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
The attack at Theodore’s funeral, with its mass mercury poisoning, became the talk of the city and drew heavy attention from all sides.By that afternoon, Adora’s and Louis’ phones were ringing non-stop as friends and relatives called to check on them.“I saw the photos and videos online. It looked
Adora agreed. “Looks like his counter-surveillance skills are sharp. He clearly doesn’t trust those guys enough to share too much.”“Exactly. But I got his number. Even if it’s a burner, we can track it with the right tools. “Also, the police investigation into the arson has made progress—they’ve g
“Happy, of course I’m happy. What, should I be crying instead?”Louis smiled softly, leaning in to brush another kiss against her lips. “If you’re tired, then sleep now. Otherwise, I might have to use… more persuasive methods.”Seeing him turn playful again, Adora shot him a glare, her voice turnin
Louis naturally had no objections. He glanced at his wife, and Adora nodded, agreeing to the arrangement.She had spent three New Year’s holidays in captivity—three years that never felt like a real celebration. When she returned, she’d imagined the warmth of a family reunion, only to find reality







