“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
“Look, the stain is getting bigger!”The schoolgirl snatched her shoe from Amora’s hand, her face twisted in anger. Amora knew the girl was just looking for a reason to cause trouble.Amora didn’t understand why the girl was targeting her, but she decided to handle the situation calmly. She didn’t want to get riled up by this arrogant teenager.Amora sighed deeply. She acknowledged that the stain on the girl’s shoe had spread because she had rubbed it earlier.“If you want compensation, I can’t afford it,” Amora admitted. She took the shoe back from the girl and continued, “But if you give me some time, I can clean it at home later.”The girl looked frustrated, but she couldn’t push Amora any further with all the other customers watching her.The whispers from the onlookers about her behavior started to make her uncomfortable. Amora was willing to take responsibility, an
"Sorry, I'm a bit late."Amora had just arrived at her son's school. She entered the teachers' lounge, where she saw Rayden's homeroom teacher sitting with a woman who looked elite from head to toe.Unlike Amora, who arrived looking disheveled from dust and sweat clinging to her body. However, she still smiled confidently."It's okay, ma'am. Please have a seat."Daisy Miller, Rayden Lysander's homeroom teacher, invited Amora to sit with her. She then explained the issue involving the two students to the two women sitting in front of her in the room."That's the story, Mrs. Lysander. I've heard that Rayden started the fight," Daisy said, having received this information from her students.She didn't know that all these lies were born from the pressure Benjamin exerted on his classmates every day. Of course, Daisy was also pressured by Benjamin's biological mother before Amora arrived in the room.After listening to the homeroom teacher
“Showing off?”Amora chuckled softly at Lisa's remark. Lisa was taken aback by Amora's response to her arrogance.Amora knew that since she was cast out by her grandfather, she was nobody and had no right to show off in front of Lisa Taylor. Her entire life changed once she was deemed a disgrace to the Lysander family name.Unfortunately, Lisa underestimated her.Amora Lysander was no longer the naive girl who cried over her fate. She had become a resilient woman, ready to face any storm head-on. She did it all for her precious child, whom she always protected.The stain and humiliation she endured seven years ago profoundly changed her life. Amora had fallen deeply into despair, once considering ending her life due to the shame and mockery from the Lysander family and her social circle.But that pain paled in comparison to watching the man she loved marry her cousin.Amora's calm eyes gradually sharpened, making Lisa's ar
Amora's eyes narrowed sharply. She couldn't believe Lisa would casually expose her disgrace like this. She knew that woman was deliberately attacking her weakness with harsh words, unfiltered from her thick lips.Amora wasn't surprised at all by Lisa's words. Given their family history, it wasn't shocking that Lisa knew her disgrace.Even though her grandfather had tried his best to cover it up, a disgrace is still a disgrace. It was always prime fodder for gossip like Lisa. Without investigating, Amora was sure someone within the Lysander family had spread her disgrace without her grandfather's knowledge.Lisa thought Amora would be provoked by her words, but Amora had no intention of denying it."Why? The cat has your tongue now, huh? You should be aware of your place, Amora. You're no longer the Lysander family's prized young lady. Giving birth to a bastard child isn't something to be proud of," Lisa continued with a mocking tone.Before Amora c
“Mom, is your face okay?”Amora paused as she was fastening her son’s helmet. She could see the worry in her son’s eyes.His little hand gently touched Amora’s reddened right cheek. Not wanting to worry him, Amora gave him a broad smile.“I am fine, Ray. It doesn’t hurt at all. It seems like you’re in more pain than me,” Amora said, cupping her son’s face in both hands.Her heart ached to see the bruises and scratches on her beloved son’s face. “How dare those kids hurt my handsome boy. I should have taught them a harder lesson,” she muttered.Amora inspected Rayden’s knees and arms, her chest tightening when she found a bruise on his elbow. "Does it hurt, Ray?" she asked anxiously.Rayden didn’t answer; his head hung low. He looked very remorseful for involving his mother and causing her to be slapped by Benjamin’s mother.“I’m sorry, Mo
“Does Dad not want Ray anymore? Is that why he hasn’t come back?”Rayden’s question caught Amora off guard. It had been a long time since Rayden last asked about his father’s whereabouts.In the past, Amora had concocted a story about Rayden’s father, claiming he was busy working in a distant country.She told this lie to give her son peace of mind. Amora planned to tell him the truth when Rayden grew older.But a lie is still a lie. Amora had to keep coming up with new excuses until Rayden eventually stopped asking about his father."Why... why would you suddenly think that?" Amora asked, panic creeping into her voice."If Dad really cared about me, shouldn't he still come to see me and Mom no matter how busy he is?" Rayden mumbled, his face downcast with sadness.“Ray—”“Ray knows Mom’s lying,” Rayden interrupted, catching Amora off guard, "Ray doesn't have a dad at all, right?"Amora’s eyes grew wide. She was complete
"You're getting bigger now, Ray. You can take care of your mom. I'm proud of you."Noel Ritter gave Rayden a gentle pat on the head. He praised Amora's son, who had just received medical treatment from him.A while ago, Noel had heard from Amora about Rayden's condition and the reason why Rayden resorted to physical violence and got hurt. As a doctor who had been taking care of Rayden since he was little, Noel thought that Rayden's actions were too reckless.The violence Rayden committed couldn't be justified because it didn't take his health into account. However, the reason behind the violence made Noel quite proud of him.Noel had seen Rayden's growth since he was in the womb and felt that his thoughts were more mature than the other kids his age. Even though Rayden was only six years old, he understood the importance of protecting his mother's reputation."But hitting someone isn't good, Ray. It doesn't just hurt others; it hurts you too," Noel
"I would never dare betray you, Young Master."Regis Lorenzo's face darkened as he listened to the young man kneeling before him. Despite the evidence, the young man refused to admit his wrongdoing.Regis possessed unquestionable evidence of this employee's embezzlement at his Royal Dragon subsidiary.A month ago, during a surprise inspection at one of his supermarkets, Regis noticed discrepancies in the sales reports handed to him.He immediately tasked his right-hand man, Mark Carter, to find someone to act as a spy in the investigation. They uncovered manipulated data, and the culprit was Dennis Baker, an employee who had worked with Regis for quite some time.“Is your salary as the head manager at the supermarket not enough to cover your living expenses?” Regis inquired coldly.Regis was furious. He kicked Dennis's face to the side with his sharp dress shoe, then threw the spy's report at Dennis.Regis couldn't forgive Dennis's misconduct. For the past five years, Dennis has met al
"Hey, Kid. We came here to celebrate your arrival. Could you at least appreciate me a little?" Gino quipped at Xavier, who was still engrossed in his laptop.The moment Gino called him "Kid," Xavier shot him a sharp glare. Even though he was much younger than the other two men, he refused to be underestimated. Not wanting to engage in an argument, Xavier simply ignored him.Gino let out a heavy sigh. Hearing about Xavier’s arrival from Regis yesterday, he’d been so excited. He caught the latest flight, even traveling from another continent, just to meet him. But now that he was here, he was being ignored."Why am I even friends with people like you two?" Gino grumbled, his face set in a look of exaggerated annoyance. Of course, he wasn’t serious. It was just his way of expressing frustration.Since the incident that had involved them in a case of theft and auction fraud, Gino had grown to admire both Regis and Xavier. When he found out Xavier was in London, he didn’t think twice about
Laughter echoed in the soundproof room, filling the space with an almost contagious energy. A man with ombre blue hair, reminiscent of ocean waves, held a wine glass in his hand as he strolled over to Regis.“If I hadn’t done that, I’m not sure I’d ever have the chance to meet someone as honorable as you, Your Highness,” he teased, a smirk playing on his lips.“Should I buy a lottery ticket today? I must be lucky if someone as busy as you managed to attend my invitation,” the man continued, slinging an arm around Regis’s shoulder as he guided him toward the plush seating area.Regis, however, brushed off the gesture and glared sharply at him. “I didn’t realize someone as carefree as you even existed. Maybe I should switch careers and become a gemstone tycoon instead of a mafia boss, Young Master Moonstone,” Regis shot back coldly.The stylish man from head to toe was none other than Gino Moonstone, heir to a renowned gemstone empire.One of the ten largest precious gemstone mines in t
Regis raked his hair in frustration. He quickly typed out a reply to his wife, his fingers moving fast across his phone screen.[Sorry, Amora. It’s not that I didn’t want to reply to your messages. The last one didn’t send. I’m doing fine now.]The message was sent in seconds, but waiting for her reply felt like an eternity. Growing impatient, Regis decided to call her.Unfortunately, Amora didn’t pick up.“Where could she be?” Regis muttered anxiously.He called again, and still no answer. Running out of options, Regis decided to call his son. Within moments, his son’s cheerful face popped up on the screen.“Hi, Dad!” Rayden waved with a big smile.Regis smiled back but skipped the pleasantries. “Ray, where’s your mom?”“Mom?” Rayden paused for a moment, his eyes darting around before he turned back to the camera.“I think she’s in the bedroom, Dad. Maybe she’s taking a shower,” Rayden said matter-of-factly.“Ah, I see.” Regis let out a relieved sigh. He’d thought she was mad at him
Mark was stunned. He shared the same thoughts as his boss, then said, “There’s information suggesting that Levent has recently been involved in human organ trafficking.”“Oh, really?” Regis raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.“Apparently, Altan Demir himself is handling the transactions, and because of this, he’s been clashing with Murat Demir. It seems Murat doesn’t approve of Altan engaging in such dealings,” Mark added.Regis smirked cynically. He found Murat Demir’s anger justified, as Altan was straying far from the vision and mission Levent had upheld under the Demir family.Levent had always focused on providing illegal services rather than dealing with tangible goods like Altan did now.Regis was certain that Murat disliked Altan’s actions because Murat had always chosen to work behind the scenes. He could only imagine Murat’s frustration upon discovering Altan’s endeavors.“Is the operation still ongoing?” Regis asked with keen interest.“It seems so, Sir. Our informants ha
Royal Dragon Office Building“This is the report just sent by Manager Sunny, Sir.”Monica Grant handed over a document she had just received from the finance division to Regis. The woman, dressed in a pink blazer and matching pencil skirt, stood in front of Regis Lorenzo's desk with a nervous expression.Her gaze lingered on Regis cautiously, worried about making a mistake, though her boss had said nothing for several minutes.“Just leave it,” Regis replied indifferently.Monica obeyed and placed the document on his desk. Her eyes darted to a neatly arranged lunch box that remained untouched.She had ordered the exact meal Regis requested earlier that afternoon, yet he hadn’t eaten any of it. Her thoughts were interrupted when Regis suddenly looked up.“What is it?” Regis probed.“N-no, Sir. I was just worried you haven’t eaten anything all day,” Monica stammered nervously.Regis’s sharp eyes narrowed. He glanced briefly at the meal and muttered, “I’m not in the mood.”“But you should
“You’re not even seven yet. I don’t want you carrying such heavy burdens on your little shoulders, sweetheart. I don’t want you to regret the time you’ve missed out on, Ray,” Amora said earnestly.“I know, Mom. I’m only doing this to fill my free time,” Rayden replied. “But, can I continue the programming class later tonight, Mom?” he asked, looking for reassurance.Earlier, he had to ask the instructor for a break, interrupting the lesson. Now, he hoped his mom would allow him to resume the session later.Amora considered refusing, but when she saw the eagerness shining in her son’s eyes, she relented. “Alright, but just for an hour, okay?” she said.A wide smile spread across Rayden’s face. He hugged his mom tightly and gave her a kiss on the cheek.“Thank you, Mom. You’re the best in the world!” he exclaimed joyfully.Amora chuckled softly, her face lighting up with her son’s happiness. Memories of the past suddenly came rushing back—when she first discovered she was pregnant.She
“What’s this, Ray?”Amora pointed at a series of sentences she couldn’t understand. To her, they looked like some sort of cryptic code.Rayden sighed long and took his tablet back from his mom’s hands. “It’s not a dangerous website, Mom. And those aren’t random weird texts. It’s called Python, Mom,” he explained.“P-Python? You mean … like the snake?” Amora asked, her surprise growing.Rayden chuckled, amused by her reaction.“No, Mom. It’s a programming language. I just signed up for a free online class yesterday to learn it,” Rayden said, pointing to the site name on the screen.His explanation left Amora stunned. She rubbed her temples, taking a moment to calm herself before turning back to her son.“Ray, do you even understand this stuff?” Amora asked, still trying to process her son’s genius.Rayden sighed again. “Mom, I’ll understand it with time and practice. Don’t you trust me?”“It’s not that, Ray,” Amora replied quickly. “I’m just confused. Why choose something this complica
"A-a heart attack?"Amora was utterly shocked by her son's words. "Are you sure you heard that ... that Ben's mom had a heart attack?" she asked, seeking confirmation.Rayden nodded and briefly recounted what he had overheard earlier.Amora was silent for a moment. She didn't know what to say because what happened to Lisa was completely beyond her prediction. She just wanted to teach Lisa a valuable lesson by making her feel as bad and suffer the loss as she had in the past.Amora wanted Lisa to feel a deterrent for insulting her repeatedly and being arrogant in front of her so she was forced to look for Lisa's weaknesses and finally reported the John Brown embezzlement case.She didn't expect Lisa to experience another unfortunate thing.A pang of guilt crossed Amora's heart, but recalling Lisa's past behavior, she thought perhaps this was divine justice for all her wrongdoings.“Maybe this is a reprimand for her bad behavior,” Amora murmured.Rayden nodded. "Yeah, maybe. Bad people
After lunch, Albert Parker drove Amora and Rayden back to their penthouse. He parked the car in the building's parking lot and quickly opened the car door for them.Albert also helped Amora carry the shopping bags. Earlier, they had stopped by a supermarket to pick up a few essentials she needed.He halted his steps when Amora said, “You can leave us here, Mr. Parker. We can go up by ourselves.”They were now standing in front of the elevator leading to the penthouse. However, Albert insisted on accompanying them into the elevator.“I need to ensure your safety until you’re inside the penthouse, Ma’am. This is a direct order from the young master. Please cooperate,” Albert explained, requesting her understanding of his duty.Reluctantly, Amora allowed him to accompany them. As promised, Albert only escorted them to the penthouse door and placed the shopping bags on the terrace.“Thank you for driving us, Mr. Parker,” Amora said as Albert prepared to leave.“Should you need anything, d