Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4. There was not a single part of the city that Liora wanted to remember now, Elira. The morning air that once felt familiar now made her chest tight. She got out of the car provided by the Ward Global team, staring at the tall buildings that had once been part of her life. Five years was not a short time, but the memories she wanted to bury seemed to resurface in an instant. The major project she had to handle was unavoidable. Ward Global had just won a consolidation contract with the Vale family's large company. A bitter irony: she was returning to strengthen the business empire that had once destroyed her life. But she was different now. There were no more condescending glances. No more hesitant steps. Today, she was no longer Liora, who had been dragged out like trash. She was Elira, a consultant whose reputation made executives tremble. Adrian Vale stood near the glass door of the meeting room when the Ward Global team arrived. He was reading a report when the sound of footsteps made him reflexively look up. Just a glance. But it was enough to make him freeze. A woman entered through the door, her shoulder-length hair neatly styled, wearing an elegant black suit that made her look like a long-lost figure. Her gaze was sharp, cold, and controlled. It was no longer the gentle gaze that used to wait for Adrian to come home every night. Impossible. Liora... was dead to him. Gone. No trace. Yet, the scent of that perfume. Soft, so soft, it felt like something he once knew. Adrian furrowed his brow, trying to see more clearly. The woman smiled politely at the committee, then bowed slightly to several directors. Without trembling. Without nervousness. As if the business world was her natural habitat. Of course, that couldn't be Liora. The Liora he remembered was a gentle, submissive housewife; she would never be so radiant, confident, and composed. Moreover, he had tried to contact her after realizing that day seemed to be a conspiracy against her, but to no avail. Serena even said she might already be gone… But that familiar profile and the scent he was unwilling to admit he had longed for countless nights in the past struck Adrian intensely, making him breathless and his mind in turmoil. --- Meanwhile, Serena, who was chatting with the wife of one of the directors, glanced briefly at the door and her blood boiled. No. That's impossible. That girl... that woman... her face... her gaze... All of it made Serena feel as if she had been transported back five years, when all her efforts had been nearly in vain because Liora was so beloved by the Vale family. But Liora was gone. She had seen it herself. She had made sure Liora would never return. Then who was that woman? Serena tried to smile even though her lips were trembling. Something she had controlled for years was now threatening her again. "I... need to use the restroom for a moment," she said, then hurried away. She needed time to make sure she wasn't seeing ghosts. --- In the meeting room, Liora sat calmly. Her face was adorned with light makeup that gave her a professional look. Her eyes were cold, but not arrogant. She sat confidently. Even the way she opened her laptop was deliberate. No one recognized her. The shareholders thought she was just an ambitious consultant hired by Damien Ward. And that was exactly what she wanted. "Good morning," Damien's voice echoed, opening the meeting. When it was Liora's turn to present her preliminary analysis, the mood in the room suddenly changed. She stood up slowly, her soft but firm voice flowing from her lips as she highlighted the risks, strategies, and gaps in Vale Corporation's structure. "If we don't fix this part, the consolidation won't achieve optimal performance," she said as she turned the screen. The directors began whispering. Liora remained calm. She delivered everything accurately, leaving no room for debate. And at the end of the table, Adrian stared at her without blinking. Those eyes... Her voice... Something made his heart beat uncomfortably fast. "Your name... who are you?" Adrian asked in a flat but tense voice. Liora glanced back, a formal smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Elira Ward." Damien interrupted, "One of the best analysts I've ever worked with." Adrian wanted to ask more questions, something was bothering him, but the meeting had to continue. Even so, his eyes never really stopped observing the woman. --- Meanwhile, Nolan waited for his mother in the building lobby. Damien had asked the nanny to stay with him for a moment, but the boy was quicker and braver than expected. While the nanny was busy taking a phone call, Nolan entered the small garden area next to the building. And that's where someone accidentally bumped into him. A man in a gray suit who seemed to be in a hurry. "Ah—sorry!" Adrian reflexively knelt down, his hands on the small shoulders. "Are you okay?" Nolan blinked. His eyes widened. "I'm fine." Adrian suddenly realized something. Those eyes. The shape of his jaw. And the way the boy looked at him, a hint of wariness and caution tinged with an inexplicable closeness, a moment when their eyes met, time seemed to stand still for a few seconds. "What's your name?" Adrian asked, his voice suddenly hoarse. "Nolan."The name hit Adrian so hard in the chest that he could hardly breathe. Nolan. The name he would have given if... if their child had been born. Adrian swallowed. Adrian swallowed hard. “Nolan, what a lovely name. How old are you?” Nolan hesitated, but the little boy sensed the man opposite him wasn't a bad person. “I’m five years old, but Mom said I can’t tell strangers, so please don’t tell my mom.” Adrian’s heart skipped a beat. Five years old. He reached out and touched Nolan’s head, trying to suppress the surging emotions within him. This little angel before him might be his child. He tried his best to put on his kindest smile. “I’m not a bad person. I just… want to understand you, but it’s hard to promise you I won’t tell your mom. You know why? Because I don’t know your mom’s name.” Nolan stared at him longer, as if considering his words, then answered softly, "My mother... her name is L—" "NOLAN!" The voice echoed from afar. The next second, Nolan turned his head. He withdrew his hand from Nolan’s head, clenching it tightly. A small smile appeared on his face when he saw Elira or Liora approaching with pale and panicked faces. "Ma—" Liora immediately hugged Nolan tightly, as if the world could collapse at any moment. "Don't stray far from your caregiver," she said with a trembling voice. "Mom said you have to stay close to adults." Nolan lowered his head, feeling guilty. Adrian stood up slowly. That face. That voice. The way that woman hugged the child as if she were hugging her entire life... The cold, elegant woman standing beforehim had the exact same face as his wife who had disappeared five years ago. The only difference was that her deliberately evasive gaze now was different from the loving look she once had. “Liora…?” Adrian’s voice was tentative. Liora glanced at him briefly, then looked away. No fear. No visible wounds. Just a thick wall covering everything. "Sorry. You've got the wrong person," she said slowly, her words stabbing like a sharp knife. She grabbed Nolan's hand and turned away without waiting for a response. But those words hit Adrian like a punch. Because Nolan, pulled by his mother, turned around and said softly, "He's a good person, Mom." Liora paused for a moment then continued walking. But Adrian... froze. Nolan called him a "good person." And when Nolan said "Mom," that little voice uttered the name that made Adrian's world collapse. "Liora." Adrian repeated the name once more, as if he couldn't believe he could still say it. The woman quickened her pace, but Adrian stepped forward. He knew. He knew it was Liora. And the child… The child— “That’s my child,” he whispered to himself. His voice broke. Yes, kinship can be so wondrous sometimes; even a single glance can give you the unwavering certainty that the other person is family. For the first time in five years, Adrian’s heartbeat felt alive again, along with the worst fear of his life. He might have lost his family for the second time.