Jason was suddenly silent. While Bianca took out the plates and cutlery from the cupboard, she asked, "Is everything OK, Mr. Doyle? Can you hear me?" One minute passed, then two minutes… Jason did not make a sound… The other colleagues had all woken up. Several people were doing chores in the courtyard. Joe was watering the plants and was rambling on, "I saw from the weather report that it'll be turning cold from Wednesday on. These pots need to be brought indoors. Is anyone willing to take two? Otherwise, I'll be bringing them all into my room." It was noisy outside. Bianca could not hear any sound from the other end of the phone. On the third minute, Bianca decided that she would end the call. Perhaps the reception was bad, or perhaps Jason was busy with work. Suddenly, Jason spoke. He sounded especially clear. "I'm sorry, Ms. Rayne. The reception was bad earlier," Jason explained. "It's fine. I thought that was the case. I was about to hang up." Bianca handed the p
Bianca put the keys away, changed into slippers, tiptoed into the bedroom, and found two blankets. She draped one over Lanie's body and the other over Rainie, who was sleeping soundly on Daddy's tummy… Bianca was about to walk away when the man on the couch suddenly opened his bloodshot eyes. His eyes looked tired under the angular brow ridge. Blood vessels could be seen at the corners of his eyes. On other days, she would tell her not to work so hard and rest more, out of concern as his employee or as the father of her children. However, Bianca was speechless. Every word that Jason said over the phone lingered in Bianca's mind. "Boss received a dinner invitation after he got back yesterday. He left the two children in the apartment, and no one was around to take care of them… "Boss drank a little too much last night, and we haven't managed to contact him at the hotel…" Luke was wholly unqualified as a single parent. After Luke woke up, Rainie also woke up. After Ra
Bianca was flustered when Luke suddenly mentioned that they were going to do a DNA test. What if Luke was mistaken? What if Lanie and Rainie were not her children? Suddenly, Bianca's heart was overcome by worry and apprehension. Her desire to be the children's mother was too strong, which was why she was afraid of losing it all. Even if the probability that she would lose the children might be 0.01%, the pain felt as though she had a knife stuck to her throat. Bianca did not ask Luke the exact time they should go to do the DNA test. She wanted to run away. After deciding on the DNA test, they did not have any other topics of conversation and looked at each other silently. They were alone in a room, which made it easy for the atmosphere to become intimate. "I'll go and contact the colleagues in the small town." Bianca found an excuse to move to the living room. However, her delicate wrist was immediately grabbed by the man's strong hand. He pulled her back, and she s
After the waiters served all the dishes, they left the private restaurant room. The restaurant's service was personalized. The owner did not believe that the customer was always right, and it was up to her if she wanted to serve those that came through the doors. Her customers were either regulars or those whose personalities and mannerisms were to the owner's satisfaction. Of course, they had to be able to afford the food there too. Anyone rude or boorish would not be able to taste the spectacular food of that restaurant. Shakira Neile, the owner, had a temperamental character. She had offended many people in her career, especially the nouveau riche who had money but no manners. She could afford to offend those people. Her husband and son were influential VIPs. Bianca took a few bites and turned to feed Rainie, who was clinging onto her and causing her heart to melt out of tenderness. Even if Rainie threw a tantrum and did not want to eat the delicious food served on the tab
Luke looked at Bianca and tried to discern her feelings. When Luke was a child, he did not have his father and mother by his side. However, he knew that his mother was the one who sent him to an orphanage. In those few years living in the orphanage, his mother had visited him a few times. Back then, he had several questions. 'Who is my father? 'Why does my father never come to see me? 'Does my father want me?' Luke knew how it felt to be abandoned, and that was why he wanted to shower all his love and care on Bianca. However, he knew that he could never match the love and care given by one's parents. Bianca had never met her mother. Like Rainie sitting next to her and Lanie sitting opposite her, they had always eagerly hoped that their mother would appear in their lives and love them. Unfortunately, Bianca's mother never appeared, even until the day she became a mother herself… Lanie was sitting next to his father and eating his meal like a gentleman. At that mome
Assaulted by the cold wind, Marie felt that her face was becoming stiff and her limbs were becoming icicles. She turned around and saw the RV parked in the distance. After that morning, she was familiar with the RV driver. She brought the coat with her, went to the RV, and asked the driver to open the door. She could not stand the cold anymore. The driver recognized Marie. He thought that she was Leia's new assistant or something. He opened the door to the trailer. Marie sat inside, rubbing her fingers, trying to warm herself up. Meanwhile, at the shoot, Leia was not concentrating. The director was nationally renowned, and his movies were widely acclaimed. He was a regular at award ceremonies. Countless actresses wanted to star in his movies but there were not many that could impress him. The director put Leia Norman in the starring role out of desperation. One of his biggest funders had withdrawn their financial support, and production of the movie was stalled. Just wh
That was the first time Bianca was called "Mommy." For the typical person, that word was as normal as it could get. In fact, those were usually the first words of a newborn baby. However, to Bianca, those words were an unfamiliar luxury. It was unfamiliar to her because ever since she knew how to speak, she had no one to call "Mommy." In her twenty-four years of her life, she did not have the opportunity to call anyone that name. She was pregnant at eighteen years old but was separated from her children at nineteen. In the period she was studying overseas, she encountered many young mothers. Some of them were single, and some of them were clinging on to their equally young husbands' arms. However, they had their young children next to them, calling them "Mommy" in a different language. Whenever Bianca saw that as she wandered on the streets, she would think of her children. She wondered if they have the chance to call someone their "Mommy" like the other children. Perhaps
"No, Aunt Wanda, I don't want those…" Bianca pushed those away while blushing fiercely. She thought that the lingerie her aunt had picked for her would bring her trouble. She held her head down, not even wanting to look at those items. Wanda could not understand what her niece was thinking. "You're only twenty-four years old, Bianca. Not forty-four or fifty-four! If you don't wear these now, don't tell me that you'd only wear them when you're older? That won't have any effect!" Wanda dragged Bianca to the fitting room. "No, Aunt Wanda, I can't possibly… they're too…" Not only was her aunt dragging her to the fitting room, but the sales clerk behind her was giving her countless reasons a young woman should buy sexy lingerie. Bianca knew very well that a young woman ought to know how to flaunt their curves, but the lingerie that her aunt had picked out was too embarrassing. Wanda knew how to enjoy her life to the fullest. She was destined to live a short life, but in the de