Without suspecting Chelsea at all, Amora placed a bowl of tourin soup in front of her. Just as she set it down, the wine glass beside her hand suddenly toppled over.Startled, Amora quickly pulled back, even though she was sure she hadn't touched the glass. Before she could explain, Chelsea had already hurled an accusation at her."Oh my goodness! Can't you be more careful?" Chelsea snapped.Amora was taken aback. She saw Chelsea rise from her seat, worried that the wine had stained her expensive clothes.Chelsea’s loud voice drew all eyes to Amora. Seeing the faint arrogance on Chelsea's face, Amora realized she had fallen into Chelsea's trap."But I didn’t—""Are you saying it was an accident? What if the hot soup had spilled on my niece? Could you have taken responsibility for that?"Before Amora could explain that it wasn’t her fault, Julia had already risen from her seat to defend Chelsea.The older woman put on a panicked face and pretended to check Chelsea’s body to ensure no s
"Do you have any idea who our important guest is tonight, Amora?!"Alvin Jones's angry shout echoed through the VIP room. Luckily, it was just him and Amora in there. Alvin had specifically asked her to come into the empty room to address her failure to provide satisfactory service to their VIP guest.He had already received a report from Hannah about what had happened. Instead of being satisfied, their VIP guest was frustrated and disappointed.Alvin couldn't believe Amora had made such a blunder. He had trusted her abilities after seeing her dedication and skill several times when she filled in as a substitute server. He never thought she would let him down. Now, Alvin regretted giving such an important task to someone who wasn't even a full-time employee!"I should never have given you this responsibility, Amora. It's my fault for overestimating your abilities," Alvin said, his voice filled with disappointment and regret.He felt he had made a mistake in trusting her. He should hav
"Sorry, I don't think we have anything to discuss, Young Master Lorenzo."Amora tried to resist the temptation of the offer from the stranger. She thought he was interested in her. It wasn’t that Amora was arrogant, but she had no interest in getting involved with a strange man who seemed very dangerous. Besides, she didn’t want to be seen as a woman who could be easily bought with money.The musky scent of the man made Amora frown. She felt she had smelled it before from someone in the past. But his voice interrupted her thoughts before she could dig deeper into her memories. "One hundred dollars for five minutes."Amora was stunned. That amount was a lot for her and could cover her overdue rent!'Damn! Should I swallow my pride? I guess talking won't hurt, right?' Amora's mind wavered.Slowly, her defenses crumbled under Regis’s offer. She thought if he just wanted to talk, there was no harm in it.With conflicting feelings, Amora reluctantly set her pride aside and slowly turned
"Now, what should I do about Biana? She’s going to be angry and disappointed when she finds out I lost this important job for her."Amora muttered softly, sadness evident on her face. She had just left Baymoon Restaurant through the back door, worried that Young Master Lorenzo would come looking for her.Amora didn’t want to see the man who had taken her virginity. Even though he was Rayden’s biological father, she had no intention of letting him know that their brief encounter seven years ago had resulted in a child.Amora also didn’t want Rayden to know that his father was a murderer!"No wonder he seemed familiar. He looks so much like Rayden," Amora thought as she tried to recall Regis Lorenzo’s face from earlier.Her son and that man had the same eyebrows, nose, and lips. Amora thought anyone would instantly see the resemblance if they saw the two together."Good thing he’s too dense to notice. Otherwise, Rayden could be in danger. I can't let them meet again," Amora sighed with
"Was it you who spiked my drink back then, Chelsea?" Amora began her interrogation.Chelsea didn’t answer, only giving a slight smirk.“I’ll take that as a yes,” Amora said, her disappointment growing as her suspicions were confirmed."And you also told Chris to pick me up at that hotel, didn’t you?" Amora continued.Amora pressed further this time without waiting for a response, "Why did you do it? What did I ever do to you to deserve this?"Chelsea gripped the steering wheel tightly, then turned to Amora with a mocking tone and said, "Why? Do you feel hurt? Betrayed?"Their eyes locked, filled with hatred."Did you do it for money?" Amora guessed.It was a cliché reason that made Amora feel Chelsea’s actions were unforgivable."You’re right. I did
“Is your head still hurting, Young Master?”Mark glanced at Regis Lorenzo's pale face through the rearview mirror of the car he was currently driving. It was nearing midnight, and Regis, his boss, showed no intention of returning to his penthouse just yet.For nearly thirty minutes, Mark had been driving aimlessly at Regis’s request, circling through the city streets to help clear his mind.Earlier, Mark had received a phone call from Regis, asking to be picked up from Baymoon Restaurant. Mark wasn't sure what had happened to his young master, who was supposed to be attending a matchmaking event arranged by the Lorenzo family's second lady."Stop the car, Mark," Regis commanded as they approached the Hudson River's edge.Ahead of them was a suspension bridge made of sturdy steel, adorned with various lights in beautiful colors and patterns that illuminated much of the southeast Manhattan s
"Forgive me, Bia! I didn’t know something like this would happen. I’m truly sorry.”Amora clasped her hands above her head, bowing deeply in front of her coworker, Biana Curtiz. They were in the storage room of WW Mart, taking a lunch break.Last night, Biana contacted her to inquire about what happened at work. She was very angry with Amora after learning about her dismissal.Even though Amora tried to explain at that time, Biana didn't give her a chance and abruptly ended the call.Amora knows she deserves Biana's resentment, but she needs to apologize and explain directly to her. After all, she was the one who caused Biana to lose one of her valuable jobs.Biana's stoic face stared directly at Amora, who still bowed in remorse. She let out a long sigh. Her eyes had been swollen since this morning.“Is what you said true?” Biana asked, wanting to confirm what she had j
The sun was already high above the Royal Dragon office building. Regis had just finished his meeting with a few of his trusted subordinates.Mark walked alongside him, busy reading Regis's next schedule on his tablet.“This afternoon, you have a meeting with some company executives at the Luxury Hotel. Regarding your accident-damaged car, it was brought to the parking lot of this building this morning. You can check it later.”Regis just nodded. He paused briefly when he reached his office. He remembered the instructions he had given Mark before attending the meeting earlier.With one hand in his pants pocket, Regis turned to Mark and asked, “Did you ask the Baymoon Restaurant to give tips to Miss Curtiz? Have they rehired her?”Mark nodded slightly.Following Regis's orders last night, Mark immediately looked into the woman named Bian
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