All Chapters of His Hidden Game: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

The door clicked shut behind them.Nora reached out and brushed her fingers over the little mobile hanging above the crib — a delicate cloud in the center, surrounded by tiny stars that chimed softly when touched. The room faced south, bright with sunlight. Half of it had been set up as a play area with mats; the safety railings still leaned against the wall, waiting to be installed. A sofa sat nearby, along with a diaper-changing table, a still-unopened bottle warmer, and a baby rocker. The whole place radiated that quiet excitement of welcoming new life.“You got news this good and didn’t think to tell us?” Nora smiled. Just two hours earlier, she’d found out — purely by accident — that Marcus’s fiancée was pregnant. Her tone carried no reproach.Marcus turned, settling onto the sofa. “I wanted to wait until things were stable before saying anything.”“But your father and I aren’t outsiders, are we?” There was a sharp edge in Nora’s eyes now.He stayed silent.She set down the toy

Marcus froze for a second, instinctively catching the envelope before it slipped from his hand.Allison didn’t even look back. She turned on her heel and walked out.When the door clicked shut behind her, Marcus knew there was no point trying to chase her now — not while she was still burning with anger. He tore the report open anyway. Inside was a single page and a sonogram print. Male fetus.He exhaled hard, dropped back onto the couch, the report still clutched in his hand. His thoughts spun in chaotic loops.He had no idea how long he sat there until his phone buzzed against the table — his secretary, calling about work. He pressed the phone to his ear and wandered to the window. Outside, the sky had turned dusky red. Late autumn, nearly winter. Dusk came early now.He stared at the leafless branches swaying in the wind. Early summer, he thought. That’s when the baby was due. By then, the streets would be green again, flowers blooming everywhere…The voice on the phone broke throu

After Julian left, Marcus immediately told his assistant to dig into the request.As expected, the “friend” Julian wanted to enroll in the gene therapy trial wasn’t just some random patient — she was Violet’s cousin.Marcus’s lips curved slightly. “Interesting,” he murmured, flipping through the report. Then, without hesitation, he said, “Approve it. Get her into the program.”If Julian wanted a favor, Marcus would, of course, grant it. But favors always came with a price — and this one might serve him well later.He tapped his fingers on the desk, thoughtful, then reached for his phone and called Serena, Julian’s stepmother.She picked up quickly, her tone breezy and amused. “Well, well. To what do I owe the pleasure?”The noise in the background suggested she was mid-conversation — someone pitching her something, probably another boutique. A moment later, the background chatter faded.“Just checking in,” Marcus said, voice calm.“Checking in?” She laughed softly. “That’s new. I hav

Outside, a cold wind swept past the window — but inside, the little workshop was calm, almost meditative. Over the past month, Violet had slowly adapted to its rhythm.Shards of pale sunlight broke through the clouds, spilling across her workbench, glinting off the scattered tools.Before her lay a wristwatch so caked in dried mud that its model and make were nearly impossible to tell. She’d already photographed it for the repair log and was now examining the damage in silence.Dylan, passing by with a tray of polished components, stopped to stare. “I’ve never seen a watch in this bad shape. You think it’s even fixable?”The strap had been removed; only the body remained. The glass covering the dial was gone. Soil and bits of plant matter clung to the gears, wedged between the lugs and crown. At first glance, you wouldn’t even recognize it as a watch.Dylan’s specialty was in assembling new pieces — polishing, grinding, fitting — not restoring relics like this. To him, it looked like

“Here we are.” Edward eased the car to a stop.Violet lived downtown, not far from the workshop. Still, the drive felt even shorter than he expected — like he’d barely had time to say a few words before they were already there. She’d been working in his studio for a while now, but he realized he didn’t really know much about her. Or maybe… he just wanted to know more.“Thanks for the ride,” she said, unbuckling her seatbelt.Edward took the chance to step out and walk around to open her door.She gave him another polite “thank you,” and he smiled. “No problem. But you—”She tilted her head. “Oh, are you asking about the watch restoration?”He paused for a second, then nodded. “Yeah, right. Forgot to ask how it’s going — any issues so far?”He glanced up at the tall, expensive-looking apartment building in front of them and swallowed whatever else he was going to say.“I finished cleaning the inside and out,” she said. “If all goes well, I can start reassembling tomorrow.”“Oh? You’re