LOGINThe seatbelt clicked into place, and Carter let out a quiet breath.Meanwhile, Arielle and Adrian watched as Lauren's figure faded into the distance. A dull ache rose in their chests.They couldn't help wondering why every mother they had ever had eventually left."Dad?" Adrian's voice was barely ab
Lauren let out a laugh right after.Perhaps some people just weren't meant to be together.So, after the family event, she invited Carter and the kids out to dinner. The restaurant she chose was on the pricier end, and she'd planned to spend half a month's salary on that one meal.At dinner, Arielle
Resting her chin on one hand, Lauren continued to tutor Adrian and Arielle, her tone patient but firm. "Look, this one's a grammatical error."The kids were bright, and they picked things up fast. Lauren nodded, pleased with their progress. "Not bad. You two definitely take after your dad.""Were yo
"Make sure you save it for me, okay? Don't sneak any for yourself. I'm saving up for a house," Lauren said.Affording a mansion was out of the question in this lifetime, but an apartment in an upscale neighborhood might be possible. Still, in a city like Draventh, even that wasn't easy.Lauren wasn'
A dull ache stabbed through Lauren's chest. All of a sudden, she sprang up from the ground, threw herself into Carter's arms, and let out a raw, anguished cry.She broke down completely. Her wails were hoarse and filled with grief as they tore through the air.Carter, Arielle, and Adrian were all sp
On the drive to Colburn, Carter watched the streets and buildings roll past outside the window.This was the city where he had spent most of his life. He'd grown up here, and every street seemed to hold a piece of his past.Out of nowhere, Lauren asked, "You must've shared a lot of memories here wit
No one knew what had happened at the Ravelle residence yesterday.The Sniders wouldn't mention it, the Ravelles wouldn't either, and Carter was still in the hospital receiving IV fluids and resting.Seeing Rhea enter, Evelyn quickly called out, "Rhea, come try this! These pastries are amazing. It's
Carter didn't overthink it. Early the next morning, he sent the two kids to Kate's place.As Kate looked at them, her smile was softer and warmer than usual. "Don't worry. I'll make sure they get to Rhea safely."Carter glanced at his kids and asked, "Remember what I said?"Arielle nodded, smiling.
Kate smiled. "This place isn't even the best spot. I'll take you somewhere better next time."Elena said, "There's no need for that. I don't come to Draventh often anyway. But I did hear a few things. Have you been having some conflict with your friend?"Kate pressed her lips together. "You knew abo
The more Kate admired George, the more unfair it seemed, to the point where she thought that Rhea didn't deserve him.Connor frowned. "Kate… How did you end up like this?"At that, Kate turned to him sharply. "I've always been like this. You taught me that if I wanted to do something, I had to do it







