Ellen's POV Having a nice lunch in a nice and luxurious french restaurant with my parents was one of my dreams come true. While we were eating, my phone had beeped with a message and I immediately wanted to reply to it, but mother held my hands.I looked up at her with a confused stare. “What if it was Zeke giving his response concerning the pregnancy?” I asked.“He too can wait. There really is no difference between himself and us now,” Father replied.“Ohhh,” I said slowly as I returned my phone back into my purse.We had an amazing time till we left and went back home. When we returned home, there was an air of triumph about us. I felt invincible. But as we alighted from our car, we were met with Zeke and his personal assistant, Mr. Rogers alongside his chief security, Andrew.“What are you doing here?” I demanded, trying to put on a cold front. Afterall, he was at my mercy now. “Did you not get my message? I’m here to talk about your pregnancy,” He replied coldly, returning my e
Chris's POV Sitting in my apartment with the familiar scent of cigar smoke and expensive cologne lingering in the air. The morning light filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting long shadows across the room. I had always found comfort in the luxury that surrounded me, but today, I felt that something big was about to happen and for some weird reasons, I felt edgy about it.I anticipated Paul’s return as soon as possible, I hoped the report he would bear would be worth it. I sat on the edge of the leather couch, my mind racing with thoughts of Kamille and the kids. The plan had been set in motion, and everything was supposed to fall into place perfectly. My plan was to use her and get Zeke down, but I never expected for the tables to turn in his favor. Or maybe mine. My liking for her had surprised me and no matter how hard I tried to push it away, it still came back at me. She filled my thoughts. The door to the apartment opened, and Paul walked in. His expression was
Zeke's POV As the sky began to darken and golden streaks coloured the sky, I was dressed in all black attire, a tactical shirt, fitted pants, combat boots and a black jacket. I had on night vision goggles, a silenced pistol and a black utility knife. I adjusted my gloves and checked to ensure everything was perfect before stepping into the Manor Mansion.Hours earlier, I sat in Kamille’s apartment, the faint glow of the early morning light filtering through the curtains. My mind raced with plans and strategies. I knew my kids had to be in the Manor Mansion and Zane’s interrogation with the foreign doctors was supposed to lead us right to where they were. My phone rang and I went to pick it up. “Hello?” I said slowly in order not to distract Kamille or get her all riled up.“Hello brother,” Zane said into the speaker. “I have information,” He began.I anticipated the answer to his interrogation. I needed to be sure that my kids were in there and I would make sure that Ellen would reg
Kamille's POV The day felt like an eternity. Amanda and Belle had arrived and stayed close by, their concern etched on their faces. I appreciated their presence, but the constant, gnawing anxiety about my missing children was suffocating and now Zeke had embarked on a journey to rescue them."Kamille, you need to calm down," Amanda said softly, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Why don’t you try to rest for a bit?"I shook my head, pacing the living room. "I can’t rest. How can I rest when my babies are out there, who knows where?"And Zeke might be in danger.Belle glanced at Amanda and there was a silent exchange passing between them. "Maybe we should turn on the TV," Belle suggested tentatively. "Just to see if there’s any news.""No!" Amanda countered quickly. "That’ll only make things worse. She needs to focus on staying calm.""I need to know what’s happening," I insisted. "Please, just turn on the TV."They hesitated, but I could see the worry in their eyes. "Kamille,
Ellen's POV The walls of our mansion seemed to close in around me as the weight of the investor’s withdrawal sank in. My father and I sat in stunned silence, the enormity of our situation pressing down on us like a suffocating blanket.“How could this happen?” I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper. My father, pale and shaken, had no answer.Before we could begin to process the disaster that had just unfolded, the phone father used to message Kamille rang, shattering the silence. I picked it up, and my heart sank as I saw Kamille’s name on the screen.“Father, please let me take it," I said to him.“Are you sure about that?" He asked as he passed the phone and the vocoder.I took it from him and picked the call.“Ellen!” Kamille’s voice was frantic and filled with raw panic. “I don’t care about anything else. I want my kids back! What have you done with them?”I didn't refute that it was me, nor did I affirm it wasn't. The vocoder would do it's fucking job, while I will do mine
Chris's POV We began to make our move into the mansion, we shot any security in sight and blew off any visible cameras. Seeing everything intact, it meant that Zeke must have snuck his way in. I scoffed and continued our walk into the mansion with a smug look plastered across my face.As we moved, Paul hurried to my side and whispered into my ears. I paused and a cold and killing intent flashed in my eyes. “Let me have it,” I said coldly as I stretched my hands out to him.He handed me a tablet, and I looked at the screen. There it was—Ellen’s tear-streaked face splashed across the news, her sobs captured in a loop that played over and over again. The headlines screamed of betrayal, heartbreak, and scandal. Ellen’s father’s downfall was on display for the entire world to see. The media had picked up the story, and it was spreading like wildfire. They blamed Kamille. Not that asshole, Zeke but Kamille. I felt a surge of fury course through me. “Damn Zeke!” I spat, my voice seething
Zeke's POVI roamed through the dimly lit corridors of the Manor mansion in search of any clue or any hiding place of Ellen and her Father. I remember five years back, I was treated like a king in this home, but now it felt different. Esther Manor had been taken in already and when the police arrives, Ellen and her father should have joined the party.I heard a chime coming from the hallway leading to the garage. I hurried down there with my men in tow. Oh Ellen, you've been busted. I trained my gun at the secret elevator, whose door seemed to have blended in with the wall decorations.As it opened, Ellen and her father stood alongside his personal assistant, Mr Finley and Max. She had a shocked expression, but I couldn't care less. I motioned to Andrew to take them in.“Move," Andrew ordered.I heard her speaking but it felt gibberish, so I ignored her. Walking down towards the living room, I heard Fletcher's voice crackling in the earpiece.“Brother, Chris is here,” Fletcher's urg
Kamille's POV Walking down the dark and quiet streets, my phone felt heavy in my hand as I dialed the number that had been tormenting me for the past weeks. Each ring echoed in my mind, amplifying the fear that had become a constant companion. Finally, the line connected.“Ellen!” I yelled, trying hard to hide the panic from my voice. “I don’t care about anything else. I want my kids back! What have you done with them?”The voice I heard was a cold and an unfamiliar voice. It did not refute being Ellen, neither did it accept. “If you want your kids back, you’ll need to pay us the one million dollars we told you about,” “One million dollars?!” I screamed. “Where the hell am I supposed to get that kind of money?”“That’s your problem,” The voice replied. “If you want to see your kids alive, you’ll find a way.”The line went dead before I had the chance to breathe out even a word, leaving me standing there, my heart pounding in my chest. One million dollars. It was an impossible amo
Belle's POV The sun was warm on my skin, the breeze gentle and soothing as it drifted through the open patio where we all sat, the laughter of our loved ones filling the air. It was a picture-perfect moment—the kind of moment I used to dream about but never truly believed would come. We were all gathered around the long, sun-dappled table, the warmth of the day reflecting the joy that radiated from everyone’s faces. Zane was sitting beside me, his hand resting comfortably on my leg, our twins, Sean and Clara, gurgling happily in their bassinet close by. The twins were the center of attention today, as they were most days. Kamille’s kids, Reon, Torin, Tyris, Royer, and little Phoebe, were running around the patio, shrieking in delight as they chased each other. I glanced at Kamille and Zeke, who were sitting across from us, laughing and chatting while keeping a watchful eye on their children. Amanda, was helping prepare the meal, occasionally smiling in our direction as the kids d
Zane's POVI stood there, fists clenched, staring Dave Scott down. Every fiber of my being wanted to lunge at him, to make him pay for everything he’d done. But I couldn’t—at least, not yet. The recorder in my pocket was still running, capturing every damning word that fell from his mouth. I could feel it, a tiny weight pressing against my ribs, reminding me that I had to play this smart. For Belle. For Kelly. For justice.Dave, on the other hand, was as smug as ever, leaning back with that infuriating smirk plastered across his face. He had no idea that his time was running out.“You think you can just waltz in here and act like you own the place?” Dave sneered, his voice dripping with arrogance. “You’re nothing, Zane. A nobody playing hero in a game that’s way beyond your league.”I bit back my anger, forcing myself to remain calm. His words didn’t matter. Not when I had the truth on my side. I took a deep breath, my fingers brushing against the stop button on the recorder hidden
Belle's POVWalking into the living room wasn’t easy. My legs felt heavy, like I was dragging weights with each step. The air in the mansion was suffocating, thick with tension and unspoken fears. My heart raced, a wild, chaotic rhythm that matched the pounding of my thoughts. I could still hear my mother’s frantic voice behind me, begging, pleading for me to stay with them, to hide, to escape into the secret bunker.“Belle, you don’t have to do this!” she cried, reaching out as if she could physically hold me back. Her eyes were wide with fear, her voice trembling. “Come with us. We can hide. We can survive this.”I stopped, my hand resting on the doorframe, my back to her. I couldn’t turn around. I couldn’t let her see the turmoil etched on my face, the way my hands trembled from the weight of what I was about to do. My family was scared—terrified, really—but the idea of running, of leaving Zane behind to face this monster alone, felt like a betrayal I wasn’t willing to commit.“W
Dave's POVI had been waiting for over an hour, sitting there, staring at the doors leading to the rooms, expecting Belle and Zane to finally step out. It wasn’t like them to hide this long, especially Zane. But instead of the two people I was dying to confront, what I got was the Perri family, practically groveling before me. Pathetic.The Perri patriarch, Mr. Perri, stood in front of me with a forced smile, his hands clasped in front of him as though in prayer. His wife hovered behind him, wringing her hands nervously. “Please, David,” her father began, his voice trembling. “We don’t want any trouble. Just… drop the lawsuit. We’ll leave quietly, I swear. We won’t cause any problems.”I couldn’t help the smirk that stretched across my face. They were so desperate, so weak. This was the kind of power I craved, watching them squirm, knowing I held all the cards. “You won’t cause any trouble?” I repeated, mocking his words as if they were a joke. “Oh, trust me, you wouldn’t be able
Zane's POVBelle’s tears were too much for me to handle. The way her shoulders shook, the soft sniffles she tried to hide—it broke something inside me. I couldn’t stand seeing her like this. Without thinking, I reached out, pulling her into my arms once more, holding her as tightly as I dared.“It’s going to be okay,” I whispered, my lips brushing against her hair. “I swear to you, Belle, this will all end today. I’ll make sure of it.”She pulled back slightly, her wide, tear-filled eyes meeting mine. There was a small, hopeful smile on her lips, but I could see the doubt lingering beneath it. It killed me to know that she still didn’t fully believe everything would be fine, that she didn’t fully believe in me. But I didn’t blame her. After everything that had happened, after all the lies, how could she?God! I needed her to trust me.I leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her lips again, my hand cupping her cheek gently. When I pulled away, her eyes fluttered open, and I saw a leve
Belle's POV“I’m scared, Zane,” I confessed. My voice trembled, and my arms tightened instinctively around my belly. I felt so vulnerable, standing there in front of him, exposed and raw. How was I supposed to face Dave? What would he say? What would he do?Zane hugged me tighter. His warmth, his strength—it was like a lifeline, grounding me in the storm of emotions threatening to overwhelm me. He pressed a soft kiss to my hair, his lips lingering there for a moment before he spoke.“You don’t have to be scared,” he murmured into my hair, his voice gentle yet filled with quiet resolve. “I’m here. No one is going to hurt you. Not Dave. Not anyone.”I closed my eyes, leaning into his chest, letting his heartbeat steady mine. His words were soothing, like a balm to my frayed nerves. Dave had always had a way of getting under my skin, and now… with everything that had happened…“Go get refreshed,” Zane said, pulling back slightly to look into my eyes. His fingers brushed a loose strand o
Zane's POVI cursed under my breath as we broke the kiss. I let her take a while to arrange her silk gown. I moved a bit from her as my mind played over what happened the night before.Belle couldn’t sleep all night; I could tell from the way she kept shifting in bed, her body tense beneath the silk sheets. I lay beside her, watching her.I thought back to earlier that night when I walked into the Perri mansion, my mind filled with chaos, only to be confronted by an entirely different reality. I remember the way Belle’s mother was yelling, her voice shrill with rage, but none of that mattered the second I saw Belle. She stood there, so fragile and strong all at once, and without thinking, I crossed the room and pulled her into my arms. Her soft, warm body pressed against mine, grounding me in the middle of the madness. She was everything. The only thing that made sense. The world could be burning down around us, and I wouldn’t care, as long as I had her.Belle’s mother, however, didn
Belle's POVI hadn’t moved from my spot on the bed. Not an inch. I sat there, staring blankly at the wall across from me, my mind heavy with thoughts, swirling memories of last night that I couldn’t quite shake. Everything felt so distant yet so vivid, playing over and over again in my mind. The weight of it all bore down on me, rendering me numb.Opposite me, Zane sat with his back against the headboard, his eyes wide open, just watching. He had been watching me all night. He hadn’t said much, but I could feel his presence, steady and unwavering, like a tether keeping me from completely unraveling. His gaze hadn’t left me, and for some reason, I found comfort in that. My thoughts drifted back to the moment it all came crashing down. The nausea that hit me like a brick after the shouting match with my mother, the way she had followed me into the bathroom after I threw up, concern etched across her face despite the earlier anger.“Belle, are you alright?” she’d asked, her voice surp
Dave's POVThe sun was barely up, casting a dull, gray light over the city, but the weight on my chest was already heavier than the day before. The shipment I had been waiting for was just a few hours away. The timing couldn’t have been worse, not with Belle out there and Zane still breathing. I needed to tie up loose ends, and fast.I sat on the brown leather swivel chair in my study, my hands running over my face as I tried to think. I needed to find a way to get the attention of the drug enforcement agency off my back before the shipment arrived. Every second counted, and I knew that one wrong move could bring it all crashing down.I reached for my phone, my fingers tapping rapidly as I sent out a message to my men. It was time to surround the Perri mansion. We need to bring Belle's family to their limit. Once that was done, they would bring out Belle. Or rather, she would bring forth herself. Then that nosy Zane Caruso will come for her and I get to silence him forever."Surrou