A long sigh escaped Regis' lips. Amora’s words were sharp, like thorns aimed straight at him. But Regis knew that Amora’s sarcasm was her way of trying to protect herself.“I-I can’t forgive you that easily,” Amora murmured, nervous.To be honest, Amora was shocked by her husband’s apology. She didn’t want to admit that her anger had already softened a bit. She scolded herself for almost melting just because he said he was sorry.A sharp exhale came from her nose as she turned away from Regis, who had been watching her intently. His gaze seemed to pierce right into her heart.“Of course, I know. And by the way, I didn’t apologize for kissing you,” Regis continued, drawing Amora’s attention back to him.“Are you just trying to provoke me, Regis?” Amora snapped, her anger flaring up uncontrollably again.A chuckle slipped from Regis’ lips as he reached out to t
Amora only got a sour smile from him in response. "You can’t do it, can you?" she taunted.A mafia family like the Lorenzos must have committed countless crimes, including murder, all hidden beneath the surface. They would do anything for money, power, and pride—even staining their hands with blood.“Sorry. I guess it was naive of me to ask you not to kill. I just don't want Ray to find out his father is a ruthless killer. But, whatever ... forget it,” she muttered, looking down.“Alright,” Regis responded, making Amora flinch.She looked back at him, disbelief in her eyes. “What did you say?”“I said I won’t kill,” Regis repeated.“Are you … serious?” Amora asked, full of doubt.“Of course not,” Regis replied with a chuckle.She rolled her eyes. “That’s not funny, Regis. If you’re not sure, don’t promise me anything. I hate lies.”“I can’t promise you that,” Regis admitted, “but I’ll try not to kill—unless someone pushes me past my limit. That’s the best I can offer you, Amora,” he a
Amora's hazel eyes moved restlessly. Her lips trembled softly. Her mind urged her to refuse the man's request, but her body thought otherwise.When Regis's lips kissed hers again, Amora didn’t pull away. She thought perhaps she should give the man a chance to claim his rights because she was also aware that she needed the same thing at that moment.Slowly but surely, their lips connected again as before. There was no more resistance like before; everything flowed in harmony under the moonlight that radiated its softness.Amora’s eyelids slowly closed tightly. The gentle caress of his lips made her sanity pause for a moment.Both of Amora's arms had wrapped around Regis's strong neck. His hands had also moved to hold the nape of her neck, deepening their increasingly heated kiss.Regis greedily devoured her lips. He pushed his tongue into the mouth that had given him access to exp
“Ray? What happened?” Regis asked, confused.Regis tried to hide his disappointment and panic, feeling caught having engaged in behavior his son deemed shameful.Amora was equally shocked. She turned to find her son standing there in full pajamas, hugging his favorite pillow, which Rayden had carried since childhood.Immediately, Amora rushed down from Regis’s arms and walked unsteadily. “What’s wrong, Dear?” she asked anxiously.Rayden didn’t answer right away. He shot a sharp glance at Regis, making the man feel he had made a huge mistake.“Ray, are you looking for me?” Amora guessed.Rayden's attention returned to his mother. He nodded slightly.“What’s wrong, Ray?” Amora asked, worried. She still remembered how her son had peeked at her and Regis kissing outside earlier.“I want to sleep here,” Rayden blurted, his face downcast.Rayden’s words shattered all of Regis’s hopes in an instant.Amora furrowed her brow. She truly didn’t expect her son to act this childishly.“Ray, do you
The sound of water flowing filled the bathroom. Amora stood under the shower, the warm water pouring over her body. She tilted her face up, eyes squeezed shut tightly.She let the water wash away the tangled thoughts from her mind. Once she felt refreshed, she turned off the shower and reached for a robe to cover her bare skin.Now, Amora stood in front of the sink mirror, looking at her flushed face. There were still traces of a kiss and red marks on her slender neck. Memories of her passionate kiss with Regis replayed in her mind.“Oh, come on! Stop thinking about it,” Amora muttered, giving her cheeks a quick slap.She hurriedly grabbed a cream from around the sink to cover the kiss marks.Amora didn’t know if she should be relieved they had postponed their intimate moment or feel disappointed like her husband clearly had. For now, she needed to think clearly to make the right decision.She reflected again on the truth she had just learned from Regis. The background of the Lorenzo
Regis sighed heavily, trying to hold back his anger toward his son.“Alright, I won’t push you to answer. But I want to know ... did you hear about this from the media or …?”“Don’t worry, Dad. I didn’t hear it from the media. It doesn’t seem like it will get to the media,” Rayden interrupted.Yesterday, he’d looked up information about the shooting case, but none of the media had covered it. Rayden guessed that his father must have kept it quiet. He had a feeling his father had the power to block the news.Hearing his son’s response, Regis paused. ‘Could it be ... he overheard me talking to Amora last night?’ he wondered.A thin smile crept onto Regis’s face. He was genuinely surprised by his son’s actions and words.It turns out that behind his son's innocent demeanor lies an impressive, sharp intuition. Regis wasn’t sure whether to feel proud of his son’s spying skills, especially since he managed to deceive him so smoothly, leaving him at a loss for words.“You still haven’t answe
The words that escaped those small lips were like a morning thunderbolt, striking Regis’s mind all at once. He hadn’t expected to receive such a piercing response.Though Regis had already heard from Amora that his son didn’t have a positive view of his biological father, hearing it directly with his own ears was much more painful.“I will never forgive him,” Rayden continued, adding salt to the wound now opened in Regis’s heart.“Ray, I thinks maybe you—”Before Regis could explain to his son, Amora entered the room and interrupted their conversation, “You two are still relaxing here? Do you know what time it is?”Amora had just finished preparing breakfast for them. Seeing no one coming out of the bedroom, she assumed both were still asleep. But who would have thought they were lost in conversation, unaware that they were running out of time to get ready?“Ray, you still haven’t showered?” she scolded when she saw her son still in pajamas, looking sleepy.Rayden gasped. Seeing his m
“Mrs. Brown, is it true that Mr. Brown embezzled school funds?”“What’s your response to your husband’s actions?”“Has he already been removed from his position at the school?”“What about the Brown family business? Was the money used to cover last year’s massive loss?”Journalists bombarded Lisa with questions. She struggled to push through the crowd until school security stepped in to help her escape the onslaught of media.Lisa’s face was pale; her usual thick makeup was gone. She looked almost unrecognizable to Amora, who guessed Lisa had faced the same barrage outside her home that morning.From her disheveled appearance, it was clear Lisa had rushed out. She still wore house slippers, and her normally sleek hair was hastily tied back.“Looks like Mrs. Jefferson has finally taken action,” Amora murmured with satisfaction.Now she no longer had to worry about Lisa using her position as the wife of the school’s vice chair to undermine her.Amora smirked, wanting to remember Lisa’s
"Really?" Amora murmured, clearly seeing through the man's lie."So what if I am? You want to see her or something?" Chris shot back, turning the question on her."No, I was just curious. I heard the Lysander family went bankrupt. She must be devastated, seeing her parents like that," Amora replied softly.Chris fell silent for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, the Lysander family is beyond saving. I never thought my father-in-law would embezzle that much money. Even my dad doesn’t want anything to do with him anymore," he explained.Bianca’s position as the Walden family’s daughter-in-law had taken a serious hit ever since the Lysander Group scandal broke out. Cassandra Winston and her husband were embarrassed to be related to the Lysanders, so they didn’t care when Chris mentioned he was thinking of divorcing Bianca.Amora gave Chris a sidelong glance. He clearly didn’t want to go into detail about Bianca, but from what he said, she could tell things weren’t going well for Bianca in t
“Why were you walking alone just now? Is something wrong, Amora?”Chris’s question caught Amora off guard. She cleared her throat softly and shook her head. “I … I’m fine,” she mumbled.“You know you’re a terrible liar, right?” Chris teased with a small laugh. He could tell she didn’t want to talk \about it, but that didn’t stop him from wanting to know everything about her.Amora forced a faint smile and quickly changed the subject. “The IV’s almost empty. Can you ask the nurse to take it out? I want to go home, Chris.”Chris glanced at the IV bag hanging beside the bed. He realized he had no reason left to keep her there, so he stepped out to find a nurse.After speaking with the nurse and explaining that the patient wanted to leave, the nurse walked him through the discharge process. She explained that the patient would need to wait for the doctor’s final checkup before being released, but Amora insisted on leaving immediately.So, she was asked to sign a discharge form stating tha
Chris gasped. He slowly nodded and muttered, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry into your personal life. I’m just worried about you.”“Instead of worrying about me, maybe you should take a look at yourself, Chris,” Amora shot back, noticing that Chris looked just as much of a mess as she did.Chris had barely paid attention to his own condition. He’d been too focused on Amora—staying by her side the whole time and asking the nurses and doctors to give her the best care possible. She’d looked like she was in seriously bad shape when she arrived.“Amora, I—”Before Chris could finish his sentence, Amora cut in. “What time is it?”“I’m not sure. Maybe three or four,” Chris guessed. He hadn’t even realized how much time had passed—he’d been too focused on her.“Oh my God ... I’ve been unconscious that long?” Amora whispered in disbelief. She suddenly felt anxious, wondering if Regis or her son had already gotten home and were worried sick about her.Amora tried to sit up, but Chris quickly stop
“Wait … just hold on. Stay home with Uncle Xavier, okay? Let Daddy go check it out,” said Regis, trying to calm his son, who sounded anxious on the other end of the line.Earlier, Regis had asked Xavier to help pick up Rayden from school because he had a meeting with Alejandro. Now, Xavier and Rayden had just arrived at their rented house, only to find that Amora wasn’t there.Rayden clearly remembered his mother wasn’t feeling well that morning. Worried, he tried calling her using Xavier’s phone, but she didn’t answer.Growing more concerned, Rayden used a tracking app he had previously synced with his mom’s phone. The last known location showed her at a restaurant, which didn’t sit right with him.Thinking she might be with his father, Rayden called Regis. But Regis had no idea where Amora was either.“Remember, stay with Uncle Xavier. Got it?” Regis reminded his son not to act impulsively, then ended the call.Alejandro’s face tensed with concern after overhearing Regis’s side of t
“I don’t get it. Why would you take such a risky gamble, Mr. Volker?” Regis asked, unable to hide his curiosity.Alejandro simply smirked at Diego’s son, amused by his confusion.“If you wanted to, you could’ve just used me right now to threaten my father, couldn’t you?” Regis pressed, still trying to get a real answer from the older man.Alejandro’s smirk faded slightly as he replied, “Unfortunately for you, it’s not your life I want. It’s your father’s.”Regis could see the deep-seated hatred burning in Alejandro’s eyes. That’s when he started realizing this wasn’t just about business rivalry. All this time, Regis had assumed the bad blood between Alejandro and his father was nothing more than competition.But there was something darker—something personal—in Alejandro’s voice when he said he wanted Diego dead. Especially now, knowing he was willing to stake the entire Golden Snake organization just to get Regis involved in making that happen?That raised even more red flags for Regi
In the lavish living room of a five-star hotel suite, Alejandro Volker sat on a plush sofa, slowly puffing on a cigar. He seemed lost in thought until the voice of a younger man sitting across from him snapped him out of his reverie.“Let’s cut to the chase. Why did you ask me to come here, Mr. Volker?”Alejandro’s gaze fixed on the young man seated in front of him — clean-cut and impeccably dressed. The look on his face was one of obvious impatience.A faint smirk tugged at the corner of Alejandro’s lips. “Young Master Lorenzo, you’ve changed quite a bit since the last time we met.”Yes — the young man with him was none other than Regis Lorenzo.Not long ago, Regis received an unexpected phone call from Alejandro. He had no idea how Alejandro got his number, but he knew it wouldn’t be hard for someone in their circles.Alejandro had invited him to meet in this very hotel suite. Regis hadn’t planned to accept, but Alejandro mentioned he might be able to convince Diego—Regis’s father—t
Diego’s lips curled into a faint smirk at the woman’s reaction before he added, “But, if you want to tell Regis, that’s fine too. I wouldn’t want to waste the Old Madam Lysander’s time. Besides, she probably doesn’t have much time left anyway.”Amora’s eyes widened in shock. She shot up from her seat and slammed her hand on the table.“Mr. Lorenzo, stop threatening me by using my grandmother! Is this how a leader of the Royal Dragon behaves? Don’t you feel the slightest bit of shame?” she snapped.Diego’s expression darkened at Amora’s criticism, but he didn’t respond to her outburst. Instead, he said coolly, “If you leave Regis, I’ll grant you one request. This is the last of my patience, Miss Lysander.”“That’s not fair, Mr. Lorenzo! Why are you being so selfish? Are you only thinking about your happiness? Regis is your son, but nothing you’ve done reflects what a father should be!” Amora shouted, her anger boiling over.She couldn’t hold back anymore—his words and attitude had cros
“Do you want to meet your biological father, Miss Lysander?” Diego asked, his tone probing.He had considered arranging a meeting between them as a trade-off—if Amora agreed to leave Regis. “If you want, I can—”But Amora cut him off immediately. “That won’t be necessary!”Diego froze, caught off guard. He noticed the tears beginning to pool in her clear eyes, but there was something else there too—a sharp, almost predatory glare that made it clear she wasn’t someone to mess with.A faint, cold smile curved Diego’s lips. That side of her ... it was just like Alejandro Volker—and Diego hated that side the most.Even though he could see how angry Amora was with both Alejandro and himself, Diego couldn’t care less. In fact, he almost welcomed her hatred for Alejandro. To him, that was a win.‘Alejandro Volker … maybe the best punishment for you is your daughter’s hate,’ Diego thought with a twisted smile.He wanted Alejandro to feel the same kind of pain he felt now—being despised by you
"Are you criticizing how I handle my son, Miss Lysander?" Diego asked, his voice cold and piercing.The pressure in the air made Amora hold her breath. She quickly broke eye contact with the middle-aged man. That sharp gaze, almost suffocating in intensity, made her realize she might've crossed the line. Still, she didn’t believe anything she said was wrong.“I think you know what I really meant, Sir,” Amora replied, refusing to back down even a little.Diego scoffed. Her unyielding attitude both impressed and annoyed him. “If he hadn’t chosen a life with you, I wouldn’t have gone this far either, Miss Lysander,” he said as calmly as he could.Inside, though, rage was boiling in his chest. But he wasn’t about to let Amora see that she had managed to stir him so easily.Diego kept cornering her with harsh words, trying to make it seem like all his actions were her fault, as if she were the root of the problem. And that made Amora’s blood boil.‘No! I can’t lose it. He still has Grandma