Leopold Davis had been curious about Adela ever since he discovered who she was. He had looked into her background and found plenty of information about her time in the UK, but anything beyond that? A dead end. The only person who could fill in the blanks was Layson Norman, and he wasn’t talking. That, in itself, was enough to make Leopold even more intrigued. He had known Layson for years, and this was the first time he had ever heard of a woman being connected to him in such a significant way. It was practically a miracle.As soon as he stepped out of the elevator, he made a beeline for the Elegance team’s workspace. Leopold wasn’t the type to go unnoticed—whenever he appeared, people paid attention. He was the biggest source of gossip in the design department, so the moment he entered, all eyes naturally followed him, landing squarely on Adela."How are you settling in?" he asked casually.Adela, caught off guard, looked up at him in surprise. She had thought she’d arrived early, y
Adela had been working at Starry Jewelry for a few days now, and everything was going smoothly. She had finally settled into her new home and had arranged with Mrs. Anderson to pick up Herbie that evening. As she glanced at the time, she realized it was almost the end of the workday, but the design department was still bustling with activity.With the first quarter coming to an end, each design team was finalizing their collections. The entire department was working overtime, making last-minute adjustments. Cora walked over to Adela’s desk and tapped lightly on it, signaling her to follow. Adela looked up, slightly puzzled but quickly got up and followed her to the conference room.“What’s going on, Cora?” Adela asked as she stepped inside, noticing Cora’s serious expression.Without responding immediately, Cora pulled out a few design sketches and placed them in front of Adela. Adela picked them up and quickly realized they were her own designs for the summer collection.“These are m
Leopold Davis twirled a pen between his fingers, lost in thought. Since this was about Adela, he figured he might as well give Layson Norman a call. Though, in all honesty, he was more interested in messing with Layson than actually solving Adela’s problem. When Layson saw Leopold’s name flash on his screen, he hesitated before answering. He had a feeling this was going to be yet another call filled with annoying questions he had no interest in answering."What?" Layson answered, his tone as indifferent as ever."Adela’s designs require a high amount of materials. The budget committee might cut them," Leopold said, amusement lacing his voice, already anticipating Layson’s reaction.Layson’s brows furrowed. He knew exactly what Leopold was up to. That half-smirk in his voice was obvious. But instead of playing along, Layson cut straight to the point."Let her do it. I’ll cover the cost."Leopold was momentarily speechless. He hadn’t expected Layson to agree so easily. Not that he minde
"Who is it, Adela?"Herbie called out from the dining table, her voice filled with curiosity. It was unusual for them to have visitors, especially since Adela had just moved in and hadn’t even told anyone about her new place. Adela frowned slightly as she set down her glass and walked toward the door."I have no idea," she replied, her brows furrowing as she cautiously opened the door just a crack to see who was outside.To her surprise, standing at the doorstep was none other than Layson Norman. Adela’s mind went blank for a moment, unable to process why he was here. Seeing her stunned reaction, Layson’s lips curled into a faint, almost amused smile."You moved into a new place, so I thought I’d come by and check it out," he said casually, his hands tucked into his pockets, his tone as composed as ever.Adela was still processing the shock of seeing him when her eyes caught sight of a small figure stepping out from behind Layson. It was the little boy she had met twice before—Ralph.
As soon as Herbie asked the question, Adela nearly choked on her food. She quickly reached over and pulled Herbie’s arm, her voice slightly flustered."What nonsense are you talking about? Just eat your food."Herbie, still brimming with curiosity, looked back and forth between Layson and Adela, clearly expecting an answer. Layson, on the other hand, let out a quiet chuckle, amused by how unexpectedly helpful Herbie was turning out to be. Meanwhile, Ralph, who had been quietly observing, suddenly blinked and tilted his head, his little face full of confusion."What does getting married mean?"Adela felt her temples throb. Why was this conversation still happening? She was already overwhelmed by Layson’s sudden visit with Ralph, and now they were diving headfirst into a conversation about marriage?"Getting married means two people stay together forever," Layson answered smoothly, his deep voice calm and certain.Adela’s fingers clenched slightly around her forks. Hearing those words f
After finishing the dishes, Adela turned around and realized that Layson was still there. She froze for a moment, awkwardly rubbing her hands together. She had already felt uneasy when he followed her into the kitchen, and now, with him still standing there, the discomfort only grew stronger.“Uh… do you want something to drink?” she asked hesitantly.Layson, who had been lost in thought, snapped back to reality at the sound of her voice. His gaze landed on her, and after a brief pause, he nodded slightly. The faint smile that surfaced on his usually cold face left Adela momentarily stunned. Ever since returning, she had noticed something different about him, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.“Sure,” he replied.Hearing his response, Adela turned to the kitchen cabinets, rummaging through them to see what she had. After searching for a while, she found a packet of chrysanthemum tea. She held it up for him to see.“This okay?”“Yeah, that’s fine.”Layson’s eyes remained on h
Late at night, Layson lay awake, staring at the faint glow of streetlights reflecting on the ceiling. Beside him, Ralph was sound asleep, his soft, steady breathing filling the quiet room. Layson turned his head slightly and glanced at the boy—he was sleeping so soundly, completely at ease.Just then, a faint noise came from outside.The guest room where Layson was staying was right next to Adela’s bedroom, and the sound seemed to be coming from her direction. Frowning slightly, he got up quietly, wanting to check what she was doing.Meanwhile, in her room, Adela stirred awake, feeling incredibly thirsty. Reaching out for the glass of water she usually kept on her nightstand, she realized it was empty. Letting out a small sigh, she slipped out of bed as quietly as possible, careful not to wake anyone. She tiptoed toward the kitchen, poured herself a glass of water, and drank it all in one go.Just as she placed the glass back on the counter, a deep voice suddenly spoke from behind her
Adela stood still, watching Layson, who still looked half-asleep. She didn’t know how to respond, so she simply stayed quiet. Layson, seeing that she wasn’t going to acknowledge him, stepped further into the kitchen, his gaze falling on the eggs she had prepared.“You made breakfast?”“Mm.”Adela rubbed her hands together and answered softly. Layson lifted his eyes to her, noticing the way she was acting a little strange. He wasn’t sure what she was being so shy about, but he had no idea that in his current, slightly disheveled, just-out-of-bed state, he was even more dangerously charming.“The kids are still sleeping. You should freshen up first, then come have breakfast,” Adela said quickly, feeling her face heat up again. Without waiting for his response, she turned toward the kitchen, clearly trying to hide her discomfort.Layson didn’t say anything, just gave a small nod before heading to the bathroom. By the time he returned, Adela was already sitting at the table, quietly eatin
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