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
"Tell them, if Sawyer is ever in danger, do whatever it takes to help him," Jackson instructed.His men nodded. "Yes, Mr. Ortega.""Mr. Ortega, your tortoise has arrived."Jackson had a bunch of pets, but they were all the same kind—turtles and tortoises.He joked that old folks said people started
Wanting to recover from her injury as soon as possible, Lauren forced herself to finish her plate of pasta and even had half a serving of steak.She had paid for her meals! Why shouldn't she eat?"Was she that hungry?" Adrian's eyes went wide.The two kids, already finished with dinner, sat quietly
Kate gritted her teeth at the sight of Laurel's groveling attitude. If Rhea could give someone as pathetic as Lauren a pass, why was she so dead-set on making Kate's life miserable?It was bad enough that Rhea had stolen George from her. But was that all it took for Rhea to hate her?Kate was filled
At Jamison Manor, Arielle and Adrian ran to greet Carter as he returned from his business trip. "Dad!"But the moment they spotted Lauren behind him, leaning on a crutch, both kids instinctively took two steps back.Lauren didn't seem offended. She calmly said, "Relax. I'm not here to play mommy. I







