"Olive," Mia replied.Ethan leaned back, his brows furrowing as he murmured the name under his breath. "Olive?" His sharp gaze studied Mia’s expression, searching for an explanation. "How sure are you that Raymond is head over heels for her?"Mia smirked, her eyes gleaming with wicked amusement. "She’s pregnant." She let the words hang between them, her fingers drumming lightly on the table. "Killing her is like killing Raymond forever."Ethan’s lips curled slightly, but his eyes remained unreadable. He gave her a long, assessing look, as if trying to piece together the deeper meaning behind her words. "Pregnant, huh?" His voice was casual, but the interest in his tone was undeniable.Mia nodded slowly, leaning forward. "That’s why she’s his weakness. Right now, Olive is his whole world."Ethan scoffed, swirling his drink lazily. "And you think taking her out will destroy him?"Mia’s smirk deepened. She knew exactly what she was doing—how carefully she had placed every piece on the bo
His husky morning voice murmured against her ear.Olive froze.Raymond’s lips brushed against her bare shoulder. “Stay,” he whispered.Her heart pounded, her breath hitching in her throat. She could still feel the warmth of last night lingering between them, but something was different. Something had changed.She bit her finger quietly, a nervous habit she hadn’t realized had returned. “Ray…” she called in a low tone, her voice barely above a whisper.Raymond turned her around, making her face him. His dark, piercing eyes locked onto hers, searching for something in her expression.“What is it?” he asked, his smirk playful yet curious.Olive hesitated before lowering her gaze. Her hand moved instinctively to her stomach.Raymond followed her movement, his expression softening. “Are you hungry?”She shook her head, a small smile tugging at her lips. “No, but the baby is.”Raymond chuckled, clearly amused by her response. “Is that so?”Without another word, he got out of bed and scooped
The screen lit up with an unknown number. Olive hesitated for a moment before picking it up."Hello?" she said cautiously."Hello, Olive," the voice on the other end replied.Her heart skipped a beat. She instantly recognized the voice.Her grip on the phone tightened."We need to talk," Frank said. "Let’s get back together. Remember how you promised to stand by me, no matter what?"Olive scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping her lips before she could stop it. "Are you for real, Frank? After everything you did?""Olive, I promise, I love you. I don’t know what came over me," Frank said, his voice desperate."You don’t know what came over you?" she repeated, her tone sharp. "Frank, you must be joking with yourself if you think I’m still the same Olive from before. You cheated on me with my stepsister and had the audacity to take me to court. And now you think I’ll just come running back to you?"Frank’s tone turned cold. "Olive, if you won’t come to me gently, then don’t be surprised at my
Raymond’s head snapped up, his breath caught in his throat.His grandfather’s words echoed in his ears."And who said your mother is dead?"His pulse pounded. His mind scrambled to make sense of what he had just heard.His mother... alive?His grandfather leaned back in his chair, watching Raymond’s reaction with cold amusement. Then, he reached into his desk drawer, pulled out a stack of photographs, and tossed them onto the polished mahogany table."See for yourself," the old man said.Raymond hesitated before picking up the pictures. His fingers trembled slightly as he flipped through them.The first image made his breath hitch.It was a woman.His mother.Older, but unmistakably her.She was smiling, dressed in elegant clothes, standing outside what looked like a high-end restaurant in Chicago. Another picture showed her at a charity gala, champagne in hand, laughing with a group of well-dressed socialites.Raymond’s grip on the photos tightened.This couldn’t be real."She’s in C
He picked up instantlyHello babe, the voice came from the other end.Sweat drop down from Raymond forehead.That voice.It was a voice he had buried six feet under.A voice that should not exist.A voice that belonged to Sonia.His throat went dry. He wanted to speak, to say something, but the words got stuck. His chest tightened as if a giant hand was squeezing the air out of his lungs.No. This wasn’t real."Yes, babe." The voice on the other end repeated. It was soft, familiar, laced with an eerie sweetness that sent chills down his spine. "It’s me."Raymond’s entire body stiffened.His fingers trembled slightly, and he blinked, trying to shake off the hallucination. But the voice continued."How have you been, babe?"He couldn’t answer. He couldn’t even breathe properly."Hope you're taking care of yourself," she continued, her tone gentle. Almost affectionate.But Raymond still didn’t respond.Because this wasn’t possible.Because Sonia was dead.His hands clenched into fists.N
Raymond barely slept for the rest of the night.His body was exhausted, but his mind wouldn’t rest. Every time he closed his eyes, he heard Sonia’s voice so soft, familiar, and unsettling.And that dream… Olive burning.It felt so real.It didn’t make sense.The pressure of it sat heavily on his chest, suffocating him with questions he couldn’t answer.He lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, his heart pounding against his ribs. The more he tried to rationalize what had happened, the deeper he fell into the pit of uncertainty.Sonia was gone. He had mourned her. He had suffered for years, haunted by the memories of the accident that stole her from him. He had carried the pain, the regret, and the emptiness that came with losing the one person he had once thought he would spend his life with.His throat felt dry. He swallowed hard, trying to ignore the unease coiling inside him. There had to be an explanation. Someone was playing a cruel joke on him, using her voice to manipulate him.
What if Sonia was in danger? Or worse she was held captive by his enemies?The thought struck Raymond like a bolt of lightning, freezing him in place. His breath turned uneven, his pulse hammering in his ears. The more he tried to make sense of it, the more impossible it seemed.His fingers dug into the armrest of his chair as he stared at the phone screen. The message glared back at him."See you soon, Raymond."A cruel joke? A hallucination? Or something far worse?He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. The air in the room felt thick, suffocating, despite the cool weather.If someone had gone to such lengths to keep Sonia hidden, then her revealing herself now meant something had changed.Either she needed help.Or she was leading him into a trap.His gaze darkened. He wasn’t the kind of man to walk blindly into danger. If Sonia was alive, he would uncover the truth himself.His mind was made up.He would return to New York. That was where it all started. That was where
Just as Olive entered, Sonia majestically walked up to Raymond and gave him a hug.Raymond stood frozen. His muscles tensed, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. His mind couldn’t process what was happening.Sonia was here. In his penthouse. Holding him.This was impossible.This was a dream. It had to be.But then he looked up and met Olive’s gaze.She stood near the door, her eyes locked onto him, her expression unreadable. She didn’t speak. She didn’t move.Sonia’s grip around his waist tightened. She pressed herself closer, resting her chin lightly on his shoulder. Her lips curved into a smile, a silent victory as she glanced at Olive from the corner of her eye.Sonia wanted Olive to see this, to make her know she owns Raymond. She wanted to prove something.But Olive didn’t react.Not a single blink. Not a single shift in her expression.She simply stood there, quiet, watching.And for some reason, that made Raymond’s chest tighten.Raymond had expected something, like a
The nurse turned and looked at Ezra, her expression unreadable. “Sorry, sir,” she said flatly, then turned away.It was as if the moment never happened. The nurses resumed their tasks in silence, their quiet efficiency louder than any words. Ezra stood there, ears ringing from the weight of what he’d just heard. That silence… it wasn’t what he wanted. It wasn’t what he needed. He didn’t want calm or polite shrugs—he wanted answers. He wanted someone to tell him that what he heard was wrong.With panic rising in his chest, Ezra spun on his heel and ran down the corridor. He remembered the ward Olive had been in, where Raymond's assistant had guarded the door like his life depended on it.His heart pounded in his ears, his shoes squeaking across the tiles. When he reached the room, he yanked the door open.Empty.The bed was stripped. Machines unplugged. Everything was so neat, it was like she’d never been there.“No. No, no, no—” he whispered, stumbling back a step.A nurse was inside,
Olive lost her childEthan felt like the ground had shifted beneath him. His eyes were fixed on nothing, yet everything around him swirled in chaos. His chest rose and fell sharply as the weight of Ezra’s words settled in.“She… she lost the baby?” His voice cracked, almost too soft to hear.Ezra nodded, his face drawn. “Yeah. The doctor said the trauma and stress were too much.”A silence fell between them.Ethan turned his face away, ashamed. “This is my fault,” he said bitterly. “All of it. If I hadn’t given in to Mia’s manipulations—if I hadn’t allowed my hatred for Raymond to blind me—Olive wouldn’t have been hurt.”Ezra didn’t respond at first. He just sat down beside Ethan’s hospital bed, leaning forward with his hands clasped. His posture was stiff. They had both walked the same path, driven by envy and resentment, thinking they were justified. But now, the consequences stared them down in the most brutal way.“You’re not alone in this,” Ezra finally said. “I let my emotions t
As soon as Ezra bent to pick up the object, Frank had already realized what it was. With desperation fueling his bruised and battered body, he lunged forward, ignoring the searing pain in his ribs, and snatched the phone off the ground before Ezra’s fingers could graze it.Ezra stood up slowly, straightening his jacket with the composure of a man who had not just been in a fight minutes ago. He smirked coldly. “We have to end this here. I have better things to do than stand here breathing the same air as you… unless, of course, you’re asking to die.”Frank chuckled despite the blood dribbling from the side of his mouth. His eyes, though nearly swollen shut, gleamed with something more dangerous than fury—conviction. “Ezra, you really do think highly of yourself.”He lifted the phone, his thumb dangerously close to the screen. “You see this? You’re not getting it back. This time, I’ll make sure it gets to the authorities. You won’t be able to lie your way out of this.”Ezra’s expressio
“What truth are you talking about?” Ezra asked, his voice edged with curiosity as he lifted himself from the body of his car. His head was feeling dizzy because of the stress lately but it seems Frank has something to say about him.A smug smirk played on Frank's lips.“Oh... look who suddenly wants the truth,” he said with a lazy chuckle. “I thought you didn’t give a damn when I exposed you. Or were you too busy playing the villain in a suit to care?”Ezra clenched his jaw, as his fist clenched by his side trying to calm the anger already building up in him.“Speak if you want to speak, and if you don’t—get lost.” His tone was tight, words pushed through gritted teeth.Frank scoffed, walking forward more closer to Ezra this time.“You’re still playing hard when you’re about to be ruined?” His words dripped with taunt, his confidence unwavering.Ezra’s eyes darkened.“Do what suits you. I don’t care. Just don’t bring Olive into this. If you do, you’ll have yourself to blame.”He turne
“I think I know what to do,” Frank muttered under his breath, the tremble in his voice betraying the storm raging within him. His shoes echoed against the sleek hotel floor as he strode toward the hallway, each step fueled by desperation and unresolved regret.He didn’t get far.“Excuse me, sir,” a firm voice cut through the air, halting him mid-stride. Two security men stood in his path, their stance unwavering, their eyes alert.Frank blinked, startled. “What’s this?”“Passage card, sir,” one of the guards demanded.Frank’s hand instinctively darted to his pocket, looking for a card—though he clearly knew he had none.“Hmm… I don’t have any,” he said, trying to maintain composure. “But I think we can talk, man to man.”“No. We don’t do that here,” the guard replied sternly.“Gosh,” Frank muttered. “Why are the people here so strong-headed? First it was the receptionist, now it’s the guards.”He knew there were empty rooms, but the receptionist had refused to give him one.“Okay, how
The person that just came down was Frank.Ezra stood still, his hand resting lightly on the curtain. The streetlight outside wasn’t too bright, but it gave enough glow to make out the tall, dark figure leaning on the car. There was no mistaking that face. The jawline, the hair, the posture—it was undeniably Frank.Ezra’s brows tightened. “What the hell is this clown doing here?” he muttered under his breath.He just stared.Frank? After everything? After what happened at the warehouse? Ezra had pulled him out with his own hands. Dragged him out. And now he was here? Following?Ezra slowly released the curtain and stepped back from the window. He rubbed his forehead with both palms, exhaling quietly. The day had already been messy. Too messy. And now this?He wasn’t scared. Just... fed up. Tired.He turned away from the window, running a hand over his head. His muscles were tight, jaw clenched. He pushed his damp curls back, then rubbed the back of his neck as if that could ease the ti
"Don't look for my boss; this is not a warning, but the truth. With his state of mind right now, he might kill you, and he definitely does not care about the consequences,” Daniel coldly said.Ezra didn’t flinch. He didn’t acknowledge the threat, the coldness in Daniel’s voice, or the dangerous warning behind it. Instead, he simply kept walking, his footsteps echoing off the sterile hospital walls. He was numb, his mind a whirlwind of confusion, guilt, and frustration. His brain couldn’t even begin to process everything that had just happened, the gravity of what was unfolding around him.As he reached the parking lot, Ezra could feel the weight of the situation pressing down on him, a constant reminder of the mess he was now in. He opened the door to his car and slid inside, slamming it shut behind him with a soft thud. His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as he started the engine, the low hum of the car grounding him for a moment.He drove off, not knowing where he was go
Ezra had caught a glimpse of Daniel, so he approached him with the hope of finding Raymond.“Hello,” Ezra greeted, his voice steady but cautious.Daniel didn’t acknowledge him right away, keeping his attention firmly fixed on Olive’s door, like it was the only thing worth focusing on at that moment. His stance was rigid, almost like a soldier guarding an important post. Every muscle in his body seemed wound tight—a simmering tension that Ezra could almost feel from where he stood.Nurses were moving about hurriedly, attending to one patient or another. But none of them dared approach Daniel. They respected the silent authority he carried—one that demanded you either obey or keep your distance.Ezra shifted his weight, clearing his throat. "I’m Ezra," he said again, though there was still no reaction. "Ethan's brother."Daniel barely spared him a glance. His jaw tightened, eyes never wavering from the door. Ezra hesitated, unsure whether he should press on or let the silence stretch.“
Ezra sat stiffly in the hospital chair close to Ethan's bed, his fingers clutching Ethan’s hand like it was a lifeline. His brother’s palm was clammy, lifeless, but warm—thank God, still warm.The fluorescent light overhead buzzed, flickering once. The machines beside the bed beeped in a slow, steady rhythm.Ezra hated the sound.He leaned forward, eyes glued to Ethan’s pale face, searching for any flicker of movement, any twitch of his brow—anything that said I’m still here, bro.But Ethan didn’t move.His chest rose and fell shallowly under the white blanket. His leg was heavily bandaged, elevated—the blood loss had almost taken him on arrival. The nurse had told Ezra as much: “He’s stable, for now. But we’re watching him closely.”Ezra couldn’t stop the shaking in his knees. His brother—the one who always acted like he didn’t care, always played the fool just to lighten the mood—was lying there like a damn ghost. It didn’t feel real. It couldn’t be real.And then, like a slow wave