Chapter 74That day was historic, but it went undocumented. Bayer had officially signed the ownership of Dimon’s companies behind closed doors, attended only by shareholders and investors. She was now more influential than ever. After a private lunch with the shareholders, by early afternoon, all Lavínia wanted was to return home.“You’re really not going to tell us where you’re living now?” Zara asked, visibly upset.“No, I’m not,” Lavínia replied as they headed toward the elevator.“Why do I feel like you’re hiding something?” Zara muttered.“What do you mean? I’m just taking care of my safety. Everyone knows you two are my assistants, so people might think where you are, I’ll be too. And they’ve tried to kill me plenty of times already.”“True... Well, take care of yourself, but at least give us the address. I promise we won’t tell anyone.”“Relax. Where I’m staying...” Lavínia paused, her lips pressing together thoughtfully. “I believe I’m safe,” she remarked before stepping out o
Chapter 75"You still haven’t answered me. What are you talking about?" he insisted, as they exchanged glances, swallowing hard."It's nothing, really..." his mother murmured thoughtfully. "Why did you suddenly move without saying anything?""Oh... that? It was just something sudden. I just decided.""That's not something you decide on a whim; we didn’t even talk about it. Besides, how did you move here if most of your clothes are still there?""Because I didn’t move here permanently, I just... needed some space, some privacy of my own. So, I organized everything first and thought of having this experience..." he explained, but as his mother stepped closer, looking at him with concern, his voice trailed off."Did you hurt yourself again?" she asked gently, holding his hand and examining the bandages, then looking at him with pity."Don’t worry, okay?" he sighed, his voice calm."What happened? Was it that same patient you always treat again? Maybe she needs more specialized care or a
Chapter 76: The Cultivated Hatred"How do you even know where this woman is if she doesn’t even show up at the company she owns?" Zen asked, disbelief evident in his voice."Indeed, but recently Mr. R shared a lot of information with me, and I’ve been investigating. Of the three of us, he’s the only one who’s seen Mrs. Bayer in person, and she has two right-hand people.""Are they in the company?""And you know them well: Samuel and Zara.""Lavinia’s assistants?" he asked, the realization dawning on him."Exactly. From what I’ve heard, Samuel was one of the few assistants who worked well alongside Mrs. Bayer, and Zara has been one of her best friends since she started her business. They were always around Mrs. Bayer.""Strange... doesn’t Lavinia know Mrs. Bayer?""I don’t know what their connection is. I’m trying to dig up something about your girlfriend, but there doesn’t seem to be much besides a messy marriage that no one really knows how it ended.""Pretty badly, I’d say, consider
Cap. 77:Lavinia's warm and damp skin shivered under Zen's insistent touch. Their lips intertwined in a hungry kiss, his tongue exploring every corner of her mouth. A muffled moan escaped Lavinia's lips as Zen wrapped her in his arms, lifting her off the ground and placing her gently on the soft bed. His body molded to hers, hot and pulsing.Zen gripped her waist firmly, his fingers digging into her skin. With a swift movement, he positioned himself between her legs, pressing against her. His lips trailed downward, leaving a path of wet kisses along her neck, descending the curve of her shoulder to her breast, lightly biting her nipple, eliciting a gasp of pleasure as Lavinia writhed beneath him.Her fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer as he explored every inch of her body, his hand sliding down the elastic of her intimate piece, leaving her bare. His tongue traced a hot, wet path along her stomach, circling her navel, and venturing into her most intimate parts."Zen..." s
Chapter 78:When Zen opened his eyes, it was still the middle of the night. The world seemed to spin in a slow vortex, like a misaligned carousel. With blurred vision, he spotted Lavínia asleep beside him, serene amidst his inner turmoil. His thoughts, however, were far from that room. Fixed on the figure of Mrs. Bayer, a mixture of pity and determination consumed him.Minutes passed as he battled the urge to stay there. Restless, he jumped out of bed and headed toward the kitchen. The door creaked softly, waking Lavínia. Her large, expressive eyes gazed at him in the dim light. She hadn’t been able to sleep either. A sigh escaped her lips, revealing a restlessness that mirrored his. Ever since she saw him come home, stained with blood, a question had been hammering in her mind. Had he visited the patient? The possibility haunted her, fueling a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. The last time he’d come back bloodied, he had no injuries, making her wonder if he had done something wrong
Chapter 79Zen’s mother still tried to reach them before he sped off in the car, but it was in vain. Zacarias observed the scene through the rearview mirror, his expression serious. This was only the beginning of a story that promised to be long and complex."Don’t strain yourself so much, calm down," Zacarias urged, trying to soothe her. The concern in his voice was evident."How can you expect me to calm down? What does Zen have to do with this Cedrick?" she asked, her voice trembling."I know, it’s really strange that he has all these ownership documents belonging to this Cedrick, but I believe there must be an explanation," Zacarias tried to sound optimistic, but doubt lingered in the air."Really? The same explanation we got when the center was mysteriously shut down just days after he was admitted there?" she questioned, her voice laced with suspicion.Two weeks after Zen was discharged from the hospital and brought straight to their home, the center they had dedicated their liv
Chapter 80"You're quite late!" Zara asserted in a restrained voice, a hint of disdain flickering in her eyes. At the same time, Lavínia slammed the car door harder than necessary, trying to mask her agitation. Zen, who had already stepped out through the other door, watched her with an ironic smile while she glared at him, as if silently asking what he was doing."We're working together. Besides, what's there to hide? I just found you on the road and offered you a ride—you looked like you were having a really bad day," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.Turning his back, he walked away as if he were being punished for something. However, he suddenly turned back, as if remembering something important."Don't you dare slam the car door like that again. Remember, it's borrowed," he warned, twirling the keys with an air of superiority, catching the disdainful look Lavínia shot him."Then buy your own with the bonus you got," she muttered through clenched teeth, her voice laced wit
Chapter 81” The Hidden Heir"I don't know..." Lavínia sighed thoughtfully, her eyes distant. "I promised that bastard Bowen that he wouldn’t advance in any business if it depended on me, but I don’t know if I can expand my business with that corrupt Romanov. I don’t want dealings with men like him, besides the fact that he wants something beyond that." Her voice was low, filled with resignation."Who doesn’t?" Zara said, smiling discreetly, a wicked glint in her eyes. She stepped closer to Lavínia, closing the distance between them. "After all, who really loses in this story? You or Romanov?""So? If you were waiting for me, did you find out anything important? It can't just be because you wanted to keep an eye on me," Lavínia asked impatiently as the elevator cabin ascended. With each passing second, her curiosity consumed her."You'll be surprised when you find out," Zara said excitedly, her eyes gleaming."What is it?" Lavínia insisted, her voice trembling with anxiety."Remember t
Chapter 102: The Worst Enemy Has a Name and a Surname“What happened there doesn’t matter anymore as long as I’m fine,” Lavínia stated firmly.“Even so… I know that meeting wasn’t planned for either of you, but you know what’s even stranger? Mr. Romanov never told his son who Lavínia Bayer really is. He literally still has no idea who you are. It’s like he did this on purpose,” Samuel observed, intrigued.“What could be going on? I think, as a precaution, you should tell him the truth,” Zara suggested, worried about the situation.“That guy… Zen or Cedrick, whatever his name is, has nothing to do with me anymore, and we have no reason to speak to each other,” she said sharply, making it clear she didn’t want to discuss the matter any further.“Okay…” Samuel sighed, thoughtful as he glanced around the mansion. “We need to keep this completely secret for now. No one can know you’re living here,” he warned, as if an important thought had just crossed his mind.Meanwhile, Valmont was on h
Chapter 101 – A Mysterious Move"A special dinner is being announced. Mr. Romanov is throwing a party to celebrate his son's engagement, and it looks like I received an invitation too," Lavínia commented dispassionately, showing the email on her phone to her friends."Are you kidding? Why are they doing everything so fast?" Zara asked, surprised.Samuel approached and sat down next to them, curious. "Are you planning to attend this event?" he asked, looking at Lavínia."Where has he been? Has he returned to Alpha Corp?" Lavínia inquired, referring to Romanov."From what I've heard, he's been going in as if nothing happened," Samuel informed."That's strange. I thought he would never set foot in Alpha Corp again," Zara commented."So did I. When he returns, are you going to fire him?" Samuel asked Lavínia."He doesn’t know that I’m Mrs. Bayer. If he wants to leave, he can do it on his own. But if he stays, he’ll have plenty of reasons to walk out. I don’t care what he does anymore. I n
Chapter 100 – A Hidden Truth"When were you planning to tell me what’s going on?" Samuel asked, his voice filled with reproach as he opened the envelope containing their medical exams."I wasn’t hiding anything, I was going to tell you..." Zara muttered, her head lowered, drawing a worried look from Lavínia."What’s happening with Zara? And why did you decide to return to the city so quickly?" Lavínia questioned, her voice edged with surprise and anger."Because this is the best place for both of you. In our old town, there aren’t doctors equipped to handle your delicate conditions. When I took Zara to the doctor, I found out that she’s been treating a brain tumor for a year. It doesn’t seem to be progressing, but she still needs treatment to prevent it from turning malignant. But she’s been hiding it and hasn’t been undergoing treatment for an entire year. What do you think is going to happen?" Samuel directed the question at Zara, who looked away, unable to hold back her tears."Zar
Chapter 99: The Unspoken TruthZara stumbled backward, startled, and the jar shattered on the floor, its sharp sound echoing through the kitchen. The light flickered on, revealing a chaotic scene: glass shards scattered everywhere and Zara, pale. Samuel rushed toward her, concern etched on his face.“Don’t move,” he ordered, his voice firm, cutting through the silence. His eyes scanned the floor, assessing the extent of the disaster. The shards of glass sparkled under the light, like tiny malevolent stars.With careful movements, Samuel approached Zara, avoiding the glass fragments.“What are you doing?” she asked, her voice trembling. His proximity made her nervous, yet comforted her at the same time.He carefully picked her up, feeling the lightness of her body. The sensation of holding her in his arms was strangely familiar. He placed her gently on the cold marble table.“How can you be so careless?” he scolded, his voice softer than the tone he’d used before. His eyes shifted to t
Chapter 98 - The Secrets We Hide“We need to go back now!” Zara hurriedly warned. Lavínia, calm, continued getting ready as if nothing important was happening.“Go back? Being here feels so good,” she sighed, indifferent, her eyes focused on the mirror.“God… I can’t believe we did this!” Zara threw herself onto the bed, covering her face with her hands. The guilt and shame consumed her.“What are you talking about?” Lavínia asked, not understanding her friend's reaction.“Didn’t you realize what we were doing?” Zara asked, incredulous. Lavínia’s expression, however, was one of genuine confusion. “Samuel, we didn’t even care that he was a man. How many times has he seen you without clothes?”“Oh… many times, I think,” Lavínia sighed, as if recalling a distant memory. “He’s like my bodyguard. Although at first, I did it on purpose, it was a test to see if he was really focused on his work and took it seriously. And he managed to earn his place and rise in his career, becoming one of t
Chapter 97: Confessions and Revelations“How come? I didn’t see anyone.” Zara stopped, incredulous.“Are you sure?” he asked, a tone of irony in his voice, fixing his gaze on her as he stood in front of her with his arms crossed, his muscles accentuated by his short-sleeve cotton shirt with a small opening at the collar.“Yes, normally you always disappear when there’s a woman around, but I haven’t seen anyone these days.”“Oh... you haven’t seen any women?” he asked with sarcasm.“No!”“It could be, maybe I’m walking around with an angel. She’s as beautiful as one.” he sighed, while Zara kept her attention on his subtle smile, not realizing who he was referring to. Zara crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.“Who?” she sighed, placing a hand on her chest as if feeling her heartbeat quicken.“You’re so slow, I haven’t been seeing other women because I’ve been seeing one already, and she tends to put her foot in my face.” Samuel averted his gaze as though hiding something.
Chapter 96: The Unseen Secrets"Finally, you got out of that crazy department, huh?" Cintia said enthusiastically, guiding him into the room."Is this where I'll stay?" he asked, his voice laced with a mix of surprise and distrust. After all, why such a big and well-equipped room for him, all of a sudden? The room was spacious, with modern furniture and a stunning view of the city."Considering your specialization, you should've taken over this room a long time ago. We have a list of staff to attend to during your off hours as well. I'll warn you, the employees who work directly with Bayer are the most demanding. They become machines, I believe there's not one who doesn’t cause problems that could lead to stress or even a heart attack.""This woman seems really troublesome," he commented indifferently, though a strange sense of unease stirred inside him."You don’t know her?" she asked, eyeing him curiously."Not really," he replied, his gaze distant."Bayer really chose to hide well,
Cap. 95: The Love I SoughtWhen Cedrick opened his eyes, darkness enveloped him like a cloak. The smell of mold and dust was suffocating, mixed with a faint odor of metal that made him nauseous. He tried to get up, but a sharp pain ran through his back, making him groan. The walls seemed to move, shadows dancing in a macabre ballet. Where was he? What had happened?The memory of the argument with Romanov and the needle being driven into his arm came rushing back. A wave of panic surged through him. He was trapped.His father had taken him to the worst place. The image of Romanov smiling, with that look of triumph, appeared in his mind, sending a shiver down his spine, as his childhood memories came flooding back, taking shape in that filthy place.With difficulty, he managed to crawl to the door. His hands trembled as he tried to open the rusted doorknob. With each attempt, fear grew. The door wouldn’t budge. He started banging loudly, screaming for help, but his cries were lost in th
Chapter 94: A Web of Deceit"Are you already like this? Have you met his mother? What is she like?" Lavinia asked."She only gave us a room, thinking we were a couple. We were super uncomfortable, no bed, and she gave us a mattress to sleep on the floor. He didn't deny it, just smiled. His mom is so sweet, she treated me so well." Zara sighed, filled with nostalgia."That's good. I never met his mother, actually, I never even knew anything about his family in the years we've worked together. But I know he has a lot of emotional baggage; a lot happened to him while he was working for the state as a soldier." Lavinia said with anticipation."Ah... I know, he's always out having fun and dating different women, but what's funny is that it seems like he's trying to suppress something inside him." Zara observed, thoughtful. That vulnerable side of Samuel intrigued her."Maybe..." Lavinia commented, deep in thought. "You can use this time at his mother's boarding house to learn more about hi