"What?"“What!” The words reverberated through the shocked crowd, and another girl stepped forward, shaking her head.“Y… You said you have access to a penthouse in Selena, but you assured me it was legal and it belonged to your family!” The girl shrieked.The judge scoffed, glancing around to stare at his colleague. “Why is everyone blaming me?! That was what I was told!” He said defensively, turning back to his mother. “Mom, what is the meaning of this?” He asked, with fear and curiosity masking his face.The woman swallowed another lump and shifted her gaze from her son to the men who were staring at her for an explanation. “D…Don't worry. Lilian will be here in a few minutes, and then she can explain better,” she said, wearing a shivering smile.“What!” Judge yelled, with his eyes widening with shock. “You got the access from Lilian!” “Don't worry, she—”“For Christ's sake, Mom, it's Liliana!” Judge felt the remaining color from his face disappear. “She is nothing but a girl doin

“You mean my father's house,” the girl muttered, but before the words could settle, the woman's hand landed on her face, and the sound echoed through the space."You have no right to claim that property, not one room or one piece of furniture. Nothing!"Julianna slowly looked back at her, with tears clouding her eyes, and her lips trembled.The woman continued. "If you still want to live there, I suggest you learn to watch your mouth,” she suggested, and Julianna held her face, which had turned red.Ryan's expression darkened, and when The security chief noticed his expression – the man daggered his eyes at the woman – but Ryan lifted one hand, and the man immediately stopped. Ryan didn't want anyone interfering, as he wanted to understand what was happening.Behind them, whispers began spreading."Isn't that Judge's sister?" A girl leant towards her friend.Ashley, who was standing nearby, shook her head. "Step-sister," she corrected, lowering her voice as she turned to the direction

Judge watched as the last student from his department slipped through the threshold, making his earlier arrogance completely disappear. His mother, who was standing next to him, wore similar expressions, with her eyes constantly moving between Ryan and the elevator, as though she were calculating whether there was still a way out of the situation.She heaved a sigh, as if dismissing her initial plan; running was no use, and she would be caught even before she could reach the threshold of the living room.Julianna, on the other hand, stood several steps behind them, and unlike the other two, she wasn't looking for an escape but rather had her attention fixed on Ryan, making the silence stretch through the atmosphere.Her stepmother slowly turned her head towards her, Julianna, and for a moment her body stiffened. For years, that look had been enough to make her uncomfortable. Her stepmother wasn't looking at her with affection, and she was looking at her because she needed something.A

What?!” The woman yelled, snapping her head to Ryan. “B… But I did as you asked!” She shrieked, crawling backwards as if that would somehow stop the men. The two security men reached for her arm, struggling to maintain their grip. The judge, who couldn't believe what was going on, shook his head with tears clouding his face. “P… Please, you can't do this,” he stuttered. Ryan ignored their protest and watched as the security men dragged them out towards the entrance. Hearing the screams of her stepmother and brother, Jullinma narrowed her eyes in surprise at Ryan. “M…Mr Wright, you said you would let them go,” she whispers. Ryan nodded. “I did but not after a day or two in a closed bar,” he muttered, walking away. At this moment, the fatigue of the day was slowly catching up to him. Without any more words, he pulled out his own key and moved into the interior of the penthouse. Across New City, dusk lurked on the horizon, covering the city with a soft golden glow. On the upper flo

He heaved a deep sigh. “Moving forward. “You shouldn't have the hotel staff that handles that,” he added. Jullinna nodded her head. "I... I wanted to do it myself; it's the least I could do for causing such troubles,” she replied. Ryan studied her for several seconds. There was something about the way she spoke that made him realise she wasn't simply trying to be helpful but was trying to repay a debt. "You're not responsible for your stepmother's or brother's actions,” he muttered. 'And definitely you don't owe me anything,” he added. Julianna looked at him but allowed silence to linger through the room. Across the kitchen space, Ryan moved his gaze to the refrigerator. She followed him with her eyes, and Ryan opened the refrigerator, and his hand stopped with the door ajar. The refrigerator was completely stocked with water, juices, fresh vegetables, and other stuff he remembered wasn't there before. "Did you do this?" He asked, genuinely curious, and Julianna slowly nodded