INICIAR SESIÓNThat morning, Ethan’s office felt quieter than usual. The tall glass curtains revealed a bright city sky, in sharp contrast to the man’s face, which looked tired and worn by his own thoughts.Ethan sat in the director’s chair, his laptop open in front of him. However, he did not read any of the data-filled screen. His gaze was empty, his fingers motionless on the desk.That name surfaced in his mind again.Liora.He let out a slow breath and leaned back.“Why does your image keep appearing?” he thought bitterly.Since that night—the night when he unconsciously sent two paper bags to Daren’s house—his mind had never truly been at ease. He knew it was a foolish act. Too bold. Too risky.Yet, for some reason, he did not regret it.“I shouldn’t have let myself get carried away. I should have stopped bothering her,” he muttered softly.“But when I saw you being kissed by Daren, I couldn’t stay still. I was angry, and I didn’t like it.”The meeting room door opened. Several employees were al
That morning, Daren stood in front of the mirror of Camelia’s apartment, dressed neatly in his work suit. The watch on his wrist showed the time he should have used to go to the office. Yet his mind was nowhere near work.Daren wanted to go home. "I better get home quickly and check on Liora. Her phone has been inactive since last night; I’m really worried about her," Daren thought, not realizing that Camelia had been watching him from the sofa all this time.Camelia observed Daren, her eyes sharp and full of suspicion. Since last night, her uneasiness had not eased.“Where are you going so early?” Camelia finally asked, her voice flat yet piercing.“It’s unusual …,” she added suspiciously.Daren buttoned his jacket, glancing at her. “There’s an important meeting at the office, so I have to leave quickly now.”Camelia chuckled softly, but there was no humor in it. “Meeting? Or are you going home, then to see your wife?” Camelia began to get angry.Daren approached Camelia and briefly
The car sped along at above-average speed.Streetlights reflected off the windshield, flashing by rapidly—just as fast as Liora’s now-unruly heartbeat. Her hands gripped the seatbelt, her jaw tightening as she held back the boiling emotions in her chest.“Stop!” Liora snapped, turning sharply toward Ethan. “I said stop! Let me out right now!”Ethan did not answer. His eyes remained fixed straight ahead, his jaw set, his hands gripping the steering wheel as if it were the only way to keep himself from losing control.“Are you deaf?!” Liora’s voice rose. “I don’t want to be in your car! Stop right now!”She reached for the door handle and pulled hard.Click.Locked.“Ethan!” Liora shouted in panic. “This is crazy! You’re driving too fast!”Ethan slammed on the brakes.The tires screeched sharply.Liora’s body lurched forward, then snapped back as the seatbelt restrained her. She gasped, her chest rising and falling rapidly. The car came to a stop on the side of a deserted road.Silence
Camelia slammed her phone down onto the table.Her chest rose and fell, her breathing rough, while the phone screen still displayed the latest post from Liora’s account—a glimpse of togetherness that looked far too happy for her to accept.Liora was smiling.Daren stood beside her.And they looked … whole.“Liora …,” Camelia muttered, her jaw tightening. “How dare you.”Her hand clenched tightly.“Daren is mine,” she hissed in anger. “He should be by my side, not accompanying you on a stroll like that!”She paced back and forth across her apartment, her high heels striking the marble floor, each step echoing her growing fury.For the past few years, Camelia had grown accustomed to claiming Daren.Accustomed to being the place he returned to.Accustomed to being the woman he always sought, whenever he wanted.And now … Liora had taken it all away so easily.“I won’t let this happen,” she muttered coldly. “I won’t let you be happy.”Camelia stopped walking. A thin smile—sharp and danger
Liora’s steps felt light as she entered one of the largest department stores in the mall. Daren was still holding her hand, warm, as if this day had truly been created just for the two of them.“If you see something you like, just take it,” Daren said casually. “Do not hesitate. Today, I am here just for you.”Liora turned to him, slightly surprised. A small smile appeared on her lips.“Really?”“Of course,” Daren answered without hesitation. “Take anything you want. I will pay for it.”Liora laughed softly, feeling a warmth she had not felt in a long time.“All right, but I want to look around first.”Daren nodded. He let Liora walk a few steps ahead of him, his eyes following her every movement. Somehow, seeing Liora busy choosing things, her face glowing like that, gave him a sense of satisfaction he could not explain.Liora stopped in front of a rack of evening gowns. Her fingers brushed against the soft, dark-colored fabric with an elegant cut. A few steps away, her eyes were dra
“Ah!”Ethan jolted awake, clutching his head as a sharp pain throbbed through it. “I’m in the bedroom—why? Wasn’t I supposed to go to the office earlier? Then why am I lying on the bed?”He tried to recall what had happened. At that moment, he remembered Stevani handing him a drink. After that, he truly remembered nothing at all.“Stevani!” Ethan clenched his fists. “What did she do to me, damn it!”Ethan immediately looked down at his own body after lifting the blanket. Below the waist, he was still wearing his trousers. At once, he let out a breath of relief.Even so, his upper body was bare. His shirt and suit jacket were neatly placed on the back of the sofa. “How dare she do something like that to me!” Ethan growled angrily.With rage beginning to take over, Ethan got up and walked quickly to grab his shirt, putting it on in hurried movements. At that moment, the door opened. Stevani stood there, wearing a sexy, translucent nightgown, slowly approaching Ethan.“Darling, you’re aw







