LOGINJoseph swallowed hard and turned to Margaret. "Sit down. Let's have some soup."Margaret took a seat and settled down, giving a slight nod. "Fine."Joseph ladled out a bowl for her himself and handed it over. "Try it."Margaret took the bowl and brought it to her lips, ready to enjoy it. The moment the broth touched her tongue, she spat it right back out.She slammed her hand on the table. "That little witch! She's trying to kill us with salt! She's been away so long that she's forgotten how to cook!"Joseph tried a spoonful next. He spat it out just as fast.He stood up, let out a long sigh, and looked at Margaret. "Something tells me that she is going to give you plenty of headaches from here on out."Margaret frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"Joseph didn't elaborate. "Figure it out."He headed upstairs without saying another word, leaving Margaret sitting alone at the dining table. She turned his words over and over in her mind, yet still couldn't make sense of them.
Talia untied her apron and rinsed her hands under the faucet. She glanced back at the pot of soup on the stove, allowed herself a small, satisfied smile, and walked out of the kitchen.Christian met her at the door, clearly irritated. "So Mom tells you to cook, and you jump right to it, but when I ask you to do something, you won't?"The implication was obvious, but Talia pretended she hadn't caught it. Christian grabbed her arm and started steering her toward the exit, but when they passed Margaret, Talia stopped.She looked up at her mother-in-law and softened her voice. "Margaret, I made some soup for you, Joseph, and Franklin. I was pressed for time, so it's just the one dish, but please make sure you all try some. It's a new recipe I've been working on."Christian had stopped the moment he felt Talia halt behind him, and when he heard what she was saying, something jolted through him. For just a second, it felt like they'd gone back to the way things used to be.But the feeli
Margaret's displeasure was immediate. "If Talia's your wife, then what's the point of bringing her here?""To make sure you know that she's still my woman." Every single word out of Christian's mouth carried a clear warning.Margaret let out a dry laugh. "Well, you've said your piece. You can both leave now."But Christian didn't leave. Instead, he took Talia by the arm and brought her further into the living room.Talia blinked in surprise, momentarily caught off guard, before finding her voice. "I'll go make lunch."She turned and headed for the kitchen without waiting for a response. She'd rather be stuck doing grunt work over a stove than standing in the middle of that awkward standoff.Margaret watched Talia disappear into the kitchen and rolled her eyes."Tramp," she muttered under her breath.Christian stiffened. He kept his voice low, but there was a sharp edge to it. "That's vulgar."Margaret looked up at him, her eyes narrowing. "Excuse me?"He met her gaze head-on.
Talia turned and started walking toward the front door. Her first few steps were quick and sharp, but after a couple of strides she slowed down.By the time she reached the doorway, Christian still hadn't called after her.She finally stopped, unable to take it anymore, and spun around. "Christian, can you just save Henry first?"Christian set his spoon down and looked up at her, his gaze perfectly level. "See, this is exactly what I mean. The second I lose this leverage, do you really think you'll still stand there and talk to me this calmly?"Talia was desperate, but she had nowhere to turn. "Christian, for once, can't you just do the right thing for once?"He lowered his eyes, and his voice came out with a finality that left no room for negotiation. "This isn't up for discussion."Talia could see that his mind was made up. So, she had no choice but to give in. "Fine. Let's go.""Where?""To the Lane residence," she said, her voice drained.He smiled at her response. "Good."
Talia had never been like this before. She used to be gentle, obedient, and considerate. She would put Christian before everything else. So, when had she become so aggressive?Talia softened her tone. "I'm not here to argue with you."Christian studied her for a moment. "Then tell me what exactly you think you're doing right now."She didn't look at him or answer, because she knew the truth. The only reason she'd come back was that she needed something from him.After a stretch of silence, Christian spoke again, his voice carrying a quiet warning. "Talia, don't forget. Whether Henry lives or dies is entirely up to me."The threat made her look up, her eyes blazing with something fierce. "Christian, if you keep dragging your feet like this, he'll already be gone before you even..."But she couldn't bring herself to finish that thought out loud.Christian picked up right where she left off. "So think carefully about what you should be doing."Talia stared into his eyes and said t
The momentum of Julian throwing himself at her sent Nancy stumbling forward several steps before she managed to find her footing."Julian, what are you doing? Let go of me!" She struggled against him, her voice sharp and demanding.But Julian only held her tighter. "No. I'm not letting go. You gave me your first time, and I'm going to do right by you. Nancy, I promise you, there will never be another woman for me. I'll spend the rest of my life treating you well."Nancy closed her eyes briefly before she said, "Julian, I don't need you to do right by me. Last night, if I'm being honest, I was using you too. A woman my age who's never been with anyone is rare enough, and I just wanted to know what it felt like."I enjoyed last night. We both did, and that should be enough. Being together and spending forever with someone—all of that is just talk. Don't read too much into what happened."She meant every single word, and it showed.Julian listened, and the anger building inside him
When Quentin heard Talia speak without telling him to let her go, relief washed over him.A relaxed smile appeared on his face. He pushed himself up from the bed and said, "I'll carry you to the bathroom."Talia's body was sticky with sweat, making her feel uncomfortable. Hearing Quentin say this,
While Nancy was lost in her thoughts, Christian suddenly opened his eyes. He sat up and turned to look at her.Noticing her troubled expression, he couldn't help but call out, "Nancy."Nancy was pulled back from her thoughts by his voice. She looked up at Christian and softly asked, "What's wrong,
Willow had said that she would be there in about an hour, so Talia decided to pass the time with a game.At the mention of it, Lucas' eyes lit up, and he became interested. "Sure. I'm unbeatable when it comes to Five-in-a-Row. Don't cry if you lose, Talia."Talia smiled faintly. "I won't."She wa
Talia's face was clearly pale, yet she was still being so stubborn.Quentin didn't listen to her. He reached out to touch her neck. She wasn't sweating. Instead, her skin felt cool.Fevers tended to come and go in waves, alternating between chills and heat. Quentin was worried about her. Without c







