Rayden’s statement left Amora stunned. Initially, she could sense her son's interest in Regis, but she never expected him to think of making Regis his father.“Ray .…”The boy continued before Amora could ask further, “At least Uncle Lorenzo is better… No! Way better than the man who left you and Ray without taking any responsibility.”Amora was shocked. “You mean … your biological father, Ray?” she asked hesitantly.Rayden nodded. “I hate him! I hate that he didn’t come to protect you and left you to raise me alone. When you needed him, he was never there. I hate him!” he declared.“Ray, you .…”Amora paused, unsure how to explain to her son about the two men he thought were different.A long sigh escaped Amora’s lips. This was the first time she heard Rayden’s opinion about his biological father.She hadn’t expected her son to harbor such deep hatred toward the man. But she didn’t know how to tell him that the two people he saw as different were the same person.Admitting that would
Regis was about to reach out to brush away the fine strands of Amora's hair that were obscuring his view, but he pulled back his hand when he realized what he was about to do.Clenching his fist tightly, Regis closed his eyes for a moment to calm the intense emotions surging within him.He exhaled a long breath. "What was I thinking just now?" he muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.Regis then left the room to clean himself up. He didn't want to dirty Amora's face and body with his hands, which were still stained.Not long ago, Regis had been involved in a violent and bloody incident. The reason he had left the penthouse earlier was related to his organization’s problems.Regis received a report from one of his trusted subordinates that a group of people was using the name of Royal Dragon to scam other underground organizations.Because of this report, Regis led his men to capture the fraudsters. He had information that these scoundrels were conducting a transaction at a warehou
“Don’t come any closer, Regis!” Amora snapped, her voice breaking into informal speech as she called the man by his name directly.A slow, sly smile curved Regis’s lips. He stood with his hands on his hips, watching Amora, who was still holding her hands out to keep her distance between them.“I like it when you say my name. It sounds so sweet,” Regis murmured, causing Amora’s eyes to widen even more.Amora bit her lower lip, feeling a surge of irritation as Regis once again managed to toy with her.“Sir Lorenzo, please mind your behavior, or I will—”“Or you’ll what, hm? Scream?” Regis interrupted, guessing what she might do next.At this moment, Amora was like a helpless rabbit caught in a hunter’s trap.“You haven’t forgotten that you’re in my territory now, right? Who do you think would come to help you if you scream?” Regis taunted, laughing softly.Amora’s face flushed red again. She bit her lower lip, knowing Regis was right. There was nothing she could do even if he decided to
"Who would even want to look at it? Besides, there’s nothing good to see about you!"Amora blurted out, saying the opposite of what she was really thinking. She didn’t want to let Regis keep mocking her."Nothing good to see, you say?" Regis murmured, his anger evident as he focused on that particular part of her statement.Amora cleared her throat. "I think all men have the same thing, right? I’ve seen it often enough. So, there’s nothing special about it, is there?" she retorted.Of course, Amora was lying. There was no way she had seen a man undressed before. She wasn’t some abnormal woman with strange habits.She cleared her throat again, noticing Regis’s shocked expression at her words."When did you get home?" Amora asked, trying to divert their awkward conversation. She was also curious to know the answer, as just a few minutes ago, she thought he hadn’t returned yet.Earlier, Amora had woken up in surprise, not expecting to fall asleep while waiting for Regis. She decided to h
"Did ... did you kill someone?"Amora's lips trembled as she asked the question. She remembered the incident from seven years ago when she caught Regis killing someone in a hotel lounge.Back then, she thought Regis was a cold-blooded murderer. But after learning his true identity, she drew a different conclusion.“Is ... the Royal Dragon really what they’ve been rumored to be all this time?” Amora probed, her thoughts forming a new realization.Although she was terrified of hearing the truth, she felt she needed to know. Her hazel eyes looked at Regis, filled with mixed emotions.A faint smirk remained on Regis's lips. He didn't feel threatened by Amora's question. He admired her courage.Despite Amora's fearful expression, Regis noticed that her eyes showed resilience. No one had ever dared to ask him directly because they feared for their lives.Many bad rumors about the Royal Dragon circulated throughout society. Some said they ran a black market organization that controlled illeg
"Do you think I’ll just forget about your rudeness earlier?" Amora responded, pouting.Regis chuckled softly. He had lost count of how many times he had laughed today. Amora’s actions, words, and expressions never failed to amuse him.The fatigue and anger he felt after dealing with a gang of scammers seemed to evaporate after talking to Amora. Normally, Regis rarely engaged in conversations unless necessary.But for some reason, he felt different when he was with her. Amora seemed to draw him into doing things he never usually did."Aren’t you worried you’ll get wrinkles from being mad all the time?" teased Regis, noticing her scowling face. The words slipped out of his mouth without him being able to stop them.Somehow, teasing her had become something he wanted to do most. Seeing the various expressions on Amora’s face was so enjoyable for Regis, and deep down, a spark began to ignite within him without him even realizing it.Amora rolled her eyes lazily at his teasing. Suddenly, s
"All done."Amora's voice snapped Regis out of his wild thoughts. She quickly adjusted the collar of his coat, then began tidying up the medicines and tools she had taken out, discarding the used cotton and bandages.After organizing everything, Amora stood up and returned the first-aid kit to its original place. She thought about leaving the room since there was nothing else to discuss with Regis. Besides, she was starting to feel sleepy. She felt relieved that she had fulfilled her responsibility, except for the slap that still lingered on his cheek."You should compress your cheek before going to bed so it doesn't swell tomorrow," Amora advised him.Regis didn't respond. He simply gazed at Amora, who was standing in front of him, yawning widely as sleepiness began to overtake her.The silence once again made the atmosphere in the room awkward. Finally, Amora decided not to linger any longer. She wanted to lie down and get some rest so she could feel refreshed for tomorrow's activit
"Have you never been rejected before, Sir Lorenzo?" Amora guessed."Must you force things like this?" Amora continued.Regis didn't answer. He just gave her a cold, piercing look. The smile and laughter that had graced his lips were gone, leaving Amora feeling like he had two different personalities.In truth, Amora’s guess was correct. She was the first woman to continually reject him, making Regis feel his pride meant nothing in her eyes.Regis could easily use threats to intimidate her, but knowing Amora, he realized that would only push her further away."I think... my answer will remain the same. I can't accept your offer. I don’t think I’m suited to be your partner, even just a contract partner," Amora said, reaffirming what she had already told him a few days ago."Whether you're suited or not, that’s for me to decide, Amora Lysander," Regis retorted with equal firmness.Amora sighed deeply. She could sense the anger emanating from him.The room felt even colder than before. Am
"T-That person ... isn't Grandma?!" Amora's mind reeled in shock.The woman who looked like an old lady was actually one of Diego’s men in disguise!Amora had been tricked. “So that means ... Regis ….”She bit her trembling lip hard. Regis had been right all along. This whole thing was a trap, set up by Diego’s men. Their one and only goal was to lure in Amora and Regis and eliminate them.Amora’s body trembled with dread as the truth hit her. Because of her stubbornness and ignorance, Regis had now become their main target.Several of Jack’s men, who had been lying in wait, finally stepped out of hiding and surrounded Regis, guns raised and ready.Back to Regis’s situation—Amora’s husband showed no sign of surprise at the ambush by Jack and his dozens of armed men.Jack, on the other hand, looked genuinely confused by Regis’s calm demeanor. “You already knew about the disguise?” he asked, aiming his gun right at Regis’s face.A cold smirk tugged at the corner of Regis’s lips. “That d
"A trap?" Amora whispered, shocked. Once again, she had nearly made a foolish move.Regis gave her a small, knowing smile as he saw her surprised face. "I think from the very beginning, my father planned to target you for breaking your promise," Regis explained, sharing his theory with his wife.Amora’s face turned pale. She realized that her mistake had caused everything to spiral out of control. “But Regis … if this really is a trap, what about Grandma? I—”"I’ll count to ten! If you don’t come out, I’ll take it as your agreement to send Old Madam Lysander to the afterlife!" Jack shouted again, his threat loud and clear.Amora’s eyes widened in panic, her mind clouded by fear. She was terrified Diego’s men might actually carry out that threat if she didn’t come out of hiding.But Regis held her hand firmly and shook his head. “Leave everything to me, Amora,” he said, still trying to calm her down."But Regis ...."Sensing what she wanted to say just from her eyes, Regis continued, “
"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