Ashley leaned against the leather seat while the car drove at a steady speed. Her train of thought was on Scottie.
At this point in her life, it was embarrassing to say, but she had never taken her son to kindergarten. Thinking about it, the remorse she was feeling continued to pile up. Indeed, loving Jaxon Elijah was poison.
She could not imagine her beloved son growing up without having both of his parents’ attention just because his daddy was always busy and his mommy was always chasing his father.
A pathetic smile was reflected on the window’s reflection.
“Miss, we’re here.” Ashley only pulled herself out of her thoughts when the chauffeur reminded her.
“Wait here.”
With that, Ashley pushed open the door and got out of the car. When she left the villa, she had put on a long jacket over her skirt. However, it was still a little chilly on the evening of spring. She could not help but roll down her sleeves.
The Woodhill Kindergarten was the most prestigious kindergarten in the city. The children who attended this kindergarten were either rich or noble. She seemed to have arrived a little late, and there were only a few people left in front of the kindergarten.
Realizing that school was over, Ashley felt a little regretful. She turned around and was about to go back. However, just as she turned around, she seemed to have sensed something and turned back to take a look. She saw a pair of clear green eyes staring at her through the window of the kindergarten guard’s office.
Just one look at her son, this was all it took for Ashley to lose her composure. A lone tear fell from her right eye. It fell so fast that it seemed like an imagination to those who caught a glimpse of it.
“Scottie,” whispered Ashley.
‘You are alive.’ She thought. Emotions ran rampant in her as she fought the urge to bawl her eyes out in front of her son’s kindergarten.
The last thing she wanted was to be called a weirdo by her son.
With that thought in mind, Ashley smiled and walked toward the child. Swallowing the clog in her throat, Ashley clenched and unclenched her fists under her coat’s pockets to relieve the coldness and sweat of her palms.
She pushed open the door to the guardhouse and saw the child’s face.
“Scottie, Mommy’s here to pick you up.” In a sweet voice, Ashley opened her arms. “ Come home with Mommy.”
Crouching down, Ashley looked at the adorable and chubby little dumpling. She recalled the child’s nickname and spoke gently.
However, the little dumpling appeared to be slightly resistant. He glanced at her with teary eyes and lowered his head in hesitation and sorrow.
“Little kid, is she really your mother?”
At first, the guard thought that the overly beautiful girl looked a little like the little kid, but seeing the child’s resistance, he began to suspect that the woman was here to kidnap and sell the child. His hand quietly reached for the pager.
Hearing the guard’s words, the little dumpling lifted his head and glanced once more at Ashley. In her eyes, he could see warmth and gentleness that he had never seen before.
In the past, his mother would never look at him this way. She would only tell him that she had to go after his father and she promised to be with him with his father. She was never able to do it, so she was never able to spend time with him. Whenever Scottie would try to go to his mother, he could only see the sad look of her mother as she shut herself in her villa.
But now, she looked so warm, and Scottie could not help but want to get closer to her.
“Scottie, come back with Mommy, alright?” Looking at the little dumpling’s pitiful gaze, Ashley’s heart ached with tender affection. She couldn’t help but reach out and stroke his soft hair.
The moment Ashley’s hand made contact with her son’s hair, her hand almost shook as she released a shaky breath. Blinking away the tears, she maintained her sweet smile.
The little dumpling was stunned when he was suddenly touched on the head. His already large eyes grew even larger.
Was this the feeling of having a mother?
Scottie nodded.
The little dumpling had never experienced what it was like to have a mother. He was so envious of his friends in kindergarten who had parents coming to pick them up every day. Even if his mother was just acting on a whim right now, it didn’t matter. He still wanted to feel like he had a mother – even for once.
Upon hearing the little dumpling’s affirmative reply, the security guard was finally willing to let him go. Ashley held the little dumpling’s hand and walked toward their car.
This was the first time in her two lifetimes that she held her son’s life at this age. This was also the first time in her two lives that Ashley took her from kindergarten.
The chauffeur sat in the car and watched as Ashley held the little boss’s hand and walked towards him. They were surprisingly harmonious.
‘Miss Ashley was so busy chasing master and never spent any time for her son. Has the sun risen from the west today?’ The chauffeur could not help but ask himself.
However, the Boss disliked the so-called Madam very much and did not allow the little boss to get close to her.
‘Does the Boss know about this? What is Miss Ashley trying to do?’
Reminded of Master’s ruthless means, the chauffeur could not help but shiver.
“Let’s go home.” Ashley brought Scottie into the car. The chauffeur was still in a daze.
“Yes, Miss.”
On the other hand, someone had already received the information about this little happening.
“Boss, the kindergarten said that little boss was taken away by Miss Ashley. We checked the surveillance cameras and it was indeed Miss Ashley.”
This piece of news received from the earphone stopped the man from looking at the document. A trace of disgust flashed across his eyes.
“Bring my son back to the manor.”
“Yes, Boss.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the luxurious office fell silent once again. The cold environment did not fit in with the bustling world outside the window.
By the time Ashley returned to the villa with her little dumpling, the sky had already darkened and filled with stars.
The little dumpling had been wrapped in Ashley’s arms ever since they had boarded the car. He was a bundle of softness with a hint of innocence. Because he had never come into contact with Ashley in such a manner before, he appeared to be rather restrained.
“Let’s go inside for dinner, Scottie.”
Ashley carried the little dumpling out of the car and held his hand.
“Okay.” Upon hearing Ashley call his nickname, the little dumpling’s chubby cheeks flushed red. It was the first time his mother had carried him like this.
Thinking of what his mother usually did in the past, tears of grievance welled up in his eyes. He secretly turned his head to look at Ashley.
How nice would it be if his mother had always been so gentle to him?
Sensing her son’s gaze, Ashley turned her head and saw the adorable child pouting and looking at her with tears in his eyes. Her heart softened.
Crouching down to meet his height, she touched the child’s head and looked straight into his big eyes. Somehow, she knew what her son was thinking through those green eyes of his.
“Scottie, what happened in the past was Mommy’s mistake. Mommy will treat you very well in the future.”
Hearing Ashley’s words, the little dumpling’s eyes widened. His mother said that she would treat him well. Was this true?
He had been pushed away again and again whenever he tried to get closer to her initially. He had already made up his mind to ignore this bad mother of his, but he still needed her. He yearned for her love.
Seeing the gentle smile on Ashley’s face and feeling the warmth of her hand on his head, he finally broke into a smile and pounced into Ashley’s embrace.
When the bundle of joy pounced into her arms, Ashley’s heart trembled. Biting back the sob that was threatening to escape from her, she tightened her embraced around her son’s small shoulder. The image of his cold corpse could never be erased in her mind no matter how much she tried.
Upon hearing the sound of the car, Nanny Doris came out to welcome them. She was already shocked that Ashley would be back for dinner, but what was even more shocking was when she saw the mother and son hugging each other happily.
Didn’t Miss Ashley see her son as a hindrance to her conquest of conquering the Boss? What was going on?
However, after her long experience of serving the family, she naturally knew what to do and what not to do. She controlled the expression on her face and walked towards Ashley.
“Miss, Little Boss, the food is ready. Please enjoy your dinner.”
Ashley let go of Scottie, but he seemed a little reluctant. His mother’s embrace was too warm for him to let go. He looked at Nanny Doris resentfully before taking large strides to keep up with Ashley.
Nanny Doris stood rooted to the ground. How did she offend the Little Boss?
When they entered the house, the servants had already set up the dishes. Steam curled up under the light and a fragrant smell wafted into Ashley’s nostrils.
“We didn’t know that Miss and Little Boss would come back together, so we only had time to make some home-cooked dishes. We will make the food again.”
Although Ashley had been staying here for three years after her marriage, she had always treated this place as a place to sleep. She would go out and spy on her husband, making sure that her paranoia about his cheating scandal was not real.
Ashley could only shake her head at her past self’s foolishness.
She glanced at the dishes on the table. It was more than enough for the mother and son.
“No need, we’ll just eat this. Nanny Doris, take Scottie to wash his hands.”
The servants, who thought they would be scolded by Ashley, were all surprised.
Wasn’t Miss Ashley too easygoing today? What was going on?
Ever since their first fight, life had not gotten any easier for Talia. If anything, it had become even harder.Lucas, once patient and composed, had grown irritable and restless. He hated being weak, hated relying on her, and the frustration bled into everything he did. He snapped more often, his words sharper than he likely intended, but the damage was done each time. And Talia—Talia, who had already carried so much weight on her shoulders—chose to step back instead of fueling the fire.Not for herself, but for Tasha.Their daughter, still too young to understand the depth of their struggles, had always been a bright spark in their darkest days. Talia refused to let that spark fade.So when Lucas’s voice took on that cold edge, when his temper flared over something as small as her adjusting his pillow or offering to help him sit up, Talia swallowed her own frustration and let it go. She bit back the pain, the hurt, and the urge to lash back. She stepped away before Tasha could see,
The days had turned into months, and Talia had settled into a relentless routine.Between taking care of Lucas, working at the library, and making sure Tasha had everything she needed, there was never enough time. But today—today was different. Today, something miraculous had happened.Lucas had woken up.After months of watching him waste away in his coma, after months of feeding him, cleaning him, speaking to him without response—he had opened his eyes. He had whispered her name in a voice so weak and fragile that it had nearly broken her. But he was awake. He was alive.“W-Wife…” He whispered.Talia froze in shock for a split second before she cried out in surprise and happiness. “Lucas?!”And for the first time in what felt like forever, Talia saw hope.She had spent the day by his side, holding his hand, talking to him, helping him sip water from a straw. His body was weak, too weak to even sit up on his own, but he was there. He was present. It was more than she could have ever
The days blurred into an endless cycle of exhaustion.Talia barely slept anymore.Between tending to Tasha at the hospital, checking on Lucas at home, and working at the library to keep them afloat, there was no time to rest. Every hour of her day was spoken for, every moment accounted for. It was a delicate balance, one that she couldn’t afford to lose, but the weight of it pressed down on her like a vice.Her body was slowly giving out.Tasha’s fever had finally broken, but she was still weak. The doctors wanted to keep her in the hospital for a few more days to monitor her condition. Lucas, on the other hand, had taken a turn for the worse. His body was growing frailer by the day, and without proper medical intervention, she feared the inevitable. She knew he needed professional care, but there was no money for that. Every cent she had went into keeping a roof over their heads and putting food—what little she could afford—on the table.She had no one to turn to. No allies. No suppo
The apartment was small—too small for three people, especially when one of them needed around-the-clock care. Talia stared at the single bed pushed against the wall, where Lucas lay unmoving, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm, unaware of the world around him. In the other corner, her daughter, Tasha, sat cross-legged on the floor, coloring with the few crayons she had managed to bring from their old home.Talia let out a slow breath, exhaustion pressing against her shoulders like an invisible weight. She had lived many lives, died twice, and yet, nothing could have prepared her for this.Her old lives had been filled with power, darkness, and control. She had never known the taste of struggle, not like this. It was absurd, really. Once, she had commanded armies of men, had resources at her fingertips, had struck fear into the hearts of people with nothing but her name. And now, she was in a rundown apartment with peeling wallpaper and a rickety heater that barely worked.
Five months had passed since Ashley and Jaxon decided to give their family a true second chance.Now, seated in the plush back seat of their luxury SUV, Ashley’s fingers traced over the financial reports on her tablet screen. The elegant logo of Rosemary Jewelry and Rosemary Real Estate gleamed in the corner, a reminder of the empire she had built with her own hands. At the time, these companies were meant to be her insurance, a safeguard in case she had to walk away from Jaxon and start anew. But now, things had changed. She had chosen to stay. To build not just a business empire, but a family.The numbers on the reports reflected her hard work.Rosemary Jewelry, a brand that had once been a small passion project, was now a name whispered among high society. Celebrities, heiresses, and tycoons adorned themselves with her pieces, and international boutiques clamored for exclusive contracts. On the other hand, Rosemary Real Estate was a rising force, acquiring prime properties and maki
The steam clung to Ashley’s skin as she stepped out of the bathroom, her damp hair cascading over her shoulders. A plush towel was wrapped securely around her body, but she hardly paid attention to the fabric covering her as she reached for the hairdryer on the vanity. The sound of movement near the closet made her pause.She turned her head—and then froze.Jaxon stood with his back to her, his broad shoulders flexing as he ran a towel through his damp hair. The dim lighting of their bedroom accentuated every ridge and valley of his toned muscles, the chiseled perfection of his body honed through years of discipline and training. But it wasn’t just the raw masculinity of his physique that stole Ashley’s breath—it was the dark, intricate ink stretching across his back.Her name was there.Ashley Elijah.Just beneath it, an elegant script detailed a date—one that sent an icy shiver down her spine. The date of her death in her past life.Her breath hitched in her throat, her pulse thrumm