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

against

her cheek and asked, “Do you miss

to remain

her and

than to push her when she didn’t want to speak. As a father, he felt a deep sense of remorse for her struggles, willing

happiness couldn’t be

out of her way to cook things the little girl liked. She then found Alexis hiding

glanced at Rena, silently telling her that he got

cradled Alexis in his arms from 7

Jazlyn called Waylen, and Rena answered the phone

she gazed at

a depth of understanding

9 a.m. finally arrived, Alexis emerged from under the quilt, clutching

her desire to go to school, and Rena and Waylen accompanied her, showering her with kisses

Rena and Waylen sat in the car once more, a somber ambiance hung in the air, a touch of heaviness clouding

curling around him as he whispered, “She has experienced moments like this before. This isn’t

in her seat, her body weighed down by a mixture of

such a vulnerable state. Alexis, typically vibrant and full of life, seemed like a completely different child

up, unspoken remorse

put out the cigarette and handed her a tissue.

wiped away her tears, but more came rushing down her

with only Waylen by

sought to collect herself, to find a glimmer of

need for space and time to

what seemed like an eternity, Rena managed to

gently clasped her hand, his voice

not your

phone buzzed, and it was Waylen on the other end of

steady, pierced

come to

causing hot coffee to spill onto the back of her hand. The pain momentarily

villa

servants moved with utmost caution, aware that Alexis had retreated into her own world upon’ returning from the kindergarten. She had sought refuge in the confines of a small wardrobe, and Waylen

careful. A soft-spoken servant showed her

the door to Alexis’ room

hidden within the depths of her pink wardrobe, clutched her teddy bear tightly,

formal suit, sat beside her, stooping low within the cramped space. In his hands, he held a worn fairy tale book, reading the familiar stories

soon returning to the pages of the book, resuming the

poignant scene struck

comprehended the immense sacrifices Waylen had made for Alexis over

could diminish the magnitude of his love and devotion. Rena, as Alexis’ mother, couldn’t bear to watch her daughter suffer silently. She couldn’t ignore the responsibilities that

she would

with gentle steps, Rena removed her shoes, her voice soft as

glanced at her, his eyes revealing a

well-worn fairy tale book to Rena and quietly stepped out of the wardrobe, allowing Rena to take his

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

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

wall. He lit a cigarette, the smoke curling around him in wisps. Taking a deep drag, he realized that he didn’t need to face these challenges

how much he needed

Rena had been his emotional anchor

while Alexis was their shared responsibility, his love for them both ran deep, transcending

evening, Alexis

savoring each bite

personally bathing her, drying her hair, and even sharing a bedtime story. Aware

dimmed the bedside lamp,

of the room, her footsteps carrying her to Waylen. She found him in his study, sitting in quiet solitude amidst the dimly lit room, his usual cigarette

Rena called out softly, her

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

nodded, her intent to have a serious

word, Waylen pulled her into

a slight discomfort in Rena’s back, but sensing his troubled state, she suppressed her pain and said

Absentmindedly, Waylen responded, “Okay.”

burying his face in

seemed to stand still as their bodies melded together, an

felt a moist warmth that initially unsettled her,

that moment, she realized that Waylen was

carried the weight of her own emotional battles, he, too, had endured his share

this shared understanding or the responsibility they now shared as parents that softened Rena’s heart. She gently cupped the back of his neck, her touch

Waylen’s body tensed.

gaze met hers in the dimly

that enveloped them felt ethereal,

to hers, initiating a soft

breaths mingled, growing ragged

confusion etched across her face. She had intended to discuss about Alexis, yet Waylen’s kisses stole

once more, the taste of tobacco lingering as he kissed her with

were far

her, to remind her of the depth

heart raced within his chest, rediscovering

that urge to kiss her

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

as he fervently sought to please her in every

in a hoarse voice, he murmured, “It’s late. Go take a shower and get ready for bed. I’ll fetch your

the door, her legs

for Waylen’s hand supporting her waist, she might have crumpled to

you desire more, we can go to the

Rena declined his offer, her voice soft as a

Lexi. You can

lights, his other hand tenderly grazing Rena’s arm. “Take a shower in

retrieved her clothes and

by Alexis’ side,

between

treated her with newfound tenderness and affection, as if a

disregard it, focusing on her early morning routine

in a cheerful mood, clung to

a hint of nonchalance as he

to say something, to challenge his assertion, but his gaze met hers, and he offered a faint

excessively, the child may become dependent in the

that moment, Rena likened Waylen to Korbyn, seeing him as a man prone to explaining and dictating. After all, age had

intimidated. Her sole focus was

relinquished her grip on Rena’s legs and attempted to eat independently. Rena, unable to resist, began

an instant, Alexis

then climbed onto Rena’s lap, yearning to

glance, adhering to his own set of principles

dearly, but he believed

Rena’s lap and resuming her meal independently. Food scattered around

Rena said,

sip of his black coffee, his

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