My father hadn't shown up when I was packing my things, but Callan had the guts to wait outside as I walked out of the residence, a single suitcase in hand. I told him to get the hell out of my way, and he mentioned something about my irrational behavior. I debated using one of the moves I had learned from Mr. Harada on him. He turned out to be wise enough not to stop me as I got into the cab. He only stared at me with his hands fisted, watching me drive away.I thought that I would fall apart shortly after I walked into my hotel room—my new temporary home. Strangely, that didn't happen. I was sad, disappointed, but calm. I processed everything that had happened in silence, without tears viciously falling from my eyes or urges to crash everything around me. I felt the pain, but I didn't let it overwhelm me. I knew that I would get through this. I would be OK. I could make it without anyone's help. I would be fine on my own.The next day, I was called to Uncle Norton's office as soon a

DARRENFor the last two weeks, I had been waking up restless, as if some ominous force had been lurking around every corner. That gut feeling grew stronger, and I tended to rely on my instincts in business. Cautiously, I checked the news on the markets and the most recent trends, trying not to miss anything, but I kept finding nothing. Lucien told me that I was beginning to develop paranoia, yet I knew that I was right. Some kind of significant shift was about to happen.“I hate to admit it, but I think you were right.” Lucien's lips formed a thin line as he entered my office in Eques Gold and walked over to my desk. “Something is definitely up.”“For once, you admitting that I was right gives me no satisfaction,” I grunted.“It's about Holloway and William Hayes,” he said. “I heard a rumor or two about the merger.”“Son of a…” I clenched my fists and drew a deep breath. “What about Lilly?”He smiled wryly and scratched his head. “I heard something about a possible marriage. Nothing c

Darren offered to drive me to the clinic, and I was thankful that he did. My mind was too occupied figuring out the best treatment option to focus on driving the car or even calling for a cab. My whole body rattled as I was getting dressed, so concentrated on my task that I almost ignored the fact that Darren was watching every move I made.“Let me,” he said, taking my coat and helping my shaking hands find their way into the sleeves. This caring side of him felt strange. It slightly reminded me of him from the day he saved me and brought me to his penthouse, but that was mostly an act. The Darren I saw before me at that moment was… genuine and sincere… and it seemed more than just a little terrifying.He parked the car in front of the clinic's main entrance and then followed me inside. I was too consumed by analyzing data in my head to process what our showing up together would look like. The realization came as soon as I saw Sakura, Suraj, and Tim waiting for me in the main hall. Th

I could feel my wildly pounding heart long hours after our call ended. Darren's words were like a warm blanket tightly wrapped around my body. A dumb smile curled my lips and stayed there for—I wasn't sure how long. This wasn't a confession, but it was the beginning—the beginning of us. It was a sign that he wanted this… thing between us to progress. And I was beyond happy he had chosen this way.Certainly, my blissful state lasted only until I arrived in front of the clinic the next day and saw Callan's car. Muttering a curse, I entered the building and strode straight to Josie's room. I found Callan outside, talking to Kathrine and her father.“Lilly, so lovely to see you,” Callan called out, his smile satiated in pure mockery.“I wish I could say the same.” I smiled back at him before glancing at Kathrine. She seemed confused, perhaps even intimidated. My hands fisted. “What do you want, Callan?” I snarled.His cold smile widened. “I'm only here to congratulate you on your success.

Mr. Dawson ran me through our strategy for the final time. I was supposed to focus solely on the night Kenneth attacked me. Certainly, I was ready to tell the judge and the jury about everything that had happened during my five-year marriage, but Mr. Dawson insisted I didn't say a word about it.“If you mentioned anything about your life together, his lawyer is going to say that it's irrelevant to the case. That is why we will wait for the other side to make an opening for us,” Dawson explained. “I'm convinced that they're going to try to prove that you provoked the attack yourself. Their lawyer will say that you were vengeful, vicious, and hell-bent on destroying the Welch family.”Anger buzzed in my veins. “That would be a low move,” I said.“Of course,” Dawson agreed, “but they will hold on to whatever is able to sway the jury's emotions.”I ground my teeth. “I will not let that happen.”Dawson patted me on the shoulder. “Let's hope that everything goes smoothly.”Twenty minutes la