“Oh, Raymond, you haven’t welcomed us well,” his grandfather said, his deep voice carrying both authority and expectation.Raymond’s fingers tapped against the armrest of his chair, his jaw set tight. Across from him, Mia sat beside his grandfather, her body angled slightly toward the old man as if seeking shelter in his presence. Her expression was laced with mock innocence, but the smug glint in her eyes didn’t escape Raymond’s notice.“She must have missed you so much,” his grandfather added, and Mia tilted her head playfully.“Yes, Grandpa! Only you understand me,” Mia cooed, slipping her arm through his grandfather’s as if she were a beloved granddaughter, cherished and protected.Raymond scoffed, as he look at Mia with Irritation. His gaze shifted to his grandfather, “what are you doing in New York?” His voice was firm, void of warmth.His grandfather exhaled slowly, leaning back against the chair, his fingers intertwined on his lap. “I didn’t know I needed to inform you before
Sonia scoffed, her lips twisting into a smirk despite the raw pain on her face. She tilted her head slightly, letting her disheveled hair fall to one side as she regarded Raymond with defiant amusement."Because you don’t have the guts to hurt me. Because you love me very much," she beamed, her voice laced with mockery. "You act like a beast, but deep down, you're just a scared little boy hiding behind power."Raymond’s gaze darkened, his patience wearing dangerously thin.In a single, swift movement, his hold on her jaw tightened, his fingers pressing into her skin as he forced her to look at him."Even if the real Sonia comes, I won’t give her any damn attention," he said coldly, his grip tightening slightly before he abruptly shoved her head to the side, making it snap back. "Let alone a fake like you."Sonia laughed. It was a wicked, high-pitched sound, grating and mocking. The defiance in her eyes burned brightly, as if she truly believed she had control over the situation. She b
Raymond’s phone rang, breaking the silence in the hospital ward.The sharp sound pulled him from his thoughts as he sat beside Olive’s hospital bed, his fingers resting lightly against hers. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the phone and answered without looking at the screen."Hello, sir," Daniel’s voice came through, steady but laced with an undertone of unease. "Sonia is no longer there."Raymond didn’t react immediately. Instead, a slow smirk crept onto his face."Leave them," he said, his voice was calm. "There’s an ambush waiting for them."He ended the call and slipped the phone back into his pocket, his expression unreadable.It wasn’t surprising. He had expected this.Sonia thought she was smart. She thought she had slipped away. But what she didn’t know was that he had planned for this exact moment. He had felt someone tailing him last night when he entered the dark room. Their presence had been obvious, their movements too cautious, too calculated. He had ignored th
Ezra leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he stared at Ethan with cold determination. His expression remained unreadable."You want me to abduct Olive?" he repeated, his voice dangerously low.Ethan smirked, lifting his whiskey glass to his lips before taking a slow sip. He savored the burn before setting the glass down, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the polished surface of his desk."Not just abduct," he corrected, his voice laced with amusement. "You’ll be working with Mia’s assassins. They’re skilled, precise. No loose ends."Ezra scoffed. "Mia?" He shook his head. "She’s blinded by her obsession with Raymond. You really think she’ll follow through once she has Olive in her grasp?"Ethan’s grin widened. "That’s the beauty of it, little brother. Mia thinks she’s running the game, but she’s nothing more than a pawn. Her hatred for Olive will make her reckless, and that’s exactly what we need. Let her believe she’s in control while we take what truly matters."
The day before her wedding, Olive Bennett couldn’t contain her excitement. Her white lace wedding gown hung neatly on the closet door, and her veil lay folded on the bed. Everything she had ever dreamed of was about to come true—marrying Frank, the man she had loved for six years, in front of friends and family. She glanced at the clock. Delilah, her stepsister, was supposed to help her with last-minute wedding details, but she was late, as usual. Olive sighed and decided to make herself some tea. The apartment was quiet except for the faint hum of the refrigerator. As she stirred honey into her tea, Olive’s phone buzzed on the kitchen counter. It was Frank. “Hey, babe,” she answered cheerfully. “Hey, I left my cufflinks at your place,” Frank said. “Mind if I swing by and grab them?” Olive smiled. “Sure. They’re in the bedroom drawer. I’ll leave the door unlocked.” “Thanks. I’ll be there in ten.” Olive decided to take a quick shower before Frank arrived. She left her phon
The following morning, Olive woke up to the sound of her phone buzzing incessantly on the coffee table. She had fallen asleep on the couch, her face streaked with dried tears. Her eyes burned, and her head throbbed as she groggily reached for the phone. A flood of messages and missed calls greeted her. Most were from concerned friends and family checking on last-minute wedding details. But there was one from Frank, and just seeing his name made her stomach churn. We need to talk. Call me. Olive stared at the message, her heart heavy with anger and pain. What more was there to say? She had seen everything she needed to. She tossed the phone aside and sank back into the couch, burying her face in her hands. The betrayal was still fresh, the memory of Frank and Diana together replaying in her mind like a broken record. Delilah’s smirk, her mocking words, and the damning pregnancy test result—all of it left Olive feeling raw and exposed. Olive decided she couldn’t stay in the apartmen
Olive adjusted the strap of her suitcase as she maneuvered through the crowded airport. The din of announcements over the intercom and the bustling of passengers filled the air. Her chest felt heavy, weighed down by the betrayal and heartbreak that had unraveled her life in just a matter of hours. Each step felt like she was leaving behind the fragments of a dream she had clung to for years—a life with Frank, a family she thought she could trust. But that dream was dead now, and she had to move forward.She gripped her boarding pass tightly, as if it were her lifeline. Her destination was New York City. It wasn’t a place she’d dreamed of living, but it was far enough from the chaos she was escaping. It was a city big enough to lose herself in, to start over without the judgmental stares and whispered rumors that would undoubtedly follow her back home.Olive inhaled deeply as she stopped at a coffee counter to order something warm. The sleepless night had drained her, leaving her jitte
Olive stood at the window of her temporary hotel room, staring out at the city that was both foreign and overwhelming. New York’s endless buzz felt like a cruel mirror of the turmoil inside her. Her fingers drummed on the edge of the windowpane as her mind reeled from everything that had unfolded.This city was supposed to be her escape. It was supposed to be a place where she could start fresh, leave her broken engagement and family betrayals behind, and figure out what to do next. But instead of finding peace, she was now saddled with a mystery pregnancy and a gnawing fear that her life was spiraling out of control.“I need to find a place,” she murmured, pacing the room. Living in a hotel felt too transient, too uncertain. She needed stability, even if only the kind a proper apartment could offer.---The search for a new home consumed most of her day. Olive wandered through neighborhoods, touring cramped apartments and overpriced studios. Nothing felt right. The city was bustling,
Ezra leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he stared at Ethan with cold determination. His expression remained unreadable."You want me to abduct Olive?" he repeated, his voice dangerously low.Ethan smirked, lifting his whiskey glass to his lips before taking a slow sip. He savored the burn before setting the glass down, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the polished surface of his desk."Not just abduct," he corrected, his voice laced with amusement. "You’ll be working with Mia’s assassins. They’re skilled, precise. No loose ends."Ezra scoffed. "Mia?" He shook his head. "She’s blinded by her obsession with Raymond. You really think she’ll follow through once she has Olive in her grasp?"Ethan’s grin widened. "That’s the beauty of it, little brother. Mia thinks she’s running the game, but she’s nothing more than a pawn. Her hatred for Olive will make her reckless, and that’s exactly what we need. Let her believe she’s in control while we take what truly matters."
Raymond’s phone rang, breaking the silence in the hospital ward.The sharp sound pulled him from his thoughts as he sat beside Olive’s hospital bed, his fingers resting lightly against hers. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the phone and answered without looking at the screen."Hello, sir," Daniel’s voice came through, steady but laced with an undertone of unease. "Sonia is no longer there."Raymond didn’t react immediately. Instead, a slow smirk crept onto his face."Leave them," he said, his voice was calm. "There’s an ambush waiting for them."He ended the call and slipped the phone back into his pocket, his expression unreadable.It wasn’t surprising. He had expected this.Sonia thought she was smart. She thought she had slipped away. But what she didn’t know was that he had planned for this exact moment. He had felt someone tailing him last night when he entered the dark room. Their presence had been obvious, their movements too cautious, too calculated. He had ignored th
Sonia scoffed, her lips twisting into a smirk despite the raw pain on her face. She tilted her head slightly, letting her disheveled hair fall to one side as she regarded Raymond with defiant amusement."Because you don’t have the guts to hurt me. Because you love me very much," she beamed, her voice laced with mockery. "You act like a beast, but deep down, you're just a scared little boy hiding behind power."Raymond’s gaze darkened, his patience wearing dangerously thin.In a single, swift movement, his hold on her jaw tightened, his fingers pressing into her skin as he forced her to look at him."Even if the real Sonia comes, I won’t give her any damn attention," he said coldly, his grip tightening slightly before he abruptly shoved her head to the side, making it snap back. "Let alone a fake like you."Sonia laughed. It was a wicked, high-pitched sound, grating and mocking. The defiance in her eyes burned brightly, as if she truly believed she had control over the situation. She b
“Oh, Raymond, you haven’t welcomed us well,” his grandfather said, his deep voice carrying both authority and expectation.Raymond’s fingers tapped against the armrest of his chair, his jaw set tight. Across from him, Mia sat beside his grandfather, her body angled slightly toward the old man as if seeking shelter in his presence. Her expression was laced with mock innocence, but the smug glint in her eyes didn’t escape Raymond’s notice.“She must have missed you so much,” his grandfather added, and Mia tilted her head playfully.“Yes, Grandpa! Only you understand me,” Mia cooed, slipping her arm through his grandfather’s as if she were a beloved granddaughter, cherished and protected.Raymond scoffed, as he look at Mia with Irritation. His gaze shifted to his grandfather, “what are you doing in New York?” His voice was firm, void of warmth.His grandfather exhaled slowly, leaning back against the chair, his fingers intertwined on his lap. “I didn’t know I needed to inform you before
Her breath hitched, but she refused to flinch. She would not give him the satisfaction.Daniel held the knife steady, his gaze locked onto hers, dark and unreadable.But just as the blade was about to cut into her skin, his phone vibrated. The sharp sound shattered the thick silence of the room. Daniel’s jaw ticked in irritation.Daniel fingers tightened around it the knife as he brought it down, he reached into his pocket with his free hand.The caller was his boss “Raymond.A sign of disappointment crossed his face as he answered.“Hello, sir.”“Has she spoken?” Raymond’s voice was cold, clipped.Daniel’s gaze flickered back to Sonia, whose lips curled into a bloody smirk despite her battered state.“Not yet, sir.”A brief pause. Then Raymond’s voice returned, this time with a controlled calmness that hinted at something more.“Okay. Come to the hospital. I have something to take care of.”Daniel’s fingers flexed around the phone. He wanted to stay. To finish what he started. But R
Sonia’s scream tore through the dark, room, raw and piercing. Her body jerked violently against the restraints as Daniel twisted the blade deeper into her hand. Blood trickled down her fingers, pooling onto the cold floor beneath her.Her chest heaved, her breath ragged. Pain coursed through every nerve, but she refused to break. Instead, she let out a low, pained chuckle, her lips curling into a bloody smirk.“Do your worst,” she rasped, her voice hoarse but laced with defiance. She spat a mouthful of blood onto the floor, her dark eyes flashing with a twisted kind of amusement.Daniel regarded her in silence, his expression unreadable. Without a word, he turned away, walking toward the table in the corner.Sonia’s gaze followed him, her heart pounding despite the mask of bravado she wore.She watched as he carefully selected his next tools—another knife, smaller but just as deadly, a whip with leather-stripped ends, and a lighter. He moved with a kind of precision that made her stom
Raymond swallowed the lump in his throat, his fingers gripping the pen so tightly that his knuckles turned white. The doctor’s words echoed in his head, bouncing around like a cruel taunt."We can only save one."His gaze flickered to the form in his hands. A single signature, a mere stroke of ink, would seal the fate of either his fiancée or their unborn child. His vision blurred, his chest tightening like a steel vice.He looked up at the doctor, desperation bleeding into his voice. “There’s no other way?”A shudder ran through Raymond’s body. His mind was a mess of thoughts, and he wished he could find a way out—but there was none. No amount of power, wealth, or influence could change the reality before him.He turned to Daniel, his most trusted aide, but even Daniel’s usually steady demeanor was shaken. His lips parted as if he wanted to offer a solution, but no words came. There was none.Raymond’s bloodstained fingers trembled as he brushed them through his disheveled hair. His
His heartbeat slammed against his ribs as he staggered forward, his knees nearly buckling."Olive," he whispered hoarsely, dropping to his knees beside her. His trembling fingers brushed against her cheek—cold. Too cold.His pulse roared in his ears. Panic threatened to seize him, but he shoved it down, forcing himself into action."Olive, wake up," he pleaded, gently tapping her pale cheek. No response. Her breathing was shallow, her lashes fluttering slightly, but she wasn’t conscious. His hands pressed against her wound, desperate to slow the bleeding, but the warm, sticky liquid seeped between his fingers, mocking his efforts.Gritting his teeth, Raymond scooped her into his arms, cradling her against his chest. The metallic scent of blood filled his lungs, suffocating him, but he didn’t care. Right now, nothing else mattered.His strides were swift, as he stormed out of the room. The mansion’s guards froze at the sight of their master, drenched in blood, carrying an unconscious O
Sonia clutched her chest as if she were in unbearable pain. "Raymond, please..." she whimpered, her voice trembling. "I don’t understand why she hates me so much! I’ve done nothing but try to be kind."Raymond took a step forward, his expression unreadable. Sonia was not one for theatrics, yet here she was, crumbling before him like a fragile doll. His gaze traveled over her trembling frame, the tear-streaked face, the way she hunched as if moments from collapsing.It was an act."Sonia, stop," he said, his voice firm.She blinked up at him, lashes damp, lips quivering. "Stop what?" she whispered, her voice laced with innocence.His jaw tightened. "I'm not blind. You’ve been playing games since you got back."Sonia stiffened. "I... I don’t—""Enough, Sonia." His voice was quiet but sharp, cutting through the tension like a blade. There was no anger, just finality, as if he had already made up his mind.Sonia’s breath hitched. Real shock flickered across her face before vanishing just