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
"Ray, I'm coming in."Amora knocked on her son's bedroom door, then turned the doorknob and opened it.Rayden was sitting curled up on his bed, his face buried between his knees.Amora sighed softly. She walked over to him, sat on the edge of the bed, and gently patted the top of his head."Ray, does your wound still hurt?"Slowly, Rayden lifted his face and gave a small smile.But Amora could see that he was forcing himself to smile. She knew the bruise on his face still hurt."I'm sorry I dragged you into my past, Ray," Amora said softly, her voice filled with sorrow.Rayden shook his head. "It doesn't hurt, Mom. I'm just sleepy," he lied again.Amora smiled faintly. She cupped his face in her hands and said, "You can lean on me and cry, Ray. I'll always be here for you."Rayden's eyes had been welling up with tears, but he tried to stay strong so his mother wouldn't worry. He was in pain, not just in his
“Sir, here’s the enlarged image from the screen capture.”Mark handed his phone to Regis through the open passenger window. His boss was waiting in the car for the results of his task.Mark stood by the car door, waiting for his boss’s response until Regis finally said, “Get in. Don’t I have a meeting scheduled today?”Mark nodded and quickly got into the back seat next to Regis.Regis’s personal driver, Albert Parker, started the car after receiving a nod from Mark.Mark glanced at his young master, who was intently looking at the screen of his device. Without waiting for an order, he began explaining his findings.“From the CCTV footage, this woman left in a hurry. She seemed to be scared of something.”Regis’s lips curled slightly at his assistant’s explanation. Mark had just re
"Sorry for asking you to come on such short notice, Amora. I don't have much time. My flight leaves in an hour."Hearing Biana Curtiz’s explanation, Amora smiled slightly. “It’s okay, Bia. I’m free tonight anyway. Mrs. Houston said I don’t need to work the night shift.”Biana Curtiz was Amora’s coworker at WW Mart. She had asked Amora to come to Baymoon Restaurant, where she was interning as a server.Amora had planned to make up for the morning shift she missed, but Della Houston, the manager, told her to come in tomorrow instead, as a morning shift employee had taken leave.Amora hoped to earn extra money from the night shift to pay her rent. She thought she’d be going home empty-handed tonight.But while heading home, Biana called her, asking if she could cover her shift at the restaurant.Biana wanted to see
"Welcome, Mrs. Lysander."Alvin Jones greeted one of his newly arrived guests at the entrance of Baymoon Restaurant. He hurriedly approached the middle-aged guest with his professional demeanor as a restaurant manager.However, Amora was still shocked in her place. How could she not be? She never expected to meet the person she despised the most after leaving the Lysander family residence!The woman addressed as Mrs. Lysander by the manager was Julia Brown, her aunt!Amora couldn't forget how her aunt had treated her when she was expelled by her grandfather seven years ago. The words filled with scorn and harsh sarcasm uttered by Julia still echoed clearly in her mind."Don't blame anyone, Amora. But blame yourself for being foolish, and blame your mother for bringing you into this world. Now not only is your blood tainted, but your body is too. You and your mother are truly disg
"Sorry, I'm late. My car had some trouble," said a young woman as she entered the VIP room."Finally, you're here, Chelsea. We have been waiting for you," replied Julia, standing up to welcome her.The young woman, stylish in a mini dress showing off a bit of her smooth thigh and a fur coat draped around her neck, approached Julia and greeted her with cheek kisses."Did your car break down?" Julia asked worriedly."Yes, Aunt. The engine died suddenly, so I had to take care of it," Chelsea replied, glancing at Mrs. Lorenzo, who had been watching her.Julia realized she hadn't introduced them yet. "Mrs. Lorenzo, this is the girl I wanted to introduce to you. Her name is Chelsea Harrison," she said to the woman beside her.Yes, the young woman she referred to as a 'distant relative' was Chelsea Harrison, who was also Amora's college friend!Amora couldn't believe they had this kind of relationship because Chelsea had never mentioned it. And Julia Brown never seemed to communicate with Ch
“Let's have a toast first, Mrs. Lysander.”Liliana raised her crystal glass and invited Julia to toast with her. She began to feel uneasy because her stepson had not yet shown up, keeping their guests waiting longer than necessary.“I'm sorry if my son has kept you waiting too long,” Liliana said, forcing a smile.Liliana glanced at her husband, who remained calm despite the indirect embarrassment caused by her stepson's tardiness.“It’s okay, Mrs. Lorenzo. Busy men are quite common. My husband often comes home late because of work,” Julia responded understandingly.In reality, Julia was starting to feel uneasy. She sensed that the matchmaking event might be difficult to proceed with, given that young master Lorenzo had yet to make an appearance.Julia glanced at Chelsea, who was beginning to look slightly annoyed at being ignored by her prospective match. She gently patted the young woman’s hand to calm her and signaled for her to drink with her.“I truly apologize. But he was alread
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