After Biana left, Amora approached her son, who was happily chatting with Regis. Although her face still showed signs of fatigue, seeing her son interact so joyfully warmed Amora’s heart."Ray, how are you feeling now? Is there still any pain, Sweetheart?" Amora asked, her face full of worry.The boy's attention shifted to her. "I'm fine, Mom," he replied with a wide smile.Instead of feeling relieved, Amora's expression softened with sadness. She gently took her son’s hand in hers.Seeing the needle still attached to the back of her son’s small hand, Amora's heart ached deeply."I'm so sorry, Ray. I’ve been neglectful and didn’t pay enough attention to you. I should have known you were in pain…."Amora's voice began to tremble. She bit her lip, trying to hold back her sobs.Quickly, she wiped away the tears that were about to fall from her eyes. Rayden offered a small smile, squeezing his mother’s hand and softly brushing her cheek."I'm the one who should apologize, Mom. I made you
A satisfied smile appeared on Regis' lips as his eyes scanned the report handed to him by his assistant. He glanced briefly at the pale-faced woman standing in front of him.The woman nervously wrung her hands. Gone was the arrogance and defiance that usually flowed from her lips when facing him."Want to see?" Regis offered, extending his assistant's device to Amora.She glared at him but still took the device. Amora's hazel eyes quickly scanned the conclusion at the end of the DNA test results.Clearly written was the statement, "The probability of the alleged father being the biological father of the child is more than 99.99%."Amora closed her eyes for a moment. This result did not surprise her, as she knew full well that the man who had taken her purity and planted the seed in her womb was none other than Regis Lorenzo. No other man had ever touched her."When did you plan this?" Amora asked sharply.She felt caught off guard by this. Regis had obtained a sample for the DNA test
"You finally admitted it, Amora."A triumphant smile curved across Regis' lips. He felt a huge sense of relief after winning the battle he had been anxiously waging since yesterday. He had successfully broken through Amora's arrogance and exposed her lies.Although Regis had always suspected that Rayden was the result of their heated affair, hearing the confession directly from Amora gave him a mix of excitement and relief.Regis wasn’t sure what kind of expression would properly reflect his joy. He figured he needed time to adapt to his new role as the father of a son he had just discovered."What do you plan to do now that you know, Sir Lorenzo?" Amora asked, her voice probing.She had no choice but to confess everything. She couldn’t hide from the undeniable evidence Regis presented. All she could do was hope that he wouldn't try to take Rayden away from her.If Regis had had any deceitful intentions, Amora would have already resolved to fight and never let him take her son from he
Amora’s sharp eyes glanced at Regis’ grip on her wrist. Eventually, the man slowly let go.A rough huff escaped Amora’s lips. She took a few seconds to calm herself before speaking again. “All this time, Ray never knew who his father was, and he believes that man abandoned him and me as his mother,” she said.She glanced at Regis to see his reaction, but he remained expressionless.“In a boy like Ray’s mind ... do you really think he can accept his father suddenly showing up and claiming him after years of fostering hatred for the man who left him?”Amora’s lengthy explanation left Regis in silence. He finally understood his significant mistake.However, it wasn’t that he didn’t want to meet the boy; he simply hadn’t remembered ever being with a woman, let alone getting one pregnant!Even so, Regis couldn’t use that as an excuse. As Amora had said, Rayden would not accept him easily. Abandoning him since he was in the womb was an unforgivable act!Regis thought he would need time to o
“Haaah…”A long sigh escaped Amora’s lips. She had no idea how many times she had sighed like that today.Rayden, watching cartoons on the hospital bed, turned to look at her. He noticed his mom seemed troubled by something.Since yesterday afternoon, he had seen his mom lost in thought without any clear reason. Even though Rayden had asked her what was bothering her, she refused to tell him.Rayden guessed it had something to do with Regis Lorenzo. Ever since she mentioned that she would take him home after visiting the hospital, his mom seemed to have lost focus on everything else.Rayden returned his attention to his show. He didn’t want to ask any more questions because he didn’t want to add to her worries.Amora didn’t realize that her son was concerned. She was still lost in the thoughts that had been weighing on her mind since the previous day.Her eyes glanced at the sky outside the window, which had turned orange, signaling it had been almost a full day since her meeting with
Rayden's hazel eyes blinked repeatedly. He tried to process the question he had just been asked."Mom ... you're not running a fever, right?" the boy responded, sounding unsure.He placed the back of his tiny hand on his mother's forehead, his expression serious with his brows furrowed. "No fever," he muttered.Amora smiled widely and gently lowered his hand from her forehead. "No, I’m not sick, Ray."The boy tilted his head and asked further, "Then why did you suddenly ask something like that?"Rayden cast a suspicious look at his mother. It wasn’t like her to talk about the idea of having a father with him, which made the whole thing seem strange. In the past, every time Rayden brought it up, his mom would always avoid the topic with a million excuses.And now, she was asking what he thought of Regis Lorenzo being his father. To him, it was an odd and unusual question."I was just saying... what if he were to be your father," Amora replied, her voice a little nervous."Oh, really?"
A luxurious car came to a stop in front of the hospital entrance. Mark quickly stepped out from the right passenger side and rushed to open the door for his young master.Regis got out, dressed semi-formally, wearing a black blazer paired with a white t-shirt and slim-fit jeans.“Have you prepared everything, Mark?” Regis asked, glancing at his assistant.“Yes, Sir,” Mark replied, handing Regis a neatly printed document inside a clear folder.“Help Albert bring in the stuff,” Regis instructed before heading into the hospital building.Mark nodded, then hurried to assist Regis’s personal driver, Albert Parker, with unloading the newly purchased items. He quickly followed behind his young master, who had already gotten ahead.Earlier, his young master had gone on a shopping spree, buying things for two new people who were about to become a part of his life.“Wait, Young Master!”Mark ran just in time before the elevator doors fully closed. Regis, already inside, pressed the button to re
Upon hearing Regis's command to his subordinate, Amora immediately rushed out of the bathroom and stopped Albert from leaving the room."Wa-wait a moment, Sir Lorenzo. I think the mistake isn't with the flowers, but with me," Amora blurted, trying to explain her situation.She hoped Regis would understand her condition and not blame others. However, Regis remained indifferent and said, "Of course, the owner of the flowers is also at fault."Amora furrowed her brows. "How can that be, Sir Lorenzo? What’s wrong with the flowers?" she asked, confused.Regis's eyes locked on Amora before he answered, "The flowers made my woman uncomfortable. I believe someone should be held responsible.""W-what?" Amora's eyes widened in shock. She thought Regis was being overly dramatic, but one thing caught her attention—the way he described her in his earlier words.'My woman?' Amora murmured in her heart, biting her lower lip nervously.Amora's eyes flicked to her son, who was engrossed in playing wit
"T-That person ... isn't Grandma?!" Amora's mind reeled in shock.The woman who looked like an old lady was actually one of Diego’s men in disguise!Amora had been tricked. “So that means ... Regis ….”She bit her trembling lip hard. Regis had been right all along. This whole thing was a trap, set up by Diego’s men. Their one and only goal was to lure in Amora and Regis and eliminate them.Amora’s body trembled with dread as the truth hit her. Because of her stubbornness and ignorance, Regis had now become their main target.Several of Jack’s men, who had been lying in wait, finally stepped out of hiding and surrounded Regis, guns raised and ready.Back to Regis’s situation—Amora’s husband showed no sign of surprise at the ambush by Jack and his dozens of armed men.Jack, on the other hand, looked genuinely confused by Regis’s calm demeanor. “You already knew about the disguise?” he asked, aiming his gun right at Regis’s face.A cold smirk tugged at the corner of Regis’s lips. “That d
"A trap?" Amora whispered, shocked. Once again, she had nearly made a foolish move.Regis gave her a small, knowing smile as he saw her surprised face. "I think from the very beginning, my father planned to target you for breaking your promise," Regis explained, sharing his theory with his wife.Amora’s face turned pale. She realized that her mistake had caused everything to spiral out of control. “But Regis … if this really is a trap, what about Grandma? I—”"I’ll count to ten! If you don’t come out, I’ll take it as your agreement to send Old Madam Lysander to the afterlife!" Jack shouted again, his threat loud and clear.Amora’s eyes widened in panic, her mind clouded by fear. She was terrified Diego’s men might actually carry out that threat if she didn’t come out of hiding.But Regis held her hand firmly and shook his head. “Leave everything to me, Amora,” he said, still trying to calm her down."But Regis ...."Sensing what she wanted to say just from her eyes, Regis continued, “
"Aaaahhh!"Amora’s scream echoed through the forest, followed by a rapid burst of gunfire. Birds took to the skies in a frenzy, their alarmed chirps blending with the chaos as they fled their disturbed habitat.Her face went pale. For a moment, Amora thought she was going to die—right then and there. But she didn’t.“Re-Regis, you .…” Her voice cracked, disbelief evident in her eyes. She hadn’t expected Regis to throw himself in front of her, shielding her with his own body.Tears welled up in Amora’s eyes and started to fall. She thought Regis had taken the bullet meant for her—he wasn’t moving at all.But Regis was just in shock. His face was as pale as hers, convinced for a second that Jack had shot him. Yet, he didn’t feel anything aside from a small scratch on his arm.Slowly, Regis let go of Amora. He could see the fear in her hazel eyes, reflecting his own face. But now wasn’t the time for comforting words. His priority was making sure they were safe.As he looked around, Regis
Finally, the taxi Regis was riding in came to a stop near a narrow trail that led into the mountains, surrounded by dense forest. Amora also asked her driver to stop, just a short distance behind the taxi ahead. She pulled out all the cash she had and handed it to the driver.“Sir, if you don’t mind, could you wait here for me? If I’m not back within fifteen minutes, please contact the authorities,” Amora said, her voice tense.The driver gave her a small nod after accepting the money. As soon as she stepped out of the car, the driver pulled out his phone and dialed a number.It didn’t take long for the call to connect, and a deep male voice came through the speaker—it was Alejandro Volker!That’s right—the taxi driver who had been taking Amora around was actually one of Alejandro’s men in disguise: Hank Watts.For the past week, Alejandro had sent Hank to tail Amora, using various disguises to monitor her every move and report back.Today, Hank happened to be undercover as a cab driv
Mark's car had just pulled up at the arrival gate. He glanced at his young master, who was resting his eyes in the backseat.Regis looked exhausted. For the past two nights, he’d been tied up in a series of private meetings with Royal Dragon’s subordinates, carefully planning the strategy to take over the power held by Diego Lorenzo.At this point, Regis and a few of his loyal aides had managed to secure the support of some underlings willing to serve him. However, there were still others who refused, afraid of becoming the target of Diego’s wrath if their plan was ever exposed.“We’ve arrived, Young Master,” Mark said, gently waking his superior.Regis slowly opened his eyes and took a moment to assess his surroundings before stepping out of the car. Standing by the departure entrance, he spotted Albert waiting to greet him.“Have you found Old Madam Lysander yet?” Regis asked bluntly.“Not yet, Young Master. We have no idea where she’s heading. My team and I had to split up to searc
The tension in the Royal Dragon leader’s office was palpable. Everyone’s face had gone pale when Pablo Varon returned with a report that darkened Diego Lorenzo’s expression.“What did you just say?” Diego asked, his tone cold and sharp.“I’m sorry, Boss. I failed to take Miss Lysander with me. The young master showed up and took her away first,” Pablo replied, bowing his head deeply.Diego stood from his chair and approached Pablo. He placed a hand on Pablo’s shoulder and gripped it hard.“How long have you worked for me, Pablo? And you still can’t handle a single woman? Are you trying to disgrace the name of Royal Dragon, huh?” Diego hissed, a cynical smirk curling his lips.Pablo could feel his boss’s rage and disappointment. “I’m truly sorry, Sir. I’m ready to accept any punishment,” he said, dropping to his knees in front of Diego.From the beginning, Pablo had known the risks of letting the young master’s wife go. He never once thought of escaping the consequences.“My ungrateful
“H-How did you find out about this?” Amora mumbled, still feeling dazed.She had tried so hard to hide her pregnancy complications from Regis. She didn’t want his excitement over the baby to waver because of it.“You don’t need to know how I found out,” Regis said firmly. “All you need to know is that I’m never going to let you go, Amora.”His eyes burned with anger at his wife’s deception. But a few seconds later, his gaze softened.Regis took both of Amora’s hands in his and looked at her gently. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he saw the regret in her eyes.He let out a quiet sigh and spoke gently, “I hope you won’t make the same foolish mistake again, Amora. I know my father crossed the line this time. But please, trust me … I’m going to stop him.”Amora’s hazel eyes were still wet with tears. “But how can you stop him, Regis? Grandma’s already been taken to the airport, and .…”Her voice cracked as her sobs took over. Seeing his wife cry, Regis actually smiled.
“Regis, your father actually had a reason for doing all of this.”Amora’s words made Regis frown for a moment, but then he let out a short, dry chuckle.“A reason? What reason could he possibly have other than wanting to control his rebellious son?” Regis scoffed.Just like Amora once had, Regis had no idea about the real reason behind his father’s constant efforts to keep them apart.Seeing the hatred in Regis’s eyes whenever he mentioned Diego Lorenzo, Amora finally decided to share what Diego had once told her.She thought maybe—just maybe—it would help lessen Regis’s hatred toward his father. She could’ve easily kept it to herself, letting Regis continue to resent Diego as payback for everything that man had done to her.But her conscience wouldn’t let her pretend she didn’t know the truth.“Regis … your father did all this out of hatred and revenge toward my dad,” Amora said, leaving Regis completely stunned and confused.“What do you mean, Amora?” Regis asked, his gaze narrowing
Seeing the deep regret on Amora’s face, Regis let out a sharp sigh. He hadn’t meant to scold her. He just wanted her to understand how her actions affected them both.Regis tried to keep his emotions in check, not wanting to lash out. He knew Amora was clearly torn and dealing with a difficult inner conflict.“Haven’t I told you time and time again not to carry everything on your own, Amora?” Regis reminded her gently.Amora didn’t respond. Her head remained lowered until Regis reached out, cupped her chin, and lifted her face so their eyes could meet again.The look in Regis's eyes, which looked shady and sad, made Amora feel both comforted and hurt because she felt guilty for hurting him with the divorce papers she’d filed.“I’m your husband, Amora. Didn’t we agree to face all our struggles together? Can’t you give me just a little time to prove that I can turn this around without asking you to sacrifice everything?” Regis asked, his voice soft but full of emotion.He still believed