LOGINPhilip knew it clearly—if he didn’t make a decision, there was no way Lucas would let this go.Edwin had crossed a line. Trying to harm Aurora, and doing it in such a underhanded way…Some things, once done, couldn’t be undone. Philip understood that better than anyone.But there was no helping it. Edwin was still his son. All he could do was come to terms with it, little by little.…The next day.At the site of the opening ceremony.Several days had already passed, but the area was still sealed off.When Aurora arrived to take a look, the police were still there, gathering evidence.The moment they saw her, the officers exchanged glances and immediately walked over.They clearly remembered how, not long ago, two of their colleagues had gone to bring her in for questioning, only for Lucas to refuse.So why had she come here on her own now?Even so, they made no move to stop her.After all, this case was far from simple.One of the officers sighed quietly before stepping forward, speak
At first, he hadn’t quite understood what Philip meant. But now, after hearing it laid out so clearly, there was nothing left to misunderstand.It was obvious that if he was going to go after someone, he needed to cover his tracks and leave no leverage behind.“I understand.”Edwin answered calmly, but inside, he was anything but.Because this was, in a way, Philip’s tacit approval. With that, he no longer had to worry so much about what might happen next.Even if Lucas tried to move against him, he would have to think twice about where Edwin stood in Philip’s eyes.Things weren’t as simple as Lucas might think—not everything could be done just because he wanted it.“Now that you understand, get out.”Dealing with Edwin left Philip exhausted. Still, there were things he had no choice but to make clear.After all, Edwin was his son. He couldn’t just stand by and watch him destroy himself.And if it ever came to that, he knew he wouldn’t be able to bear it.But none of that could be sai
“So, Dad, why do you have to put it so harshly?”Edwin didn’t wait for a response before continuing, “From where I stand, you’ve always been trying to side with Lucas. You were never really on my side.”That sent a tremor through Philip’s hand.He pointed at Edwin, but for a long moment, no words came out.Seeing him like that, Edwin instinctively took a step forward.After all, that was his father.How could he not feel something?But the moment he moved, he caught himself. They were in the middle of a standoff.He couldn’t just soften now.So, he stiffened, forcing his tone steady.“I’ve already made myself clear. I just want you to stop being so stubborn. I said I didn’t do anything to harm the family, and I mean it.“You can’t just take Lucas’ side of the story and call it the truth. You can’t ignore how I feel. We’re both part of this family.”Once the words were out, Edwin felt a weight lift from his chest.Philip fell silent for a long time.Because whether Edwin was right or no
“What do you mean?”“It means you just did all of that.”The moment Philip said it, a cold sweat broke out along Edwin’s back.He hadn’t expected him to notice something so subtle.He had thought he’d hidden it well enough.As long as he denied everything, Philip wouldn’t catch on, but reality didn’t go the way he’d imagined.It was the exact opposite.Edwin slowly clenched his hands, unsure what to say.There was still a trace of fear toward Philip in him.After all, this was the man who had run Vanguard Group for years—there was no way he lacked real capability.Whether Edwin could remain in this family still depended on a single word from him.That much, he understood clearly.Some things, though, couldn’t be said outright—once spoken, they would only make things worse.“Dad, what are you getting at?”Edwin feigned ignorance.He still believed he knew his place in Philip’s heart.So why argue over right and wrong?After all, he was his biological son.Naturally, Philip would favor h
It was obvious that Philip was probably having second thoughts too.Realizing that, Edwin felt a weight lift off his chest.He knew that there was no way Philip would just stand by and watch him leave the Carter family.No matter what, he was still his son.Even if he’d made mistakes, Philip was still there, so what was there to worry about?“Thank you,” Edwin said to the butler, a hint of relief in his voice. “I’ll head in now.”With that, he strode inside without hesitation.Watching his retreating figure, the butler shook his head.He couldn’t make sense of the stubborn pride between father and son.So often, they were only one step away from clearing everything up, yet neither was willing to be the one to break the silence.If they did, they might realize things weren’t as complicated as they seemed.But both of them were too proud, each waiting for the other to speak first.At least this time, Philip had given Edwin a way back.The thought made the butler sigh.Some things could o
“Alright, I’ll do as you say.”Maria thought it through. At her age, there wasn’t much she could control anymore.She might as well go along with Edwin. Maybe, when the years caught up with her, he’d remember it—fewer arguments, a little more security to show for it.Her expectations were simple. As long as he remembered her in his later years, that would be enough.Seeing her so compliant, Edwin couldn’t help but feel puzzled.“What’s this? Since when are you so easy to talk to?”The words had barely left his mouth before he wished he could take them back.If his own mother caused less trouble, wasn’t that a good thing? What nonsense was he even saying?Fortunately, Maria didn’t respond, as if she hadn’t heard him at all. Instead, she urged him on, “Come on, what are you standing there for? Weren’t you going to take me back?”That snapped Edwin out of it.Maybe he had been overthinking things.Sometimes, trying to shoulder everything only made things more exhausting.“I’m coming.”Hea
No matter the time or place, he always knew how to charm people effortlessly.But Tessa didn’t care how Julian saw her; she had her own priorities.She always stayed clear-headed, fully aware of what she was doing and what she aimed to achieve.Nothing else mattered. The only thing that truly did w
Grace quickly turned to Arnold. “Arnold, go grab those strawberries from the kitchen for Megan.”“Of course.”With a nod, Arnold headed off to rinse the fruit.Megan sat down beside Grace, her expression full of concern. “Madam Grace, how’s Aurora doing now?”“I visited her once at the hospital, but
Megan nodded and patted Leonard on the shoulder. “If that’s how you feel, then that’s the best answer I could ask for.”Leonard glanced at her hand resting on his shoulder, his gaze flickering with something unreadable. No one knew what was going through his mind.“Don’t worry. If your cousin truly
She pressed the phone screen gently against her cheek, her voice trembling as she spoke, word by word. “Aurora, do you know… it was the first time I’d ever seen that little cat.“I only met it at the mouth of the alley. I fed it a treat, sat with it for a little while—that’s all.“It was so sweet, s







