Belle’s POV Grateful that all the nightmares of the last two months were wrapped up with justice being served. Ellen was sentenced to twenty years in prisonment, but because of her pregnancy and manic tendencies, she was to be sent to a mental institution for the first two years, then she would return to jail thereafter. Esther Manor was sickly and was placed on parole with hundred hours per week community service. Today was a more beautiful day away from all the nightmares from the past. Kamille's wedding day dawned bright and beautiful, a perfect reflection of the joy and love that filled the air. The room buzzed with activity as friends and family gathered. I stood by Kamille's side, adjusting her veil one last time, and couldn't help but marvel at how stunning she looked. "Kam, you look absolutely radiant," I whispered, my voice filled with awe. Kamille turned to me, her eyes shimmering with tears of happiness. "Thank you, Belle. I couldn't have done this without you." “Where
Belle’s POV“Ohhh, come on baby," “Hit it harder," “Ohhhhhhh," Just as I climbed the steps leading to the second floor, my stomach churned with unease as I heard the unmistakable sounds of a lady moaning with pure ecstasy coming from one of the rooms there. Our room was on the second floor. With my heart pounding in my chest, I hurried my steps but carefully in order not to harm the baby growing inside of me.Dave cannot fuck with me right? I was trying to overcome his late nights, verbal bullying and abuses, but to think he would bring the lady into the apartment we shared? I decided to give him the benefit of doubt. But my hands immediately flew to my mouth as I gasped when I heard the next voice that followed the first feminine voice. “Do you like when I do that?" He asked. “Yes please, don't stop," She replied and continued with her disgusting moans. I shakily climbed the stairs, taking silent steps towards the door. With each step, the knot in my stomach tightened. As I
Zane’s POV The phone slipped from my hands, crashing to the ground with a dull thud. My strength was fading fast.I could not tell whether or not Belle heard me when I called. I used my hands to tap around where the phone fell till I found it.I typed her a message of where I was, so she could easily locate me. Boom! My blue Cadillac kept exploding across the street from where I hid. I was attacked by an opposing gang of the underworld, I had my suspects but I needed more proof to confirm which of them exactly.My car had been overturned, and I'd barely managed to crawl out before it exploded. I was certain my enemies had left, convinced I’d died alongside in the blast. I couldn’t alert the feds, my family, or my men—any call to them could spark the very war I was trying to avoid. The only other people I could have called were on vacation or honeymoon, far out of reach. Zeke with Kamille and Fletcher on his lust after vanity.The hospital was out of the question, too. Too many qu
Zane's POV As I opened my eyes to the break of dawn, I felt warmth beside me and an alluring scents of vanilla lingered in the air. I turned my head and my eyes fell on the beautiful lady beside me.The early morning light streamed through the window, casting a soft glow on her features. She looked peaceful, her long lashes resting gently against her cheeks. Her soft lips slightly parted as she breathed evenly. Her golden brown hair framed her face perfectly, and I couldn't help but admire how beautiful she was, even in her sleep.For a moment, I wondered why she was here. I had just called her out of nowhere and she came running to my aid, carried out a minor surgery on me and was here with me till morning.If it was found out she performed a mini surgery outside the hospital and without proper medical tools it could lead to loosing her license. Why did she go the extra mile for me?Why have I been so protective of her?I sighed. For some reason I can't really understand, since I m
Belle's POV As I settled into my navy blue sedan car parked outside the penthouse, I heaved a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. I had barely managed to pull through from breaking down inside there in front of Zane. I had taken up quite some time inside the bathroom because as I woke up, I heard terrible nightmares of Dave and Jane.As I stood at the bathroom sink, I felt a pang in my chest as I thought about the baby growing inside me. I rested my hand on my flat tummy, trying to speak to the tiny life within."I'm so sorry for all the stress I'm putting you through," I whispered, my voice trembling. "If I could turn back time, I would have stopped your conception so you wouldn't have to be as stressed as you are right now,”Tears welled up in my eyes, and I sobbed quietly for a moment before drying my eyes. I had to pull myself together. Before I took out the water and towel to clean Zane up. I did not know that despite my efforts to clean out my tears, it was still evident
Belle's POV Ben called me again last night. “Why the hell does he keep missing you Belle!" “I don't know Bennie," I replied with a tone of indifference.I had stayed three days holed up in that hotel room, I only went out to work and slipped out before Dave would come looking for me. I knew his calls to Ben were a warning to get my family involved if I didn't return but I think I was done being scared of him. I made a decision to return his hatred with the same energy. I was going to go back to our apartment, pack my bags and leave.It was time to confront Dave and move on with my life.Driving back to the apartment where Dave and I lived felt like an out-of-body experience. The same route I had taken countless times now seemed foreign and cold. I knew how ruthless the Scott family were while making threats and I would not wish for any of my family to be dragged into this mess. My family adored Dave's family to a fault, but I knew that once they heard he had cheated on me just a
Zane's POV Sitting on the large oak table I felt a sense of unease despite having Fletcher sit across from me. Three days had passed since I last heard from Belle. The silence was gnawing at me. I found myself constantly wondering how she was doing, if she was safe. I couldn't shake the worry. “Can you stop that?” Fletcher said, irritation in his voice. “You’re driving me crazy with that tapping.”I blinked, realizing for the first time that I’d been drumming my fingers on the table. “Sorry,” I muttered, forcing my hands to still.Fletcher shut his phone and leaned forward, scrutinizing me with a knowing look. “What’s up, Zane? And don’t give me any bullshit. I know this restlessness has something to do with Kamille’s friend, Belle.”I sighed, feeling cornered. “I’m just worried about her safety, that’s all.”Fletcher raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. “Worried about her safety, huh? Sounds like someone’s in love.”I laughed dryly. “I can’t be in love, Fletcher. I’m no
Zane's POVI had never driven so fast in my life. I had placed Belle comfortably in the back seat before turning on the ignition. As she lay in the back seat, her breathing was faint and shallow and for every fucking time I glanced at her through the rearview mirror, I was shot with fear that burned hotter than any damn bullet ever would. I rounded off the road that led to Zeke’s hospital. One more glance at the rearview mirror and I dialed Zeke’s line with a quick tap. My phone was clutched in one hand and while the other hand was gripping the steering wheel. “Brother,” I called immediately.“What’s up Zane?” He replied. I could make out Kamille’s voice humming slowly in the background.“Brother, I’m sorry, but I need you to inform the Emergency Room unit at your hospital that I’m on my way and need urgent medical attention,” I said, my voice strained with urgency.“Who is it?” Zeke asked, worry creeping into his voice.“It’s Belle,” I replied, my words rushing out without hesit
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