The atmosphere inside the luxury boutique was calm and elegant, just as always. As soon as Victor stepped through the glass doors, one of the assistants spotted him and hurried over with a bright smile.“Good afternoon, Mr. Maddox. Welcome back,” she greeted warmly. “The limited-edition cufflinks you asked about just arrived this morning… that’s why we called you in.”Victor gave her a confident nod and smiled. He was used to being treated like royalty here. This was his favorite boutique, a place filled with good memories. Mostly because it was where Lyriel used to bring him to shop… back when everything felt perfect.“Perfect,” Victor said. “We’ll take those. And bring out that silver bracelet for my daughter too.”Sophia, standing beside him, smiled faintly. She was enjoying herself, completely forgetting that Ava had quietly left their side the moment they alighted from the car.It wasn’t until much later, after they had picked out several outfits, shoes, and accessories that Soph
Ava didn’t answer Lyriel’s question. Instead, she simply reached out and gently held her hand.The warmth of that tiny palm made Lyriel smile. Her eyes softened as she looked down at the little girl standing silently before her.With her other hand, she reached out and gently stroked Ava’s hair, her mind drifting back to the past.This child...This cute little girl used to be her whole world. In her previous life, before everything went wrong, Ava had been the one person who could make her smile without even trying. She had spoiled her endlessly—with toys, dresses, sweets… anything she wanted, Lyriel gave without hesitation.She still remembered how Ava used to sit in her lap and call her "pretty fairy,” how she’d cling to her arm and beg for her hair to be braided. The soft kisses she planted on Lyriel’s cheek to cheer her up.And she could never forget…These same tiny hands holding hers now, had once held her tightly the day Victor slapped her.When everyone else turned away, Ava
Ever since Victor received that call from Lyriel, everything around him felt different. He hadn’t spoken to Sophia at all. Not even a word.He skipped lunch. Didn’t even glance at his food. Dinner too, he just ignored it.He lay flat on his back, eyes open, staring at the ceiling like he was searching for answers that weren’t there. But his mind wasn’t quiet. It was full of thoughts he didn’t want to think.He couldn’t stop hearing her voice.“Send my regards to your mom… Or is it Sophia’s mom?”Those words kept repeating in his head, over and over, hitting him like a hammer each time. Each time they echoed, something inside him trembled.He sat up suddenly, breathing a little faster than before. He blinked hard and muttered under his breath, "Just how much does she know?"He wasn’t just confused. He was shaken and scared."Is that why she’s been acting this way? Because of that?" he asked the empty room, his voice tired.He stood up and walked slowly to the window, folding his arms t
Lyriel nodded slowly, and that simple gesture made Damien smile.Without a word, he leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her cheek before pulling back.“Let’s head back to the living room,” he said gently.She nodded again. They left the hidden study together, and as they stepped back into Damien’s room, the wardrobe rotated back into place, hiding the secret door like it had never been there.Damien walked over to his bed and picked up another phone.Lyriel tilted her head. “Wait… how many phones do you have?”Damien glanced at her and gave a small shrug. "I’ve lost count.""Why so many?”He shrugged again, saying nothing as they made their way to the grand sitting room.Once they were seated, Lyriel turned to him. “Have you eaten?”Damien leaned back and let out a quiet breath. “No… I’ve been too busy to even think about food.”Lyriel pouted cutely. “I’m hungry,” she admitted, resting a hand on her stomach.To her surprise, Damien stood up right away.“Where are you going?” she asked
Lyriel started to pull back from him but Damien caught her wrist and yanked her close again, this time kissing her rougher, and deeper.She responded, her fingers clutching his shirt like she couldn’t bear to let go. He was a man with a fiancée, a man who would soon be married. This was wrong, so wrong… but she couldn’t deny how much she wanted him, how badly she needed him to touch her.Just as the kiss grew maddeningly intense, Damien’s phone buzzed sharply from the desk.He groaned softly and reluctantly broke the kiss, licking his lips before walking over. He picked up the phone and answered lazily. "Yeah?"Damien leaned against the edge of the desk, completely unbothered."Damien!" Gilbert’s voice roared through the speaker. "Are you out of your mind?! How dare you ask Mr. George to withdraw his contract with me and give it to someone else?! That was supposed to be mine! I was going to use that to prove myself to Father!”Damien let out a slow yawn. “Prove you’re finally worthy o
Damien could still see the doubt in Lyriel’s eyes. He knew what she was thinking, and he hated that she was looking at him that way.Without saying anything, he reached out, gently grabbed her wrist, and pulled her along.“Damien?” she called , confused, but followed.He took her back to his room. This time, he walked past the bed and stopped in front of a large wardrobe. Then, without a word, he placed his palm on a barely visible panel on the side.There was a soft click, and the wardrobe began to move with a quiet hum, slowly turning to reveal a hidden door behind it.Lyriel’s eyes widened. “What… is this?”Damien didn’t answer. He pushed the door open and walked in, pulling her along with him.The room behind the door was warm and dim, filled with shelves of books, papers, and scattered blueprints. A desk sat near the window, with an open notebook and a mug still letting off steam.“I was in my study,” Damien said, finally letting go of her wrist as he walked to the desk. “Reading