: Waking Up

I woke up and found myself ten years in the future.

I had it all: a kid, money, and a husband who never came home.

No one would tell me who my husband was.

'But why does this little boy look so familiar?'

1

The more I looked at the cherubic little boy before me, the more familiar he seemed.

He peeked his little head out from behind a large teddy bear, his big, clear eyes twinkling adorably as they blinked.

'He's so adorable, my heart is melting!'

I beckoned to him, but he ducked his head back in.

I thought he was just being shy and was about to get closer, but the little boy behind the teddy bear suddenly shot out of the room like a tiny rocket.

I was baffled. Completely puzzled.

'Some relative must have come to visit and brought their child along.'

Suddenly, a wave of dizziness hit me, and I staggered back onto the bed.

After a moment, I looked at myself in the mirror.

It was me, and yet it wasn't.

A few days ago, I'd woken up to find I'd somehow traveled ten years into the future!

And I was even married!

As for who my husband was, in this enormous, luxurious villa, not one of the twenty-odd servants dared to tell me.

I only managed to coax the information out of a young maid: my husband was a business magnate, but he was a man who never bothered to come home.

I couldn't care less.

He was a stranger to me. It would be best if he never came back. I could eat well, live well, and go on shopping sprees whenever I had free time!

It was just like that saying—

"Young, beautiful, rich, with a kid..." Wait, no, I don't have a kid.

KNOCK KNOCK.

A maid knocked and entered. She asked cautiously, "Mrs. Alaric, are you feeling unwell? Shall I have the family doctor come give you your daily check-up?"

"After all, you were in a coma for over a year. Your body won't recover that quickly."

I forgot to mention one thing: not long after I registered my marriage with my current husband, I was in a car accident. I fell into a coma and stayed that way until I woke up here, in the future.

I woke up a month ago.

I waved a hand. "I'm fine. Where did that little boy from earlier go?"

The maid looked completely bewildered.

Seeing that she didn't seem to know anything, I went downstairs myself.

My stomach rumbled, so I rubbed it. On a sudden whim, I ducked into the kitchen, startling a few of the maids. "Mrs. Alaric, what would you like to eat?"

"It's okay, I'll do it myself. It's really simple," I said.

I opened a cabinet. It was stuffed with snacks, all of which I'd ordered online over the past few days.

I grabbed a pack of instant ramen and boiled some water.

Five minutes later, it was time to eat!

I had just picked up my chopsticks when I caught a glimpse of the little boy from earlier. He stood there timidly, swallowing hard. He clearly wanted some ramen, too.

So, I used the ramen to lure him over.

I held the fragrant, soft little boy in my lap and fed him a bite of ramen.

"Is it yummy?"

"Yummy!"

"And what do you say?"

Blinking his big, clear, and intelligent eyes, he said cautiously, "Thank you... Mommy."

2

I was stunned.

The little boy actually called me Mommy!

He... He was my son!

Then again, considering I'd time-traveled ten years into the future and already had a husband, having a son suddenly appear didn't seem all that strange.

I'd really won at life!

"Don't let Leo eat that kind of junk food."

The voice was as crisp and cool as a moonlit breeze, but faint and detached.

I turned to look—

Standing in the doorway was a man in a well-tailored suit who had just entered.

His features were sharply defined, each one exquisite and perfectly proportioned. He had deep, cool eyes, and even his soft, black hair was styled with meticulous care.

I recognized him.

He was the dreamboat I'd fallen for at first sight ten years ago!

'What was he doing here?'

"Daddy!"

The little boy in my arms seemed startled. He accidentally knocked over the bowl, spilling the noodle soup all over himself!

Before I could react, Soren Alaric strode forward, scooped the little boy out of my arms, comforted him for a moment, and then handed him to a maid.

"Take Leo and give him a bath and a change of clothes."

"Yes, Mr. Alaric!"

The maid deftly carried Leo into the bathroom.

Soren Alaric took off his suit jacket and casually tossed it to a maid behind him. Then, his cool, phoenix eyes, chilling as a mountain spring, fixed on me with a sullen stare.

His stare sent a chill down my spine.

When I didn't say anything, Soren Alaric turned and went upstairs, his expression dark.

Watching his tall, slender figure retreat, I tried desperately to remember what could have possibly happened during the ten years I'd skipped.

'Why am I married to Soren Alaric, and how did we have a son?!'

After all, ten years ago, I barely had any contact with Soren Alaric. I hadn't even dared to say a single word to him.

'So how did the future me manage to snag Soren Alaric?'

'Judging by Soren Alaric's attitude just now, he probably didn't marry me willingly. Did I have some kind of leverage over him?'

'No. Way. That's impossible!'

'I'm not that kind of woman!'

'But... in ten long years, anything can change.'

I shot to my feet in agitation, then sank back down in defeat. I ran both hands through my hair, at a complete loss for what to do.

Soren Alaric's appearance meant I couldn't just let things slide anymore.

: 3

3

After an hour of busying myself in the kitchen, a plate of cute bear-shaped cookies and a cup of aromatic black coffee sat before me.

In the end, I picked up the bear cookies and had a servant pour out the coffee.

The thought of Soren Alaric's scowling face, like someone owed him hundreds of millions, made me decide I'd rather go find my precious son.

"Mommy!"

The little dumpling, who had been listless just a moment ago, immediately came scurrying over to me the second he saw me.

I crouched down, wrapped one arm around the little guy, and showed him the cookies. "Mommy made these cookies for Leo, see? They're even shaped like little bears."

The little one's eyes lit up, but he was reluctant to eat them.

"The little bears are so cute!"

"Go on, eat them. From now on, Mommy will make cookies for Leo every single day, okay?"

"Really?"

"Of course!"

"Then... will you sleep for a long, long time again, Mommy?"

"I won't."

"Is it because Mommy is Sleeping Beauty?"

'I had no idea where Leo got that idea, but you have to humor a child.'

I nodded. "That's right. Mommy's awake now, so I'll stay with Leo forever."

Leo grabbed my pant leg and started pulling me toward the door. "Then let's go find Daddy! Leo was at Grandma's house this month, and I really, really missed Daddy."

"And I really, really missed Mommy, too, of course!"

With that, he suddenly let go of my hand and dashed straight for the study!

My heart seized, and I quickly reached out to pull him back—

But I was a step too late.

Leo had already pushed open the study door, which had been left ajar.

Before I could even look up, I felt two sharp gazes fixed on me.

A cold sweat broke out on my skin.

I didn't dare look at Soren Alaric. I just scooped Leo up and said, "Daddy's busy with work. We shouldn't bother him."

Soren Alaric reached up and took off the glasses perched on his nose, revealing a pair of phoenix eyes with exceptionally smooth lines.

His whole face looked utterly languid as he narrowed his eyes slightly.

"I just finished."

"Yay! Then let's all play together!"

And so, Soren Alaric and I spent the next hour playing with Leo in the toy room. Leo eventually fell asleep in my arms, his little mouth smacking as if he were dreaming of something delicious.

'He's just so adorable!'

I gazed at Leo, my heart overflowing with motherly love and a grin stretching from ear to ear.

'I never would have dreamed it. This soft, precious baby, as perfect as a jade carving, is actually my son. I gave birth to him. I'm so amazing!'

'And something else I wouldn't have even dared to dream of...'

I secretly lifted my head to sneak a peek.

And my gaze crashed right into Soren Alaric's. His eyes were as dark as the deepest ocean floor, so profound they could pull you in.

'Has he been watching me this whole time?'

THUMP-THUMP!

My heart suddenly lost its rhythm!