Mag-log inAdrian stared at Lia, then at the guards surrounding her. “What the hell is going on here?” Lia opened her mouth, but one of the guards answered first. “Sir, we found her inside the mansion. She was not supposed to be here.” Adrian frowned. “Why?” The guard exchanged a look with the maid. “Mrs. Serena gave us orders not to allow her inside.” Adrian looked at the maid again. “Is that true?” “Yes, sir,” the maid said quickly. “We were only following Mrs. Serena’s instructions.” The guards nodded. “We are sorry, sir.” Adrian’s expression hardened. “Leave.” The guards hesitated. “Sir—” “I said leave.” They immediately stepped away. The maid lowered her head before following them out. Soon, Adrian and Lia were alone in the hallway. The quiet that followed felt heavier than the argument that had just ended. Lia looked at him carefully. “How are you feeling?” “I’m fine.” She nodded slowly. “I only came because I heard you had been discharged. I wanted to see you.” Adrian stu
Lia drove away from the Laurent mansion with her jaw clenched.She had been humiliated twice in one day. First, the guards had stopped her at the gate. Then they had spoken to her as if she were a complete stranger all because of Serena. But Lia was not ready to give up.She had known that mansion not quite long before Serena became part of Adrian’s life. She had walked through those doors freely. She had sat in Adrian’s office, eaten at the family table, and spent hours with him inside those walls.Now Serena had turned the entire estate against her.Lia glanced at the mansion in her rearview mirror.“You think you can keep me away from him?” she muttered.She drove away, but she did not go home.Later that afternoon, she returned to the area around the Laurent estate. She parked far enough away not to attract attention and watched the main gate from a distance. The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the high walls. She did not know exactly what she was waiting for. She only kne
Lia returned to the hospital before going anywhere else. She had spent the entire day thinking about Adrian. She walked through the hospital entrance and approached the reception desk. The air inside carried the familiar mix of disinfectant and quiet urgency. A nurse was arranging some files nearby. “Excuse me,” Lia called. The nurse looked up. “Yes?” “I’m here to see Adrian Laurent. Is he still in his room?” The nurse checked the computer, fingers moving quickly across the keyboard. “Adrian Laurent?” “Yes.” “He was discharged.” Lia’s expression changed immediately. “Discharged?” “Yes. He left earlier.” A bright smile spread across Lia’s face. “Where was he taken to?” The nurse hesitated briefly. “I believe his family took him back to the Laurent mansion.” “The Laurent mansion?” “Yes.” Lia almost laughed from relief. So Adrian was home. For the first time in days, she felt like things were finally moving in her favor. His memory loss had changed everything. Adrian mi
I stared at the line of vehicles outside Lumina, trying to understand what I was seeing. Black SUVs. Security cars. Officers standing near the entrance in dark uniforms, their posture rigid and alert. The afternoon sun reflected off polished chrome and tinted glass, making the street look more like a restricted zone than the front of my company. Then I noticed the insignia on one of the vehicles. My eyes widened. “The governor’s security team,” I whispered. My driver glanced at me. “Ma’am?” “Nothing. Just get me inside.” The moment I stepped out of the car, two security officers moved aside to give me room. Cool air from the building’s lobby mixed with the heat rising from the asphalt. I walked toward the entrance, still trying to understand why someone this important had come to my company without anyone telling me in advance. Inside, the situation was even more unusual. People were moving carefully, speaking in low voices that barely rose above the soft hum of the air condit
I stood outside Adrian’s room, staring at the three messages on my phone. Lumina. Hale’s Corporation. Laurent Group. All three needed my attention at almost the same time. My first instinct was Lumina. It was my company, and whatever was happening there had to be handled before I worried about anything else. I slipped my phone into my bag and looked toward Adrian’s door. I could not leave without making sure he was okay. I walked downstairs and found the guards gathered near the entrance. Two maids were nearby, arranging some things. “Listen to me carefully,” I said. They all turned toward me. “I’m leaving for a while. Adrian is upstairs, and I want someone with him at all times.” “Yes, ma’am,” one of the guards replied. “There is one more thing.” My voice became firm. “If Lia comes here, do not let her enter.” The guards exchanged quick looks. “Understood, ma’am.” “I mean it. I don’t care what she says. I don’t care if she claims Adrian asked for her. I don’t care if s
My labor had started.And I was completely alone.Another contraction tore through me before I could even think. I grabbed the side of the shelter and squeezed my eyes shut.“Please,” I whispered. “Please, let me do this.”The pain only grew stronger.I reached for the piece of cloth I had prepared and pushed it between my teeth. I couldn’t scream. Not here. Not with unknown wolves somewhere beyond the trees who might hear and come for me.I bit down as another contraction came.Tears ran down my face. My whole body shook. “Come on, Malia,” I whispered through clenched teeth. “You can do this.”The pain eased for a moment. I breathed slowly, trying to gather enough strength for the next one.There was no one to hold my hand. No one to tell me what to do.No healer. No midwife. Only me and the child I had promised to protect alone.Another contraction came. I cried into the cloth. Minutes passed and I lost track of time.Sometimes I thought I couldn’t take another minute, but then anot
I spent the morning trying to make myself useful. Anything to feel less like a shadow in this house. One of the younger maids was struggling with heavy flower vases in the main hall, so I stepped in to help carry one. Her eyes widened in surprise, but she gave me a small, grateful smile.We were ha
I avoided everyone for the rest of the day. It wasn’t hard.Nobody came looking for me anyway.The mansion was too large, too cold, filled with people who work as maids. Every hallway felt unfamiliar. Every room reminded me that this wasn’t my home.I spent most of the afternoon sitting near the wi
I stayed slumped against the wall for a long time, his release still sliding down my thighs. The house was quiet now. Too quiet. Later that night, I couldn’t sleep. I wandered the halls, trying to find water, when I heard voices from the guest wing, low, intimate. I froze outside the slightly aj
Where is Lia?” He asked again. His voice cut through the room like something sharp. I didn’t answer. Not because I didn’t want to, but because I didn’t know where to start.He swung his legs off the bed and stood up, running a hand through his hair. The calm from last night was gone. What stood in







