The Kiss that Sparked it All

Regina turned to face Nolan, plastering a conciliatory smile on her face, but it vanished the moment Nolan’s phone rang, and she caught a glimpse of the caller ID flashing her father’s name.

“Why is he calling you again?” she asked, her voice laced with a hint of annoyance.

“How should I know, Ms. Tanner? Maybe you should head home and have a chat with your dad about what he’s done to drive his company into the ground,” Nolan replied with a dismissive tone.

“Just don’t pick up his calls, Nolan. I bet he’s just after more money. I’ll talk to my dad. It wasn’t this bad before, and he’s got a son to support. He can’t just squander money without a second thought.”

With each word, Nolan’s expression grew darker. Regina could guess the motive, and so could he- Francis was treating him like a cash machine.

He might have tolerated Francis once for Regina’s sake, but he wouldn’t stand for someone bleeding him dry again and again.

Her father’s actions had already killed any hope Regina had left. She didn’t want to ask Nolan anything more, and in his presence, she barely dared to make a sound, overwhelmed by endless shame.

“He’s already reached out. Whatever money you gave him, put it on my tab. I’ll pay you back.”

“Heh,” Nolan chuckled softly, “You think you can ever clear that debt?”

Regina managed a bitter smile. Nolan’s harsh words were the truth-she was in to to ever repay the debt to his family, and it was only thanks to his and his family’s me that they hadn’t pressed the issue.

Moreover, his elders still believed she was his wife, and in their eyes, she always felt g “You’re right. I can’t repay what I owe. If I had a choice, I would never have wished to be born into this family.” © 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

If it were up to her, Regina would rather have been the child of some ordinary folks than be weighed down by such a father.

It wasn’t until she was dropped back at her family home that Regina realized how much she detested it. She’d never harbored such rebellious thoughts before.

How could she resent him when her father had worked so hard to raise her? Wasn’t it her duty as his child to shoulder his debts? But he had become increasingly greedy-did the Tanner family really need that much money?

Regina was certain that a large chunk of the funds was being funneled to support his unborn son.

Francis was being brazen, treating Nolan like a mindless ATM-not realizing he was backed by the Harris Group, a business empire Nolan had built from scratch with no connections to his own family.

“Waiting for Dad to come around and stop these shameless acts could take forever. I might as well start saving up and pay back what I can,” Regina muttered to herself while flipping through Domingo’s dossier.

She had nearly completed her investigation into his background, and over the years, his movements had become clearer.

If he wasn’t a thug, then he was certainly a character. The pivotal decisions he made during life’s turning points had shaped his current wealth, which explained why so many were keen to follow his lead. But the real question remained-did he even know that Madeline was his daughter?