"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
“Ugh!” Regis winced as Amora’s fingers brushed against his wound.“S-sorry,” Amora squeaked, quickly pulling her hand away from his face.Regis shook his head slightly. “It’s okay,” he murmured, taking his wife’s cold hands and pressing a gentle kiss to them.“I missed you, my love.”Regis’ confession sent Amora’s heart racing. A soft blush crept onto her cheeks.“I missed you too,” Amora whispered, lowering her gaze. But then, she quickly remembered this wasn’t the time for a heartfelt reunion.“Regis, don’t try to change the subject,” she grumbled, narrowing her eyes at him.Regis let out a small chuckle before replying, “There’s nothing to worry about. It’s just a small wound.”Amora’s eyes narrowed further. “How long do you plan on hiding things from me? I heard you were held captive. How could your father be so cruel?” she pressed.Regis frowned. “How did you find out?”“Xavier told me last night. Thank goodness he managed to get you out of there,” Amora sighed in relief, assumin
Noel wasn’t the least bit intimidated by Regis’ glare. James Ritter’s son simply let out a long sigh. “Looks like you’re jealous,” he teased.Regis’ jaw tightened. He had to admit he was feeling jealous, but there was no way he’d let Noel know that. His pride was too high to acknowledge Noel’s taunt.But Noel immediately smirked. “I guess I was right.”He was intentionally provoking Regis. But Regis didn’t react right away. Instead, he slowly stepped forward, stopping right in front of Noel.“I’m warning you. Stay away from Amora.” Regis’ voice was cold. His sharp gaze locked onto Noel’s eyes, which met his with equal intensity.Regis’ eyes flickered briefly. He patted Noel’s shoulder several times—the same shoulder Amora had leaned on earlier.“Aren’t you being a little too possessive, Regis? Don’t you trust Amora?” Noel mocked. His hand shot up, gripping Regis’ wrist to stop him from patting his shoulder again.Regis sneered. He yanked his hand away from Noel’s grasp and shot back,
The sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the quiet hospital corridor. Most of the hospital's occupants had already fallen asleep. Only a few dim lights illuminated certain hallways, and a handful of staff remained awake for their night shifts.The footsteps stopped abruptly as their owner—Regis Lorenzo—halted in front of the children's ward. He scanned his surroundings and spotted a security guard struggling to stay awake during his shift."Excuse me, Sir."A sudden voice from behind made Regis turn around. A nurse stood there, looking at him with evident confusion. She had just finished her routine checks in one of the patient rooms under her care."Can I help you with something?" She asked, still eyeing him with curiosity. Regis’ appearance was a mess, with fresh wounds on his face that had yet to heal.Regis had just arrived after landing on the hospital's rooftop helipad.Assuming he had entered the wrong area, the nurse said, "Sir, if you're looking for the emergency room, thi
“Fire! Fire!”The panicked screams of passengers only added to the chaos on the cruise ship. Yet, none of them had actually seen the source of the fire.Diego and Liliana pushed through the crowd, trying to reach the designated evacuation point. Their subordinates worked to clear a path for them.Diego’s sharp eyes scanned the area, his heart growing heavier as he failed to spot any of his family members among the nearby passengers—except for his wife.“Has anyone evacuated the Old Madam and Alicia?” Diego asked one of his men.“Young Master Hernandez already took them to the assembly point,” the subordinate reported.A sigh of relief escaped Diego’s lips. However, one concern still gnawed at him—Regis. He had earlier instructed one of his subordinates to inform his assistant, Pablo Varon, to release Regis as per the Old Madam Lorenzo’s request.‘Pablo must have taken him out,’ Diego thought. But he hadn’t seen his assistant anywhere. By now, Pablo should have already made it out.“Ha
Two young men, Mark and Xavier, stepped out of the bathroom inside Madam Lorenzo's cabin. They exhaled simultaneously, relieved as they finally breathed in the fresh air outside the cramped space."Has the big boss left?" Mark asked as he scanned the surroundings."Relax, it's clear now," Alicia replied, patting her brother's assistant on the shoulder."Thank goodness. I thought I’d have to spend the night in there," Xavier joked, making Alicia giggle.Just minutes earlier, Mark and Xavier had visited Winny Silverlake. They had explained in detail how Diego had locked up Regis and asked the old woman for help in getting him out.Right as they finished their discussion, Diego and his wife happened to pass by Madam Lorenzo's cabin, prompting the elderly woman to call her son and daughter-in-law in for a talk.Mark and Xavier had no choice but to hide in the bathroom, fearing that Diego would find out they had tattled to Madam Lorenzo."Did the Master agree to listen, Miss?" Mark asked f
Madam Lorenzo’s chest rose and fell rapidly. Her clenched fist tightened around the armrest of the sofa. She never expected her son to be so brazen, openly defying her opinion.Seeing her mother-in-law’s dazed expression, Liliana, who had been sitting beside her, quickly grabbed a glass of water and handed it to the older woman. Madam Lorenzo took slow sips, trying to suppress the storm of anger raging inside her.“Mother, please don’t let this get to you. You need to think about your health too,” Liliana urged, speaking for the first time since the confrontation began.Liliana looked genuinely concerned about the elderly woman’s condition. Though she didn’t fully understand why her husband was opposing his mother, she still tried to ease the tension.“Maybe Diego is just worried that Miss Lysander’s kindness might be taken advantage of, Mother. Our family is constantly in the public eye, and there are plenty of people who would love to exploit that,” Liliana said, unintentionally sou
"A woman like that?"Madam Lorenzo's eyes narrowed sharply. She clearly didn't like the cynical tone in her son's voice."And what kind of woman do you want for this family, Diego? Regis wants to get married and has found someone who suits him—isn't that something to be grateful for? You and Liliana have been searching for a woman for him all this time, but what have you accomplished?" Madam Lorenzo snapped, throwing a sharp glance at her daughter-in-law.Liliana Ritter could only purse her lips slightly, unable to refute her mother-in-law's words.However, Diego wasn’t about to back down so easily. "Mother, I know you want Regis to settle down. But we can’t just let him marry any woman."Madam Lorenzo scoffed. "Are you saying I don’t know how to choose properly?"Alicia held back a smile. She could see how powerless her father was every time he argued with her grandmother."That’s not what I meant, Mother. But we need to find a woman with a clear background. Did you know that she was
"Damn it! How long does he plan to keep me locked up in here?"A low growl, followed by a sharp wince, slipped from Regis' lips. He was still trapped inside the executive cabin, his current prison.Not a single drop of water had been given to him by his father’s men, leaving his throat painfully dry. His appearance was a mess from repeatedly trying to break down the door. Unfortunately, the door was sturdy, and all he had managed to do was injure himself in the process.The room had a balcony overlooking the open river. Regis could jump from there, but the risk was too high—especially with the strong currents rushing below on this late night.As much as he wanted to escape, he wasn’t about to throw his life away. He needed another plan."Young Master, I'm sorry. We should've been more careful earlier," Albert muttered from across the room.A while ago, Albert and Pedro, along with several others, had attempted to fight off the guards stationed outside. But they had been utterly defeat
'No! I can't give up just like that. I can't make Regis worry. He must be fighting on his own right now. Ray needs me too. There's no time for me to keep feeling sorry for myself.'The light in Amora's eyes, which had dimmed, sparkled once more. She quickly wiped away her tears with the back of her hand and straightened her posture.Even though she had felt weak and helpless just moments ago, she reminded herself that she couldn't just sit there crying. At the very least, she had to find out what was happening with Regis.Worry was written all over Amora's face. She was sure Regis was in a powerless situation, especially since Diego had control over her husband's phone.Determined, Amora picked up her phone and searched for Albert’s contact. But he was unreachable.'Albert must be in trouble too,' she guessed.She then tried calling Estelle. She was certain her friend was still there and might be able to provide some information.It didn’t take long for Estelle to pick up. “Hello, Amor