Dad

The news that a young woman had brazenly offered herself to Frau spread quickly in certain circles, but Frau kept it tightly under wraps. The last thing he wanted was for his wife to find out about the humiliating incident.

From that moment on, anyone wishing to meet Frau had to go through a strict screening process. Without a prior appointment, seeing him was impossible. It became an invisible fortress he built to safeguard the stability of his marriage.

---

Meanwhile, tension was mounting in the Knight household.

"What on earth is wrong with that child?!"

Mrs Knight's shout rang out, her eyes blazing with anger.

She had just learned that Frau had rejected the arrival of Chloe—the young woman she had introduced to him.

Mr Knight sat in silence, listening to his wife's outburst without expression. His indifference only fanned her fury.

"Why are you just sitting there? Say something!"

Mr Knight lifted his head and looked at her, exhausted.

"So what exactly do you want me to do?"

"Talk some sense into your son! They don't even want children! Who's going to run the company when we're gone?"

He sighed, trying to stay calm.

"Why think that far ahead? Frau is still young. Stop pressuring them."

"Young? They're already in their thirties!" Mrs Knight's voice rose again. "Besides, Iril is barren! If I'd known that from the start, I never would have blessed their relationship!"

"Watch your words!" Mr Knight cut in sharply. "We don't know for sure whether Iril is infertile. That's just your assumption."

Mrs Knight glared at him.

"So now you're taking her side?!"

Mr Knight turned away and rose from his seat, weary of the never-ending quarrel.

"HEY!!"

Mrs Knight yelled as her husband walked off.

Left alone in the living room, her chest heaved with anger. In her mind she didnt think she was wrong ! she only wanted to see her son happy, with children, and the family business secure. She began to hatch a plan.

If they still can't give me a grandchild, I'll take matters into my own hands—whatever it takes, she muttered to herself.

---

That afternoon, the sun was bright but not too hot. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, making everything feel calm and peaceful.

At her cozy minimalist home, Iril was lying on the couch, completely lost in a book she'd just bought. It was a recommendation from some coworkers—and it turned out to be a great read. The story, the writing, and the deeper meaning really pulled her in. She didn't even notice her best friend had arrived.

"What are you reading? You look super focused,"

came Serena's voice, breaking the quiet.

"Hey!"

Iril snapped out of her thoughts and gave a small smile when she saw Serena next to her.

Serena plopped down on the couch beside her.

"What's the book?"

Iril handed it to her without saying anything.

As Serena read the title and author, her eyes widened. She almost spit out the water she was drinking.

"Are you serious? You're reading this?"

she asked flatly, trying not to react too much.

Iril frowned at her expression.

"It's actually really good! You should try it!"

"Okay," Serena replied dryly.

Iril rolled her eyes and gave up trying to get her best friend interested in the book.

"Anyway, kind of rare to see you here. Aren't you usually with Ren on weekends?"

"He's on a work trip abroad,"

Serena said, slumping deeper into the couch.

"Oh, no wonder you're free today."

Then Serena turned to her. "And you? Why are you just chilling at home? Don't you usually go out with your husband on weekends?"

"He's got a new project. Super busy lately."

They both went quiet. At the same time, they let out long sighs. Then suddenly they looked at each other and burst into laughter.

"We sound like concubines left behind by the king," Iril joked while laughing. "Missing our kings while they're out ruling the kingdom."

Serena chuckled, agreeing with the analogy.

"By the way, S…"

Iril sat up a bit.

"I heard something about your stepson."

Serena turned her head slowly. "What kind of news?"

Ever since their fight a few months ago, Serena had been keeping her distance from Adrian. She hadn't reached out, even though deep down she sometimes missed him. But she always buried those feelings, thinking there was no point in hoping for a broken relationship.

"Word is, Adrian's getting close with Kelly Summer."

Serena raised an eyebrow. "Wasn't Kelly living overseas?"

"She's back. And apparently, she doesn't want to be far from Adrian. Wherever he goes, she's there too."

"Well, if they're dating, that makes sense."

Iril shook her head. "Dating? As far as I know, they're not official. It's more like Kelly's the one always tagging along."

Serena didn't say anything. From what she knew, Adrian wasn't the type to let a woman stay close if he wasn't interested. So if Kelly was always around, maybe… he did like her.

"Well, Kelly's pretty, rich, has a great body. Her style's super sexy too. Honestly, even I can't help but stare at her body when I see her,"

Iril said, grinning.

Serena stayed silent. She didn't feel like talking about Adrian too much. He was an adult now, and he could make his own choices. Besides, things between them weren't good anymore.

Noticing Serena's silence, Iril decided to drop the topic. She didn't want to accidentally hurt her friend.

Suddenly, a phone rang.

Ring… ring…

Serena glanced toward her bag but didn't move to answer it.

"You're not gonna pick it up?" Iril asked.

"Spam call. I've been getting a lot lately."

"Seriously? I thought you didn't give out your number much."

"Yeah, me too. No idea how they got it."

"Let me see,"

Iril said with a sneaky smile.

"What for?" Serena looked suspicious.

"I just wanna check. I won't do anything."

"Nope!" Serena said firmly.

"Why not?"

"I don't trust you."

"Hey!!" Iril pouted.

"I don't want you to answer it. Once you pick up, they'll just keep calling."

"I promise, I won't answer. I just wanna see the caller ID."

Serena hesitated but eventually gave in. She pulled her phone out of her bag.

"Careful! Don't you da—"

Her sentence stopped short when she saw the screen. Her whole body froze.

The name flashing there made her stomach drop.

Dad

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