“N-no, Amora. Please don’t misunderstand me. That’s not what I meant. I just wanted to make sure the rumors I’ve heard aren’t true. I know you’re not the kind of woman who’d make rash decisions or give herself away just for money.”Estelle stammered, worried her words might backfire. She had come to speak with Amora to apologize, not to become her enemy.A soft chuckle escaped Amora’s lips before she said, “Seven years, Estelle. So much can change in seven years. The Amora Lysander sitting in front of you isn’t the same Amora Lysander you knew back then.”“And you, I can’t even be sure you’re the same Estelle Mauverick I once knew,” Amora added with a faint, bitter smile.Estelle gasped, biting her lower lip. “You’re right. Seven years isn’t a short time.”“Maybe I’ve become materialistic, but I’ve never stooped so low as to throw myself at sleazy men just to live a life of luxury,” Amora said, firmly emphasizing the principles she still held.Estelle fell silent for a moment, guilt w
A faint smile appeared on Estelle’s lips. She could understand Amora’s guarded demeanor and said, “It’s okay. I understand how you feel. You don’t have to rush to trust me again, Amora. But you’re truly incredible. I really admire you for managing to survive and hold on in your own way all this time.”The sincere compliment escaped Estelle’s lips. She genuinely admired Amora because, compared to what Amora had gone through, the challenges she faced over the past seven years seemed insignificant.“Thank you. I’ve made it this far because of my son and because God intervened in my life,” Amora replied, wiping the corner of her eyes that had begun to water.Amora couldn’t hold back her emotions. Reuniting with an old friend and revisiting her past was emotionally overwhelming for her.“What about you … is what Chelsea said earlier true? Did your father force you into marriage because of me?” Amora asked, trying to shift the topic of their conversation.Estelle gave a faint smile. Like Am
“What’s keeping you busy these days, Amora?”Estelle’s question snapped Amora out of her thoughts. She still hadn’t come up with any ideas for her business plans.Amora smiled faintly. “Right now, I’m a certified unemployed woman,” she joked.Estelle chuckled along. “That makes two of us,” she admitted.“You’re not taking over your father’s business?” Amora asked, confused.As far as she remembered, the Mauverick family still had a business. Being the only daughter, Estelle should have inherited it, even if the family wasn’t as prominent as it once was due to rising competition.“I sold my shares to my uncle, Amora. After my father passed away, I was appointed as his heir and expected to manage the company on my own. No one believed someone like me could handle it, and honestly, I wasn’t passionate about it either. Rather than letting it fail under my care, I handed it over to my uncle.”Amora nodded as she listened to Estelle’s explanation.Estelle’s gaze drifted to the diamond ring
On the way to pick up her son from school, Amora sat quietly in the backseat, lost in thought about her conversation with Estelle.A wedding organizer isn’t a bad idea. But ….Her eyes caught Albert Parker’s reflection in the rearview mirror as he focused on driving. “Mr. Parker,” she called.Albert glanced briefly at her before returning his attention to the road. “Yes, Ma’am,” he replied.“Could you help me investigate something?” Amora asked, noticing his sharp look through the mirror.“I mean, do you know someone trustworthy who can handle discreet investigations?” she clarified.Albert smirked faintly. “You can count on me, Ma’am. Even though I’m just a driver, I’m quite a skilled informant,” he said confidently.He wasn’t bluffing. Both Regis and Mark often relied on him to gather critical information. Albert had an impressive network.“Really?”Amora was taken aback but thought for a moment before hesitantly asking, “Then, could you look into Estelle Mauverick?”Albert raised h
Regis's car stopped in front of a building surrounded by tall gates adorned with dragon heads carved at the center. He stepped out of the car without bothering to park it properly.He was currently at the Royal Dragon residence and headquarters to fulfill his father's order to meet him. As usual, the atmosphere around the residence was cold and quiet.A few subordinates greeted him briefly as he walked past them, continuing his way inside until he encountered Liliana Ritter, who had just stepped out of the elevator within the building.“Regis, why didn’t you let me know you were coming?” asked the woman, surprised. She hadn’t received any word about his return.“Are you staying the night here?” Liliana added.However, Regis ignored her questions and walked straight toward the elevator.“That boy ….” Liliana clicked her tongue in annoyance at being dismissed by her stepson and continued her steps out of the residence.Regis's sharp, hawk-like eyes followed her figure until the elevator
"Are you sure you didn't make any mistakes, including challenging Levent?" Diego questioned sharply.Regis understood that his earlier actions were risky. However, he felt he had no other choice but to assert himself to Altan Demir, making it clear that he was not someone to be trifled with."Father, he started it first. I was only giving him a little warning," Regis defended himself."Oh?"Diego raised an eyebrow and fixed his sharp gaze on his son.Understanding the meaning behind his father's look, Regis recounted the events that forced him to confront Altan Demir. However, he deliberately left out any mention of Amora, not wanting to drag her into the conflicts between organizations."You haven't forgotten, have you, that we have an agreement with Levent?" Diego probed.Diego believed Regis shouldn't have meddled in the dispute between Altan Demir and Beth Jefferson, as it was outside their jurisdiction.He also thought that Regis should just simply block Altan's attempts to spy o
"What do you mean?"Diego's brows furrowed deeply, his shock apparent at his son's statement.Seeing his father’s surprised expression, Regis only smirked indifferently.“Altan Demir caused your accident?” investigated Diego with an incredulous look.Though the accident had occurred seven years ago, Diego could never forget the near despair he felt, almost losing his only son.At that time, Diego had done everything in his power, gathering the best doctors to save Regis’s life. Though Regis eventually fell into a coma, Diego had been relieved his son was alive.Now that Diego had suddenly heard that the accident that almost killed his son was Altan Demir's doing, it was enough to shock him."Is it true, Regis?" Diego asked again, his anger seething.If Altan Demir truly was behind the crash, Diego had no intention of letting him walk free.But Regis was not eager to elaborate. He got up and said, "Father, I have other matters to attend to."Regis began walking away but stopped in his
"The woman who’s destined for you?"Diego smirked bitterly at his son’s declaration. He pulled out his phone and scrolled through its screen. Once he found what he was looking for, he handed the device to Pablo, instructing him to show it to his son since they were seated at a considerable distance from each other.Pablo approached his young master and presented the device.Regis’s expression turned cold immediately. He frowned for a brief moment before shifting his gaze from the phone back to his father, who was clearly pressuring him.“Is she the woman you’re destined to be with?” Diego asked, his tone sharp and probing.Regis gripped the armrest of the sofa tightly and answered firmly, “Yes.”“And who is this woman?” Diego pressed, retrieving the phone from Pablo’s hand.Regis smirked faintly. He didn’t know how his father had obtained a photo of him and Amora at the grand opening of Beth Jefferson’s art gallery, but he suspected that someone had deliberately sent it to him with ult
"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
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