He ran a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated. “Iris, come on. I might be reckless, but I’m not suicidal. I didn’t arrange this. Why the hell would I bring a child and you into a trap I set myself?”
Arden turned to face her, his expression sobering. “I swear, Iris, I have no idea who they are. I wouldn't risk you or the kid—ever.”
She narrowed her eyes, watching his expression closely. He looked genuinely angry—and not at her, but at the situation.
“I don’t know,” she said slowly. “Maybe you wanted Daimon to think you were under attack too. To gain sympathy. Or… maybe this is part of your big plan.”
Arden leaned back in his seat, jaw tightening. “Look, I get it. You don’t trust me. I’ve never pretended to be a saint. But I swear on everything I’ve got—this wasn’t me.”
Elyana glanced at Jessica again, who was dozing off
Noah stepped forward with a low voice. “Boss… I should’ve been quicker. I should’ve—”Daimon cut him off with a shake of the head. “No. You did what you could. Sending her with Arden was the right call… for now.”He didn’t say more. He didn’t need to. Turning sharply, he strode out of the room, his mind already racing through a dozen possibilities.Up in the sky, Elyana looked out of the window, the clouds floating past below them. Despite the altitude and the smooth flight, a heavy feeling sat in her chest.She couldn’t shake the unease.She hadn’t been out of the Blackwood estate much since arriving, and though her time there hadn’t been perfect—especially with Auntie Kira’s cold shoulder—it had been tolerable, thanks to Noah’s presence. But the moment she stepped out for something as harmless as fresh air, she was ambushed.That couldn’t be a coincidence.She tightened her seatbelt, her fingers unconsciously brushing Jessica’s sleeping hand. Her instincts were screaming.This wasn’
Elyana bit her lip. A part of her wanted to ignore the call, let Daimon sweat a little. But another part—the bigger part—knew Daimon was probably frantic right now. Not for her, maybe, but for Jessica at least.“Give me that,” she said, snatching the phone from Arden without another word. She tapped the screen and held it to her ear.“Arden, I swear—if you don’t explain what the hell is going on, I will—”“Daimon, it’s me.” Elyana cut in, her voice calm but steady as she interrupted the storm brewing on the other end of the line.There was a pause. A long, heavy silence that made her heart beat just a little faster.The shouting stopped instantly.It was as if Daimon had frozen mid-breath, trying to compose himself. She could hear the faint sound of him exhaling—deep and uneven. He was struggling. Trying to keep it together.“Elyana?” he finally said, his voice low, hoarse.“I’m here,” she said, softer now.“Where are you?” His tone shifted from anger to something raw and shaken. “Are
He ran a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated. “Iris, come on. I might be reckless, but I’m not suicidal. I didn’t arrange this. Why the hell would I bring a child and you into a trap I set myself?”Arden turned to face her, his expression sobering. “I swear, Iris, I have no idea who they are. I wouldn't risk you or the kid—ever.”She narrowed her eyes, watching his expression closely. He looked genuinely angry—and not at her, but at the situation.“I don’t know,” she said slowly. “Maybe you wanted Daimon to think you were under attack too. To gain sympathy. Or… maybe this is part of your big plan.”Arden leaned back in his seat, jaw tightening. “Look, I get it. You don’t trust me. I’ve never pretended to be a saint. But I swear on everything I’ve got—this wasn’t me.”Elyana glanced at Jessica again, who was dozing off
“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