Kai's resolve melted as he looked into Lana's eyes, glistening with the trails of recent tears."Madelyn's sick," Kai said with a soft voice. "She's fresh out of surgery and still not out of the woods. I need to go see how she's doing."Lana moved closer and wrapped her arms around him, "Can I tag along this time? I won't make any fuss, I swear. I just want to stick by you. We need you around more, for me and the baby, deal?"Down in the underground parking lot of their apartment, Kai made sure Lana's seat belt was secure, "Stick with me when we get there, okay? And don't worry about the folks there; they're harmless.""Got it. I'll stay put, no worries," Lana said, her voice laced with excitement at the prospect of accompanying him.The previous night's snowstorm had left a chill in the air, prompting Kai to crank up the car's heat before he gently straightened her scarf, "If anything feels off, you tell me, alright?""Alright," she answered.Kai got lost in Lana's smile for a
Lana took a sip and said, "This is actually quite good. I'll ask the maid later how it's made so we could try it at home."Kai agreed, "Sure."Half an hour later, Madelyn woke up in a foul mood, not feeling her best. While arguing with Zach, she got so annoyed that she ended up throwing a pillow at him, which hit his face. This happened just as Kai and Lana came out from Zach's study and entered Madelyn's room.Kai said, "Seems like Madelyn's feeling better now."Madelyn's relationship with Kai was cold; she maintained her usual distance from him. Seeing an unfamiliar pregnant woman at Kai's side, Madelyn offered him a nod of acknowledgment. Zach spent the day picking up pillows, a task that had become routine whenever Madelyn lost her temper. Kai and Lana, acknowledging the situation but choosing not to engage, intertwined their hands and left the room together.Zach handed Madelyn a cup of water and said, "Take your medicine before leaving the bed; you're ill. If you're worried
Stolen feelings never last long. Kai had understood this for a long time. He quietly thought to himself, 'I'm not the hero in Lana's story; Andrew is always the one she cherishes.'Lana was really hurt when Andrew passed away. The hypnosis helped her forget for a little while, but it was not a fix that would last forever. If she tried hard to peel away the false memories and look for anything about Andrew, her memories would come back to her. For now, she remembered things in bits and pieces. Sometimes, she had brief moments when things made sense, yet she could not recall Andrew's name.During that time, Lana did not call out 'Andrew' when she woke up. Kai, grappling with his thoughts, admitted to himself he was self-centered and flawed. He longed to have her close but feared the intimacy; his turmoil left him unsure of his next move.Kai said in a soothing tone, "You seem worried about starting a family. Let's not let it trouble us too much. I'll make more time for us to be togeth
"Thanks a lot. I'm happy to visit today," Lana said with a smile.Madelyn stood at the third-floor window and saw Kai's car pull away. She squinted at the pregnant lady beside him, trying to remember where she had seen her before. 'Wow, Kai's been really secretive. He got married and is having a baby,' Madelyn thought. 'He looked like he genuinely cared for her at dinner. It's unbelievable. Kai and Zach made sure I'd never become a mom. And now, Kai thinks a simple "sorry" makes everything okay? No way. Guys like him deserve to be alone, just like Zach probably will be.'Zach crept up from behind and wrapped his arms around her. "You seem better. Maybe it's time to pay back what's due?" he murmured."Do I owe you something? You've got it all wrong, Zach. I'm not the one in debt here," she snapped back.Zach pondered her sudden anger. He had not made out with her in ages. 'If this keeps up, I might as well take a vow of celibacy,' he mused.As she left the bedroom, Zach was about t
As soon as Zach arrived, all the cameras pointed at him. He looked straight ahead and took the most important seat. Cecilia, serving as the Deputy CEO of Jardin Corporation, sat right next to him.The room buzzed when Zach came in. Every reporter held up the day's newspaper, ready for the scoop. Right when Zach sat down, a reporter asked the first question."Mr. Jardin, is what is reported in today's paper correct? Have you really called off your engagement with Yvonne Young? And if so, was the decision based on the belief that there's no longer any value in the alliance with her family's company, YTCorp?"Zach answered, "Calling off my engagement with her doesn't change our relationship with YTCorp. We work in different areas, and their agreement with Jardin Corporation is meant to last."Before Zach could continue, another journalist jumped in with a new question, "So, are the rumors of you and Yvonne Young having troubles true?"Kevin firmly answered, "Please, we're not here to
Zach looked at the reporter's badge and saw the big letters that spelled 'Intern.' "Why is the entertainment news outlet sending interns to Jardin Corporation's press events?" he asked.The reporter did not look scared of Zach one bit. She said, "Mr. Jardin, don't interns have the same right to be here? Or are you just mad about my question and trying to scare me in front of everyone?"The PR manager of Jardin Corporation got up fast, "So sorry, Mr. Jardin. She's probably a new intern and doesn't get the rules yet. I'll take her out right now."The bodyguard was ready to move, but Zach stopped him with a hand, "I'm sure that all the top executives at Jardin Corporation do their jobs right." He then turned to face the reporter who was taking on the company by herself. "Would you have the courage to publish it if I tell you?"The reporter stood tall and said with sureness, "Of course I will. Reporters are supposed to write the truth, to share what they've found so everyone can know t
"Who do you think you are to interfere with my business?" Zach said without holding back at all.The veins on Cecilia's forehead popped. She looked extremely ferocious with the makeup on her face and her bright red lipstick. She stared intensely at Zach with eyes filled with jealousy."Mr. Jardin, she's here," Kevin came over and spoke.Zach shifted his gaze and took another look at the time. 'I should be able to have dinner with her.' He thought to himself.Then, he put his hand into his pocket, saying, "The President of YTCorp will take over and conclude this press conference personally."One of the male reporters asked, "Mr. Jardin, are you not going to attend the coming meeting?"Zach smirked, "My future wife is sick, and I've got to go back and take care of her." Then, he left the conference venue without waiting for other reporters to ask any other questions.Zach had only appeared in the venue for a little over ten minutes, and all the time for questions was wasted on the
Cecilia wiped away the tears from the corner of her eyes nonchalantly. Her eyeliner had smudged, making her makeup look horrible, "I'll wire you the money in an hour.""Thank you, Ms. Samford."After she took the flash drive from that person's hand, she left the company, too.Downstairs, Blake smiled and bent over as she looked at Zach's car leave, "Mr. Jardin, drive slowly and have a safe journey ahead.""Good job!" Kevin said.Blake grinned, "Mr. Harrison, isn't this what you told me? You told me connections are worth more than anything in the workplace."I was just trying to get Mr. Jardin's attention. Who knows if he'll give me a promotion and a raise someday, right? I can use the money to get myself some young boyfriends. Hehe..."However, what Kevin said next completely killed her mood."Are you trying to take my position?""Mr. Harrison, that's not what I meant at all."Kevin scoffed, "I'm going to deduct your salary for discussing non-work-related matters during worki