Scarlet’s perfectly manicured nails tapped impatiently against the polished mahogany table as she stared at the spot where Lucian had been sitting just minutes ago. Her crimson lips were pressed into a thin line, her irritation barely concealed beneath a carefully composed expression. Douglas Chen watched his daughter with an amused smile, swirling the golden liquid in his glass. Unlike Scarlet, he was not the least bit concerned. He had seen men like Lucian before—prideful, calculating, but ultimately predictable. “He didn’t say yes,” Scarlet muttered, her fingers tightening around the stem of her wineglass. “He just walked away.” Douglas leaned back in his chair, letting out a quiet chuckle. “Did you really expect him to accept the proposal on the spot?” Scarlet snapped her gaze to him. “Why not? It’s the logical choice. Marrying me secures his future, strengthens his company, and gives him influence he would
Aurora had been staring at the screen of her laptop. She was supposed to be reviewing the reports her secretary had sent her, but her mind was elsewhere. She tapped her pen lightly against the desk, her thoughts tangled in the conversation she had with Lucian the night before. A vacation. Lucian had invited her and Loyd to go away with him—somewhere, just the three of them. She knew what it meant. What he wanted. He wanted them to bond, to have time together as a family without the weight of the past pressing down on them. Aurora sighed, rubbing her temples. She understood his intentions, and in truth, she could see that Loyd needed this. He needed his father. Every day, she watched as her son grew more attached to Lucian, looking up to him in ways that made her heart ache. But then there was her mother. Carmela wasn’t
Aurora stood at the edge of the dock, watching as the waves lapped gently against the wooden planks beneath her feet. The sun hung high in the sky, bathing the private island in golden light. The scent of the ocean mixed with the faint aroma of tropical flowers, carried by the soft breeze that played with her hair. Behind her, Lucian was unloading their bags from the boat, his sleeves rolled up, his usual polished appearance slightly undone. Loyd, meanwhile, was already running excitedly ahead, his small feet kicking up sand as he explored. A vacation. Aurora still couldn’t believe she had agreed. But something inside her had shifted after that conversation with her mother. Maybe it was exhaustion from fighting against something inevitable. Maybe it was Loyd’s happiness outweighing her own hesitations. Or maybe—just maybe—she was tired of holding
The sound of waves crashing against the shore mixed with the laughter of a child, filling the air with warmth and a sense of peace Aurora hadn’t felt in a long time. From where she sat on the villa’s porch, she watched as Loyd ran barefoot across the sand, his small feet kicking up grains as he chased after Lucian. “Dad! Catch me if you can!” Loyd’s voice rang out, high-pitched and filled with excitement. Aurora’s breath hitched. Even after hearing it all day, the word Dad still sent a shiver down her spine. She wasn’t sure what reaction she had expected from Loyd when she had finally told him the truth. But she hadn’t expected it to be so… easy. So natural. Lucian had feared rejection, had braced himself for hesitation. But Loyd? He had accepted him without a second thought. And now, here they were. A father and son pl
The last day at the resort felt different.Aurora could sense it in the way Lucian looked at her—not with the desperation of a man clinging to the past, but with something steadier. Something that terrified her even more.She had spent years building walls around herself, convincing herself that she didn’t need him. That she and Loyd could be fine without Lucian in their lives.But here, in this little paradise, she had let her guard slip.She had let herself believe—if only for a moment—that they could be a family.And now, as she watched Lucian and Loyd playing in the sand, she felt the weight of reality pressing down on her again.This wouldn’t last.The real world was waiting for them.The moment they left this island, everything would change.“Aurora.”She turned to find Lucian watching her, his expression unreadable.Loyd had run off to collect more seashells, leaving the two of them alone by the water’s edge.“You
Lucian pulled up in front of Aurora’s house, turning off the engine with a quiet sigh. The ride home had been peaceful—Loyd had fallen asleep halfway, his small body slumped against Aurora’s shoulder, while she spent most of the drive staring silently out the window. She had been quieter since they left the island, her usual guarded nature slipping back into place. Lucian had expected that. But that didn’t mean it didn’t frustrate him. For a moment, they had been something. Not perfect, not whole, but something close to a family. He had felt it in the way Aurora had finally let him in, the way she had stopped pushing him away, even if it was only for a little while. And now, she was slipping away again. Lucian exhaled. Not this time. He stepped out of the car and walked over to Aurora’s side, opening the door for her. She looked at hi
Lucian sat behind his desk, his fingers drumming idly against the polished wood. His mind was elsewhere—on Aurora, on Loyd, on the quiet, fragile balance he was trying to maintain. Since their return from the island, things had changed. Not drastically, but enough. Aurora had softened, just a little, and Loyd had accepted him with an ease that still left Lucian breathless. Even his conversations with Carmela had improved, at least somewhat. He knew it was still difficult for her to accept him again. After everything he had done to their family, she had every right to hate him. Every right to fear that her daughter might get hurt again. But Lucian had already decided—he would do everything he could to make Carmela accept him again. For Aurora. And then, maybe, he could believe that this was the beginning of something real. Yet, there w
Lucian sat in his office, staring at the city skyline through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The weight of the past few days hung heavy in his chest. Since the message arrived, his father had been on his mind more than he cared to admit. He had decided not to meet him. Whatever his father wanted, it didn’t matter. He refused to be pulled back into that world—into the cycle of manipulation and destruction that had defined his life for so long. He wasn’t that man anymore. He had Aurora now. Loyd. A reason to be different. A reason to stay away. But his father never took no for an answer. A knock on his office door pulled him from his thoughts. Alfred stepped inside, his expression unreadable. In his hands was a thick envelope. Lucian’s brows furrowed. “What is that?” Alfred’s hesitation made his stomach twist. “It arrived
Aurora barely had time to think as she rushed through the grand hallway, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floor. Every second felt like an eternity, and every breath was filled with a sense of urgency. Loyd was out there, somewhere, trapped in the hands of a man she had thought was long dead.Lester Aldric.The name sent a shiver down her spine. She had spent the last few hours wrestling with the shock of it, but there was no time for hesitation now. If what Red had found was true, then Lester was alive, and he was the one behind her son’s kidnapping.She clutched her phone tightly in her hand as she stormed toward the front door. She was going to end this.But just as she reached the entrance, the heavy doors swung open, and Lucian stepped inside.Aurora’s breath hitched.Lucian was dressed in a sharp black suit, his tie loosened slightly as though he had rushed here. His golden eyes immediately locked onto her, dark with intensity. The moment he saw her standing there,
Aurora hadn’t slept for hours. The weight of the situation had turned her mind into a whirlwind of thoughts, none of them bringing any comfort. The room felt suffocating, the silence deafening. It was the kind of silence that screamed for answers—answers that she still didn’t have.She sat in front of her laptop, staring at the screen as Red’s interface blinked at her, its cheerful emoji face betraying the severity of the situation.“Find him, Red. Find Loyd,” she whispered, her voice hoarse from the strain of the past 24 hours.Her hands moved across the keys, the same commands over and over again. Every search, every trace led to a dead end. Loyd’s whereabouts were still a mystery. The police were still investigating, but they had no leads. No clues. The frustration gnawed at her like a beast trying to break free from its cage.Every second felt like an eternity. Every thought was a question. Where is my son?Her mind wandered to the last time she’d held him, kissed his forehead, t
Aurora sat in the living room, her hands gripping her phone so tightly that her knuckles turned white. The room was filled with police officers, their radios buzzing, their voices low but urgent as they coordinated the search for Loyd.But it wasn’t fast enough.Nothing was fast enough.Her baby was missing.Her heart pounded erratically in her chest, her breathing uneven.Loyd.Where was he? Was he scared? Was he crying for her?The thought made her stomach churn.She forced herself to stay strong. She couldn’t afford to fall apart—not now.Taking a shaky breath, she pressed the call button.Lucian picked up on the first ring.“Aurora,” he said, his voice sharp, controlled—but she could hear the underlying panic.“It’s Loyd,” she choked out.“I know.”There was silence for a brief moment. Then—“I’ll handle it.”Aurora clenched her jaw. “We need to tell the police—”“No.” Lucian’s voice was firm, cutting her off.She frowned. “Lucian, they can help—”“They won’t,” he bit out. “They’l
Lucian clenched his fists, his jaw tightening as he paced his office.His plan had failed.Aurora knew everything now.He had wanted to protect her—to handle this mess before she ever found out. But now, the fragile trust they had rebuilt was at risk of shattering.Lucian slammed his fist against his desk, his chest heaving.Damn it.He never wanted to invest in CRS Holdings. Never wanted to be involved with Don Ramon again. But the old man had forced his hand. Blackmail.If Lucian hadn’t complied, Don Ramon would have unleashed something far worse.And now?Now, he was losing Aurora.A bitter taste filled his mouth as he grabbed his suit jacket. He couldn’t let this continue.He had made a mistake, but he could still fix it.He was going to see Don Ramon.And this time, he was cutting ties for good.—Don Ramon sat comfortably in his leather chair, swirling a glass of whiskey in his hand. His gray eyes gleamed with amusement as Lucian stormed into his office.“Well, well,” the older
Aurora’s heart pounded as she watched Red process her request. The AI’s animated face flickered for a few seconds before its voice chimed through her AirPods.“Scanning for data… Please wait, Master.”Her grip on the iPad tightened.She didn’t know what she was expecting. Maybe she wanted Red to tell her that this was all a mistake—that Don Ramon was still locked away where he belonged. That someone was playing a sick joke on her.But she knew better.The locket in the black box had been real. And Don Ramon wouldn’t send something like that unless he wanted her to know he was free.Minutes passed in tense silence. Aurora sat frozen at her desk, her mind racing.She had spent years trying to rebuild her life after everything he had done. She had buried the past. She had fought through her pain, through her anger, and finally, she had found peace.But now?Now, he was back.Red’s voice pulled her from her spiraling thoughts.“Search complete! Displaying results now.”Aurora’s screen fli
For days, Aurora had refused to speak to Lucian. She had seen his messages, the calls he left unanswered, but she ignored them all.It wasn’t that she had decided to cancel the wedding. No, she still wanted to marry him. But she needed time to think.The past still hurt.Because of Don Ramon, she lost her father. Because of him, their family had nearly lost everything.And worst of all, her mother had suffered the most. It had taken years for Carmela to even tolerate Lucian’s presence in their lives, and that was only because of her and Loyd.If Carmela found out that Lucian had kept Don Ramon’s release a secret?Aurora clenched her jaw. She would be devastated.She thought she had reached her limit. That nothing could make this worse.But then—a package arrived.A small black box, wrapped in a blood-red ribbon.At first, she thought it was a wedding gift. A well-wisher, perhaps. Or maybe even Lucian, trying to make amends for what he had done.But the moment she opened it, a wave of
Aurora clutched the glass of wine in her trembling hands, staring blankly at the city lights beyond Rebecca’s penthouse window. The night sky stretched endlessly before her, but all she could feel was the suffocating weight pressing against her chest.Tears streamed down her face, hot and relentless. She wiped them away furiously, but they kept falling.“I should’ve known,” she whispered, voice hoarse.Rebecca, sitting across from her on the couch, crossed her arms, her expression hard. “You’re damn right you should’ve.”Aurora flinched at the sharpness in her friend’s tone. Rebecca never sugarcoated anything, but tonight, she wasn’t just blunt—she was angry.“Do you realize what this means, Aurora?” Rebecca continued, leaning forward. “That man—Don Ramon Blackwood—he ruined your life. He manipulated Lucian. He almost destroyed everything. And now he’s just… out?” She scoffed, shaking her head. “And Lucian didn’t even tell you?”Aurora swallowed the lump in her throat. “He said he w
Aurora stormed into Blackwood Enterprises, her heels clicking against the marble floors with purpose.The moment she stepped inside, the receptionist and employees turned to look at her. Some murmured in hushed tones, but she ignored them.She was furious.Lucian had been keeping something this important from her.Her hands clenched at her sides as she took the elevator up to the executive floor. The doors opened, and she stepped out, heading straight for Lucian’s office.“Ma’am—” Lucian’s secretary, Janine, started, but Aurora had already pushed the door open.Lucian was standing near the floor-to-ceiling windows, a phone pressed to his ear. At the sound of the door slamming shut, he turned, his blue eyes narrowing slightly when he saw her.“I’ll call you back,” he muttered, ending the call.Aurora stood there, arms crossed, anger simmering beneath the surface. “How long?”Lucian sighed, already knowing what she meant. “Aurora—”“How long have you known?” she demanded, her voice shak
Aurora barely had a moment to breathe.Between wedding preparations and handling company affairs, her days had turned into a whirlwind. But for the first time, she didn’t feel pressured.This wedding was different.It wasn’t an obligation, a contract, or a forced responsibility. This time, it was hers. It was theirs.She had chosen this path with Lucian because she loved him, and every detail of the ceremony reflected that. From the floral arrangements to the venue selection, everything felt magical.But even as she juggled everything, there was still work to do. Today, she had an important media interview representing the company, ensuring investors and clients that the transition of leadership under her and Lucian remained stable.Aurora arrived at the studio dressed in a tailored beige suit, exuding confidence. She had done countless interviews before, so she thought she was prepared.She was wrong.The first half of the interview went smoothly. The questions were professional—abou