“Mom, is your face okay?”
Amora paused as she was fastening her son’s helmet. She could see the worry in her son’s eyes.
His little hand gently touched Amora’s reddened right cheek. Not wanting to worry him, Amora gave him a broad smile.
“I am fine, Ray. It doesn’t hurt at all. It seems like you’re in more pain than me,” Amora said, cupping her son’s face in both hands.
Her heart ached to see the bruises and scratches on her beloved son’s face. “How dare those kids hurt my handsome boy. I should have taught them a harder lesson,” she muttered.
Amora inspected Rayden’s knees and arms, her chest tightening when she found a bruise on his elbow. "Does it hurt, Ray?" she asked anxiously.
Rayden didn’t answer; his head hung low. He looked very remorseful for involving his mother and causing her to be slapped by Benjamin’s mother.
“I’m sorry, Mo
“Does Dad not want Ray anymore? Is that why he hasn’t come back?”Rayden’s question caught Amora off guard. It had been a long time since Rayden last asked about his father’s whereabouts.In the past, Amora had concocted a story about Rayden’s father, claiming he was busy working in a distant country.She told this lie to give her son peace of mind. Amora planned to tell him the truth when Rayden grew older.But a lie is still a lie. Amora had to keep coming up with new excuses until Rayden eventually stopped asking about his father."Why... why would you suddenly think that?" Amora asked, panic creeping into her voice."If Dad really cared about me, shouldn't he still come to see me and Mom no matter how busy he is?" Rayden mumbled, his face downcast with sadness.“Ray—”“Ray knows Mom’s lying,” Rayden interrupted, catching Amora off guard, "Ray doesn't have a dad at all, right?"Amora’s eyes grew wide. She was complete
"You're getting bigger now, Ray. You can take care of your mom. I'm proud of you."Noel Ritter gave Rayden a gentle pat on the head. He praised Amora's son, who had just received medical treatment from him.A while ago, Noel had heard from Amora about Rayden's condition and the reason why Rayden resorted to physical violence and got hurt. As a doctor who had been taking care of Rayden since he was little, Noel thought that Rayden's actions were too reckless.The violence Rayden committed couldn't be justified because it didn't take his health into account. However, the reason behind the violence made Noel quite proud of him.Noel had seen Rayden's growth since he was in the womb and felt that his thoughts were more mature than the other kids his age. Even though Rayden was only six years old, he understood the importance of protecting his mother's reputation."But hitting someone isn't good, Ray. It doesn't just hurt others; it hurts you too," Noel
"I would never dare betray you, Young Master."Regis Lorenzo's face darkened as he listened to the young man kneeling before him. Despite the evidence, the young man refused to admit his wrongdoing.Regis possessed unquestionable evidence of this employee's embezzlement at his Royal Dragon subsidiary.A month ago, during a surprise inspection at one of his supermarkets, Regis noticed discrepancies in the sales reports handed to him.He immediately tasked his right-hand man, Mark Carter, to find someone to act as a spy in the investigation. They uncovered manipulated data, and the culprit was Dennis Baker, an employee who had worked with Regis for quite some time.“Is your salary as the head manager at the supermarket not enough to cover your living expenses?” Regis inquired coldly.Regis was furious. He kicked Dennis's face to the side with his sharp dress shoe, then threw the spy's report at Dennis.Regis couldn't forgive Dennis's misconduct. For the past five years, Dennis has met al
“Uncle, you’re so cool!”The compliment from the strange little boy left Regis stunned for three seconds. He quickly looked around and saw no one but himself and the boy.“Are you talking to me?” Regis asked flatly, sounding unsure.It was an unusual question for Regis to ask. He didn’t expect anyone to praise him out of the blue for no reason.The boy, Rayden Lysander, nodded enthusiastically and said, “You’re the coolest person I’ve ever met, Uncle.”Regis’s lips curled into a faint smile—so faint it could barely be called a smile, but it was unlike the usual Regis Lorenzo.“Were you spying on me?” Regis asked.“I wasn’t spying. I just happened to see,” Rayden replied.Regis smiled again at the boy’s innocent answer and said, “That’s still spying, kid. Spying isn’t cool. Understand?”Rayden seemed to ponder, then gave a small nod.
"Dad?"Regis raised an eyebrow. He smirked cynically, almost unable to believe such a statement could come from a six-year-old.Regis took a deep breath to calm his anger. He never expected a seemingly innocent child to have an ulterior motive."Is it common now for scams to use children as tools?" Regis thought.He felt he had wasted his precious time listening to the child's useless chatter, but there was a deep curiosity about the boy's motives.Regis suspected that the boy's irresponsible parents had taught him bad things, using him to target easy victims. Unfortunately, the boy had picked the wrong target."Where are your parents, kid? I want to see what kind of parents have taught you to scam like this?" Regis snapped.His words unintentionally hurt Rayden's pure heart. Immediately, Rayden retorted, "Uncle, I'm not scamming, and no one taught me! Don't speak badly about my mom!"The boy's cheerful face disappeared. Seeing the disappointment in those small hazel eyes, Regis felt
Amora's eyebrows furrowed. She glared at the tall man, who hadn't taken his eyes off her.‘What does he mean by meeting again? Who is he?’ She wondered, feeling highly suspicious.She had seen her son talking to a man from a distance earlier. However, she hadn't seen his face clearly and, after reaching her son, she forgot about the man's presence. She was too busy scolding her son.‘Could he be a scammer or a kidnapper?’ She thought, scrutinizing the man's appearance. 'But do scammers dress this well to avoid suspicion?'Even without asking, Amora could tell the man's suit was custom-made and extremely expensive. Her salary for two months wouldn't be enough to buy it.Despite his elite appearance, the man still seemed suspicious to Amora. Especially since he acted as if they had known each other before. For the past seven years, she has had no interactions with the elite.
"Gran, I'm home."Rayden stepped into the house with a gloomy face. A middle-aged woman, busy cleaning, was startled by Rayden's early return. School wasn't supposed to be over for another hour."Ray, why are you home so early?" asked the middle-aged woman, Emma Adams.She was Rayden's caretaker and Amora's neighbor, living in the same complex.Rayden was always picked up and dropped off by Emma. His early return was surprising Emma. "Oh my, Ray, what happened to your face?"Emma hurried over to Rayden, whom she considered her grandson. She immediately dropped the mop she was holding and cupped his face, which was covered in bruises."Who hit you, Ray?" Emma asked, extremely worried. Her heart ached to see the injuries on Rayden's face.She then looked at Amora, who had just entered the house after parking her motorcycle in the yard. Amora was carrying several items in her hands."Mrs. Adams," greeted Amora, her face just as worn out as Rayden's. She looked even more exhausted."Amor
"Ray, I'm coming in."Amora knocked on her son's bedroom door, then turned the doorknob and opened it.Rayden was sitting curled up on his bed, his face buried between his knees.Amora sighed softly. She walked over to him, sat on the edge of the bed, and gently patted the top of his head."Ray, does your wound still hurt?"Slowly, Rayden lifted his face and gave a small smile.But Amora could see that he was forcing himself to smile. She knew the bruise on his face still hurt."I'm sorry I dragged you into my past, Ray," Amora said softly, her voice filled with sorrow.Rayden shook his head. "It doesn't hurt, Mom. I'm just sleepy," he lied again.Amora smiled faintly. She cupped his face in her hands and said, "You can lean on me and cry, Ray. I'll always be here for you."Rayden's eyes had been welling up with tears, but he tried to stay strong so his mother wouldn't worry. He was in pain, not just in his
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
Regis and Amora had just entered their rented house, but Regis was still gripping his wife’s wrist tightly, causing her to wince in pain.“Regis, didn’t you hear me? Let go of my hand!” Amora snapped, clearly annoyed at being dragged around by her husband.The sound of the bedroom door slamming made Amora jump. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the fury in Regis’s eyes.Amora swallowed hard and muttered, “That hurts, Regis.”Seeing how helpless she looked, Regis finally let go of her wrist. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the red marks left by his grip.Even though guilt started to creep in, Regis didn’t say anything. He still couldn’t bring himself to forgive what Amora had done.His lips curled into a bitter smirk as he glanced at the small suitcase behind her. “So you’re leaving, huh? Who told you to do that?”His voice was laced with a mix of anger and disappointment. Amora nervously bit her lip, slowly lowering her gaze, unable to meet his eyes.“Why are you quiet? A
“Did you bring what my boss asked for?” Pablo asked, his expression completely unchanged.Amora looked down at the document in her hands, her heart heavy. The papers were divorce papers—something she had prepared at Diego’s request, and a requirement to get Rayden accepted into the Lorenzo family.The truth was, she still wasn’t ready to divorce Regis. But the pressure and threats from Diego had completely worn her down. Unlike Diego, she held no power. And more than anything, she didn’t want to see Regis crushed under the weight of his own father.“Miss, my boss isn’t someone who breaks his promises. He’ll accept your son as part of the Lorenzo family, just like he said. Your sacrifice won’t be in vain,” Pablo assured her on his employer’s behalf.Hearing that, Amora felt something heavy lift from her chest. ‘I’m sorry, Ray. I know I made this decision on my own, but I believe one day, you’ll understand this was the best thing I could do for you,’ she thought.Amora handed the docume
"See you later, Mom. Don’t forget to come, okay?" Rayden said as he said goodbye to his mother.They had just finished breakfast, and Regis was the one taking their son to school. Amora had claimed she needed to finish some housework first so she could fully enjoy the event Rayden was participating in later.Amora only gave a small nod to her son’s words. She kissed his forehead lightly and murmured, "Take care of yourself, Ray."Rayden frowned. "I’m not gonna hurt myself, Mom," he replied, assuming she was still worried about his archery performance later.Amora gave a faint smile. Her eyes shifted to Regis, who was looking at her with a meaningful gaze. But she quickly looked away and said, "Go on, or you'll be late.""Come on, Dad! Let’s go!" Rayden called out as he grabbed his backpack."What is it?" Amora asked, puzzled, when she noticed Regis still hadn’t moved from his spot, even though their son had already jogged toward the door."Aren’t you forgetting something?" Regis asked
“Maybe Albert and the others were right. The more I stay silent, the more Father will keep using his power to pressure Amora. I need to put a stop to this—fast,” Regis thought to himself.His face was filled with distress. His mind was racing with plans he had crafted with his loyal subordinates. He’d originally planned to check in on his wife, but changed his mind and stood up, needing to confirm something first before taking any action.Meanwhile, Amora sat silently on the edge of her bed, staring at her phone screen, her thoughts consumed by the message she had just received.Tears streamed steadily down her cheeks. She covered her mouth with one hand to muffle her sobs so no one outside her room could hear her crying.She quickly wiped her tears with the back of her hand and looked again at the message on her screen. It was from Chris. He had saved her number without her knowing.[Amora, I’m not sure if you’ve found out yet or not … but I just want to say congratulations. Accordin
The sky had already turned dark. Xavier had just left after having dinner with Regis’ small family.Now, Amora was cleaning up the dishes from their meal in the kitchen. Her body felt better after a full day of rest and some vitamins prescribed by the hospital.But mentally, she was still drained. Diego’s threats continued to haunt her, clouding her thoughts with anxiety and emotional exhaustion.She felt trapped. She had no choice if she wanted to protect her grandmother, but the idea of leaving Regis tore her apart.Part of her wanted to tell Regis everything. But deep down, she feared what he might do if he found out. If he confronted Diego, things could spiral out of control. And the one thing she couldn’t risk … was her grandmother’s life.‘What am I supposed to do? Should I leave Regis, just for a while, and make sure Grandma is safe first? But if Mr. Lorenzo finds out I’m lying… he might—'Amora took a deep breath and shook her head hard. ‘No. It’s too risky to lie to him. That
"Albert’s still handling it. But there are a few things that need a deeper review," Regis replied, referring to something he had done behind his family’s back.Yesterday, Regis held a closed-door meeting with several Royal Dragon subordinates—at their own request. Albert was the one who arranged the secret meeting. Yes, that man had survived the pursuit of Diego's subordinates.Pedro had also made it out alive, but he wasn’t as lucky. He’d suffered serious injuries and was still recovering. Both men were saved by loyal Royal Dragon members who still supported Regis. To them, Diego’s recent actions had gone way too far.Lately, Diego had become increasingly authoritarian and ruthless, especially toward those who remained loyal to Regis. Many of them felt like they were living under constant threat.Eventually, they decided to take a stand. They begged Regis to return and reclaim control of the Royal Dragon. They just couldn’t stand watching Diego abuse their fellow members any longer.
“Thank goodness you’re okay, Amora.”Regis’s voice echoed in Amora’s ears, followed by the sound of his relieved sigh.Amora had just arrived in front of her rental house. But before her feet even touched the yard, her husband came running out of nowhere and wrapped her in a tight hug.Amora froze in place, confused. She hadn’t even seen his face clearly yet, but from the way he held her, she knew Regis had been seriously worried about her.“R-Regis … I can’t breathe,” Amora squeaked as he tightened the hug even more.Regis slowly loosened his hold and stepped back. “Sorry … I guess I got too excited seeing you.”Amora smiled gently and shook her head. “Where were you coming from?” she asked him.“Shouldn’t I be the one asking you that?” Regis shot back, narrowing his eyes at her.Amora swallowed hard. She had expected him to question her. Thankfully, she’d already come up with an excuse.“Do you have any idea how worried I was when Ray told me you—”Regis stopped mid-sentence. He had
"Really?" Amora murmured, clearly seeing through the man's lie."So what if I am? You want to see her or something?" Chris shot back, turning the question on her."No, I was just curious. I heard the Lysander family went bankrupt. She must be devastated, seeing her parents like that," Amora replied softly.Chris fell silent for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, the Lysander family is beyond saving. I never thought my father-in-law would embezzle that much money. Even my dad doesn’t want anything to do with him anymore," he explained.Bianca’s position as the Walden family’s daughter-in-law had taken a serious hit ever since the Lysander Group scandal broke out. Cassandra Winston and her husband were embarrassed to be related to the Lysanders, so they didn’t care when Chris mentioned he was thinking of divorcing Bianca.Amora gave Chris a sidelong glance. He clearly didn’t want to go into detail about Bianca, but from what he said, she could tell things weren’t going well for Bianca in t