Lareal glanced at Peter. The light in the bedroom was dim, casting shadows on Peter's face and making it hard to read his expression. However, for a split second, Lareal caught a glimpse of a mischievous twinkle in Peter's eyes. "Go on," Peter said with a hint of amusement."Let me tell you about Tania. Her story is quite unusual. The parents she lives with now aren't her real mom and dad. She was adopted from an orphanage by a woman named Yasmin, who later married a man named Christian. They made a family together. Christian is really kind to Tania and Yasmin, treating Tania as if she were his own daughter. Yasmin has everything she could ever want. ""Your main point is…" Peter said, looking up with a frown.Lareal cleared his throat. "The main thing is that Yasmin isn't nice to Tania at all. You'd think Yasmin would love Tania since she adopted her, but when Christian isn't around, Yasmin is mean to her, yelling and hitting her a lot. That only stopped when Tania got a bit older
Tania could not figure out why Yasmin was so mean to her, disliking her ever since she was a child. If Yasmin did not like her, why did she adopt her? Why live together if she did not like her?Why did Yasmin have to go after her boyfriend?What Tania could not accept the most was why Jamie would turn to Yasmin. He could have chosen anyone, even someone younger and prettier, and she would not have felt as heartbroken as she did now. "Liliana, why are they doing this to me?"Liliana felt Tania's heartache but did not know how to make it better. All she could do was hug her friend tightly. "Don't cry over that guy, Tania. There are plenty more out there. You're young, with so much time and life ahead of you."Tania cried until she was too tired to stay awake and fell asleep.Liliana could not bear to wake her, so she gently covered Tania with a blanket, wiped her face with a wet cloth, and sat by her side in the living room, staying with her all through the night.When Tania woke u
Liliana could easily see the panic on Tania's face and instinctively held her hand tighter. "Liliana, I... I..."Something was definitely up with Tania, Liliana thought, as she examined the photos and the story in the magazine. Even though the photos were not very clear, she knew Tania so well that she instantly recognized her. The man with her was Peter.In the photo, Tania and Peter were wrapped up in each other, and Peter was barely dressed. He had just a towel around his waist and was clearly fresh from a shower.Liliana swallowed, feeling a bit shocked. Even without Tania's explanation, she could piece together the story from the photos and imagine it all too clearly.Peter might have been a mystery to Tania. She had only heard whispers of his name around town, but Liliana knew the truth. He was cut from the same cloth as her big brother Charles, but he was much colder.Charles and Sean liked to play with their prey, wearing them down until nothing was left. However, Peter wa
Tania could not figure out if she had lost her mind, but she ended up arguing with Peter. She could not even recall what she said, but she ran off with shaky legs after that. Surprisingly, Peter did not come after her.Tania had thought the whole mess was behind her, especially after she saw Peter's guys destroy the story with her own eyes. However, it was now splashed across the pages of a magazine. There were whispers all over town that the big boss of Lennon Group, Peter, did not care much for the company of women. For years, no lady had been seen at his side, sparking all sorts of gossip. Those business bigwigs were just as much in the spotlight as movie stars, so the paparazzi were always hot on their heels. This time, someone must have set up the scoop in advance.Taking a deep breath, Tania turned to Liliana, only to find her friend's face all scrunched up in concern. "Liliana, I swear, I got it all wrong. I got a text saying Jamie was in that hotel room, so I went. I never
Liliana's words struck a chord, and Tania paused, suddenly still. She nodded. "Yes, Peter. I need to find Peter."If Jamie and Yasmin had set that trap for her and Peter, then she and Peter were in this together. After all, an enemy's enemy was a friend. They were both caught up in this mess, and she might have even upset Peter. Her next step was clear: she had to find Peter.Liliana watched Tania settle down and let out a relieved sigh. "You're not yourself right now. Stay home and rest for the next couple of days. Don't go out, okay?"Liliana kept reminding Tania, but seeing her unresponsive, she felt uneasy. She stayed by Tania's side all day. Tania was quiet the entire time. After dinner, when she was resting, Liliana seized the moment to call Sean. "Sean, can I talk to you for a second?"Sean had just walked through the hospital doors when his phone buzzed with a call from Liliana. He was the head of the hospital, but he still made sure to treat everyone the same. Though he wa
"Why not? Sean, it's not Tania's fault either. She's a victim too. Can't you just speak to Peter? Tania is really...""Liliana, I'm not refusing to help," Sean cut her off. "You know Peter's status in the Lennon family. Sure, the Lennon Group depends on him, but he's just the general manager, not the one calling the shots. Did you know that after his issue last night, the Lennon Group's been all over the place today?"Sean gazed at Liliana with a serious look in his eyes. "You make a good point, and yes, Tania is a victim. However, she did burst into the room, and that's a fact. She's partly to blame for what happened, right? The Lennon Group's stock took a nosedive today. Do you have any idea how much they lost?"Liliana's face turned white at Sean's words. "So, Peter won't let Tania off the hook, will he?"Sean stayed quiet. Truth be told, if Peter were to drop the issue, this girl would not be in any trouble. However, Peter had implicated Tania too.If Sean still could not figu
Liliana had thought Sean would not remember the incident, or if he did, it would not bother him. To her surprise, he had brought up Keith.After a brief pause, Liliana said, "His name is Keith."She looked straight at Sean and added, "He's my boyfriend."The moment she said it, the room went silent. Sean's expression did not change, but his eyes sparkled with a teasing glint.He stared intently at Liliana as if trying to read her. However, Liliana just met his gaze, her eyes revealing nothing more.She was not lying. Keith really was her boyfriend."When did this start?" Sean asked.He was not shocked that she had a boyfriend. She was nearly done with college, and dating was normal. However, a strange, suffocating feeling crept into his chest, leaving him feeling uneasy.He hated feeling out of control, but deep down, he knew Liliana was his sister, and it was only natural for her to date. He pushed down that odd feeling. "Does your older brother know about this?"Liliana was
Sean gently patted Liliana on the shoulder, his voice full of concern like a caring older brother.Liliana's face did not show it, but inside, she felt a sting of sadness. She had meant to keep her distance from Sean, but his words easily upset her, making her mind race. When he advised her not to rush into marriage, she could not help but wonder if he still had feelings for her.However, seeing how Sean was acting now, Liliana scolded herself for reading too much into it. The more she hoped, the more disappointed she felt."Sean, don't you have a night shift later? I can get home on my own!"Sean had wanted to take Liliana home, but his expression changed when he saw the man waiting at the door, his gaze passing over Liliana with a shadow of concern.Liliana saw Keith too and smiled. "Sean, my boyfriend's here, so I'll head off first, okay? You should get back."With that, she hurried over to where Keith was standing. "What brought you here?" she asked, a touch of surprise in he
Tania downed two bottles in one go, and the previously quiet room instantly came alive with noise because of her bold action.The young men in the room all turned their attention to her, some even whistling with excitement in their eyes. Tania was not just pretty; she was stunning.She had the kind of beauty that made hearts race the moment she entered a room. Watching her chug liquor like that—with the alcohol dripping from the corners of her mouth down her chin, her neck, and onto her clothes—only made their stares burn hotter.Even Peter's deep and unreadable gaze settled on her. Tania already felt the alcohol hitting her, but as long as Peter did not tell her to stop, she would not.She shook her head, trying to stay lucid. She then let out a soft hiccup and rested her head for a moment. Then, tilting her head back, she went for another bottle.Her boldness even drew a flicker of surprise from Peter's eyes.He chuckled lightly just as the door opened and Lareal walked in.Pe
Tania had her own temper. She had been gentle because she knew she was wrong and wanted to apologize sincerely. However, seeing that Peter did not care at all, Tania got angry and looked up at him with fiery eyes.Tania's small hands were balled into fists, her cheeks flushed red from bending over, and her forehead glistened with sweat. She stared at Peter, but he seemed to ignore her completely, which made her blood boil."Just tell me what you want," she said. "I know I messed up. I embarrassed you and hurt your business, so go ahead. Do whatever you want to me."She closed her eyes, bracing herself for the worst.Peter finally looked at her, a playful twinkle in his eye. He swirled his wine glass, a smile playing on his lips.The card players had stopped their game to watch the drama unfold. They were not really interested in cards. They were here for the show.Everyone but Sean inhaled sharply when they heard Tania's bold words to Peter. They remembered that the last person w
Tania had felt uneasy ever since Peter walked in. Even though he had not looked at her once, she felt completely exposed.Peter's eyes were like dark pools, stirring with hidden currents, but he never rested his gaze on Tania. He walked over, casually tossed his coat aside, and sat down, staying perfectly still.Sean squinted and shut the door with a grin, then gave Tania's shoulder a gentle pat. "Tania, there's no need to be scared. Peter's not a tiger. He won't bite."Tania really wanted to give Sean an eye roll at that moment. Why could he not just zip it instead of stirring up trouble?She had thought it would be just Peter or maybe some of his clients or friends around. She had not counted on Sean being such a wild card.As Sean patted her shoulder, he caught a sharp look from someone.Sean pulled his hand back and went to sit by Gerald, laughing. He ran his long fingers over the cards. "Alright, let's get back to the game!"With Sean leading the way, the room buzzed with a
Sean leaned casually against the door frame, towering over Tania. She shivered a little under his stare. "Uh... what are you doing here?"Sean just grinned. "Why can’t I be here? But I'm curious, what brings you here?"Tania nervously swallowed and peeked inside. The room was packed with people, but the one person she was searching for today was nowhere to be seen.Something was not adding up. Was her information wrong? Had Peter not shown up today?Watching Tania's puzzled face, Sean mused to himself that Peter was quite the stealthy guy. He was obviously smitten with the girl, yet he had vanished just as she arrived.With a playful look in his eyes, Sean's hand hovered over the doorknob. "Do you want to come in?"The people in the room all looked at Sean with nods of approval. Sean smiled and said, "You're here now, so come on in!""No, I shouldn't. I was just..." Tania suddenly felt shy.She had been brave when she first arrived, but as time passed, her boldness faded, leavi
While Liliana was unsure of what to do, Tania took matters into her own hands and went to find Peter. Tania was not the type to just wait around for trouble. Instead of letting Peter come after her for revenge, she figured it was better to go to him first. Peter might have a change of heart and let her off easy if she apologized. Tania did not really think Peter would let her go that easily, but she still believed it was better to do something than nothing at all.That day, with Liliana out of the way, Tania headed out. She had asked around about Peter before, and even though office rumors were not always true, sometimes they had helpful bits of info. When Tania got to The Majestic Lounge, she found a way to slip inside. Normally, The Majestic Lounge was not a place just anyone could walk into. Tania only got in easily and even found Peter's room without trouble because Peter had set it up from the beginning. Tania did not realize how hard it was supposed to be to get into The
Sean gently patted Liliana on the shoulder, his voice full of concern like a caring older brother.Liliana's face did not show it, but inside, she felt a sting of sadness. She had meant to keep her distance from Sean, but his words easily upset her, making her mind race. When he advised her not to rush into marriage, she could not help but wonder if he still had feelings for her.However, seeing how Sean was acting now, Liliana scolded herself for reading too much into it. The more she hoped, the more disappointed she felt."Sean, don't you have a night shift later? I can get home on my own!"Sean had wanted to take Liliana home, but his expression changed when he saw the man waiting at the door, his gaze passing over Liliana with a shadow of concern.Liliana saw Keith too and smiled. "Sean, my boyfriend's here, so I'll head off first, okay? You should get back."With that, she hurried over to where Keith was standing. "What brought you here?" she asked, a touch of surprise in he
Liliana had thought Sean would not remember the incident, or if he did, it would not bother him. To her surprise, he had brought up Keith.After a brief pause, Liliana said, "His name is Keith."She looked straight at Sean and added, "He's my boyfriend."The moment she said it, the room went silent. Sean's expression did not change, but his eyes sparkled with a teasing glint.He stared intently at Liliana as if trying to read her. However, Liliana just met his gaze, her eyes revealing nothing more.She was not lying. Keith really was her boyfriend."When did this start?" Sean asked.He was not shocked that she had a boyfriend. She was nearly done with college, and dating was normal. However, a strange, suffocating feeling crept into his chest, leaving him feeling uneasy.He hated feeling out of control, but deep down, he knew Liliana was his sister, and it was only natural for her to date. He pushed down that odd feeling. "Does your older brother know about this?"Liliana was
"Why not? Sean, it's not Tania's fault either. She's a victim too. Can't you just speak to Peter? Tania is really...""Liliana, I'm not refusing to help," Sean cut her off. "You know Peter's status in the Lennon family. Sure, the Lennon Group depends on him, but he's just the general manager, not the one calling the shots. Did you know that after his issue last night, the Lennon Group's been all over the place today?"Sean gazed at Liliana with a serious look in his eyes. "You make a good point, and yes, Tania is a victim. However, she did burst into the room, and that's a fact. She's partly to blame for what happened, right? The Lennon Group's stock took a nosedive today. Do you have any idea how much they lost?"Liliana's face turned white at Sean's words. "So, Peter won't let Tania off the hook, will he?"Sean stayed quiet. Truth be told, if Peter were to drop the issue, this girl would not be in any trouble. However, Peter had implicated Tania too.If Sean still could not figu
Liliana's words struck a chord, and Tania paused, suddenly still. She nodded. "Yes, Peter. I need to find Peter."If Jamie and Yasmin had set that trap for her and Peter, then she and Peter were in this together. After all, an enemy's enemy was a friend. They were both caught up in this mess, and she might have even upset Peter. Her next step was clear: she had to find Peter.Liliana watched Tania settle down and let out a relieved sigh. "You're not yourself right now. Stay home and rest for the next couple of days. Don't go out, okay?"Liliana kept reminding Tania, but seeing her unresponsive, she felt uneasy. She stayed by Tania's side all day. Tania was quiet the entire time. After dinner, when she was resting, Liliana seized the moment to call Sean. "Sean, can I talk to you for a second?"Sean had just walked through the hospital doors when his phone buzzed with a call from Liliana. He was the head of the hospital, but he still made sure to treat everyone the same. Though he wa