LOGINThe next morning—
“Good morning, Sis!”The moment Dakota walked downstairs, Liam’s bright childish voice instantly lifted her mood.She smiled faintly and ruffled his soft hair.“Morning.”Then gently:“Did you eat breakfast yet?”Liam quickly grabbed her hand and dragged her toward the dining room excitedly.“Look!” His eyes sparkled proudly. “I made breakfast for you!”DakotaNathan Drakov took the three siblings to a private reservation restaurant afterward.The place itself wasn’t large, but every detail inside carried an elegant, upscale charm.Soft jazz drifted through the air.Warm amber lighting reflected against vintage wine racks and dark wooden furniture.The restaurant accepted only three parties each night—And reservations had to be made at least three days in advance.So when Nathan walked in unannounced with Dakota Lancaster and the others, a server immediately approached nervously.Before the man could speak—Nathan’s secretary calmly handed over a black-and-gold business card.The server’s expression changed instantly. His entire posture became respectful.“Right this way, Mr. Drakov.”Even from a distance, Dakota clearly saw the card.Only one word was engraved on it.Drakov.That alone was enough.The power of the Drakov
The next morning—“Good morning, Sis!”The moment Dakota walked downstairs, Liam’s bright childish voice instantly lifted her mood.She smiled faintly and ruffled his soft hair.“Morning.”Then gently:“Did you eat breakfast yet?”Liam quickly grabbed her hand and dragged her toward the dining room excitedly.“Look!” His eyes sparkled proudly. “I made breakfast for you!”Dakota froze slightly when she saw the sandwiches and warm milk arranged neatly on the table.Her nose suddenly stung. Not because she was touched by the gesture—But because it hurt.The way Liam moved…The practiced motions…This clearly wasn’t his first time doing something like this.Which meant—While living with the Lancasters, this eight-year-old child had probably been taking care of himself for years.Dakota slowly crouch
Inside—Sean Mercer was kneeling on the bed while pinning the terrified girl beneath him.The sudden intrusion startled him completely.“What the hell—?!”The moment Dakota saw the scene clearly, rage exploded inside her.Without hesitation—She crossed the room in two strides and kicked Sean directly into the wall.CRASH.“What—who are you?!”Sean barely managed to speak before Dakota slammed the edge of her hand against his neck.Instantly—He collapsed unconscious across the bed.The girl trembled violently beneath the sheets, desperately trying to retreat further away in terror.Dakota’s eyes softened slightly.Poor kid.She quickly grabbed a blanket and wrapped it securely around the girl before lifting her carefully onto her back.Then the three escaped the villa while avoiding every remaining guard.
At a time like this…Anything important enough to drag Sean Mercer out into the open was bound to be filthy.Instantly, Dakota Lancaster became interested.“Location.”As if he had already expected her answer, Nathan Drakov raised an eyebrow faintly.“Black Forest.”“…Another nightclub?”Dakota frowned immediately.She had yet to develop a pleasant impression of places like that.Wednesday night arrived quickly.To match the atmosphere of the venue, Dakota deliberately chose a sleek black strapless evening dress paired with dangerously high stilettos.The dress perfectly emphasized her figure—Elegant.Cold.Lethal.When Nathan arrived to pick her up, even his gaze paused for half a second.The two arrived at Black Forest Club shortly afterward.Unlike ordinary clubs, however, Black Forest felt strangely quiet.The name suited it perfect
“P-President Lancaster, please… let me explain!”Ethan’s face had gone completely pale.If he’d still held even the slightest doubt about Dakota before—It vanished completely now.A woman capable of uncovering records he had hidden so carefully was absolutely not someone ordinary.Dakota slowly rose from her chair.Even though she stood half a head shorter than Ethan, the pressure radiating from her completely crushed him.She narrowed her eyes dangerously before closing the file with one sharp motion.“I already said it once.”Her voice was calm.“I don’t care what you did before today.”She stepped closer slightly.“But from this point forward…” Her gaze sharpened. “I only want people who are fully loyal to K Group.”Ethan froze.He had already mentally prepared himself to be fired—or worse.In the corpo
Chief Adjutant Reid drove around the entire K Group building once before finally circling back.Just as expected—The luxury cars crowding the entrance earlier had already disappeared.As the car slowly stopped near the front gates, Reid was about to step out when a security guard suddenly marched over aggressively.“Hey!” The guard slapped the hood lightly. “Do you people even know where this is?”His voice dripped with arrogance as he glared through the lowered window.One glance at Reid’s plain black clothes and rugged appearance was enough for the man to sneer openly.In his eyes, Reid looked like some laborer fresh off a construction site.Instantly, his expression turned even more contemptuous.“If you know what’s good for you, get lost.”He pointed toward the building proudly.“Our president is arriving today. If you offend someone important, can you even afford
Scarlett was about to dodge—When suddenly—A hand caught her wrist.Before she could react, an arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her hard against someone’s chest.Her forehead hit something solid.Warm.Firm.A man.Her eyes darkened instantly.She moved to break free—But the arm around her
That single word—“Mommy…”It hit Scarlett like a shockwave.Her heart jolted.For a split second, she was dragged back four years… back to the tiny life she had lost the moment it entered the world.If her child were still alive—He’d be about this age now.The thought tightened painfully in her c
James looked like he was seconds away from snapping.“Scarlett… Hayes.”Her name came out through clenched teeth, each syllable heavy with barely contained rage.Just as he was about to lose control, Sadie reached out and gently tugged on his sleeve.“James… maybe I should talk to her,” she said so
A baby’s cry cut through the sterile room.Just once.Thin. Fragile.Then silence.Fear surged through Scarlett as she strained against the chains binding her wrists and ankles to the hospital bed.“Where’s my baby?” she asked, her voice barely steady.The nurse hesitated.Then, quietly, “We’re sor







