Adela was resting her chin on her hands, staring blankly at the design on her screen, her mind still stuck on what Layson said that morning.She couldn’t help wondering—how much did he know?Did he already know about what Marah tried to do to her?Last night, when he had her bowl taken away so suddenly, she didn’t think much of it. But looking back now, it felt completely out of character for him.Layson was someone who grew up in privilege. He had that natural aloofness, elegant and refined. Ever since taking over the company, he became even more calm and composed. Publicly embarrassing someone? Definitely not his style—unless someone touched his bottom line.Did he even have one?Was it... the child she was carrying?As she was spacing out, her phone lit up. A call from an unfamiliar number.She picked up, and a lazy, low-pitched male voice came through, smooth and teasing, “Adela, I’d like to see the design in advance.”There were still two days until the deadline, and Adela had al
Adela watched Carl Rodriguez study the designs so seriously that she felt bad interrupting. She just quietly sipped two glasses of juice while waiting.Carl chuckled as he looked over the pages. “Not a coffee fan? I noticed you always order juice.”Her expression tensed slightly. “Yeah, not really into coffee.”That wasn’t true—she actually liked coffee. But now that she was pregnant, she’d intentionally switched to juice.She was still conflicted about the baby.Letting out a quiet sigh, Adela turned her gaze to the window, zoning out again.After nearly an hour, Carl finally nodded. “I’m impressed. Let’s go with this design.”Adela looked up at him, completely confused. You made me wait a whole hour just to say that?“If you’re satisfied, then we’ll move forward,” she said calmly. “The final payment can be sent to the same account as before. If that’s all, I’ll be heading out.”Just as she was about to stand up, Carl unexpectedly placed his hand on hers. His fingers were warm and sm
Layson looked at Adela sitting across from him—fresh from a shower, cheeks still flushed pink. Her eyes burned with a bright, piercing light—he couldn’t tell if it was from anger or confusion.Her thick, dark hair hung loosely over her shoulders, the ends softly curled. She looked effortlessly beautiful in her loungewear—there was something so cozy and real about her like this.Layson always knew she was stunning. That’s what drew him to her in the first place. But it wasn’t just her looks. It was her passion, the way her eyes lit up when she talked about jewelry design. She had a fire in her that was rare.He especially liked those quiet nights in the study, when she curled up in his lap and excitedly pointed out the elements of her designs, explaining her inspiration. The joy she radiated when he praised her ideas was irresistible.And this afternoon—watching her speak so animatedly to Carl Rodriguez about her design, her face glowing, the way Carl looked at her like he was entrance
“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.[Relax, what’s meant to happen will happen,] Adela told herself in her mind, trying to breathe deeply to calm down.The man sat on the edge of the bed, supporting himself with one hand, his eyes fixed on her.“Are you ready?”He spoke, his voice rich and smooth, like a fine wine.In the moonlight, Adela saw an unreadable expr
Layson made no move for a long time. Adela hesitated for a moment, suppressing her fear, and gently placed her arm around his shoulder, calling him softly, "Mr. Norman...""Ah..."Layson exhaled heavily, lifted the blanket, and pressed his weight on her, his voice low as he asked, "Your name is Adela, right?"Adela bit her lip lightly and nodded.Under the light, Adela's eyes were filled with a mix of shyness and fear. Layson chuckled softly, reaching out to switch off the light.The room returned to darkness. Adela let out a small breath, feeling some of her tension dissipate.Layson's cool fingers touched her face as his deep voice followed. "How much does your family need?"Adela’s fingers gripped the sheet beneath her, stammering, "F-Four million.""Ah." Layson turned over and lay on his back beside her. "I’ve seen your information. Your grades are good. Once you give birth to a boy for me, I’ll fund your studies in England. You’d better leave that home as soon as possible."His w
Adela was startled, immediately lowering her head to avoid Dexter’s lips.Dexter was tall, standing at 6'2", while she was only 5'6". His kiss landed awkwardly on the top of her head.A strange sensation spread through her body. Adela stomped hard on Dexter’s shoe, her voice firm, "Let me go!"Dexter released her, lowering his gaze to the new scuff mark on his freshly bought shoes. He smirked playfully. "Spend a night with me, and I’ll pay you too."Adela was taken aback by his mocking tone, stepping back as she clutched the wall for support, her chest heaving in anger.Her eyes locked onto Dexter, but after barely three seconds, her courage faltered, and she turned and ran off.Dexter waited until her figure disappeared from sight before leaning heavily against the wall.He pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it, his frustration evident.……Adela had no idea how she made it back home.Once inside, her throat felt raw and metallic, her chest tight as if she’d just run a gru
The leader didn’t want to provoke Dexter, so he took the opportunity to back down. Smiling, he took the bag and counted the money, saying, "Still two hundred thousand short."Barnes nodded. "It’s late at night, and there’s a child here. How about we talk another day?"Dexter also nodded. "I think another day sounds good. Don’t you agree?"The leader thought for a moment. "Fine, let’s talk another day."And so, what could have been a major scene took a different turn thanks to Dexter’s arrival.Once the house quieted down, Dexter resisted the urge to swing the iron rod at Calvin. He growled through gritted teeth, "If you weren’t Adela’s father, I’d kill you."Calvin gave a bitter smile. In truth, he wasn’t even Adela’s biological father.Ella hugged the frightened Herbie, crying bitterly. "That’s it! No more discussion! We’re getting a divorce tomorrow!"Calvin lay limp on the ground like a dead fish, staring blankly at the ceiling. He murmured, "Fine, let’s get a divorce."Relief flas
The man on the other end of the call repeated what he had just said before hanging up.Layson held her phone in his hand, his expression complicated.The man had said that Adela’s father had hanged himself, her stepmother had run away, and only her younger sister was left at home.Layson knew that Adela had agreed to be a surrogate for the sake of her father. Now that her father was gone, there was no reason for Adela to remain in his bed.A flicker of pity and compassion crossed his eyes as he pulled Adela into his arms, speaking softly. "I’ll go with you later. Besides, I need to check on Dexter."Adela clung to his neck, crying into his chest.Her soft sobs were heart-wrenching to hear.Layson sighed, his tone soothing. "Why don’t you change your clothes first?"Adela nodded, sniffling as she hurriedly threw on her clothes and went to wash up.Layson dialed a number and instructed in a low voice, "I’ll send you a photo shortly. Find the person in the photo as quickly as possible."
Layson looked at Adela sitting across from him—fresh from a shower, cheeks still flushed pink. Her eyes burned with a bright, piercing light—he couldn’t tell if it was from anger or confusion.Her thick, dark hair hung loosely over her shoulders, the ends softly curled. She looked effortlessly beautiful in her loungewear—there was something so cozy and real about her like this.Layson always knew she was stunning. That’s what drew him to her in the first place. But it wasn’t just her looks. It was her passion, the way her eyes lit up when she talked about jewelry design. She had a fire in her that was rare.He especially liked those quiet nights in the study, when she curled up in his lap and excitedly pointed out the elements of her designs, explaining her inspiration. The joy she radiated when he praised her ideas was irresistible.And this afternoon—watching her speak so animatedly to Carl Rodriguez about her design, her face glowing, the way Carl looked at her like he was entrance
Adela watched Carl Rodriguez study the designs so seriously that she felt bad interrupting. She just quietly sipped two glasses of juice while waiting.Carl chuckled as he looked over the pages. “Not a coffee fan? I noticed you always order juice.”Her expression tensed slightly. “Yeah, not really into coffee.”That wasn’t true—she actually liked coffee. But now that she was pregnant, she’d intentionally switched to juice.She was still conflicted about the baby.Letting out a quiet sigh, Adela turned her gaze to the window, zoning out again.After nearly an hour, Carl finally nodded. “I’m impressed. Let’s go with this design.”Adela looked up at him, completely confused. You made me wait a whole hour just to say that?“If you’re satisfied, then we’ll move forward,” she said calmly. “The final payment can be sent to the same account as before. If that’s all, I’ll be heading out.”Just as she was about to stand up, Carl unexpectedly placed his hand on hers. His fingers were warm and sm
Adela was resting her chin on her hands, staring blankly at the design on her screen, her mind still stuck on what Layson said that morning.She couldn’t help wondering—how much did he know?Did he already know about what Marah tried to do to her?Last night, when he had her bowl taken away so suddenly, she didn’t think much of it. But looking back now, it felt completely out of character for him.Layson was someone who grew up in privilege. He had that natural aloofness, elegant and refined. Ever since taking over the company, he became even more calm and composed. Publicly embarrassing someone? Definitely not his style—unless someone touched his bottom line.Did he even have one?Was it... the child she was carrying?As she was spacing out, her phone lit up. A call from an unfamiliar number.She picked up, and a lazy, low-pitched male voice came through, smooth and teasing, “Adela, I’d like to see the design in advance.”There were still two days until the deadline, and Adela had al
Marah made a move to grab Adela’s hand, but Adela casually tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, avoiding her without looking obvious. Marah’s hand just hung there awkwardly in the air.Still smiling sweetly, Marah watched Adela standing in the doorway.Adela stepped aside and walked into the house, calm and composed. “The director was asking about you today—why you haven’t been showing up at work. Something happen?”Ralph had already run down from upstairs and jumped into Adela’s arms. She carried him to the couch and sat down.Marah trailed closely behind, letting out a delicate laugh. “I went on a short trip with a friend—just a weekend getaway. The car broke down and I lost my phone. I called in to report to the director as soon as I got back.”Adela gave her a look. The woman sitting across from her wore an innocent expression with wide eyes and a hint of flirtatious charm at the corners. If not for her unusually pale complexion giving away her real condition, Adela might
Adela thought about it and decided to take Cici’s advice—she needed to get the truth from Lily. She still didn’t really know what happened that night. Layson didn’t talk much, and Barnes had brushed her off, saying he didn’t know.She didn’t tell Layson she was going to see Lily. But she’d overheard Barnes mention she was still being held at the precinct. So, right after work, she and Cici drove over together.A police officer led them toward the holding cells and casually mentioned something strange along the way.“That Lily girl—she left an impression. She admitted to everything and since the victim wasn’t really hurt, the sentence was light, only eight months. But get this—she begged for three years. Isn’t that weird?”Adela and Cici exchanged glances. “Did she lose her mind or something?”Cici clutched Adela’s arm like she expected to find a lunatic behind bars.But when they saw Lily, she actually looked surprisingly normal—none of that wild-eyed mess they’d been imagining. In fa
Several teachers rushed in to calm things down. The program director and staff tried to smooth over the tension with the parents. This was the Royal Prep Academy—more upscale than most preschools—where kids were trained in special skill sets.One young teacher nervously explained the whole incident.Apparently, three kids had gotten into a scuffle over something someone said about moms. One little girl had overheard an adult say that Ralph didn’t have a known mother, and she blurted it out today.Ralph insisted he had a mom, but the girl didn’t believe him. That led to arguing. The girl got angry and scratched Ralph first. Ralph instinctively tried to scratch back. Then two of her little friends jumped in to defend her, and suddenly the four kids were all rolling on the floor. By the time teachers stepped in, Ralph already had a big scratch across his cheek.Now, this wasn’t a huge deal—none of the kids were seriously hurt. But it wasn’t a small thing either. Ralph had clear marks on
Adela frowned at Mr. Norman, realizing just how alike he and Layson were—both stubborn and unwilling to listen.After a brief pause, she said, “Mr. Norman, I really don't see any reason for me to move into your family estate.”Mr. Norman's face turned red with anger. “You're carrying Layson's child. That means you must live at the estate. I make the decisions here.”Adela countered, “When I was pregnant with Ralph, no one mentioned moving in.”The two went back and forth, neither willing to back down.Layson, rubbing his temples, sat down on the hospital bed, watching them silently. His presence seemed to dampen their argument, and their voices gradually lowered.“Are you two done?”He smirked, though the smile didn't reach his eyes, as if watching a farce.Once the room quieted, he said, “Let's go to your room, Father.”The caregiver, relieved, quickly wheeled Mr. Norman out.Left alone, Layson pulled Adela close, one hand gripping her chin, the other around her waist. He kissed her
Adela’s first instinct was honestly to get rid of the baby.For one, she and Layson weren’t married yet—she was just his publicly acknowledged girlfriend. And having a child out of wedlock was still something she hadn’t fully come to terms with.She wasn’t ready to go through that kind of thing again.What she feared even more was if Layson decided to propose just because she was pregnant. They were still working through their relationship. Getting married for the baby wasn’t the future she wanted.Layson’s grip on her arm tightened. She looked up at him, her voice barely hiding a trace of sorrow. “Can you just give me a couple of days to think about it?”That one line cut through Layson like a knife.He didn’t understand. Their relationship had been solid. Why was Adela so unwilling to have a child with him? Did it mean she never intended to, even after marriage?That thought hit him like a chain around his neck, tightening with every second.He held her close but didn’t say a word.
Lily’s mind was all over the place. She stared at the man in front of her, someone who seemed almost god-like, then finally dropped her gaze and whispered, “It wasn’t her who told me to do it.”Even Barnes was shocked.“Lily, seriously? You’re telling me you came up with all that on your own? That’s wild.”He looked at her with exasperation. Honestly, he couldn’t understand what kind of dark magic Marah had over people. First Richard, now Lily—they both let themselves be used like pawns.But Lily spoke again, this time even firmer. “I did everything. It was me alone.”Layson, holding Adela in his arms, didn’t move. He just stared coldly at the woman kneeling on the floor. “Why?”Lily bit back her pain, slowly raised her head, and looked at him with a bitter, broken smile. “Because I was jealous. Why does she get to be by your side? Why won’t you even look at me? I miss you so much, it’s driven me insane. The only way I could see you... was through Adela.”The room fell into heavy sile