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Olivia’s lips twitched, a mixture of exasperation and amusement threatening to break her composure. Conor’s shameless grin was infuriatingly charming, and for a moment, she almost laughed out loud.

Before she could react further, a small, pitiful voice piped up from behind them.

“Mommy… should take Daddy home,” Lily murmured, clutching Conor’s arm with innocent insistence.

Olivia froze, blinking at the sight of the little girl’s earnest expression.

Speechless, she gave a sharp sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Fine,” she muttered finally, her voice tinged with reluctant resignation. “You’re lucky. Come home with me. I have an important task for you—pretend to be my husband.”

Nick, standing beside the car, froze. His eyes widened in shock.

Conor merely tilted his head, smiling calmly, and followed Olivia.

After a few steps, he glanced back at Nick. “Nick, your ride should be here, right? I’ll go home with my wife first—we’ll meet later.”

Nick’s mouth opened, then closed again. He wanted to protest, to insist on staying with Conor, but the King of the Gods’ warning gaze made his spine stiffen.

He backed down silently, melting into the bustling crowd. Circling through the chaos, he made his way toward the noisiest area—the DragonTech motorcade—and approached the lead car with careful precision.

Outside, the DragonTech motorcade had stopped, and the crowd’s excitement was palpable.

John and Emma were already approaching the uniformed staff, trying to strike up a conversation.

“Excuse me,” John said, voice loud, forcing authority. “We’re here for VIP reception. Can you guide us?”

The lead staff member, a tall, stern woman, barely glanced at them. “Sir, the VIP has already arrived. Step aside, please.”

Emma’s fake smile faltered. “We… we just wanted to—”

Nick, masked and in sunglasses, slipped silently behind them, eyes sharp.

“Shit," he thought, “if they recognize me, Master Conor’s cover is blown."

He maneuvered between John and the staff, careful not to draw attention.

“Hey! Watch where you’re shoving!” John barked, clearly annoyed.

Nick ignored him entirely, sliding open the door of a waiting car with fluid precision and dropping inside. He exhaled silently.

Piece of cake. Let’s see how long they last before realizing who they just messed with.

John’s face went instantly pale. “Oh no… oh no, oh no, oh no…” he muttered under his breath. “I just… insulted… the VIP DragonTech came to receive…”

Emma leaned close, whispering nervously, “Nobody knows you… if we leave quickly, everything will be fine.”

John’s hands shook. “This can’t be happening!”

Meanwhile,

The hum of the car engine was the only sound for a moment, broken only by the faint breathing of Lily, fast asleep in her car seat.

Conor stole a glance at the child, her small face relaxed in innocence, and felt a pang of something he couldn’t quite name.

Olivia’s hands gripped the steering wheel with tension.

“After that night… I became pregnant,” she said finally, her voice steady but quiet. “I didn’t tell anyone you were involved. I needed to protect Lily—from nosy relatives, from my parents, from everyone who might pry.”

Conor’s heart tightened. “You… you carried her alone?”

“Yes.” Olivia’s gaze flicked to him, sharp but not unkind. “I told everyone you were some successful businessman traveling frequently. It… stopped people from bothering me. It stopped them from asking questions, from interfering.”

Conor felt the weight of his guilt press down on him like never before. “This… this is my fault. I should have—”

“You should have done a lot of things,” Olivia said dryly, rolling her eyes. “But for now, just… play the part. Pretend to be my husband. That’s all I need.”

Conor exhaled, running a hand over his face. “Make it right… I’ll make it right, Olivia. I’ll fix this. I won’t let anyone hurt Lily, not ever.”

Olivia’s lips twitched, a mix of exasperation and amusement. “Make it right? Conor… the Nelson family fortune is tens of millions. I don’t need you to fix anything yet. Just pretend you’re my husband for a while. When the time is right, I’ll announce the divorce. But until then… act like a successful man.”

Conor spread his hands, looking both incredulous and frustrated. “I don’t need to pretend. I am successful.”

Olivia chuckled softly, shaking her head. “Exactly. Keep that confidence, Conor. That’s all I ask.”

He opened his mouth to argue, to protest that no one ever seemed to believe him when he spoke the truth, but Olivia was already glancing at the road ahead, signaling him to let it go.

The cityscape of Golden Sparrow City blurred past them as Olivia navigated the quiet streets toward the Nelson family mansion.

Conor studied her silently, the careful balance of elegance and authority in her posture both impressive and infuriating.

“Remember,” Olivia said, voice firm, “stay in character. Don’t embarrass me in front of anyone, not for even a second.”

Conor smiled, the corners of his mouth curling into that calm, teasing expression that had already started to get under her skin. “Don’t worry. I’ve got this.”

As they approached the mansion, the gates swung open to reveal the grandeur of the Nelson estate.

A tall man, impeccably dressed with a sunny, welcoming smile, stood at the entrance. He waved as Olivia drove up.

Olivia’s expression hardened, her lips twisting into a subtle sneer. “What are you doing here?”

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  • 94

    Then he looked at Conor.“You’ve made your point.”Conor nodded.“Excellent.”Arthur frowned.“Don’t sound so pleased with yourself.”“I wasn’t.”“You were.”“Perhaps a little.”Arthur let out a quiet breath through his nose.“You’re irritating.”“So I’ve been told.”“And arrogant.”“That’s debatable.”“And reckless.”Conor picked up his cup.“Also debatable.”Arthur stared at him.Then, unexpectedly, he laughed.“You really are something.”Conor smiled.“I’ll consider that a compliment.”“Don’t.”“Too late.”Arthur shook his head.Then his expression became serious.“Listen carefully.”Conor looked at him.“This city has changed.”“I noticed.”“There are people moving in the shadows. Old families are watching each other. New forces are appearing.”Conor said nothing.Arthur continued.“You may think refusing to give up a tea room is harmless.”“It was.”“Today.”Arthur’s eyes became cold.“But there are people who won’t stop at words.”Conor calmly lifted his cup.“Then I suppose I’l

  • 93

    Arthur continued staring at Conor.“You’re either exceptionally confident…”He paused.“…or you have no idea what you’re dealing with.”Conor gave him a calm smile.“Perhaps I’m simply having a very good afternoon.”Nick couldn’t hold back his smile this time.Arthur noticed.“You find him entertaining?”Nick shrugged.“Occasionally.”Arthur looked at him.“And you?”“I’ve known him long enough not to argue with him over tea.”Arthur’s expression became thoughtful.“That explains your confidence.”“No,” Nick replied.“It explains my survival.”Conor glanced at Nick.“That was almost profound.”“Thank you.”“I wasn’t complimenting you.”“I’ll take it anyway.”Arthur stared at the two men.For the first time, his irritation was mixed with genuine amusement.But the manager was not amused at all.He stepped forward again.“Mr. Conor, I’m asking you one final time. Please leave.”Conor looked at him.“You’ve said that several times.”“And you keep refusing!”“Yes.”“Why?”“Because your ar

  • 92

    He had simply remained calm. That made Arthur furious.Arthur’s hand had just touched the door when he stopped.For a moment, he remained completely still.Then he slowly turned around.The faint smile that had been on his face disappeared.“On second thought…”The manager immediately looked at him.“Mr. Hale?”Arthur’s gaze settled on Conor.“I don’t like leaving questions unanswered.”Conor took another sip of tea.“That sounds exhausting.”Nick lowered his head, hiding a smile.Arthur’s eyes narrowed.The manager, however, was no longer amused.“Sir, with all due respect, we’ve already explained the situation to him several times.”Conor placed his cup down.“You did.”“And yet you still refuse to leave.”“Yes.”The manager’s face tightened.“I’ve never dealt with a guest like you before.”Conor glanced at him.“You should broaden your experience.”Nick coughed lightly.Arthur’s expression flickered.The manager looked increasingly irritated.“Do you think this is funny?”“A litt

  • 91

    Conor didn’t even turn toward him. Arthur raised his hand again. “Stay where you are.” The bodyguard immediately stopped. Arthur continued studying Conor.For several seconds, neither man spoke.The room was so quiet that the faint clinking of porcelain from the restaurant outside could be heard clearly.Arthur’s eyes moved slowly over Conor’s face.He was trying to determine what kind of man would remain this calm while surrounded by the Hale Family’s bodyguards.But Conor gave him nothing.No nervousness.No hesitation.Not even the slightest sign that he intended to back down.Arthur finally spoke.“You really don’t intend to leave?”Conor took another sip of tea.“No.”Arthur raised an eyebrow.“You know who I am.”“Yes.”“You know what the Hale Family represents in Golden Sparrow City.”“Yes.”“And you’re still sitting there?”Conor placed the teacup down.“You’ve asked me that three times.”Arthur’s lips twitched.“And your answer hasn’t changed.”“It won’t.”One of the b

  • 90

    “Sir, this is Mr. Arthur Hale’s private room.” “No.” The manager frowned. Conor calmly corrected him. “It is a private room belonging to the restaurant.” The manager’s face became stiff. “Mr. Hale has used this room for years.” “And today, I’m using it.” The manager opened his mouth. Nothing came out. One of the bodyguards stepped forward. “You should leave.” Conor didn’t even look at him. “I wasn’t speaking to you.” The man’s expression darkened. “You don’t understand the situation.” Conor looked at him then. “I understand it perfectly.” “You are occupying Mr. Hale’s room.” “No.” The bodyguard frowned. “You’re refusing to leave.” “Yes.” The bodyguard’s jaw tightened. “Do you know who you’re speaking to?” Conor calmly lifted his teacup again. “No.” Nick almost laughed. The manager’s face turned pale. The bodyguards exchanged glances. They were clearly not accustomed to being dismissed so casually. Another bodyguard stepped forward. “You should think car

  • 89

    Conor raised a hand.Nick immediately fell silent.Conor slowly turned his attention toward the manager.“We were here first.”His voice was calm, but there was a hint of displeasure beneath it.The manager forced a nervous smile.“Of course, sir. I understand.”“Then what’s the problem?”The manager hesitated.“The other guest is someone we cannot afford to offend.”Conor’s eyes narrowed slightly.“That has nothing to do with me.”“Sir…”“We reserved this room.”“Yes.”“We arrived before your other guest.”“Yes.”“Then why are you asking us to leave?”The manager’s expression became increasingly uncomfortable.“I sincerely apologize. But this particular guest has been using this room for many years.”Nick frowned.“So?”“He has always considered this room his private room whenever he visits the restaurant.”Nick let out a cold laugh.“Considered?”The manager nodded quickly.“Yes.”“That doesn’t make it his.”“I understand.”“Then stop wasting our time.”The manager swallowed.“Sir,

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