“The client requested natural conception.” At night, in a luxurious villa, Adela lay naked on the bed. The room was dark. She stared at the blurry patterns on the ceiling, her palms already drenched with sweat. The sound of water flowing from the bathroom gradually stopped. Adela struggled to breathe, her heart pounding as if it were about to jump out of her chest. This was her first time, but she wasn’t here as a lover. She was here as a surrogate mother. The bathroom door was pushed open. From the narrow gap came a warm yellow light. A man, wrapped in a towel, stepped out. Adela couldn’t see his face clearly, only sensing that he was a tall and imposing figure. …… Adela initially thought this was just a transaction—she needed money to fend off the ruthless men who came knocking because of her father’s gambling debts. But what she didn’t expect was for her fate to become entangled with this man. He was a man of absolute power and dominance, yet every time she was on the brink of despair, he was the one who held her up. More importantly, as time went on, Adela began to uncover the truth about her own identity. Her real family—her true origins—were deeply connected to this man. Their destinies became even more intertwined, especially after she gave birth to their child…
View MoreAdela was waiting when her phone suddenly pushed a breaking news alert. She had glanced at it absentmindedly—until the headline stopped her cold:“Top Actress Lucy in Secret Romance? Male Lead Suspected to Be Norman Group’s Boss!”Her mind had yet to process it, but her finger had already tapped on the article.Two fairly clear photos accompanied the headline. The background was unmistakable—Nightfall’s signature architecture. From the angle, actress Lucy wore sunglasses and a fiery red coat, standing across from Layson. He had one hand in his pocket, the other holding a cigarette, smoke curling in the air. But his gaze wasn’t on her—instead, it was directed past her, looking straight behind.The second photo showed two vehicles, license plates blurred, leaving one after the other.Adela felt a wave of absurdity crash over her. It was so ridiculous she didn’t even know how to respond. She closed her phone immediately, not wanting to see another word of this nonsense.They had been tog
Adela sipped her drink while casting a mildly probing look at Cici.“I saw the news too,” Cici replied breezily. “I mean, fans can say whatever they want, but real or not, if it is true, fans can only give their blessings…”Cici said it with a light heart—and she meant it. Could fans truly control their idols’ lives?Any rational fan knew the answer: absolutely not.Since it was impossible, why bother stressing over it? That was just self-inflicted misery.After lunch, the two strolled while chatting. Adela bought a bouquet from a little flower seller and returned to the office, already having a few people in mind to join the drama project.That afternoon, she delivered her team list to Carlton. He glanced through it casually.“I’ll take care of the arrangements. You should call the production coordinator ASAP—the sooner we sync, the better.”The production team was indeed in a rush.“Designer Adela, would you be available tomorrow morning to meet the lead actresses? Most of the jewel
At Starry Jewelry, Adela had just received a call from the director, asking her to come to his office at 10 a.m. for an important assignment.Carlton had long collaborated deeply with luxury brands overseas. His reason for joining Starry was entirely out of respect for Layson. His international fame far exceeded his reputation in NY—much like Adela’s—and precisely because of that, he had always shown her extra consideration.Though Adela’s experience was relatively shallow, Carlton firmly believed design was an industry driven by talent—and Adela had that in spades. Sometimes he’d even feel a twinge of regret. If she'd come from a privileged background and been exposed to jewelry early on, she might already be internationally renowned at her age.Carlton arrived at the office at 9:30. As he rounded a corner in the hallway, he overheard two voices chatting on the stairs.“Hey, do you think that rumor’s true? That Adela might be the next design director?”“No idea. Everyone’s saying it,
As soon as they entered the elevator, Layson wrapped an arm tightly around Adela, refusing to let go. With nearly a head of height difference between them, his posture looked uncomfortable, and Adela, worried he might bump into something, kept a firm grip on his arm, practically nestled into his embrace.Layson had his eyes closed, face lowered—no one could clearly see his features. Adela silently sighed in relief for him. If anyone did recognize him, tomorrow’s financial tabloids would probably explode with headlines about the CEO drunken in public.Barnes and the others had taken the lead, pressing for the top floor. Once they got Layson into the suite, Barnes stepped out to call an assistant to bring fresh clothes.Ten minutes later, the doorbell rang. Barnes returned with two large bags. Adela checked them—they were quite complete.She closed the door and returned to the bedroom, only to find the bed empty. Her heart skipped a beat. First instinct: check the balcony. No one.Then,
Adela instantly understood the meaning of this dinner—Mr. Garcia was here to play the peacemaker once again.She glanced at him with complicated emotions but said nothing. Instead, she nodded slightly and smiled. After all, Mr. Garcia was an elder, and respect had to be given.Once the three were seated, Mr. Garcia, as always, ordered juice for Adela and shared red wine with Layson.But tonight, Mr. Garcia drank unusually heavily—and fast.Watching this, Adela felt a creeping unease. She glanced at Layson, whose expression remained calm. For every two glasses Mr. Garcia drank, he only sipped one, yet she had a hunch: tonight, he might actually get drunk.Sighing deeply, she chose not to say anything. She just quietly ate the food Layson put on her plate. On this table, she was probably the only one who came truly for the meal.Once she was about 80% full, Mr. Garcia smiled at her and said, “Niece-in-law, no need to worry about these troubling matters. Boss Jones is abroad and won’t be
Adela looked up and met the deep, unreadable gaze of Layson. His hand, following the motion of her rising, slid naturally to the nape of her neck.A faint smile tugged at his lips. “Lunch together, hmm?”Though phrased as a question, his tone left no room for refusal.Adela nodded. If Layson had come all the way to get her, he must have already arranged things with Diana—nothing she needed to worry about.Since his arrival, not a single soul in the café had spoken. As Adela stood, all eyes around them burned like needles against her skin. She cast a glance at Kate, feeling a little sheepish.Before she could say anything, Layson turned to Helen and instructed calmly, “Take Ms. Kate home.”Kate waved her hands nervously, “No, no need. You two go ahead. I’ll just settle the bill—it’s my treat today.”Barnes approached, having just paid. He lowered his voice. “Mr. Norman, the car is ready.”Adela gave Kate an apologetic look. “Next time, I’ll treat you. I’ve got to run today.”Without an
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