"Do you have any idea who our important guest is tonight, Amora?!"Alvin Jones's angry shout echoed through the VIP room. Luckily, it was just him and Amora in there. Alvin had specifically asked her to come into the empty room to address her failure to provide satisfactory service to their VIP guest.He had already received a report from Hannah about what had happened. Instead of being satisfied, their VIP guest was frustrated and disappointed.Alvin couldn't believe Amora had made such a blunder. He had trusted her abilities after seeing her dedication and skill several times when she filled in as a substitute server. He never thought she would let him down. Now, Alvin regretted giving such an important task to someone who wasn't even a full-time employee!"I should never have given you this responsibility, Amora. It's my fault for overestimating your abilities," Alvin said, his voice filled with disappointment and regret.He felt he had made a mistake in trusting her. He should hav
"Sorry, I don't think we have anything to discuss, Young Master Lorenzo."Amora tried to resist the temptation of the offer from the stranger. She thought he was interested in her. It wasn’t that Amora was arrogant, but she had no interest in getting involved with a strange man who seemed very dangerous. Besides, she didn’t want to be seen as a woman who could be easily bought with money.The musky scent of the man made Amora frown. She felt she had smelled it before from someone in the past. But his voice interrupted her thoughts before she could dig deeper into her memories. "One hundred dollars for five minutes."Amora was stunned. That amount was a lot for her and could cover her overdue rent!'Damn! Should I swallow my pride? I guess talking won't hurt, right?' Amora's mind wavered.Slowly, her defenses crumbled under Regis’s offer. She thought if he just wanted to talk, there was no harm in it.With conflicting feelings, Amora reluctantly set her pride aside and slowly turned
"Now, what should I do about Biana? She’s going to be angry and disappointed when she finds out I lost this important job for her."Amora muttered softly, sadness evident on her face. She had just left Baymoon Restaurant through the back door, worried that Young Master Lorenzo would come looking for her.Amora didn’t want to see the man who had taken her virginity. Even though he was Rayden’s biological father, she had no intention of letting him know that their brief encounter seven years ago had resulted in a child.Amora also didn’t want Rayden to know that his father was a murderer!"No wonder he seemed familiar. He looks so much like Rayden," Amora thought as she tried to recall Regis Lorenzo’s face from earlier.Her son and that man had the same eyebrows, nose, and lips. Amora thought anyone would instantly see the resemblance if they saw the two together."Good thing he’s too dense to notice. Otherwise, Rayden could be in danger. I can't let them meet again," Amora sighed with
"Was it you who spiked my drink back then, Chelsea?" Amora began her interrogation.Chelsea didn’t answer, only giving a slight smirk.“I’ll take that as a yes,” Amora said, her disappointment growing as her suspicions were confirmed."And you also told Chris to pick me up at that hotel, didn’t you?" Amora continued.Amora pressed further this time without waiting for a response, "Why did you do it? What did I ever do to you to deserve this?"Chelsea gripped the steering wheel tightly, then turned to Amora with a mocking tone and said, "Why? Do you feel hurt? Betrayed?"Their eyes locked, filled with hatred."Did you do it for money?" Amora guessed.It was a cliché reason that made Amora feel Chelsea’s actions were unforgivable."You’re right. I did
“Is your head still hurting, Young Master?”Mark glanced at Regis Lorenzo's pale face through the rearview mirror of the car he was currently driving. It was nearing midnight, and Regis, his boss, showed no intention of returning to his penthouse just yet.For nearly thirty minutes, Mark had been driving aimlessly at Regis’s request, circling through the city streets to help clear his mind.Earlier, Mark had received a phone call from Regis, asking to be picked up from Baymoon Restaurant. Mark wasn't sure what had happened to his young master, who was supposed to be attending a matchmaking event arranged by the Lorenzo family's second lady."Stop the car, Mark," Regis commanded as they approached the Hudson River's edge.Ahead of them was a suspension bridge made of sturdy steel, adorned with various lights in beautiful colors and patterns that illuminated much of the southeast Manhattan s
"Forgive me, Bia! I didn’t know something like this would happen. I’m truly sorry.”Amora clasped her hands above her head, bowing deeply in front of her coworker, Biana Curtiz. They were in the storage room of WW Mart, taking a lunch break.Last night, Biana contacted her to inquire about what happened at work. She was very angry with Amora after learning about her dismissal.Even though Amora tried to explain at that time, Biana didn't give her a chance and abruptly ended the call.Amora knows she deserves Biana's resentment, but she needs to apologize and explain directly to her. After all, she was the one who caused Biana to lose one of her valuable jobs.Biana's stoic face stared directly at Amora, who still bowed in remorse. She let out a long sigh. Her eyes had been swollen since this morning.“Is what you said true?” Biana asked, wanting to confirm what she had j
The sun was already high above the Royal Dragon office building. Regis had just finished his meeting with a few of his trusted subordinates.Mark walked alongside him, busy reading Regis's next schedule on his tablet.“This afternoon, you have a meeting with some company executives at the Luxury Hotel. Regarding your accident-damaged car, it was brought to the parking lot of this building this morning. You can check it later.”Regis just nodded. He paused briefly when he reached his office. He remembered the instructions he had given Mark before attending the meeting earlier.With one hand in his pants pocket, Regis turned to Mark and asked, “Did you ask the Baymoon Restaurant to give tips to Miss Curtiz? Have they rehired her?”Mark nodded slightly.Following Regis's orders last night, Mark immediately looked into the woman named Bian
Regis clasped his hands together and looked at Mark with eager anticipation. His intention to get back to work was momentarily put on hold. His sharp eyes fixed on Mark."Go on, what brilliant idea do you have, Mark?" Regis commanded his assistant.Mark cleared his throat awkwardly and spoke cautiously, fearing his suggestion might backfire on him, "Well, you could find someone to pretend to be your partner, Sir. That way, your father might stop pushing you.""Pretend?"Regis was quite surprised by his assistant's suggestion. It was beyond his expectations. However, he thought there might be some truth to what Mark was saying.His father had always been worried about his marriage. Although many women tried to get close to Regis, he dismissed them all.Regis had never thought about a serious relationship leading to marriage. To him, it was better not to be tie
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