ログインThe rest of the sentence died in his throat.Lucille spun around. Her eyes were blood-red, rimmed with icy fury, as though she might tear him apart the next second.Gideon's body went rigid. Every denial lodged in his chest. All he could manage was a bitter, helpless smile.Lucille stared at him, her voice trembling with rage. "What did you just say?"Gideon had barely opened his mouth when she grabbed him by the collar. "Are you questioning Lily's parentage?"A cold laugh escaped her lips. "Gideon, is that what this is? Your cousin is filthy, her character is rotten, and you assume I'm the same kind of woman?"She fought back the sting behind her eyes. Those wounds had long since scabbed over. He had ripped them open again, leaving them raw and bleeding. This was the most vicious insult a woman could endure. It was the cruelest attack on her dignity.How little he must think of her. How little he truly knew her to say something like that to her face."I didn't mean it like tha
Something tender crossed Lucille's face without warning. She stepped forward and gathered Lily into her arms.Joanne noticed the pile of bags Lucille had brought inside and frowned. "She's still a baby. Why are you buying so much? Money doesn't grow on trees. Don't waste it."Lucille smiled. "I didn't buy any of it. Otto said Lily's three-month milestone is coming up, and he and my brother wanted to send gifts together. Everything here is from them."They also ordered a large play castle. It should be delivered soon."Joanne's expression softened. "The Westbrook boy is just as he was when he was little, thoughtful and gentle. Your brother would never think of something like this on his own. He needs someone to remind him."Lucille lowered her head and played with Lily's tiny hand. "He really is considerate. My brother is too. If my brother vouches for a friend, you know that person is worth trusting."Before she could finish speaking, her phone rang. It was the delivery company.
Rayne and Michelle relentlessly whipped the group into a frenzy. Elaine and Wendy quickly joined in. Yet the person at the center of it all remained silent from beginning to end.When they finally realized Gideon still wasn't going to act, the group chat gradually fell quiet.Michelle was livid. She dragged Rayne to a coffee shop, ordered the largest iced latte on the menu, and drank it in long, forceful gulps, trying to cool the anger burning inside her.Rayne's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Michelle, we've tried everything, and Giddy still protects them. At this point, I think we have to take the risk."We need to get a DNA sample from the child and run the test ourselves. If we have hard proof that the girl belongs to someone else, Lucille and Otto are finished."Michelle straightened immediately. "You're right. Why didn't I think of that?"Rayne nodded, a hard glint settling in her eyes. "She's getting closer and closer to Otto. He's making her famous, buying her cars, and giv
Rayne ignored Michelle and tagged Gideon directly.Rayne: [@Gideon, seeing is believing. Tell me you believe what Michelle and I have been saying now. Look at them together in a baby store. Does that look innocent to you?]Michelle followed with her own tag.Michelle: [@Gideon, exactly. Open your eyes and look. Those two are definitely involved.]Rayne sent a nodding emoji.Rayne: [@Gideon, the paternity test has to happen. Don't spend your life raising another man's child without knowing it.]Elaine exploded.Elaine: [What? The girl might not be Gideon's? You mean she's another man's child? This Lucille... There's nothing she won't do! Gideon, say something!]Wendy weighed in.Wendy: [@Rayne, you're saying the baby might be Otto's? Impossible. Otto would never be interested in her. This is a complete mess.]The women continued relentlessly.Gideon was in the middle of a meeting. For convenience, he had asked Mark to project a confidential document from his phone onto the ma
It was Rayne.She and Michelle had planned to spend the day shopping at the mall, and by chance, she saw Lucille and Otto walk into a baby store.As though drawn by an invisible force, she abandoned Michelle without a word and followed them inside. Pretending to browse the baby clothes, she listened carefully to every word they exchanged.Something flared inside her as she watched Otto fuss over Lucille with such deliberate care before buying an expensive gift for Lucille's daughter without the slightest hesitation.Jealousy consumed her until she barely recognized herself.The Riverrun signing ceremony had dominated the news just a few days earlier. Photos of Lucille and Otto standing side by side had topped every major headline and covered the front pages.Seeing them everywhere had already filled Rayne with enough rage to make her want to scream. That anger was the reason she had dragged Michelle out shopping in the first place.She had hoped a day of shopping therapy would d
"More than like it. I'm completely attached to it. This is my favorite 'boyfriend' right now. After a long day, I climb in, sink into the seat, and every bit of tiredness disappears."At the word "boyfriend," the warmth in Otto's eyes deepened. "Sounds like you chose this 'boyfriend' well.""Choosing a car and choosing a partner actually follow the same logic. Some look dazzling at first, but they don't handle the way you'd want. Others seem understated, but they still don't understand your instincts."Finding something that's both what you need and what you want, something that feels right to both your eye and your hand... that's rare."He turned to her and held her gaze for a long, quiet moment.When he spoke, his voice carried nothing but sincere goodwill. "Congratulations. You've left your old car behind and found the one you always wanted. I think the road ahead will suit this car. Smooth and easy, with nothing but clear skies ahead."The compliment, layered with everything
Inside a clothing store in a large shopping mall in Coasthaven, Lillian slept soundly in her stroller, clean, full, and completely out, while Nancy pushed her slowly along the aisles.Gwen stayed close to Lucille as she tried things on. Her body still had not fully recovered after the birth. Her ol
Gideon heard her laugh, and there was no warmth in it.Lucille yanked her wrist free. "Gideon, you don't have to hold anything back. Come at me. Use every card you've got."You want a fight? Fine. I've made my decision, and I'm not scared. Bring it. Whatever you've got, throw it at me."The light
Lucille would give up every comfort, vanity, and shred of dignity without hesitation for Lily. She could be unkempt, exhausted, hollowed out, and unglamorous. None of that mattered compared with her daughter's well-being. None of it came close.By now, Lucille worked the breast pump with the automa
Elaine was Lily's grandmother by blood. Yet Lucille could find nothing in her face, not a flicker of feeling for the child, only cold calculation.For five years in the Prescott household, every cent Lucille spent had come from her own pocket. Gideon had given her a card after the wedding, but Elai







