CHAPTER 467. TO BELIEVE AGAIN. "Daddy!" Anja felt all eyes on her, but Milo leaned in close to her ear. "Don’t be scared. They’re just stunned because you’re the first girl I’ve ever brought here." She tried to laugh, but in truth, she was incredibly nervous. Milo offered her the main seat at the table, and she took out her laptop to present the project she had designed. She began to outline in detail her vision for creating a temporary home for rescued children, where they could receive love, attention, and care until they were reunited with their parents.She discussed the architectural design needed for play, learning, and rest; the professionals who would work on the project; and gave a general estimate of costs. The atmosphere grew tense as the lawyers listened intently to Anja, but they seemed to have objections to every one of her ideas. Finally, the head lawyer spoke up. "The project is excellent in theory, but in practice, it’s a bit difficult to execute. Perhaps it woul
CHAPTER 468. TO BELIEVE AGAIN. Dying of LoveMilo crouched down to catch Niko, who was running toward him with open arms, always expecting the airplane move where Milo would lift him up and spin him around a couple of times. "Champion! What are you doing here? I thought you were going to the park this morning!" he said, picking him up and planting a loud kiss on his cheek."I'm sorry, Mr. Keller," the nanny apologized. "We were at the park, but he suddenly started calling for you and crying, and he wouldn’t calm down until I brought him here." "Don’t worry, sometimes he gets a bit restless, but we can handle that," Milo replied kindly. He spun Niko around, and the little boy clung to his neck like a tiny monkey. "Daddy!" Niko exclaimed, making Milo burst into laughter. "Do you want to go get ice cream?" "Ice cream!" the little one agreed eagerly, and there was Milo, standing in the hallway, his son in his arms, a wide smile lighting up his face. The child giggled and stretched
CHAPTER 469. TO BELIEVE AGAIN. Therapy is too expensiveShe quietly ate her ice cream, watching Niko. He was a beautiful child, and in almost every way, he looked much more like her than anyone else. "How old are you, sweetheart?" she asked warmly, trying to strike up any kind of conversation with him. It seemed like a neutral topic. He held up two little fingers and said confidently, "These." "Two years old?" Anja smiled, delighted as she watched him continue eating. She felt like she was dying of love just watching him. "Mm-hmm," Niko responded, looking at his father with curiosity, as if wondering why there was a stranger asking so many questions while they ate ice cream. "He doesn’t talk much yet," Milo explained to Anja. "When we rescued him, he didn’t say a word. Now he has a bigger vocabulary, though it’s still a bit... well..." "Dirty?" Anja asked with a smirk, seeing Milo make a face. "Yeah, sorry about that. When I was with the team, I used to swear a lot. I’ve almost
CHAPTER 470. TO BELIEVE AGAIN. A Form of Betrayal"Let’s assume I’m an intelligent woman," Anja said with an impassive expression, crossing her arms over her chest. "Tell me about this proposal."Hamish smirked. He had joined the firm in the last year and, thanks to his talent, had quickly become second-in-command of the legal department. Fortunately or unfortunately, Anja had enough experience to know that talent and hard work were not the same thing, so she was certain that whatever this man was proposing was not good."I know you’re in this project for the money," Hamish began bluntly."I’m in it for the kids, but yes, I suppose I get paid well," she replied."Well, there’s a difference between being paid well and earning what you deserve."Anja narrowed her eyes. She could smell the greed on the lawyer, like a festering wound. Maybe that was her sixth sense after everything she'd been through: detecting rotten people."And how much do you think I deserve?" she challenged."A lot.
CHAPTER 471. TO BELIEVE AGAIN. Straight to the point!However, at that very moment, Milo quietly stepped back to the other end of the hallway, keeping his presence hidden from view. As he momentarily hid around a corner, a mix of surprise and concern filled his face. He had overheard voices as he reached the door and hadn’t been able to resist eavesdropping. It wasn’t right, but hearing the word "steal" from Anja had rooted him to the spot behind that door.He hadn’t been able to recognize the man’s voice talking to her, but one thing was certain: they were planning to rob him—mercilessly, through something that mattered deeply to him. He’d also heard the threat Anja had received, but he didn’t want to believe that was the only reason she had accepted the scheme.Unaware of Milo’s presence, Anja gathered her things with a feeling of disgust and frustration. She had believed she’d come to a good place, and Milo really did seem like a good guy. He was a good man—after all, you’d have to
CHAPTER 472. TO BELIEVE AGAIN. Adrenaline"Oh my God! I'm not paying for that!"Anja's surprise was so genuine that Milo could only laugh."Don’t worry, I’ll pay for it!" he said, looking at the broken mirror."Of course you will! But who’s going to deal with the bad luck?" Anja retorted."How about we split it fifty-fifty?""Three and a half years of bad luck each?" Anja grumbled. "That’s three and a half more years than I deserve! You keep all of it. I’m done with my share of bad luck!"Laughter bubbled up from Anja’s lips until they both quieted down and she seemed to realize where she was. Their eyes met for a moment, a special kind of spark reflecting the unspoken connection that had formed between them, though neither dared to say it aloud.Milo’s forearms were firmly wrapped around her waist, her bare feet dangling in the air, forcing her to lean on his broad shoulders. The silence stretched, creating a palpable tension between them, but finally, Anja cleared her throat, breaki
CHAPTER 473. TO BELIEVE AGAIN. better to ask for forgiveness than permissionMilo's foot was tapping relentlessly on the floor of the elevator, like a little wind-up toy, as it climbed. They were just going to look at some buildings; it wasn’t anything special. Yet, seeing her lately was causing him some rather inappropriate reactions. He knocked on the door, and when she opened it, Milo was speechless for a moment. She was wearing a red silk blouse and tight dark pants that accentuated all her curves. “Hey, I’m ready. Just give me a minute to grab my purse.” “Hey…” he whispered as he watched her lean over the couch, tossing anything into her bag—things that didn’t even matter because he only had eyes for her backside. “I need to get her a taller couch,” he thought. If she kept bending over like that, his brain might just short-circuit. That wave of desire was hard to ignore, but he quickly reminded himself he couldn’t let those feelings take over. She was Niko’s mom, and she wou
CHAPTER 474. TO BELIEVE AGAIN. Hello Kitty “Anja!” “What?!” It was all provocation, defiance, challenge. Her chest was rising and falling against his, and all Milo could focus on was that angry, determined, fierce little mouth. He thought about how much he wanted to kiss her senseless and what a coward he was for not doing it right there. Anja’s breath was uneven. She could feel Milo’s breath near her lips, and something—something she couldn’t explain—made her legs feel like jelly. “God knows I’m not a controlling man, but if you’re going to do this, I don’t want you more than ten feet away from me from now on,” he declared. “You don’t go out, you don’t eat, you don’t sleep unless I have you in sight. Understood?” “I’ll ask for a thick carpet for my bedroom floor,” she retorted, and Milo had to bite his lower lip to stop himself from replying. He’d known it from the start—she was a rebel, wild and untamable. But if he couldn’t put a stop to her plans, he’d do everything possibl