Watching the little girl dance with excitement, Luca breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed he had guessed correctly this time; the gift was a hit. But…
"The gift can't be taken for free, okay? Can you help me with a little task?" Luca squatted down to look at the little one.
Immediately, Isla became alert. "What do you want me to help with? I need to think about it."
"Hehe," Luca couldn't help but chuckle. "Don’t worry; it won’t be too difficult. You just need to keep an eye on your mommy. If any other man tries to approach her, tell me right away, okay?"
Isla hesitated at this. Wouldn’t that be a betrayal to Mommy?
Seeing her uncertainty, Luca shook the toy Gundam in her hands. "If you agree to help me with this, I promise I’ll buy you the latest model when it comes out. How about that?"
In the end, Isla couldn't resist the temp
"Alright, I understand. Let’s not make this public for now."After hanging up the phone, Luca rubbed his temples.Isla, rubbing her eyes, came out of her room and saw Luca standing alone. She asked curiously, "Where’s Mommy? Why is she still in bed?"Luca wasn’t sure how to explain to Isla, so he vaguely said, "Isla, Mommy has something to take care of. Uncle will take you to kindergarten later, okay?"Isla pouted, a little unhappy, but didn’t refuse.After finishing breakfast, Luca first dropped Isla off at kindergarten before heading to the police station.Since it hadn’t been 24 hours yet, they couldn’t file a report. Luca could only describe Vanessa’s appearance to the police and ask them to keep an eye out for her.One of the officers on duty paused as he overheard their convers
Upon hearing this, Luca nodded, but he still had his doubts. After Beatriz left, he instructed his assistant to investigate the matter thoroughly.Meanwhile, Vanessa was starting to regain her senses as the effects of the drug wore off. She woke up to find everything around her pitch black.The sounds around her were chaotic. Vanessa strained to identify where she was and realized she was in a moving vehicle, swaying back and forth."Ahem," Vanessa cleared her throat and tentatively tried to communicate with the driver. "Mr. Land, I don’t know who sent you or what promises were made to you, but if you let me go, I can give you what she can—no, I’ll give you double.""Shut up! If you keep yelling, I’ll gag you," one of the men beside him said, clearly irritated.Undeterred, Vanessa pressed on, "Or just tell me what you want.""Shut up,
Bang!The door swung open as Grandpa Kensington stormed in, visibly furious. "Luca, what did you just say? Who were you talking to on the phone?"Seeing his grandfather had overheard, Luca decided to be straightforward."Grandpa, please calm down and let me explain.""What’s left to explain? Ezra is your son! How could you be so heartless as a father?!" Grandpa's anger shook his voice, and he coughed in frustration.Luca quickly helped him sit down and poured him a cup of water. Once Grandpa settled, Luca began to explain, "Grandpa, I’ve located Ezra. He’s safe; this kidnapper is just trying to extort us.""What?" Grandpa's eyes widened in surprise.It was a relief to know Ezra was unharmed, but the idea that someone dared to toy with The Kensingtons sent his temper flaring again."Do you know who&rs
Luca felt an overwhelming sense of unease as he drove along the route he remembered. To ensure his safety, he activated real-time location sharing and sent it to his assistant.His instincts were correct. The people who had kidnapped Vanessa were no ordinary criminals; they had a certain level of counter-surveillance skills. The moment he arrived at the location where Vanessa was last seen, he was surrounded.Facing a group of men holding various weapons, Luca understood their intentions and calmly got out of the car. He looked directly at the leader and asked, “Where is Vanessa?”“Heh, who the hell do you think you are?” the leader sneered, spitting out his cigarette. “You want to see her? I’ll gladly take you to her right now.”Before Luca could react, the men moved in to search him.As the sole heir of The Kensingtons and president of
When Luca opened his eyes again, he found himself lying on a hospital bed. Vanessa was dozing off at his bedside, while a little one sat nearby, engrossed in her mechanical toy.Isla? Vanessa even brought Isla here?*Seeing them there, a faint smile tugged at his lips, his heart inexplicably at ease. He reached out to gently stroke Vanessa’s face, and as the sunlight from the window brushed her features, the fine hairs on her skin seemed to glisten.It had been a long time since he'd seen her so peaceful, and he couldn’t look away.That was until a sharp-eyed little observer broke the silence, her voice piping up, “Uncle Luca, you’re awake!”“Shhh…” Luca quickly gestured for Isla to keep quiet, worried that she’d wake up Vanessa. But it was too late. Vanessa stirred, blinking blearily before her eyes widened in surprise at se
However, mentioning Leonardo seemed to have become a taboo for Mariah. As long as no one brought him up, everything was fine; but as soon as his name was mentioned, Mariah would revert to her silent, withdrawn state.Vanessa wasn’t sure if Leonardo had reached out to Mariah afterward, nor did she ask about their situation, especially since Luca still needed her care.In truth, Mariah didn’t want to hear Leonardo’s name anymore; whenever she did, it always brought back unpleasant memories.But then, something strange happened.For several days in a row, Mariah received mysterious gifts.Almost every day, the receptionist would look at her with a teasing smile. “Miss Hutchson, your boyfriend is so thoughtful. Even though you’re just on a business trip, he keeps sending you gifts.”Seeing the receptionist’s envious expre
When Mariah returned from her business trip, she was informed that Leonardo had been abroad the entire time and hadn’t returned.For some reason, she felt a pang of disappointment upon hearing this news. Before leaving, she had resolved not to let Leonardo’s actions affect her, but now… she hadn’t even seen him.Determined not to dwell in this uncertain emotional state, Mariah shifted her focus to work, immersing herself in tasks to keep her mind occupied.Meanwhile, under Vanessa’s care, Luca’s health gradually improved.His relationship with Isla grew closer, too.Sometimes, Vanessa would watch the two of them whispering to each other and couldn’t help but marvel at the bond of blood. Despite years of separation, they seemed to become familiar with each other almost instantly, even sharing little secrets behind her back.
Hearing the sound of keys jingling outside the door, Luca and Isla instantly switched from their playful banter to a more serious demeanor.The two had already agreed that to avoid raising Vanessa's suspicions, they needed to maintain their act once she returned.“Uncle Luca, you should take your medicine. Even if you don’t eat, you can’t skip your meds,” Isla urged, pushing the glass of water and the pills toward Luca.“I won’t take it. I’m not eating until your mommy comes back,” Luca stubbornly turned his head away, his tone defiant.When Vanessa walked in, she was met with this scene.“Why aren’t you taking your medicine?” Vanessa frowned, glancing at the table where the medicine lay.“Oh, you’re back!” Luca exclaimed, standing up with surprise upon seeing her.&nbs
Magnus nodded immediately. "Of course, Daddy is a strong man. If he promises Maxime something, he will make sure to do it.""Daddy is so great! Daddy is the best! I love Daddy the most!" Maxime happily jumped up and down in his arms.Senna's face immediately turned dark. "This little brat has no conscience. You’ve been bought with just a gaming console. If Mommy doesn’t buy you one, you’ll hate Mommy, right? Hmm?"When Maxime saw that his mother’s face darkened, he immediately slipped out of Magnus’s arms, hugged her arm, and coquettishly said, "No, no, Mommy, don't be mad, I love Mommy the most... the most... the most..." He said ‘the most’ many times in one breath.Senna chuckled. "Good thing you still know you love Mommy the most... Otherwise, I wouldn’t want you anymore."Maxime immediately pouted his little lips and said, "No, no, no...""Alright, Maxime, Mommy needs to rest more to recover. You go back to Rosewood Manor with Uncle Edric."As the time was getting late, Magnus call
When Maxime saw the old man lying in bed, his black eyes scanned the room a few times, realizing there was no one else. He then leaned over to the bedside with a cute smile. "You’re my great-grandpa." Magnus hadn’t lied to him. He was practically his mini-me, looking so much like him when he was young. The old man looked at Maxime, his eyes reddening as he almost couldn’t stop himself from crying. "Great-grandpa, why are you lying in bed, not moving?" Maxime reached up to scratch his head and then seemed to realize something. "I know, great-grandpa is sick, just like mom, and has to rest in bed, right?" "Little young master is so thoughtful. That's right, your great-grandpa is sick and can only rest in bed," the butler said, increasingly happy as he looked at the thoughtful child. What a well-behaved little one. "Mom says when you’re sick, you need to rest and drink more water. Great-grandpa, you should drink more water and eat more so you can get better soon." Maxime leaned ove
Senna looked at Magnus, the man who was like a god to her, her eyes reddened with emotion. "Magnus, you...""Those shares were left to you by your grandparents. I know you’re worried," Magnus gently cupped her face with his hands, leaned down and softly kissed her forehead, smiling as he said, "I helped you get them back because I want you to be happy, not to make you cry.""I… I am just so overwhelmed with emotion," Senna chuckled, blinking away the tears. She cared about those shares not for the wealth they represented, but because they were a legacy from her grandparents, a blessing from them."Senna, I want to ask you for one thing," Magnus said, lifting Maxime in his arms and looking at her."You've done so much for me, and yet you're still being so distant?" Senna raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued."This matter requires your consent before I can act. The Voss family owes you so much," Magnus lowered his head to glance at the child who was looking at him with equal curiosit
Mrs. Thorne had swollen, red eyes and a pale face, clearly having cried all night. She stormed in, angrily pointing at Senna and accusing her. “You wretched woman, you should have died three years ago. You shouldn’t have come back. Give me back my Astrid’s life! My poor daughter, she died so miserably!”Tobias and Maxime saw their hostile intent and quickly stood up to block Senna’s window.Maxime pointed at Mrs. Thorne and loudly said in a grown-up manner, “Old witch, I won’t allow you to curse my mom.”“Where did this wild child come from? How dare you call me an old witch? You rude, ill-mannered little bastard,” Mrs. Thorne snapped at Maxime.Senna sat up, gently patting Maxime’s head, her face darkening, and her gaze turning cold. “Maxime is not a wild child. He is my son, and he only needs to be polite to others.”Mrs. Thorne was beyond enraged. “Senna, you wretched woman, you killed my daughter, and now you’re insulting me? I’m your stepmother! How can you treat me like this? Ar
In a spacious, luxurious private hospital room, The Old Master lay on the bed, his face withered, his expression weary, and his eyes hollow. He had always been so proud and arrogant, unable to accept that he was now paralyzed. He refused to eat, and after two days, he could only survive on nutrition injections.“Old Master, I beg you, please eat a bit. If you don’t eat or drink like this, how can your body survive?” The butler, holding a bowl of congee, tried to feed him, but he refused to open his mouth.The butler felt heartbroken. He had served the old master for many years, and their relationship had long exceeded the bounds of master and servant. He thought of him as a brother, a family member. Seeing him like this, he wished he could take the suffering for him.The old man was known for his stubbornness; when he didn’t want to do something, no one could force him. He was once a powerful figure, but now he had fallen to such a state,
“You don’t have it now, but you will soon. Hurry up and get better, don’t forget, the tenth day is our big day,” Magnus said as he held her hand, his face full of anticipation.“Everyone outside thinks you're going to marry Astrid Thorne. What does that have to do with me?” Senna turned her face away and snorted.“Are you jealous?” Magnus couldn’t help but chuckle. “You’re the mother of my two children, yet you’re still so jealous.”Magnus reached out to turn her face back to him, gently brushing her nose with his finger. “I haven’t told you yet, Astrid is dead.”“What? Astrid is dead?” Senna asked in surprise. “How did she die?” She had already guessed that Magnus wouldn’t let her off after hurting her at the mansion, but she didn’t expect him to go as far as killing her.After the shock, she felt a little pity—it w
Magnus reached out and gently wiped the tears from her face, his voice hoarse. “My Grandpa believed you were the one who set the fire that killed Matthias. He wouldn’t pass up any chance to take revenge on you. If I hadn’t done what I did, your life would have been in danger.”“Sis, brother-in-law didn’t mean to deceive you. Please forgive him.” Tobias pleaded anxiously.“You bad daddy! You made Mommy cry! I hate you!” Maxime angrily raised his little arm and shoved him away before hugging Senna tightly, speaking in an old-fashioned tone, “Mommy, don’t cry. Maxime loves you the most.”Looking at his own son standing like a wall between them, Magnus’s temple twitched violently. He barely resisted the urge to throw the little brat out.“Maxime, kids shouldn’t interrupt when adults are talking. Let me talk to your daddy, okay?” Senna stroked his head, her mind overflowing
It was unclear how much time had passed when a beautiful melody drifted into Senna’s ears. This song…“Sis, don’t sleep anymore. Please wake up, okay? I miss you so much. Sis, it’s been so long since you sang me to sleep. Do you still remember this song? You used to sing it to me all the time. Please wake up, sis. I’m so worried about you.”The familiar voice echoed in her ears—it was Tobias’s voice. Could it be… that she had died and met Tobias in heaven?“Sis, wake up! Open your eyes and look at me! It’s me, Tobias. How could you be so cruel and leave me behind?”Tobias’s voice grew increasingly sorrowful, choked with tears. Big, warm drops of his tears landed on Senna’s face.“Tobias…” It really was his voice. Senna’s eyes flew open, and the moment she saw that familiar little face so close to hers, tears gushed uncontrollably dow
But, the butler warning came too late. The sharp blade plunged mercilessly into the old master’s abdomen."You old bastard," Astrid sneered, her voice dripping with venom. "Three years ago, you promised me that if I got rid of Senna, I would marry into the Voss family as the young madam. But you went back on your word—I tolerated it. And now, when Magnus’s people are hunting me down, you want to cut ties with me? Since I’m doomed anyway, I’ll take you down with me. HAHAHA!""Old Master!"Blood spurted out as Astrid pulled out the knife. The butler’s face turned ashen with terror. Without hesitation, he raised his gun.Bang!The gunshot rang out.Astrid’s crazed laughter was abruptly silenced. A bullet pierced her forehead. Her wide, crazed eyes froze in place as her body collapsed to the ground, lifeless, her expression frozen in disbelief."Old Master, are you alright? Someone call for help!