Chapter 1

"We interrupt this program with breaking news. At 10:23 am today, Flight NA620 of Nelta Airlines lost contact while flying over Tranquil Ocean…"

Water came from everywhere and crashed over Hannah Livingston, almost drowning her. Her chest and lungs felt like they would explode, and the feeling of asphyxiation made her flail.

Suddenly, she felt a force support her from beneath, ferrying her upward. After an indeterminable period, the sound of water faded from her ears, and her eyes flew open.

Why was she sitting in a bathtub?

Hannah remembered being on a flight to Aldenia. The air stewardess had been in the middle of meal service when the plane had shuddered violently. Then, someone had screamed about the wings emitting black smoke.

The plane had crashed and landed in the ocean. Everyone had scrambled to put on their life jackets, but they couldn't keep up with the speed at which water filled the aircraft. The water level quickly rose within the plane.

Hannah felt lost. Had that been a dream or reality?

The itchiness in her throat made her cough. Just then, she heard footsteps come from outside, and the bathroom door swung open.

Tears welled in her eyes when she saw a familiar face. She pouted, feeling aggrieved as she held out her arms for a hug. "Jojo!"

There were still droplets of water on her long lashes. She couldn't tell whether she was in a dream or real life, and she was scared.

Joseph Quill was Hannah's husband. They'd started dating in high school and married after graduating college. If there were a competition for who doted on Hannah the most, no one would dare claim to be the champion if Joseph said he was the first runner-up.

Hannah thought Joseph would hold her and kiss her cheek like he'd always done. He would tell her dreams were all fake and that she didn't need to fear anything with him by her side. But in the next second, she felt him grip her neck tightly.

Only then did Hannah realize something was amiss. The man before her looked like Joseph but wasn't really him.

"Who sent you here? You've got a lot of nerve, making yourself look like this through plastic surgery!" Joseph snarled. His icy gaze landed on Hannah's face, seemingly reminiscing about something through her.

The reminiscence only lasted for a second, though. It was immediately replaced by ruthlessness and menace. He exuded murderous intent, making Hannah's pupils constrict. She had no doubt he wanted to kill her at that moment.

"I'll give you two options—one, you change your face to something else. Two, I'll ruin it for you." His voice was soft, but the oppression in his tone couldn't be missed. He wasn't joking.

With that, Joseph straightened up and grabbed a tissue, wiping his hands like he'd touched something dirty.

Water dripped from Hannah's hair, and she shuddered due to the coldness and fear. As far as she remembered, Joseph always had a smile on. He'd tolerated her willfulness—she liked him looking young and fresh, so he'd never combed his hair back with gel, even after becoming a father and a CEO.

Hannah had teased him about it. She'd told him he looked so young and fresh-faced that he couldn't daunt others and command the room.

Joseph had merely smiled without saying anything. He hadn't changed his style, either. He continued to leave his fringe down, looking and smelling like the sun's warmth.

The man before Hannah wasn't like that. His hair had been gelled back, and his fitting black shirt had the top two buttons undone. His once clear gaze was now dark and unfathomable. It oozed iciness.

The Joseph Hannah remembered was a warm, clingy cat that would lounge under the sun and stretch, showing off its belly. The Joseph before Hannah now was more like a jaguar waiting in the dark with its teeth bared, ready to rip its prey's throats out when they weren't paying attention.

Her gaze landed on his collarbone, where an almost invisible scar was. It was a badge of honor Joseph had gotten after being scratched by a window's shattered glass while trying to save her.

Her lips trembled as she took in the fine lines around his eyes. It added to his maturity, but…

"Why are you so old now?"

Joseph had changed significantly, but Hannah was still sure it was him.

He narrowed his eyes, and his expression turned ugly. He growled, "You've done an excellent job imitating her voice, but I've never considered getting a substitute. I don't care who sent you here. If you don't want to die—"

Hannah interrupted his threat. "Don't you recognize me anymore, Jojo? What the hell is going on? Am I dreaming, or have I transmigrated? This is so ridiculous!"

She slapped the water angrily and snarled, "Is your name Joseph Quill?"

He didn't answer her. Instead, he eyed her menacingly. Anyone else would've had the daylights scared out of them if they were to see him like this. Whenever Joseph had that look in his eyes, it meant he was going to wreak havoc.

Hannah had been scared of him earlier, but now that the adrenaline was charging in her veins, she was more angry than anything. It helped that she was with someone familiar.

"Did you use to live in the East Lanes of Roelle, Cloud City? Are you good at everything except music? You used to be allergic to mangoes but ate so much of them that you developed immunity because I liked them. You…" Hannah listed Joseph's likes and dislikes.

She rubbed her neck, which hurt from Joseph almost strangling her earlier, and tears streamed down her face. She felt angry and aggrieved. The situation she'd landed in was already enough to scare her, yet Joseph had treated her so harshly.

Hannah was embarrassed while crying, so she raised an arm and dried her tears on it as a child would. She felt even more aggrieved at the thought of Joseph being the one to strangle her.

She didn't notice how Joseph went pale as she talked. His hands, which fell to his sides, trembled uncontrollably. His eyes were even redder than when he'd been furious earlier.

"Who are you?" he asked hoarsely, sounding choked up. He felt like he'd used all his strength to force those words out of his throat.

"Hannah Livingston! Who else could I be?" Hannah got out of the bathtub. The more she wiped her tears, the more she cried. They blurred her vision, but she still managed to grab a bathrobe. Then, she shoved Joseph away. "Go away, you meanie!"

"Meanie" was what Hannah called Joseph whenever she was mad.

Joseph staggered out of the bathroom and leaned against the wall, panting like he had been rescued from the water. Then, he seemed to think of something. He clenched a fist and pounded it on the wall.

His furrowed brows loosened a little as he stared dazedly at his bloodied fist. It hurt.

Meanwhile, Hannah removed her wet clothes and wrapped the bathrobe around herself. After venting her frustrations, she realized she still didn't know what was happening. She was sure the plane crash wasn't a dream—her clothes were the ones she'd worn when boarding the flight.

So, how had she ended up here? And what was wrong with Joseph?

She was about to leave the bathroom to have a proper talk with him when the door flew open. She was pulled into a tight embrace.

The familiar sensation made her relax a little, and she mumbled, "What is going on? I know the plane crashed into the ocean, so how did I get here? And what was with your attitude?"

Hannah trailed off when she sensed the wetness at her neck. Was Joseph crying?

"You've been missing for 15 years, Anna. I almost lost my mind searching for you," he rasped.

He tightened his arms around her waist. Meanwhile, Hannah was flabbergasted. What had she just heard?

Chapter 2

There was a popular saying on the Internet that Hannah agreed with. "A day passes when you close your eyes and open them again after a night's sleep. A lifetime passes when you close your eyes one day and never open them again."

But to say that 15 years had passed after she'd closed her eyes and opened them again, she didn't think that made sense. Anyone who heard about this would think it was far-fetched.

"Are you and Alex pulling a prank on me? You're even pretending to cry. I have to say your makeup does make you look much older…" Hannah found that Joseph's grip tightened on her as she spoke. "You're going to break my waist!"

She pinched him—it was a habit she'd developed when they were dating, and it stuck even after marriage.

"Sorry, Anna." Joseph hurriedly loosened his hold on her.

She harrumphed and reached for his hands, wanting to pry them away. Then, something felt wrong to her, and she looked down. Her expression shifted. "Why are you injured?"

His right knuckles were bleeding and swollen in several spots. She dragged him out of the bathroom to look for a first-aid kit. There was normally one stored in each hotel room.

Joseph followed her closely, never once taking his eyes off her. She asked, "What were you thinking? Weren't you fine when trying to strangle me? You…"

Hannah paused. Something didn't add up. If Joseph had only been acting as part of a prank, he wouldn't have been so rough.

She tapped his phone, which had been placed on the coffee table. The screen lit up to show the date—it was 15 years from the time she remembered!

"Anna, where have you been over the years?" Joseph asked.

After the plane crash 15 years ago, 123 passengers had gone missing. The plane's black box had been found washed adrift on an island, and many of the missing passengers' bodies had been found by the shore.

On the one hand, Joseph wanted to find Hannah. On the other hand, he was afraid of finding her. Being able to see her alive before him now was something he'd dreamed of countless times.

Hannah didn't hear Joseph's question. She was too engrossed in her astonishment. "15 years? How can that be? Doesn't that mean Alex is 21 now? And Penny and Nicky…"

Her head shot up, and her gaze was stubborn. "Give Alex a video call now—I want to see what he looks like. Call him, Jojo!"

If this was reality, where had the past 15 years gone? She would only believe this was true when she saw her eldest son, Alexander Quill, as a grownup.

Joseph quickly appeased her when he saw how agitated she was. "Okay, okay. I'll call him right now."

He gave Alexander a video call. The phone rang for a long time before someone answered. "What do you want?"

The young man's cold voice and the black screen suddenly made Hannah calm down. This couldn't be her darling Alexander. The Alexander she knew and loved had always been a gentle and warm child who'd treated her and Joseph with love.

Even after growing up a little, he'd been a light-hearted and optimistic child. How could he be so cold and aloof now?

"Alex? Is that you, Alex?" Hannah took the phone and turned it to face her.

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line. Then, a light was flipped on, and the screen turned bright.

Hannah was stunned when she saw Alexander's face. As his mother, she could definitely tell the young man was him. He was a grownup version of the child in her memories—he hadn't changed much over the years.

He snorted. "You can go ahead and be with whichever stupid woman you want, but don't let her show her face before me! And don't try to be a copycat!"

Then, he hung up.

Hannah was baffled. Had Alexander told her off? Her motherly instincts kicked in, chasing her confusion away. She slammed the phone on the table and downed the glass of water beside it. Then, she snapped, "Tell me what's happened!"

Where had her adorable little boy gone to? Why was he now as prickly as a hedgehog?

Joseph lowered his gaze and hunched his shoulders, looking woeful. His gaze was sorrowful and resigned. "I searched the world for you after you went missing, so I didn't have time to care about the children. They've also misunderstood some things about me. I'm sorry, Anna."

Hannah pursed her lips. He knew very well she would fall for his pitiful act every time. It was a trick he'd mastered even when pursuing her!

Now that she thought about it, the fact that she'd been missing for 15 years meant her children had gone without a mother, and Joseph had lost his wife for that long. It was no wonder their family was in tatters.

She felt horrible. It was as if the heavens had pulled a terrible joke on her.

"I don't know what happened, Jojo. Something went wrong with the plane, and we crashed into the ocean. I tried to get out of the aircraft, but too many people were around. I couldn't get anywhere, and the water choked me…"

Hannah genuinely had no idea what had happened. Even now, she was still frazzled. "I was in the bathtub when I opened my eyes. Then, you tried to strangle me. It really hurt, you know."

She sniffled in Joseph's embrace and wrapped her arms around his neck. She pressed her forehead to his pulse point, feeling a little more secure when she sensed the pulsing of his blood.

Her actions were natural and instinctive. Hannah's reliance on Joseph was something that had already been embedded in her soul.

"Don't be scared, Anna. I'm here; I'll protect you…" Joseph patted her back while subtly lighting some incense on the bedside table. Tendrils of smoke rose from it, blurring their figures.

"How could I have traveled 15 years in the future after just closing and opening my eyes? My brain is a mess right now. And look at how fierce Alex was—he must've been so sad over the years. What about Penny and Nicky? They lost me at such a young age…"

Hannah slowly drifted out of consciousness as she smelled the sandalwood incense. Her words turned into a murmur, and she fell asleep.

Joseph dialed a number once he was sure Hannah was fast asleep. "Tell Dr. Jones to come here right now."

After hanging up, he grabbed his laptop from the bedside table and tapped on it, pulling up the hotel's surveillance footage. He rewound the footage to after he'd left the hotel room.

As he did this, he kept his right arm firmly wrapped around Hannah.

…

Alexander's room was in a mess. He was far from the aloof young man he'd been during the video call. His mind had gone blank when he'd seen Hannah's face on the screen.

Then, upon realizing the truth, a wave of disgust had washed over him. Had Joseph finally lost his mind and decided to get a substitute for Hannah after all?

Furious, Alexander had trashed his room. Anyone who knew him knew that Hannah was taboo to him. No one could so much as mention or hint at her. Once something had to do with Hannah, Alexander would turn into a raging lion.

The swaying overhead light finally gave in to gravity and crashed to the floor, sending the room into darkness.

Alexander curled up on the couch as he clutched a necklace Hannah had given to him for his sixth birthday—she'd made it herself. It was the only source of warmth in his life now, and he held it tightly.

The softest sob rang out in the darkness, breaking the silence. It sounded as helpless and lost as an injured little animal would be.

Alexander missed Hannah terribly.

After a long while, his eyes flew open. He couldn't allow a replica to use Hannah as an excuse to get her way!

Chapter 3

Bill Jones was a traditional medicine practitioner. He looked serious as he felt Hannah's pulse. After a while, he exhaled and glanced at the incense as he retracted his hand. He was the one who had prescribed it, and he knew it was the reason Hannah was so deeply asleep.

"Based on her pulse, there's nothing wrong with her. However, I can tell she's a little anxious and uneasy…" Bill said tentatively.

Joseph hadn't taken his eyes off Hannah from the moment Bill had entered the hotel room. The coldness in Joseph's gaze would only melt when he was looking at her.

Bill had stolen a few more glances at Hannah out of curiosity, and Joseph had glared at him. After that, Bill had kept his gaze lowered.

Before leaving, Bill said, "Don't use the incense too often…"

Joseph had never taken Bill's advice seriously before, yet he put out the incense as soon as Bill mentioned it this time.

Joseph was a severe insomniac, and Bill had been heavy-handed when preparing the incense. Despite that, it wasn't effective on Joseph. It would work perfectly on anyone else, though. Hannah was a perfect exhibit. The incense was also calming, so using it occasionally was fine.

This was Bill's first time seeing Joseph so obedient and compliant—it was surprising. He'd never been a gossip but couldn't help being curious about Hannah. Even as he left the hotel, he wondered whether Hannah could keep an unruly patient like Joseph in check.

Joseph relaxed now that he knew Hannah was fine. He continued watching the surveillance footage without speeding it up. From when he'd left to when he'd returned, no one had entered the room, not even the cleaners.

He had been almost crazed with joy by Hannah's reappearance, but there'd still been a sliver of his rationality telling him to watch out for this whole thing being a lie.

Over the years, many people had searched for women who looked like Hannah, hoping they could get close to him through them. Each one looked more like her than the last, and he'd taught the masterminds lessons time and time again.

It had been some time since someone had dared to butter him up in this manner, but it wasn't impossible that Quill Group's competitors had suddenly decided to employ such methods again.

Joseph kneeled by the bedside and pressed Hannah's hand to his face, caressing it gently. He stared at her face, which he'd dreamed of for countless nights. His gaze darkened and became unfathomable.

He'd yet to find any loopholes or flaws. If this were an upscale trap, he would admit defeat. He was more inclined to believe Hannah was indeed back.

…

Hannah had a deep sleep. When she woke, she saw Joseph lying beside her with his arms around her. He had dark eye circles, and she stared at them for a long time. She couldn't even begin to imagine what he and the children had gone through during her 15-year disappearance.

"Good morning, Anna." Joseph was first panicked when he woke up. Then, he relaxed and smiled when he saw Hannah still beside him.

This was the first time Hannah had seen him smile since last night. He used to smile all the time. She thought about him saying that the children misunderstood certain things about him.

He'd used "children", which meant their two younger children, Penelope and Nicholas Quill, were also on bad terms with him.

She was worried about this but didn't push Joseph for answers. She wanted to see how the kids were doing before proceeding with anything.

After a simple breakfast, Hannah and Joseph got on a plane home. Joseph could tell that Hannah was preoccupied with thoughts of their children. He didn't dare to mention anything because they weren't just aloof with him. They weren't on the best terms with each other, too.

Joseph and Hannah had three children. The eldest, Alexander, was six when the plane crash happened. The two younger ones were fraternal twins and had only been two.

Before returning home, Hannah had considered speaking to Alexander on the phone. On second thought, she couldn't really explain her freaky situation, which might lead to Alexander misunderstanding everything. It would be better to wait until she could talk to him in person.

She couldn't help feeling bitter at the thought of her children spending so many years without her by their side.

…

Hannah wasn't the only one who felt horrible—Alexander, who was in Berdon City, felt the same. He was mainly pissed, though.

He'd hurried back to Quill Manor early in the morning to find that a new patch of Damask roses had been planted in the garden.

Those were Hannah's favorite flavors. Was the woman who'd spoken to him on the phone copying that, too?

Things at Quill Manor had remained the same since the day of Hannah's plane crash—not even a vase had been changed. Now, plenty had been changed. The couch was new, the staircase had been polished, and even the rugs had been replaced.

Had Joseph lost his mind? Was he going to wipe away everything that had to do with Hannah for his new lover's sake?

Alexander's gaze turned menacing. "Stop! You're not allowed to change anything!"

This scared the bustling maids. They stopped and looked at the butler, Ned Bolton, for help.

Ned jogged over and said, "Mr. Joseph ordered this, Mr. Alexander."

"What else did he tell you to do?" Alexander asked coldly.

Ned shuddered at his tone. He knew what Alexander was like and didn't dare lie. "We're to give the manor a deep clean and plant Damask roses in the garden. The master bedroom on the third floor also needs to be cleaned…"

His voice became softer toward the end of his sentence as Alexander's expression became increasingly hideous.

All the household staff at Quill Manor knew the third-floor master bedroom was off-limits. That was where Hannah had lived, and only Joseph could enter the place. He personally cleaned the room, never allowing anyone else to do it.

This time, however, Joseph had instructed the maids to clean the room. That and all his other instructions made it clear to everyone that there would be a new lady in the household!

Ned signaled the maids to continue with their tasks. He thought Alexander would drop the matter after getting his answer.

"I said not to do anything! Didn't any of you hear me?" Alexander wasn't that understanding and tolerant. He could accept Joseph moving on with another woman but couldn't believe he was doing something so revolting.

Since Joseph had a new lover, he could just move out! Why did he have to wipe the traces of Hannah's life from the home they'd once shared?

Besides, the impostor had evidently won Joseph's heart because she looked like Hannah. Did she think she could take over everything that once belonged to Hannah because of that? No way!

Ultimately, Ned didn't dare tell the maids to continue cleaning the place. He was a little anxious when he saw how murderous Alexander looked as he sat on the couch. It looked like the latter would throw a fit once Joseph returned with his new lover.

Ned kept trying to contact Joseph but to no avail. His calls didn't go through. Then, he heard a car pulling up outside the manor. His jaw trembled.

Joseph was back!

The maids didn't dare make a sound due to the tension in the air.

Ned hurriedly opened the door to see Joseph's "new lover", who wore a pale green dress. He was taken aback. The Quill family employed him ten years ago, so he'd never seen Hannah in person.

Despite only seeing her photos, he could tell Joseph's "new lover" looked just like Hannah! He'd initially thought Joseph was faithful enough to remain single for 15 years, but it was clear Joseph had yet to move on.

"Mr. Joseph, Mr. Alexander is home. He—"

Ned had yet to mention Alexander was in a bad mood when Hannah's eyes lit up. She cried, "Alex is at home?"

She didn't expect to be able to see Alexander immediately upon arriving. She released Joseph's arm and ran into the manor.

Joseph's gaze darkened as he looked down at his arm, feeling bereft. Then, he followed Hannah in.

Ned was lost for words. Was Joseph's "new lover" in a rush to suck up to Alexander? That probably wouldn't turn out well!

Chapter 4

Alexander's ears were more sensitive than Ned's, so he'd long since heard the noise outside. Naturally, he also heard Hannah calling him "Alex". This only made him angrier. Who had given her permission to call him that?

Hannah excitedly ran into the house. Before she could give Alexander a big hug, she was stopped by his roar. "Get lost! Stay away from me, you impostor!"

She was at a loss for what to do when she heard that, and the fact that Alexander was all grown up now didn't help. Her gaze landed on the necklace around his neck, which she'd made for him. That calmed her down.

No matter how old he got, he would still be her baby! She took a deep breath and said soothingly, "I know this sounds outrageous, Alex, but…"

Alexander didn't want to hear it. He ignored her and charged at Joseph, who'd followed Hannah in. He was only in his 20s but already as tall as Joseph. "Why did you do this? Mom isn't someone just about anyone can replace! Is she worthy of that? Have you lost your mind?"

He sneered. "Why am I even asking you... I know you lost your mind ages ago."

He and Joseph were supposed to be a loving father-son duo, but they now seemed more like sworn enemies. The hatred and anger in Alexander's eyes scared Hannah.

Joseph looked calm and indifferent. Instead of answering Alexander, he approached Hannah and held her hand, placing it on his arm. Then, he calmly told Alexander, "Let's talk about this in the study."

As expected, it was hard to convince anyone of something when that something was so ridiculous that it was far-fetched.

Alexander stood inside the study, still furious after hearing Hannah and Joseph's explanation. "I can't believe you made up such a ludicrous lie so that you could bring her back here."

He didn't understand why Joseph was treating him like he was a fool.

When Hannah saw this, she suddenly wondered whether Joseph genuinely believed her. Then, he held her hand tightly and said firmly, "She's your mother."

"My mother died years ago!" Alexander roared. In his heart, he'd never believed Hannah was dead. This was his first time saying something like this, and it was because of how Joseph was acting.

He shook his head at Hannah, who looked like she was barely older than him. They were both mad. Mad!

"Do you remember our little secret, Alex? We were going to make a necklace for your father. You even said you wanted to write our names on the back of the necklace…" Hannah said.

A trace of shock flashed across Alexander's face. He and Hannah had indeed made such a promise, but…

"The maids heard us, too. You could've heard about that from them." He didn't believe something so far-fetched would happen in real life and didn't want to waste time on this.

He looked at Joseph and enunciated, "I don't care who you want to be with, but don't drag my mother into this. This manor belongs to Mom, so you and this woman need to move out of here. Don't touch any of my mother's things anymore!"

A hint of fragility flashed in Alexander's expression at the mention of Hannah, but it was soon replaced by ruthlessness. He was capable of anything if backed into a dead end!

The threat on his young face was as clear as day, and he looked like a wolf cub that hunters had surrounded. Joseph remained composed when he saw this, but tears welled in Hannah's eyes.

Alexander scowled. She was such a good actress!

"How have you raised Alex over the years? The fact that he can say something like that means you, as his father, haven't given him the security he needs. My Alex is the best boy in the world, and he should've grown up in a loving environment. He shouldn't have ended up living a bitter life!" Hannah cried.

She was devastated. Alexander had to have suffered over the years.

Poor little Alexander was flabbergasted as he watched a tearful Hannah twist Joseph's ear angrily while berating him. She clearly wasn't holding back—Joseph's ear had been twisted out of shape. No one dared treat Joseph like that!

More importantly, Joseph was allowing Hannah to do this to him. He didn't even try to stop her, let alone get mad. He even coaxed her lowly, telling her not to get angry.

"What do you mean, don't be mad? I'm going to blow my top! None of us are having dinner later—I want you to tell me all about the kids!" Hannah snapped. She should've asked him about the children earlier instead of pitying him!

Hannah was fierce and harsh to Joseph, but she became a loving and gentle mother when she turned to look at Alexander. "I know this is hard for you to accept, Alex, but it's the truth. I really am your mother.

"You must've gone through a lot without me by your side over the years. I'm sorry about that, sweetheart."

Alexander told himself she was putting on an act. The women out there could do anything crazy to latch onto the Quill family.

But he couldn't stop his nose from prickling when his gaze met her gentle one, and he heard her call him "sweetheart". The grievance and bitterness that suddenly washed over him made him stagger backward, feeling lost.

Hannah sniffled, feeling sorrowed. She tugged a few strands of hair from her head and placed them on the desk. "It's good that you have your guard up, sweetheart. Here's my hair; you can take it to any organization you trust for a DNA test. The data won't lie to you.

"Meanwhile, I want you to think about anything that only you and I would know. You can come to me to verify that once the DNA test results are out, okay? I'll be here at all times…"

She was gentle and cajoling. Alexander was a grownup now, but he wasn't any different from how he'd been as a child. She could still see shadows of his younger self from his actions and mannerisms.

She knew he'd temporarily accepted her words when she saw his baby finger twitch.

Alexander tried to convince himself to accept Hannah's explanation. It was too ludicrous, though. He backed up a couple of steps before seemingly making up his mind about something. He strode to the desk, grabbed the hairs, and left without another word.

Once Alexander was gone, Hannah started interrogating Joseph. She didn't care about anyone or anything else—all she wanted to know was what had happened while the kids were growing up.

After the plane crash, many passengers' bodies had been found near the black box. To this day, there were still several dozen people who were missing. They had been declared dead, but their bodies hadn't been found.

Hannah was one of them. Because of that, Joseph had always harbored hope that she was alive. He'd led a team to search the ocean and had done so for a year without stopping in between.

Joseph had initially brought Alexander with him, but the young Alexander hadn't been able to get used to living on a ship. Joseph had had no choice but to send him back to the manor so a nanny could care for him.

Meanwhile, the twins had been sent to kindergarten with a team of professionals to care for them. From then on, Joseph's life had been segregated into two sections—work and searching for Hannah.

A person's energy was limited, so he'd neglected the children. Gradually, they'd grown apart.

"Alex has always studied at boarding schools, as have Penny and Nicky. I hired teams of ten nannies and butlers to care for them.

"I know I made a mistake, Anna. I didn't care for the children the way I should have. Don't be mad, please. We're reunited now, and we'll be a happy family. No one can tear us apart." Joseph tugged Hannah's sleeve, his gaze tentative.

"I need to be on my own for a while." Hannah didn't expect Joseph to do such a terrible job as a father after her disappearance. In short, their children had basically lost both parents at the same time!

She kicked Joseph out of the study so she could be alone. Then, she flipped through photos of the children and their school reports. She even looked at the nannies and butlers' records of their lives. She wanted to know everything about them.

Joseph sat cross-legged on the floor outside the study. He would only feel at ease standing guard there.

That night, Quill Manor remained brightly lit throughout the night.

Chapter 5

Hannah didn't know when she fell asleep, but she jolted awake when the photo album fell from her hand. The sky was starting to turn bright.

She walked out of the study without looking down and almost tripped over Joseph, who was still seated on the floor.

Before they could say anything, Ned came upstairs with a phone. "Mr. Quill, Ms. Quill is on the phone."

Hannah looked at the phone excitedly. It was Penelope, the older twin sister!

Joseph accepted the phone and put it on speaker mode so Hannah could hear Penelope's voice. She said, "Dad, why don't you give Mr. Stone more discretion so that he doesn't need your permission for any transaction below ten million dollars?

"It's so troublesome, you know. I need eight million dollars right now—have it transferred to my local bank card. Don't get it wrong, okay? I need to go now. Bye!"

Penelope hung up without waiting for Joseph to respond. The father and daughter mostly communicated over the phone, and their conversations were generally about one asking for money and the other giving it.

Joseph had Ned contact his assistant, Leslie Stone. "Speak to Leslie and tell him to—"

"Hold it!" Hannah cut him off. She pinched her nose bridge and asked, "How can you give the children money just because they ask? Penny is only 17 this year—why would she need eight million dollars? How can you give it to her without asking why?"

After having children, Hannah told herself she wouldn't raise her children to be spoiled trust fund babies. Despite not having seen Penelope yet, she could tell from the phone call that a spoiled trust fund baby was exactly what Joseph had allowed Penelope to become!

Seeing that Hannah was about to get mad, Joseph protested in a small voice, "You're the one who said our daughter needs to be treated like a princess."

Due to his failure to be a proper father, he'd never held back when giving his children money. He asked tentatively, "Does that mean I don't transfer the money to her yet?"

When Hannah didn't say anything, Joseph said, "I'll ask her why she needs it."

Penelope was surprised to see Joseph calling her. This was the first time he'd done so after she'd asked him for money. He asked, "Why do you need the money?"

She was taken aback. This was also his first time asking her why she needed money. She said vaguely, "I-I just need it to buy some stuff. You know how quickly money runs out when I shop for bags and clothes."

Joseph looked at Hannah. Was the excuse acceptable? Could he transfer the money to her?

Hannah frowned. Penelope was obviously lying.

Joseph caught her drift and said coldly, "Don't lie to me, Penny."

Penelope tightened her grip on her phone. Joseph had never cared how she lived her life. Still, she thought about his capabilities and knew he'd find out the truth even if she were to keep it from him. So, she chose to be honest.

"There's this kid in my class that everyone's making fun of for being poor. I want to give him a car so he can get back at them."

Joseph didn't need Hannah to tell him what to do this time. "Is it a male classmate?"

Penelope hummed in acknowledgment after a brief silence. "His name is Sean Hansen, and he knows nothing about this. I'm the one who wants to do this for him."

"That's not an acceptable reason."

Penelope wanted to explain more, but the call had already been disconnected, leaving her dumbfounded. She'd only asked for eight million dollars! When had Joseph become such a scrooge?

That night, she received a call from Hannah's cousin, Maureen Green, whom she called her aunt. Maureen told her someone had seen Joseph bringing a woman home. She asked Penelope whether she knew anything about that.

The realization dawned on Penelope. She knew why Joseph had rejected her request now—his new lover must've influenced him! She had to head home to teach that nasty woman a lesson!

That was a story for another time. After hanging up, Joseph felt uneasy because Hannah seemed even more upset now.

She forced through gritted teeth, "You're not fussed over our children at all, are you?"

That alone was enough to tell Joseph what he needed to know. If he'd just bothered to spend some time with the children, things wouldn't have ended up as they were.

"I'm sorry. It's all my fault." He didn't bother arguing or defending himself. Admitting he was wrong was his only choice.

Ned stood to one side, not daring to breathe as he witnessed this. He could tell that Hannah wasn't like any other woman. He thought she would be the one to back down upon meeting Alexander, yet Alexander was the one who'd left, looking angry.

Even Joseph wasn't like his usual domineering self when with Hannah. He was thoroughly whipped! He was the CEO of Quill Group, yet he had to get his new lover's permission to transfer eight million dollars to his daughter. No one would believe it was true!

Ned's respect for Hannah grew. If Joseph could turn on his children for her sake, that meant he, as a butler, was easily replaceable. Ned told himself that he couldn't offend Hannah at all costs!

So, when Maureen called Ned to dig for information on the situation, he didn't mention Hannah. Maureen was Hannah's cousin and Penelope's aunt. After the plane crash, Maureen often visited Penelope and Nicholas at their school.

Alexander knew Hannah and Maureen hadn't been on good terms, so he didn't want to have anything to do with Maureen. Penelope and Nicholas were too young to know, so they were closer to her.

Joseph knew about this but figured it would be good for a motherly figure to care about the children. Maureen wanted money, so he would give it to her. He wasn't short on cash, anyway.

And so, years had passed like that.

Now, Maureen heard from someone that a woman had appeared in Joseph's life. She urgently called Ned to find out more.

Ned had returned to his room, still reeling from the shock of Joseph being whipped. When he saw Maureen calling him, he snorted.

She always acted like she was Penelope's guardian—anyone who wasn't in the know would think she was the lady of the household. Anyway, it was obvious what she wanted!

He hung up after brushing her off. Then, he turned to look out the window with a sigh. He had a feeling his job would soon become interesting.

…

Upstairs, Joseph was trying to win himself brownie points.

"Penny is abroad as an exchange student and will return next week. Nicky's participating in a marathon with his classmates in a neighboring city; he won't be back this week." Joseph told Hannah the children's whereabouts to prove he hadn't completely neglected them.

He leaned against Hannah's shoulder, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist as he spoke tenderly. Ned's eyes would probably pop out of their sockets with shock if he were to see Joseph being so clingy.

Hannah ignored Joseph. Things at home were worse than she thought—Alexander was a prickly hedgehog, Penelope seemed to be a hopeless romantic, and Nicholas… He probably wasn't any better than his siblings.

She needed to get some rest before dealing with these problems one by one. There was a chance Alexander would drop by tomorrow, so she had to show him her best side. She wanted him to see her as the mother he remembered.

To her dismay, Alexander wasn't the one who dropped by. It was an unwelcome guest.

"The tea you've gotten this time is not bad, Ned. It smells great," Maureen told Ned. Her gaze kept flicking toward the staircase, though. She'd come to see what Joseph's new lover was like.

Joseph had remained single all these years and had never gotten involved with other women. This new lover made Maureen feel threatened. Yes, she was interested in Joseph as a man.

Ned felt conflicted. He wanted Maureen to leave, but it was part of his job to serve her, not kick her out. Besides, she'd used bringing something for Penelope as an excuse.

"I bought these paintbrushes for Penny—she always forgets her things. Oh, right. I heard that—"

Maureen hadn't gotten anything from Ned over the phone, so she'd come in person. She didn't believe she wouldn't run into Joseph's new lover if she were to wait here from the early morning!

A voice cut her off. "Who is it, Ned? Why's it so noisy?"

Maureen abruptly stopped. Her expression became stiff when she saw an alluring woman come downstairs. The latter had a sheet mask on, but her features made it clear that she was beautiful.

Her waist was slender, and her skin practically glowed. She had curves in all the right places, and her neck was free of wrinkles.

Maureen appraised Hannah and clutched her teacup so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Time took its toll on everyone and everything—no matter how well she maintained her appearance and figure, she couldn't compare to someone who was genuinely youthful.

It hadn't been long since Hannah had woken up. She wanted to lounge in the rocking chair on the second-floor balcony when she heard someone talking downstairs. So, she'd come to see what was happening.

Hannah immediately recognized Maureen when she met the latter's jealousy-filled gaze. She had a grasp of the situation now. It looked like Maureen hadn't changed over the years—she still coveted things that weren't hers.

Hannah devised a plan when she realized Maureen didn't recognize her. She giggled and said, "Oh, there's a guest. Sorry, but I told Sugarplum to get more rest because he's been so tired lately. If you have anything to tell him, you can always let me know. I'll pass the message to him."

Ned gave Hannah a mental thumbs-up when he saw the steely look on Maureen's face. Hannah was amazing—she'd pissed Maureen off with a few sentences.