"What? Are you scared now?" Alicia teased.She smirked arrogantly as she saw Amora's shocked expression after realizing her identity. She lifted her chin slightly, asserting her status."I don’t think I have anything to be afraid of, Miss Lorenzo," Amora replied, quickly regaining her composure.Alicia clicked her tongue in annoyance. "You haven’t forgotten what you did to my shoes, have you? I haven’t settled the score with you yet!" she snapped.Alicia wasn't about to let go of the grudge she held against Amora. The incident still irritated her to this day.Amora exhaled slowly before responding, "Didn’t I clean them and return them? What more do you want from me?""Leaving them at a café counts as returning them? You said you wanted to apologize sincerely, but what? You're such a liar," Alicia scoffed, pursing her lips in disapproval.Amora had left the shoes at the café with a waiter because she couldn’t afford to wait any longer for Alicia. Thanks to that girl, she had been late
"Brother!"Alicia’s loud voice instantly made Regis look up from his phone. His eyes widened in surprise as he saw Alicia running toward him, only to throw her arms around his neck like a clingy little kid.Regis froze in shock, then quickly ended his phone call. He pushed Alicia’s forehead with his index finger, forcing her to let go."What are you doing here, Alicia?" Regis asked, his gaze sharp and suspicious.He was clearly confused. He had specifically asked his secretary to bring Amora, not Alicia."Huh! You’re not happy to see me?" Alicia pouted, annoyed.Regis didn’t answer. Instead, his attention shifted as he noticed Amora walking in behind Monica."Miss Grant, why did you let someone who has no business here just waltz in like that?" Regis snapped, instantly interrogating Monica.Alicia’s face darkened. She had expected her brother not to welcome her warmly, but she hadn’t thought he would go as far as embarrassing her in front of Amora.She had come here hoping he would ta
Amora glanced at Alicia briefly. She could see the worry in her husband's younger sister's eyes. The girl looked anxious about the question Regis had asked Amora. Secretly, Amora held back a smile."Just say it, Amora. No need to worry," Regis urged, still interrogating her. His instincts told him there was no way Alicia had done nothing to his wife.Based on what he knew about Alicia, she always caused some kind of trouble every day. Even though their father’s guards had been keeping a close eye on her lately, today she had finally been freed from her punishment. Regis was convinced that his sister had already done something to Amora."Did she say something rude to you?" Regis guessed, making Alicia even more anxious.Alicia thought she had already lost the battle. Her brother clearly wasn’t on her side. She could only curse him in her heart.She assumed Amora would complain to Regis about how she had accused her of being a thief or an intruder, along with all the mischief she had ca
Regis ordered his secretary to leave the room, then invited Amora to sit inside his office's lounge area.Seeing the delicious food and drinks set for their lunch today, Amora thought the man must have been looking forward to this meal. Unfortunately, Alicia’s unexpected arrival threw everything off."Wow, are you celebrating something, Big Bro?" Alicia blurted out, clearly surprised by the luxurious spread before her.Just as she was about to settle onto the couch across from Amora, her brother abruptly stopped her movement."Who gave you permission to sit?" Regis snapped."Brother .…"Alicia’s voice turned soft and whiny, her lips forming a small pout. However, her usual tricks had no effect on Regis. He remained expressionless, completely unfazed by her act.Alicia’s gaze flickered toward the tempting food, her stomach growling at the sight. She hadn’t been eating breakfast properly for the past few days—not because the family chef failed to prepare it, but because the atmosphere a
"Sit down." Amora's voice snapped Alicia out of her thoughts.Even though she was still reluctant to accept Amora as her sister-in-law, Alicia figured she might actually be useful to her."I want to hear your exciting story. It sounds interesting," Amora said, doubling Alicia's surprise.Alicia had expected Amora to enjoy seeing her get scolded by her brother, but strangely enough, it now felt like Amora was on her side.‘She’s such a weird woman!’ Alicia thought, unable to figure out her sister-in-law's way of thinking."I don't think you need to hear it, my dear wife. You’d probably be shocked if you knew what kind of chaos she caused at school today," Regis said with a smirk, his eyes briefly glancing at his sister."She must be here now to ask for my help cleaning up her mess," Regis added."I'm not," Alicia muttered with a pout."Yeah, sure," Regis scoffed, making Alicia's frown deepen.Amora looked back and forth between the siblings. She could tell Regis cared deeply for his si
"Does that mean he almost did something to you, Alicia?" Amora probed, making Alicia glance at her briefly before continuing her meal.'Damn it!' Alicia cursed inwardly.She had answered without thinking. She hadn’t realized she was being interrogated by Amora."So, did that bastard manage to lay a hand on you or not, Alicia?" Amora pressed again.Seeing the concern written all over Amora’s face, Alicia could tell that she wasn’t just pretending to be worried to get a reaction. Her sister-in-law seemed genuinely concerned.Just as Regis was about to say something, Amora reached out to stop him. She shot him a look, signaling for him to stay out of the conversation for now.Regis was already fuming at what he had heard. He couldn’t believe someone had dared to touch Alicia. As her older brother, there was no way he would stand by and let his sister suffer any kind of harassment.But even though he was furious, Regis let Amora take the lead. He wanted to see just how much his wife could
“You—you heard that just now, didn’t you, Regis? She called me ‘Sister-in-law,’ didn’t she?” Amora asked, still in disbelief over what she had just heard.Amora couldn’t deny that she had managed to get Alicia to acknowledge her presence.“Yes, I heard it. You’re amazing, Amora,” Regis praised her, gently patting the top of her head, and making her turn back to look at him.“I’m not that amazing, Regis. I just felt like she needed a little attention from the people around her,” Amora said, explaining her observation of Alicia.Regis paused. He admitted that his and his father’s constant busyness had made Alicia grow into a strong-willed and difficult-to-control young woman.“You’re right, Amora. That girl has been spoiled too much by me and everyone else. But I didn’t expect you to get her to acknowledge you and even open up like that,” Regis said, impressed.“Was it really that hard?” Amora chuckled lightly. She didn’t think she had done anything special.“Maybe only women can truly
“Come here, Amora. I just want to hold you for a moment,” Regis said with a pleading expression. “I need to recharge my energy by hugging you.”“You’re so spoiled,” Amora muttered, but she still gave in and let her husband wrap his arms around her.It never crossed her mind that Regis wanted more than just a simple embrace.“We still have a little time to finish what we started earlier, don’t we?” Regis whispered, making Amora freeze in place, her cheeks turning warm.Her mind flashed back to that moment in the walk-in closet earlier that morning—when Regis had stolen a deep, lingering kiss as she was getting dressed. It had left her breathless, almost making her lose control … until Rayden’s sudden call had interrupted them.“Regis, this is your office,” Amora reminded him, trying to keep her voice steady.“So what?” Regis replied, his tone playful. “Doesn’t that just make it more exciting? I’ve imagined us together in this room for a long time.”His bold confession sent heat rushing
“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
“Sir, are you sure you don’t want to rent it? If you’re not interested, I’ll pass it on to another potential tenant. Someone else is coming to view it this afternoon,” The agent said.Despite the agent’s subtle threat, Regis firmly declined. But before he could say more, Amora tugged on his arm and politely asked the agent if they could have a few minutes to talk in private.She pulled Regis aside to a quiet corner of the room and said, “Honey … I don’t think we’ll find another place like this for this kind of price, not with these specs. Don’t you want to at least think it over?”Regis paused, clearly seeing the look on Amora’s face—she didn’t want to lose this opportunity.They had to be careful with their spending right now. Offers like this didn’t come around often, and honestly, anyone would be tempted.But Regis had a gut feeling. Something about this just didn’t sit right. He suspected someone was pulling the strings behind the scenes, using the agent as a front.“But Amora … d
"Lysander Group Declares Bankruptcy! Charlie Lysander in Critical Condition!"That was the headline glaring back at Amora. Her face turned pale as shock washed over her.Oddly enough, she didn't feel even the slightest joy. She should've been happy to see the Lysander family suffer after they cast her aside seven years ago.But instead, seeing her grandfather lying helplessly in a hospital bed made her chest ache. She felt like he didn’t have much time left.Noticing Amora standing frozen with trembling hands, Regis immediately clasped her hands gently."What’s wrong, Sweetheart? What are you looking at?" Regis asked as he glanced at his wife's phone.Amora showed him the news article. "I had no idea the Lysander Group has been in financial trouble for a year now," she murmured after reading the details.Regis smirked slightly. He wasn't surprised in the least. "They had it coming, my love. Mario Lysander is a terrible businessman. He’s been running the company into the ground since h