Lyra let out an irritated sigh, clearly unconvinced.“An emergency?” she repeated coldly. “Are you seriously doing this again just to ruin Leo’s birthday party? Don’t you have anything better to do than play these ridiculous games with me, Brandon?”“I’m not playing games, Lyra!” Brandon shouted, his voice filled with desperation as he looked at Maggie struggling to breathe beside him. “She’s really sick. She’s your daughter, Lyra… please just come here… All she wants is you by her side, that's it.”There was a long pause on the other end of the line before Lyra finally spoke again.“Fine,” she said coldly. “I’ll drive over for a few minutes and see what’s going on. But I’m not staying long.”Inside the living room of the villa, Lyra put down her phone and her face looked really upset. She went to get her car keys from the kitchen counter.. Before she could even take one step Leo ran into her and grabbed her waist.“Mommy Lyra, where are you going?” Leo asked loudly as he wrapped both

Brandon broke down as a loud scream tore from his throat echoing across the highway. He looked down the road but there were no taxis, no buses, no one stopping to save them. They had been completely abandoned on the dirt.With no choice Brandon gathered her tiny body into his arms, pressed her face against his chest and began to run. He ran on foot along the edge of the highway. His boots slammed against the gravel, his lungs burning with pain, his breath coming in sobs. He just ran, holding his daughter close to his heart.The doors to the city hospital's emergency room burst open when Brandon stumbled inside, his clothes covered in dirt, sweat and highway dust. His face was pale, his eyes completely bloodshot."Help her please, someone help her, save my daughter please," Brandon screamed, his voice raw and cracking as he carried Maggie toward the desk. The nurses and doctors saw the child in his arms and immediately leapt into action. Two female nurses rushed forward with a gurney

Jake nodded slowly. “Yes, that's exactly what I mean,” he said, his voice low and serious as he opened the folder in front of her. Inside were pages filled with financial projections, investment forecasts, and complex legal documents. “I just got a call from my overseas contacts,” Jake continued in a professional tone as if he worked a lot for this project. “More investors are trying to get into this project. Word has already started spreading, and another major company in the city has expressed interest.” His expression grew more urgent. “They're preparing to make an offer within the next hour.” Lyra slowly rose from her seat, her brows knitting together as she flipped through the documents. “Jake, I already told you this morning,” she said cautiously. “My finance department is still reviewing your accounts and the project's transaction history. They need to complete their due diligence before I can approve an investment of this size.” Jake immediately stepped closer. “Lyra,

“I need some fresh air.” Without waiting for Jake to respond, Lyra abruptly stood up and walked away while he was still speaking. The large glass doors slid shut behind her, instantly muting the cheerful music and everything spilling from the living room. For the first time all evening, she was alone. The night air was cool against her skin, a stark contrast to the warm, and party atmosphere inside the villa. The neighborhood was unusually quiet, with only the gentle rustling of leaves and the distant chirping of crickets breaking the silence. Lyra wrapped her arms around herself as a slight chill ran through her body. Slowly, she walked toward the stone railing overlooking the neatly trimmed lawn… She drew in a deep breath, hoping the fresh air would calm the growing unease inside her. But the moment the breath left her lungs, she realized her hands were trembling. And no matter how hard she tried, the knot of dread tightening around her heart refused to loosen. "Calm down,"

"Maybe you made the right choice by leaving, sweetheart," Brandon whispered bitterly as he stared at the birthday decorations scattered across the villa. "Maybe this stopped being our home a long time ago." The words disappeared into the silence with no one there to answer him. No small voice called out ‘Daddy,’ and no little footsteps came running down the staircase, leaving the house painfully quiet around him. Brandon slowly walked farther into the living room, where reminders of last night's celebration surrounded him everywhere. His gaze once again settled on the gold letters hanging above the fireplace that spelled out HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEO. For a brief moment, Brandon imagined a different scene filled with pink balloons and princess decorations, where Maggie stood on a chair trying to blow out her candles with a bright smile and excited laughter on her face. The image shattered almost immediately because Maggie would never celebrate another birthday. Brandon closed