جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 620

"I'm okay, Rafael."However, no matter how hard she tried to steady her thoughts and her heart, to pretend everything was normal, the tears would not obey. They just kept coming.Rafael stood by, feeling utterly powerless. She would not reveal the reason to herself, much less accept any comfort from him. All he could do was gently pat her shoulder and hand her tissues, one after another."You have to stay positive. Life's still full of beautiful things. You have to keep looking ahead."Zyra forced a smile, her voice laced with sorrow. "Beautiful? Why doesn't it feel that way to me?"Two relationships, both had crumbled to dust. She felt like she was cursed when it came to love, as if she had a deep grudge against it. She had not done anything wrong nor had she committed any terrible acts. Why, then, did these things keep happening to her? The more she thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt.Rafael was not clueless. Hearing her words and knowing her usual demeanor, he could

Yaslyn decided to join Xoan in seeking out the little boy named Caleb.After their conversation with Youri, Yaslyn was more convinced than ever that they needed to track down that little boy swiftly. He might just have the answers they were looking for.Their place was not too far from the Warrens', but getting there was like navigating a maze. They drove in circles for over an hour before finally arriving.As they stepped out of the car, they both scrunched their noses at the sight of the run-down neighborhood. It did not add up. Jimera did not strike them as someone strapped for cash, so why was she holed up in this shabby, out-of-the-way spot?"Maybe...she's not here because she's broke but because it's off the beaten path and safer," he guessed. Yaslyn figured he was probably right. The way they kept dodging looks meant they had to be scared. Scared of being found, most likely.What was Jimera so afraid of? The whole thing was a puzzle Yaslyn was itching to solve.They trudge

"First, I need to apologize to Xoan. I'm sorry," Jimera said, her voice quivering, betraying her lack of readiness to face the situation."Five years ago, I got this crazy idea in my head," she confessed."I did what I had to do to get pregnant with Caleb. At first, I was over the moon—I figured if I couldn't have you, I'd have at least a piece of you. However, as time slipped by, the craziness of it all started to sink in."By then, it was too late to turn back, and the baby was too far along. I had no choice but to go through with the pregnancy."Being a single mom was tough as nails. I'd cut ties with my family, too ashamed to let them know what I'd done."As Caleb got older, he started to look more like you. It was both a joy and a constant worry."He'd ask about his dad, and I'd dodge the question every time. I couldn't tell him the truth—I was scared it would mess up your life. The last thing I wanted was to cause you trouble or have you take him away from me."Jimera's vo

Sheldon figured that Jimera had already passed away. He spoke without much thought, making things up as he went along. Caleb, however, was so naive that he would not recognize a lie even if it were blatantly obvious in broad daylight.Caleb doubtfully asked, "Got any other proof?"Jimera's life had been a masterclass in caution, a lesson Caleb had learned all too well."Take a good look at us. Don't you see the family resemblance?" Sheldon replied.His question was not a shot in the dark. Sheldon had once blended seamlessly into the Warren clan, thanks to his uncanny likeness to Xoan. It was a curious twist of fate that two unrelated souls could closely mirror each other.It became the perfect card for Sheldon to play.Caleb eyed him, the resemblance uncanny indeed."That guy over there… He looks like me too. Why isn't he my dad?"Sheldon quickly responded, "That's because he's my brother. If he's my spitting image, he's bound to look like you too. Plus, he's married. How could

'Remember when I was practically a goner overseas, stuck in that coma? I was on death's doorstep, but I bounced back to life out of nowhere. Makes you wonder, doesn't it? Maybe Buddha's got a plan for me. He wants me around to wash away all that bitterness in my soul.''And to make the ones who hurt me pay their dues, right?'Three days had passed. Youri's words were still looping in Yaslyn's head.Their last chat had ended on bad terms, and Yaslyn knew she could not touch her momentarily. She had to walk away from the Linton Group, at least for a while.However, that sentence haunted Yaslyn, the nagging thought that Youri was up to something even more despicable.That afternoon, her phone buzzed in the middle of a meeting. It was Zyra calling, and Yaslyn could not ignore it. She muttered an apology and stepped out of the conference room.Zyra would not disrupt her without good reason. Something was up.As soon as Yaslyn picked up, Zyra's sobs filled her ear. "Yaslyn, life just