Lahat ng Kabanata ng Opening My Eyes to Reality: Kabanata 611 - Kabanata 620

Gregory paused. His breathing turned ragged again as he continued, "Ro, your mother hated me, and because of that, she'd always disliked you, too. But to me, you've always been the son I was proudest of, more than Neil ever was."When you were still a child, I'd decided to choose you over Neil as my successor, but I never expected you to suddenly develop that strange illness…"Rowan froze. He hadn't known that until today.As he frowned, Gregory caught his breath and continued, "Forget it. Nothing I say matters anymore since I brought everything upon myself. You must be happy to see me suffer my punishment, don't you?"Happy?Rowan felt no joy. Instead, there was an indescribable suffocation that felt so complex he could barely put it into words.It was true that he'd hated Gregory for a lifetime. He had every reason to hate Gregory for what he did to Patricia, for protecting Jason even after the harm done to Natalie, and for all these years of neglect toward Rowley and Wanda."

Rowan's grip on Landon's arm tightened. His knuckles turned white from exerting too much force, and even his voice trembled beyond control."That's impossible…"Landon winced from the pain but dared not pull away. All he could do was grit his teeth and nod. "The news is out, Mr. Mattel. Velmont Airlines VA0115 lost contact two hours after takeoff. Search and rescue teams are already heading to the last known location…""Nonsense!" Rowan abruptly released him and staggered back two steps, bumping into the white wall behind him.Then, he frantically pulled out his phone and dialed that familiar number.The call went through, but a mechanical, sweet female voice came from the receiver, "Sorry. The number you've dialed is unavailable…"For a moment, his vision went dark. He forced himself to calm down, yet he had utterly no control over his shaking fingers. "Get the car! We're going to Velmont Airline headquarters now!"His expression was grim, and his steps were unsteady and urge

Rowan wrapped his arms tighter around Natalie and buried his face in the curve of her neck, greedily breathing in her familiar scent. That scent was his faith that had carried him through countless sleepless nights.There had been moments when he had imagined what it would be like if she were truly gone. He'd promised himself that if that day ever came, he would follow her.The thought of her being alone and scared in the endless darkness terrified him. He couldn't bear the idea of her walking through it alone, either.It took a long time before his emotions finally steadied."I want your pasta, babe. Garlic tomato pasta," he murmured, his eyes carrying a lingering softness.Natalie's heart ached for him. Even now, that trace of fear hadn't completely left his eyes. "Alright."Just as she was about to get up, Rowan pulled her back and looked at her with a serious, insistent gaze. "Together."Natalie smiled gently.…In the kitchen, the soft, warm lights dispelled all of Rowa

The man, Elias Mansfield, was dressed sharply in a tailored suit and was clearly a high-achieving elite. When introduced, he took the initiative to greet Benjamin. "Hello, I'm Elias Mansfield."Benjamin gave him a careful once-over. Elias was so handsome—even a man had to admit it. Most importantly, there was an uprightness about him so intense that it was almost unnerving.Casually, Benjamin asked, "What's your job?"Elias sat sideways in a ramrod-straight posture. In a room full of spoiled rich kids, he looked oddly out of place."I was recently transferred to Grendale Court as the magistrate," he replied.Benjamin was genuinely taken aback. No wonder Elias looked so impartial and stern—he was the newly appointed magistrate.Hank looked smug, clearly pleased with his choice. "Let me tell you, Ben. My friend here is the youngest magistrate ever. His mom is in politics, and his dad runs a business, so he's more than a match for Ms. Shaw."In that case, Elias sure had some excell

Cheryl's expression remained unchanged. She could always control her emotions perfectly, and her tone was calm as she said, "I thought you knew and picked him for me on purpose."Benjamin's glass hit the counter with a dull thud. When he looked over again, she'd turned away.The light caught on the ends of her hair and haloed her in a soft, gentle glow. Looking at her, he frowned hard, wondering why he'd never noticed how sharp-tongued she could be.He deliberately shifted and slid halfway into the seat that belonged to Elias. Leaning forward, he rested his elbow on his knees and spread his legs carelessly apart, looking every bit the spoiled, untouched rich man.He turned his head and scrutinized Cheryl with unbridled audacity. "So you can talk back, Cheryl."For 11 years, she'd followed him around as the perfect, obedient assistant. No matter how unreasonable his demands were, she'd always find a way to fulfill them.Back then, if Benjamin had told her to die, she might have do