Sebastian’s POVThe night air felt thick, like it was pressing down on me. I sat on the couch, staring at my hands. My fingers were curled into fists, but I wasn’t even aware of it until I felt my nails digging into my palms.The house was quiet, except for the sound of the clock ticking. Natalie sat across from me, hugging a pillow. She wasn’t speaking. Her face was blank, but I knew what that meant. She was scared.We had every reason to be scared.A knock on the door made both of us freeze.Natalie’s grip on the pillow tightened. Her eyes snapped to mine, wide and full of fear.I stood up slowly. My heartbeat was steady, but my chest felt tight.We knew who it was. We had been waiting for him.I walked to the door and opened it.He stepped inside without a word. He was dressed in black, his expression calm, his eyes sharp. There was something about him that always made the air feel colder.He sat down, resting his elbows on his knees. His gaze moved between me and Natalie.“I have
The house was too quiet.I sat in my study, staring at the wooden desk, my fingers tapping against the surface. My heart pounded in my chest. The air felt thick, like it was trying to choke me.I had heard the whispers. I knew she loved and cherished Samantha because, you know, she'd be good for the family's reputation but her going this extent just to make Natalie feel bad…nah. It was way too much. it didn’t make sense.She was my mother. She was supposed to protect me. To stand by me. Not… this.I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing thoughts. But it didn’t work. The only way to get answers was to ask her myself.My fingers tightened around my phone. I pressed her number.One ring, she didn't pick up.Two.Then, she answered.“Sebastian,” she said, her voice smooth, as if nothing was wrong. As if she hadn’t shattered my life.I clenched my jaw. “Come to the house.”She was silent for a second. Then, she chuckled softly. “Demanding, aren’t we?”I closed my eyes, forcing myse
The room was silent, except for the sound of my own heartbeat pounding in my ears.I stood frozen at the doorway, gripping the wooden frame for support. My breath hitched, and my stomach twisted as I tried to process everything I had just heard.Sebastian’s mother-his own mother -had betrayed him. She had admitted it without a trace of guilt, without even flinching. She had planned his downfall, worked with the very man who had tried to destroy him, and she had done it because of me.I swallowed hard, my throat dry.Sebastian sat behind his desk, his head in his hands, his shoulders stiff. He hadn’t noticed me yet. Or maybe he had, and he was just too overwhelmed to acknowledge my presence. I had never seen him like this before—so broken, so defeated.I took a shaky step forward. “Sebastian?”His body jerked slightly at the sound of my voice. He lifted his head, and when our eyes met, my heart clenched. His gaze was filled with something I couldn’t quite define—anger, pain, disbelief.
The weight of everything sat heavy on my shoulders. My mother’s betrayal, my stepfather’s schemes, and the way my entire world had crumbled right in front of me -it was too much.But I wasn’t going to sit back and do nothing.I sat at my desk, staring at the dim glow of the lamp. The room felt suffocating, as if the walls were closing in on me. Natalie sat across from me, her eyes filled with worry, but she didn’t say anything. She just watched, waiting for me to speak.I finally exhaled, tapping my fingers against the desk. “I can’t let this go.”Natalie frowned. “Sebastian—”“No,” I cut in. “Don’t tell me to let it go, Natalie. You heard what she said. She did this to me. She ruined me. And she doesn’t even care.” My jaw tightened as anger surged through me again.Natalie sighed, shifting in her chair. “I know. I know how much this hurts you. But revenge-”“This isn’t just revenge,” I said sharply. “This is justice.”
I sat at the table, my fingers tapping lightly against the wood. The room was small and smelled of dust. A single bulb flickered over on the floor, casting weak shadows on the walls. The air felt thick, like something heavy was pressing down on my chest.Natalie stood by the window, her arms crossed tight. She didn’t say a word, but I could feel her eyes on me. The room was quiet, too quiet. Outside, cars passed, their lights flashing through the glass. She looked like she wanted to speak but held back. Her fingers gripped her sleeves, and her lips pressed into a thin line. The air between us felt heavy, full of things unsaid. I tapped my fingers on the desk, waiting. Finally, I sighed. “Just say it, Natalie.”"You don’t have to do this," she said at last. Her voice was calm, but there was something tight in it.I didn’t look at her. Instead, I stared at the black folder on the table. Inside it was everything. Every secret. Every lie. Every crime they had
I knew what I had to do. Sebastian had done his part. He had backed them into a corner. But it wasn’t over. There were still two people left. Iris and Samantha. They were careful. Too careful. But I had learned something important. Even the smartest people slip when they are afraid. I took a deep breath and checked my phone. Iris first. --- Iris I chose the café on purpose. Public. Bright. Safe. People talked here, laughed here. But behind the smiles and clinking cups, things could get ugly. Iris walked in exactly three minutes late. Always controlled. Always polished. She wore a beige blazer, matching heels, and sunglasses she didn’t need. She spotted me and walked over, her steps sharp. "Natalie," she greeted, sitting across from me. Her lips curled into a small, fake smile. "It’s been a while." I sipped my coffee. "It has." She
Chapter 85 – Natalie’s POVI walked fast, my heartbeat pounding too loud in my ears. It was like my heart was screaming, "Be afraid! Be afraid!" The streetlights flickered above me, casting long, fearful shadows on the empty pavement. Every few seconds, I glanced nervously over my shoulder. He was still there. The man. The one who had been following me for the last ten minutes.At first, I thought it was just my imagination. But now, I was sure. He was following me. His slow steps matched mine, always keeping a distance. I couldn't see his face clearly, but his eyes seemed to gleam in the dark. My skin crawled with fear.So women weren't safe walking alone on the streets anymore?I quickened my pace, my breath catching in my throat. The streets were deserted, and the only sound was the echo of our footsteps. I felt trapped, alone, and scared. Why was he following me? What did he want?I took a sharp turn into a side alley, hoping to
The moment Natalie hung up, I was already moving.My car roared to life as I slammed my foot on the gas, gripping the wheel so hard that my knuckles turned white. The city lights blurred past me, streaks of yellow and red against the night. My mind raced faster than the car, faster than the panic crawling up my throat.What could possibly had gone wrong?Who was there?Did Samantha and Iris get to find where we stay? Shit.She had whispered, "They're here."Now, she wasn’t picking up.I dialed her number again. One ring. Two. Straight to voicemail.A curse slipped from my lips - fuck. I pressed harder on the gas, ignoring the honks of angry drivers as I weaved through traffic. The streets felt endless, stretching longer than they should, as if the universe was playing a cruel trick on me. But I kept going.The apartment we had rented came into view - a small, old building at the cor
The house was too quiet. It was at this moment I knew silence had a sound and could be heard. It wasn’t the peaceful kind of silence.It was the heavy, suffocating kind-the kind that made the air thick, the kind that made my own heartbeat sound too loud in my ears. It pressed against my chest, wrapping around me like an invisible chain.I stood in the middle of the living room, staring at the space in front of me. My hands were clasped together, but my fingers kept fidgeting, twisting over one another.Sebastian hadn’t come downstairs since we got back from the courthouse.I knew where he was.Locked in his study. Alone.I hated this silence.Because it wasn’t really silent.It had a sound—the sound of pain, of grief, of everything that had gone unsaid.I walked toward the couch and sank down, my body feeling heavier than it should.This house wasn’t just a house.It had been
The weight of the the whole dramam going on settled on my shoulders like a boulder.I stood outside the police station, gripping my phone tightly in my hand, my thumb hovering over the play button.This was it.The moment I would turn my own mother in.The woman who had raised me, who had held me as a child, who had taught me how to ride a bike—now, I was handing her over to the law.Because she was a monster.Because she had betrayed me.Because she had tried to kill the woman I love.I sucked in a sharp breath, closing my eyes for a second. The night air was cold, biting against my skin. The streetlights flickered above, casting long shadows on the pavement. I could hear the faint sounds of cars honking in the distance, but everything around me felt… muted.Like the world had slowed down.Like I was standing on the edge of something I could never come back from.Then, with a final exhale, I stepped inside.The police station was bright and, the air was thick with the scent of coffee
I took a deep breath as I stepped out of the elevator and into the familiar space of Grant Enterprises. It had been weeks since I was last here. Weeks since my life had spiraled into chaos. Since secrets had been revealed, betrayals exposed, and the foundation of everything I knew had been shaken to its core. But now, I was back. Back to work. Back to normal. Or at least, as normal as life could get after everything that had happened. The office smelled the same-fresh coffee, crisp paper, the faint scent of polished wood. The soft hum of conversations and clicking keyboards filled the air, blending with the occasional ringing of phones. It was comforting in a way. Familiar. And yet, something felt different. Or maybe I was the one who had changed. …. The first thing I did after settling into my office was call HR. I needed a personal assistant. Ever since I got promoted, I had been handling too much on my own, and after everything that had happened, I knew I couldn’t affo
The knock on my office door was sharp, deliberate. I didn’t expect anyone. Not at this hour. Not today. I set down my pen, glancing at the clock. 3:47 PM. I had been drowning in work all day, trying to keep my mind off everything that had happened in the past few weeks. Trying to pretend that life was normal again, that I wasn’t standing on the remains of a world that had been shattered beyond recognition. But now, someone was at my door. I straightened, adjusting my tie before speaking. “Come in.” The door creaked open, and my muscles tensed the moment I saw him. Thomas Grant. My stepfather. The man who had been nothing more than a shadow in my life, standing by while my mother did whatever she wanted. A man who never protected me, never spoke up, never did anything except watch. And now, he was here. I said nothing as he stepped inside, his movements slow, cautious—like he knew he wasn’t welcome. His eyes darted around the office before finally settling on me. He cleare
Sebastian sat on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands. I had never seen him like this before. Not when we were trapped. Not when we thought we wouldn’t make it out alive. Not even when he was injured, fighting to stay conscious. But now—now he looked like a man who had lost everything. His shoulders were tense, his breathing uneven, his fingers tangled in his hair as if he was trying to hold himself together. I sat beside him, close but not too close, giving him space. I wanted to say something, but words felt useless. What could I possibly say to make this better? How do you comfort someone when their entire world has just crumbled? I reached out and gently touched his arm. He flinched. Not in fear. Not in anger. Just in pure, raw pain. I pulled my hand back. For a long moment, the only sound in the room was the distant hum of the city outside, cars moving, life continuing as if nothing had changed. But for Sebastian, everything had changed. Finally, he lifted h
Four Weeks Later Freedom. That’s what the doctors called it when they finally discharged us. I should have felt relieved. I should have felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. But as I stepped outside the hospital, the cold air filling my lungs, something in my chest still felt tight. Four weeks. That’s how long we had been stuck in that place - four weeks of beeping machines, fluorescent lights, and hushed voices whispering about whether we’d make it. I had spent every one of those days sitting by Natalie’s bedside, waiting for her to open her eyes, for her to say my name. And when she finally had, I’d felt something break inside me - relief so strong it had made my legs weak. Now, she stood beside me, her hand tucked into mine, looking up at the sky like it was the first time she had ever seen it. The sun cast a warm glow on her skin, but she still looked too pale, too fragile. Her body was thinner than before, her movements slower. But her grip on my hand was st
Darkness. That was all there was at first. A deep, heavy nothingness that felt like me feel like sinking underwater, like being swallowed whole by a world without sound or light. Then came the pain. It was dull at first, a distant throbbing somewhere deep in my body. Then it sharpened, spreading like fire through my veins. My head pounded, my hands felt like they weighed a thousand pounds, and something tugged at my skin - tubes, maybe? I tried to move, but my body didn’t want to listen. Panic curled in my chest. Where was I? I forced my eyelids to move, even though they felt glued shut. A soft beeping sound filled the air, slow and steady. The scent of antiseptic, which was sharp and clean, filled my nose. The air was cold, almost too cold, biting at my skin. A hospital. Memories hit me all at once. The attack. The blood. The feeling of slipping away. I was supposed to die. A shaky breath left my lips, and I turned my head slowly. The effort sent a sharp sting down my neck,
The city had never felt this big. The streets stretched on endlessly, the lights flashing past like blurs of color as I pushed the car faster. The call kept repeating in my head, a cruel echo that refused to fade. "She lost a lot of blood. There's a high chance she won’t survive." My fingers gripped the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turned white. No. She couldn't die. I refused to let her die. The car roared as I sped through a red light. Horns blared, tires screeched, but none of it mattered. My heart pounded against my ribs like a war drum, my breaths coming out sharp and uneven. The world outside blurred, but my mind was painfully clear. I could still see her face, pale and weak, lying in a pool of her own blood. The memory was like a knife twisting in my gut. "Hold on, Natalie. Just hold on." I had never prayed before. Not once in my life. But as I raced through the city, I found myself muttering desperate words under my breath. I didn’t care who was listening.
The cold night air hit my face as I stepped outside the hospital. The chaos from earlier had faded, leaving behind an eerie quiet. My body felt heavy, my mind even heavier.I should have felt relief.Iris and Samantha were in police custody. They wouldn’t be able to hurt Natalie again. The nightmare should have been over.But it wasn’t.Something inside me wouldn’t rest.I stood near the entrance, watching as the police officers led the two women to the waiting patrol car. Samantha fought against their grip, her wild eyes burning with rage."You think this is over?!" she screamed, twisting in the officer’s hold. "You think you’ve won, Sebastian?! You have no idea what’s coming!"Iris, on the other hand, didn’t say a word. She simply walked forward, her face blank. But I knew better.She was calculating.Planning.Waiting for the right moment.The officers shoved them into the car and s