As the day progressed, Karina joined her family in celebrating her achievements. Afterward, she walked into her daughter's room, holding her in her arms. "Mommy, you're amazing," Sophie gently expressed, giving her a kiss on the cheek before settling on her bed. "My sweet little angel," Karina cooed, tickling her daughter and reveling in her delightful laughter. "Mom, please stop. You're acting like a child," Sophie teased, as Karina sat next to her on the bed. "Well, I don't mind carrying you on my back, playing around this huge house with you, or even acting like a child for you." "I know, but you don't have to do all that. Great-grandfather can give me a piggyback ride," Sophie said. Karina was taken aback. "Has he ever done that before?" "No, but he promised to do it next Sunday." "Sweetheart, you shouldn't let him do that. He's quite old now. You don't want to overburden him." "Oh." Sophie pouted. "I've told him that, but he keeps bragging about how strong he is. Anyway,

Closing some distance between them, he remarked, “It is a pleasure to see you, Karina." She rolled her eyes in response. “Do you recall this place?" He peered at her with a glimmer of hope. Perhaps she would recall, he thought to himself. The place seemed vaguely familiar and although she tried to jog her memory, she replied with a sudden declaration, “No, I do not recall." "It is our customary reservoir. Although I have brought you here only twice. I come here frequently." He paused and took in their surroundings. "In fact, I started coming here more often after you left. It brought back memories of us and it was quite strange that it was because of those recurring memories that I became attached to this place." She feigned a spark of recollection and looked around with a teasing grin. “You always lied to me whenever we came here. But your lies were sweet." She concealed the pain she felt behind a forced smile. "I believed those lies too and they destroyed me," he remarked, grea

While Karina looked different in the photo, it was still best for her to be honest with Gina about her past with Aidan. Letting out a sigh, she admitted, "Yes, that was me six years ago.""So...were you in a relationship with Aidan?""He was my ex-husband. He used me, cheated on me, and then discarded me like trash. I was left alone with no one to turn to." Karina fought back tears. "I do not want anyone to know about our past, Gina."Gina understandingly nodded. "Your secret is safe with me. But this photo...don't you think the whole world knows that you were once Aidan's ex-wife?""I believe only a few unrelated individuals are aware," Karina replied."How is that possible?""Our relationship was kept private back then. No one knew that I was his wife. And honestly, I prefer it that way now.""Good. He did you wrong, and I understand why you reacted the way you did. Do not worry."Karina nodded, but her brows furrowed as she sensed someone at the door."Do you think someone is out t

A week later, Aidan sat lost in thought in his office, the weight of the world seemingly resting on his shoulders. The door creaked open, and Raymond, his close friend and top worker at A.G Group, entered, placing a file on Aidan's desk. "What's up, man?" Aidan turned to face him, his expression grimacing as he noticed the file. With reluctance, Raymond spoke, "There seems to be fire on the mountain, Aidan." Aidan's brow creased in concern as he reached for the file. "Check the report," Raymond continued, his tone serious. Aidan took the file and began to flip through it, his eyes scanning the contents with growing frustration. Finally, he tossed the file angrily onto his desk. "Damn," he groaned, rubbing his temples in frustration. "How the heck is this happening?" Raymond sighed heavily, his gaze sympathetic. "Honestly, the company's value is slowly depreciating. Some of our partners are pulling out their investments and selling shares for peanuts. Aidan, you need to get on your

Sensing his playful intent, she groaned, "Don't leave me hanging!""Come on, you're not that dumb. I gave you an unregistered car to carry out your mission." He leaned in, his smile growing wider.Amira's eyes widened in comprehension. "You jerk!""What? You can use the car to take out Karina without anyone knowing it was you.""Are you insane? I asked you to do that...""I can't get my hands dirty, darling."She scoffed, "You said you would after we had sex!""Whoa, hold on a second. I never promised to personally kill Karina. I can't do that." He shrugged nonchalantly.She glared at him, seething with anger. How could he deceive her after their three hours of continuous sex?"Don't feel betrayed," he shrugged. "We both got what we wanted and enjoyed it. Maybe next time, when you're married to Aidan and he doesn't want to touch you, you can come crawling back to me for some good sex."She sneered. "Curse you," she muttered under her breath, storming out of bed to get dressed in a fit