Nora's agitation echoed through the room, her pacing a reflection of the turmoil within. Greg, realizing the depth of his misstep, remained silent, acutely aware that words could only deepen the rift."You mean you gave my daughter a cellphone without talking to me first?" Nora said she couldn't believe Graycen had started keeping secrets from her. She continued her restless pacing, each step punctuating her growing annoyance. "It is the audacity for me," she muttered, more to herself than to Greg.Greg attempted to explain, "I only did that because she had been crying to her teacher that she wanted to see me."Nora halted abruptly, turning to face him with a mix of incredulity and anger. "How come her teacher didn't tell me she'd rather call you, as her father or what?" Her eyes bore into Greg, demanding an explanation, Greg knew better than to speak. The room, once a haven from external turmoil, now reverberated with the tension between them. Nora's frustration hung heavy, an unspo

Nora hurried through the antiseptic-scented corridors of the hospital, her steps echoing the urgency of her mission. She had to find Sebastian, Alexander's friend, the only person who might understand the gravity of the situation.As she approached Sebastian's room, she saw him sitting by the window, lost in thought. His eyes, once lively, carried the shadows of concern. "Sebastian," she called softly, not wanting to startle him.He turned, and his face lit up with a mixture of surprise and relief. "Nora, what brings you here?" he asked, concern etched across his features."I need to talk to you. It's about Alexander," Nora replied, taking a seat beside him.Sebastian's expression shifted to one of deep concern. "What happened? Is he okay?""He came to my house yesterday with a gun," Nora revealed, her voice quivering with the weight of the truth. "If the police hadn't arrived when they did, I don't know what would have happened to me and my family."Sebastian's eyes widened, and shoc

Miley's voice quivered as she cleared her throat, "Greg, I am deeply sorry about what happened between us," she started. "There was so much I needed to tell you, but I was mostly ashamed of myself." A heavy silence hung in the air as Greg remained stoic, prompting Miley to continue, "I was the only child of my parents. My father was a billionaire, and everything was rosy for my family and me until he was arrested for tax evasion. He was billed about two hundred billion dollars," Miley said, her voice cracking with the weight of her past."I remember my father frantically trying to sell off some of our assets to pay the fine. We moved from the upper class down to nothing. My mother couldn't stand the humiliation and took the money raised to pay the IRS and left my dad; she left us. That was not even the painful part. I discovered my dad had a congenital heart disease and desperately needed surgery," Miley said, her voice breaking with the emotional toll of the memories."My dad needed t

Through the haze, Samuel spotted his attacker - Greg, a man usually known for his calm demeanour, now transformed into a snarling hurricane."Greg?" he croaked, disbelief lacing his voice.Before Samuel could react further, Greg lunged again, another blow aimed at his ribs. This time, Samuel managed to dodge, stumbling back further into the apartment. Adrenaline surged through him, dispelling the shock. Each of his words was laced with venom, accusation dripping from his lips like poison.Samuel took some steps back, "Calm down, Greg!" Samuel rasped, the words tasting metallic on his tongue. "Let's just..."But "let's just" never had a chance. As if fueled by the very words, Greg launched himself forward, another punch aimed at Samuel's reeling head. It connected with a sickening crunch, and Samuel tasted blood, his vision threatening to swim.Panic rose in him, but it was quickly smothered by a surge of defensive anger, Greg threw a punch aimed at his chest and Alexander blocked it.

Nora led him to the couch and sat down. Nora's hand reached out, patting the cushion beside her on the couch. "Greg, please sit," she said, her voice barely a whisper. Her eyes, usually bright and lively, were brimming with unshed tears. Greg's heart plummeted. He knew where this was going, he felt it in the tension that crackled between them.He sat down beside her, bracing himself for the storm. "Greg," Nora began, her voice thick with emotion, "I need to tell you something, something that's been tearing me apart. Please know, everything I say comes from a place of deep love, for you and Graycen."His chest tightened. Love, he thought, a bitter tang on his tongue. Was that what it was? Or was it something else, something more painful?"When we first met, that day at the mall" she continued, a ghost of a smile playing on her lips, "I admit, you weren't exactly my cup of tea. You were rude and a bit standoffish." He chuckled humorlessly, remembering their fiery first encounter."Bu