LOGINAfter thanking the officers, Louis checked the time—it was already half past nine.“Let’s head home. The temperature’s dropping; I don’t want anyone catching a cold.”Marcus stood still, muttering under his breath, “But Loraine’s favorite singer hasn’t even gone on yet…”Louis turned sharply toward
“He said he was thirsty, so I went to buy him a drink. I clearly told him not to move and when I got back, he was gone!”Loraine’s face went pale with worry. “Let’s look for him right now! I saw security guards and some police officers earlier. We can ask them for help!”The three of them forgot all
Mason, the quieter and more composed one, simply listened to the music, occasionally nodding along to the rhythm.The youngest, Manuel, was too short to see the stage at all, swallowed up by the crowd and left with nothing but the thundering music pounding in his ears.Before long, he got restless.
“Marcus, every time you sneak out, you use the same excuse,” Manuel said, crossing his arms. “Can’t you at least come up with something new?”Marcus froze. Loraine quickly jumped in with a smile. “Manuel, we really do have something serious to take care of this time. It’s boring stuff. You’d have w
“Raine, look, your fingers need to lift here, then drop cleanly. Watch my hand when I play.”In the Walker family’s grand music room, young Mason was patiently teaching Loraine how to play the piano.Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, half spilling over the glossy surface of the hundred-tho
Grace tried to lift her head, but she was too weak to manage even that small movement.A nurse quickly stepped forward and raised the head of the bed so that Grace only needed to lower her gaze to see the tiny baby in Laura’s arms.“A daughter… girls are so sweet,” Grace murmured, the words faint bu
Adora shot her husband a calming look, then turned to Nathan. “Laura loves you. Marrying this man is only to put her mother at ease before she passes. She said once her mom is gone, she’ll find a way to divorce. “And she hasn’t crossed the line with him. She’s never been that kind of woman. Otherw
Adora lay there anxiously when the door to the exam room suddenly swung open. She lifted her head slightly, and sure enough, it was Louis.The ultrasound doctor recognized him and greeted politely, “Dr. Walker.”Louis gave a slight nod, his gaze sweeping past his wife without pause, landing on the
Louis stepped forward, wiping the tears from her face, and tried to comfort her. “A son is good too. Now you’ll have four men protecting you. You’ll be the safest mother in the world.”“Good? What’s good about it! I wanted a daughter—a daughter!” His words did nothing to console Adora.The “daughte
Nathan had actually known Laura for some time.The Shaw family in Capital City was once a well-known name, but because her parents’ divorce had been so ugly, Laura—though she remained in the family—was gradually pushed to the margins. Over time, she all but disappeared from society’s radar.If not







