It was just one quiet morning, with sunbeams streaming through the kitchen windows as they took their seats around the breakfast table. Sabrina suddenly felt a wave of nausea, her stomach turning over in shock as she covered her mouth, paling. It wasn't that either of them couldn't tell, even from across the table. Wendy's eyes narrowed to slits immediately, with a mix of concern and curiosity written all over her face."Do you think you might possibly be pregnant, Sabrina, darling?" Wendy asked softly, putting down her teacup. Sabrina's face flushed, and her eyes looked down at the plate, unable to confront her grandmother. She sat patiently, and after a few seconds of silence, Sabrina nodded softly into her plate. "It might work. Things were crazy with Benedict, but I got out before it became clear."With a deep sigh, Wendy reached over, her hand resting warmly on Sabrina's. "Well then," she said, "now it's my turn to hear everything. I want to know about life with the Thompsons an
The excitement in Wendy's voice was infectious as she gathered her daughter-in-law Leila and granddaughter Sabrina for the shopping spree. The next morning, after breakfast, Wendy could not wait any longer; after all, she had already mentally listed everything that they would need—not only for Sabrina but for the baby as well."Come on girls, Wendy cheered, applauding with outstretched arms and beaming with excitement. Today is all about new beginnings! We are going to pack this house with all the love and joy that comes with preparing a baby. We're going to get you some clothes, Sabrina, pick up everything the baby will need, Leila and get you some lovely things, things you deserve!"Sabrina smiled to herself in bewilderment at the depth of her grandmother's enthusiasm, feeling a warmth in the middle of her chest. It was far removed from when she had started to feel so isolated and alone. She was surrounded now by the loving arms of Wendy and Leila, so she was ready to face the new c
Benedict sat in his office, staring blankly at the mountain of papers he had to get through. His mind was churning with increasing dilemmas over his company: whispers and murmurs had filled the boardroom with tension-filled conversations—a presentation of financial strain and uncertainty that grew more raucous day by day. Benedict was a perfectionist; it was the pride he took in his ability to maintain control and be efficient.The final blow had come from an unsuspected quarter—a member of his board of directors had been embezzling funds. However, the control he had once exercised over circumstances slipped through his fingers, and he was powerless to stop it.It was a shock and a betrayal. Benedict had placed his trust in the individual, never for a moment suspecting that they had been siphoning off large chunks of money from the company accounts for months. The company faced massive debts, but now its reputation was at stake as well.Now, what used to be the measure of success and p
Benedict stormed into his office with his fists securely clenched at his side. The events of the previous hours had left him, and certainly placed him, in a roaring fit of rage. His mind whirled with the enormity of the infidelity by one of his board members and the irresponsibility of his accounting staff, which had failed to notice the discrepancy now threatening to bring him and all his business crashing down. Every fiber within him wanted to scream at that moment, but he needed to remain calm. He closed the door behind him, now feeling the room even tinier, more claustrophobic. His assistant, Elena, was standing by the door, her lily-pure complexion evident on her pale face because she knew he was about to show rage through his eyes."Mr. Thompson, I—I called an emergency meeting with the accounting department," she said softly, her voice laced with hesitation."Cancel it," Benedict snapped, his tone sharp and dangerous. "This isn't something we need to discuss. This is something
With the place hushed, as he stands in his office, thoughts start to sway in the mind of Benedict—ideas, plans, desperate attempts to find an outlet to crawl out of a mess that threatens to consume him. His mind recalled the long hours he had dedicated to this company, the relationships he had sacrificed, and all the things he had put aside. He clenched his fists, regretting more than just his business, as it also cut deep into his personal psyche.At that moment, Benedict's phone vibrated on the table. He reached to pick it up, thinking it might be another update from Darren or the accounting team. But when he opened the screen, he felt a shock in his heart upon seeing a woman he did not want to talk to—a woman who might unsettle him again: his mother, Teresa. He hadn't called her in days, ashamed of how much of a mess his life had become.He hesitated for a moment before answering, "Hi, Mom.""Benedict," her voice was warm but laced with concern. "Are you all right? You sound tired.
Benedict was standing in a boardroom that was now vacant; silence settled around him like a heavy weight. It was a moment to contemplate what was going to happen next, the outcomes of today's decisions, and the reality of some damage that had been done. So much needed to be repaired, and he was very clear it was about trust, integrity, and a way to mend the broken parts of life. He knew that nothing he could do now would simply undo the situation. The company, after all, was already in shambles, with heavy losses incurred not only financially but also in human terms. People had been harmed by what he hadn't done, or even by what he had done. But Benedict was not one to give up on a challenge. It really hurt to lose it all, but it was not just the company that hurt him; it was the people he knew as part of his life—employees, his team, and maybe Sabrina. He thought of her—Sabrina, the one he had let slip through his fingers, the one he had turned away from when she needed him there
Turning back to the car and reviewing all the steps in his head once again, he could not help but look her way. How had he let her go? How could he have been so blind to everything she brought and all the love she showed him? The yearning for the creation of an empire had snatched from him the desire to prove himself to this world, making him forget one thing that meant the whole world to him: her. He remembered how she used to smile at him, full of hope and faith, even though he had been cold and unmoved; pushing her away was exactly what he did when she needed him most. Benedict realized that ambition was the mask he wore to hide from his vulnerabilities. Yet, it had been this shield with which he lost everything: Sabrina, his values, and now the company. As he opened the door and drove off to the office, a shiver ran through him. But it wasn't just the loss of a woman; it was a part of himself that he had lost. He was going to fight back for everything that was still there: the
Benedict sat alone in his dimly lit office, heavy silence pressing into him like a weight. He rubbed a hand over his hair as he sat there weighing his reality. His company was once an empire, stretching tall and proud, built from the ground up. It was now on the verge of collapse. Left his board members' embezzlement had left his company drowning in debt, and with the forged accounts now exposed, investors were rapidly pulling their support. Every report, every statement he reviewed seemed to confirm the worst. His chair squeaked with a soft protest as he leaned back and stared blankly at the ceiling.. No one ever knew his thoughts for himself. But in a situation like this, when frustration boiled in his stomach, people only heard his groans and cursing. The door to his office creaked open then. He turned to Elena, his trusted assistant, who stood in the doorway with worried eyes on her face. "Mr. Thompson," she started softly but with determination, "we need to talk about tomorrow's
But she turned slowly, so that he could see the hurt unfettered in her eyes.I never locked you out, Nathaniel," she whispered. "You just never came close enough to linger."And with that, she departed, the chill night air nipping at her skin. The darkness closed in around her like an old friend long forgotten.She did not glance back.Not when the world was weighed in the balance.The wind wailed as Eliana stepped outside onto the porch, the door slamming behind her like the last stroke on the end of a difficult page. But before she could put a foot beyond the stairs—"Leaving without me?"She faltered. Damian lingered by the edge of the cabin, moonlight glinting off of his dark jacket only accentuating the scar near his jaw more than ordinary. His face showed unreadable expressions, but his eyes-those burning, watchful eyes-were locked on her.The air caught in her throat.“Damian.”He took a step forward, hands in his coat pockets. “You said the extraction would be at midnight. It’
He moved another step forward. "I'm not saving you, Eliana. I'm holding on to you. You keep trying to hurt my father, and you'll be dead. Leave this to the cops."She laughed, a laugh that had no pleasure in it. "The cops?" she repeated, her eyes burning. "You think they care? You think they're not already in the pocket? You think I've not already tried that avenue?""Eliana—"No!" she exclaimed, her voice cutting through the thick air. "How am I supposed to stop when your father still tries to kill me? When every animal with my blood in their veins is a target on feet?" Nathaniel's lips opened, but she was far from finished."My father—Benedict—he did his duty. He planted skeletons of your family to keep everyone safe. But your grandfather? He was laundering money and on the board of my father's company! And now your father's attempting to cover up every loose end—including my family!"Nathaniel's face contorted, shame reddening every part of it."I did not know," Nathaniel panted.
For an instant, the room held its breath. No one breathed. Even the fire paused in its flicker, as if respecting her silent declaration of war against the life she did not desire.Then Nathaniel moved back as if she had slapped him."Eliana," Nathaniel growled, "you don't have to—"“But I do,” she cut in. “You both keep looking at me like I’m going to fall apart. Like I’m not capable of making hard choices.”She blinked fiercely, her throat tightening. "But I've made hard choices since the day your dad enter into our lives. Since the day I learned your dad planning to kill me and he included my brother Saben. And then you came along with your deals and your sweet lies, and I let myself think—I for a split second believed—maybe I could have something normal."Nathaniel opened his lips, but nothing came out.Damian stood stock still, as if someone had winded him.Eliana let go of the back of the frayed armchair as if she were the sole thing holding her together."Do you think I want thi
The room was dim, the wan gray light creeping through holes in the drapes. Eliana stood with arms crossed against her chest at the window, observing as the sky changed — black to blue, as if the world breathed in.She didn't catch the door's opening.Didn't catch the steps.But sensed him.Nathaniel."You should be sleeping," he whispered, his eyes closing as he closed the door.She didn't glance around. "So should you."A silence.Then his arrival at her."I couldn't sleep," he admitted.Her whisper a secret shared. "Neither could I."He stood behind her. Close enough to reach out and touch. Close enough to inhale the scent of her.But he didn't.Because he knew better.For if he'd have touched her back at the time, Nathaniel wasn't sure he ever would have let her go."Do you remember Nathaniel," Eliana gasped, "the first time we met?"Nathaniel smiled faintly. "It was your birthday that time ,You got mad at me easily?"Eliana smiled bitterly. "You were arrogant.""You were fire.""I
Dmitri’s smile stretched slow and serpentine across his face, eyes glinting like a blade catching light. “Good. Very good.”Nathaniel was on his feet in an instant. “You’re playing with fire, Eliana.”She stood tall, despite the quake in her chest. “Then let me burn.”Damian whistled low. "Remind me never to mess with you."Dmitri clapped once, the sound echoing through the warehouse like a shot. "Now we're getting somewhere. I like her. Too bad she's saddled with idiots."Nathaniel's glare could've softened steel. "If she gets hurt—""You'll do what? Growl at me?" Dmitri teased. "Relax, Harper. I'm not asking her to smuggle plutonium. Yet." He winked at Eliana.She didn't flinch. "What's the delivery?"Dmitri pulled out a weathered manila envelope from a locked drawer beneath the bar. “Coordinates. Names. A package.” He tossed it on the table. “You’ll take it to an old contact of mine. Neutral ground. He’ll trade it for something that might just help all of us survive William Harper.
Rain hit the hospital's glass windows, each drop reminding her that time was escaping her. Disinfectant and cold wind were the scents as Eliana stood stock-still in the hallway, her trembling hands clasped around the railing.Nathaniel Harper towered above her, his blue eyes veiled in desperation."You don't understand, Eliana. My dad—he's dead." His words were a growl, the words cutting through the air like the fine tooth of a blade.Eliana's swallow was concrete in her throat. "What do you mean?"Nathaniel sucked a rough breath into his chest, standing on the muscles in the back of his neck. "Vincent. My second. He's hunting me. Hunting you." His jaw hardened. "My father wants me to hurt. And he'll start with you."A chill ran through Eliana's body. As she thought about her answer, her ears picked up a voice that conquered the tension in the room.“I’d love to see him try Damian.”Damian Wolfe.Eliana had just time to see him leaning against the doorframe of the hospital room. His
The stillness of the hospital corridor had seemed so alien from the tempest of thoughts racing through Eliana's head. She sat with her elbows on her knees and fists clenched firmly together along the edge of a waiting-room chair.All this happened too suddenly yesterday.Damian Wolfe rested in his bed at the hospital, injured but recovering. Nathaniel Harper had defied his father and stood by her. And William Harper—cruel, killing, harsh—still existed, patiently waiting.She gasped sharply, trying to calm down.And then, in the midst of familiar quiet that was habitual, a voice interrupted."So… who's it going to be?"Eliana turned her head to look up at Sabrina Auburn looming over her, arms crossed, the wicked glint in her icy eyes.Eliana frowned. "What am I saying?"Sabrina chuckled, tilting her head to one side. "Come on, Eliana. I'm not dim. Two handsome, seriously sexy males hovering around you like wolves, ready to tear each other apart into shreds? It's practically a bloody mov
William spat out a bitter laugh. "Luck had nothing to do with it."The doctor hesitated. "You need rest. Pushing yourself—"William's glare cut him off. "I don't have time for rest."The physician huffed but nodded and left the room.William beside him, he placed a call on his phone.A mechanical voice answered. "Yes?"Harper in steel tones. "I want them all killed."There was a man in a suit beside him, tension in his shoulders. His voice even, controlled. "Understood. But. Your son, sir, is Nathaniel."William's fists were fists. Searing pain lightninged across his side, but he didn't care. He'd been shot once. He'd bled before. That wasn't paining him.Betrayal was.His own blood betrayed him.His own son.William's lips twisted into a sneer-grimace. "Not anymore."The man staggered. "Sir—"William's tone was icy. "I do not care how much it costs. I want them dead. All of them."There was silence. Then finally, a gentle, "Understood."The door closed with a crash.William took a sh
Nathaniel Harper stood in the dark of the hospital room, his fists clenched.The doctor had closed them into this small space, forcing them to confront each other in the intimate light of the bedside lamp.Years of their past hanging between them like a gauntlet.Damian spoke the first word softly."Trust you?" His voice was harsh, from pain and anger. "After all your family's done?"Nathaniel didn't blink. "I did not choose my name."Damian snorted with a bitter laugh. "No, but you damn well profited for years on it."Nathaniel's breath came harshly. "And now I'm suffering for defying it."Damian's glacial stare cut through him, searching for deceit.He was seeking to uncover a coward.A traitor.But what he did uncover instead?A man who'd lost everything.Nathaniel's voice lowered, a rough tone edging in. "William won't quit. You know that."Damian's jaw was locked. "Yeah. I know."Nathaniel paused, then moved closer. "Then let me help."Damian laughed. "Help? The last time I trust