LOGINThe moment Mrs. Hayes said those words, Isabella’s expression changed dramatically.“What do you mean by that?”Covering her mouth with a laugh, Mrs. Hayes hurried forward and took Isabella’s hand, her smile growing even warmer.“Isabella, haven’t you always been fond of Dalton? That’s why I brought him with me today. Both our families happen to have some free time, so this is the perfect opportunity to sit down and talk about the children. You don’t have to hide it from me anymore—I already know the two of them have feelings for each other. If our families can become even closer through marriage, wouldn’t that be wonderful?”The more she spoke, the more excited she became.Then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the young woman standing beside Isabella.The instant she saw Vessara, a flash of amazement crossed her face.Mrs. Hayes immediately released Isabella&
After hanging up the phone, Alexander Barclay sat there in a daze, consumed by guilt.No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't understand how the daughter he had lovingly raised had become the person she was today.Meanwhile, Vessara, who had grown up far away from the Barclay family, had turned into a poised, gracious young woman anyone would admire.When Alexander returned to the dining table, he looked absentminded.Everyone immediately noticed something was wrong, but they restrained themselves from asking. They simply continued eating in silence.A few moments later, Alexander spoke on his own."Emilia just called me." His voice was heavy. "I almost didn't recognize her. It was like she wasn't the daughter I raised."He paused bitterly."Or maybe... she's always been this way, and I was simply too blind to notice."His words came to an abrupt stop.Looking at Vessara, who was sitting upright with impeccable m
Thanks to Isabella's intervention, the atmosphere at the dinner table eased considerably.The needle-like tension Vessara had been feeling finally began to fade.When she glanced at Razen beside her, she discovered that the man had somehow blended seamlessly into the family dinner as if he belonged there.Not a trace of discomfort showed on his face.Meanwhile, she felt like the only person at the table sitting on pins and needles.After several seconds of silence, Vessara quietly picked up her glass and took a sip.Sometimes drinking water solved ninety percent of awkward situations.And if it didn't work, that only meant you hadn't drunk enough.Just as she was preparing to focus on dinner, Alexander suddenly spoke.“Razen.” He looked between Razen and Vessara. “You've both come here today, and you even brought gifts.”He took a deep breath and dramatically lifted his chin forty-five degr
The corner of Vessara's mouth twitched again.She honestly didn't know how to describe the man sitting in front of her anymore.His way of thinking was... incredibly unconventional."That's... probably not necessary.""No." Razen shook his head with unusual seriousness. "You don't understand. Men care about details too. And when it comes to meeting your elders, you have to pay even more attention."It was the first time she'd ever seen him look this solemn.For one ridiculous moment, Vessara almost felt as if he were the Barclay family's biological son instead of her.She hesitated for a long while, unconsciously twisting the fabric of her clothes between her fingers until it was nearly wrinkled beyond repair.Finally, she spoke."Actually..."She looked at him with bright, expectant eyes."I only just came back to the Barclay family too. You know that, right?"Razen's lips twitched.
Back at the Barclay residence, everything seemed peaceful, as though none of the earlier chaos had ever happened.The moment Vessara stepped into the living room, she spotted Isabella waiting there.Isabella sat elegantly on the sofa, her posture flawless. Her gaze rested on the teacup before her as she let out a quiet sigh.Hearing footsteps, she immediately looked up.Her eyes met Vessara’s.After a brief moment, Isabella was the first to look away.“Um... have you checked your phone?”After several seconds of hesitation, she finally spoke.Vessara froze.Before she could process what Isabella meant, she instinctively pulled out her phone.Only then did she realize that while she had been occupied dealing with the attack earlier, photos of her and Razen traveling together had already surfaced online.The topic had climbed straight onto the trending list.Vessara twitched the corne
The flash of a knife reflected the man's vicious expression as he charged straight at Razen.In that split second, Vessara yanked Razen behind her and drove a powerful kick straight into the attacker's chest.The man flew backward like a rag doll before crashing onto the ground. His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the woman walking toward him.Vessara frowned and gave him a quick once-over.Just as she was about to crouch down—Footsteps erupted from every direction.The man on the ground slowly lifted his head, forcing a crazed grin onto his face."You didn't really think I came alone today, did you?" He laughed manically. "Razen Valdis! Last time you escaped because we slipped up. This time, you're leaving your life here!"The moment his words fell, dozens of figures emerged from the shadows.Instead of charging at Razen, they all rushed toward Vessara."Take out the woman first! She's the danger







