Chapter: Chapter 62Suzan’s POVSarah walked into the kitchen a moment later, having changed into a comfortable sweater, smelling faintly of her favorite lavender lotion. "Do you need a hand with anything, Suzan?""Nope, almost everything is ready to serve."She looked over at Edward, surprised. "Look who's finally awake.""Regrettably," Edward smirked.Sarah chuckled. "You look much better.""I feel better." She glanced at the spread on the counter. "Did you really cook all of this yourself, Suzan?"I raised an eyebrow at her. "Did you doubt me?""Maybe just a little bit," she teased with a smile.I handed her a stack of ceramic plates. "Fine. Put yourself to work and set the dining table.""Gladly."As Sarah began setting the table, Edward casually reached over and pinched a piece of roasted vegetable straight off the baking sheet."Edward!" I caught him red-handed.He froze mid-chew, looking utterly innocent. "What?""Are you seriously eating the food before we even sit down?""No."I pointed at the e
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-09-20
Chapter: Chapter 61Suzan’s POVBy the time Emerald was cleared for discharge, the hospital had begun to settle into its quiet evening rhythm. The corridors grew still, the chaotic rush of the afternoon fading into the muted hum of monitors and the muffled, rhythmic footsteps of nurses moving between rooms.I stood near the doorway while Sarah gathered the last of Emerald’s things. My daughter was dressed in her cozy sweater and little denim pants, her soft curls slightly tousled after a long day in the hospital bed. She looked exhausted, but a bright, radiant smile lit up her face.Mostly because Draven was still there.He had stayed far longer than necessary, long enough for her to fall asleep with her tiny hand tightly curled around his finger.Now, as we prepared to leave, I watched him gently help her into her little jacket."You're missing something," he murmured softly.Emerald looked down at her chest. "What?"He reached out, his long fingers gently pulling the zipper all the way up to her chin.
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-09-19
Chapter: Chapter 60Suzan’s POVThe sound of the heavy door opening filled the space.Sarah was standing beside me. She had been quietly intervening all morning, making sure I didn't slip back into reading the viral comment sections online. As if I could simply look away.My daughter's face was plastered across the internet. A photograph taken right outside a hospital, without my permission, was being dissected by total strangers who knew nothing about her, her life, or her safety. Every time my phone buzzed against my palm, a cold knot tightened in my gut.For five long years, I had built a fortress around Emerald. I had protected her from invasive questions, from flashing cameras, and from a world that had no right to lay claim to her.Now, that carefully guarded sanctuary was crumbling. The secret I had held onto with every fiber of my being was slipping through my fingers, and a terrifying realization settled over me.Perhaps soon I would have to let go of the truth I have been holding on to.I tu
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-09-18
Chapter: Chapter 59Cassandra 's POV His eyes flicked briefly toward Suzan, gauging her reaction, before returning to mine. "All right."I turned and led the way out, pushing the heavy door open. Draven stepped out behind me, the door clicking firmly shut behind us, cutting off the hospital room.The moment we were alone in the quiet corridor, I let out a long, controlled breath. I had expected to feel victorious after asserting my place in front of Suzan. Instead, an eerie, lingering unease settled over me.Draven crossed his arms, staring down at me. "What is this about, Cassandra?"I turned to face him fully. For a fleeting second, the urge to confront him directly rushed through me. I wanted to scream at him about the viral photograph, about Emerald's undeniable resemblance, about my terrifying suspicion that the entire world was about to uncover a truth that would destroy me.But I checked myself. Not yet. Don't lose control.That was the wrong strategy. If I showed panic now, I would look guilty.
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-09-17
Chapter: Chapter 58Cassandra’s POVThe published photograph had been posted to create total chaos.It had. Just not the kind I expected.I sat in front of my laptop screen, staring fixedly as the comment feed rolled continuously beneath the side-by-side images of Emerald and Draven.At first, the play had unfolded precisely as designed. People were speculating, shareholders were questioning, and the media cycle had shifted away from the Sterling drug formulation controversy to feast on Draven’s personal affairs. It was supposed to be a brilliant, messy distraction.Then Becky called. And Lizzy phoned immediately after.Now, the little girl I had used as cheap leverage was morphing into the most dangerous threat to my entire existence."Cassy?" Becky’s voice broke through the hum of the apartment.I didn't answer. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the display.She stepped closer, tapping the screen. "Cassandra.""What?""Look at this one." She held her phone directly in front of my face.It was a fresh
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-09-16
Chapter: Chapter 57Draven’s POVI stared down at Edward’s phone screen, reading the cold black typography of the headline again.INVESTORS QUESTION WHETHER STERLING CEO HID A SECRET CHILD FROM SHAREHOLDERSIt was a calculated strike, engineered to provoke maximum disruption, shock, morbid curiosity, corporate panic, and widespread public intrigue.Whoever orchestrated this had picked their moment with razor-sharp precision.My gaze shifted from the glowing display to Emerald sleeping peacefully in the hospital bed, completely unaware that her face was currently exploding across the internet.My daughter.The words still echoed strangely in my mind, even though the paper folded inside my inner jacket pocket left no room for doubt.99.99% Probability of Paternity.I had known for hours. Yet watching total strangers dissect her face and question whether she belonged to me stirred a quiet, instinctive fury inside me.I wasn't angry that they were asking questions. I was enraged that someone had dared to ha
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-09-15
Chapter: Chapter 24Laurel’s POVBy two in the afternoon, the penthouse had been transformed into a temporary luxury showroom. Garment bags hung draped over the backs of dining chairs, the sofa, and the high bar stools. Italian leather heels lined the marble trim beneath the console table, designer handbags were arranged across the island, and velvet jewelry boxes sat stacked beside the crystal fruit bowl.I turned slowly toward Amanda. "Did you rob a department store?""I curated," she replied, not looking the least bit apologetic."You brought enough clothes to dress in a small country.""You're welcome." Amanda was thirty-eight and possessed the rare ability to enter any room and immediately behave as though she owned the floor beneath her feet. A high-end stylist by profession, fashion was less a career for her and more an uncompromising religion. Today, she wore wide-legged cream trousers, a fitted black bodysuit, chunky gold hoops, and enough effortless posture to make the entire ensemble look li
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-08-28
Chapter: Chapter 23Laurel’s POVIt was a lecture-free day for me.I had no classes scheduled, and any administrative loose ends could easily be handled from my home office. Yet, despite having nowhere to be, I woke up unusually early. By six-thirty, I was already in the kitchen, driven by habit, motherhood, or perhaps just the quiet necessity of keeping my hands occupied so my mind wouldn't drift.I opened the refrigerator and began taking stock of its contents. vegetables that needed replacing, milk nearing its expiration, a container of strawberries that had seen better days. I made a mental grocery list, tossed the spoiled fruit into the trash, and crouched down to check the lower cabinets.There was a quiet, grounding comfort in these domestic routines. For a few stolen minutes, I wasn't Professor Laurel Leonard. I wasn't a woman trapped in a marriage she no longer recognized, nor the woman who still woke up breathless from nightmares about a baby lost months ago. I was simply a wife and a mother
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-08-24
Chapter: Chapter 22Laurel’s POVThe knocking came again, three soft, rhythmic taps against the wood. I quickly turned my phone face down on the marble counter, as though hiding Leonard's cold text message could somehow dull its sting."Come in."The door swung open slowly, and Lilibeth peeked inside. She was draped in an oversized university sweatshirt and loose pajama pants, her dark hair tossed into a chaotic bun. A pair of headphones rested loosely around her neck, her phone clutched in one hand. Her dark eyes swept over the room, tracking from the cooling gel patch stuck to my forehead, to the sleek black package sitting beside the basin, and finally landing on my face."You look terrible," she said bluntly.I raised an eyebrow. "Thank you."A small grin tugged at her lips. "You know what I mean."Despite the heavy, suffocating weight in my chest, a faint smile broke through. "Come here."She stepped inside and let the door click shut behind her. Instead of sitting beside me."Why are you on the fl
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-08-19
Chapter: Chapter 21Julian's POVI didn't open my notebook. I didn't click my pen.Around me, forty upper-level students were frantically scribbling down every word that left her mouth, treating her slides like holy scripture. In the rows behind me, I could hear the quiet, intimidated whispers of the regulars. “Did you see how Vance handled her the last time?” “He’s terrifyingly smart.” “I heard the upstate department tried to fast-track his thesis.”I ignored them entirely. I didn't care about their assessment of my intelligence. My intellect was a tool, a weapon engineered for a single, devastating purpose, and right now, the only validation I required was the frantic rhythm of the vein pulsing at the base of Laurel’s throat.While the rest of the room stared blindly at the projection screen, I just watched her eyes.I knew exactly what I was doing to her. Every time I shifted my weight in the tiered desk, every time I let my dark, gold-flecked gaze slow-burn across her mouth, I was intentionally pu
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-08-04
Chapter: Chapter 20Laurel’s POVBy Friday afternoon, the relentless Manhattan rain had finally given way to a crisp, brilliant autumn sunshine that flooded the campus with long, amber shadows. I stood before the small mirror in my office vanity, smoothing down the lapels of my charcoal-gray blazer and ensuring not a single strand of hair had escaped my flawless, tightly pinned low bun.I looked exactly as the head of the Behavioral Psychology Department should, composed, untouchable, and firmly in control.But as I gathered my lecture notes for the 2:00 PM seminar, my fingers were laced with a fine, persistent tension. The memory of Wednesday’s encounter in the hallway, the effortless, flirty audacity Julian had displayed right in front of Amanda, had left a humming electricity beneath my skin that I hadn't been able to shake for forty-eight hours.I took a deep, steadying breath, picked up my briefcase, and walked down the corridor toward the Lecture Hall.When I pushed the double doors open, the roo
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-07-26
Chapter: Chapter 19Julian's POVThe glowing blue text on my laptop screen blurred into an illegible smear of numbers and offshore routing codes.I slammed the screen shut, the sharp plastic snap echoing like a gunshot in the cramped silence of my apartment. I threw myself back against the mattress, staring up at the water-stained ceiling, my hands clenched into tight fists at my sides.I couldn't focus. For the first time in my life, my brain, the one tool I had always trusted to remain cold, analytical, and entirely under my control, was completely hijacked.Every time I closed my eyes, I didn't see the financial algorithms or the evidence boards. I saw the flash of the projector screen. ‘I see you, Laurel.’ I saw the sharp, ragged intake of her breath, the helpless flutter in her chest, and the way her lips had softened into that subtle, beautiful smile before her clinical defenses snapped back into place. And the hallway... the way she had looked at me when I handed her that article, her skin flushin
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-07-26
Chapter: Chapter 80Jacqueline’s POVAbout a month later, the door swung open and Allison walked in, luggage in one hand and sunglasses perched dramatically on her head like some Hollywood diva. Only Allison could pull off airport chic with that level of arrogance and charm.“My God, Jac,” she said, dropping her bag and striding toward me. “I leave you for two weeks and you don’t even look like a heartbroken woman anymore. What did I miss?”I laughed, standing to hug her, inhaling the faint trace of her perfume mixed with airplane scent. God, I missed her. She’d been gone for what felt like forever, off being the face of a luxury brand campaign in Milan while my life flipped upside down in the best way possible.“You missed… everything,” I said with a grin, tugging her into the living room. “Sit. We need to talk.”She raised a brow and flopped on the couch like a queen returning to her throne. “Well, spill. Judging by the smile on your face, I’m guessing this has something to do with a certain broody jud
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-06-12
Chapter: Chapter 79Jacqueline’s POVAs I walked to my office, my legs felt weak, my heels barely making a sound over the pounding in my ears. Whispers rippled through the hallway like wildfire, fragments of disbelief and awe clinging to every word.Blackwood. The president. All along.“You know, I always suspected,” someone murmured as I passed.I shut my office door and leaned against it, trying to steady my breath. My mind spun in circles. The president of Phoenix Group. He’s been sitting behind the curtain this entire time… and I never saw it.First, the son Allison mentioned, the nursery, the eight-month-old boy he never told me about, and now this? How many versions of Henson Blackwood exist that I’ve never met? How much more is buried beneath that perfect suit and calm, commanding tone?Clara. Of course. She wasn’t just some intern with charm and wit. That confidence, that subtle edge of authority… She was always in on it. Playing her role. Helping me. Watching me.My stomach twisted as the softer
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-06-12
Chapter: Chapter 78Jacqueline's POV Allison raised an eyebrow, reading the flicker of determination on my face. “You’re going back to work?”“Yes,” I said, grabbing the phone and scrolling through the email like it was a lifeline. “I have to. This… this changes everything.”“Jac,” Allison said, her tone heavy with caution, “don’t use work as a way to avoid dealing with this.”I paused, fingers trembling over the glass screen. She wasn’t wrong, but what choice did I have? Sitting here drowning in questions about Blackwood wouldn’t give me answers. Facing Monday, facing the Phoenix president, at least that was something I could control.“I’m not avoiding it,” I lied, forcing a tight smile. “I just… I need a distraction.”Her gaze softened with sympathy, but she didn’t push further. Instead, she glanced toward the untouched mug of coffee on my table, then back at me. “Fine. But promise me you’ll think about what I said.”I nodded, though the weight of her words sat heavy on my chest. Eight months. A baby
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-06-12
Chapter: Chapter 77Blackwood’s POV I stared at my phone for the third time in an hour, her name glowing on the screen like an accusation. Jacqueline.I had typed and deleted half a dozen messages already. Everything sounded wrong. Too formal. Too desperate. Too… heavy.Finally, I settled on:We need to talk. Please.Simple. Direct. No pressure.I hit send. Then waited.Nothing.Minutes dragged into an hour. Then two. I called once, twice, letting it ring long enough for hope to flicker before voicemail cut through like cold steel.Her voice on the recording was calm, warm, how it had sounded just days ago when she was here, in this house, in my arms. That memory was now a blade.I tried again the next day. This time, I softened it.Jacqueline… I owe you an explanation. Whenever you’re ready, I’ll come to you.Read. No reply.The silence was worse than anger. Anger, I could work with. Silence meant walls were being built brick by brick, higher every hour I didn’t reach her.I found myself pacing the stu
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-06-12
Chapter: Chapter 76Jacqueline's POVThe drive to Allison’s place was quiet. I let the city blur past the windshield, each red light and honking horn echoing the chaos in my chest. By the time I pulled up in front of her building, my emotions had settled into a tense, simmering mix. I wasn’t crying, not yet, but I felt fragile, like a vase just narrowly held together by thin threads.Allison opened the door before I even knocked, a knowing look on her face. “Hey,” she said softly, pulling me inside. “Coffee? You look like you need it.”I nodded, handing her my bag. “Yeah… thanks.” My voice sounded foreign even to me, hushed and uncertain.We settled into the kitchen, steaming mugs in hand. The aroma of roasted coffee beans and the quiet hum of her apartment were grounding. I wanted to tell her everything, to spill out the whirlwind of emotions, but even as I started, the words felt heavy. I finally exhaled, leaning back in my chair.“Alli… Blackwood…” I began, swallowing hard. “He… he has a son.”Her eye
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-06-12
Chapter: Chapter 75Jacqueline’s POV Sunlight filtered gently through the curtains, painting the room in soft golds and warm shadows. I stirred beneath the sheets, stretching lazily, still wrapped in the lingering warmth of Blackwood’s arms. The apartment was quiet, too quiet, except for the subtle sound of his steady breathing.I shifted slightly, careful not to wake him, but he stirred anyway, pressing his forehead lightly against mine. “Morning,” he murmured, voice rough with sleep.“Morning,” I whispered back, a soft smile tugging at my lips. The events of last night felt both surreal and grounding at once. We had reclaimed a piece of ourselves, of us, that the chaos of the past weeks had tried to take away.He pressed a gentle kiss to my temple, his fingers tracing lazy patterns along my arm. “Sleep well?” he asked.“I did,” I admitted, letting my hand find his. “Better than I expected.”We lay there for a while, wrapped in the safety of one another, letting the quiet intimacy speak. No words were
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-06-12
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