"Congratulations on your upcoming wedding, Amora! Your fiancé is the dream man for many women. You're truly lucky!"A broad smile curled on Amora Lysander's lips as her best friend, Chelsea Harrison, congratulated her. There was no denying the joy blooming in her heart, as her moment of happiness was just around the corner.In one week, Amora would become the wife of Chris Walden. A year ago, she met her future husband at an annual event for the Lysander company. She fell in love with him, and fortunately, her feelings were reciprocated. Their relationship was blessed by both families.Amora was attending her bachelorette party, organized by her college friends. The party was held in an exclusive, private lounge at a luxurious five-star hotel.The sound of pounding music and singing enlivened the small party in the room. Two young women, already drunk, were dancing on the table, while two others were busy cheering and clapping.Amora Lysander shook her head slightly and laughed at the
"Wh-What?"Amora's forehead furrowed. She couldn't quickly digest his words due to the influence of the alcohol she had consumed, but one thing she knew for certain was that this man would kill her if she didn't obey his words.Before Amora could respond, the man had already pulled her out of the room. To preserve her life and escape this bizarre situation, Amora could only surrender herself to follow the killer's demands.They hurried down the hotel corridor. Faintly, Amora heard several people chasing them from behind. More precisely, they were chasing the killer!'What on earth is this?' Amora screamed in her mind, her face astonished.Despite her head still feeling hazy from the alcohol, she could sense the danger surrounding her. In an instant, fear filled her mind.However, Amora could feel the reassuring strength flowing from the hand that gripped hers tightly, belonging to the man walking in front of her.'What is this strange feeling?' she wondered. Amora's heart raced faster
Amora swallowed hard. Her eyes widened as she saw the muscular back of a stranger lying beside her. Her gaze turned to horror as she noticed the terrifying dragon head tattoo on the person's back.‘What happened to me? Wasn't I with Chelsea and the others last night? How did I end up here?’Amora’s hazel eyes blinked repeatedly, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling. She was utterly shocked to find herself naked under a thin blanket.She tried to get up quickly, but an intense pain between her legs stopped her in her tracks.Her head throbbed painfully. She clutched the sides of her head, trying to piece together her memories. Laughter, congratulations, and the sound of her friends’ voices echoed in her mind, followed by images of her drinking continuously.Amora realized she had gotten drunk. Her eyes widened as flashes of the passionate night she spent with the man beside her played rapidly in her head. Instantaneously, she turned to look at him.“I ... with him….”Amora quickly covered
"You're still not going to talk, huh?"An old man's booming voice echoed through the Lysander family's living room. Amora was kneeling on the floor, her head bowed low.Amora stared at the feet of the old man standing before her, holding a cane. He was Charlie Lysander, her grandfather.Slap!Suddenly, a harsh slap from the old man landed on Amora's cheek. The force of the slap knocked her to the floor.Amora's eyes widened in shock. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she clutched her burning cheek. She hadn't expected her grandfather to slap her for her silence."Enough, Charlie! Do you have to hit her like this?"An elderly woman in a wheelchair quickly interrupted Charlie as he prepared to slap Amora again. The woman was Gilda Orlena, Amora's grandmother, and Charlie's wife.Slowly, Charlie lowered his hand and snorted in frustration."A slap isn't enough for her!" He snapped.Charlie’s face was furious. He was enraged by the foolish thing his granddaughter had done the night before
“Seems like everything is over,” Amora thought, slumping weakly.She tried to stifle her sobs by biting her lip hard. The decision just made by the head of the Walden family had left Amora in shock.All she could do was silently mourn Kelvin Walden's words. Tears streamed down her cheeks once more.Even though Kelvin had made his decision, Amora’s grandfather still tried to persuade him. Charlie couldn’t accept the decision just like that.“Mr. Walden, let’s discuss this further. I know you and Mrs. Walden are very angry about this. I’m humiliated as well. However, we have already dispatched the invitations. How can we cancel it just like that?” Charlie Lysander pleaded.As an elder, it was embarrassing for Charlie to bow his head to someone younger. However, he had no other choice because canceling the wedding would damage the family’s reputation.Charlie, on the other hand, didn't want to lose a 'gold mine' like the Walden family. He had once thought of expanding his business by est
Chris' words brought a sense of relief to Amora's heart. At least some affection remained in his heart for her, even if she no longer felt worthy of being by his side.On the other hand, Cassandra's face turned bitter. "Why? Do you still want to marry that filthy woman?" she snapped.Cassandra angrily pointed her finger at Amora, who felt cornered by her harsh words.A long sigh escaped Chris' lips. He tried to answer calmly, "It's not like that, Mom. I don't love Bianca. How could you ask me to marry her?""Love can grow later," Cassandra replied curtly.Chris' eyes widened at his mother's words. "Mom!"Cassandra was shocked for a few seconds as Chris's voice began to rise. However, she quickly resumed her threats, "If you don't want to see me die in front of you, you'd better do as I say."This time Chris seemed at a loss. His jaw tightened. Though he disliked his mother's arrangement, he no longer argued against it.Chris' eyes met Amora's, who looked at him with disappointment. Un
[Seven Years Later]"Hey, bastard!"A small, handsome boy stopped in his tracks as a chubby classmate blocked the entrance to his classroom. He stared directly at the boy with a blank expression.The handsome boy, named Rayden Lysander, sighed softly. It wasn't the first time his friend had called him that crude name. As usual, he decided to ignore his friend's taunt.Rayden started to move forward again, but the round-faced boy spread his arms wide, blocking Rayden's path."Didn't you hear me, bastard?!" shouted Benjamin Brown, the chubby boy."Are you talking to me, Ben?" Rayden asked innocently.Benjamin's face turned red, feeling mocked by Rayden. "Who else would be the bastard here if not you?" he said, jabbing his finger repeatedly into Rayden's chest.Rayden's eyebrows knitted together. He looked at Benjamin with disinterest. He had promised his mother to behave well at school and be someone she could be proud of. However, Benjamin's behavior toward him had become increasingly a
“Amora, please clean the floor in corridor four later!”A middle-aged woman called her subordinate, who was arranging some food in a display case. The young woman, dressed in a store clerk's uniform and named Amora Lysander, turned her head.“A kid spilled their drink earlier,” the woman continued. She was Della Houston, the manager of WW Mart, where Amora worked.“Sure, Mrs. Houston. I’ll head there right after this,” Amora replied.Della then continued to check other areas of the store for product completeness, cleanliness, and operational efficiency.A tired sigh escaped Amora’s lips. She had been working since five in the morning and hadn’t had a chance to take a sip of water. The convenience store she worked at was open 24 hours a day. Located in a busy area, it wasn’t surprising that many customers came to shop there.Despite her exhaustion, Amora couldn’t complain. Her
Outside the café, Regis was already waiting to pick up Amora. But instead of staying in the car, he stepped out and stood by the vehicle.“What’s wrong? Why are you out of the car?” Amora asked, puzzled.Regis didn’t answer. Instead, he shot back, “Are you done?”Amora nodded.“Where were you earlier?” Regis pressed further.His sharp gaze fixed on her, scrutinizing her intently.“Earlier?” Amora frowned but soon realized what her husband was getting at. “You mean that phone call?”Regis cleared his throat and looked away, but his tone stayed firm. “Who were you talking to? I heard a man’s voice. Was he a friend?”As far as Regis knew, Amora planned to meet Gino Moonstone’s wife and her former colleague, Biana Curtiz, today. So, hearing her on the phone with a man had caught him off guard. What made it even stranger was that the man’s voice sounded oddly familiar, yet Regis couldn’t place it.That’s why he had gotten out of the car—to catch a glimpse of whoever his wife had been talki
"Hello, Amora. I’m almost there. You’re done, right?"A sly smirk crept across the lips of the young, unfamiliar man as he heard Regis’s voice on the other end of Amora’s phone, which was now pressed against his ear."Amora? Are you listening?"Regis called out to his wife again, thinking it was Amora who had answered his call.Just as the stranger was about to respond, he suddenly heard Amora’s voice behind him, causing him to change his mind.Slowly, the man lowered Amora’s phone from his ear, maintaining a calm expression as he placed it back on the table. Turning around, he spotted Amora walking toward the table, carrying the latte he had ordered."Did I keep you waiting too long, Sir?" Amora asked, still unaware that the man had answered Regis’s call."Not at all," the man replied with a composed demeanor, ensuring she wouldn’t suspect anything."Here’s your drink, Sir." Amora set the glass in front of him. "This time, try not to spill it," she joked.The man responded with a fai
“Hey, don’t you have eyes?!”A burly man with an angry expression was shouting at a younger man seated in an electric wheelchair.The commotion happened near Amora’s table, making it hard for her to avoid witnessing the scene.After observing the situation, Amora guessed that the disabled man's wheelchair must have accidentally bumped into the burly man. The coffee drink that the disabled man was carrying spilled and hit the shoes of the man with the creepy face.“I’m sorry, it was an accident,” the disabled man apologized, his innocent face full of regret.However, the burly man refused to accept the apology. “You think saying sorry fixes this? You think your apology will clean the stain off my shoes?” He snapped.Trying to resolve the situation, the disabled young man pulled out his wallet and took out several bills to compensate for the mishap.“Will this be enough?” He offered three hundred-dollar bills to the man demanding reparation.The burly man’s fierce expression softened im
After a thirty-minute discussion, Estelle excused herself to leave the café first. She had an appointment with the owner of a building she was planning to purchase for their future main office."I’ll update you once I’ve negotiated the price with the owner," Estelle said as she got up from her seat."Good luck, Estelle!" Amora cheered, clenching her fists to show support.Estelle smiled and waved at Biana and Amora before leaving. Once Estelle was gone, Biana wasted no time interrogating Amora. She had been holding back her curiosity about Amora’s situation, but now she needed answers.Biana hadn’t asked her over the phone because she wanted to see Amora in person and assess any changes for herself. Now that she had, she wasn’t going to let it slide."I think it’s time you tell me what’s been going on with you, Amora. Do you know how worried I was when I couldn’t reach you?" Biana blurted out.She had been extremely anxious when Amora became unreachable after they parted ways at the h
“Of course. She’s had the nerve to smear our names. I won’t let her get away with it,” Estelle said with fiery determination.Previously, Estelle had filed a defamation lawsuit against Chelsea for tarnishing her and Amora’s reputation. However, Chelsea managed to have the case dismissed by leveraging support from her fiancé’s influential family, leading Estelle to believe she needed a different strategy to strike back.“You mentioned yesterday that you had a great idea to teach her a lesson. What is it, Amora?” Estelle asked, her curiosity piqued.A sly smirk crept onto Amora’s lips. A few days ago, she had received some intriguing information about Chelsea Harrison from Albert. Initially, Amora had no intention of stooping to underhanded tactics by sharing the details with anyone.However, when Amora learned from Estelle that Chelsea continued to bombard them with malicious rumors among their peers, she realized she couldn’t just stand idly by.Amora had to act—not only to stop Chels
“What did you just say?”Estelle’s shout echoed through the café. She quickly covered her mouth with both hands, leaning closer to whisper to Amora, who sat across from her.She had just heard a shocking revelation from Amora, something so unbelievable it felt like headline news!Amora had confessed to Estelle that she was the wife of Regis Lorenzo, the famous Young Master who was the target of socialite women!Nowadays, Amora is busy building a business with Estelle. She had recently learned from Albert that Estelle hadn’t been lying about what had happened to the Mauverick family—and herself—over the past seven years.Albert also confirmed that Regis was well-acquainted with Estelle’s husband.With this assurance, Amora decided there was no need to hide her status as Regis’s wife from Estelle, especially now that they were business partners. Lying would only erode the trust they were building.Before revealing this, Amora had asked Regis for permission to tell Estelle about their re
"Wa-wait! I’ll talk!" Amora blurted out as Regis leaned closer, his lips just a whisper away. She quickly clamped her hand over her mouth, blocking him before he could take advantage of her silence.Regis halted, his lips curving into a smirk. One thick eyebrow arched, silently urging her to speak.Amora hesitated but eventually lowered her hand. Her eyes glared sharply at him, her lips pursed in frustration over how powerless she felt against him.She then recounted her day, including her meeting with Estelle Mauverick. However, she intentionally omitted the part about being mocked and bullied by Chelsea Harrison and Gloria Barclay.Amora refused to be seen as someone who only complained. Moreover, she didn’t want Regis to dirty his hands when dealing with those two women.“So, you’re thinking about starting a business?” Regis murmured, clearly surprised at the collaboration Estelle Mauverick had proposed to his wife.Amora nodded. “I just can’t sit around doing nothing and living of
“I'm sorry. My phone died completely and I really didn't know that my message wasn't delivered.”Regis expressed his regret to Amora. He then recounted everything that had happened to him throughout the day, including his dramatic entrance into the Jefferson residence.Amora lifted her face and looked at Regis in shock when he told her about his actions in capturing the perpetrators of the Jefferson family members.“You …. you’re not hurt, right? Are you okay?”Without waiting for an answer, Amora anxiously began inspecting Regis. She lifted his arms and turned him around to ensure he hadn’t sustained any significant injuries.Suddenly, Regis pulled off his plain T-shirt, revealing his broad chest, and tossed it carelessly onto the floor. “Want to check this part too?” he teased.Seeing the finely chiseled muscles of Regis’s body, Amora’s face flushed instantly. “Wh-why are you taking your shirt off?” she protested, flustered.“I’m just trying to make it easier for you,” Regis replied
"Speak," Amora replied indifferently.Her nonchalant attitude made Regis boil with frustration. He didn’t speak immediately, observing how Amora deliberately ignored him by staying glued to her phone, as if disregarding his presence entirely.Finally, Regis snatched the phone from her hands.“Regis, give me back my phone!” Amora snapped.But Regis held the phone behind his back. “It’s late, Amora. Who could possibly be bothering you at this hour?” he questioned.Before Amora could respond, Regis checked her phone himself. The screen merely displayed a game she’d been playing.“No one’s contacting me, are they? Satisfied now?” Amora said lazily, brushing off his accusation.Amora knew she shouldn’t act so childish but couldn’t help herself. It reminded her of her son earlier that afternoon, who had thrown a similar tantrum.“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to accuse you,” Regis said, returning her phone. “I thought you were still mad at me and ignoring me on purpose.”“You must still be drunk