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After a fleeting one-night affair with a stranger, the wealthy and beautiful Lani  Carlisle finds herself the target of public scorn. The situation worsens when her father drove her out of the house. Driven by the pressure, Lani becomes a workaholic and hires a personal assistant to care for her kids. But everything changes when her daughter becomes deeply attached to him, even wishing he were her father.

As Lani unexpectedly falls for him, she faces judgment from both her family and society. Will she accept her fate, or fight for the love she desires?

Find out in "Unbreakable Ties"

Unbreakable Ties

Elias continued to push himself at work, determined to prove he was more than the "nobody" James Carlisle had called him. Every day, he worked harder, took on more tasks, and buried himself in responsibilities, ignoring the nagging fatigue in his body.

Vanessa, however, noticed everything.

She would find excuses to check in on him, bringing him coffee, casually reminding him to take breaks, and offering help when she could. Elias saw it as nothing more than kindness—after all, she was the CEO's daughter, and she had no reason to befriend him otherwise.

But Vanessa knew exactly what she was doing.

One afternoon, as Elias finished a report, Vanessa strolled into his office without knocking.

"You look like you're about to pass out," she teased, placing a cup of coffee on his desk.

Elias chuckled. "I've had worse days."

Vanessa crossed her arms, watching him intently. "Do you ever slow down?"

She smirked. "Why does it feel like you're trying to prove something?"

Elias hesitated but quickly masked it with a shrug. "I just want to do well here."

Vanessa leaned closer, lowering her voice. "You're already doing well, Elias. But working yourself to death isn't the way to prove your worth."

Elias met her gaze, appreciating the concern in her voice. "I'll keep that in mind."

Vanessa smiled but said nothing more.

Because deep down, she wasn't just worried about him.

At home, Lani had started noticing the changes in Elias.

He came home later than usual, looked exhausted all the time, and whenever she asked how work was going, his answers were vague.

One evening, as they sat together after dinner, she finally confronted him.

"Elias," she said softly, "are you looking for another job?"

Elias froze for a split second before shaking his head. "No. Why would you think that?"

Lani studied his face. "I don't know… It just feels like something's changed. You're working harder than ever. You barely rest."

Elias sighed, forcing a smile. "It's nothing, really. I just want to make sure I can provide for you and the kids. That's all."

Lani frowned, not entirely convinced. "You know you don't have to do this alone, right?"

Elias reached for her hand, squeezing it. "I know. But I want to."

But something in her gut told her there was more to this than he was letting on.

Because what Elias didn't tell her…

Was that he had collapsed at work.

And that the woman who had helped him was the one person from Lani's past she never wanted to see again.

A week later, Vanessa scrolled through her phone as she waited for Elias to finish a task. She wasn't stalking him, exactly—she just found herself curious about him.

But then, as she casually browsed through social media, she froze.

There, in a family photo posted by someone else, was Elias.

She clicked on the image, her eyes widening as she saw the twins, smiling happily.

"Family time with my love, Elias, and our beautiful kids. ❤️"

Vanessa's hands tightened around her phone.

The girl she had betrayed years ago.

A slow, knowing smile spread across Vanessa's lips.

Chapter 57: A Dangerous Game