A long sigh escaped Regis' lips. Amora’s words were sharp, like thorns aimed straight at him. But Regis knew that Amora’s sarcasm was her way of trying to protect herself.“I-I can’t forgive you that easily,” Amora murmured, nervous.To be honest, Amora was shocked by her husband’s apology. She didn’t want to admit that her anger had already softened a bit. She scolded herself for almost melting just because he said he was sorry.A sharp exhale came from her nose as she turned away from Regis, who had been watching her intently. His gaze seemed to pierce right into her heart.“Of course, I know. And by the way, I didn’t apologize for kissing you,” Regis continued, drawing Amora’s attention back to him.“Are you just trying to provoke me, Regis?” Amora snapped, her anger flaring up uncontrollably again.A chuckle slipped from Regis’ lips as he reached out to t
Amora only got a sour smile from him in response. "You can’t do it, can you?" she taunted.A mafia family like the Lorenzos must have committed countless crimes, including murder, all hidden beneath the surface. They would do anything for money, power, and pride—even staining their hands with blood.“Sorry. I guess it was naive of me to ask you not to kill. I just don't want Ray to find out his father is a ruthless killer. But, whatever ... forget it,” she muttered, looking down.“Alright,” Regis responded, making Amora flinch.She looked back at him, disbelief in her eyes. “What did you say?”“I said I won’t kill,” Regis repeated.“Are you … serious?” Amora asked, full of doubt.“Of course not,” Regis replied with a chuckle.She rolled her eyes. “That’s not funny, Regis. If you’re not sure, don’t promise me anything. I hate lies.”“I can’t promise you that,” Regis admitted, “but I’ll try not to kill—unless someone pushes me past my limit. That’s the best I can offer you, Amora,” he a
Amora's hazel eyes moved restlessly. Her lips trembled softly. Her mind urged her to refuse the man's request, but her body thought otherwise.When Regis's lips kissed hers again, Amora didn’t pull away. She thought perhaps she should give the man a chance to claim his rights because she was also aware that she needed the same thing at that moment.Slowly but surely, their lips connected again as before. There was no more resistance like before; everything flowed in harmony under the moonlight that radiated its softness.Amora’s eyelids slowly closed tightly. The gentle caress of his lips made her sanity pause for a moment.Both of Amora's arms had wrapped around Regis's strong neck. His hands had also moved to hold the nape of her neck, deepening their increasingly heated kiss.Regis greedily devoured her lips. He pushed his tongue into the mouth that had given him access to exp
“Ray? What happened?” Regis asked, confused.Regis tried to hide his disappointment and panic, feeling caught having engaged in behavior his son deemed shameful.Amora was equally shocked. She turned to find her son standing there in full pajamas, hugging his favorite pillow, which Rayden had carried since childhood.Immediately, Amora rushed down from Regis’s arms and walked unsteadily. “What’s wrong, Dear?” she asked anxiously.Rayden didn’t answer right away. He shot a sharp glance at Regis, making the man feel he had made a huge mistake.“Ray, are you looking for me?” Amora guessed.Rayden's attention returned to his mother. He nodded slightly.“What’s wrong, Ray?” Amora asked, worried. She still remembered how her son had peeked at her and Regis kissing outside earlier.“I want to sleep here,” Rayden blurted, his face downcast.Rayden’s words shattered all of Regis’s hopes in an instant.Amora furrowed her brow. She truly didn’t expect her son to act this childishly.“Ray, do you
The sound of water flowing filled the bathroom. Amora stood under the shower, the warm water pouring over her body. She tilted her face up, eyes squeezed shut tightly.She let the water wash away the tangled thoughts from her mind. Once she felt refreshed, she turned off the shower and reached for a robe to cover her bare skin.Now, Amora stood in front of the sink mirror, looking at her flushed face. There were still traces of a kiss and red marks on her slender neck. Memories of her passionate kiss with Regis replayed in her mind.“Oh, come on! Stop thinking about it,” Amora muttered, giving her cheeks a quick slap.She hurriedly grabbed a cream from around the sink to cover the kiss marks.Amora didn’t know if she should be relieved they had postponed their intimate moment or feel disappointed like her husband clearly had. For now, she needed to think clearly to make the right decision.She reflected again on the truth she had just learned from Regis. The background of the Lorenzo
Regis sighed heavily, trying to hold back his anger toward his son.“Alright, I won’t push you to answer. But I want to know ... did you hear about this from the media or …?”“Don’t worry, Dad. I didn’t hear it from the media. It doesn’t seem like it will get to the media,” Rayden interrupted.Yesterday, he’d looked up information about the shooting case, but none of the media had covered it. Rayden guessed that his father must have kept it quiet. He had a feeling his father had the power to block the news.Hearing his son’s response, Regis paused. ‘Could it be ... he overheard me talking to Amora last night?’ he wondered.A thin smile crept onto Regis’s face. He was genuinely surprised by his son’s actions and words.It turns out that behind his son's innocent demeanor lies an impressive, sharp intuition. Regis wasn’t sure whether to feel proud of his son’s spying skills, especially since he managed to deceive him so smoothly, leaving him at a loss for words.“You still haven’t answe
The words that escaped those small lips were like a morning thunderbolt, striking Regis’s mind all at once. He hadn’t expected to receive such a piercing response.Though Regis had already heard from Amora that his son didn’t have a positive view of his biological father, hearing it directly with his own ears was much more painful.“I will never forgive him,” Rayden continued, adding salt to the wound now opened in Regis’s heart.“Ray, I thinks maybe you—”Before Regis could explain to his son, Amora entered the room and interrupted their conversation, “You two are still relaxing here? Do you know what time it is?”Amora had just finished preparing breakfast for them. Seeing no one coming out of the bedroom, she assumed both were still asleep. But who would have thought they were lost in conversation, unaware that they were running out of time to get ready?“Ray, you still haven’t showered?” she scolded when she saw her son still in pajamas, looking sleepy.Rayden gasped. Seeing his m
“Mrs. Brown, is it true that Mr. Brown embezzled school funds?”“What’s your response to your husband’s actions?”“Has he already been removed from his position at the school?”“What about the Brown family business? Was the money used to cover last year’s massive loss?”Journalists bombarded Lisa with questions. She struggled to push through the crowd until school security stepped in to help her escape the onslaught of media.Lisa’s face was pale; her usual thick makeup was gone. She looked almost unrecognizable to Amora, who guessed Lisa had faced the same barrage outside her home that morning.From her disheveled appearance, it was clear Lisa had rushed out. She still wore house slippers, and her normally sleek hair was hastily tied back.“Looks like Mrs. Jefferson has finally taken action,” Amora murmured with satisfaction.Now she no longer had to worry about Lisa using her position as the wife of the school’s vice chair to undermine her.Amora smirked, wanting to remember Lisa’s
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
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