Andrew’s POV
I was packing my briefcase, preparing to leave the office and head to Grandpa’s house to apologize to Sheila and take her back home.Just as I was about to grab my keys, my phone rang. Glancing at the screen, I saw Charles Donovan’s name flash across it. Hours after our meeting, I hadn’t expected his call. I hesitated before answering, unsure of what he could possibly want now.“Charles,” I answered, keeping my tone neutral.“Andrew,” he began. “I wanted to reach out and apologize for the way things went earlier today. Inviting you to compete with the Lyons Group like that—it was unprofessional, and I regret it.”I remained silent, waiting for him to continue.“I’ve had some time to reconsider,” he said slowly. “After reviewing both your proposals, I realized that Walker Enterprises is the right partner for us. If you’re still willing, we’d like to award you the contract.”I immediately smiled when I heardAndrew's POVWe walked in silence to the study, and as soon as we were inside, Sheila turned to face me.“Who is Evelyn?”My entire body tensed, and I felt my jaw clench. This was the one subject I never wanted to talk about. Why was she suddenly interested in Evelyn?“I don’t want to discuss this,” I said coldly, hoping she would drop it.But Sheila wasn’t backing down. It seemed she had prepared very well for this confrontation.“I have a right to know who she is, Andrew. Who is this woman, and what's your relationship with her?”“Sheila, I said just drop—”“Don't you dare tell me to drop it!” Sheila yelled angrily, raising her voice. “I've had enough of all this! You must give me an answer right now! I deserve to know who the hell Evelyn is!”My temper immediately flared, and before I could stop myself, I snapped. “You don’t deserve to know who Evelyn is.”Her eyes blazed with anger as she w
Sheila's POV“Is this Evelyn?” I demanded, holding the photograph up to Andrew’s face. “Why does she look like me?”Andrew looked horrified, his phone dropping from his hand as he stared at the picture with disbelief. He took the photo from me, holdjg onto it tightly as if he feared it would disappear. I couldn’t understand why he looked like someone who had just seen a ghost. “Why does she look like me?” I asked again, my voice trembling.Andrew slowly headed to his chair and sank into it, his posture as slumped as if he had received the saddest news of his life. He rubbed his hands through his hair, letting out a deep sigh. I watched him, confused and desperate for answers.When I first saw the picture of Andrew and the woman, who looked so much in love, I wondered when I had ever taken such a picture with him. Then it hit me— the note! It warned me not to think I could ever replace Evelyn, making me believe this woman in th
Andrew’s POVI sat in the bar with James across from me, the slow music playing in the background doing nothing to calm the storm in my heart.James looked at me with a serious expression, waiting for an answer. "Why did you lie to Sheila about Evelyn being dead? Why didn't you just come clean with her?"I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling tired and exhausted with everything. "I honestly don’t know, James," I admitted. "It just felt like the right thing to say at the time. I thought it would protect Evelyn."James frowned. "Protect her from what? Sheila? Sheila’s not a threat to Evelyn."James was right—what exactly was I trying to protect Evelyn from? Sheila couldn’t harm Evelyn, especially not with Evelyn in a coma.But at that moment, my instincts kicked in, and I’d said it without thinking. Now, looking back, it made no sense. Deep within me, I felt I did that because I was scared that Sheila might leave me once she found o
Stevenson’s POVI sat in the cold, tiny prison cell, staring at the walls. My once-powerful life had crumbled, and now I was nothing but just an inmate.The betrayal from my family, the accusations, and being locked up—it all weighed me down. Each second in this place felt like an eternity. I sighed heavily, running a hand through my unkempt hair, wondering how everything had gone so wrong.Suddenly, the cell door clanged open, and an officer stood there. "You have a visitor," the officer announced.I blinked, surprised. I hadn’t been expecting anyone. I stood up, straightening my wrinkled shirt as much as I could, and followed the officer down the long hallway to the visitor’s room. It turned out to be my lawyer."Good to see you, Mr. Grayson," the lawyer said as I sat down across from him.I gave a weak nod. "I hope you have some good news for me."He nodded and leaned in. "Actually, I do. There’s finally a way to get
Stevenson’s POV“I can.”The voice echoed through the room, freezing everyone in their seats. My head snapped toward the door, along with the stunned gazes of every board member.I couldn’t believe my eyes—it was HER. My very own daughter, Phoebe, stood there, bold and confident, with Fiona and Antonio on either side.I stood motionless, trying to make sense of what was happening. “What are you doing here?” I demanded, my voice rough with disbelief.Phoebe met my eyes, calm and unbothered. “I’ve come to take over the company, Father,” she said casually, as if discussing something so small and insignificant. She must be out of her mind!“The same company my grandparents and great-grandparents built, just as you said. I'm the only legitimate child of the Grayson family. So, sooner or later, I will inherit it anyway.”The room went deathly silent. What was this unfortunate girl up to? I still hadn't forgiven her for throwing me in prison, yet she had the audacity to come here and spout a
Phoebe’s POVI couldn't help but smile as I stood there. Everything was falling into place, just as Antonio had promised.I remember when he first explained his plan to me after revealing his intention to get my dad out of prison. I had been skeptical at first, but after he explained his plans to me, I was glad that he was on my side.The thrill I felt was indescribable; the idea of watching my dad squirm, his company slipping through his fingers—it was all too perfect. I couldn’t wait to see his face once it all played out.Mr. Shepherd cleared his throat, pulling me back to the present. “Alright, let’s start the voting,” he announced, setting the room in motion. The board members exchanged glances before they began casting their votes.One by one, they made their choices. Some still supported my dad, no surprise there. They had been feeding off his scraps for years, benefiting from the little perks he’d thrown their way—perks that would certainly end when I became CEO.But their loy
Antonio’s POVI leaned back in the soft leather chair, sipping my drink and letting the warmth of the whiskey burn gently as it went down. The slow music playing in the background made the whole atmosphere relaxed.This private club was as luxurious as it was exclusive—a place where people like me could unwind and take care of business without anyone watching. I'd been using it since I came to this city to arrange private meetings with people and also to enjoy and relax my nerves.Tonight was different, though. I was in an unusually good mood. Guess who was with me, enjoying their drinks? Would anyone even believe they would be here with me?It was none other than Mr. Shepherd, Stevenson’s most trusted friend, and Mr. Ryan, Stevenson's most trusted lawyer. Both men had played their parts perfectly, and I was very pleased that I could get them to work for me.The two most important people Stevenson relied so much on. Who said money couldn'
Stevenson’s POVThe same night….I sat alone at the bar, just staring at my glass, lost in thought. My life had taken such a drastic turn, and now, here I was, no longer the CEO of the company I had dedicated years of time and hard work to grow.Antonio and Phoebe had taken everything from me and even dragged Fiona into their mess. How could it have come to this?But what puzzled me most was how Fiona knew about the 5% of shares I’d secretly sold. I’d been careful, very careful, to cover it up, even using her shares to balance the numbers.This was the reason I’d initially wanted her shares transferred to my name—it would have made everything so much easier to hide. But somehow, Fiona found out. And now, everyone was aware that I didn’t own the highest percentage of shares in my own company.I was certain that I hadn’t told anyone. My lawyer had processed everything discreetly. No one at the company had noticed a thing, so how di
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