Amora's eyes narrowed sharply. She couldn't believe Lisa would casually expose her disgrace like this. She knew that woman was deliberately attacking her weakness with harsh words, unfiltered from her thick lips.
Amora wasn't surprised at all by Lisa's words. Given their family history, it wasn't shocking that Lisa knew her disgrace.
Even though her grandfather had tried his best to cover it up, a disgrace is still a disgrace. It was always prime fodder for gossip like Lisa. Without investigating, Amora was sure someone within the Lysander family had spread her disgrace without her grandfather's knowledge.
Lisa thought Amora would be provoked by her words, but Amora had no intention of denying it.
"Why? The cat has your tongue now, huh? You should be aware of your place, Amora. You're no longer the Lysander family's prized young lady. Giving birth to a bastard child isn't something to be proud of," Lisa continued with a mocking tone.
Before Amora c
“Mom, is your face okay?”Amora paused as she was fastening her son’s helmet. She could see the worry in her son’s eyes.His little hand gently touched Amora’s reddened right cheek. Not wanting to worry him, Amora gave him a broad smile.“I am fine, Ray. It doesn’t hurt at all. It seems like you’re in more pain than me,” Amora said, cupping her son’s face in both hands.Her heart ached to see the bruises and scratches on her beloved son’s face. “How dare those kids hurt my handsome boy. I should have taught them a harder lesson,” she muttered.Amora inspected Rayden’s knees and arms, her chest tightening when she found a bruise on his elbow. "Does it hurt, Ray?" she asked anxiously.Rayden didn’t answer; his head hung low. He looked very remorseful for involving his mother and causing her to be slapped by Benjamin’s mother.“I’m sorry, Mo
“Does Dad not want Ray anymore? Is that why he hasn’t come back?”Rayden’s question caught Amora off guard. It had been a long time since Rayden last asked about his father’s whereabouts.In the past, Amora had concocted a story about Rayden’s father, claiming he was busy working in a distant country.She told this lie to give her son peace of mind. Amora planned to tell him the truth when Rayden grew older.But a lie is still a lie. Amora had to keep coming up with new excuses until Rayden eventually stopped asking about his father."Why... why would you suddenly think that?" Amora asked, panic creeping into her voice."If Dad really cared about me, shouldn't he still come to see me and Mom no matter how busy he is?" Rayden mumbled, his face downcast with sadness.“Ray—”“Ray knows Mom’s lying,” Rayden interrupted, catching Amora off guard, "Ray doesn't have a dad at all, right?"Amora’s eyes grew wide. She was complete
"You're getting bigger now, Ray. You can take care of your mom. I'm proud of you."Noel Ritter gave Rayden a gentle pat on the head. He praised Amora's son, who had just received medical treatment from him.A while ago, Noel had heard from Amora about Rayden's condition and the reason why Rayden resorted to physical violence and got hurt. As a doctor who had been taking care of Rayden since he was little, Noel thought that Rayden's actions were too reckless.The violence Rayden committed couldn't be justified because it didn't take his health into account. However, the reason behind the violence made Noel quite proud of him.Noel had seen Rayden's growth since he was in the womb and felt that his thoughts were more mature than the other kids his age. Even though Rayden was only six years old, he understood the importance of protecting his mother's reputation."But hitting someone isn't good, Ray. It doesn't just hurt others; it hurts you too," Noel
"I would never dare betray you, Young Master."Regis Lorenzo's face darkened as he listened to the young man kneeling before him. Despite the evidence, the young man refused to admit his wrongdoing.Regis possessed unquestionable evidence of this employee's embezzlement at his Royal Dragon subsidiary.A month ago, during a surprise inspection at one of his supermarkets, Regis noticed discrepancies in the sales reports handed to him.He immediately tasked his right-hand man, Mark Carter, to find someone to act as a spy in the investigation. They uncovered manipulated data, and the culprit was Dennis Baker, an employee who had worked with Regis for quite some time.“Is your salary as the head manager at the supermarket not enough to cover your living expenses?” Regis inquired coldly.Regis was furious. He kicked Dennis's face to the side with his sharp dress shoe, then threw the spy's report at Dennis.Regis couldn't forgive Dennis's misconduct. For the past five years, Dennis has met al
“Uncle, you’re so cool!”The compliment from the strange little boy left Regis stunned for three seconds. He quickly looked around and saw no one but himself and the boy.“Are you talking to me?” Regis asked flatly, sounding unsure.It was an unusual question for Regis to ask. He didn’t expect anyone to praise him out of the blue for no reason.The boy, Rayden Lysander, nodded enthusiastically and said, “You’re the coolest person I’ve ever met, Uncle.”Regis’s lips curled into a faint smile—so faint it could barely be called a smile, but it was unlike the usual Regis Lorenzo.“Were you spying on me?” Regis asked.“I wasn’t spying. I just happened to see,” Rayden replied.Regis smiled again at the boy’s innocent answer and said, “That’s still spying, kid. Spying isn’t cool. Understand?”Rayden seemed to ponder, then gave a small nod.
"Dad?"Regis raised an eyebrow. He smirked cynically, almost unable to believe such a statement could come from a six-year-old.Regis took a deep breath to calm his anger. He never expected a seemingly innocent child to have an ulterior motive."Is it common now for scams to use children as tools?" Regis thought.He felt he had wasted his precious time listening to the child's useless chatter, but there was a deep curiosity about the boy's motives.Regis suspected that the boy's irresponsible parents had taught him bad things, using him to target easy victims. Unfortunately, the boy had picked the wrong target."Where are your parents, kid? I want to see what kind of parents have taught you to scam like this?" Regis snapped.His words unintentionally hurt Rayden's pure heart. Immediately, Rayden retorted, "Uncle, I'm not scamming, and no one taught me! Don't speak badly about my mom!"The boy's cheerful face disappeared. Seeing the disappointment in those small hazel eyes, Regis felt
Amora's eyebrows furrowed. She glared at the tall man, who hadn't taken his eyes off her.‘What does he mean by meeting again? Who is he?’ She wondered, feeling highly suspicious.She had seen her son talking to a man from a distance earlier. However, she hadn't seen his face clearly and, after reaching her son, she forgot about the man's presence. She was too busy scolding her son.‘Could he be a scammer or a kidnapper?’ She thought, scrutinizing the man's appearance. 'But do scammers dress this well to avoid suspicion?'Even without asking, Amora could tell the man's suit was custom-made and extremely expensive. Her salary for two months wouldn't be enough to buy it.Despite his elite appearance, the man still seemed suspicious to Amora. Especially since he acted as if they had known each other before. For the past seven years, she has had no interactions with the elite.
"Gran, I'm home."Rayden stepped into the house with a gloomy face. A middle-aged woman, busy cleaning, was startled by Rayden's early return. School wasn't supposed to be over for another hour."Ray, why are you home so early?" asked the middle-aged woman, Emma Adams.She was Rayden's caretaker and Amora's neighbor, living in the same complex.Rayden was always picked up and dropped off by Emma. His early return was surprising Emma. "Oh my, Ray, what happened to your face?"Emma hurried over to Rayden, whom she considered her grandson. She immediately dropped the mop she was holding and cupped his face, which was covered in bruises."Who hit you, Ray?" Emma asked, extremely worried. Her heart ached to see the injuries on Rayden's face.She then looked at Amora, who had just entered the house after parking her motorcycle in the yard. Amora was carrying several items in her hands."Mrs. Adams," greeted Amora, her face just as worn out as Rayden's. She looked even more exhausted."Amor
Seeing his wife’s confused expression, Regis suppressed a smile.“Are you playing tricks on me?” Amora asked, narrowing her eyes sharply.“No,” Regis replied with a small shake of his head. Then he added, “But earlier, you were mumbling in your sleep and called me ‘Oddie.’”Amora’s jaw nearly dropped in shock. She immediately looked away, guilt written all over her face. Her reaction only fueled Regis’s suspicion.Clearing his throat, Regis continued, “And … you hugged me because you were cold.”Amora was stunned again. She couldn’t believe she had said and done such reckless things while unconscious.Regis then recounted what had happened two hours earlier. He had just finished his bath and was ready to sleep, choosing to lie down next to Amora.But as soon as he settled beside her, Amora started mumbling, “Oddie…”Regis’s brows furrowed instantly, his expression darkening as she uttered the name of some mysterious “man” in her sleep.“Damn it! Who the hell is Oddie?” he muttered ang
Regis’ gentle voice was like a balm, easing Amora’s fear and replacing it with the warmth of his embrace. It was as if her anxiety had magically melted away.But then it hit her. Amora realized what she had done in the spur of the moment—clinging to her husband like this.“Oh no... why am I hugging him? This is so embarrassing!” Amora thought, mortified.To make matters worse, her face was resting against his broad chest. Regis was only wearing a bathrobe, and though the situation was awkward, Amora couldn’t deny his scent's comfort.Amora blinked repeatedly as she caught the rhythmic sound of a heartbeat in her ear.“Wait … is this my heartbeat or… his?” Amora wondered, her own pulse racing so fast it was hard to tell the difference.“How are you feeling now, Amora?”Regis’ voice snapped Amora out of her thoughts. She quickly pulled away, tilting her head up to meet his gaze with an unmistakable nervousness.“I—I’m feeling better. Thank you,” Amora murmured.“Really?” Regis’ face sti
“Ugh...” A faint groan escaped Amora’s lips. Slowly, her eyelids fluttered open, revealing her clear hazel eyes. But within seconds, her eyes squeezed shut again, shocked by the bright, piercing light flooding the room. She tried opening them again, this time cautiously, adjusting to her surroundings bit by bit. 'Where... am I?' she wondered, trying to piece together what was happening. Her pale lips twisted in pain as a pounding headache hammered her senses, leaving her helpless. Her tongue felt heavy, as though she’d lost the ability to speak, think, or do anything. Even moving a single finger felt impossible. She was utterly powerless, a lingering effect of the sedative still coursing through her system. 'What happened to me?' Amora cradled her head in her hands, struggling to recall the events leading up to this moment. Like fragmented movie clips playing out in her mind, flashes of what had occurred started to come back to her. 'Someone tried to hurt me!' Amor
Mark let out a long sigh. Biana's stubbornness was enough to frustrate him today. Yet, he still had to get her to leave, no matter what. “Miss Curtiz, even if you stay here, there’s nothing more you can do, is there? I hope you understand—it’s late now. You heard the doctor yourself earlier. She’s only asleep because of the sedatives. So there’s no need to worry anymore.” Biana’s sharp eyes stayed fixed on Mark. “But I can’t just leave her here alone. What if someone tries to harm her?” “Miss Curtiz .,.,” Mark exhaled wearily before continuing, “My Young Master will also be staying in this room tonight. He’ll take care of her. So ... just trust him with this.” Biana scoffed. “He’s the last person I’d trust. If he were trustworthy, Amora wouldn’t have ended up like this in the first place,” she snapped coldly. “This wasn’t within Young Master Lorenzo’s control either, Miss Curtiz,” Mark defended his boss, but his words only made Biana even angrier. “Miss Curtiz, thank you for you
"Give them an experience they’ll never forget for the rest of their lives," Regis instructed Albert over the phone.Regis’s face was cold, but he couldn’t deny that he felt satisfied with Albert’s performance in handling the task he had been given.His gaze drifted toward the night sky outside the large glass window that stretched up to the ceiling of the room. He was in the same hotel where the Rowan family engagement event had just taken place.Regis had deliberately chosen not to return to his penthouse. He didn’t want to make his son worry if he saw Amora, unconscious again. So, he decided to book a hotel room to wait for Amora to wake up from the drug-induced state."Once you’ve handled everything, come back and rest," Regis said, ending his conversation with Albert.After hanging up, Regis turned to Mark, who was standing behind him. "Has Dr. Blair left?" he asked his personal assistant.Earlier, Regis had asked Mark to contact a doctor he knew to check on Amora. He was concerne
"Mommy ...." Billie Baker was still crying.The boy only heard the mocking call to his mother, unable to understand what was happening in front of his eyes. Especially since his mother had no intention of offering him a hug to calm him down.Most people felt sympathy for Billie, the innocent child who had become a victim of his parents' selfishness.Estelle asked Gino to take the boy out of the room. She didn’t want him to witness any more of Chelsea’s wrongdoings.The video call from Andrew Baker had ended. Albert had disconnected the call after the man completed his mission.Meanwhile, Gilbert Rowan, who had heard all the terrible things about his fiancée, stood frozen. The man was completely in shock."Chelsea, is everything he said true?" Gilbert Rowan hissed, feeling incredibly foolish for being deceived by his fiancée.Now, Gilbert understood why Chelsea had been in such a rush to get engaged to him; she must have had an ulterior motive. He suspected that the woman was after the
“How’s it going, Chelsea? It looks like your life’s gotten so much better after leaving me.”The voice of Andrew Baker, Chelsea’s ex-boyfriend, echoed across the room. A disheveled man with a face scarred from burns, his sudden appearance left everyone stunned.“You’re really something, Chelsea. Living happily with another man after leaving me like this. Bravo.”Andrew’s words stirred an uproar in the room.“No! Please, this isn’t true. Don’t listen to him!”Chelsea’s voice was panicked, but no one paid her any mind. Especially now that Albert Parker had taken over the stage crew and sound system.Albert deliberately directed a spotlight onto Chelsea, exposing her expressions for everyone to see. Frozen in shock, Chelsea couldn’t muster another word as countless accusing eyes turned her way.She hadn’t expected this to happen. Moments ago, she was thrilled to hear Julia had successfully locked up Amora, her main source of anxiety. Yet she never imagined Estelle would also play a role
"Mommyyyy!"Billie’s wailing grew louder. The little boy sat on the floor, holding his broken lollipop, tears streaming down his face after a tumble.Estelle approached him, helping him up gently. She brushed the dust off his small knees, cleaned his dirty little hands, and blew on them softly.“Mommy…” Billie continued crying, calling for his mother.Estelle crouched to meet his eye level. “Do you know where your mommy is, sweetheart?”Without hesitation, Billie pointed with his tiny finger. All eyes followed the direction of his finger, landing on Chelsea, Gilbert Rowan’s fiancée, who stood frozen in place, her face pale.“W-who’s your mommy? Don’t just point at anyone!” Chelsea stammered, panic creeping into her voice.But Billie didn’t understand her words. Instead, he ran toward her. “Mommy, my lollipop fell,” he whined, tears flowing freely.Chelsea’s teeth clenched audibly. Her face turned crimson, and her eyes darted nervously around the room as murmurs began to spread among t
"Young Master … Lorenzo?" Estelle muttered in shock.Hearing his best friend's name mentioned by his wife, Gino's gaze sharpened as he fixed his attention on her, straining to catch every word of her conversation."Why are you the one calling me, Young Master Lorenzo?" Estelle asked, bewildered.She glanced at her phone again to confirm that the caller ID indeed displayed Amora Lysander's name, yet it was Regis speaking on the other end. Her husband's suspicions were right after all.Amora really was with Regis Lorenzo!Even so, Estelle wasn’t ready to take Regis's word for it. She had never personally met Amora’s husband before."Are you really Regis Lorenzo? As far as I know, he’s not here," Estelle said skeptically."Your husband can confirm that for you, Ms. Mauverick," Regis replied, switching on his camera to show his face to her and Gino.Once Gino confirmed his identity, Estelle was convinced. Regis quickly turned the camera off, given the noisy background on Estelle’s end, wh