ログイン“You’re late again today,” Auri greeted softly.
She rose from the carpet after placing Junior’s last toy block into the storage box, then walked toward Lucas, who had just stepped inside the house.
Lucas didn’t answer right away.
He let out a long breath and loosened the tie that suddenly felt suffocating around his neck before draping his suit jacket over the arm of the sofa. His face looked exhausted, with dark shadows beneath his eyes reve
“Sir, please stop! You can’t go in without an appointment!”Lucas’s heavy footsteps thundered through the lobby of the H&N Fashion building. His face was burning red, veins bulging along his neck as he breathed hard through barely restrained fury. Three security guards tried to block his path, but Lucas violently shoved their hands away.“Call Ethan!” he roared, his voice echoing across the entire lobby and startling the reception staff behind the front desk. “Tell him to come out here and face me!”“Mr. Lucas, please calm yourself,” the lobby manager pleaded, trying to de-escalate the situation.“Where is Ethan?” Lucas pointed furiously toward the elevators. “Tell that bastard I know what he did to RedFashion. I know he’s been playing dirty!”Just as the atmosphere spiraled closer to chaos, the elevator chimed softly.The doors slid open.Et
Ethan gave her a warm smile, the kind that had once made her fall hopelessly in love with him but now felt strangely unfamiliar, almost unsettling.“I’m not asking for full custody of Junior, Auri. I just want to make sure he grows up receiving real love from his biological father.”Auri narrowed her eyes at him. “Answer my question first. How did you know I was here? Have you been watching me?”Ethan fell silent for a brief second before lying with smooth precision. “I went to your house, but no one was there. I know you don’t really have anyone else besides Gia. As your ex-husband, I still remember the details of your life, Auri.”He leaned forward slightly, his voice turning soft with concern. “Seeing you run here and stay in someone else’s house because you have nowhere else to lean on…” He exhaled heavily, as though the thought genuinely pained him. “It breaks my heart. You don’t have parents, Auri. But you deserve to have a safe home of your own, an
“Has Junior fallen asleep, Auri?”Mrs. Gia’s gentle voice broke the silence hanging over the back terrace. Auri turned toward her and offered a faint, exhausted smile. She had just set down a cup of warm tea she still hadn’t taken a single sip from. Ever since the fight with Lucas that night, she had chosen to stay at Gia’s parents’ house for Junior’s peace of mind and perhaps for the sake of preserving her own sanity.“He has, Auntie. I think he’s worn out from playing at the park all day.” Auri tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before continuing softly, “Thank you so much for letting us stay here.”Mrs. Gia sat beside her and gently stroked the back of Auri’s hand with quiet affection. “Don’t ever call it ‘staying here’ like you’re a burden. Ever since Gia introduced you as her best friend, you’ve been like a daughter to your uncle and me. Thi
The dining table that once felt warm and comforting had turned suffocating.The aroma of home-cooked food lingering in the air was completely overpowered by the sharp tension between them. Lucas didn’t sit down. He simply stood there, staring at Auri with naked accusation in his eyes.“Sit down, Lucas. Eat first. You’re exhausted and stressed,” Auri urged softly, trying to calm the situation even as pain slowly spread through her chest.“I don’t need food. I need answers,” Lucas cut in sharply. “How many times did you meet him this week? Besides using Junior, now he’s using flowers as an excuse too.”Auri set her spoon down with a loud clatter.“Never!” she snapped. “Why are you becoming like this? I’ve been working at the shop like usual. I haven’t met Ethan even once since you confiscated my phone!”“Oh, really?”Lucas stepped
“Close the door, Mark. Now.”Lucas’s voice was low, but the vibration behind it was enough to freeze the air inside the room.He stood in front of the massive glass window, his back facing the cluttered desk behind him, where stacks of audit documents lay scattered everywhere.“Sir, the report is final,” Mark said heavily. “One division has completely collapsed. Our reserve funds vanished into a third-party project owned by people whose identities are practically impossible to trace. They used layers upon layers of shell companies to deceive our system.”Lucas turned around slowly.His face was pale, his eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep, radiating fury that looked seconds away from exploding.“Impossible to trace?” His voice sharpened dangerously. “We’re a major corporation, Mark. How does that much money disappear into someone else’s hands when you can’t even tel
“People go to flower shops to buy flowers, Rick.” Ethan leaned back against his leather chair.“You want to order flowers for the office? Or is this for... something else?”Ethan chuckled again, but his gaze remained focused and calculating. “This isn’t just about flowers. I want you to place a large order. A very large one, if necessary. Tell them it’s for next month’s company event. Fifty arrangements of white roses and lilies.”“Fifty arrangements?” Rick repeated in surprise. “That’s an enormous order, sir.”“That’s exactly what I want.” Ethan’s smile deepened slightly. “I know Auri wasn’t the one who blocked my number.”“You mean... her husband did it?”“It had to be Lucas.” Ethan spoke calmly, almost thoughtfully. “Auri would never block my number herself. She has principles, Rick. I







