“Of course, I wouldn’t mind!” Rayden exclaimed spontaneously. His face brightened immediately.
However, a second later, his face turned gloomy again, remembering how angry his mother would be if she knew about his wish.
Seeing Rayden’s quickly changing expression, Regis frowned.
“What’s wrong? Did I … not meet your expectations?” Regis asked, confused. He had thought the boy would be thrilled by his offer.
“It’s not that,” Rayden murmured, his face turning sad again.
Regis hoped to win Rayden’s heart to smooth out his plans. Without Rayden knowing, Regis had specific intentions behind organizing the scholarship event in person.
For the past few days, Regis had been thinking about meeting Amora. But before meeting her, he wanted to win her son’s heart.
No one kn
“Of course, because I’m an incredible superhero! What woman could resist a man like me?”Regis smiled confidently, sounding a bit narcissistic. But he wasn’t exaggerating, as he did indeed possess qualities desired by many women.Unfortunately, Rayden wasn’t too sure his mother would be swayed by such things. Especially since she had told him clearly that she had no intention of marrying again. He laughed at Regis’s narcissistic attitude.“We’ll talk about it later if you really can persuade my mom,” Rayden replied.“Alright then… you’ll be on my side, right?” Regis confirmed.“As long as you don’t hurt or harm my mom, I’ll always be on your side,” Rayden replied with a bright smile.A smile also appeared on Regis’s lips. He clenched his right hand and
"Mrs. Lysander, what happened to you?"Rayden's homeroom teacher, Daisy Miller stared in shock at Amora's appearance as she passed her in the school corridor. Amora was almost entirely soaked.It was raining heavily outside. Daisy guessed that Amora had just braved the rain to get to the school."I got caught in the rain, Miss," Amora quickly replied.She looked around the corridor and didn't see anyone behind Daisy."Miss, where is my son?" Amora asked, confused. She thought Rayden was with the teacher.Daisy frowned. "Rayden hasn't gone home? I thought you picked him up after the scholarship ceremony."Amora realized that Daisy didn't know where Rayden was."I had some errands and got delayed. I ... I thought Ray would wait at school," Amora said, starting to panic."Mrs. Lysander, you didn't at
Rayden's eyes widened in shock. He didn't expect the bald man with a fierce look to throw him!In an instant, Rayden's body flew through the air. He tightly shut his eyes, expecting his body to smash into the ground in his backyard.But all his worries vanished when he landed in someone's arms, none other than Regis Lorenzo.Regis had caught him quickly before Rayden's body hit the rough, rocky ground. His strong arms held the small boy tightly. He didn't care that his expensive suit got dirty from rolling on the ground.His shoulder also struck a large rock, causing a slight tear. Regis grimaced briefly but ignored the pain because there was something more important than a minor bruise."Young Master!"Mark, who had shouted in panic, hurriedly approached Regis.Hearing Mark's shout, Alicia, who initially had no intention of getting out of the car, peeked from behind the car window. She was very shocked to see her brother crouched on the ground.Reflexively, she rushed over to Regis, w
Regis's fists flew quickly, striking precisely at the weak points on his opponents' bodies.He didn't give his three opponents a chance to touch him. Within seconds, the three men who had laughed at him were kneeling, clutching the areas Regis had struck.Regis's lips curled into a sneer. He grabbed one opponent's hair, forcing his face upward.He punched the man's face repeatedly until thick red blood streamed from his nose. The man was left utterly defeated and helpless.Regis then turned his attention to a middle-aged man curled up on the ground, clutching his stomach in pain from Regis's earlier blow."Please forgive me, Sir," the middle-aged man, who had mocked Regis with the bald man earlier, begged.They hadn't expected the man they had underestimated to have such excellent martial arts skills. They never knew Regis held a black belt in taekwondo.
Amora, who had just arrived at her house, was shocked to see the chaos. She had to push through the crowd surrounding her yard.She was truly stunned when she saw all her personal belongings outside. Especially when she saw Regis Lorenzo gripping a stranger's neck, she immediately shouted at him."Mom!"Rayden broke free from Alicia's embrace when he saw his mother. He ran towards her and hugged her tightly around the waist.Seeing Amora, Alicia, standing amid the chaos, turned away. 'Wh-why is she here?'Alicia hadn't expected to meet the woman from the department store here.'What did that kid call her? Mom? So she... is his mother?' Alicia thought, her face shocked.Worried that Amora might recognize her, Alicia quickly looked for a place to hide so Amora wouldn't see her.Finally, Alicia stood behind a large tree trunk beside the yard. She wanted to return to the car, but the crowd blocked her.Alicia peeked from behind the tree, her brow furrowing as she watched Rayden and Amora
Regis smiled, knowing his words had nearly made Amora's heart leap out of her chest. He had intentionally brought up their past to gauge her reaction, and his guess was spot-on.Amora didn’t want Rayden to know they had once been close. This only reinforced Regis's suspicion about Rayden's status.However, to be certain, he planned to conduct a DNA test. He had already discreetly obtained a sample of Rayden’s hair without the boy or Amora noticing. This was one reason Regis had approached Rayden.Seeing Amora's panic and nervousness, Regis smiled again. Despite having just unleashed his anger like a madman, he remained very calm."Alright, if that's what you prefer, Amora," Regis said, not wanting to prolong their argument.Amora exhaled sharply. She couldn't stop Regis from acting overly familiar with her, but she felt relieved he didn’t reveal their brief relationship from seven years
Seeing no response from Amora, Regis spoke again, "The offer I'm giving is for a contract relationship. You don't need to worry about the benefits because I'll make sure you won't lose a penny."Amora rolled her eyes lazily and looked sharply at Regis."Love and marriage are not things that can be bought or exchanged for money, Young Master Lorenzo. It seems you need to learn more," she said firmly.Instead of being angry at Amora's sharp words, Regis's smile widened, and his interest in the woman grew."You're right. I do need to learn more, and I think I need a teacher. Would you teach me, Amora Lysander?"Amora's hazel eyes widened. She exhaled repeatedly in frustration because Regis didn't care about the core of their conversation and kept changing the topic."It seems like I'll go crazy if I keep talking to you," Amora grumbled as she packed a few clothe
"Mrs. Lysander, where have you been? I've been trying to reach you repeatedly, but you didn't answer my calls. Are you still using that old phone?" said Jordan Franklin, who understood Amora's situation.The middle-aged man often had trouble reaching Amora because of her phone's condition.Amora reached into her bag and found that her cell phone was dead. The device often shuts down suddenly due to its age.It was time for Amora to replace her phone. However, her money was very limited. Amora prioritized Rayden's needs, their home, and daily expenses, so she thought of keeping her phone until it couldn't be used anymore."Sorry, Mr. Franklin, my phone died again," said Amora, showing him the screen, which was completely dead.Regis, who was nearby, glanced at Amora's phone. In his view, the phone was indeed unusable, but he said nothing out of respect for her.From t
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
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