Rena remained silent for a while.

Then, she smiled faintly and said, “Of course, things are different now that we have a child. We can’t keep quarreling like before.”

As she spoke, her demeanor exuded gentleness—a side of Rena that Waylen had always admired.

They were alone together in the middle of the night, and their child was sleeping peacefully in the next room.

Waylen swallowed, his eyes filled with desire as he looked at Rena.

Noticing his gaze, Rena tried to maintain her composure and said calmly, “Find a chance to have a good talk with her. It’s getting late…”

She intended for him to leave for now and come back to pick Alexis up the following morning.

Waylen raised his hand to check the time, and then looked back at Rena.

She had no intention of letting him stay overnight, but he longed to. He whispered, “I’m exhausted. And I have an important meeting tomorrow morning. Can I sleep in the guest room? I won’t disturb you.”

Rena nodded silently.

She led him to the guest room, but she didn’t enter herself.

Waylen tossed his coat onto the bed and turned around. Observing that Rena hadn’t followed him in, he asked with a faint smile “Are you afraid of me?”

“I’LL get you some towels,” she replied, avoiding his question.

He stared at her without saying anything.

After she left, he sat at the edge of the bed and loosened his tie with a sense of frustration.

As he rummaged through his suit, he failed to find his cigarette case. Instead, his hand landed on a small box-the gift he had purchased for Rena in Hondrau.

However, Rena had refused to accept it.

Waylen tossed his coat onto the bed and turned around. Observing that Rena hadn’t followed him in, he asked with a faint smile “Are you afraid of me?”

“I’LL get you some towels,” she replied, avoiding his question.

He stared at her without saying anything.

After she left, he sat at the edge of the bed and loosened his tie with a sense of frustration.

As he rummaged through his suit, he failed to find his cigarette case. Instead, his hand landed on a small box-the gift he had purchased for Rena in Hondrau.

However, Rena had refused to accept it.

Waylen held the small box in his hand, his eyes reflecting an unreadable mix of emotions.

Rena returned to the room, finding Waylen smoking at the edge of the bed.

With one hand resting on the bed and the other holding a cigarette, he emanated a distinctly masculine aura. Upon seeing Rena enter, he narrowed his eyes and asked, “Do you have a razor?”

Softly, she replied, “No.”

“Okay.” Waylen exhaled a stream of smoke slowly, extending his hand.

Without hesitation, she handed him the towel and a new toothbrush, but Waylen didn’t take them. Instead, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her gently, causing her to fall onto the bed.

Before she could react, he pressed himself against her.

“Waylen!”

Rena exclaimed, her anger simmering, but she didn’t dare to speak too loudly, fearing she might awaken Alexis.

Waylen grabbed her hand, pressing it onto the bed with one hand while stubbing out his cigarette with the other. Then, he produced something.

Rena lay on the bed, her long brown hair cascading around her face.

Waylen released her hand but exerted more pressure to keep her pinned beneath him. They were so close that Rena hesitated to make any movement.

With some clumsiness, he placed something on her.

It was the pair of pearl earrings.

Waylen, inexperienced in helping a woman put on earrings, accidentally poked her earlobe. Wincing, Rena unhappily said, “Ouch! Waylen, can you be more gentle?”

Her ambiguous words made her appear deeply provocative.

If he disregarded her feelings, he would have already succumbed to his desires and taken her.

Waylen gingerly fastened the earrings for her.

Afterwards, he said in a low voice, “I still remember that after we made love in the hotel, you left first, and one of your earrings fell at the end of the bed. The earring had a similar style to this pair. Rena, these earrings look exquisite on you!”

She was left speechless.

Waylen had turned such a simple remark into an erotic innuendo.

He yearned for the feeling of being intimate with her.

He didn’t want to miss this opportunity tonight.

He had been too busy, and his fear of going too far and upsetting her had prevented him from acting upon his desires.

Drawing closer, he buried his face in her neck and asked, “Rena, haven’t I made you happy in so long?”

Rena attempted to push him away but failed.

Biting her lip, she turned her face away and said, “Waylen, I won’t lie to you. It’s true that you have many advantages. We used to be together, and now we have a child. But… right now, all I want is to take good care of Alexis. I really don’t want to think about anything else.”

As she spoke, her eyes glistened with tears, yet she remained undeniably captivating.

Waylen couldn’t resist caressing her eyes with his slender fingers. Deliberately, he traced her eyes slowly, causing Rena to nearly lose her composure. In a low voice, she murmured, “Waylen…””

He suddenly chuckled. “Your voice is so melodious!”

It took her three seconds to grasp the meaning behind his words.

Unable to control herself, she kicked him and said, “Let me go!”

Unexpectedly, Waylen released her.

Rolling to the side, he clenched his jaw, his Adam’s apple enticingly bobbing, and his voice growing hoarse. “Go to sleep!”

As quick as lightning, Rena fled the room.

As her fingertips brushed against the doorknob, Waylen whispered in a low voice, “I’ve missed you so much over these years!”

Early in the morning, when Alexis woke up, she discovered a limited edition teddy bear beside her pillow.

She should have been overjoyed, but today she didn’t feel happy at all.

Clutching the teddy bear to her chest, she ran to the guest room in search of Waylen. Still groggy from sleep, Waylen hadn’t awakened yet, and Alexis crawled under the covers.

he opened his eyes, Waylen ran his hand through her curly brown

against his chest, remaining

cheek and asked,

continued to

from forcing her and instead held her in

signs of autism, and Waylen knew better than to push her when she didn’t want to speak. As

happiness couldn’t be bought with

Rena went out of her way to cook things the little girl liked. She

Rena, silently telling

cradled Alexis in his arms from 7 a.m, to nearly 9

answered the phone for him, rescheduling the meeting for the

hanging up, she gazed

a depth of

arrived, Alexis emerged from under the quilt,

school, and Rena and Waylen accompanied

Waylen sat in the car once more, a somber

him as he whispered, “She has experienced moments

back in her seat, her body weighed down by

Alexis in such a vulnerable state. Alexis, typically vibrant and full of life, seemed like

up, unspoken

and handed her a

her tears, but more

had endured countless moments of isolation in her own world with only Waylen by her side. Rena had been oblivious, lost in her own world in

collect herself, to

her need for space and time to

like an eternity, Rena

her hand, his voice tender

it’s not

was Waylen on the other

and steady, pierced through

to

Rena’s hands trembled, causing hot coffee to spill onto the back of her hand. The pain momentarily forgotten, she swiftly hailed a taxi, her heart racing as she headed to

within the villa was heavy with

world upon’ returning from the kindergarten. She had sought refuge in the confines

her steps quick but careful. A soft-spoken servant

the door to Alexis’ room

within the depths of her pink wardrobe, clutched her teddy bear tightly, her voice lost in the depths of

In his hands, he held a

flickered in her direction, his focus soon returning to the pages of the book, resuming the tales he had read

poignant scene struck Rena

moment, she fully comprehended the immense sacrifices Waylen had

couldn’t bear to watch her daughter suffer silently. She

would be too

voice soft as a whisper. “The wardrobe is

revealing a mixture of relief and

a word, he handed the well-worn fairy tale book to Rena and quietly

beside Alexis, her voice quivering with emotion as she leaned in to kiss her daughter

carried a heartfelt weight, her love and concern evident in every inflection. The presence of her mother brought solace to

wall. He lit a cigarette, the smoke curling around him in wisps. Taking a deep drag,

arrival had reminded him of just how much he needed her by his

fully comprehended that Rena had been his emotional anchor throughout the

was their shared responsibility, his love for them both ran deep, transcending the boundaries

the evening, Alexis finally stepped out of the

dinner, savoring each bite with

her hair, and even sharing a bedtime story. Aware that Rena would be staying the night, Alexis drifted off

dimmed the bedside lamp, Leaving Alexis to rest

of the room, her footsteps carrying her to Waylen. She found him in his study, sitting in

softly, her voice breaking the

up and approached her, closing the door behind him with a deliberate motion. “Is she

have a

word, Waylen pulled her

but sensing his troubled state,

Absentmindedly, Waylen responded, “Okay.”

burying his

as their bodies melded together, an

that initially unsettled

realized that Waylen was not

of her own emotional battles, he, too, had endured his share of tribulations during

that softened Rena’s heart. She gently cupped the back of his neck, her touch

Waylen’s body tensed.

gaze met hers

the atmosphere that enveloped them

couldn’t resist lowering his lips to hers, initiating a soft and tender kiss that transported them back to

ragged with

remained pressed against the door, confusion etched across her face. She had

lips found hers once more, the taste of tobacco lingering

were far

to remind her

within his chest,

kiss her

long while, he continued to kiss her, savoring the intimate

sought to please

take a shower and get ready for bed. I’ll fetch your some clothes to

door, her legs weakened by the

her waist, she might have

stroked her waist, whispering, “If you desire more, we

Rena declined his offer, her voice soft as a

sleep with Lexi.

shower in my room. Your clothes are in the

instructions, Rena retrieved her clothes and headed to the guest room for a

by Alexis’

the atmosphere between Waylen

her with newfound tenderness and affection, as if a shift had occurred

early morning routine of

mood, clung to Rena,

of nonchalance as he told his daughter, “You

challenge his assertion, but his gaze met hers,

spoils her child excessively, the child may become dependent in

him as a man prone to explaining and

sole focus was showering Alexis with all the tenderness and care

unease, relinquished her grip on Rena’s legs and attempted to eat independently.

instant, Alexis abandoned

Rena’s lap, yearning to be held

observed Alexis’ actions with a fleeting glance, adhering to his own set of

but he believed in instilling independence in

Rena’s lap and resuming her meal independently. Food

herself, Rena said,

a sip of his black coffee, his

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