CHAPTER 476. TO BELIEVE AGAIN. The Terms of Surrender“Thanks, but I don’t think it’s appropri—” “Would you like to stay for lunch with us?” Milo interrupted her, cutting off her attempt to escape. “Niko’s in a good mood today because they made his favorite meal, so... what do you say?” Anja nodded with a beaming smile. Every moment she could spend with her son was magical for her. “Of course! Thanks, just let my clothes finish drying, and I’ll be right there.” “Don’t worry about that, leave them there—you look good like this,” Milo said nonchalantly. “If you’re feeling modest, there are some new shorts and underwear in one of the drawers. You can use them, just... don’t smell them.” Anja opened her mouth, ready to retort, but he quickly escaped the room. Grumbling, she went to the drawer and indeed saw some underwear that would almost fit her like bike shorts. She grabbed one and was tempted to bring it to her nose. “They’re new; they won’t smell like him. Don’t be silly... But
CHAPTER 477 TO BELIEVE AGAIN. New HomeAnja felt her heart pounding. It was fine to get nervous from time to time when she only saw him for a few minutes a day, but something told her things would get worse once they were living under the same roof.“Milo, I can’t move in with you. It’s not right. You have your privacy, and it wouldn’t be fair for me to invade it…”“What are you talking about, Anja? My privacy is the last thing you need to worry about. You’ve already gotten yourself into the whole Hamish Randall situation to figure out who’s robbing me, and we agreed that if you’re doing this, I’m not going to let you out of my sight. A deal’s a deal. Or are you going to back out on me?”“Hey!” she complained, but Milo’s expression was determined. “I don’t want to be a burden.”Milo nearly rolled his eyes. “How could you even think that? Have you forgotten that I crossed multiple borders to find you? You’re not a burden, and besides, Niko also needs to get used to you. It would be rea
CHAPTER 478 TO BELIEVE AGAIN. Don’t You Like It?Milo felt like he was in the best restaurant in the world, enjoying the company of his makeshift family, but he made it clear, repeatedly, that he wouldn’t eat that horrible-looking dessert.After dinner, they decided to watch a movie together in the living room. Milo lit the fireplace and arranged the sofa so all three could lay down to watch… every episode of *Chilly Willy*.“Get used to it,” Milo whispered over Niko’s head, who was snuggled between Anja and him. “We don’t own the TV anymore.”“Don’t worry,” she whispered back, “when he falls asleep, we’ll watch a horror movie.”Milo made a face like a scared child, and Anja covered her mouth to avoid laughing since Niko was already nodding off. Half an hour later, the boy was sound asleep on his mom’s chest, breathing peacefully.“Can I carry him to bed?” Anja asked, and Milo nodded sweetly, but five minutes later, she hadn’t moved.“Aren’t you going to put him to bed?”“I can’t get
CHAPTER 479. TO BELIEVE AGAIN. Watch out!" Anja crossed her arms and gave Milo a serious look. "That’s not cheating! You promised! You said you’d try my dessert if you liked the movie, and since we both know you’re going to like it, I think it’s time you keep your word," she declared with utmost seriousness. Milo shivered a bit, clearly uncomfortable with the idea, but had no choice but to follow her to the kitchen, looking resigned. He stared at the plate in Anja's hands after she took it out of the fridge and frowned. "But Anja, the dessert looks really... bad," Milo protested, trying to find an excuse to avoid tasting it. Anja let out a mischievous laugh, waving a clean napkin in front of Milo’s face. "Don't worry. Out of sight, out of mind, right?" she teased, folding the napkin and bringing it closer to him. "If you close your eyes, you won't know what it looks like. Just focus on the taste," she suggested with a wink. Reluctantly, Milo closed his eyes and let her place th
CHAPTER 480. TO BELIEVE AGAIN. SparksAfter what felt like a blink, they decided to head to the company office building. But before leaving, the little one ran to Milo and wrapped his arms around his neck, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Have a great morning, buddy. I’ll come pick you up in a few hours." Niko still didn’t fully understand the concept of time, but the certainty that his dad would always be there for him was all he needed. To their surprise, he also raised his little arms toward Anja, and she hugged him tightly, giving him a kiss. "See you later, my love. We’ll be back soon." Niko ran off, and Milo put an arm around Anja’s shoulders. "Don’t cry... don’t... just count to ten..." She pouted but really tried not to cry, as emotional as she was. They got into the truck and arrived at the office building. Milo took Anja to the main office after his to introduce her to Denzel Cage, the company’s operational CEO. "Mr. Keller, a pleasure to have you here," the man said
CHAPTER 481. TO BELIEVE AGAIN. Mutually assured destruction Anja hurried through the office halls toward the conference room, her mind full of ideas and plans for the project, but also on edge, sensing something was about to happen. However, her rush was abruptly interrupted when she felt someone grab her arm forcefully, dragging her into a dark, grimy room that she instantly recognized as a supply closet. All around her were cleaning supplies, and the strong smell of disinfectant filled the air. Despite the surprise, Anja wasn't afraid because she already knew who the culprit was. Before she could ask a question or protest, a familiar voice filled the room—Hamish’s. “You, Mr. Randall. What are you doing here? Why are you dragging me to this place?” Anja asked, feigning annoyance as her heart raced. “Weren't there enough offices?” Hamish smiled and let go of Anja's arm. “Sorry for scaring you, but I needed to talk to you urgently and out of sight from everyone else.” Anja rubbe
CHAPTER 482. TO BELIEVE AGAIN. Lies and Truths“Tonight, Hamish. The names.” She shut the door behind her and hurried toward the conference room, feeling her concern slowly dissipate. It wasn’t that she was afraid of Hamish, but she was smart enough not to forget what a desperate or angry man was capable of. She arrived at the conference room and waited, knowing Milo wouldn’t be far behind. They had an important meeting with the real estate agent to finalize the purchase of the building that would be the new home for their project. When Milo opened the door, he gave her a meaningful look, and she nodded, signaling that what she had gone to do was already done. “Sorry for the delay. I had to take care of something urgent,” he said as he reached her. “Ready to go? We need to finalize the paperwork for the building,” he told her. “Yes, sure, let’s go,” Anja nodded and smiled, because they were both good actors and, at least in this context, the perfect team. “Great, let’s take my c
CHAPTER 483. TO BELIEVE AGAIN. You’re doing excellentMilo stared at her intently, and she shrugged, a little nervous. There was no way she could keep quiet about what had happened because it was important, and she didn’t want to endanger either of them.“Well... he said he thought we were too close,” Anja began, her voice barely a whisper, “and I told him yes, that we were... well...”“Together?” Milo asked incredulously, because that would have destroyed their cover.“No! Much less formal!”“Lovers?”“That’s it!” Anja took a deep breath and looked around before speaking quietly. “I told Hamish I was sleeping with you, that it was the only reason you gave me the project...”“That’s a lie!”“Of course it is, Milo! Get real, we’re not sleeping together!” she shot back.“I know, but even if we were, I wouldn’t give you a job just because of that! I’ve slept with dozens of women, and I haven’t given any of them a job!”Anja’s eyes widened, and Milo stiffened, realizing what he had just s