By the second day, Clarissa had effectively moved into the office. As a perfectionist and a high-level professional, she refused to risk going back to her apartment. She handled everything—change of clothes, skincare, toiletries—via express delivery services. Several shopping bags from high-end boutiques sat neatly in the corner of the room, filled with silk blouses and fresh blazers to ensure she remained poised in front of Dominic.Dylan's dedication was beyond anything Clarissa had imagined. For dozens of hours, the young man only emerged from beneath his black blanket to stretch his neck or gulp down the cold juice Clarissa provided."Dylan, eat something. It's already two in the afternoon," Clarissa said softly. She brought over a plate of warm pasta she had ordered from the restaurant downstairs."Just leave it there. I'm infiltrating their shadow server nodes. If I let go now, they could trace my signature back," Dylan replied without taking his eyes off the screen, which was f

The smoke from the chicken satay grilling over charcoal by the roadside stood as a silent witness to Clarissa's unyielding victory laughter. Under the blue tarp of the street vendor's stall, Clarissa leaned back in her plastic chair, clutching her stomach, which was sore from laughing for the past hour.Across from her, Dylan sat with a face of utter defeat. Every so often, he winced, trying to adjust his seating position so that the back of his thighs wouldn't press too hard against the rigid plastic chair."Please, stop making that face! I can't breathe!" Clarissa cried between fresh bursts of laughter. "Where's that 'Little King' now? What happened to the boy who had 'never even been flicked'?"Dylan grunted, reaching for his glass of warm tea with stiff, pained movements. "Are you satisfied? Go ahead, laugh until your teeth dry out!""Well, you were so arrogant in the car!" Clarissa wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "I really should thank your mother. She did in minutes wha

Dominic reached the ICU floor. Standing before the large glass doors, he found Laura already there."Mother..." Dominic called out softly.Laura looked up. At the sight of her son-in-law, her tears began to flow again. "Dominic, Luna opened her eyes. The doctors rushed in just now, but I wasn't allowed inside."Dominic knelt before Laura, grasping her trembling hands. "Stay calm, Mother. The important thing is that Luna is conscious. It's a miracle.""Family of Ms. Luna Montgomery?" Dr. Adrian called out.Dominic stood up instantly. "I'm her husband, Doctor. How is she? Can she speak?"Dr. Adrian let out a shallow sigh, his expression not as bright as Dominic had hoped. "Please follow me to my office for a moment."...Inside the office, the monitor displayed Luna's latest brain scans. There were white spots in the temporal and frontal lobe areas."Ms. Luna has passed the critical stage and opened her eyes. Her motor reflexes are beginning to return," Dr. Adrian began. "However, her c

After the nauseating encounter with Ava in the parking lot, Dominic didn't head straight home. He steered his car toward a boutique flower shop. Standing stiffly in front of the floral displays, he finally chose a bouquet of pink Peonies and Baby's Breath.When he arrived back at the estate, Dominic walked softly toward the master suite, his heart hammering erratically. Inside the room, Sarah was helping Luna with fine motor activities. Luna was sitting in her wheelchair by the window overlooking the back garden, her slightly trembling hands trying to assemble a large wooden puzzle."Just a bit more, ma'am. Put the bird's wing right here," Sarah encouraged patiently.Luna looked incredibly focused, her brow furrowed and the tip of her tongue peeking out in concentration.Click.The door opened. Luna turned reflexively. Upon seeing Dominic, her movements stiffened. The puzzle piece in her hand dropped into her lap. There was a spark of wariness in her eyes, but this time, there were no

Following the weekly routine, Dominic was ready this morning to take Luna to her neurological and occupational therapy sessions at the General Hospital.Luna looked at Dominic with a lingering sense of confusion, though her fear had diminished significantly. "Therapy again? Will my head hurt like it did yesterday?"Dominic smiled, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "No, sweetheart. Today is just about practicing finger movements and a bit of speaking. I'll be right by your side the whole time."Luna nodded slowly.Once they arrived at the hospital, the therapy session lasted nearly two hours. Afterward, Dominic pushed Luna's wheelchair toward the main lobby to head home. However, as they passed the hallway of the second-class ward, Dominic suddenly came to a halt.In front of a treatment room, a very frail old man sat on the edge of the bed with his oxygen tube partially removed. Standing before him was an administrative nurse holding a folder, her face looking exhausted and