로그인“Zayne’s been taken to the hospital,” Mr. Tiano said over the phone.Elmy didn’t react right away. For a split second, her brain refused to process the words—until the glass slipped from her hand.It shattered on the floor.Her world seemed to stop. Even her heartbeat.The sound of breaking glass made Gianna and Isabella, who had been cooking together in the kitchen, turn around. Elmy stood frozen.So her gut feeling had been right. Something had happened to Zayne.The shards scattered across the floor. Some cut into her feet, but she didn’t care. She quickly got up from her chair. Her head was filled with alarms. The image of Zayne being stabbed by Ray flashed back into her mind.A loud ringing echoed in her ears, like a warning.Without saying a word, Elmy rushed out. But—“Where are you going? Oh my God, Elmy, your foot is bleeding,” Isabella scolded. She grabbed Elmy’s arm, forcing her to stop for a moment. “What’s wrong with you, huh? You’re hurt—why aren’t you taking care of you
“How do I look?” Zayne asked, standing in front of Mr. Tiano.If it were Gion, with his big mouth, he would’ve already made a blunt comment about Zayne’s appearance. But Mr. Tiano was different. The middle-aged man simply nodded and gave a thumbs-up.No sarcastic remarks like: your tie doesn’t match, why is your suit wrinkled, didn’t you comb your hair?—none of that.Maybe Zayne’s ears would be safe now, but honestly… he kind of missed Gion. That guy was probably off enjoying himself with some sexy women in Hawaii.Maybe.Or maybe not.Forget about Gion.Zayne grabbed his briefcase and walked out of the lobby with Mr. Tiano. His important meeting with top executives was being held at a five-star hotel. He kept adjusting his suit over and over again before getting into the car with Mr. Tiano.He exhaled repeatedly, but it did nothing to ease the weight sitting in his chest. This kind of situation was nothing new to him, yet for some reason, he didn’t feel as calm as usual today.“What
Elmy rushed down from the second floor and wrapped her arms around Isabella, who was trembling in fear. Beneath her composed exterior, Elmy knew her mother was just as terrified of Vincent’s uncontrollable rage.“Dad, that’s enough!” Elmy said firmly. The fear inside her vanished, replaced by a single thought—get these two out, now. For a brief moment, she glanced at Michella, who was looking away, clearly unwilling to get involved.“What are you even doing here? Isn’t it enough that you already have that stepdaughter with you?” Elmy emphasized each word.Vincent clenched his fists across the room. His teeth ground together, his face flushed red, and the faint smell of alcohol lingered in the air. He was drunk—completely consumed by his emotions.“What the hell is your husband doing? He stole Mr. Huang from me.” Vincent took a step forward, and Elmy instinctively stepped back, shielding Isabella. “Do you even know? I was supposed to be the one wor
“Zayne…” Elmy’s voice sounded calm—for someone who had just seen her husband holding another woman’s child.Zayne turned around, still carrying the baby in his arms. “You’re here already?”“Yeah. I came because I saw you playing with the baby,” she said.Her husband smiled brightly. There was a clear sparkle in his eyes as he gently waved the baby’s hand toward Elmy. “Say hi to Auntie Elmy…” Zayne said softly, moving the baby’s tiny hand as if the child was greeting her.The smile on Elmy’s lips was forced. She knew that if she didn’t, her feelings would be far too obvious to Zayne. Besides, she didn’t want to ruin his mood.“What’s his name?”Zayne stepped closer. “His name’s Theo, and over there is his mother—”“Jane,” Elmy cut in quickly. “Dennis said she’s your new manager.”Her gaze shifted toward Jane, who was still standing a short distance away. The woman gave a gentle nod, her movements graceful and soft. There was something feminine and maternal about her. And what struck El
“Surprised, huh?” Elmy asked, right in front of Michella’s flushed face. A faint smile curved on her lips—subtle, but enough to make the woman in front of her take a step back. “Or are you starting to get scared?”“W-who’s scared?” Michella shot back. She forced a wide smile—one that looked flat, even awkward. “What do you even know about me? Stop making things up.”Elmy didn’t respond. She simply stepped back, crossing her arms over her chest as she threw Michella an innocent-looking grin. Michella’s expression darkened before she turned around and walked away without another word.Elmy’s gaze shifted to Vincent, who was now staring back at her from a distance. Their relationship had grown strained since that argument. No apology had ever come from him—not even the slightest effort to visit Isabella.Was he really her father? Elmy wasn’t so sure anymore.“What did you say to her? She looked like she’d seen a ghost,” Zayne asked, suddenly
“Watch your behavior, Michella. I need to get close to Mr. Huang tonight,” Vincent said.Michella rolled her eyes lazily. Honestly, she didn’t care about any of that. If she could choose, she’d rather be at home watching movies or just playing games on her phone. But Vincent dragged her along—because he had no one else.That sharp-tongued middle-aged woman had gone to her daughter’s house, leaving only Michella behind with the staff… and a few attractive bodyguards Michella wouldn’t mind getting close to.“What did I even do? I’ve been standing next to you this whole time like some pet,” Michella snapped.Vincent turned, a playful grin on his face. He leaned closer to her ear and whispered, “You are my little pet.”Without hesitation, Michella smacked his arm. Vincent just chuckled, then straightened his suit as Mr. Huang—an East Asian man—approached them. They shook hands, and Mr. Huang casually pulled Vincent into a friendly side hug.“It’s been a while since I last saw you, Vincent
“Are you sure you want to go there? The weather’s bad,” Gion said.A few hours ago, they had just arrived at Aspen–Pitkin County Airport. “Yeah.” “This is the only thing I could get. No one wants to fly in weather like this,” he added, while Zayne just frowned. “Don’t complain. This is the best I
“At least she left before she could embarrass this family even more because of that damn agreement!” Sam snapped, gripping the railing as Zayne shoved him.“Bastard!” Zayne cursed, pushing him harder until Sam cried out for mercy. The commotion drew the rest of the family to the balcony. Tiano rush
“Oh God,” Zayne muttered, running a hand over his face. He sat at the edge of the bed, both hands resting on his thighs. His wife was gone—he didn’t know where. Even when he needed her the most.Zayne let out a long breath as he loosened the collar of his shirt. The door opened, and Sunny appeared
The luxurious house meant nothing anymore. Silent. There was no longer Marietta, sipping wine late at night in the living room. No longer her figure reading the morning paper at the dining table during breakfast. No more scolding. No more hugs and kisses. No more of the people he loved.Now, he was







