"You’re home!” Bianca yelled, running toward Tedmond.He immediately turned around to face her, beaming as he let go of his suit jacket, which Rick had been helping him take off.“Oh dear, did you miss him that much?” Persis asked, stepping inside and watching the siblings embrace.“Of course,” Bianca replied, squeezing her brother tightly. “He was gone all night.”She finally pulled back, eyes lighting up as she turned to Persis. “And you went with him, didn’t you? You look so elegant!”Persis smiled warmly. “Thank you, darling. You should’ve seen your brother—he looked like he owned the entire gala.”Bianca giggled and gave Persis a quick hug. “I’ll ask for all the details later.”Then, just as quickly, she ran back into Tedmond’s arms, hugging him again like she hadn’t seen him in a year.Tedmond looked down at her, a tired smile tugging at his lips. The gala had dragged on longer than expected, and it was already seven in the morning.He was exhausted and wanted nothing more than

When Tedmond saw the person on the neighboring yacht, he realized it was Oscar. He tried to make sense of the outfit Oscar was awkwardly trying to hide, but it was no use—he could see it clearly.A look of disgust crossed Tedmond’s face. Not that he was truly disgusted—it was more shock than anything else. He hadn’t expected to see Oscar like that.Oscar had always been the quiet one—the only person who spent time with Tedmond when they were kids. More than just a companion, Oscar had been Tedmond’s first and only real friend.He used to stand up for Tedmond when he was in trouble, even taking the blame and punishment just to protect him.No matter how much Tedmond tried to push the memories away, he couldn’t.How could he forget the one person who had truly helped him?Tedmond sighed and shook his head. A part of that bond, he admitted, had been because Adeline used to live next door back then—before she moved to a bigger place.After Oscar moved away with his mom, Tedmond rarely saw

After getting permission from Tedmond to be their tour guide, Oscar had headed toward Bianca to introduce himself. However, Tedmond stepped in first."I forgot to ask for their consent too," Tedmond said, brushing past Oscar and approaching Bianca."Would it be okay for him to be our tour guide?" he asked them.Since Oscar was family, Tedmond wanted their opinion first to ensure they were comfortable."It's fine," Persis responded immediately, though she was a bit stunned that he had asked for her opinion. "I’m curious to see if he’ll be a good guide."Tedmond turned to Oscar, silently prompting him to respond to the unspoken question."I'm a great guide," Oscar replied. "Though, fair warning—I might mostly take you to places I want to visit. But I promise I’m not all that bad.""Alright," Persis said with a small smile. "We’ll be in your care."Bianca raised an eyebrow at Oscar. "Well, I’m okay with it too," she said, rising to her feet to meet his gaze. "So, you’re my uncle?"Oscar

Xander paced back and forth in the living room. He had sent a message to the Washingtons, but there was still no response—and that made him uneasy.It was his sister who had caused the mess. If it wasn’t for the fact that he was now involved, he would’ve let her deal with it herself.He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “Why did she have to be so reckless?” he muttered. “Dragging the whole family into this... I told her to stay out of their way.”Just then, the sound of approaching footsteps made him turn around. His assistant, Lina, entered the room with a tablet in her hand.“Still no word from the Washingtons?” he asked before she could speak.Lina shook her head. “No, sir. And we haven’t been contacted by their legal team yet. That likely means they haven’t seen the message you sent.”Xander sighed. He doubted they hadn’t seen the message—it had been days. More likely, they were letting him stew in uncertainty.“Don’t worry, Mr. Marinos,” Lina said, her gaze steady. “As

Kallista peeked out from behind the door, glancing down the hallway. When she saw it was empty, she finally stepped away from her hiding spot and began walking quietly along the corridor.She stopped at the end of the hallway, where a door to the right was located. Gripping the doorknob, she pushed it open slightly and peeked inside. Seeing no one there, she slipped in."I have to be fast before Xander returns," she murmured to herself.The room she had entered was Xander’s study. He had left the house earlier, so she knew she had time to do what she needed.Getting the company’s new product blueprints would be enough to secure a little money for her fiancé, once he manufactured and sold the product before the company launched it.She had barely taken a step toward the table when the door suddenly burst open. Flinching, she spun around to see who it was.Marcus stood there, half-dressed, yawning, with a tired expression on his face as he glanced at her."What are you doing?" he asked,