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
The real competition officially began.Rhea leaned in and whispered a few things to Louie. The latter nodded, looking like he would follow her lead.From his seat in the back left, Carter caught the exchange, and it irritated him.This pre-bid conference wasn't meant to announce the successful bidde
A maid suddenly knocked at the door. "Mr. Jamison, Ms. Thayer just left."Carter turned sharply. "She left? Where to?""She said she was moving out."Upon hearing that, Carter didn't even say a single word. He left Rhea behind and rushed out the door without a second thought.Rhea stood there, feeli
Lauren had stumbled into the Jamison residence past midnight the day before. She'd finished her IV treatment at the hospital around 11:00 pm, yet she still felt dizzy. Looking completely miserable, she had no choice but to drag herself to Carter for help.She was burning up with fever, and the shot
"Are you really staying here tonight and not going home?" Maeve was genuinely surprised.Rhea, who used to treat those two kids like her own flesh and blood, was actually letting go for once.They sat around a small table. Maeve had prepared a spread of late-night snacks, but Rhea barely touched a b







