"The woman who’s destined for you?"Diego smirked bitterly at his son’s declaration. He pulled out his phone and scrolled through its screen. Once he found what he was looking for, he handed the device to Pablo, instructing him to show it to his son since they were seated at a considerable distance from each other.Pablo approached his young master and presented the device.Regis’s expression turned cold immediately. He frowned for a brief moment before shifting his gaze from the phone back to his father, who was clearly pressuring him.“Is she the woman you’re destined to be with?” Diego asked, his tone sharp and probing.Regis gripped the armrest of the sofa tightly and answered firmly, “Yes.”“And who is this woman?” Diego pressed, retrieving the phone from Pablo’s hand.Regis smirked faintly. He didn’t know how his father had obtained a photo of him and Amora at the grand opening of Beth Jefferson’s art gallery, but he suspected that someone had deliberately sent it to him with ult
The school bell signaling the end of the day had rung. Parents and guardians were already waiting at the gate to pick up their beloved children.Rayden, who had just stepped out of the line, scanned the area but couldn’t spot his mother or his father’s assistant near the gate.“You haven’t been picked up yet, Ray?” Kimmy asked.Rayden nodded. “You haven’t either?”Kimmy also nodded.“How about we wait over there?” Kimmy suggested, pointing at a bench beside the gate.Rayden didn’t respond immediately, but the little girl had already grabbed his hand and started walking ahead of him. With no choice, Rayden followed her lead.Kimmy looked at Rayden, who had now taken a seat beside her, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. Swinging her legs cheerfully, she said, "You were amazing at math earlier, Ray. How do you solve problems so fast?"Rayden turned to her, shrugged his shoulders, and replied nonchalantly, "I just answer whatever pops into my head.""You're so smart, Ray. If only I had e
A sharp sigh escaped Daisy’s nose. She finally turned to Ricky Brown and said, “I’m sorry, Sir. Please give me some time to contact his mother.”As Benjamin’s homeroom teacher, Daisy was responsible for ensuring the boy’s safety, especially since she had not received prior notice.“I’m sorry, Miss. His mother cannot be reached at the moment; she’s currently being treated at the hospital,” Ricky explained, his tone grave as he informed her about his distant cousin-in-law’s situation.Benjamin’s face turned pale. “You’re lying!” he screamed, punching the man with his small fists, which still managed to sting.“Ben, stop!”Daisy attempted to pull the boy back, but Benjamin’s strength made it difficult for her to restrain him.Eventually, a male teacher stepped in, pulling Benjamin away and escorting him into a classroom to calm him down. His hysterical cries echoed in the hallway.Rayden and Kimmy watched the scene unfold in stunned silence, exchanging confused glances.“Excuse me, Mr. Ri
After lunch, Albert Parker drove Amora and Rayden back to their penthouse. He parked the car in the building's parking lot and quickly opened the car door for them.Albert also helped Amora carry the shopping bags. Earlier, they had stopped by a supermarket to pick up a few essentials she needed.He halted his steps when Amora said, “You can leave us here, Mr. Parker. We can go up by ourselves.”They were now standing in front of the elevator leading to the penthouse. However, Albert insisted on accompanying them into the elevator.“I need to ensure your safety until you’re inside the penthouse, Ma’am. This is a direct order from the young master. Please cooperate,” Albert explained, requesting her understanding of his duty.Reluctantly, Amora allowed him to accompany them. As promised, Albert only escorted them to the penthouse door and placed the shopping bags on the terrace.“Thank you for driving us, Mr. Parker,” Amora said as Albert prepared to leave.“Should you need anything, d
"A-a heart attack?"Amora was utterly shocked by her son's words. "Are you sure you heard that ... that Ben's mom had a heart attack?" she asked, seeking confirmation.Rayden nodded and briefly recounted what he had overheard earlier.Amora was silent for a moment. She didn't know what to say because what happened to Lisa was completely beyond her prediction. She just wanted to teach Lisa a valuable lesson by making her feel as bad and suffer the loss as she had in the past.Amora wanted Lisa to feel a deterrent for insulting her repeatedly and being arrogant in front of her so she was forced to look for Lisa's weaknesses and finally reported the John Brown embezzlement case.She didn't expect Lisa to experience another unfortunate thing.A pang of guilt crossed Amora's heart, but recalling Lisa's past behavior, she thought perhaps this was divine justice for all her wrongdoings.“Maybe this is a reprimand for her bad behavior,” Amora murmured.Rayden nodded. "Yeah, maybe. Bad people
“What’s this, Ray?”Amora pointed at a series of sentences she couldn’t understand. To her, they looked like some sort of cryptic code.Rayden sighed long and took his tablet back from his mom’s hands. “It’s not a dangerous website, Mom. And those aren’t random weird texts. It’s called Python, Mom,” he explained.“P-Python? You mean … like the snake?” Amora asked, her surprise growing.Rayden chuckled, amused by her reaction.“No, Mom. It’s a programming language. I just signed up for a free online class yesterday to learn it,” Rayden said, pointing to the site name on the screen.His explanation left Amora stunned. She rubbed her temples, taking a moment to calm herself before turning back to her son.“Ray, do you even understand this stuff?” Amora asked, still trying to process her son’s genius.Rayden sighed again. “Mom, I’ll understand it with time and practice. Don’t you trust me?”“It’s not that, Ray,” Amora replied quickly. “I’m just confused. Why choose something this complica
“You’re not even seven yet. I don’t want you carrying such heavy burdens on your little shoulders, sweetheart. I don’t want you to regret the time you’ve missed out on, Ray,” Amora said earnestly.“I know, Mom. I’m only doing this to fill my free time,” Rayden replied. “But, can I continue the programming class later tonight, Mom?” he asked, looking for reassurance.Earlier, he had to ask the instructor for a break, interrupting the lesson. Now, he hoped his mom would allow him to resume the session later.Amora considered refusing, but when she saw the eagerness shining in her son’s eyes, she relented. “Alright, but just for an hour, okay?” she said.A wide smile spread across Rayden’s face. He hugged his mom tightly and gave her a kiss on the cheek.“Thank you, Mom. You’re the best in the world!” he exclaimed joyfully.Amora chuckled softly, her face lighting up with her son’s happiness. Memories of the past suddenly came rushing back—when she first discovered she was pregnant.She
Royal Dragon Office Building“This is the report just sent by Manager Sunny, Sir.”Monica Grant handed over a document she had just received from the finance division to Regis. The woman, dressed in a pink blazer and matching pencil skirt, stood in front of Regis Lorenzo's desk with a nervous expression.Her gaze lingered on Regis cautiously, worried about making a mistake, though her boss had said nothing for several minutes.“Just leave it,” Regis replied indifferently.Monica obeyed and placed the document on his desk. Her eyes darted to a neatly arranged lunch box that remained untouched.She had ordered the exact meal Regis requested earlier that afternoon, yet he hadn’t eaten any of it. Her thoughts were interrupted when Regis suddenly looked up.“What is it?” Regis probed.“N-no, Sir. I was just worried you haven’t eaten anything all day,” Monica stammered nervously.Regis’s sharp eyes narrowed. He glanced briefly at the meal and muttered, “I’m not in the mood.”“But you should
"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