LOGINThe entire night had been deeply exhausting, and she was about ready to close her eyes and sleep when Rory's phone vibrated loudly on the table.Rory’s eyes snapped open. She slowly reached for her phone, her heart nearly stopping when she saw the name on the screen.Rue Rivaz — Incoming Video Call...Rory's hands turned ice-cold as she stared at the glowing screen. Her breathing suddenly accelerated in sheer anxiety. She knew that if Rue saw her inside a hotel room with Richard—especially in this state—he might misinterpret everything. And she knew Rue well; if he got angry, he would abandon everything they had agreed upon, and her entire plan would crumble.The first call ended.Rory quickly stood up from the bed. Her fingers trembled as she hurriedly put her clothes back on. She fixed her disheveled hair, wiped her face, and dusted off her clothes to look presentable before the phone vibrated again for a second call.Taking a deep breath, Rory forced her voice to calm down and acce
Alana sat on the edge of her bed, her head slightly bowed. She slowly raised her hand to stroke her stomach, forcing herself to take deep breaths to calm her rapid, trembling respiration. Her mind had been racing endlessly ever since Richard left to follow Rory.‘Mommy is right...’ Alana whispered to herself, closing her eyes, red from crying. ‘I need to calm down. I have to protect this baby. This is my only remaining trump card to keep Richard from leaving me completely... to make sure he doesn't replace me with Rory again. And I have more right to Richard's surname because I am his real wife. I should be the one preparing for the wedding alongside his mother, not my sister. And for me to do that, I need to deliver this baby safely.’She released a deep sigh. She tried to shift her focus to calming herself, trying to convince her mind that Richard was merely doing everything for the company and for both her and the baby she was carrying.She picked up her phone from the nightstand,
Richard slowly drank his wine until not a single drop was left. Just a few minutes later, his eyelids began to feel heavy. Leaning against the edge of the bed, he tried to speak and reach out for Rory, but his head ultimately slumped onto the soft pillow, and he fell into a deep, heavy snore.Once she was certain he was completely unconscious, the sweet smile instantly vanished from Rory's face. She retrieved the glass from his hand and set it down on the table.She immediately reached for Richard's phone resting on the nightstand. Using the finger of the fast-asleep man, she quickly unlocked the screen.Rory first opened the messaging app. Her brow furrowed upon seeing that the inbox was impeccably clean—his entire conversation history with Alana was deleted, along with his exchanges with her mother, Amanda. She rolled her eyes quietly.‘Taking extra care not to get caught,’ Rory thought, shaking her head.Next, she opened the main Gallery app. She expected to find evidence of their
Richard slammed the apartment door shut, directing his intense anger and disappointment toward Alana and Amanda before rushing down the building to pursue Rory.When Richard emerged into the lobby, his eyes quickly scanned the surroundings. He spotted the young woman by the driveway, waiting for a ride. His hands trembled with anxiety and fear that she might completely change her mind about their upcoming wedding, even as a powerful wave of desire for her consumed him.“Rory! Rory, wait!” Richard shouted as he sprinted toward her.Rory slowly turned around. Before fully facing him, she adjusted her expression, adopting a meek and stoic demeanor. Her eyes were still slightly red as she looked at the man rushing toward her.“Richard? Why did you follow me?” Rory asked softly, her voice trembling. “I told you to spend some time inside. Alana and Mommy need you more—”“No, Rory, please, listen to me,” Richard stammered desperately, quickly taking both of her hands in his. “Pay no mind to
Amanda quickly pushed Richard into the other room before rushing toward the apartment door. Taking a deep breath to catch her composure, she slowly opened it. Rory stood in the hallway, looking utterly elegant with her head slightly tilted, holding a small paper bag. An awkward smile played on her lips as she gazed at her mother's flustered face. "Mommy," Rory greeted warmly and with concern as she stepped inside. "Why was the door password changed? The old code kept giving me an error. I thought something terrible had happened to you here." Amanda swallowed hard, rapidly coming up with an excuse. "A-Ah, Rory! It’s you... Well, Alana changed it this morning because she was panicked by the news about a burglar in the neighboring building. Besides, you mentioned you wouldn't be coming home for a while, right? That’s why we forgot to tell you." "Is that so?" Rory replied, her eyes sweeping across the living room. She immediately spotted a pair of men's shoes near the entrance and a lu
At the Salazar home…Alana sat on the edge of the bed, her body trembling violently as she wept in intense rage and humiliation."I hate you, Rory! You’re a devill!" Alana screamed, slamming her fist into a pillow once more. "You act so holy! You even dared to show off right in front of me! And Richard... that useless coward just let his mother trample all over me!"Amanda rushed into the room and immediately shut the door behind her. Her eyes widened in shock as she took in the chaotic state of the room and her daughter's pale, sweaty face."Alana, please, calm down!" Amanda cried out, stepping forward to grasp her daughter's shoulders. "Think about the baby! Something terrible could happen if you go wild like this! You'll put your pregnancy at risk! Richard and his family will only reject you more. That child in your womb is your key to getting in and being accepted by them.""I don't care!" Alana retorted hysterically, sniffling. "Did you see how Mrs. Summers humiliated me?! And Ro







