After finishing his breakfast, Regis stood up from the pantry table and grabbed his cup of coffee. He didn’t bother to clear the dirty dishes because every day, a cleaning staff was hired to take care of the entire penthouse.Regis walked back to his bedroom. He picked up his phone, which had been left beside his bed the night before. His fingers quickly navigated through his contacts to find his assistant, Mark Carter, and he made a call.In less than three seconds, the call connected. Before Regis could ask anything, Mark had already started his report.Regis had anticipated that Amora would leave her residence, so the night before, he contacted Mark to keep an eye on her and monitor her movements from afar, especially if she left with only her son.Regis wanted to know exactly where she was. Even though Amora had refused his offer, Regis wasn’t going to let her go until it was clear whether Rayden was his son.“Sir, Miss Lysander just got off a bus with her son. It looks like she’s
While waiting for Rayden to return, Amora started thinking about what she needed to do today. She felt exhausted. She hoped that this time, she could get some help from someone, especially after her earlier attempt to get her compensation money failed.A while ago, Amora had just argued with the former owner of her rented house, but she ended up being thrown out by the security guards.“That old bastard!” Amora cursed angrily. Her voice caught the attention of those around her, but she didn’t care.Her anger was still boiling in her head. Amora was still upset, remembering how Jordan Franklin had broken the promise he had made to her the previous day. She had been hoping so much from that middle-aged man, but in the end, she left empty-handed.To make matters worse, Amora's phone was completely broken, so she couldn’t contact anyone, including Noel.When the security guard at Jordan Franklin's housing complex kicked her out, her phone fell and cracked.Amora had tried to reach Noel by
Realizing that she had been too emotional with Biana, Amora spoke again in a calmer voice. “I’m sorry, I got a little emotional earlier. But, what’s going on, Biana? Please, give me a little hint.”Amora tightly grasped both of Biana's hands, looking directly at her with hope in her eyes.Biana gave her a faint smile. She understood how Amora was feeling.Not wanting to scare her unnecessarily, Biana finally told Amora what she had heard earlier. As she expected, Amora's face immediately turned pale.Slowly, Amora’s grip on Biana's hands loosened. She clenched her fists tightly to steady herself. She glanced at Rayden, who was watching them with concern.“Bia, please look after my son for a bit,” Amora asked her.“B-but… Amora!”Biana couldn't refuse, as Amora had already left the changing room with an expression filled with disappointment and panic!***Amora was now in the manager's office, standing in front of Della, having just heard the same news Biana had told her.“Manager Hous
Amora gasped. The words from her store owner sounded strange, and a suspicion crossed her mind.“Mr. Ramos, do you mean… is someone threatening you?” Amora guessed.“W-who do you think could threaten me? Don’t just say things carelessly!”Charles's voice on the other end of the phone sounded nervous, making Amora even more convinced that her suspicion was almost entirely correct.“Leave my store right now, or I’ll fire Della too!” Charles threatened.Reflexively, Della grabbed her phone from Amora's hand, trying to calm her boss down. “Mr. Ramos, I’m sorry. I’ll have her out of here immediately.”After hearing his manager’s words, Charles abruptly ended the call.Della's face grew paler. She ran a hand through her hair roughly and sighed heavily. Her sharp eyes turned to Amora, who was deep in thought.“Amora, please don’t make this harder for me. I know you need this job badly, but you heard how angry Mr. Ramos was, didn’t you?” Della said wearily.Amora didn’t reply. The fiery deter
"Amora, have a drink first."Biana handed Amora a bottle of mineral water that she had just bought from a vending machine. But Amora remained motionless in her seat, gripping Rayden's hand tightly as he lay on the hospital bed.An IV bag hung next to the bed, with a tube connected to the back of the boy's hand. Rayden was currently sleeping soundly after receiving treatment from the hospital doctor where he was being treated.Biana sighed deeply. She understood Amora's concern, but Amora herself looked unwell. She worried that Amora would collapse if she kept pushing herself."Amora, you haven't sipped water since earlier. If you keep this up, Ray will be sad seeing you like this," Biana coaxed again.Finally, Amora turned to Biana. She glanced at the bottle of mineral water that Biana had been holding and took it, once again falling silent.Biana sighed softly, then gently patted Amora's shoulder and continued, "Calm down, Amora. The doctor already said there’s nothing too serious. L
"This place hasn't changed at all. Just like its owner. Stiff and annoying!" Amora sneered in her heart.Her hazel eyes stared sharply at the classic building standing in the distance. It had been seven years since she last set foot there. She still clearly remembered the minimalistic gate with the tall archway in front of her.It was there that she had cried her heart out, begging the head of the Lysander family to forgive her. With her head still wrapped in bandages from being struck by her grandfather’s cane, Amora knelt in front of that gate.She had pleaded with the middle-aged man to give her another chance so she wouldn’t be kicked out of the house. Unfortunately, her cries fell on deaf ears. Charlie Lysander didn’t want to listen at all.Back then, Julia immediately confiscated all of Amora’s valuables, her ATM cards, and her credit cards, claiming that they were bought with Lysander's family money.Amora was only given one ATM card with the smallest balance, supposedly out of
Alberta sighed deeply."A lot has changed since you left this house, Miss," said the loyal servant of Amora's grandmother.Alberta then told Amora about Gilda Orlena’s condition. Each word that came out of her mouth made Amora’s heart ache even more.Amora clenched her fists tightly, trying to hold back her urge to curse.It turned out that ever since she left seven years ago, Gilda had constantly missed her. But her son and husband had forbidden Gilda from going to see Amora. This took a toll on Gilda’s health, leading to a stroke after a heart attack.Now, Gilda was suffering from dementia, causing her to lose her memory and often hallucinate. Sometimes, she would call out to people around her, thinking they were Amora. Her son and daughter-in-law didn’t care much and just chalked it up to old age.Charlie Lysander, who was also elderly, couldn’t do anything. Now, the old man struggled to walk and had handed his company over to his only son, Mario Lysander, preferring to enjoy the r
"How did you end up here, Amora?"Julia Brown's voice echoed loudly through the room. Her eyes were sharp as she glared at Amora, who returned the same look.Julia had just come out of her room after her afternoon nap and was shocked to find Amora standing in the middle of her living room."It seems Aunt Julia isn’t happy to see me here," Amora sneered, deliberately provoking her."Who allowed you into this house?!" Julia snapped again. She glanced at several servants who approached after hearing her shout."Um, I think she came in with Mrs. Alberta," answered one of the younger servants.Amora had never seen her before. Most of the servants who had worked in the house had been dismissed by Julia, who felt they didn’t meet her standards, even though those servants had served Gilda Orlena faithfully for years.Amora’s lips curled into a sinister smile. She walked slowly toward Julia, then stood before the older woman with an air of arrogance."You don’t need to bother blaming anyone, A
"Sit down." Amora's voice snapped Alicia out of her thoughts.Even though she was still reluctant to accept Amora as her sister-in-law, Alicia figured she might actually be useful to her."I want to hear your exciting story. It sounds interesting," Amora said, doubling Alicia's surprise.Alicia had expected Amora to enjoy seeing her get scolded by her brother, but strangely enough, it now felt like Amora was on her side.‘She’s such a weird woman!’ Alicia thought, unable to figure out her sister-in-law's way of thinking."I don't think you need to hear it, my dear wife. You’d probably be shocked if you knew what kind of chaos she caused at school today," Regis said with a smirk, his eyes briefly glancing at his sister."She must be here now to ask for my help cleaning up her mess," Regis added."I'm not," Alicia muttered with a pout."Yeah, sure," Regis scoffed, making Alicia's frown deepen.Amora looked back and forth between the siblings. She could tell Regis cared deeply for his si
Regis ordered his secretary to leave the room, then invited Amora to sit inside his office's lounge area.Seeing the delicious food and drinks set for their lunch today, Amora thought the man must have been looking forward to this meal. Unfortunately, Alicia’s unexpected arrival threw everything off."Wow, are you celebrating something, Big Bro?" Alicia blurted out, clearly surprised by the luxurious spread before her.Just as she was about to settle onto the couch across from Amora, her brother abruptly stopped her movement."Who gave you permission to sit?" Regis snapped."Brother .…"Alicia’s voice turned soft and whiny, her lips forming a small pout. However, her usual tricks had no effect on Regis. He remained expressionless, completely unfazed by her act.Alicia’s gaze flickered toward the tempting food, her stomach growling at the sight. She hadn’t been eating breakfast properly for the past few days—not because the family chef failed to prepare it, but because the atmosphere a
Amora glanced at Alicia briefly. She could see the worry in her husband's younger sister's eyes. The girl looked anxious about the question Regis had asked Amora. Secretly, Amora held back a smile."Just say it, Amora. No need to worry," Regis urged, still interrogating her. His instincts told him there was no way Alicia had done nothing to his wife.Based on what he knew about Alicia, she always caused some kind of trouble every day. Even though their father’s guards had been keeping a close eye on her lately, today she had finally been freed from her punishment. Regis was convinced that his sister had already done something to Amora."Did she say something rude to you?" Regis guessed, making Alicia even more anxious.Alicia thought she had already lost the battle. Her brother clearly wasn’t on her side. She could only curse him in her heart.She assumed Amora would complain to Regis about how she had accused her of being a thief or an intruder, along with all the mischief she had ca
"Brother!"Alicia’s loud voice instantly made Regis look up from his phone. His eyes widened in surprise as he saw Alicia running toward him, only to throw her arms around his neck like a clingy little kid.Regis froze in shock, then quickly ended his phone call. He pushed Alicia’s forehead with his index finger, forcing her to let go."What are you doing here, Alicia?" Regis asked, his gaze sharp and suspicious.He was clearly confused. He had specifically asked his secretary to bring Amora, not Alicia."Huh! You’re not happy to see me?" Alicia pouted, annoyed.Regis didn’t answer. Instead, his attention shifted as he noticed Amora walking in behind Monica."Miss Grant, why did you let someone who has no business here just waltz in like that?" Regis snapped, instantly interrogating Monica.Alicia’s face darkened. She had expected her brother not to welcome her warmly, but she hadn’t thought he would go as far as embarrassing her in front of Amora.She had come here hoping he would ta
"What? Are you scared now?" Alicia teased.She smirked arrogantly as she saw Amora's shocked expression after realizing her identity. She lifted her chin slightly, asserting her status."I don’t think I have anything to be afraid of, Miss Lorenzo," Amora replied, quickly regaining her composure.Alicia clicked her tongue in annoyance. "You haven’t forgotten what you did to my shoes, have you? I haven’t settled the score with you yet!" she snapped.Alicia wasn't about to let go of the grudge she held against Amora. The incident still irritated her to this day.Amora exhaled slowly before responding, "Didn’t I clean them and return them? What more do you want from me?""Leaving them at a café counts as returning them? You said you wanted to apologize sincerely, but what? You're such a liar," Alicia scoffed, pursing her lips in disapproval.Amora had left the shoes at the café with a waiter because she couldn’t afford to wait any longer for Alicia. Thanks to that girl, she had been late
Amora kept her gaze fixed on the girl she was quite familiar with. The girl hadn’t even noticed her presence in the elevator yet."Phew! Good thing it didn't close," The girl muttered, her face glistening with sweat.Her eyes locked onto the elevator panel, confirming that it was headed to the 30th floor, just as she wanted. "Thank you," she said, turning to Amora, who was still staring at her in disbelief.The girl furrowed her brows as she looked at Amora's face. Suddenly, her eyes widened in shock, and she pointed a finger at Amora."W-why are you here?" The girl asked.Amora didn’t answer. Instead, she threw the question back at her. "I should be the one asking you that. How did you get into this elevator?"The girl looked confused. She glanced around, double-checking that she hadn’t entered the wrong place before turning her attention back to Amora."Hey, why are you questioning me? I can go wherever I want! Besides, how did you even get in here? This is the executive elevator!"
Amora had just arrived in front of the Royal Dragon office building. She gazed in awe at the grand structure towering before her. The gleaming glass panels reflected the sunlight so intensely that she had to squint her eyes.This was the first time she had ever set foot in the office where her husband worked. The exterior design exuded luxury, leaving anyone who saw it mesmerized—including Amora herself.Even the Lysander family’s corporate building, which she had visited in the past, was nothing more than a speck of dust compared to Royal Dragon’s skyscraper.Seeing the opulence and grandeur before her, Amora suddenly felt nervous. She had actually wanted to decline Regis’s invitation for lunch at his office, but since he couldn’t leave work today, she had no choice but to comply.‘Just how wealthy is the Lorenzo family?’ Amora wondered, stunned.Her confidence seemed to waver in the face of such overwhelming luxury. Memories of her past struggles resurfaced—how she had applied to se
"Looks like there’s some progress." Estelle teased Amora, who looked flustered in front of her.Amora sighed in annoyance, turning away to avoid her friend's interrogation. “I don’t see anything wrong with us doing it. We’re both adults, after all.”A soft chuckle escaped Estelle’s lips. Once her laughter subsided, she said, “I’m really happy to see how things are going for you, Amora. I truly believe this time, you’ll find happiness with Young Master Lorenzo.”Estelle genuinely meant it. Deep down, she still felt guilty for not being able to help Amora seven years ago. She sincerely hoped Amora would be happy this time. She had endured enough hardship in the past.“Do you realize how much your husband loves you? Even Gino couldn’t believe it. Regis Lorenzo—the man who’s always been indifferent to women—actually fell to his knees for you. You’re amazing, Amora.”Estelle’s praise made Amora smile in amusement. She, too, never expected to end up with a man she once found terrifying.“St
"Ray is coming to the Waverly family's grandchild’s birthday party, right, Amora?" Estelle asked, momentarily diverting Amora's attention from checking her schedule for the next client meeting."Yeah, why?" Amora continued organizing her documents."Lately, Kimmy keeps talking about Ray. I'm getting a headache from hearing about him nonstop, and your son is truly a clone of your husband," Estelle sighed, describing how indifferent Rayden was whenever Kimmy tried to talk to him.Amora gave a small smile. "I'll remind him later. He’s probably just too shy to express himself in front of your daughter," she said, defending Rayden.Amora knew Rayden would never intentionally hurt Kimmy, even though Estelle’s daughter could be quite a handful. As his mother, she understood that Rayden deeply respected and cared for women, regardless of their age."Don't overthink it, Estelle. They don’t have siblings, so maybe Kimmy sees Ray as one. Plus, they go to the same school and are even in the same