Antonio's POV
"Phoebe, you look like you've seen a ghost," I said, noticing how pale and startled she seemed when she opened the bathroom door.I had just gotten to the hospital and noticed she wasn't not in her room. I thought she might have gone out for a morning scroll or something, but then I used a voice coming from the rest room and just as I was about to reach out and open it, the door creaked open and I saw Phoebe standing there, looking a bit shocked.She flashed me an awkward smile. "Oh, Antonio… I was just surprised to see you standing there, that’s all."I raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. I moved toward her, gently helping her back to the room. "You need to take it easy. Your leg hasn't fully healed."She nodded, and once we were inside, the nurse came in, smiling politely at me before turning to Phoebe. "Are you done with the phone?"I frowned, catching that last part. "What phone?"Phoebe quicklFiona's POVI lay there, staring at the ceiling, trying to wrap my head around what had just happened. Caspian’s fingers slowly ran through my hair, a gesture I once enjoyed in the past, but now only reminded me of the mistake I’d just made. I couldn’t believe I had actually done this with him. How did I let things go so far? But it was too late now. I was already in too deep to turn back.“You haven’t answered me,” Caspian murmured, his voice breaking through my thoughts. “What do you plan on doing about Stevenson?”I exhaled, thinking briefly. "I'll talk to him first. I’ll make him an offer to keep his mouth shut." The words came out sharper than I intended.Caspian snorted, pulling his hand away from my hair. "And you think that’s going to work? Stevenson isn’t the type to be silenced so easily. You’re being too naive, Fiona."I sat up slightly, looking at him with irritation. "What other choice do I have? I can’t bring mysel
Andrew's POV“We’re losing contracts left and right again!” Mr. Thompson shouted, his face red with anger as he slammed a stack of papers onto the table. “The Lyons Group has poached three more of our clients in the last month. If we don’t act now, we’re going to bleed out! I thought this matter had been handled before?”Mrs. Davenport wasn’t having it. “Mr. Thompson, you’re overreacting. Yes, we’ve lost a few clients, but the ones we lost weren’t even our biggest accounts. We’ve had worse years. You need to really calm down.”“Calm down?” Thompson shot back. “That’s your solution? To calm down, sit here and watch as the Lyons Group makes a mockery of us?”“They’re not making a mockery of us; they’re taking the scraps we no longer need,” Mrs. Davenport argued, leaning back in her chair. “Walker Enterprises isn’t going under because of a small-time company like the Lyons group. We've been able to secure top contracts even with Lyons lurking around,
Sheila’s POVWorking on my online course project had kept me busy for most of the morning. The details were quite stressful, but I enjoyed working on it.Moreover, I needed something to take my mind off everything that had been happening lately. I had just finished drafting my presentation when my phone rang.“Hello, is this Sheila Walker?” a sharp voice on the other end asked.“Yes, speaking,” I replied.“I’m calling from Premier Events. We received a recommendation for you, and we’d love to discuss the possibility of you joining us as an event planner.”I sat up straight. “I’m sorry, who recommended me?”“You came highly recommended by someone who mentioned your work on past events, including a gala. We'd like to meet with you to discuss the terms and see if you'd be interested in joining our team.”The gala? My mind instantly went to Grandpa and Grandma. They had praised me so much for organizing their anniversary event that it had to be them.I smiled, the thought warming me insid
Fiona's POVI took a deep breath and tried to calm myself as I walked into the hospital.“You need to stay calm, Fiona,” I muttered to myself as I kept a confident demeanor and walked to Stevenson’s hospital room, as the nurses at the reception had directed.Stevenson was in there, recovering, but I knew he could ruin things for me and Caspian if I didn’t handle things well. I had planned out everything I wanted to say to him, hoping he would listen to me. I wanted to appeal to the part of him that might still understand.Pushing open the door to his room, I was greeted by the quiet hum of machines and the sterile scent of antiseptic. A nurse stood by his bed, administering an injection into his arm. My eyes fell on Stevenson, and he glanced at me too. He looked a bit weary, but his eyes were clear, sharp, and—unexpectedly—calm.I had braced myself for him to yell, to hurl accusations the moment he saw me. Yet, there was no anger in his expression. Instead, his gaze was cold. “Nurse,
Andrew's POVI sat at the round table in the private room of one of the city’s upscale restaurants, surrounded by four men, each representing their own companies. We’d come together to discuss the thorn in all of our sides—the Lyons Group. As I took a sip of my coffee, I kept my tone calm but firm.“They’ve been poaching our clients for months,” I began, locking eyes with each of the men. “The Lyons Group has no respect for proper business practices. They’re not just competing fairly; they’re undercutting contracts, making underhanded deals, and smearing our reputations to steal our business.”The men exchanged glances, nodding in agreement. Jackson, the head of The Elite Group, leaned forward. “It’s true. We lost a major deal last week because they spread rumors about our reliability. It's getting out of hand.”Mark, a well-known real estate mogul, chimed in, his voice gruff. “Same here. They’ve been circling my clients like vultures, offering ridiculous incentives just to get them
Stevenson’s POV“Congratulations, Mr. Grayson. You managed to get Mrs. Grayson to sign her shares over to you. A huge victory,” he said, his voice filled with admiration.I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms with a satisfied smile. “Thank you. But you didn’t need to tell me that—I already know.”His eyes glimmered with curiosity. “I have to ask, how exactly did you manage it? I’ve known Mrs. Grayson for years, and she’s no fool. Yet, you convinced her to hand over her shares?”I chuckled proudly. “Let’s just say I have my ways around women. Fiona may think she’s invincible, but I know exactly how to handle her.”My lawyer raised an eyebrow, looking quite impressed. “So, now that you have her shares, will you challenge your daughter for the CEO position?”I waved off the suggestion instantly. “Not yet. Timing is everything, and it’s not time. Phoebe thinks she’s in control, but she’s just keeping the seat warm for me. When the moment’s right, she and her husband will realize tha
Sheila’s POVI stirred awake, blinking against the light flooding into my eyes. My head pounded as I groaned, trying to make sense of where I was. The room felt old, dark and gloomy. Faded wallpaper peeled from the walls, and the wooden floor creaked. A broken chair stood in the corner, and a painting of a wilted flower hung above.Then it hit me. The woman. The restroom. The spray. I jolted upright, my heart racing as the memory slammed into me. I had been sprayed with something, and before I blacked out, I vividly remembered seeing a man. But his face... I knew I saw his face and it was familiar, but I just couldn't remember now no matter how hard I tried.I threw off the blanket that covered me and stumbled toward the door. My hand gripped the handle, twisting it desperately, but the door didn’t budge. It was locked. My chest felt tight, and I started breathing faster. Where was I? And, most importantly, who had brought me here?
Stevenson’s POVI turned sharply when I heard the cold voice behind me, and there he was—Caspian.Caspian wore all black—black jacket, black shirt, and dark jeans. His black cap covered the upper part of his face, making him look like a spy or something. Seeing him instantly soured my mood."What the hell are you doing here?" I snapped sharply at him, annoyed by his presence.Shepherd, sitting beside me, looked confused. "What's going on?" he asked, but I didn’t bother answering him. My focus was locked on Caspian, and whatever nonsense he was about to pull."If you know what's good for you," Caspian said calmly, stepping closer, "you'll return those shares Fiona transferred to you."I glared at him and couldn’t help but laugh mockingly. "Oh, Fiona has already told you? That's very good. At least you should know the price she paid for your sorry ass. As for returning those shares," I looked him dead in the eye and declared
Phoebe’s POVThe men’s taunts and shoves suddenly stopped, replaced by an angry shout. "Turn off those damn bright lights!" one of them yelled.The harsh, blinding beam of a car’s headlights cut through the alley like a spotlight, and I had to squint against the glare. The three men cursed, stumbling back, clearly irritated."Hey, you! Get out of here with that light!" one of them yelled. I didn’t waste a second. With all the desperation I felt in my chest, I screamed, "Help! Please, help me!"The car’s headlights were so bright, I couldn’t see the driver at all—just the silhouette of someone sitting behind the wheel. The men looked at each other, muttering curses before taking a few steps back, clearly annoyed but not ready to give up.I could barely breathe in the tense silence, but I was just so relieved that they were backing off. It was a small victory, but it was enough to make me feel a flicker of hope. I had to get away—get to safety before they changed their minds.Then the c
Phoebe’s POV Carla’s face burned with rage as she stormed toward Rachel, grabbing her by the hair and yanking hard. “You think I wouldn’t find out? You’ve been sneaking around with my husband!” Rachel yelped, struggling to free herself. “You’re crazy! Let go of me, Carla! What the hell is wrong with you?!” The chaos erupted as other staff members tried to intervene. One of them, Lily, Rachael's best friend, stepped forward and slapped Carla hard across the face. “Enough, Carla! Stop acting like this is Rachel’s fault! Your husband doesn’t even love you—he’s only sticking around for the kids!” Carla froze for a moment, her face contorting with fury. “How dare you say that to me? He told you that crap? So, you've also been sleeping with my husband?!” she hissed before lunging at Lily. The room descended into utter chaos as Carla clawed at Rachel and then turned on Lily, who shoved her back. “Get off me, you fat pig!” Rachel shouted, pushing Carla away. The staff scrambled t
Phoebe’s POVI had barely taken a few steps when I slipped on the spilled water on the floor, losing my balance and crashing to the ground. The crash of the glass milkshake I was holding hitting the floor echoed like thunder. I stood frozen, staring at the mess. The thick, sticky liquid spread across the floor, and I could feel my heart sink.Who the hell had spilled water here?!“Phoebe!” My boss’s sharp voice cut through the air like a knife. He was fuming, his face red with frustration. “What the hell is wrong with you? How many times do I have to tell you to be careful?”I opened my mouth to apologize, but he was already shaking his head in disgust.“Get the mop and clean this up, now! I don't want to hear any of your silly excuses,” He ordered. His tone was harsher than usual, and I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks.These past weeks had been nothing short of a nightmare. It felt like trouble followed me wherever I went. Just last week, I was blamed for serving a customer t
Sheila's POVI was in my room with Mom, carefully organizing the clothes Granny had recently bought for me. There were so many that I wondered when I would have the chance to wear them all. I kept telling her I had enough, but my sweet Granny wouldn't hear of it. "Sheila," Mom began, her voice gentle yet curious, "I've noticed Andrew dropping you off quite often lately. Are you two back together?" A warm blush immediately crept up my cheeks. I paused, folding a shirt, and then replied, "We're just taking things slowly, Mom. One step at a time." She looked at me with a knowing smile, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "I see," she said, her tone teasing. "Well, if you're really sure about giving Andrew another chance, then I give you my blessings." I felt a surge of happiness and gratitude. I walked over to her, enveloping her in a tight hug. "Thank you, Mom. You've always stood by me, and I can't express how much that means to me." She pulled back slightly, holding my hands i
Andrew's POVA few weeks had passed since the chaos surrounding Therese and everything else had settled. Alfred was back to work after being suspended for weeks without pay, and things with Sheila had been going progressively smoothly. I had been buried in work, the weight of the business constantly hanging over my head. As I sat in my office, typing away on my laptop, a sharp knock on the door interrupted my concentration. Before I could respond, the door swung open, and my parents entered. My secretary rushed in after them, looking flustered. It was obvious she had tried to stop them, but they were having none of it. "Andrew," my father called out, his tone already tinged with annoyance. My mother followed behind him, her expression unreadable but no less intense. My secretary stepped into my office and began to explain. "I... I apologize, Mr. Walker. They insisted on seeing you immediately," she said nervously. "They refused to wait for me to inform you before they barged i
Sheila's POVAs the plane touched down in the city, I felt a sense of relief mixed with anxiety. We were finally back, but the weight of everything that had happened still loomed over me. As soon as the plane’s door opened, the cold rush of air hit us, and I could see the flashing lights of police cars waiting on the tarmac. They were already here, prepared for whatever would unfold next. As we began to step off the plane, the sound of raised voices reached us. Turning around, I saw Andrew's guards holding Anna back, their grip firm as she struggled against them. "Please, I just need to talk to her!" Anna cried out desperately, her voice trembling. "I promise I don't mean any harm!"Andrew’s expression darkened as he stepped forward. “Take her away,” he ordered, his tone cold and unyielding. “I don’t want to see her again.” “No! Please, Mistress, just a moment! I need to say something to you,” Anna pleaded, her voice growing louder. Her tear-filled eyes met mine, and the despe
Sheila's POVI didn’t know where Andrew was taking me, but I could see how furious and upset he was. His mood was dark, and I could feel the weight of his emotions without him saying a word to me. I didn’t even ask. There was something about him that made me want to follow quietly, unsure how I was going to calm him down, and not wanting to make his mood worse. He led me to a secluded part of the plane, a small, well-decorated room that looked almost like a personal cabin. Before I could ask any questions, Andrew shut the door behind us. His eyes, filled with a storm of emotions, met mine for a brief moment before he suddenly pulled me into his arms. I froze, caught off guard by the suddenness of his embrace. He pressed his head against my shoulder, holding me tightly as though trying to find some comfort. We stood there for a few seconds, both unsure of what to do. Hesitantly, I began to pat his back, uncertain of how to respond. “They turned against me! I trusted them so muc
Andrew’s POV I was trying so hard to understand what I had just heard. Anna, the woman who had served me so faithfully all these years, had been hiding something this massive from me. How could Therese be Anna's daughter? I stared at her, disbelief flooding my veins. I hadn’t known Anna had a child, let alone one who was working in my mansion under false pretenses. “What’s going on, Anna?” I asked, my voice thick with anger and confusion. “How is it possible that your daughter has been working here without my knowledge?” Anna’s face twisted with a mix of guilt and fear, tears welling up in her eyes. She had never been one to break down easily, but this time, it was different. “She’s not really my daughter, Master,” Anna explained shakily, her voice quivering. “She’s my late twin sister’s child… I raised her as my own after my sister passed away. I’ve done everything I could to give her a good life, everything. I sent money whenever I could, supported her when she needed it. I
Andrew's POV“Double-check everything,” I instructed the housekeeper over the phone. “The villa needs to be ready when we arrive, and I want the staff there briefed. No room for error.” “Yes, Sir. Everything is confirmed,” the voice on the other end said. “Good,” I replied with a nod before hanging up. It had taken a lot of effort to organize this, but I knew it would definitely be worth it. I turned to Alfred. “Are the movement schedules finalized? And the cars we'll be using once we land?” He nodded. “Yes, Master. Everything has been arranged as per your instructions. Everything has been confirmed.” “Excellent,” I replied, leaning slightly against the window frame. I allowed myself a small smile, one of satisfaction. The truth was, I knew Sheila wouldn’t have come willingly if I had asked her outright. She would’ve found an excuse, some way to evade me. That’s why I had to take matters into my own hands. It wasn’t ideal, but it was necessary. Alfred tilted his head, ob