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
"Looks like the food has arrived."Netra Regis glanced at two chefs pushing the trolley into the room. A slight smirk appeared when he noticed the female servant still standing at the doorway. His attention shifted to the name tag on her uniform.‘So her name is Biana, huh?’ Regis thought, frowning slightly.The name felt unfamiliar to him, but seeing the wariness in her eyes made him even more intrigued to learn more about her.A smile formed on his lips again. He turned and walked back to the banquet table."The aroma of the food is really appetizing," Regis murmured, eyeing the appetizers being arranged on the table by the chefs.Ignoring everyone else's stares, Regis took an empty seat next to his father, who had argued with him earlier.His gaze shifted to Chelsea Harrison, who still looked confused but also pleased that he had decided to stay."I've been very busy with work today. I unconsciously said something very rude earlier. It seems my words and actions hurt your feelings.
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
“Mr. Lorenzo—”“Let’s talk over dinner,” Diego cut her off before Amora could say anything else. He signaled to one of his men standing by the door.Moments later, a server rolled in a cart of food that had clearly been prepared in advance. He placed a plate of beef bourguignon in front of Amora and Diego.The rich aroma of the dish made Amora’s stomach growl. She was starving—she hadn’t eaten a single thing since morning. But despite the tempting sight and smell in front of her, she held herself back.“I’m sorry, please take my plate away,” Amora said to the server.The man hesitated and looked toward Diego, whose expression had darkened at her refusal—clearly taking it as a sign of disrespect.Amora could sense the shift in Diego, too. Still, she stayed calm, projecting confidence as she stared him down. “I’m not hungry. So let’s just cut to the chase, Mr. Lorenzo.”Diego smirked. With a wave of his hand, the server quickly wheeled the food cart out of the room.“What do you want in
"Grandma ...."Amora’s whisper was soft and full of sorrow. She deeply regretted dragging her innocent grandmother into her mess.Clutching her phone tightly, Amora’s earlier resolve to avoid Diego completely shifted. Without a second thought, she bolted out of her rented house and rushed to the meeting place Diego had set.Thirty minutes later, she arrived. Amora glanced around before stepping toward the restaurant.Her brows furrowed when she saw the sign hanging on the restaurant’s door—it said closed. But the street outside still buzzed with activity like usual. A place like this shouldn’t be closing this early.Her heart pounded. A sinking feeling settled in her chest as her mind conjured all the terrible things that might be happening inside. For a second, she considered turning back. But then her grandmother’s face flashed in her mind, reigniting her courage.She took a deep breath, bracing herself, and pushed the door open. The silence inside sent a chill down her spine.The r
“Oh my God. What time is it?”Amora shot up in bed, completely startled to see the sun already high in the sky. She turned to glance at the wall clock and nearly panicked—it was almost ten in the morning. And she hadn’t even started prepping lunch for her husband and son yet.Running her fingers through her already-messy hair, she groaned, “Ugh, I can’t believe I slept this long.”She had only meant to lie down for a bit—but somehow, she ended up sleeping for three whole hours!Normally, no matter how tired she was, Amora never slept this deeply. Something felt off. She realized she’d been feeling unusually drained for the past week, and today it was even worse.“Am I ... actually sick?” she murmured, worry creeping into her voice.But a moment later, Amora shook her head firmly. She tried to shake off the fear with a positive affirmation. “No. I can’t be sick,” she said with conviction.She didn’t want to give Regis anything else to worry about—especially not her health. So she pushe
It had been three days since Regis, Amora, and Rayden moved into their modest rental home. A calm morning greeted them with warmth and cheer. The scent of freshly baked pizza mixed with the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air.“Morning, Dad,” Rayden greeted as his father walked out of the bathroom and joined them at the dining table.“Morning, Ray,” Regis replied, bumping fists with his son.Simple mornings like these had become a special kind of happiness for Regis over the past few days. A warm greeting and a genuine smile to start the day—no wealth or power could ever replace that.But deep down, Regis still carried a concern—he hadn’t secured any steady income yet. Over the past two days, he had applied to several companies, but not a single one had called him in for an interview.Regis suspected his father had a hand in that. Both Gino and Xavier had previously offered him positions in their personal businesses.But Regis turned them down. Their lines of work didn’
“Mad?” Amora raised an eyebrow.Regis gave a hesitant nod. “Aren’t you? I mean, you were completely silent on the drive here.”Amora let out a small laugh before replying, “I’m not mad. I was just a little annoyed earlier. I’m sorry.”Seeing how concerned Regis looked, she added, “But I’ve thought about it, and I understand—you were only trying to keep us safe.”Earlier, Amora had stayed quiet in the car, reflecting on Regis’s words. She realized that her stubbornness might’ve put them in danger. But Regis had misread her silence, thinking she was giving him the cold shoulder.“I was going to say sor—”Before she could finish her sentence, Regis leaned in and kissed her lips.Amora’s eyes widened in surprise. She quickly glanced around, noticing the agent who had accompanied them looked just as shocked. The agent immediately turned away, pretending not to see anything so as not to make Amora feel uncomfortable. But Amora's face had already turned bright red like a boiled lobster.“Reg