"Mommy doesn't mean it... Mommy loves you so much, Maggie... Mommy loves you..."Lyra kept repeating the same words over and over like a broken prayer, her voice hoarse from hours of crying.The cold midnight wind howled through the empty cemetery, rustling the branches of the weeping willow above her.Her sobs had long since lost their strength, fading into quiet, broken whimpers as she lay curled beside the grave, clinging to the damp ground as if it could somehow bring her daughter back.It was now just a quiet shaking. She was still on her knees with her hands on the earth of Maggie's grave. Her face was numb from the air and her eyes were very red.She stared at the tombstone and suddenly felt like she had been hit with something cold. She remembered the table at the villa. The papers, the big letters and Brandon's signature in black ink.She realized she was not just going to lose her daughter. She was also going to lose Brandon."No,” she said quietly, her breath stopping in he

“What do I want?” The woman let out a soft laugh.“I think we have a long night ahead of us to figure that out.” She gestured toward the empty chair across from her. “Come, sit down and keep me company for a while.”She settled into the armchair beside the window, crossing her legs gracefully beneath her silk gown. Picking up the bottle, she poured red wine into two crystal glasses before extending one toward him.Brandon didn't take it.Instead, he walked over to the desk and pulled out the chair opposite her. Sitting down, he folded his arms across his chest and leaned back slightly.His expression remained cold and unreadable…. He didn't touch the wine, he didn't speak either.He simply watched her with quiet, emotionless eyes.The woman did not seem to mind that Brandon did not take the wine. She took a gulp of the wine using it to help her talk. A sad smile was on her lips as she looked at the glass."You probably think I'm some crazy woman who likes playing games," the woman sai

Inside the suite on the thirteenth floor, Brandon had just placed a glass of water on the nightstand when a soft groan drifted from the bed.He paused and glanced over his shoulder.The woman stirred beneath the blankets, her brows knitted together in discomfort.However, not wanting to involve himself in her matters, Brandon turned toward the door, intending to leave and finally get some rest.But as he passed the bed, a small hand suddenly shot out and grabbed the fabric of his gray shirt.Her fingers clutched it tightly, almost desperately, as if she was afraid he would disappear the moment she let go.Her small hand held his shirt with all the strength left in her as she did not want to let him go."Don't go," she pleaded weakly, her eyes half-closed. "Please don't leave me alone in the dark. I feel sick... My stomach hurts." Her face twisted in pain. "It really hurts..."Brandon looked down at the hand gripping his sleeve. When he tried to gently pull her fingers away, she sudden

The heavy silence inside the lobby was so thick that even the soft pattern of rain against the glass roof could be heard clearly.A dozen security guards slowly advanced, their metal batons sliding free with sharp clacking sounds. They surrounded Brandon from every direction, their tense expressions making it obvious they were ready to attack at the slightest command."You're still acting arrogant, huh?" the manager asked with a deep frown.Brandon merely hummed."I haven't said anything arrogant," he replied calmly. "Just let me go upstairs, and this will end peacefully."The manager's expression darkened."How dare you talk back to me?" She snapped. "Have you forgotten your place? Is it because I've been speaking to you too politely?"One of the security guards stepped forward and cracked his knuckles."Allow me, Manager," he said with a cold grin. "I'll crack his head open and make sure he never talks back again."The manager stood behind the wall of guards, a satisfied smile sprea

"Take care of him," George said coldly as he stepped into his private office. "I want every detail about that man from the hotel. His background, his family, where he grew up, who he knows... everything. Every single detail about him, I want it on my desk before tomorrow's sunset.”The subordinate standing before his desk immediately lowered his head."Yes, Young Master."The office door closed behind him, leaving George alone.He walked toward the huge window overlooking the glittering city below. Normally, the breathtaking skyline helped him think, but tonight, his mind was too chaotic to appreciate the view.His thoughts refused to drift from the man he had just met.Brandon.George replayed the scene in the hotel lobby over and over in his mind.The exhausted face... the calm eyes... the disciplined posture.Everything matched the old photograph he had carried for months.Yet George refused to let hope cloud his judgment.If Brandon truly was the man he had been ordered to find, t