Chapter 1 Chapter 1

My daughter, Lumi Bowen, truly suffered while living with me. Her clothes were a bit small for her, but they were clean. Her hair was always tied back with a snowflake hair tie I gave her two years ago. That was the only hair accessory she had. She didn't go to school and would spend her time plastered to the windows so she could watch the other kids play. However, she never played with them, because the moment she went over, the other kids would surround her and tease, "Look! Lumi's here! It's the girl with no dad!" I looked at her a little apologetically, but she comforted me instead. "I don't like playing with them either." She was but a six-year-old child, yet childlike joy was rarely ever seen on her face. Instead, her little brow was often furrowed while she reminded me to take my medication. I needed to make sure that a daughter as great as her would have a better life. I placed my forged death certificate and the results of a paternity test into her little backpack, then gave her all my savings—a mere 200 dollars—and asked her to store it carefully. "Go. Find your father. Mommy is going to die soon. Do you know what cancer is? I might close my eyes and never wake up again. I won't be able to take care of you any longer." Lumi's face was covered in tears, and her little hands clutched my clothes desperately. "I won't go. I'll stay with you, Mommy! If you won't open your eyes, then I'll just wake you up, Mommy…" She was still too young, and she probably didn't know what death meant. There was no waking the dead. I explained to her patiently, "Find your father. Then, your bedroom will be bigger than this entire house. No one will dare bully you anymore, and no one will tease you for having no dad." Lumi cried for the longest time, but she finally gave in after much coaxing. Logan Bowen was the CEO of Bowen Group, and he had billions in assets. As long as he took Lumi back, then even if he just spared her a tiny bit of what he had, that would be enough to make sure Lumi grew up safely and with everything she could ever need. "I'll tell Daddy to bring you home too and to find a doctor for you, Mommy. You only got sick because you had a difficult time taking care of me…" Feeling warm inside, I patted her on her little head. "Lumi, sweetie, your father won't believe you if you say that. You need to say that your mother, Rafaela Wayning, is a bad woman. She didn't feed you and only had you work all day, so you secretly ran away. Your mom deserved to die." I watched Lumi as I made her practice those words over and over again. Then, only after I made her pinky-promise me did I let her go to sleep. Lumi cried and yelled for me even while she was sleeping. I tucked her blanket snugly around her, my heart aching. I had never allowed Lumi to suffer before. This was the first time she had fallen asleep while crying. I had always taught Lumi to never lie. However, in order to have her successfully return to Logan's side, I'd just have to be the bad mother for once.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

It wasn't until later in the night that Lumi finally slept more soundly. I was sad that she was going to be leaving the next day. She was my daughter who had stayed by my side through thick and thin for the past six years, after all. Once she returned to Logan's side, she'd likely hear rumors about me—that I was a lowly woman without integrity who seduced the CEO for money, then ran off with "break-up" money. That was probably for the best. I hoped that Lumi would forget me quickly. When I would be mentioned again, I would no longer be her mother. I would just be a liar and a vain narcissist. My illness now was also karma. Even if I died, Lumi wouldn't be sad either. The next morning, I chased Lumi out of the house. I ignored her cries and called a cab for her, which then drove her straight to Bowen Group. Even though I was pretty confident that Logan wouldn't close the door on her, I didn't dare take the chance, so I trailed after Lumi. Soon, I saw Lumi standing at the entrance of Bowen Group. Her tiny self wasn't even tall enough to reach for the door, and all around her were skyscrapers that she had never seen before. She clutched a photo of Logan in her hands. Her face was slightly pale, and her eyes were reddened. But no matter what anyone asked, she didn't answer them. Finally, a Maybach pulled up in front of the building. A stern-looking man in a custom suit got out of the car. The man was none other than Logan Bowen. Lumi took a glance at the photo in her hand. Then, while everyone was rooted in their spots delivering their greetings to the CEO, Lumi dashed forward with those short legs of hers and wrapped herself around Logan's legs. Sounding especially aggrieved, she cried out, "Daddy!" Though her voice wasn't particularly loud, everyone there still managed to hear her clearly, and they were all stunned. Even Logan was so taken aback that he forgot to pull away from Lumi. The people nearby started whispering amongst themselves. "That's the CEO's child?""She does look like him, but our CEO doesn't have a woman in his life. Where did such a grown kid come from?" Logan looked at Lumi in annoyance before turning to his secretary. "You've got the wrong person. I'm not your father. Mr. Vesille, please remove her and hand her over to the police." Hearing this, Toby Vesille, his secretary, hurried forward to pry Lumi away from Logan. Lumi wailed as she struggled against him, tears rolling down her face. She then managed to pull out the paternity test during her struggle and shouted, "Mommy said that you'll understand once you see this. Lumi's a very good girl. Please don't say you don't want me!" Toby was the one who saw the paternity test in Lumi's hand first, and he hurriedly handed it over to Logan. When Logan looked it over, his stern expression finally softened a little. But his voice was still filled with disbelief when he asked, "Is this real? Or is it just a scam?" Toby quickly used the barcode on the test to determine that it was indeed real. And on it, the conclusion clearly stated that there was a 99% probability that Logan and Lumi were father and daughter. As I stood at a distance, watching Toby pull Lumi away, my fists clenched tightly. I wanted nothing more than to run over and wrap Lumi in my arms to console her. But once I saw Logan staring at Lumi dazedly after studying the report, I finally relaxed. Logan would definitely accept her because Lumi looked too much like him. They had the same emerald green eyes and golden blond hair, as well as the signature humped nose of the Bowen family. "You're my daddy. Mommy showed me your picture. Mommy said that she can't raise me anymore…" It was as if Lumi's words triggered a memory of a person he never wanted to think about again. Anger flashed across his face as he gritted out, "Is your mother Rafaela Wayning?"

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

Lumi nodded. Her tears started falling again at the thought of me. Logan fell silent for a second before spitting out, "Liar!" He then crouched down and lifted Lumi in his arms. I had fallen into a daze when I heard Logan say my name once again, but the word "liar" brought me back to my senses. I chuckled, trying to hide the helplessness in my eyes. Fortunately, Logan was willing to accept Lumi. Her future was now secured, and my heart could be at ease and I could wait for the end of my days. However, I was still worried about how Logan and Lumi would get along by themselves, so I had already bribed the janitor that was on shift that morning. I took her work badge, changed into her uniform, put on a mask, then went into Logan's office via the staff entrance. Lumi remained in Logan's arms while they rode the elevator up to the top floor of Bowen Group. This was the most luxurious office building in all of Aethelburg. Logan's office overlooked the whole city, and Lumi, who had plastered herself against the floor-to-ceiling windows, was mesmerized by the view. With a sliver of disdain, Logan studied the relatively clean but faded clothes that Lumi was wearing. It was clear that he felt the same way about her wide-eyedness that stemmed from not having seen much of the world. Judging from Logan's expression, it was probably safe to assume that he hated me. "Take her to buy some clothes in the afternoon, then have my designer drop by. From now on, all her clothes will be custom-made. Also, book a table at the city's best restaurant for tonight. I'm taking her out to dinner." After hearing the list of instructions, Toby could only remind Logan in a quiet voice, "Sir, you already have an appointment tonight. You're to have dinner with Ms. Malone so you can discuss the engagement." Logan was about to become engaged to the heiress of the Malone family, Anna Malone. This was a marriage that would bring two powerful families together, and it naturally drew the attention of the whole country. And yet, a child had suddenly popped out of nowhere at this time. While Logan wasn't paying attention, I took photos of him carrying Lumi. Then, with an already-written caption, I posted the photo on all major social media platforms. Currently, there were already multiple trending articles written about it. "Breaking! Logan Bowen Revealed to Have a Child on Eve of Engagement.""Logan's a Father. Will the Malone Family Go Through With the Engagement?" The trending articles drew widespread discussion among the public. Some were concerned about the business relationship between the two families, whereas others were interested in Logan's romantic history. Soon, someone dug out photos of me from seven years ago when I was still Logan's girlfriend. "Was a Bun in the Oven When His Girlfriend Ran Away 7 Years Ago?""Scheming Ex Reveals Child on Eve of Logan's Engagement. Is This Her Attempt at Rekindling the Romance?" The public started to speculate and question the timing of Lumi's appearance, but I could only look through the comments helplessly. I hadn't deliberately chosen this timing at all. I just didn't have much time left.

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

I followed Logan to the restaurant, then settled into a corner seat, angled just behind them and hidden by a large potted plant. The waiter studied me curiously as he asked me multiple times what I'd like to order. His increasingly loud voice garnered Logan's attention, causing me to open the menu in a panic and hide behind it. In the end, I ordered a cup of coffee just to get the waiter to leave. By then, the other woman who had also ended up on the trending searches today had already sat down beside Logan. It was his soon-to-be fiancée, Anna Malone. The atmosphere around them was a little awkward. Anna was clearly frustrated about Logan's daughter who had randomly popped out of nowhere, and her gaze carried traces of contempt when she looked at Lumi. However, I knew that wealthy heiresses like her prided themselves on keeping up appearances, so she wouldn't make things difficult for a child in public. And as expected, Anna could only pretend to be gentle and gracious as she asked, "Are you Lumi? Shall I order you a slice of cake?" Though Lumi was feeling a little afraid, she still answered Anna's questions politely. "Thank you, ma'am. I've never had cake before.""You've never had cake before? How did your mother even raise you?" asked Anna, a look of pity flashing across her face. "I usually roast potatoes for myself. When Mommy goes out looking for men, she'd leave me some potatoes. She would go on dates with different men, and sometimes, she'd get a to-go bag and bring me their leftovers." I had taught Lumi to say those words. Logan's expression immediately darkened, and the way his hands clenched tightly around his cutlery showed how much he was trying to suppress his rage. Anna chuckled. I knew she wasn't laughing at Lumi, but at me. She was definitely worried that I'd use Lumi as a way to get back with Logan, but with how badly I had raised Lumi, he would unlikely forgive me even if I got down on my knees and begged him. Anna moved to sit next to Lumi and cut up her steak for her. She even wiped Lumi's mouth with a napkin, presenting the image of a doting mother. A smile crossed my face when I saw how satisfied Lumi looked as she ate. Her reappearance had indeed been planned by me, but my goal was merely to have Logan and Anna accept her, even if it was just on the surface level. As Anna fed Lumi, she studied Logan out of the corner of her eye. He had a wine glass in hand while staring at Lumi with a frown. Lumi's lack of table manners irked him greatly, but he naturally couldn't blame a six-year-old child. Instead, all the blame went to me. Anna took the chance to ask the question on her mind. "Eat slowly. There's more if you want. I'll buy you nice food every day from now on. Also, where's your mother now?" Lumi stopped chewing. Sadness filled her eyes as she swallowed the bite of pudding in her mouth. "Mommy died. She went to sleep, and I couldn't wake her up anymore," she said in a small voice. She then retrieved the death certificate from her backpack and handed it to Logan. On it, my cause of death was listed as cancer, and the time of death was the day before Lumi had come looking for Logan.

Chapter 5 Chapter 5

The news of my death brought Logan momentary shock. He hurriedly made a phone call, and by the time Anna left, members of the Bowen family had already made their way to the restaurant. These family members had already found out about recent matters from the trending articles online, but when they saw Lumi, they were still greatly shocked. "What have you been doing? How did you not know that you had a child? And now she's come looking for you at a time like this!" Arthur Bowen, the most senior man in the Bowen family and Logan's grandfather, was the first to speak. When he slammed his cane against the floor, his authoritative presence was just as palpable as it was when he was younger. Logan had always respected his grandfather, so he dared not argue back. After all, it was true that he had only just learned of Lumi's existence. When I had left all those years ago, I had hidden everything related to my pregnancy. And just that afternoon, Logan had tried calling me multiple times, but the number he called was a disconnected one. I had already taken care of all records related to me. He had people looking into me the whole afternoon, but the only thing he could confirm was the news of my death. Just then, Lumi once again displayed her strengths. She walked up to Arthur and gave him a big bear hug. When Arthur looked into her eyes—that were the exact same as Logan's—he swallowed his request to have someone redo a paternity test. In the end, he merely patted Lumi on the head and said, "Let's go home." That meant that he had now accepted Lumi. Raising a child was nothing difficult for the Bowen family. Lumi started leading the life she deserved as a wealthy heiress. I hadn't lied to her. Her new bedroom was indeed bigger than our previous house. She didn't even need to dress herself in the mornings. She just needed to raise her arms, and the household staff members would put her clothes on for her. All her clothes were custom-made by a designer, and all her food were imported, organic food. Previously, she only had me by her side. Now, she was surrounded by innumerable household staff members. And since people knew that she was Logan's daughter, a constant stream of playmates had been sent there by their families. However, Lumi wasn't like the average wealthy heiress. She had a maturity and understanding of things well beyond her years, making even Logan bring her to work with him. Lumi was never loud. She would always sit quietly to the side and read a book while Logan was in meetings. And when she grew tired, she'd just curl up and take a nap. It was only at night that Lumi would become especially attached to her father, and she would need him to keep her company. "Daddy, I'm scared of the dark. Can you hold me while I sleep?""Daddy, can you read me a fairytale? Then I'll go to sleep, okay?" Because Lumi stayed close to Logan most times, the amount of time Anna spent with him decreased. Even if they had plans together, Lumi would always be sitting between them. I had thought up various ways to secretly trail after them these past few days. I wanted to see Lumi as much as I could while my body was still up for moving around. I both laughed and cried when I saw how Lumi kept preventing Anna from getting close to Logan. Lumi probably believed that I would eventually return to Logan's side and that we naturally belonged together. Unfortunately, she was wrong this time. Sometimes, Lumi would look especially sad while nestled in Logan's arms. "Daddy, I miss Mommy. Mommy must be really lonely all by herself." How could she forget my instructions so soon? I was a bad mother. She wasn't supposed to miss me. After making sure that Logan was truly good to Lumi, my body started to fail. I desperately missed my dearest Lumi, but I pushed my yearning down and didn't go to see her anymore. I lay quietly on a bed in the small community hospital. It was a hospital without any good medical resources and was just a place for me to wait out my death. Unexpectedly, however, when I opened my eyes the next day, I was shocked to see Lumi standing next to my bedside. In the end, Lumi had disobeyed me. With the money I gave her, she had snuck out when Logan was at work. She then went back to our old place, asked the neighbors, and eventually found out about this hospital. She patted me on the cheek to wake me up. When she saw me open my eyes, she yelled out in joyful surprise, "Mommy! Mommy, you're awake! I told you that I'd wake you up, Mommy!" Her tears started to fall as she said those words. My heart ached for her, but I pretended that I was mad. "Why are you so disobedient? I don't want to see you! Go back to your father." Lumi opened her backpack and retrieved a wad of scrunched up cash as well as a lunch box, then stuffed them in my hands. "Mommy, Daddy gave me this money, and I've saved it so you can see a doctor. Also, these are the cookies that the chefs at home made for me. They're really yummy, so I saved some for you too. Here, Mommy. "There's a lot of people around Lumi now. There's Daddy, Grandpa, Grandma, and all the people working at the house, but Mommy has no one. Please don't send Lumi away." I looked at the cookies stuffed in the lunch box, and the image of Lumi resisting her urge to eat the cookies and placing them in the box instead flashed across my mind. Tears already streamed down my cheeks, but I still forced myself to push Lumi out the door. "Go find your father. If you come back, you can only be the stray that no one wants. The only way you can lead a better life is by going back to your father." Just as I was struggling with Lumi, the door was suddenly pushed open, and an angry roar filled the space. "Rafaela Wayning! I knew you weren't dead! You're still as cruel as before, using your own child as a pawn. What schemes are you up to this time?" shouted Logan as he strode in, his whole presence exuding a frosty chill.

Chapter 6 Chapter 6

Logan's sudden appearance startled Lumi. I watched as anger slowly took over his still-handsome face, and I smiled bitterly. He was the CEO of Bowen Group. He had already fallen for me once. There was no possibility that it would happen again. "Long time no see, my love," I said with feigned flirtatiousness. My frivolous attitude only angered him more. He dragged Lumi over and handed her to the bodyguards standing behind him. He then walked up to me, wrapped his fingers around my neck, and slammed my head against the pillow. "Don't call me that! You're not worthy, Rafaela!" My face turned a deep crimson, and my consciousness started to fade. Through the haze, I heard Lumi wailing and apologizing. "I'm sorry, Daddy! I was the one who didn't listen and snuck out here to find Mommy. Please let Mommy go!" Lumi's cries made my heart ache, and I used all the strength I had left to squeeze out, "You're… s-scaring… her…" Logan froze when he heard this. Then, he quickly loosened his hold on my neck before going over to hug Lumi while reassuring her in a low voice. But through it all, his vicious gaze remained fixed on the still heavily panting me. "Rafaela, do you even have a conscience? How could you use your own child to scam me for money?" I shrugged nonchalantly. "She came here on her own. I had nothing to do with it. And she's your child too. There are so many people in the Bowen household, yet none of you can keep an eye on a child?" Logan fell speechless at my retort. He patted Lumi on the back and said, "Lumi, don't come see this woman anymore. She's a big liar, and you'll only learn bad things if you stay with her. "Daddy will find you a new Mommy, and she'll teach you how to play the piano and how to paint. You'll grow up like a little princess." Lumi stopped crying, and her red-rimmed eyes flickered between Logan and the pale-faced me. My sweet daughter tried to defend me. "I don't want a new Mommy. I have a Mommy. She's very good. She hasn't done anything wrong—" Worried that Lumi would say too much and ruin my carefully crafted image of a bad mother, I quickly interrupted Lumi. "Have I ever told you that I really hate children? If you stay with me, I'll teach you how to steal things when you grow older. And when you're even older, I'll teach you how to dance in strip clubs and how to lure men in. "Your life will be a complete mess just like mine. You should be thankful that you escaped and made it back to your father, or—" Before I could finish, Logan stepped forward and slapped me so hard that my head whipped to the right, hitting the railing on the side of the bed. Lumi was stunned and scared. One of the bodyguards hurried forward and carried her out of the room. Blood trickled from the corner of my mouth. Before I could say anything, I felt an intense pain in my chest which then caused me to start coughing violently. A metallic taste rose in my mouth, and I quickly covered my mouth with my hand, just as I coughed up a mouthful of blood. I quickly spun around, and I only relaxed when I didn't see Lumi. It was a good thing she hadn't seen this. At that moment, a nurse rushed in. She noticed the IV needle that had been dislodged during my struggle earlier, as well as the man standing close by who was exuding a chilling presence. She dared not say much, so she only whispered to me, "Ms. Wayning, even though the medication won't be able to treat your illness, it'll at least lessen your suffering." She then scuttled off after that reminder of hers. Logan, who had stayed silent through that, finally let out a cold scoff as he watched the nurse leave. "You even hired actors this time? Let me guess. You're going to tell me that you've contracted some terminal illness and are about to die? Then, once Lumi and I have bonded, you'll have her come beg me for money so you can get treatment. In the end, you'll take that money and disappear?" My face was still hurting, but I pulled the corners of my lips up into a smirk as I looked at Logan. "You've gotten smarter, Logan."