LOGINUnderstanding exactly what his wife wanted, Cale could only let out a long breath and shake his head faintly. He refused her unspoken request. To him, this was not the right time.Then he looked at Naomi for several seconds. “I did know your father well.”“That’s not an answer,” Naomi shot back at o
“Why not?” Naomi demanded, unable to hide the indignation in her voice. “They were my parents. Why can’t I visit their graves?”Cale took a slow step toward her while Naomi continued glaring at him.The photo frame was still in her hands as the atmosphere in the room tightened even further. Her fing
“Aunt Lydia!” the little girl squealed dramatically. “I missed you!”She bolted straight toward Lydia, completely ignoring her father’s warning to be careful. The young man who had seemed absorbed in his own world suddenly broke into a run as well.“Oh, my darlings!” Lydia welcomed them warmly.She
Three days after arriving in Hong Kong, Naomi’s fever had finally broken completely.Her body still tired easily, but color had begun to return to her once-pale face. The room prepared for her was on the eastern side of the mansion, overlooking a wide garden with a small pond and carefully arranged
Several minutes later, Falcon raised a hand.Everything stopped.Andrew collapsed face-first onto the floor, his body trembling from pain.“Why are you still holding on?” Falcon asked.Andrew spat blood across the marble, then looked up at him through swollen eyes. “Because... there are people worth
Don Falcon’s study still carried the remains of anger that had not yet burned itself out.A crystal glass lay shattered in the corner, its fragments glittering across the marble floor. One chair had been shoved violently out of place, and the heavy scent of alcohol mixed with cigarette smoke lingere
“I didn’t realize you two were close,” Althea said, shifting slightly in her seat so she could speak more comfortably with Josh.The car rolled away from the restaurant at an easy pace. City lights flickered on one by one, their reflections sliding across the windows. Josh sat quietly in the passeng
“No,” she growled under her breath. “Not today.”Eli opened her eyes; her breath caught in her throat.“Tomorrow is important,” Selena continued, more to herself than to Eli. “Your face can’t look ruined.”Eli stared at her mother, confused. “Important for what?”“Go to your room,” Selena ordered. “
“Yes. He didn’t like it,” Lydia continued. “He said if Selena had a goal, why did she have to force Eli like that? Josh felt sorry for her. He said… Eli is a good girl.”Silence followed, as if each of them was processing the weight of Lydia’s words. None of them had expected Selena to be using Eli
Oscar slowly lifted his head. His breathing was ragged, his chest rising and falling unevenly.“If you refuse,” Cale continued—his voice calm, stripped of any overt threat, which somehow made it far more terrifying—“you never should’ve thought about refusing in the first place. You do remember your







