LOGINWatching Isolde's "clumsy" sabotage and the ruined breakfast, Bruce did not show a trace of anger. Instead, he grinned. His eyes shone with open indulgence and pleasure.Heat rushed to Claudia's head. Her chest burned, and the edges of her vision dimmed.She clenched her teeth and used nearly all her strength to steady her voice as she forced out the words. "It's just a plate of grapes. If it's gone, it's gone, maid."She stressed the last word, then added through gritted teeth, "Take this plate of grapes away."If Isolde wanted trouble, Claudia would not let it pass easily. She would not end this breakfast. She would make Isolde carry the plate away and watch Bruce sit here and finish the rest of the meal with her.No matter how much Bruce loved Isolde, this half hour belonged to Claudia.Claudia fixed Isolde with a provocative look, her eyes bright with challenge, waiting for her to falter in embarrassment.But Isolde seemed not to notice. She kept her composed smile, her tone
Bruce had long grown immune to her demands. Not even a frown crossed his face.Without expression, he picked up the small silver fork, speared a grape, and reached across half the table to bring it straight to her mouth.The motion was brisk, almost rough, edged with impatience.Claudia did not even blink. She seemed to take a perverse pleasure in being fed this way. "Bruce, remember, in this life you've only fed two women. One is Isolde, and the other is me."If she could not be the only one, she would be the second. She wanted him to remember her for the rest of his life.A flicker of annoyance passed through Bruce's eyes. He did not reply. He simply pushed the fork closer to her mouth, eager to finish.Claudia parted her red lips, ready to bite the grape.At that moment, a porcelain coffee pot appeared, blocking the fork just before it reached her lips.Her brow furrowed. 'Which careless maid dared to act without regard for protocol?'She looked up, anger rising, only for h
Bruce frowned. "Set the record straight? How—"Before he could finish, Isolde rose onto her tiptoes and leaned in close without warning.Her soft, slightly cool lips pressed gently against his.Bruce's mind went blank. All the noise, all the surging anger and resentment, vanished in an instant. The world narrowed to that single, soft, dangerous touch on his lips.Isolde had taken the initiative. She had kissed him. In the bustling airport hall, she lifted her delicate face and kissed him.Bruce's pupils trembled, and his heart jolted before racing out of control. Thrill and joy surged like a burst dam, flooding every limb and nerve.Only then did he realize that maybe this rumor was not so bad after all. This unexpected perk was simply irresistible.The next morning, in the palace suite…The curtains were drawn and the light dim.Isolde lay curled in the soft bedding, asleep and at peace.A steady knock sounded outside the door. "Mr. Princeton, the princess requests your pres
Bruce's nose brushed lightly against Isolde\s. The intimacy sent a sharp electric thrill through Isolde, a tingling rush that swept from head to toe.His low, seductive whisper brushed her ear. "You figure it out yourself."'Figure out what?' Isolde's thoughts scattered. The man before her was irresistibly charming, and her heart raced out of control.One wild thought took hold. 'Four days… I don't even want to share him with anyone for a single minute.'He was hers.Bruce let out a low laugh, his chest vibrating with quiet delight. He adored her jealousy, her petty possessiveness, all of it directed at him. Whether it was real or feigned, born of love or something else, he accepted it without reservation.He drew her tightly into his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head. His voice was deep and steady. "All right. Then you won't have to. For the next four days, we'll stay together and pass the time. When they're over, I'll take you to Caldovia, and we'll have a proper ho
Bruce's pupils flickered, each word she spoke striking his ears like thunder.Isolde knew the truth. Just as he had once expected, she chose not to continue the treatment. But her reason overturned everything he had assumed. It was not pride or responsibility. She cared more about him. She had said it plainly: he mattered more than healing her hands.Shock and various emotions surged through him, tightening his throat until he could not speak.Isolde's soft words were lethal, leaving him with no defense.Bruce drew a steady breath and forced himself to regain a measure of clarity. His voice came out low and firm. "Your hands must be treated. Isolde, I don't need you to make that choice for me. Your hands matter. You should live freely and do whatever you want."If you want to be a research genius, then be one. If you want to be the boss's wife, then be that. You shouldn't be forced to choose only the latter. Besides…"He paused, his tone softening. "Things aren't as serious as yo
The car sped along and finally stopped outside the international airport's departure hall.Bruce stared at the terminal through the window, his brows slightly furrowed.Isolde had already stepped out. She looped her arm through his and led him inside. She brought him to the counter and had the staff print two tickets. They were for a flight to Caldovia, departing in one hour.They were one-way tickets with no return."Karsden is too cold. I've wanted to go to Caldovia to soak up the sun for a long time." Isolde tilted her face up at him, her eyes bright with anticipation. "Travel should be spontaneous. That's where the surprise comes from. Hubby, let's go. We've been married so long and never even had a honeymoon. This time, think of it as making it up to me, okay?"Bruce did not answer at once. He looked at the destination and departure time on the tickets, his brows knitting tighter, his voice low. "You have treatment tomorrow.""I don't want to continue it," Isolde said firmly
Isolde's anxious mind latched onto the clue. "What happened to him?""Fine. I'll be nice and tell you all about it," Sandra said.She sounded less generous than thrilled to deliver bad news. "Bruce spent 700,000,000 dollars on the medicine and another sizeable fortune covering the losses of your a
The taxi stopped outside the entrance to Nightfall. Isolde hurried upstairs to where Joan was, carrying a tray of cake and coffee."Is he back?" she asked.Joan looked up. "What? He didn't tell you he went out?"Isolde froze. She called Bruce. No one answered. She tried Walter next. The butler us
Isolde's real plan hinged on getting help from K.She had exchanged a few messages with K online before and knew he ranked among the sharpest minds in AI engineering. If she could bring him onto the team, he could help her develop the algorithms and programs needed to commercialize the androids wit
Sandra was on the verge of collapse. "Jason! Are you really going to stand by and watch me get kicked out?"Jason fell silent for a moment. Then he lowered his voice and offered a dangerous suggestion. "Haven't you already gotten married? You're Alan's legal wife. Find a way to transfer funds from







