เข้าสู่ระบบChapter 35Riley got back to the hospital at twelve minutes past three.She had told Iris fifteen minutes and it had taken her forty, but when she pushed open the door to Room 402, her daughter was sitting up in bed with a crayon in each hand and a drawing spread across her lap, completely absorbed. She didn't even look up.Ashton was sitting in the visitor's chair beside the bed with his long legs stretched out and his white coat open, watching whatever cartoon was playing on the wall screen with the same focused expression he probably used in surgery. Like the cartoon deserved his full professional attention.Riley stood in the doorway for a second, watching them interact. And for a moment, she wished...He looked up and their eyes met."You're late," he said."I know." Iris finally looked up from her drawing. "Mummy!" She dropped both crayons immediately and reached out with both arms.Riley crossed the room and pulled her into a hug, pressing her face into her daughter's hair. I
Chapter 34The outfit on the rack was a high-waisted emerald green pleated midi skirt and a crisp white silk blouse.Riley changed quickly, smoothed the skirt down and turned to the mirror. The fabric sat neatly at her waist and fell softly over her hips without pulling anywhere. The first thing she noticed was that the clothes weren't chosen because they wanted it to look different.No. If anything, if felt like it was a deliberate action to show her size.Which was perfect because it means they saw her and chose her the way she is.So she had to choose herself too. They don't mind using a plus size lady, then why would she mind showing her herself.The second thing she noticed was how the light makeup naturally blended with her outfit, making her look sophisticated.And it was exactly how it was supposed to be.She rolled the sleeves up, looked at herself one last time, then walked out with her shoulders held high. The two models glanced over at her, a look of surprise appearing o
Chapter 33The next morning, Riley walked into Global Media Studios. Her chest, tight with nerves, but she kept her head up.She had no idea where to go, so she walked up to the wide reception desk, gripping the strap of her handbag a little tighter.As she walked, her mind drifted back to the night before. She had stared at Ashton’s number on her phone screen for an hour, her thumb hovering over the text button. She had desperately wanted to message him, but in the end, her courage failed her. She hadn't sent it. Now, she felt a lingering pang of regret for being too cowardly to just try.A young receptionist wearing a neat black headset was typing away at a computer. The moment Riley stepped up to the counter, the woman looked up. Instantly, her eyes widened. A distinct flash of recognition and curiosity crossed her face...no doubt because she had seen the brutal, twisting headlines Fredrick had splashed across the internet the day before. The receptionist quickly caught herself
Chapter 32Ashton stayed by Iris’s bed for a few more minutes, adding a stylized white coat to the drawing with the green crayon until the little girl was thoroughly distracted and coloring again.When he finally stepped back, his eyes drifted over to Riley. He gave her a subtle, smooth nod toward the door, indicating for her to step out into the corridor with him once more.Riley’s heart did a nervous little flutter, but she carefully set her laptop down on the sofa, stood up, and followed him out. The heavy door clicked shut behind them, cutting off the cheerful sound of the television and plunging them into the quiet, sterile atmosphere of the hallway.She crossed her arms over her chest, automatically putting up her usual defensive shield. "Did they call you?" she asked, her voice tight as she tried to read his unreadable gray eyes. "Global Media Studios. Did they say they’re letting me go?""They called," Ashton said flatly, keeping his hands tucked casually inside his lab coat
Chapter 31The moment the heavy door to his office clicked shut behind Riley, the silence in the room returned, thick and tense. Ashton didn’t move from his position near the desk. He stood completely still, his eyes fixed on the empty space where she had just been standing. Her final words still echoed in the quiet room...the raw, absolute conviction in her voice when she told him that no one else had ever seen her that way.He knew her before everything, he knew she was keeping herself until marriage. So if she said Fredrick was the only one that has touched her, he'll believe her with his life.A sharp, vibrating buzz broke the silence.Ashton walked back around his desk, picked up his personal phone, and glanced at the caller ID. It was Gabriel, the executive director of Global Media Studios. He swiped the screen and brought the phone to his ear, his voice instantly dropping into his cold, professional executive tone."Speak," Ashton commanded."Dr. Clove, I am so sorry to both
Chapter 30The words on the screen didn't make sense at first. Riley stared at her phone, her fingers tightening around the edges as her breath hitched in her throat.Right there on the main entertainment page, a massive headline stared back at her:*BILLIONAIRE DECEIVED TO FATHER SOMEONE'S DAUGHTER BY EX-WIFE*Directly beneath it, another site had already picked up the story with a different caption:*BILLIONAIRE DECEITFUL WIFE CAUGHT: THE SHOCKING TRUTH BEHIND FREDRICK WELLSPRING MARRIAGE*Riley’s hands began to shake violently. She couldn't breathe. Her thumb trembled so much she could barely click on the link to read the full article. There was a video attached—an exclusive interview with Fredrick sitting in a studio looking like a wronged, heartbroken victim—but she couldn't bring herself to press play. Instead, she forced herself to read the text first.The article called her all sorts of horrible names. It painted her as a calculated gold-digger who had trapped a wealthy heir
Chapter 4The heavy smell of cheap disinfectant, sweat, and old plastic chairs filled the crowded emergency room waiting area. It was completely different from the freezing, rainy night Riley had just escaped.The nurses had rushed Iris through a set of double doors into a separate treatment room t
Chapter 3The moment they stepped out the front door, a sudden, loud crack of thunder shook the whole sky.The clouds burst, and a massive downpour slammed into the ground. The rain fell in heavy, blinding sheets, completely soaking the perfect, neat driveway.Iris gasped, shivering from the biting
Chapter 2The silence that followed his words wasn’t just quiet; it was deafening. It felt as though the air had been entirely sucked out of the room, leaving Riley gasping. Her mind spun violently as she tried to process the horrible words that had just left Fredrick’s mouth.Bastard child.“Say
Chapter 1“Mom, are you really sure he’s going to show up?” Iris’s voice had a hollow, heavy ache that no ten-year-old should ever have to carry. As Riley ran the brush through her daughter's dark curls, the strands slipped from her fingers. Today was Iris's golden birthday, a day that should ha







