Radman inhaled deeply, his voice steady, "It was never like that. There's only one sister in my eyes—the innocent and good-hearted girl I found on the street corner."Norinne let out a sudden, booming laugh."Innocent and good-hearted? What made you think I was ever that? I put on a brave face when those people harassed me, not because I was calm, but to dodge their attacks. Deep down, I was plotting. I swore I'd get back at them with a vengeance once I got the chance. I'd choke the life out of each and every one of them to make them feel the pain they caused."Radman, my heart's been bitter for a long time. I thought I was doomed to a life of misery until you showed up. You stood up to them, chased them off, and brought me to a home built like a palace. How could I not be drawn to you?"I had hoped you felt something for me too. I'm not ugly, but when I finally confessed, you called me shameless. Radman, I've been crooked for a long time. Your words hit me like a death sentence."

Wade drove them to the hospital, and Yaslyn was with Matheo at the nurse's station.The nurse gasped. The boy who was perfectly fine just that morning was suddenly full of bruises and cuts.She instructed urgently, "Lay him down quickly. I need to check for injuries."Matheo's body was full of wounds. They were not life-threatening, but they painted a picture of tragedy.Yaslyn stood by, her fists clenched so tight her knuckles turned white. The thought of Norinne ignited a firestorm in her belly.The sea had been too kind in taking her. If Norinne ever crossed Yaslyn's path again, there would be hell to pay.The nurse treated the less serious cuts and pointed to a gash on Matheo's forehead. "This one's deep. He might need stitches.""Please do whatever is necessary," Yaslyn replied with a nod.The nurse organized her tools. "I'll be back with the doctor. Just wait here."Once the nurse had left, Wade looked down at Matheo, unconscious and in pain, and his heart clenched. "Yas

Yaslyn touched her bruised neck, coughing softly. "Radman, I get it. You've never come to terms with who you are."Radman laughed bitterly."You think you get it? You don't have a clue. Ever since my mom passed when I was just a kid, I've been on my own. Shylah, out of guilt for not saving her, left me a fortune but banned me from Jefferson City for life."Sure, I had millions, but what's a kid to do? My mom's relatives only wanted to 'adopt' me for the cash, so I ended up with my uncle. Do you know what that was like? He was a drunk who wouldn't lay a hand on his own kid. However, me? I got the beatings."Radman's laugh was hollow as he rolled up his sleeve, revealing a long, jagged scar."The scar on my arm? That's from the time he grabbed a kitchen knife and cut me deep. Blood was everywhere, and I passed out in a pool of my own blood. I guess he realized I could actually die, so he rushed me to the nearest clinic in the dead of night. They patched me up, but the job was botche

Zyra's voice grew more painful as she spoke."I looked for you for so long that I nearly gave up hope. These past years, I almost fell into a deep depression. If it weren't for Tyler sticking by me, I don't know where I'd be now."Yaslyn could not stand to see her friend in pain, so she wrapped Zyra in a comforting hug and softly ran her fingers through her hair. "Hey, no more tears, okay? That's all behind us.""It doesn't feel like it's behind me..." Zyra whimpered, her voice tender and vulnerable."You've been in my debt for years. It's time you paid up."Yaslyn could not contain herself and let out a chuckle. "Alright, what do you want from me?"Zyra nestled her head against Yaslyn's shoulder, her lips pursed in thought. After a moment, she said, "How about you let me spend some time with your 'little sticky rice dumpling'?"It took Yaslyn a second to realize that Zyra was talking about Matheo, whom she affectionately called her 'little sticky rice dumpling.'"Why don't you

"Don't worry? How can I not worry when the kid's dad is in showbiz?"Sophie's words struck home for Henry and unexpectedly resonated with Zyra, who nearly choked on her water. "Ahem..."The mention of showbiz sparked something in Henry, and a sly grin spread across his face. He pulled out his phone and began to furiously type.Yaslyn caught a quick look at his screen and saw him on Instagram. With a moment's thought, she got the gist of what was happening. Surely enough, Instagram was in meltdown mode within seconds. A chart-topping singer had just dropped the bombshell that he was married and had a kid. Predictably, the application's servers buckled under the sudden surge of traffic. Yaslyn, who had been curious about his post, could not even get the application to load. After a tense fifteen-minute wait, the servers came back to life, and Yaslyn finally saw the full picture. Henry was beaming with pride as he shared the news of his son's birth. Yaslyn could only shake her