LOGIN"I warned you about this, Morgan," I said, leaning close to his ear, my voice low and laced with unconcealed menace.By then, security personnel had already undone the restraints binding Theo.He ran toward me the moment he was free. "Mommy!"I immediately scooped Theo up, soothing him softly. "It's alright now. There's no need to be scared anymore." Then, I passed him over to Lucian, who had hurried over. "Take Theo to the car first. I'll handle things here." Lucian nodded and left with Theo, escorted by a few security personnel.Only after I was certain they were safely gone did I let go of Morgan and shove him toward the security personnel standing nearby. "Watch him."Morgan's hair was disheveled, his clothes were rumpled, and his face was smudged with grime. None of his former polish remained. He looked up at me, his eyes filled with despair and the hollow aftermath of his frenzy. "Valencia… How could you do this to me…?"I looked down at him, my gaze devoid of any war
From that day on, I arranged for bodyguards to stay with Lucian and Theo at all times.When I returned from a business trip, I received a photo from an unfamiliar number. It showed Theo sitting in an unfamiliar room, while Lucian held him tightly. However, Lucian's face was pale, and he was already unconscious. My blood ran cold in an instant.Morgan Lancaster! How dare he!A mix of rage and fear rose within me, but I forced myself to stay calm. I immediately attempted to contact Lucian, canceled all appointments, and hurried there.The abandoned textile factory was huge and dilapidated, the air thick with the stench of rust and dust.Following the instructions, I went up to the second floor and saw them. Theo was tied to a chair. His mouth was taped shut, and his face was streaked with tears.Morgan stood beside them, flanked by two shady-looking men. "You're finally here, Valencia." He glanced at me with a strange, maniacal calmness in his eyes. "I knew it. I knew you'd com
Valencia's First-Person Point of ViewIt was just an ordinary afternoon when I returned to the company to handle some matters.Morgan walked in dressed very plainly. He seemed almost fragile—a stark contrast to the sharp, imposing figure he had once been."Valencia... I've missed you so much…" He closed the office door behind him, his voice choked up with emotion.I remained seated behind my desk, my tone distant. "Mr. Lancaster, this is inappropriate. You're crossing the line. Please leave."He took a desperate step forward, planting his hands on my desk. His eyes were red-rimmed. "I know I was wrong. I was blinded back then. I shouldn't have treated you as a stand-in. I shouldn't have divorced you…"I looked at him calmly, feeling nothing. "I've long forgotten the past.""You've forgotten? I don't believe it!" Tears fell as he shook his head. "We had such a good beginning. You treated me so well… I was foolish not to appreciate it! Valencia, give me another chance, please? I
At 9:00 pm, Morgan received a message from Trevor. The photo showed Freya kissing a young man in a corner booth of an upscale restaurant downtown. The timestamp indicated it was taken just ten minutes ago.Morgan hadn't expected that Freya would dare to cheat on him. He stared at his phone expressionlessly. Then, he picked up his car keys and briefcase before heading out. 20 minutes later, he spotted the two nestled in the corner booth at a glance. Freya was smiling as she fed Scott Anderson dessert, looking intimate and affectionate.Morgan walked straight up to them, pulled out a chair, and sat down across from them. Freya and Scott looked up simultaneously. The smiles on their faces froze instantly.Freya hastily removed her arm from around Scott's shoulder, her face turning ashen. "M-Morgan, what are you doing here?"Flustered, Scott instinctively hid behind her.Morgan ignored Scott and simply swept a cold glance over him. Scott was young and handsome, with a touch of i
Third-Person Point of ViewAfter that night at the business summit, Morgan locked himself up in his office. He refused to see anyone the entire day. As he sat at his desk, he drummed his fingers on it mindlessly, replaying the scenes from the previous night in his head on an endless loop.He thought about how Valencia had held the little boy, whose features closely resembled her own, while the man beside her naturally wrapped an arm around her. The hotel manager had stood nearby with such deference, and Valencia's gaze on Morgan had been calm and detached, as if she were looking at a complete stranger.Morgan suddenly swept a decorative ornament off his desk, sending it crashing to the floor with a jarring sound.His chest heaved violently, a torrent of humiliation, regret, and intense resentment threatening to drown him.His secretary, Trevor Crawford, cautiously knocked and entered to deliver his report. "Mr. Lancaster, the collaboration proposal we submitted was politely de
On the drive home from the hotel, Theo slept soundly in his child safety seat.The car drove smoothly into the estate, lights along the way casting a warm glow around us.Once we were inside, I gently laid Theo in his bed and tucked the blanket around him.Lucian went to run a bath, while I warmed two glasses of milk in the kitchen.After Lucian was done with his bath, he was drying his hair when he suddenly remembered something. "Oh, right. Natasha called this afternoon. She wanted to know if we're free this weekend to take Theo for a boat ride in the park.""Sure. I've got nothing planned this weekend."I took the towel from him and began to dry his hair. "How about you? Do you feel like going?""Of course!"Lucian smiled and said, "Theo's been going on about it for a while now. Natasha even said that she'll pack lunch for all of us. It'll be a picnic!"As we were talking, Theo made a sound in his sleep.We hurried to his room and found that he had kicked off his blanket. L
As Lucian carried Theo with one arm and held my hand with the other, we headed out of the hotel. The evening breeze from the doorway carried a hint of coolness, along with Morgan's voice, tinged with urgency and reluctance. "Valencia! Wait!"I kept walking as if I didn't hear him."Valencia!" Mo
The expression on Morgan's face instantly froze, and Freya frowned. Harvey stammered, "T-this is your son? He looks exactly like Ms. Smith's son…"Before I could respond, Lucian walked over. Dressed in a simple off-white shirt, he stood tall and straight, his presence quietly commanding.He took







