Elyana raised an eyebrow, her gaze steady. Arden’s open dislike for Daimon was nothing new. What always puzzled her was how open he was about it—even when he knew her current situation with Daimon was complicated, to say the least. Arden never tried to hide his movements or ideas around her. It made her wonder—what was he really thinking?
“I don’t want to hear about whatever mess you’re planning,” she replied without hesitation. “Whatever grudge you two have, keep me out of it.”
With that, she nudged his head to the side, and Arden, caught off guard, lost his balance and plopped onto the sand with a grunt. Instead of getting up, he just stayed there, legs stretched out and hands buried in the soft grains, looking far too relaxed for someone just knocked down.
He grinned up at her like nothing happened. “You’ll be curious eventually,” he said confidently. “Because what I’ve discov
“W-What the hell?” Arden muttered in disbelief, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the situation. “Where did they come from?!”Elyana didn’t waste a second. Her eyes darted around, landing on Jessica, who had been playing in the sand just a short distance away. Without thinking, Elyana sprinted toward her.“Jessica!” she called, scooping the little girl into her arms. Jessica was already trembling, her small face pale with fear.“Mommy!” she cried, clutching tightly to Elyana’s neck as the first few shots rang out again.Bullets zipped past them, and Elyana ducked low as she ran, shielding Jessica’s body with her own. She dashed toward the car, adrenaline surging through her veins.Behind them, Arden had rushed toward his vehicle and flung open the backseat. He reached inside and pulled out a handgun, checking it quickly before raising it.“Who are these guys?!” he g
Elyana raised an eyebrow, her gaze steady. Arden’s open dislike for Daimon was nothing new. What always puzzled her was how open he was about it—even when he knew her current situation with Daimon was complicated, to say the least. Arden never tried to hide his movements or ideas around her. It made her wonder—what was he really thinking?“I don’t want to hear about whatever mess you’re planning,” she replied without hesitation. “Whatever grudge you two have, keep me out of it.”With that, she nudged his head to the side, and Arden, caught off guard, lost his balance and plopped onto the sand with a grunt. Instead of getting up, he just stayed there, legs stretched out and hands buried in the soft grains, looking far too relaxed for someone just knocked down.He grinned up at her like nothing happened. “You’ll be curious eventually,” he said confidently. “Because what I’ve discov
Elyana gave him a playful look, raising an eyebrow. "It seems so."Arden glanced down at the beach, where Jessica was already back to playing in the mud, her little hands shaping a miniature castle. "Mud house, huh? Seems like you’ve got quite the creative setup here," he said, finally cracking a smile.Jessica looked up and excitedly waved him over. "Uncle, Come play with us!" she called out. Arden, not wanting to appear too stiff, reluctantly agreed."Alright, alright. I’m in. But only if you promise not to throw me in the sand again," he said, grinning.Noah, who had been observing the interaction, walked up beside Elyana and quietly said, "Are you sure about this?" His gaze was focused on Arden, though his voice didn’t show much concern.Elyana glanced at Noah, then back at Arden, who was trying to look dignified while kneeling in the sand to join Jessica. "It’s fine, He is my friend" she replied softly. "Let him have hi
Although things seemed calm on the surface within the Blackwood household, Elyana was well aware of the silent storm brewing beneath. Keith and Auntie Kira had already clashed a hundred times in secret, their battles subtle but fierce. They were equally matched, and neither could gain the upper hand. Fortunately, Elyana wasn’t affected by their cold war—she had learned to stay clear of their invisible battlefield.Meanwhile, her days were warmed by nightly video calls with Joxan. The boy had grown visibly tanner, his once-shy demeanor replaced by a more confident and outgoing energy. It was obvious he was enjoying the special training camp.Oasis often joined the calls too, peeking into the screen with a wide grin. One day, after seeing Jessica a few times during the calls, the lively little boy boldly declared, “I’m going to marry your sister when I grow up!”Joxan instantly flared up, his eyes blazing with childish jealousy. &ldqu
Elyana blinked in surprise. Just this afternoon, Auntie Kira had told her Daimon planned to hire someone—but she hadn’t expected it to happen so quickly."Can I refuse?" she asked, voice even."No, you can’t," Daimon said firmly, without hesitation.As expected.Elyana shrugged her shoulders lightly and said to the two newcomers, “Hello, my name is Iris. Hope we can get along in the future.”“Hello, madam.” Both replied politely.Elyana blinked, momentarily stunned by the title. “I think you misunderstood. I’m not Mr. Blackwood’s wife, so you don’t have to call me ‘madam.’ Just ‘Iris’ will do.”Her voice was calm, but Daimon’s eyes darkened. The way she distanced herself from him so quickly—it hit a nerve. Noah and Keith glanced at Daimon uncertainly.“Do as she said,” Daimon said faintly.“Yes, M
After a moment of hesitation, Auntie Kira picked up the phone and called Daimon.“Sir,” she said cautiously, “Miss Iris was drawing design manuscripts in the living room. They were probably blown under the chair by the wind. We were cleaning, and we didn’t notice. We thought they were just scraps and accidentally threw them away. I saw Miss Iris looking for them just now and only realized what happened. I asked someone to retrieve them immediately, but… I don’t know if Miss Iris will be angry. You told me not to interfere in her affairs, so I didn’t say anything to her. I thought I should report it to you instead.”Her voice was humble, laced with unease. She knew Daimon well—he could catch on to things faster than anyone.Daimon leaned back in his office chair, his eyes narrowing slightly. He wasn’t foolish. He could guess that this wasn’t a mere accident. But Auntie Kira had served the family l
She suddenly thought of Jessica and looked around the room in confusion. Where was her daughter? Elyana frowned, a wave of guilt washing over her. How could she have gotten so lost in her work that she forgot to check on Jessica?It struck her as odd. Auntie Kira usually came by to remind her about mealtime, or at the very least, to check in. But no one had disturbed her this time. A strange thought crossed her mind—had Daimon told them to leave her alone? Was this his way of punishing her for her defiance that morning?Elyana sighed and pushed the uncomfortable thought aside. Shaking her head, she maneuvered herself into the wheelchair and rolled toward the door.The moment she exited the room, her worried thoughts eased. There in the living room, Jessica was sitting on the carpet, giggling to herself while eating slices of fruit from a small plate.Relief surged through Elyana. At least her daughter had eaten.“Thank goodness,”
Blood ties—no matter how distant or tangled—were not something that could be severed by choice alone. Elyana knew this truth well. And though her past was filled with pain and betrayal, she couldn't let those old wounds dictate the future her son would build. She didn’t want her bitterness to become his burden.Taking a quiet breath, she softened her voice and looked into the camera, into the eyes of her little boy who had just tried to shield her in his own small way.“Jo,” she said gently, “you’re still young, but I know your heart is kind and strong. I want you to remember something important. No matter what I’ve been through, you don’t have to carry the weight of my past.”Joxan looked up, startled by her tone. “Mommy?”She smiled, though her eyes carried a heaviness. “What I feel, or what I’ve endured… that’s for me to bear, not you. You don’t need to turn away from someone just because I feel uneasy about the people around them. That wouldn’t be fair—to you or to them.”Joxan we
Joxan’s expression changed instantly. His big round eyes grew even wider, and his lower lip jutted out in a playful pout. “But I miss you so much, Mommy!”he whined, sounding like a toddler again rather than the little soldier he’d been pretending to be earlier.He looked absolutely adorable, like a doll carved out of porcelain, his soft cheeks glowing with mischief and innocence. For all his earlier talk of training and toughness, he was still just a little boy craving the warmth of his mother’s arms. That contrast tugged at Elyana’s heart more than she wanted to admit.“I miss you too, baby,” she whispered with a bittersweet smile. “You be brave and do your best there, okay? When you come back, I’ll make your favorite dinner. Something special just for you.”Joxan’s face lit up like fireworks. “Really? You promise? I want Mommy’s cake—the chocolate one with sprinkles!”Elyana laughed, her heart swelling with both joy and sorrow. “Deal. But only if you behave and listen to your instr