Cora sat in the passenger seat with her eyes half-closed, trying to ignore the cozy atmosphere in the car. In the back, Louise and Axel sat on either side of Nolan.

Ever since Cora had seen the details of Axel's background, she knew the Jaegers' influence in Stawford City was overwhelming. Without leveraging her own family's power, the local police could never hold Louise.

Louise took out a water bottle and gently fed Nolan. "It's time for some water, sweetheart."

Nolan gulped it down noisily. "Your apple cranberry juice is the best, Lulu!"

"We owe a huge thanks to you for Nolan's diet all these years," Axel said, pinching Nolan's chubby, fair cheeks.

Blushing, Louise lowered her head and mumbled, "It's just my job."

"All the other kids are so jealous that I have you, Lulu. It'd be great if you could be my mommy." Nolan giggled, snuggling intimately against Louise.

As the scenery 

After the plane touched down at Kilead International Airport, the moment Cora and Aaron stepped into the arrivals hall, she felt the weight of an invisible pressure.

At the exit, a wall of security guards in black suits and earpieces stood shoulder to shoulder, creating a vacuum of space that made other travelers stop and stare.

At the center stood a man whose presence commanded the room.

Hubert Schmidt, who was well into his 50s and took his self-care seriously, looked amazing for his age. His facial features were sharp, and his temples flecked with gray added to his air of authority.

He ignored the murmurs and commotion around him, keeping his eyes locked on the gate. For a moment, there was a flicker of anticipation in his eyes, like any ordinary dad waiting for his child.

Cora halted in her tracks with clear resistance written all over her face. But Hubert recognized her the mom

Later, due to the recent surgery, Ella had insisted on postponing Cora's flight for two weeks. 

The day before her departure, she returned to the apartment alone to gather her documents. She'd barely stepped out of the car at the neighborhood entrance when several sports cars roared up behind her. 

One braked hard, and the window rolled down to reveal a familiar face. "Well, well! If it isn't Cora!"

Cora recalled that the man was Zachary Ludwig, one of the "creditors" Axel once introduced her to and one of Corestone Group's shareholders.

Moments later, Axel got out of the car behind and asked, "Cora, what are you doing here?"

She fought down the disgust and turned her face away. "Getting my documents."

"Oh! The flight to Auchendale with the team is tomorrow," Zachary said, as if struck with realization.

At that, Axel's expression softened. "Alright. I'll forgive you for what you did to Lulu, then. Nolan and I will see you off at the airport tomorrow, and when you come back, we'll start over again."

"Alright." Cora turned around and headed into the neighborhood, not wanting another word with him.

Behind her, their loud and unrestrained mocking laughter followed.

"Man, you've really got her trained like a dog."

"Look at her. She's walking all stiff with that brace, yet she's still thinking about working to pay off your debts. How pathetic!"

Axel looked at her limping figure as a smug, triumphant smile spread across his face. In high spirits, he gathered his friends for a party until dawn.

At 7:00 am, his alarm blared, and he sent Zachary to the architecture firm to keep an eye on the Auchendale project.

"Cora's barely out of surgery. Go watch the team closely, and make sure nothing goes wrong."

Someone snickered. "You're really protective of your wife, aren't you?"

After arriving at the architecture firm, Zachary saw a bus parked at the door, with the engineers ready to depart.

Harvey greeted him with a smile. "Everyone's here, Mr. Ludwig. We're heading out."

Zachary scanned the list and frowned. "This isn't right. Someone's missing."

"Who?"

"Where's Cora?"

Harvey looked baffled. "Cora? She resigned right after returning from Auchendale."

Immediately, Zachary's head buzzed. Cold sweat ran down his neck as his finger hovered over Axel's number, debating whether to call him.

By then, Cora was already in Axel's car, speeding toward the airport.

Cora sat in the passenger seat with her eyes half-closed, trying to ignore the cozy atmosphere in the car. In the back, Louise and Axel sat on either side of Nolan.

Ever since Cora had seen the details of Axel's background, she knew the Jaegers' influence in Stawford City was overwhelming. Without leveraging her own family's power, the local police could never hold Louise.

Louise took out a water bottle and gently fed Nolan. "It's time for some water, sweetheart."

Nolan gulped it down noisily. "Your apple cranberry juice is the best, Lulu!"

"We owe a huge thanks to you for Nolan's diet all these years," Axel said, pinching Nolan's chubby, fair cheeks.

Blushing, Louise lowered her head and mumbled, "It's just my job."

"All the other kids are so jealous that I have you, Lulu. It'd be great if you could be my mommy." Nolan giggled, snuggling intimately against Louise.

As the scenery outside blurred past, Cora clenched her fists tight and forced herself to breathe.

"Oh, I'm so sorr

Chapter 7