Liliana trembled, her eyes wide with disbelief.Noelle sighed to herself. "I don't need to lie to you. Honestly, this is only the second time I've met you. Liliana, Charles sees you as his sister, no matter who else is involved or their status!"Liliana's gaze wavered, but she remained silent.They reached the children's ward on the third floor. Liliana's footsteps softened as they ascended, and she grew even quieter upon entering Bobby's room. Noelle caught Charles's eye, and he gave a reassuring nod.Noelle walked in with Liliana. Bobby had just woken up. The caregiver had looked after him well, but without Liliana, he had been crying a lot. Seeing her, his face lit up with a smile. "Mommy!""Bobby!" Liliana hurried over, lifted him into her arms, and playfully pinched his nose. "Did the nurse say you've been crying?""No way!" Bobby shook his head, turned aside, and wiped away his tears. "Mommy, I'm a big boy, and big boys don't cry! Mommy, why did it take you so long? I misse
Liliana's face fell as she approached Charles. "Wanna take a walk?"With a subtle nod, Charles got up and followed her out of the hospital room. They made their way to the garden downstairs, walking side by side in a heavy silence. It took a while before Liliana broke it. "Bobby means everything to me!"Charles looked over at her, catching the fierce determination in her eyes. "I've already lost one child three years ago. I'll do whatever it takes to save Bobby!"Her gaze locked onto Charles, her fists in her pockets betraying her resolve. She knew she was playing dirty, using the tragedy from three years ago to corner him.She could not forgive herself, Sean, and certainly not Charles, especially after hearing from Noelle how guilty he had felt all these years. Thus, she resorted to this shameless blackmail.A light flickered in Charles's deep, dark eyes before he finally gave in with a nod. "Okay."A sly smile played on Liliana's lips. "There are things Sean just can't handle!"
Samara?Charles squinted, studying Liliana closely.Liliana met his gaze and managed a weak smile under his piercing eyes. "Canfield's foster daughter and Yankel's sister."Charles's memory clicked into place. That was the connection between Yankel and Samara. Samara had left everything behind for the sake of her child, leaving Brookville all alone. What a coincidence that she ran into Liliana?Liliana caught the look of realization on Charles's face and knew he had pieced it together. "She made me promise right before she passed not to tell Yankel about the kid. She was afraid he'd hate her and take it out on the little one.""I won't lie. I had my own reasons too. Bobby's been like a band-aid for my heartache, giving me the guts to face every day. That's why I never brought him back to face Yankel. If Bobby's sickness wasn't getting serious, I wouldn't have dreamed of coming back, much less reveal his backstory!" Liliana's eyes gleamed as she spoke, and she instinctively touched
However, the girl vanished one day. Had she left town to have a baby?Sean's gaze softened, and he looked down, his hands balling into fists. "I'll make all her dreams come true," he vowed. He owed her that much, and he was afraid it was a debt he would carry forever.Liliana paused at the door to the hospital room, listening to Noelle spin tales for Bobby, whose eyes sparkled with excitement. He never let go of Noelle's hand. Liliana's heart warmed. Bobby had been her world these past few years, and she could not bear the thought of anything happening to him. That was why she had made the tough call to return to Brookville just in case the Canfields ever decided they wanted Bobby.Liliana's gaze grew heavy with worry. She would do anything to make sure Bobby got the happiness he deserved.Liliana inhaled deeply and swung the door open. "Hey, Noelle!" Noelle hesitated, unsure of what had been said outside, but Liliana's warm greeting told her everything was okay. Noelle's face
Charles bit his lip. "Sean's already on the hunt for a bone marrow match, and I'll make sure Yankel gets here ASAP. Don't worry!""Hey, don’t fret anymore, okay? Bobby's a sweetheart, and he's got good luck on his side. When he's all better, just bring him to Phoenix Tree Residence, and we'll be one big happy family!" Noelle reassured Liliana with a gentle pat on her hand.Bobby must have been worn out because he dozed off while they were talking.Liliana lowered her voice, and once she saw Bobby was deep in dreamland, she signaled for the caregiver to come and look after him.Noelle grabbed Liliana's hand and steered her toward the door. "You've had a long day, so you've gotta be starving! Charles booked us a spot. Let's go grab a bite!"Liliana really felt like saying no, but Noelle had a knack for making it impossible to resist her.Liliana took a long look at Noelle and realized that despite her gentle nature, she had a magnetic pull and charm that no one could say no to. A
Noelle looked at Charles with a slight surprise on her face. Charles noticed and shook his head gently before reaching out to smooth her hair. Then, he started the car and drove away."Liliana did live with the Hoffmans for a while," Charles began to speak, his voice calm. "But because the Hoffmans didn't acknowledge her, her status there was very low."He paused, seemingly lost in thought for a moment. Then, he shook his head slightly. "Back then, when Sean came to see me, Liliana had been bullied and left stranded in a tree. Sean was the one who saved her. Maybe from that moment, Liliana started seeing Sean differently."Noelle nodded thoughtfully. "So, Liliana has quietly loved Sean for many years? But Liliana…""When Liliana was a teenager, she was sent away to live with her biological mother. For a long time after that, I didn't see her," Charles explained, his tone steady."When I left the country, I had no idea what happened between her and Sean. The next time I saw her was
The atmosphere in the car seemed to grow tense again. Noelle lowered her head and took out her phone. Seeing that Rowena was online, she exchanged a few words with her.Then, noticing a message in the group chat, she opened it and realized it was from a group chat Sean had created. To her surprise, another person had been added—Liliana!Noelle looked slightly surprised and raised an eyebrow when she saw that the person who added Liliana was Tania. "Does Tania also know that Liliana is back?""Yes." Charles nodded. "They were very close friends in university.""In that case, maybe Tania can help persuade her. I figure Liliana is someone who values relationships deeply, so she might listen to Tania!""You're quite clever." Charles could not help but curl his lips into a smile. Seeing Noelle like this, he shook his head in amusement.As they were talking, Noelle's phone suddenly rang. When she looked at the screen, she saw that it was her grandfather Sebastian calling. She quickly a
It was one thing for Charles to act out of character, but why were both Sebastian and Samuel behaving the same way?"It's no trouble at all! Pregnancy is exhausting, so you should rest at home during this period. Leave work if you can, and if there's anything you can't handle, Charlie will take care of it!" Now knowing about Noelle's pregnancy, Sebastian set everything else aside. "May has plenty of experience. I'll have her go to Phoenix Tree Residence to take care of you. She'll make sure you're well looked after!""Grandpa, that really won't be necessary!" Noelle was caught between laughter and tears, but Sebastian did not give her a chance to protest before decisively ending the call.Noelle stared helplessly at the now dark screen, then turned to Charles with a resigned expression. "That was Grandpa Sebastian on the phone."Charles nodded, indicating he had overheard. "So, we're going to his place tonight?""I don't think we have a choice." Noelle knew Sebastian's personali
Liliana's arm throbbed where Sean had grabbed it, but she bit her lip, refusing to give in. "I didn't do it on purpose. I had no idea she invited you.""Oh, you didn't know? Isn't she supposed to be your best friend?" Sean's voice was edged with sarcasm. "Or maybe this was your plan all along?""I didn't!" Liliana felt a tightness in her chest at his accusation.She pulled her arm free from his grasp, her face twisted with both anger and shame. "I truly didn't know.""Who knows what the truth is?" Sean said with a light laugh, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Tania doesn't know about us, and you think you're in the dark too? What if Tania found out who you really are? Would she...""Don't."Liliana's voice was loud and full of panic. "Please don't tell Tania." Deep down, she was being selfish. She did not want Tania to find out about her secrets.When she first became friends with Tania, all she wanted was a simple friendship. She did not want Tania to know about her embarrassi
The next few moments dragged on painfully for Liliana. She would have bolted if Tania, her best friend, had not been there.She felt that neither Sean nor Peter wanted to see her around.She did not want to be near them either.Peter was a mystery she did not dare to unravel, and as for Sean...Liliana snuck a peek at Sean when no one was looking. It had been over a month since she had last seen him, and despite herself, she was thrilled.She tried to bury her feelings in work every day, but she knew how hard it was to forget Sean completely.They had promised not to meet again, yet there they were. He could not possibly think she planned this encounter, could he?As Liliana watched Sean and lost herself in thought, she noticed him suddenly glance her way. She quickly turned away, dodging his gaze.Liliana felt like she was a thief caught red-handed when she unexpectedly ran into Sean.Upon laying eyes on Liliana, Sean could not quite figure out what he was feeling.They had
Tania's lips quivered, as if she wanted to say more, but seeing Liliana so determined, she held back.However, as Tania paid, she leaned in and whispered something to the cashier, then scribbled down an address. "Make sure it gets here, okay?"Tania settled the bill, grabbed the shopping bags, and linked arms with Liliana as they headed out. "Liliana, you're joining me for dinner tonight!"No backing out this time. You've canceled on me too many times already.""Okay, fine!"Liliana had no idea that Tania's dinner invitation also included Peter. If she had known, she would have stayed far away. When Liliana returned from the restroom, she found not just Tania and Peter, but also Sean sitting there. Her first instinct was to turn around and leave.She was about to do just that, her foot already inching backward, when Tania caught sight of her. "Liliana, where are you off to? We're right here!"Frozen in place, Liliana could not seem to move a muscle.Standing with her back to th
Seeing Joanna in a new light, her friend still tried to be supportive. "Joanna, don't listen to that lady's wild stories. You and Mr. Smith are the perfect pair. You’re both so smart and good-looking. Everyone at the hospital is jealous of you guys! I bet she doesn't even know Mr. Smith, and she probably doesn't have a rich boyfriend either!"As she spoke, Joanna's friend watched her closely. She saw Joanna's worry fade away after her words. Joanna replied with a hint of frustration, "I don't know why she said that. I wasn’t even in the same faculty as her, but we were involved in a school event together once. We were in a competition together back then. I never thought she cared about it that much!"Joanna mentioned the school beauty contest she and Tania were in, suggesting there might be some old rivalry between them.Joanna's friend knew exactly what was happening. She was getting to see all the drama for free but did not want to call Joanna out. After all, they were coworkers a
"Look, you’re my junior.” Joanna had not expected Tania to say something like that in front of her friend. It was impossible for her to maintain her dignity at this point.What would her friend think if she owned up to it? If she denied it, what was Tania going to do?Tania watched Joanna's face turn beet red, a smile playing on her lips the whole time.Truth be told, Tania did not have beef with Joanna. However, she was Peter's girlfriend, and she knew Sean, so she could not stand watching Joanna strut around, lying and using Sean's good name."Look, Joanna, I'm not trying to be mean or anything. I just think your friend isn’t really thinking about how you feel, you know? You say you're single, yet she's out here telling everyone you're taken. How's that going to help you find a real boyfriend, right?"Joanna's nails were digging into her skin, but she did not even notice. She was drowning in embarrassment, and it was all Tania's fault."I don't know what I did to make you mad,
Joanna looked a bit upset. She was used to being the star everywhere she went, with everyone always fussing over her.However, Tania and Liliana did not seem to notice her at all.Tania slipped out of her dress and had it neatly packaged. She strolled over to a quiet corner and began flipping through a magazine.Meanwhile, Joanna and her friend were browsing through racks of clothes, chatting about which ones were the prettiest. Joanna's friend could not stop mentioning Sean, insisting that Joanna would look stunning in certain outfits and that Sean would surely be impressed.Tania watched Joanna with a smirk and called out, "Hey, Joanna!"Joanna and her friend paused and turned to Tania. "What's going on?" Joanna asked."Oh, nothing, really. I’m just curious—Joanna, are you and Mr. Smith together now?" Tania asked with feigned innocence. "I thought Sean turned you down before!""You...""Turned her down? Don't make things up. Our Joanna and Mr. Smith are very much an item!" Jo
The woman with Joanna gushed, "You're so lucky! Your boyfriend Sean is so handsome and rich, and your future mother-in-law adores you too!""Please, you're making me blush. Sean and I aren't even official yet." Joanna laughed off the compliment."It's only a matter of time. Everyone at the hospital knows you two are an item. And your future mother-in-law is so generous, showering you with gifts. You wouldn't believe how many people are green with envy!""You're making it sound too good to be true!"As Liliana overheard Joanna and the woman's conversation about Sean, she felt like a creep for eavesdropping.Yes, Sean had been with Joanna for a while. Where did that leave Liliana?She had been with Sean, which explained why he was so cold that day. He must have really disliked her, or else it would not have made sense.Liliana squeezed her hands together, trying hard not to eavesdrop on Joanna and the other woman's chat. However, their words floated to her ears, every single one c
Adalee had braced herself for tough negotiations, but to her surprise, they were ready to shake hands on the deal he moment she stepped into the other company's office. The previous unreasonable demands were gone. They were going to work together just like they had before.Even though Adalee thought it was odd, she was just glad there were no hiccups in the partnership. She signed the contract and decided to give Liliana some time off, hoping it would help her shake off the blues from that unhappy evening.Ever since Liliana came back from Cascade City, she had been quiet. Her life was work, work, and nothing but work. She did not go out, not even when Tania tried to coax her into hanging out.Tania could tell something was off with Liliana, but Liliana clammed up whenever she asked, saying she was swamped with work and had no spare time.Liliana had even forgotten about the date with Keith she had planned to arrange after her business trip.Her routine was simple: she would work
Adalee had just stepped out of her room when she ran into Sean. Sean's face was stormy as he walked past, not even noticing Adalee."Mister..." Adalee called, but Sean did not even look back.Adalee's brows knitted together in worry. She rushed to Liliana's door and called, "Liliana? Liliana?"Adalee did not hear Liliana answer, so she knocked again. "Liliana, are you in there?"After Sean left, Liliana could not stop the tears from coming. However, she did not let herself cry loudly. It was just a quiet, steady sob.When she heard the knock at the door, Liliana quickly stopped crying.She bit her lip, hurried to put on her clothes, and dried her eyes.Adalee waited outside, not leaving before she heard from Liliana. Liliana had no choice but to open the door.As soon as Adalee saw her, she noticed her red, puffy eyes and the marks on her face and neck. "Liliana, what's wrong?"Remembering the drink Liliana had taken for her sake the previous night, Adalee gasped and grabbed h