LOGINIn 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
“Can I… talk to you for a moment?” Eli asked quickly. “If you don’t mind.”Josh glanced around, then looked back at her. “Now?”He could already tell how many eyes were on them. How could they not be? Eli stood out in her Saint Loisse uniform. Her school was known as SunRise Academy’s biggest rival.
Althea gave a faint smile and turned back to the headstone. “I believe in you,” she said firmly. “I believe you never betrayed us.”She touched the stone with her fingertips—lightly, but with profound meaning.“If you were still here,” she continued, “you’d be angry seeing your name used like this.
“Not directly involved, but his movements are suspicious,” Chris explained. “There were several periods when he was nowhere to be found. It looks like he was searching for the man you’re holding, Daven. I don’t think he’s just someone hired to stir up trouble here and there. His role is significant—
“Yes,” Nathan nodded. “And you should know—your age now is almost the same as his was when he first dared to talk back to me. Your tone, the way you hold back your emotions… it’s remarkably similar.”Josh fell silent for a moment. Something warm settled in his chest every time his grandfather spoke







