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17. CONFRONTATIONS

ผู้เขียน: Frya Isaac
last update วันที่เผยแพร่: 2026-03-19 18:43:54

Lydia sat at one end of the long mahogany table, six months pregnant, her hand resting protectively over the curve of her belly. Her posture was straight, controlled—but the tension in her shoulders gave her away.

Across from her, Adrian Wolfe looked like a man carved from restraint and rage.

Sharp suit.

Cold eyes.

A storm barely contained.

The lawyers exchanged a glance.

One of them cleared his throat. “We’ll step out for ten minutes and let you mediate privately. If you reach an
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  • Reclaiming the Love We Lost   286. Uninvited

    The Monday after their family outing felt strangely peaceful. For the first time in a long while, Lydia didn't wake up feeling overwhelmed. She still wasn't fully recovered, but the exhaustion that had weighed on her body for months had begun to fade. She walked into the kitchen and found two neatly packed lunch boxes already sitting on the counter:One for Hayes. One for herself.A sticky note rested on top:Don't skip lunch.– Adrian Lydia sighed. "You really don't know when to stop." Despite her words, she carefully folded the note and slipped it into a kitchen drawer instead of throwing it away. A gentle knock came from the front door. Three knocks. Never four. Never impatient. She already knew who it was. When she opened the door, Adrian stood outside wearing a navy suit, a travel mug in one hand and a paper bag from her favorite bakery in the other. "Good morning." "Morning." "I brought breakfast." "You do that every day." "I know." "And you still haven't learned

  • Reclaiming the Love We Lost   285. A Day to Remember

    For the first time in years... Adrian Wolfe found himself nervous over something that had nothing to do with business. He had negotiated billion-dollar contracts. Spoken before thousands of investors. Handled crises that could have destroyed entire companies. Yet standing outside Lydia's apartment with four admission tickets in his hand... His palms were sweating. He knocked gently. A few seconds later, the door opened. Lydia looked at him in surprise. "What are you doing here?" Adrian held up the tickets. "I was wondering..." He paused, suddenly unsure of himself. "...if you'd let me take all of you somewhere today." Lydia folded her arms. "We already talked about this." "I know." "I'm not asking you out." He smiled awkwardly. "I'm asking if our family can spend one day together." She remained silent. Behind her, Hayes peeked around the corner. "Daddy!" He ran over excitedly. "What are those?" Adrian crouched and handed him the colorful tickets. "The amusement park." Hay

  • Reclaiming the Love We Lost   284. Stay

    Stay Three days had passed since Lydia collapsed. According to Eric's instructions, she was supposed to spend the entire week resting: No work. No housework. No lifting Aurelia unless absolutely necessary. No skipping meals. Unfortunately... Lydia Bennett Wolfe had never been good at following medical advice. She quietly pushed aside the blanket and slipped out of bed before sunrise. The apartment was silent. Perfect. If she moved carefully enough, no one would notice. She had just reached the kitchen when she heard a familiar voice behind her. "You're not supposed to be out of bed." Lydia closed her eyes. “I knew it." She slowly turned around. Adrian stood in the hallway wearing a gray T-shirt and sweatpants, his sleeves rolled to his elbows. His hair was still slightly damp from a shower, and an apron was tied rather awkwardly around his waist. Seeing one of the country's most influential businessmen dressed like an inexperienced home cook should have been amusing. Instea

  • Reclaiming the Love We Lost   283. When She Finally Fell

    The first sign was the coffee. Lydia poured it into her favorite white mug. Then she forgot to drink it. By the time the morning sunlight filled the apartment, the coffee had already gone cold. Again. She barely noticed.There was breakfast to prepare. Hayes needed to get ready for school. Aurelia needed her morning bottle. Laundry still waited inside the washing machine. The dishes from the night before hadn't been washed. Somewhere between becoming a mother and learning to survive on her own... Lydia had forgotten what it meant to rest. --- "Mommy!" Hayes ran into the kitchen wearing his school uniform. "I can't find my socks." "They're in your second drawer," Lydia answered automatically while stirring oatmeal on the stove. "Thank you!" Aurelia let out a happy squeal from her high chair, banging her tiny spoon against the tray. Lydia smiled tiredly. "I'm coming, sweetheart." She placed a bowl of oatmeal on the dining table before reaching for Aurelia's bottl

  • Reclaiming the Love We Lost   282. Daddy's Day

    Sunday mornings used to begin with conference calls. Today... Adrian Wolfe found himself staring at a text message instead. His thumb hovered over the screen for nearly five minutes before he finally pressed send: May I take Hayes to the aquarium today? The reply came less than a minute later: No. Adrian wasn't surprised. He looked at the single word for several seconds before typing again: Then... may I join if you're already taking him? Just as he thought Lydia wouldn't answer, his phone vibrated: For Hayes. A small smile tugged at the corner of Adrian's lips. And he intended to respect every boundary she set. *** The city aquarium buzzed with families enjoying the weekend. Children laughed excitedly as colorful fish swam overhead through the enormous glass tunnel. Hayes pressed both hands against the glass. "Daddy!" He pointed excitedly. "Look! A shark!" Adrian walked over, smiling. "I see it." "It's huge!" "It's almost as big as your imagination." Hayes giggled

  • Reclaiming the Love We Lost   281. Showing Up

    Saturday mornings used to belong to business: Board meetings. Investor breakfasts. Conference calls across different time zones. For years, Adrian Wolfe had convinced himself that building an empire was the greatest gift he could give his family. Now… Standing outside a neighborhood soccer field with a paper cup of coffee growing cold in his hand… He realized his family had never wanted an empire. They had simply wanted him. The sound of children’s laughter echoed across the field. Parents cheered from the sidelines while young players chased soccer balls with more enthusiasm than skill. Adrian checked the schedule posted beside the entrance: Hayes Wolfe. Under-7 Training. Field Two His heart pounded harder than it ever had before a billion-dollar negotiation. He wasn’t afraid of losing a business deal. He was afraid his son might no longer want him. Across the field, Lydia adjusted Aurelia’s tiny pink sunhat before placing the baby back into her stroller. Hayes stood with hi

  • Reclaiming the Love We Lost   119. A SMALL PEACE IN A BURNING WORLD

    Adrian stood in the sterile, fluorescent glow of the hospital corridor, just outside the high-dependency unit. His hands were shoved deep into his pockets, his jacket discarded somewhere in the chaos. His white dress shirt was a ruin of sweat and soot, the collar frayed and blackened. Through the t

  • Reclaiming the Love We Lost   67. AFTER THE TRAP

    Adrian woke up with the taste of something bitter clinging to the back of his throat. Not alcohol—something heavier, something wrong. For a moment, he didn’t move or even open his eyes, because instinct told him before memory even caught up that something was off. The air felt different: too cold,

  • Reclaiming the Love We Lost   57. THE ARCHITECTURE OF LIE

    Adrian sat in the living room, propped up by a mountain of pillows, his body still a roadmap of trauma. He looked down at his hands—the same hands that had held Hayes just moments ago. They felt cold. They felt empty. "He’s beautiful," Vanessa’s voice drifted. She moved through the room, fluf

  • Reclaiming the Love We Lost   198. The Path to the Sky

    The sleek, midnight-black AgustaWestland helicopter sheared through the heavy low-hanging fog of the Manhattan skyline, its rotors cutting the crisp night air with a rhythmic, thunderous roar. Inside the sound-insulated, leather-lined cabin, the soft amber dashboard lights cast long shadows over t

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