MasukLucas sat with his head lowered, staring at his polished shoes.The leather was spotless. He, on the other hand, felt like a complete mess."I don't understand why Emilia turned out this way," he said hoarsely. "She used to be such a sweet kid. She never would've done something like this."He swallowed."Maybe... maybe this is all some kind of misunderstanding."Vessara stared at him for several seconds before letting out a short laugh."So even now, you still think this is a misunderstanding?"Her voice was calm, but exhaustion lingered beneath it.She took a slow breath and looked at him steadily."I have nothing else to say. If that's what you believe, then you should leave.""No, that's not what I meant."Lucas immediately shook his head.He saw the disappointment in her eyes and knew he deserved it.The problem was that every time he tried to explain himself, he only seemed to make things worse.After a long moment, he forced himself to stand."I'm sorry. I know I don't deserve t
The moment the call connected, a familiar voice answered."Doctor, to what do I owe the honor?"Razen chuckled softly."I wasn't expecting a call from you. Is there something important?""Listen carefully." Vessara got straight to the point. "Everything I'm about to say matters."She began pacing the room."Find a few people you trust completely and search the entire estate. Pay special attention to anything unfamiliar. Check every room, but focus on places your father spends time in—especially his bedroom."After a brief pause, she continued,"You mentioned returning to the company. Investigate the senior management team as well. You may find something there."Her expression darkened."And most importantly, keep an eye on your family physician and the nurses assigned to your father."Silence lingered for a moment.Then Razen said,"So you're saying someone inside my own circle is working against us?"His tone remained calm.Vessara frowned slightly.Before she could think further, he
Vessara stood calmly before Jason, watching him beg for mercy.The man before her was nothing like the spirited boy she had once loved.Sixteen-year-old Vessara would never have believed that one day she would look at him and feel nothing at all."Mr. Jason Valdis," she said lightly, settling onto a nearby sofa, "the world isn't always going to indulge your recklessness."A faint smile touched her lips."And neither will I.""Exactly."Razen picked up where she left off, amusement flickering in his eyes.Jason endured thirty minutes of relentless torment before the effects finally began to fade. The moment feeling returned to his body, he tried to move and promptly collapsed onto the floor."Razen Valdis!"Struggling back to his feet, he pointed an accusing finger."What gives you the right to let someone treat me like this?"Razen barely looked up."Have I spoiled you too much?"The question was delivered with such casual indifference that Jason felt a chill crawl down his spine."Yo
The young man turned toward Razen, only to meet a cold, intimidating stare.A chill ran down his spine.Under Razen's gaze, he lowered his head and answered obediently."What else do you need?""Come here."Vessara motioned him closer.When he stepped forward, she leaned in and quietly gave him a few instructions.As they stood close together, speaking in hushed voices, an inexplicable irritation rose in Razen's chest.For some reason, watching them whisper made him want to punch Nathan straight in the face.His temper really was becoming stranger by the day.Nathan suddenly felt a cold sensation crawl down his back.He glanced around.Nothing.No one.Then why did it feel like a predator had just locked onto him?Before he could dwell on it, the masked physician gave his shoulder a firm pat.Nathan immediately straightened."I understand. I'll take care of it."Vessara nodded and turned to Razen."I'm borrowing your man for a while. You don't mind, do you, Mr. Valdis?""Not at all."
Vessara could tell there was far more to the story than Mr. Sagewood was saying, but she remained silent and waited for him to continue."It's a long story," the old man said with a sigh. "The Quinn family has had terrible luck. Mrs. Quinn was already in poor health, and when she was pregnant, the family was caught in the middle of a brutal power struggle. One of the rival branches bribed her nanny and secretly poisoned her."His expression darkened."The toxins affected both mother and child. The boy was born weak and sickly. The fact that he's survived this long is already a miracle."As Mr. Sagewood recounted the family's history, Vessara's expression gradually darkened."So that's what happened."A pale face surfaced in her mind.No wonder something had felt unusual about him when they first met.Looking back, it wasn't unusual at all.It had been the faint scent of herbal medicine lingering around him—the kind that came from years of treatment and seemed to seep into a person's v
Vessara merely smiled at him."Everyone heard what my sister just said, loud and clear. Don't you think I deserve an explanation before we discuss anything else?"Immediately, questioning gazes from every direction fell upon him, and panic surged back into his heart."W-Well... perhaps there's been some misunderstanding between you sisters. Why don't you sit down and talk it through first...""That's not necessary."Vessara's voice was calm but firm."I'm not returning to the Laurent family. The two of you should spend some time reflecting on everything you've done to me. Think carefully about what happened before I left and everything that's happened since I came back."Her gaze shifted toward Selena."And tell your precious daughter to stop using my name to deceive people. If she wants attention, she can earn it herself."With that, the icy indifference she normally wore settled back onto her features.Turning slightly, she avoided Martin's reaching hand and looked toward Mr. Sagewo







