Early the next morning, Layson Norman left the hospital shortly after Adela finished her breakfast. Duty called—he had pressing matters at the office, and he couldn’t afford to neglect them any longer. Before departing, he made sure Adela had everything she needed. Though he didn’t voice it aloud, there was a lingering worry in his expression, as if making certain she’d be all right without him hovering around.Adela, on her part, underwent another round of medical tests. She felt faintly relieved that most results looked normal, but her mind was far from at ease. The doctor advised more rest and minimal stress, yet her life had suddenly become the very definition of chaos. After the check-up, she returned to her private hospital room, sitting listlessly on the edge of the bed and replaying the events of the past few days.Just before Layson left, he had briefly mentioned that Herbie was doing well. Adela took that to heart, but she still wanted personal confirmation. Walking down the
Liam Walton paused on the other end of the line, his brow furrowed in concern. So much had spiraled out of control that he barely knew where to begin. “I haven’t told the old man yet,” he said at last, voice heavy. “But trust me, he’s going to hear about it soon enough. Once the Walton family’s patriarch finds out the truth about Adela, there’s no way to keep it quiet.”From the speaker phone, Layson Norman let out a slow exhale. He was in his private office, having just pushed the door open and stepped in with a deep scowl on his face. “And once the Norman family’s patriarch catches wind that Adela is pregnant, it won’t be pretty for you,” Liam added, thinking ahead to the potential clash between the two powerful families.Layson set a stack of files on his mahogany desk. The office was spacious, outfitted with modern furniture and floor-to-ceiling windows offering a sweeping view of downtown New York. “I know,” he said quietly, yet resolutely. “That’s why I’m going to propose to her
Dexter Norman returned to his bedroom with a single-minded resolve—he was leaving the Norman family mansion for good. At just eleven years old, he moved with a quiet determination far beyond his years. He slipped a few possessions into his small backpack, along with whatever allowance and gift money he had saved. To anyone else his age, it would have been a terrifying leap into the unknown. But Dexter had long since learned to rely on himself.That night, he barely slept. His mind replayed the hurt and indifference he’d experienced in that huge, cold house. In the dim hours before dawn, Dexter silently crept down the endless corridors and let himself out a side door. The estate’s security lights shone on his small figure for only a moment before he vanished into the early morning shadows. At first, he waited, half-hoping some adult might catch him—someone who would actually care where he was going. But, predictably, no one came.Outside the mansion gates, he adjusted the straps of his
Dexter Norman ended up living in a tiny, run-down neighborhood on the outskirts of New York. He managed to find a small, relatively clean single-room home—a shabby place that barely offered basic shelter, but at least it was all his own. He spent days, then weeks, waiting for someone from the Norman family to come looking for him, but no one ever showed up. The absence of any search party confirmed what Dexter had always suspected: he wasn’t truly wanted back home.The impoverished neighborhood he lived in was tight-knit and wary of outsiders. Before long, rumors started swirling about the mysterious newcomer. Some speculated that he was a runaway from a wealthy family; others insisted he was just an aimless street kid. Dexter tried to ignore the whispers, but being only a child, it wasn’t always easy to brush off the stares and gossip. He often found himself stewing in frustration—he felt he didn’t belong in the Norman mansion, and he certainly didn’t belong here. Was there no place
Layson Norman dropped Adela off at the entrance to her apartment building without saying much. The whole ride there, they had remained in silence—Adela quietly gazing out the window, and Layson focused on his own thoughts. When they arrived, Adela pushed open the car door and got out. Before heading up the stairs, she paused and glanced back at him, feeling like she should at least say goodbye.“Thanks, Big Brother Layson. I’ll head upstairs now,” she said softly, fingers curling around the edge of the car door.Hearing her voice, Layson turned to look at her, his expression as cool and detached as ever. “Mm.” A single syllable of acknowledgment, nothing more.Adela offered him a small, polite smile, then darted toward the building’s front steps. She took them two at a time, moving with a buoyant energy that made Layson’s chest tighten inexplicably. He frowned, keeping his eyes on her until she disappeared around the landing. Only then did he withdraw his gaze and survey the apartment
Liam Walton stood at the broad window of his office, one hand resting on the windowsill, the other pressed lightly against his side. He had just ended a call with Layson Norman, and the weight of what he’d learned kept him silent. From that conversation, Liam realized Adela—his younger sister—was not merely resisting her newly discovered family; she was actively planning to slip away if the Walton family tried to claim her.He sighed, recalling how the Walton family patriarch had already contacted him, demanding an explanation about Adela and insisting Liam “bring her home.” Liam, however, felt torn. On one side, duty urged him to obey his grandfather’s wishes, but on the other side, a fierce protectiveness for Adela took hold of him. She had already lived through so much suffering. If forcing her to return would only hurt her further, was it truly the right thing to do?Finally, Liam grabbed his suit jacket from the back of the leather armchair and left his office. He would think abo
Adela was busy signing some paperwork at the police station, the last formalities required before she could bring Dexter Norman out of custody. The officer behind the desk flipped through the pages, checking the information. Although Dexter had sobered up considerably since the brawl, he avoided looking at her for more than a moment at a time, clearly feeling guilty for dragging her into his troubles yet again.Not far away, the man Dexter had beaten up continued to groan and rant. He demanded compensation for his “serious injuries,” hurling all sorts of accusations. Each time he locked eyes with Dexter, however, Dexter’s cold glare was enough to make the man shrink back, momentarily silenced.Suddenly, the station doors swung open. Several people entered, and Adela couldn’t help but pause in mid-signature to glance over. In front was Layson Norman, exuding his usual imposing aura. She froze for just a second, pen poised above the line where her signature was supposed to go. The prese
As soon as Layson Norman ushered Adela out of the police station, she quietly followed him—her usual confidence dampened by the tense reunion she had just witnessed. The moment they got into his car, Layson finally broke the silence.“How did you end up there?” he asked, fastening his seat belt before turning his head slightly in her direction.From her spot in the passenger seat, Adela glimpsed the edge of his profile—his sharp jaw, the slight furrow of his brow. For a brief moment, she was caught off guard by how striking he looked against the city lights filtering through the windshield. Feeling self-conscious for staring, she took an extra second to respond.“Dexter…called me,” she said simply, hoping her slight flush wasn’t too obvious in the dim light.Layson raised an eyebrow in subtle curiosity, but before he could press further, his gaze dropped to her abdomen. “You’re pregnant,” he reminded her in a level tone. “You shouldn’t be running around late at night, especially not t
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