Seeing no response from Amora, Regis spoke again, "The offer I'm giving is for a contract relationship. You don't need to worry about the benefits because I'll make sure you won't lose a penny."
Amora rolled her eyes lazily and looked sharply at Regis.
"Love and marriage are not things that can be bought or exchanged for money, Young Master Lorenzo. It seems you need to learn more," she said firmly.
Instead of being angry at Amora's sharp words, Regis's smile widened, and his interest in the woman grew.
"You're right. I do need to learn more, and I think I need a teacher. Would you teach me, Amora Lysander?"
Amora's hazel eyes widened. She exhaled repeatedly in frustration because Regis didn't care about the core of their conversation and kept changing the topic.
"It seems like I'll go crazy if I keep talking to you," Amora grumbled as she packed a few clothe
"Mrs. Lysander, where have you been? I've been trying to reach you repeatedly, but you didn't answer my calls. Are you still using that old phone?" said Jordan Franklin, who understood Amora's situation.The middle-aged man often had trouble reaching Amora because of her phone's condition.Amora reached into her bag and found that her cell phone was dead. The device often shuts down suddenly due to its age.It was time for Amora to replace her phone. However, her money was very limited. Amora prioritized Rayden's needs, their home, and daily expenses, so she thought of keeping her phone until it couldn't be used anymore."Sorry, Mr. Franklin, my phone died again," said Amora, showing him the screen, which was completely dead.Regis, who was nearby, glanced at Amora's phone. In his view, the phone was indeed unusable, but he said nothing out of respect for her.From t
"I just took Mrs. Adams to the hospital. She had a heart attack," Jordan said with a sad expression.Unbeknownst to Amora, Jordan felt quite guilty about this. They had a heated argument about the house sale, and Emma suddenly had a heart attack, prompting Jordan to rush her to the nearest hospital."What?"Amora's eyes widened. She had already been feeling strange about not seeing Emma amid the commotion.Usually, Emma would always be there by her side to face problems together. Now, Amora had an answer to her confusion, and it was completely unexpected!"Who is Mrs. Adams?" Regis asked Mark, who was now standing beside him.Seeing the worry on Amora's face, Regis thought the name mentioned was important to her."She's Miss Lysander's neighbor and also her son's caretaker," Mark replied.Regis paused for a moment, th
Amora headed to the parking lot with Rayden. She put a helmet on his head. Just as she was about to start her motorcycle, Amora realized that the key wasn't in the ignition.She remembered that she had jumped off the bike in her panic over Rayden without taking out the key. Amora searched her pockets and bag but couldn't find it. "Damn it, why did it have to go missing now?" she muttered in frustration."What's wrong, Mom?" Rayden asked, seeing his mother bending down and looking under the motorcycle."The motorcycle key is missing, Ray," Amora replied.Rayden sighed softly. He took off his helmet and started helping his mom search.Suddenly, Mark approached them."Miss Lysander, are you heading to the hospital?" Regis’s assistant asked.Amora glanced at him and nodded before continuing her search."How about yo
Amora had just arrived at the hospital. She immediately headed to the emergency room with Rayden to check on Emma. They searched each cubicle for the older woman but couldn’t find her.Amora then asked a nurse in the emergency room and found out that Emma had already been treated and moved to a private room.With this information, Amora quickly made her way to the room the nurse had indicated, with Rayden by her side.Meanwhile, Regis was still outside the hospital lobby, finishing an important phone call with his father.After ending the call, Regis told Mark, who was waiting by the car, "Mark, take Alicia home now.""Aren’t you coming?" Alicia asked, frowning from inside the car. She had taken off her hat and sunglasses since Amora had gotten out of the car."No. You should go home. It's too late for you to be out," Regis replied.
Mark smiled, then turned his face back to the front. “Sorry, it was an accident. I was just surprised by what you said.”“Surprised about what? You should listen to me before jumping to conclusions,” Alicia pouted.“So ... how many people have seen your post, Miss?” Mark asked worriedly. He started thinking quickly about how to fix the situation.“Do you think I'm that dumb, Mr. Carter? I only sent the video to Aunt Liliana. I bet she won't have to look for another woman for my brother now,” Alicia said proudly.Alicia had a better relationship with her stepmother than Regis did. Liliana Ritter had been her foster mother since she was born.Liliana had a good relationship with their biological mother, so after Viviane Rosendale died giving birth to Alicia, Diego Lorenzo trusted Liliana to take care of his children.
"Yes, you're right. It's none of my business. But, I didn't expect you to end up like this. Turns out the wheel has brought you to this point and stopped."Amora's jaw tightened at Hilde's jab, but she tried to ignore it.On the other hand, Rayden noticed his mother's clenched fist. He guessed she was trying to hold back her anger. Reflexively, Rayden shot a sharp glance at the woman who had angered his mother.Amora forced a smile. "It's not over yet, Hilde. Don't rush to die," she replied, making Hilde's face darken.Amora didn't know where Hilde had heard about her problems. Although curious, she didn't want to prolong the issue in front of Rayden.Her son was listening to their conversation with a curious look on his face. Her past was part of her life. She didn't want her son's pure life to be implicated in it. Besides, it wasn't the right time for Rayden to know.The corner of Hilde's lips lifted slightly. She glanced at the boy who stayed close to Amora and seemed to hate her.
"The doctor said... for now, Mom needs plenty of rest. This week, he will examine her heart condition in more detail. Fortunately, Mr. Franklin brought her to the hospital quickly, so they could take immediate action."Henry explained his mother's condition to Amora.Emma Adams was conscious, but she couldn't talk much. Her face still looked very pale. She was still under the care of nurses and doctors.Amora's eyes gazed at Emma's weary face lying on the stretcher. Her heart ached to see the elderly woman with an oxygen mask to aid her breathing.Several tubes were attached to Emma's chest, connected to medical devices Amora didn't understand.Rayden approached Emma. He carefully held the elderly woman's fingers. His small eyes looked at Emma sorrowfully."Grandma, get well soon. Ray promises not to be naughty and make you upset. You can watch your favorite
Amora's eyes widened. She looked at Hilde with confusion."What do you mean, Hilde? Don't talk nonsense! When did I ever do that?" Amora retorted, equally fiercely.She was starting to get angry, thinking Hilde was making up statements to tarnish her reputation.Hilde's lips curled into a sneer. "Why? Do you forget falling down the stairs and I was accused of being the perpetrator?"Amora gasped. She recalled the incident that happened many years ago.Amora had indeed fallen down the school stairs, resulting in a broken ankle and needing hospital treatment.For almost a week, Amora didn't attend school, and when she returned, she only heard that Hilde had transferred to another school. However, she never suspected that the reason Hilde transferred was related to her small accident!"Why would you say that? What's the connection between my
“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