Levi, Luke, the kids, and the rest of their company flew first class to San Francisco.It wasn’t just first class—Luke had deliberately paid for every single first-class seat on the plane. Anyone else who thought they were wealthy enough to sit there had no choice but to downgrade to business, economy, or book another flight entirely.Luke called it “crowd control.”Arleen and Astrid, however, knew nothing about power plays or silent flexes. From the moment they stepped onto the plane, their jaws refused to close.They stared at the wide seats.The legroom.The screens.The attendants who smiled too much and spoke too gently.They sat by the window, their small faces pressed against the glass as the aircraft taxied.“Is this really flying?” Astrid whispered.“Yes,” Arleen replied, eyes wide. “Like birds.”When the plane lifted, Astrid gasped and grabbed Levi’s hand. Levi didn’t pull away. Instead, he tightened his grip slightly, smiling down at her.The view from above stole their bre

Days slipped into one another with an ease that surprised even the Hales themselves.The house adjusted. The staff adjusted. The world adjusted.What had begun as quiet whispers soon became headlines—measured, cautious ones at first, then louder, more curious. The Hale family had officially announced the children as part of their household. Not wards. Not charity cases. Family.It unsettled people.For decades, the Hales had been known as cold titans—men who ruled boardrooms with steel eyes and decisions sharp enough to ruin dynasties overnight. Wealth clung to their name like shadow, intimidating and untouchable. Love was not a word the public ever associated with them.And yet, here they were.Photographs surfaced—carefully curated, but still unmistakable. Kaitlin holding Astrid’s hand as they exited a pediatric wing. William bending to Arleen’s height, listening with patience that stunned reporters. Leonard carrying shopping bags meant for children, not investments. There was laugh

The Hale Company boardroom was wrapped in glass and steel, perched high above the city like a throne room overlooking its kingdom. Screens glowed softly along the walls, numbers shifting in real time, markets breathing with every second. Around the long obsidian table sat men and women who moved economies with a sentence.At the head of the table, Levi Hale sat quietly.He didn’t speak. He rarely did—unless it mattered.Vanessa stood near the central screen, tablet in hand, composed and razor-sharp. “We’ll begin with Q2 performance across subsidiaries,” she said smoothly. “Shipping division is up twelve percent year-on-year, largely due to the West Coast expansion. Media house revenue remains stable, though ad traction dipped slightly last month due to market saturation.”She swiped.“Food companies exceeded projections, hospital and pharmaceutical branches remain strong, and the Grand Pacific Quay Mall continues to outperform competitors in both foot traffic and luxury retail spendin

Hearing his question, Claire leaned back slightly, her heart skipping. For a brief moment, fear flashed through her—fear that he would bring up Tommy.She chuckled softly, masking her nerves.“What do you mean?” she asked lightly.Levi stared ahead, his tone calm but deliberate. “Don’t you have something to tell me? Or… something you owe me?”She laughed again, louder this time. “Come on, Levi. How could I possibly owe you anything?”Relief washed through her.People had said he knew about her and Tommy, but he hadn’t mentioned it—not once. Maybe… just maybe, he still had feelings for her.Levi nodded to himself, poured a drink, and lifted the glass.“Well,” he said evenly, "I'm not your boyfriend either and we aren’t together anymore.”He drank.Claire leaned closer, emboldened. With a slow, seductive smile, she took the glass from his hand and drank from the same spot his lips had touched.“We never really broke up,” she whispered. “That means we’re still an item. Forever bound.”Le

Back in Northwood Crest, the air felt thick with a suffocating sense of déjà vu. Tommy spent days wandering the familiar streets, begging for money from lifelong friends, distant relatives, and neighbors he had known since childhood. But the doors that were once open to him slammed shut, one by one. No one came to his aid.It was a bitter irony he couldn't ignore; he was now living the exact nightmare Levi had endured years ago. He finally realized the truth about his hometown: it was a place fueled by gossip and envy. People were your best friends as long as you were doing well, but the moment the ground gave way, they vanished like mist in the morning sun.Time was against him. Worse, his mother was against him.With no other option left, he went to his last resort—a local loan shark—a man known more for breaking bones than offering grace. He signed the papers with shaking hands, pledging more than he could afford. With no one else to stand for him, he secretly wrote Claire’s name d