrow."As soon as Angeline finished speaking, Sean's phone rang. It was a call from the Lawson family home. Robert's housekeeper, Sandy, informed him that Robert wished for him to attend dinner the next day. "Alright, I understand. I'll be back on time tomorrow," Sean said before hanging up. He gestured for Angeline to sit."I also need to return home for dinner tomorrow."Angeline paused. Then, she slowly approached him. "I'll remind Yasmine not to address anyone randomly.""What do you intend for my daughter to address me as?" Sean countered."Mr. Lawson, if that's okay?" Angeline proposed. Then, she regretted her words and bit her cheek.Years had passed, but Sean felt that Angeline was still the same as he r
As soon as the words were out of Angeline's mouth, the sound of lounge slippers padding across the floor rang out. Yasmine ignored the shock on Ned's face and turned to reach for Sean. "Hold me, Daddy!"Sean smiled and lifted her into his arms. Then, he stood beside Angeline and looked at Ned imperiously. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Fletcher. I'm Shane Kingston. Thank you for pushing Angie away in the past—it led to my relationship with her."Ned knew precisely who "Shane" was. Just a few days ago, he'd seen the news about Melissa's press conference explaining her relationship with "Shane".His mind buzzed. He knew Sean and Shane looked similar enough for Dexter's men to have gotten the wrong person. However, he hadn't expected "Shane" to have anything to do with Angeline!"You… Are you the kids' father?" Ned's voice was incredibly shaky."Yes, and again, thank you for that!" Sean smiled. "We've never told anyone about this because I didn't want to endanger Angie and the kids.
Sean didn't give Angeline the chance to finish. "You were right to bring this up to me!"He wrapped his arms around her from behind and continued, "You and the kids will always be my main priority. I know I said I want Melissa to remain safe and happy under my watch, but my feelings for her are purely familial love."She's family to me, and I must care for her. But you and the kids mean more to me than anything else in the world, including her."His honesty made Angeline feel slightly more at ease. She said, "Those are your words, not mine…""I swear on my life that I mean every word." He pressed a kiss to her head. "Can I stay here tonight? I want to sleep with you and the kids. Also, I came from Brayden's place upstairs, so no one will know I'm here.""Granddad made it clear that if anyone finds out about this, he won't allow the kids to see you anymore.""Got it. Don't worry about a thing. Mr. Lawson Senior raised me, and I owe him for that. I won't put him in a tough
Angeline nodded without saying anything. Once Nathaniel was gone, she received a call from Sean."Now that everything has been taken care of, I want to give you a gift," he said, the smile in his tone evident. "Can you have the kids spend Friday night at Grand Court Residences? I want to show all three of you my gift on Saturday."He missed Yasmine and Xavier terribly. Before resolving the issue with Melissa, he hadn't dared to say he wanted to see them. Even if Angeline were okay with it, Robert probably would've objected to his wishes. Now that the dust had settled, he couldn't wait to see them."I don't call the shots regarding the kids now. I'll have to ask Granddad," Angeline said."I'll talk to him about it." Sean was worried Robert would take his anger out on her. "This all started because I insisted on being with you, so I'll handle it. I'll visit Mr. Lawson Senior later today."Angeline didn't know how Sean's conversation with Robert went, but Robert had Asher drop
That night, Melissa called Sean. "Shane, let's publicly announce our divorce. We can tell everyone that we only got married on paper so the Lane family could offer you its protection."Tell them that Dexter repeatedly tried to harm you so he could take the Kingston family fortune, and tell them how he tried to snatch you from the Lane family so he could secretly deal with you."She paused, then continued, "Now that Dexter's in prison, we can get a divorce, and Lori can adopt me as her daughter. We'll become cousins, and we'll still be a family.""Melissa…"Sean was surprised. He didn't expect her to see the light in such a short time."Since you don't have any feelings for me and won't ever make me your wife, I'll settle to be Lori's daughter. That way, you'll always be my family!" Tears streamed down Melissa's face as she spoke. "I adore Lori and want to be her daughter.""Alright," Sean said."Can you head to Keman with me, then? We can visit Dad together before getting
Melissa stared at Lori, who chuckled gently. "It's alright. There's no need to rush into anything. Take your time to think about it. Get good rest for a few days, then go shopping with me. We can buy some clothes to keep up with the changing seasons."I heard from Brayden and Sean that you're the expert in fashion and dressing up. I've always wanted a daughter who could shop, exercise, travel, café hop, and go on spa days with me."She paused and continued, "I didn't get to do any of this with you because you weren't in the best state before this. Now, though, you're all better. You're back to normal, and you've regained your memories!""I'd love that!" Melissa said without hesitation. She'd only done these things with her mother and Emelia in her dreams, but that was all they were—dreams. She was delighted now that Lori was back and willing to make her dreams come true.Sean sat on the couch and sipped his coffee. He knew Lori was doing everything she could to make his life ea
Melissa nodded. Sean said, "I know you have no company management experience. Mr. Lane might have entrusted Trustworth Group to me, but it's still yours. Before you find someone to take over, my plan for the company is still to move its focus back to Lonla."The global situation isn't the best now, and Lonla is the safest place for expansion. That's why the company's focus has to return to Lonla—""You can hand the company over to Brayden," Melissa interrupted. "The only people in this world I trust are you, Dad, and Brayden. Now that Dad's in prison and you don't want me anymore, Brayden is all I have left.""I'm still your kin, Melissa. I won't kick you to the curb and leave you to die. Nevertheless, Trustworth Group is yours. You can have whoever you want to manage it. Brayden is capable of that." Sean looked at Brayden. "What do you think? Are you willing to take over Trustworth Group?""I'll do it as long as Melissa is okay with it!" Brayden nodded. He turned to look
"That's not it! I've always been willing to care for you, and I'm more than willing to care for you in the future! It's not something that I'm forced to do…" Brayden feared his words would inadvertently hurt Melissa, so he decided not to continue in that vein.He said, "C'mon, you should head downstairs to eat something. You've already slept the day away.""I don't want to eat!" Melissa lay down again and pulled the sheets around herself. She said dully, "I want to sleep for a bit longer. Shut the door on your way out."Seeing that she'd already shut her eyes and started weeping, Brayden said softly, "I'll have the kitchen keep the food warm for you. Remember to call me when you wake up, okay? I'll be right downstairs!""Okay." Brayden left the room after hearing Melissa's muffled reply. He shut the door behind him.Melissa remained upstairs. She didn't head downstairs, even when Sean returned. Sean had already spoken to Angeline on the phone and told her he wouldn't meet
Melissa slept in her room and only woke up at night. She removed her headphones and opened her red, swollen eyes. She stared dazedly at the night sky, only returning to her senses when her headphones fell out of her hands.Brayden, who'd been waiting outside this whole time, heard them fall to the floor and hurried into the room. He saw Melissa sitting cross-legged on the bed. She propped herself on one arm while leaning down to pick up the headphones.He hurried forward and picked them up for her, then remained on one knee by the bed. He looked up at her and said, "You slept for ages, Melissa. Do you want to have anything to eat? I got all your favorites, and there are different cuisines. I also got your favorite fruits and snacks!"He'd already had the maids throw out the food he'd bought at noon. Then, he'd had his subordinate buy a fresh batch.Melissa turned to look at him dazedly. She said hoarsely, "Brayden…""I'm here," he said. "C'mon, should we get something to eat
Melissa knew Sean well. So, it was impossible for her not to know if he was being serious. Sean was indeed threatening her, and he was using his life to do it. That way, she wouldn't dare to harm Angeline for fear of hurting him.She loved Sean so much that she could give up her life for him. She wondered why he was treating her that way. He knew she wouldn't allow even the slightest possibility of her threatening his safety.Just then, Sean received a call from Brayden. He said, "...Yeah, I've already picked Melissa up. We're heading to Southstream Manor now… Yeah, you can head over there. Buy some food on your way—Melissa probably hasn't eaten anything yet. She should be hungry."At his words, Melissa couldn't hold back her tears any longer. She covered her face and started sobbing. She'd spent her whole life dreaming of becoming Sean's wife, but he was now in love with someone else and no longer wanted her.Yet, she couldn't do anything about the situation, or she'd be hurting