Larry looked blankly at the boy still smiling brightly in front of Regis.
"What is this boy's name?"
Larry asked his assistant, Eva Smith, about the boy who dared to call Regis "Uncle Iron Man." He was utterly shocked and embarrassed to have shown something so inappropriate to his distinguished guest.
"His name is Rayden Lysander, a first-grader," Eva whispered.
"Ahem! Rayden Lysander," Larry called to the boy.
Rayden's attention shifted from Regis to the middle-aged man. His eyes blinked in confusion.
"What did you just say? Haven't your parents taught you any manners on how to address others?" Larry asked, immediately judging the boy.
The smile on Rayden's face slowly faded. The light in his eyes dimmed. He didn't answer the question, fearing his response would spark more rumors around him.
Lisa's lips curled into a
Although he had been directly shouted at and expelled, Amora's son still raised his face and stared sharply at Benjamin's parents.The boy knew that everyone, especially Benjamin's mother, must be very happy to see him humiliated and kicked out in such a disgraceful manner."I will leave. I don't want a scholarship that judges someone based on one-sided statements like this!"Alicia's blue eyes widened. Reflexively, the girl stood up and gave a loud round of applause for Rayden's words.Alicia gave a double thumbs-up for the boy's defiant attitude. She liked Rayden's defiance against the adults who had cornered him.She deeply understood Rayden's position because she also disliked being treated badly and humiliated like this. In Alicia's observation, the school foundation's officials were overreacting.Alicia felt the officials had no right to give a public warning in front of everyone to a child who was still struggling to understand the good and bad of the situation.She thought the
"I think they're already doubting your choice, Brother."Alicia's sharp remark, deliberately stirring things up, drew Larry and Johannes's gazes to her. The two men felt very annoyed and angry, but they didn't dare to express it directly to the girl.Seeing their expressions, trying to hold back their anger, Alicia couldn't stop laughing. She thought they looked like funny clowns."Oh really?" Regis raised an eyebrow. He didn't show any expression.Even though Regis knew his sister was deliberately toying with the school foundation officials, he could use the situation to corner them further."No, Young Master Lorenzo. We would never doubt you," Johannes quickly denied.Lisa nudged her husband's arm. She looked upset because her husband had ruined her plan to humiliate Rayden. However, she couldn't say a word because Regis Lorenzo wasn't someone they could un
"I am very pleased with your incredible enthusiasm. I am sure the dreams you aspire to will come true," Regis said, ending his meeting with the students of Sunrise School.The students immediately applauded, showing their gratitude and appreciation for Regis's words.One by one, they shook Regis's hand after he handed out the certificates symbolizing the scholarships, and then they began to leave the room.Alicia also left. She felt she had seen enough of the interesting show. Mark had to follow her out, worried she might cause more trouble.Regis wanted to follow his sister out of the room, but Larry called out to him."Young Master Lorenzo, we haven't finished our discussion. Didn't you promise to talk about our cooperation after the scholarship ceremony?" Larry asked, reminding Regis.However, Regis gave a wry smile. He looked at Larry sharply and replied,
“I-I’m sorry. I was rude to call you that earlier,” Rayden murmured, looking down.“I know you must be angry because of me. I made you embarrassed in front of everyone,” Rayden continued.He had slipped up earlier. Since their first meeting, he never expected to meet the man who had become his ideal father figure.Because of his spontaneous action earlier, Benjamin’s mother considered him rude. Rayden did regret his behavior, although he was reluctant to admit it.Regis smiled, then gently patted the boy’s head and said, “Who said I was embarrassed? In what way did you see me angry, hm?”Rayden looked up anxiously and asked, “You’re really not mad, Uncle?”Regis’s smile deepened. “No. Why would I be angry? Is calling me that an insult?” he said, making Rayden admire him
“Of course, I wouldn’t mind!” Rayden exclaimed spontaneously. His face brightened immediately.However, a second later, his face turned gloomy again, remembering how angry his mother would be if she knew about his wish.Seeing Rayden’s quickly changing expression, Regis frowned.“What’s wrong? Did I … not meet your expectations?” Regis asked, confused. He had thought the boy would be thrilled by his offer.“It’s not that,” Rayden murmured, his face turning sad again.Regis hoped to win Rayden’s heart to smooth out his plans. Without Rayden knowing, Regis had specific intentions behind organizing the scholarship event in person.For the past few days, Regis had been thinking about meeting Amora. But before meeting her, he wanted to win her son’s heart.No one kn
“Of course, because I’m an incredible superhero! What woman could resist a man like me?”Regis smiled confidently, sounding a bit narcissistic. But he wasn’t exaggerating, as he did indeed possess qualities desired by many women.Unfortunately, Rayden wasn’t too sure his mother would be swayed by such things. Especially since she had told him clearly that she had no intention of marrying again. He laughed at Regis’s narcissistic attitude.“We’ll talk about it later if you really can persuade my mom,” Rayden replied.“Alright then… you’ll be on my side, right?” Regis confirmed.“As long as you don’t hurt or harm my mom, I’ll always be on your side,” Rayden replied with a bright smile.A smile also appeared on Regis’s lips. He clenched his right hand and
"Mrs. Lysander, what happened to you?"Rayden's homeroom teacher, Daisy Miller stared in shock at Amora's appearance as she passed her in the school corridor. Amora was almost entirely soaked.It was raining heavily outside. Daisy guessed that Amora had just braved the rain to get to the school."I got caught in the rain, Miss," Amora quickly replied.She looked around the corridor and didn't see anyone behind Daisy."Miss, where is my son?" Amora asked, confused. She thought Rayden was with the teacher.Daisy frowned. "Rayden hasn't gone home? I thought you picked him up after the scholarship ceremony."Amora realized that Daisy didn't know where Rayden was."I had some errands and got delayed. I ... I thought Ray would wait at school," Amora said, starting to panic."Mrs. Lysander, you didn't at
Rayden's eyes widened in shock. He didn't expect the bald man with a fierce look to throw him!In an instant, Rayden's body flew through the air. He tightly shut his eyes, expecting his body to smash into the ground in his backyard.But all his worries vanished when he landed in someone's arms, none other than Regis Lorenzo.Regis had caught him quickly before Rayden's body hit the rough, rocky ground. His strong arms held the small boy tightly. He didn't care that his expensive suit got dirty from rolling on the ground.His shoulder also struck a large rock, causing a slight tear. Regis grimaced briefly but ignored the pain because there was something more important than a minor bruise."Young Master!"Mark, who had shouted in panic, hurriedly approached Regis.Hearing Mark's shout, Alicia, who initially had no intention of getting out of the car, peeked from behind the car window. She was very shocked to see her brother crouched on the ground.Reflexively, she rushed over to Regis, w
“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