LOGINHe was heavy, and the weight of his body made it hard for Amanda to breathe. She pressed her hands against his firm chest and whispered, "Get off... I can’t breathe."Benjamin shifted his powerful frame slightly, his muscles tensing as he moved up. He stared into her eyes, his voice low and insistent. "Say what you just said again."He was impatient, almost desperate. Hearing her say that he was the most important person in her life had caused every cell in his body to vibrate with pure, unadulterated joy. It was the thrill of being truly acknowledged by the person he loved.Amanda shot him a playful glare. In this moment, he looked like a child who had finally been given a piece of candy."I don't remember," she said, her face flushing crimson as she turned to look out the window. She had only said it because the mood was right; now that he was teasing her, she wasn't going to satisfy him so easily.Benjamin let out a low, delighted chuckle. He leaned down, his breath hot against her
It had been four months. For four long months, Brad had not seen a trace of Tara.At first, he thought he could handle the distance, but gradually, he realized that the quiet girl had taken root in his heart. Every night before sleep, he found himself dissecting their relationship. Tara had been running away from him, and he had been chasing her relentlessly.He had wanted to give her space. After their last conversation, she had asked for time to think. He gave her that time, but then she vanished. No one knew where she was—except Amanda.The moment he returned from a business trip and heard Amanda was back, he had rushed over without stopping to breathe.Amanda’s eyes flickered with a trace of anxiety. "I haven't had any news of her for a month either."She, too, was searching for Tara.Brad’s breath hitched, a sharp pain radiating through his chest. "Tell me. Where exactly did she go?" his voice rasped with frantic urgency.Amanda sat down, cradling little Charles. "I sent her to t
Benjamin flatly refused to let the children join them. His fingers gently traced the silken strands of her hair as he spoke, his voice low and possessive. "This time, it’s just for us. We’ll take the kids next time—maybe just for a weekend."Seeing his persistence, Amanda didn't push. "Fine. When I have a gap in my schedule, I’ll go with you. I’m going to wash up now."She slipped out of bed, leaving Benjamin to watch her retreating figure. His heart ached at how thin she had become; she looked as fragile as porcelain.Inside the bathroom, Amanda stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her face was pale, almost sickly, and a prominent scar sat on her forehead. The mark had faded significantly, but it was a permanent reminder of the night she was swept away by the jagged rocks of the river.At that moment, she hadn't cared about the pain.She remembered the impact—the car slamming into them, the searing pain in her leg. As they plunged into the freezing depths, her only instinct had be
The news of Amanda’s return reached Barry’s ears like a thunderclap.At that moment, he was playing with his son. Joanna had given him a healthy, intelligent boy, and for a while, Barry had tasted the simple joy of fatherhood. But the second he heard Amanda was alive, his heart felt like it had been struck by a hammer.He had always felt that Amanda was a woman blessed by the heavens themselves. Time and again, she cheated death."Barry! What are you doing? The baby is spitting up!"Barry snapped back to reality and grabbed a tissue to clean the infant. Joanna, who had regained her perfect figure through sheer discipline, watched him with a knowing look."You’re thinking about Amanda," she stated. There was no jealousy in her voice—only a cold, analytical clarity.Barry admitted it freely. "I’m thinking about how much luck she has. A fire couldn't kill her years ago, and the flooding Cindale River couldn't drown her now."Joanna smiled. "You don't actually want her dead, do you? Becau
Brianna’s face turned deathly pale. She forced a strained, trembling smile, her voice wavering. "Howard, I don’t understand... What do you mean? What do I have to pay back?"Her heart hammered against her ribs. The smile on Howard’s face wasn't one of warmth—it was the smile of a man who had already decided on a death sentence.Fanny was gone, and Brianna had gained nothing from it. Howard hadn't even deigned to look at her for four months. Now, his sudden mention of the past sent a chill through her marrow."I’ve been waiting for a result," Howard said softly, his eyes tracing her features with clinical detachment. She was beautiful in a loud, artificial way—her nose was clearly the work of a surgeon. She couldn't compare to his Fanny. "The result is that Fanny is truly dead. And I will not let a single person who hurt her go unpunished."The words were whispered, but they hit Brianna like a physical blow, forcing her to stumble back.Mrs. Ashford gasped in horror."Brother!" Susan s
When Howard’s eyes fell upon Amanda, a flicker of light finally pierced through the hollow, dead vacuum of his gaze."Amanda..." He breathed her name in shock. It was as if his own stopped heart had suddenly begun to beat, one agonizing throb at a time.Amanda took a sharp step back, her expression tightening into a mask of ice. Without a single word, she turned and walked in the opposite direction. She had nothing—absolutely nothing—to say to Howard.Benjamin stayed close to her side, his presence a silent, towering warning. He didn't acknowledge Howard either.Howard stood paralyzed, watching her retreating back. She was thinner than before, but she moved with a cold, regal authority that commanded the room. She looked every bit the high-and-mighty queen.Then, his pupils constricted with a sudden tremor. He saw the bundle in her arms."A child..." Desperate and lost, he began to follow them like a ghost.Amanda and Benjamin entered the high-end baby boutique on the first floor. How







