MasukIn the end, Lydia gave a faint smile. “No. Of course not.”“Let’s move,” Cale said flatly.They left the suite at a brisk pace. The hotel corridor looked calm, too calm, with thick carpet swallowing the sound of footsteps and warm yellow lights making everything appear normal. Yet that very stillnes
Three knocks sounded at the suite door, soft but clear enough to cut through the tension hanging in the air. No one moved for a fraction of a second. It was as if the entire room had stopped breathing together.Lydia, standing near the table, instinctively turned toward the door. Her fingers were gr
Don Falcon’s office occupied the highest floor of the mansion, overlooking a stretch of city that seemed small beneath the vast glass windows. But that morning, no one in the room dared appreciate the view. The air felt heavy, dense with pressure that came entirely from the man seated behind the gle
“Not if it’s treated immediately.” The doctor looked at Cale calmly. “But she needs complete rest. No stress, no fear, and she must not be left alone.”Lydia raised a brow. “That last part sounds important.”Dr. Weber took out fever medication and wrote an additional prescription. “I’ll give her an
The hotel room door flew open harder than usual. Fast footsteps entered the main suite, followed by a rush of cold air from the hallway before the door could close again.Cale came in first, still wearing the same suit he had left in that morning. His face was unreadable, but the tight line of his j
“Like what?”“Being… warm to strangers.”Lydia chewed slowly before answering. “No. I’m selective.”“Then why me?”“I don’t know,” Lydia said lightly. “Maybe fate?”That answer left Naomi quiet.To shift the mood, Lydia began talking about small, ordinary things. About a woman named Althea who, in h
Heavy rain drenched SunCity that night. The sky was dark, thunder rolling in the distance, lightning briefly illuminating the streets below.Inside the warm playroom, Daven lay fast asleep on the carpeted floor, Josh nestled against his chest, Grace curled safely in his arms.Althea stood in the doo
Althea’s sobs hadn’t stopped when a sharp knock echoed from the front door. Since the dreadful call had come, Lydia hadn’t left her side. The housekeeper hurried to open it, and there stood Riana, Daniel, and Chris—each of them looking pale and stricken, as if the news had just crashed into their wo
Riana looked at her gently. “He hasn’t said when he’s leaving?”“Not yet,” Althea replied with a small shake of her head. “He said he’s still waiting on a few documents. But I can tell—when Chase starts talking in that serious tone of his, it means he won’t be here much longer.”Kate leaned back sli
“Grace, sweetheart, are you sure you don’t want to bring your teddy bear?”Althea spoke softly as she adjusted a tiny sunhat on her four-year-old daughter’s head.“No need, Mommy. Teddy gets scared when it rains,” Grace giggled, swinging her little bunny-shaped bag over her shoulder.Josh, lounging







