LOGINDiana had been busy at the office all day.Just before quitting time, Nina pushed the door open and walked in."Ms. Hutton, are you still going to tonight's economic forum?" Holding a stack of documents against her chest, she added, "It's raining hard right now. The roads might be difficult.""I'm going." Diana set down her pen. "The organizers have everything arranged. It wouldn't be appropriate to cancel at the last minute."Nina nodded and held out the documents. "This is the forum's attendee list. Take a look first."Diana accepted the documents and flipped through them. Her gaze stopped partway down the list: Jillson Group Executive Vice President, Hugo Kingston."Let me know when the car is ready.""Yes."Diana set the documents aside and picked up her pen to continue reviewing paperwork.Then her pen paused.Without warning, the memory of Hugo's last visit to Seraph Villa for dinner surfaced in her mind.He had been wearing that dark blue coat, his posture straight an
In Seraph Villa, Diana had just stepped out of the shower, her hair still damp, when her phone suddenly buzzed.Hugo had sent a photo of Norchester's night skyline. Skyscrapers rose in dense rows, their lights glittering against the darkness.Hugo: [Hey, the night view here in Norchester isn't as nice as Brimcrest's.]A smile tugged at her lips. Holding the phone in one hand, she typed back: [Then why are you still there?]His reply arrived seconds later.Hugo: [I'll just have to wait for Grandpa to let me go.]She paused before typing: [Then spend more time with him while you're there. Stop thinking about coming back so much.]Hugo: [Don't want me to come back?]Diana stared at the message. Something about it felt off, though she couldn't quite put her finger on it. In the end, she replied with only two words.Diana: [Suit yourself.]After sending the message, she set the phone on the nightstand, dried her hair, and lay down.As soon as she closed her eyes, the image of Leo
Tiffany had neither refused nor agreed.Sydney understood and did not press the issue. Instead, she said, "Ray has changed a lot lately. The last time he came to Delta Mansion, even Grandma said he seemed steadier than before."Tiffany didn't respond, but the corner of her mouth twitched slightly. Sydney noticed, though she chose not to call attention to it.The two sat together a while longer. Then Tiffany checked the time. "If your man finds out I kept you out late, he won't let me see you next time. Let's go.""He wouldn't." Sydney stood with a laugh and picked up an armful of shopping bags.Tiffany immediately took more than half of them. "Give those to me. You're a top-priority case these days."The two walked side by side toward the parking lot. As they passed a baby goods store, Tiffany suddenly stopped."What's wrong?"Sydney followed her gaze. In the display window sat a set of crib bedding, complete with a pale pink blanket embroidered with moons and stars."Nothing.
By the time Sydney arrived at the mall, Tiffany was already waiting outside the coffee shop. She wore an oatmeal-colored coat over a black turtleneck sweater, with her hair falling loosely over her shoulders. She looked less polished than usual, more relaxed.Even so, Sydney noticed the faint shadows beneath her eyes at a glance.Sydney walked over and linked arms with her in an easy, familiar gesture. "How long have you been waiting?""Just got here." Tiffany handed her the hot latte she was holding. "I got this for you. It's still hot."Sydney took it and sipped. The warm, slightly bitter drink slid down her throat, and she felt herself warm up a little.Tilting her head, she studied Tiffany. "So, what's going on?"Tiffany did not answer. She slipped her arm through Sydney's and headed into the mall. "Let's look around first. It's been ages since we went shopping together."The two of them browsed from the first floor to the third. Tiffany tried on a few outfits but bought onl
"Even if it hurts, it's only because I once took this marriage seriously." Diana's tone remained even. "Mom, staying in this marriage would only make things worse. I won't regret the divorce."Florence looked at her daughter's calm expression, and her heart ached more than she could bear."All right, as long as you know what you're doing." Florence sighed and chose not to press the matter. "Take things one step at a time from here on."Just as the conversation ended, the sound of a car engine drifted in from outside. Out of habit, Diana glanced toward the floor-to-ceiling window, and her brow furrowed slightly.A black sedan pulled up to the courtyard gate. A man in a sharp suit stepped out of the driver's seat carrying several gift bags.It was Leon.Florence saw him as well, and her expression darkened slightly. "Why is he here?"Diana walked to the door and watched Leon approach at an unhurried pace. "Why are you here?"Leon's tone was casual. "There's a new project in Joule
Florence's treatment was already complete, and Sydney was in no hurry to return to Delta Mansion."I'm free. Where do you want to go?" Sydney asked."You pick," Tiffany replied.Sydney considered it for a moment. "The usual spot, then?""Sure. I'll be there in about half an hour," Tiffany said. "Drive safe. No rush."Sydney ended the call and looked at Florence and Diana with an apologetic smile. "A friend asked me to go shopping. I should get going.""Tiffany?" Diana asked.Sydney looked surprised. "How did you know?""You don't get this excited for anyone else." Diana let out a soft laugh before saying slowly, "Sydney, pass along a message for me."Sydney looked puzzled. "What message?""Tell her..." Diana paused for a moment and looked at Sydney with quiet sincerity. "The Hutton family won't interfere in Ray's marriage anymore. As long as the two of them still have feelings for each other, the choice is theirs to make."Sydney blinked, caught off guard. "Diana, do you mea
"Got it!" Sydney's words came out muffled, her cheeks squished under Julian's hand. The slight lisp made her sound almost cute.Julian's gaze lingered on her face until his focus slipped. He used to pinch her like this all the time. Sometimes, she'd play along, and other times, she'd get annoyed, l
As soon as they left work, Marcus finally asked about what had happened at noon. "How did you know they'd crack? What if they hadn't? Were you really going to quit?"Sydney tilted her head back and stretched her sore shoulders. "Who said I was bluffing?""That camera was real?" Marcus' surprise th
Once Caleb calmed down, he knew he could not push Sydney too far. But leaving her here alone didn't sit right either. It would only give others an opening—like Marcus, who had just dropped her off.The moment Sydney heard he planned to move in downstairs, her whole body tensed with discomfort. But
After handing it to her, Julian slipped one hand into his pocket, his expression calm and untroubled, no different from usual.Sydney hesitated, but since she already held the wallet, she figured she might as well satisfy her curiosity.When she opened it and found it completely empty—cleaner than







