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
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
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
"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
"Congratulations on your upcoming wedding, Amora! Your fiancé is the dream man for many women. You're truly lucky!"A broad smile curled on Amora Lysander's lips as her best friend, Chelsea Harrison, congratulated her. There was no denying the joy blooming in her heart, as her moment of happiness was just around the corner.In one week, Amora would become the wife of Chris Walden. A year ago, she met her future husband at an annual event for the Lysander company. She fell in love with him, and fortunately, her feelings were reciprocated. Their relationship was blessed by both families.Amora was attending her bachelorette party, organized by her college friends. The party was held in an exclusive, private lounge at a luxurious five-star hotel.The sound of pounding music and singing enlivened the small party in the room. Two young women, already drunk, were dancing on the table, while two others were busy cheering and clapping.Amora Lysander shook her head slightly and laughed at the
"Wh-What?"Amora's forehead furrowed. She couldn't quickly digest his words due to the influence of the alcohol she had consumed, but one thing she knew for certain was that this man would kill her if she didn't obey his words.Before Amora could respond, the man had already pulled her out of the room. To preserve her life and escape this bizarre situation, Amora could only surrender herself to follow the killer's demands.They hurried down the hotel corridor. Faintly, Amora heard several people chasing them from behind. More precisely, they were chasing the killer!'What on earth is this?' Amora screamed in her mind, her face astonished.Despite her head still feeling hazy from the alcohol, she could sense the danger surrounding her. In an instant, fear filled her mind.However, Amora could feel the reassuring strength flowing from the hand that gripped hers tightly, belonging to the man walking in front of her.'What is this strange feeling?' she wondered. Amora's heart raced faster
Amora swallowed hard. Her eyes widened as she saw the muscular back of a stranger lying beside her. Her gaze turned to horror as she noticed the terrifying dragon head tattoo on the person's back.‘What happened to me? Wasn't I with Chelsea and the others last night? How did I end up here?’Amora’s hazel eyes blinked repeatedly, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling. She was utterly shocked to find herself naked under a thin blanket.She tried to get up quickly, but an intense pain between her legs stopped her in her tracks.Her head throbbed painfully. She clutched the sides of her head, trying to piece together her memories. Laughter, congratulations, and the sound of her friends’ voices echoed in her mind, followed by images of her drinking continuously.Amora realized she had gotten drunk. Her eyes widened as flashes of the passionate night she spent with the man beside her played rapidly in her head. Instantaneously, she turned to look at him.“I ... with him….”Amora quickly covered
"You're still not going to talk, huh?"An old man's booming voice echoed through the Lysander family's living room. Amora was kneeling on the floor, her head bowed low.Amora stared at the feet of the old man standing before her, holding a cane. He was Charlie Lysander, her grandfather.Slap!Suddenly, a harsh slap from the old man landed on Amora's cheek. The force of the slap knocked her to the floor.Amora's eyes widened in shock. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she clutched her burning cheek. She hadn't expected her grandfather to slap her for her silence."Enough, Charlie! Do you have to hit her like this?"An elderly woman in a wheelchair quickly interrupted Charlie as he prepared to slap Amora again. The woman was Gilda Orlena, Amora's grandmother, and Charlie's wife.Slowly, Charlie lowered his hand and snorted in frustration."A slap isn't enough for her!" He snapped.Charlie’s face was furious. He was enraged by the foolish thing his granddaughter had done the night before
"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