เข้าสู่ระบบ~LORETTE~“Hi, Lorette. Wow… you’ve grown even more beautiful since the last time I saw you.”Aaron rises the moment I step into the café. A warm smile spreads across his face as he walks over to greet me, taking my hand and pressing a gentlemanly kiss against the back of it.Heat creeps into my cheeks, but I quickly hide it with a smile.“You don’t look bad yourself, Aaron.”That isn’t a lie.If anything, he’s even more handsome than he was back in college. His shoulders are broader now, his frame more muscular like he’s spent years in the gym, and he carries himself with the quiet confidence of someone who’s found his place in life.If our former classmates could see him now, they’d probably develop fresh crushes all over again.Aaron pulls out a chair for me before taking the seat across from mine.“Honestly, Lori, you haven’t changed at all.” He chuckles, shaking his head in disbelief. “You still look like you’re eighteen.”I laugh softly. “You’re exaggerating.”“Not even a little
~LORI~“Dear, are you okay? You don’t look well.” Ella’s concerned voice follows me as I drag myself into the kitchen, wrapped tightly in a blanket with my laptop tucked under one arm. I’m terribly down with cold but I need to sort through the offers this morning and finally decide what direction I want my career to take.“I’m fine.” I lie, only for another sniffle to betray me.Ella gives me a look that clearly says she doesn’t believe a word of it. Shaking her head, she turns back to the stove and pours a steaming herbal tea into a cup.“Honestly, Lori, you should’ve stayed at the mansion last night instead of coming home in that cold. Now look at you.”I lower myself onto one of the kitchen stools with a quiet sigh, silently regretting my decision for what feels like the hundredth time.If I’d known I’d end up catching such a terrible cold, I would’ve swallowed my pride and spent the night in one of the guest rooms.But then again… how could I have stayed after Nate obviously plan
~NATE~ I shove the doctor’s office door open so hard that it slams against the wall.The middle-aged doctor startles and immediately rises from his seat, confusion flashing across his face before he forces on a professional smile. Pulling out the chair opposite his desk, he gestures for me to sit.“M-Mr. Hawthorne… What brings you here so suddenly? Is there something I can help you with?”“Answer me one thing.” My voice comes out hard as I fight to keep my temper in check. “Was my wife really brought to this hospital the same day I came here with another woman? Was she involved in a serious car accident too?”His brows knit together in puzzlement.“Your wife? I thought your wife was the woman you came here with that day.”Heat floods my face.“No.”The doctor studies me for a moment before speaking again.“There was another woman admitted that day with severe injuries. From what I heard, she repeatedly called her husband, asking him to come, but he refused. I doubt that was you, sir
~NATE~Shit.Who the hell could be at the door?I wasn’t expecting anyone tonight, and Grandmother rarely comes to the mountain mansion, especially during a storm like this. So who could possibly be here?The interruption managed to clear some of the haze clouding my mind. Desire still courses through me, my hardened cock painfully aware of Lori’s naked body beneath mine in the warm water. She’s breathing just as hard as I am, her cheeks flushed, lips swollen from my kisses, and for that brief moment, I simply stare at her.A wave of frustration crashes through me.If that doorbell hadn’t rung, I would’ve taken this much further. I would’ve finally given her what she’s secretly craved all these years, and once she remembered exactly how good we are together, she’d stop this stubborn act and come back home where she belongs.But of course, it’s only an interruption. I’ll get rid of whoever is outside, then come back and finish what I started.“Stay here and wait for me,” I tell her,
~LORETTE~“What are you doing?!” I scream at him, immediately tearing my eyes away from his naked body. Heat rushes to my face like a furnace.“What do you mean by that? I want to bathe too, of course,” he says, walking even closer to me.What the hell? Is he a pervert now?I think about just leaving the bathtub for him, but I am completely naked under the water. Instead, I sink deeper to hide my skin and look away, determined not to catch another glimpse of him.My heart hammers so hard in my chest it feels like it might fail.Did he plan this? Was that why he didn’t argue when I asked him to run the bath? Because he knew he could turn things to his advantage?Ugh, stupid, Lori. Look how your plans have backfired!“Could you please pass me the towel?” I ask, never sparing him a glance. “Please?”“Didn’t you say you wanted a bath?” The sarcasm and mischief in his tone are barely concealed. “I put so much effort into this, and now you’re trying to turn it down?”To my greatest panic,
~LORETTE~“What’s the condition?” Nate asks, studying my face as though the answer might be written somewhere in it.“Well…” I arch a brow, fighting back the smug smile threatening to escape. I’m already enjoying this far more than I should. “You’ll have to make me comfortable enough before I agree to talk about anything.”He raises a brow as though he’d been expecting something far more outrageous.“That’s it?” A quiet laugh slips from him. “Trust me, you’ll be as comfortable as possible.”If only he knew.“Great.” I flash him a sweet smile and stroll over to one of the couches before settling into it. “Then let’s start with dinner.” “I want something warm, spicy, and comforting. Perfect weather for it.” I rub my stomach dramatically. “I’m starving.”“Done.” He nods without hesitation. “I’ll get the cook.”“What cook?”He pauses and turns.“The one who’s making your dinner.”I fight back a laugh.“I think you misunderstood me.” I point directly at him. “I want you to cook.”Nate’s e
~NATE~“What do you mean someone else is handling her mother’s medical bills?” I stare at Micheal across my office in utter disbelief, certain I must have heard him wrong.Because there is simply no way. No fucking way.“How is that even possible?” I ask, my voice sharpening as frustration begins c
~LORETTE~“Up next, we have Ava Sterling!”A round of applause spreads across the hall as the host calls her name.From where I sit, I watch Nate lean toward her, pressing a brief kiss against her forehead before whispering something too low for me to hear. Whatever he says makes her smile softly,
~LORETTE~ “No.” I whisper, my voice thick with tears as I search into the faces of the doctors, desperately hoping they are kidding. But their faces remain full of remorse and pity. They are not joking. “No, no, no. God, please no!” I break down completely, sobbing hard. My bandaged arm and leg
~LORETTE~ “Help me, please… my baby…” I choke out in my wrecked car, drenched in my blood, hoping somebody would hear me. But only cold silence greets me. I have just been involved in an accident on my way home from my prenatal checkup. One second, I was smiling like the most contented woman ali







