LOGINLeon's brow furrowed as he told his driver to pull over.They stepped out one after the other and moved beneath the shadows of the trees lining the pavement."You waited here on purpose." Something in Leon's voice carried an emotion he couldn't quite identify.He and this half-brother had always kept their distance. Whatever brought Hugo there tonight, it was no coincidence.Hugo stood with one hand tucked into the pocket of his overcoat, his posture loose and unhurried. The easy warmth he showed around Diana had vanished completely. In its place was something cold, sharp, and unfamiliar."Convenient timing," he said flatly. "Though I did want to talk."Leon studied him without much surprise. If anything, his curiosity had been stirred. "About what?"He genuinely couldn't imagine what they had to discuss. The inheritance? That matter had already been settled. Beyond that, they had never shared a single common interest or hobby.Hugo glanced at him, his tone almost casual. "Abou
The muscles along Leon's back tightened, almost imperceptibly. His lips parted.When he spoke, his voice had gone slightly dry. "I thought you were only saying it out of anger. Haven't we been good together all these years?"By the standards of their world, they had been a model couple. His private life had always been spotless. Indulging Helen was the worst of it, and compared to the other men in their circle, that still counted for something.He had assumed their marriage would continue the way it always had.Diana's smile never reached her eyes."What do you think?" Her voice remained as level as ever, without the slightest rise or fall. Even so, it made his scalp prickle."What I did with Helen was wrong. I let her get away with too much. But from now on, I'll—""Stop."There was no anger in the interruption, only a coldness that left no room for negotiation.She held his gaze steadily. "You're an adult. Every choice you make comes with consequences. You already knew that,
A cold wind moved through the dark.Leon stood beneath a streetlamp in his precisely tailored suit, his silhouette stretched long across the pavement, carrying a faint, unintentional loneliness."Hugo, you're here too?" He acknowledged his brother with a glance before looking past him toward Diana, who stood a few steps away.His throat tightened. "Diana. I'd like to talk."Diana looked at him, her expression unreadable.She had expected this. Turning back to Hugo, she said, "Hugo, have the driver take you to the hotel. If you need anything, contact me or Ray."Some matters were easier handled through Raymond."Of course." Hugo gave a small nod, his tone calm and unhurried. "Diana, if anything comes up... you can always reach out to me too."His gaze shifted to Leon for only a moment. The look was shallow and unreadable, revealing nothing on the surface that could be named. Even so, it left Leon with a distinct and inexplicable sense of pressure.The car pulled away. The sound
The nurse's words settled over the room, followed by complete silence.Leon's face darkened and went still as he fixed the nurse with a sharp look. "Transfer to which hospital? Who arranged this?""Mr. Kingston, we only received notice to arrange Miss Parker's transfer." The nurse remained calm and composed. "As for the destination, that decision will need to come from you. At this stage, we can only assist with the paperwork."Everything in her tone made it clear that the matter wasn't open for discussion.Helen stared at Leon, lost and bewildered. "Leon, is Diana really that angry with me? Is she truly determined to leave me with nowhere to go?"Leon glanced at her. The absolute dependence in her eyes, always fixed on him, only deepened his headache.He knew Diana. This was beneath her.Without another word, he walked to the window and called his assistant. "The hospital is pushing for Helen's transfer. Find out who's behind it.""Right away."The reply came within minutes.
In the hospital, Helen lay in bed, every trace of color drained from her face. She watched Leon step in from the balcony, his expression dark after the phone call.Something stirred in her chest. She quickly arranged her face into an urgent expression and made a show of trying to sit up. "Mr. Kingston, I've already said your wife didn't push me on purpose. Please don't argue with her because of me..."She had spent enough time beside Leon to develop a decent read on Diana. A woman that proud would never lower herself to explain a misunderstanding to her husband. The harder Leon pressed, the further apart they would drift.What Helen hadn't expected was the look on his face when his eyes settled on her.His gaze sharpened. He said nothing. He simply watched her, his scrutiny open and unguarded.Helen maintained her composure for the first minute or so. Then the weight of his stare began to wear on her. Her scalp prickled, her expression tightened slightly, and discomfort edged into
On the other end of the line, Diana's voice remained cool and devoid of feeling. A life had been lost, yet she spoke as though it carried no weight at all.Leon's frustration surged at once, a sharp throb building at his temples. Even so, he kept his voice controlled. "Diana, you weren't like this before. No matter the circumstances, you shouldn't have laid hands on her."The disappointment in his tone was unmistakable. In his memory, Diana had always been cold and precise, but never cruel. She wasn't someone who would treat a human life as though it meant nothing.He hadn't even paused to explain how the miscarriage had really happened.Diana had no interest in continuing the argument.Then his last remark settled heavily between them.Not far away, Hugo let his gaze drift, seemingly careless, across the straight line of Diana's back. He caught the brief stillness that passed through her. It was enough for him to understand that she had once felt something for Leon.That didn't
Just as Sydney opened the car door, Penelope's voice rang out from the front of the lot. "Syd, what a coincidence. Did you somehow know Cal was giving me a car and come all this way just to see it?"Sydney frowned and turned.Penelope wasn't alone. Caleb stood beside her in a sharp iron-gray three
Julian already scheduled two full health check-ups for Agatha every year. No one knew her body better than he did.Agatha glared at him. "What incompetent doctor? That young lady is doing just fine. She's skilled, steady, and knows exactly what she's doing."Her eyes suddenly lit up. "She'd make a
Sydney knew she couldn't avoid it. Her fingertips grazed her palm as she spoke in a low, steady voice. "Yes, he's been very busy lately. He said he'd try to come once he's done.""Hmph!" Eloise, seated across from her, zeroed in with mockery."Busy with work, or busy with something else?" she croo
Those two words—Divorce him—coming from Julian's mouth didn't surprise Sydney in the least. He had said the same thing years ago, back when she insisted on marrying Caleb.Julian had always lived in a world above the clouds, unable to understand that, for someone like her, marrying Caleb had once b







