Max went after Stacy who kept running out of the house. He finally caught up to her when she approached her car and tried to hold her, however, she turned and slapped him."How dare you, Max? I'm so disgusted by your face right now.""Calm down, please and listen to me. Everything I did was part of the plan." He explained.She scoffed, "What plan? Did the plan involve kissing and being intimate with her? Was that part of the plan, Max?""Just calm down and listen to what I have to say," Max begged.She shook her head, "No, Max. There's no excuse you will give right now that will make me understand or forgive what you have done. I trusted you.""It was the doctor's request," Max told her."What? What does that even mean?" She yelled."Lower your voice, please," Max replied. "Come with me first.""No, I'm not going in there." She pulled her hand away from his."Please just come to my room. Let's talk," Max insisted and held her hand again, taking her with him. She angrily followed behin
Jade woke up while it was still dark, took her bath, and got dressed. She had already prepared herself to leave and was just waiting for the perfect time.She wasn't going to leave with her clothes because she did not want to attract suspicion. All she needed to do was wait for Anderson and Max to leave, and then she would leave with just the black card and the few things she'd have on her. While lying on her bed, she heard a knock on her door, and it was suddenly pushed open. She turned and smiled when she saw Max.She got up and stood, "Good morning, Max.""Good morning, Jade," He replied."Well, you're looking sharp and handsome," she told him. "I haven't seen you so well dressed in a while."He chuckled, "I must say you're looking good too. How do you manage it even with your condition?"Jade shook her head, "I've not really done anything."He sighed, "Okay....well, I want to apologize for what happened yesterday and...""No, no, there's no need for that," Jade said, stopping him.
When Mr. Anderson came back from work, he went straight to Jade's room to see her. He was in such a hurry in the morning that he did not bother to see her. However, when he got to her room, he realized she wasn't there and became worried. He began to search for her, going straight to Max's room because he knew they had a good relationship, but she wasn't there.He had received a call earlier from Max, who told him he had left the country. He wasn't happy about it, since Max had earlier delegated someone else to go on the journey. He had thought Max would stay back and look after Jade.He had been really impressed with him lately, with the way he maintained a good relationship with Jade and always took care of her. It convinced him that Max was going to be a good father to his grandchildren. But now that he couldn't find Jade anywhere, he asked all the maids including Agatha, but they had no idea where she was. Going out, he met the security at the gate and asked, "Where's Jade?""I
Max thought about how he had already made up his mind that he wouldn't take Jade's children from her or let her be separated from them without her consent. He had promised himself that he was going to give her the best life, make sure she went to college, got a good job, and was involved in the lives of her children. He had not bothered to share this decision with his father or Stacy because he knew that they wouldn't understand his point of view."And what about the sweet moments we spent together, Jade?" He asked himself.Everything must have been a subtle plan from her end, so she would get under his skin and betray him once she gained his trust. He gritted his teeth, "I will never forgive you, Jade."Meanwhile, at this time, the woman who had taken Jade and given her accommodation saw the post with Jade's pictures and the fact that a hundred thousand dollars would be awarded to whoever found her. Her eyes lit up greedily, "Hundred thousand dollars!"She looked at Jade, who was
TWENTY FOUR HOURS LATER JADEI opened my eyes and blinked a few times as I struggled to adjust to the light. I felt weak and my body was sore too.I looked around the room and became aware of my surroundings. I recalled what had happened the previous day and sat upright as I cried out, "My babies!"The door was pushed open at this time and a doctor came inside, a man in his forties.He rushed to my side and began to stroke my back comfortingly as I cried my heart out."My babies," I cried. "They took my babies, please help me...I need to get my babies back."I got off the bed at this point, ignoring the pain in my body. I began heading toward the door but the doctor held my hand and pulled me back as he said, "I will help you."I turned and stared at him, tears streaming down my face, "Will you really help me?""Yes," he replied."I was here yesterday and I witnessed everything that happened. No mother should be made to suffer what you suffered. In fact, no one has the right to take
JADEThe gate was opened but to my surprise, it wasn't by the security man I knew but was someone else.I gulped. Was the former security man fired because I escaped with my pregnancy the last time?"Who are you and what do you want?" He asked me."I....my name is....I..." As I stuttered, the man laughed and a voice from inside asked, "Who is that?"My heart skipped a beat as I recognized the voice. It was the security man I knew. So, he wasn't fired but someone else was added to his post.I became filled with dread. Nevertheless, I remembered my children and reached out my left hand as I said weakly, "Help me!"I acted like I was going to faint and the security man who initially wanted to go back inside, turned and caught my hand.I turned my left hand and gripped his arm, surprising him. I pulled him toward me and pricked the back of his hand with the poisoned needle I held in my hand.His eyes widened as he instantly became paralyzed and fell to the ground. I was shocked as I had
JADE Left with no other choice, I began to run with my two children in my arms. I was very afraid because I knew that running on foot increased the chances of me getting caught.Anderson could put out a call to the security men at the entrance of the estate and instruct them to conduct a stop and search. How could Frank betray me at a time like this?After helping me get this far, he disappeared when I needed him the most. Was this all a plan to get me to rot in jail? Was he working for the Andersons and deliberately set me up? No matter what, I was going to die first before letting them take the two children from me.I suddenly stopped running and gasped when I recalled my jewelry. I had put them in a bag and hid them in the trunk of Frank's car. They were worth millions of dollars and Frank may have discovered them.I had made him believe that the bag merely contained my clothes but while I was in Andersons' house trying to retrieve my kids, he must have gone through my things and d
JADEWe arrived at Frank's apartment and I laid my sons on his bed so they could sleep a little more.I told him about my broken wrist and he said, "It would have been strange if you came out unscathed. Now I am convinced you don't have secret superpowers."I huffed, "If I had superpowers, either secret or known, I would not have been in my current situation."He nodded, "You have a point. So if you were to miraculously have superpowers, what would you do with them?"I smiled, "That's easy. Get back my daughter.""And what next?" He asked further."Once I and my children are stable, the next step would be revenge," I replied."Against Max or his father?" He inquiredI sighed, "I am angry at Max but I don't think I can ever hurt him.""Do you have feelings for him then?" He began to work on my broken wrist as he waited for an answer from me."What do I say?" I asked him. "I do not have such luxury. I want to be practical and do what I must in order to survive and care for my children.
TROY After two years, I was back in the Scandinavia, the place that took everything from me. I had rented the whole beach for the evening because I wanted to be alone. I stood by my once favorite beach in Oslo and closed my eyes as memories from the past flooded my mind; Her beautiful smile, and the warmth of her body, pressed against mine as we stared at the stars together. Aislinn was everything to me until she was snatched away so cruelly. I opened my eyes and stared at the water, hoping its calmness would soothe my turbulent heart. All of a sudden, something caught my attention. Floating and approaching from a distance, I tried to make out what it was. I took a few steps closer, dipping my legs into the water. I gasped when I realized it was a person; a woman, and judging by the way she looked, I knew she was dead. I turned and wanted to leave but a question struck my mind; what if she wasn't dead? What if Aislinn was in a similar situation and needed help? Would I have
MARIANNE If it weren't for the date and time stamp on the video, I would have thought Paula was lying to me. As I watched the video, everything began to piece together in my head. I recalled when Tony had first approached me for a relationship. I had refused his advances, especially since I had just clocked eighteen, but Britney kept encouraging me to give him a chance, claiming we were perfect for each other and would be together forever. Back then, I was amazed at how Tony and I had the same tastes, interests, and even fashion sense. I believed he was truly destined for me. Only after Paula's revelation did I realize that Britney had planted him in my life and told him about my likes and dislikes. No wonder he seemed so perfect in my eyes and I ended up falling in love with him. They deceived me for so long and plotted my downfall. The false testimonies from my secretary and Tony's sister finally made more sense to me. I felt so much anger surge within me and a deep yearn
MARIANNE Everything felt like a dream. Just like that, I had been condemned for something I never did. My only crime was being too kind and trusting the wrong people. As I was being transported by ship along with a few other prisoners, the judge's words echoed in my ears, "This court finds the accused; Mrs. Tony, guilty of first-degree murder and sentences her to life imprisonment with hard labor in the Norwegian Island Prison. I recalled the triumphant look on Britney's face as I was being taken away and could not understand what I ever did wrong to her. When I met her so many years ago, I had just finished high school. Being the daughter of the richest man in the city, I lived in affluence as opposed to her who was struggling to get by. I saw her working as a waiter at a party and took her side when a guest treated her disrespectfully. We got close from that night and I got to find out that she had no family. She was an orphan who had to work from a very young age just to
MARIANNE I sighed in relief as I thanked Britney repeatedly. "There's no need to thank me," she expressed. "You are my best friend and I will do anything for you." The next morning, just as my lawyer had promised, I was arraigned before a judge. I had been restless throughout the night as it was my first time being in a cell. I tried not to cry because I knew it wouldn't help my situation. I convinced myself that I was just unfortunate. I never should have married Tony. After the judge questioned me, I took a plea of not guilty. My attorney didn't seem pleased by that but I didn't care. No one was going to make me admit to something I never did. Since it was my first appearance, I expected that I would be granted bail and allowed to show up in court from the comfort of my home during the preliminary hearings. I planned to get the best lawyer for myself once I was released on bail and got access to my phone. However, nothing like that happened. The judge allowed a ten minut
MARIANNE At the police station, I was cuffed and kept in a dimly lit room with four chairs, one table, and a window. I was exhausted and my eyes were puffy from crying. Even though Tony cheated on me, he was the love of my life and I could not believe he was no more. In a flash, I had become a widow; the youngest I knew because I had just turned twenty, a month ago. The three policemen sat in front of me, questioning me as though I were a common criminal. "Don't you know who I am?" I asked. "I own foundations, charity organizations, and free hospitals. I help people, not hurt them. No matter what, I could never murder a man I loved with my life." "Stop beating around the bush and answer the damn question!" One of the policemen yelled at me, slapping his palms on the table. I didn't have to be a police officer or a lawyer to know that what the men were doing was not standard procedure. They were biased toward me and I had no idea why. "I won't speak any more until my lawye
MARIANNE I stepped on my brake pedal and gave myself a minute to catch my breath. My hands were shivering and I felt chilled to the bone. I still could not believe what I had just seen. I opened my phone and watched for the umpteenth time, the pornographic video that had been sent to me anonymously. My husband of almost two years was in bed, having sex with a woman that wasn't me. His face was revealed in the video, while hers was concealed. The only thing I could make of the woman was her slender wrist and the gold bracelet around it. It seemed oddly familiar but I could not remember where I had seen it. For two years, I believed my marriage was the best in the world because my husband, Tony adored me and worshipped the ground I walked on. I was the richest woman in the city and my company, RAY INDUSTRIES was the number one in the country, yet, my happiest moments were the ones spent with my husband. That was how much I loved him. How could he betray my trust? Hands still
SYNOPSIS "My husband walks about freely, lavishing my fortune, with his mistress by his side, while I am condemned to spend the rest of my life in an island prison for his death. If this is my fate, I will fight it until my last breath."~~~ MARIANNE Betrayed by the ones she trusted most, Marianne finds herself convicted for a crime she did not commit. In a desperate attempt to change her new reality, she ends up at the brink of death but gets a second chance in Troy; An unusually sexy billionaire willing to place the world at her feet. Marianne swears she is done with men and love, and her life's goal is revenge against those who wronged her. But why does her heart race uncontrollably at the sound of his voice? ***His hands reached out, framing my face as his fingers caressed my lips. I closed my eyes when he cupped my breasts and his lips settled on the crook of my neck, lavishing it with kisses until I was breathless and wet beyond control. "Troy," I panted and my eyes flung
In the morning, Ethan woke Cila up from his bed and calmly asked her to leave his bedroom and stay away from it. As she walked out of the room, she stood by the door, staring at Ethan who was watching her leave. She wished she could turn back the hands of time. If she hadn’t tried to take Laura’s place and planned for Laura to catch them in the act, Ethan would still be meeting her behind Laura’s back. She wouldn’t feel so alone. She would still have him—if only she hadn’t been so greedy for more. She had no clue Ethan was secretly seeing Laura again. He came home early, spent most of his free time with her. Little did she know, Ethan had been stealing moments with Laura during their lunch breaks, meeting at the small apartment he had rented temporarily for her. The joy of those stolen hours made time fly for them, but each day weighed heavier on Ethan’s heart. He kept counting down the days, marking them on his calendar, waiting for the moment he could bring Laura back home
"Shh......," Byron shushed Laura as he moved closer to her, cupping her face and attempting to kiss her once more. This time, however, he was met with a sharp slap across his face. The sting of it made him pause, his hand instinctively reaching for his cheek as he glared at her. "So, you’d rather sit here, pining away for a man who’s off fucking your best friend, instead of giving me a chance to make you happy?" he spat, his voice dripping with bitterness. "You know what, Laura? You deserve everything that’s happening to you. You’re foolish, indecisive, and weak. You deserve to be ditched by your husband and betrayed by your so-called best friend." The words cut through Laura like a blade, each one more painful than the last. Byron stormed out, slamming the door behind him. Laura remained standing, her legs suddenly too weak to hold her up. She sank to the floor, the weight of his words pressing down on her. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she sobbed uncontrollably. "Do I reall