“What the heck, guys? I-I wasn’t serious about getting married anytime soon. I was just joking. Don’t take it so seriously, okay?”Biana tried to lighten the mood ruined by Xavier's teasing while showing that she was unfazed by the banter from her colleagues. However, she hadn’t expected Xavier to reject the idea before she even got a chance to respond.Biana’s gaze landed on Mark, who was still laughing. She shot him a sharp glare.“And what are you laughing at, Mr. Carter? Have you forgotten you're single too? You should be more worried—you’re not getting any younger. Unlike me, who still has plenty of time to be picky,” Biana retorted, unintentionally taking a jab at Regis's assistant.Biana had tried hard not to lash out at Mark. She hadn't even expected him to be at the dinner tonight. If she'd known, she would have skipped it altogether.Biana couldn't forget how Mark left her stranded in the parking lot last night after they shared a ride.Despite giving him a lift to his desti
"Playing? This looks more like getting drunk?" Biana blurted, frowning at the small glasses lined up before her.Estelle wagged her finger. "Nope! This isn't about getting drunk. We're playing truth or dare.""Wait, where are you going? I haven't explained the rules yet," Estelle protested when Xavier stood up and walked away."I'm not playing. I'm going to check on Ray and Kimmy," Xavier said, waving as he walked off. Of course, he was just looking for an excuse to escape the game. He bolted before Estelle could stop him."Coward," Estelle muttered, pouting. She called out to Xavier, "Fine! But take care of the kids, okay?"Xavier gave her a thumbs-up as he walked away."I-I'll go too. I can help him watch the kids," Biana said, standing up.But Estelle grabbed her arm. "Oh no, Bia. You and Mark are the main characters of this game." A sly smile crept across Estelle's face.Amora sighed quietly, already guessing Estelle's true intentions—to dig up information about Biana's relationsh
“W-what do you choose, Amora? Truth or dare?” Estelle asked nervously as Amora kept staring daggers at her.“I choose ...,” Amora sighed long before continuing, “truth.”“So ... what's your answer?” Regis pressed eagerly, clearly impatient to hear his wife's response.Amora didn’t really want to answer. Giving an answer felt like admitting something she wasn’t ready to say out loud. But she knew she couldn’t dodge the question forever.“I ... I prefer your kisses,” Amora confessed, her voice barely a whisper.“Wow!”Estelle squealed and jumped up and down in excitement. In her enthusiasm, she accidentally strangled her husband, Gino, who flailed until she quickly let go.“Sorry, Honey! I just got carried away because I'm happy to hear that Amora has really moved on!” Estelle beamed at Gino, clearly thinking Amora was still hung up on Chris Walden.Amora’s face turned bright red like a ripe tomato. “B-but this doesn’t mean I’m giving you the answer you wanted back then, Regis.”Regis's
"Amora, you're drunk," Regis said, turning his face away from his wife.Regis was trying his best to control the wild storm raging inside him, but Amora only tightened her arms around his neck, pulling their bodies even closer.The bar stool Amora was sitting on was tall enough that her height now matched Regis, who was standing in front of her."Amora, you should go wash your face. I think you've had too much to drink," Regis suggested, hoping she wouldn't notice how hard his heart was pounding."I'm not drunk. Who said I was drunk? You're the one who's drunk," Amora muttered, slurring her words. She slapped his shoulder repeatedly, annoyed by his constant accusations.Tilting her head slightly, Amora cupped his face and added, "Why do you have two faces, Regis? Since when did you become two-faced, huh?"Regis sighed, exhausted. "That’s a sign you’re drunk, my love. Come on, let’s go to the room," he urged, trying to lead her away.But Amora shook her head vehemently. "No! I don’t wa
Amora's slender finger traced the curve of Regis' lips, once again igniting a burning desire within him."You can't wait to touch me, can you?" Amora teased with a mischievous smile, noticing Regis' nervous gaze.Before Regis could respond, Amora pressed her lips gently against his. Regis' eyes widened in shock, but soon they narrowed with a deep, intense gaze filled with untamed passion.Annoyed by his lack of response, Amora bit his lower lip, forcing him to open up for a wilder, more heated kiss.A sly smile tugged at the corner of Regis' lips. He couldn't help but feel elated that Amora was working hard to satisfy him—something he'd been yearning for.Still holding Amora like a baby koala clinging to him, Regis carried his wife toward their bedroom, which was about to become the stage for their passionate encounter.He let Amora devour his lips greedily and returned her kiss with equal intensity. Their exchange continued until Amora broke the kiss, breathlessly.Regis' chest heave
The sun shone brightly outside Regis’ residence, its light streaming through the bedroom where Amora lay, slowly rousing her from sleep.“It’s already morning,” Amora murmured, lifting her hand to block the blinding light hitting her eyes.“How did I end up in bed?” Amora muttered, wincing as a sharp pain throbbed in her head.Flashes of last night’s silly games with Estelle and the others darted through her mind. Regret instantly swept over her—she had drunk way too much, and now her body felt completely wrecked.“This is all Estelle’s fault,” she grumbled.Amora tried to sit up, but the pounding in her head forced her to stop.“What the hell happened?”Her eyes widened as she took in the state of her room: complete chaos. What shocked her even more was realizing she wasn’t wearing any clothes.“I-I … last night …?” Amora stammered, struggling to piece together the fragments of her hazy memory.Her gaze roamed around the bed and floor. She spotted Regis’ shirt crumpled nearby, its but
Amora gasped. Flashes of last night’s events—her reckless treatment of Regis—suddenly resurfaced in her mind.She bit her lower lip, shocked at her own audacity to press her finger against his temple."Is that why you're mad at me?" Amora asked anxiously, her eyes flickering to Regis’s lips, which were slightly swollen from her bite the previous night.Reaching out, she gently touched his lips. "I'm sorry. I didn’t mean to bite you. Does it still hurt?"Regis didn’t respond. He simply walked out of the walk-in closet as Amora reached for some ointment to treat his lips.After grabbing the ointment, Amora hurried after him. "Regis, you know I was drunk, right? Surely you’re not taking that seriously?"Still, Regis didn’t answer. He put on his suit and left the bedroom.Amora followed him outside, frowning as she noticed how quiet the penthouse was. Yet, all the mess they had made in the bar and kitchen last night had been cleaned up.She figured Regis had probably asked someone to tidy
“Order 210!”A café employee repeatedly called out an order number, but no one came to claim the coffee."Miss, isn't that your order?"The man standing next to Biana in line snapped her out of her daydream. She quickly glanced at the receipt in her hand, which matched the number being called."Oh, my gosh! Thank you, Sir," she said, blushing as she hurried to the counter, embarrassed by the sudden attention from the café patrons.Lost in thought, Biana hadn’t even heard her order being called."Sorry about that," she apologized to the café employee before quickly leaving the pickup line.Her face looked worn out that afternoon. She was still dealing with a hangover from last night’s drinking.In desperate need of coffee to restore her energy and clear her mind, she decided to visit the café. Even though it was a day off for most office workers, that luxury didn’t apply to Biana.There were no breaks for her. She still had to design promotional banners for Eternal Bliss, a task assign
"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