Phoebe’s POV I stood outside my mother’s bedroom, holding the fashion magazine in my hand. I had spent hours flipping through its pages, and had marked a few pieces from the latest collection by my favorite designer. The excitement bubbling within me was almost too much to contain. I couldn’t wait to show her the clothes I wanted to get for my friend's birthday party. I knew money was a bit tight due to the company's financial situation, but I knew how to press my mother's buttons to get her to get me the clothes. But as I pushed open the door and stepped inside, the atmosphere felt…off. My mother stood by the window, her back rigid, hands clenched at her sides. She turned slowly to face me, and the coldness in her eyes made my heart skip a beat. “Mom, look at—” My words were abruptly cut off by the sting of her hand slapping my cheek. The magazine slipped from my fingers, landing on the floor. I was too stunned to react, my mind scrambling to understand what had just happened.
Sheila's POVThe drive back to the house was thick with silence. I stared out the window, the trees blurring past as the car sped down the road. “Are you okay?” Andrew’s voice broke the silence, soft and full of concern.He glanced at me a few times, probably concerned by how I had withdrawn into myself. I could feel his eyes on me, but I didn’t turn to meet them. I couldn’t.I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. The truth was, I wasn’t okay. I was far from okay. My heart ached, and my mind wouldn’t stop replaying the day I caught Alan and Phoebe together after I watched their leaked video. It was like an old wound had been torn open, and no matter how much I tried to hold it together, the pain kept seeping through.I could still see them, tangled up in each other, the shock and betrayal hitting me like a tidal wave. I had thought I was over it—over them. But seeing that video… It was like it happened all over again. The disbelief, the hurt, the anger. It was all there, gnawing at
Phoebe’s POVI sat on the floor, my back pressed against the grand piano, feeling like my world was falling apart. The marble beneath me was cold, which contradicted the storm of emotions raging inside. How did I end up here? Mom was pacing the room, her phone glued to her ear as she tried to fix the mess I’d made. She kept making calls upon calls trying to fix everything, but deep down, I knew there was no fixing this. The video was out there, and no amount of phone calls could change that.“Miss Phoebe, your juice,” Gia, our maid, said quietly, holding out a glass.I looked up, already annoyed, and the sight of the pale juice in the glass made my blood boil. “I asked for orange juice,” I snapped.Gia hesitated, her hand shaking slightly. “But Miss, you asked for apple juice earlier.”“I did not! What's wrong with you? Can't you get things right? Are you deaf? I said I want orange juice!” I yelled angrily at her, slapping the glass out of her hand. It hit the floor, shattering into
Alan's POV Cold water splashed across my face, waking me up with a jolt. I gasped, blinking rapidly as I tried to make sense of my surroundings. My heart pounded, and panic gripped me as I realized I didn’t know where I was. Everything was unfamiliar, dark, and threatening.“Where am I? What am I doing here? Who are you guys?” I asked frantically, my voice shaking. My hands and feet were tied to a chair, the ropes digging into my skin as I struggled against them, trying to break free. The fear inside me grew as I noticed two large men standing in front of me, their faces cold and expressionless.The last thing I recalled was stumbling out of a bar after a few drinks. I had been a little drunk, but not enough to black out. Then, everything went blank. Now, here I was, tied to a chair in some unknown place. It didn’t take long to realize the truth—I had been kidnapped.I needed to stay calm, to think clearly. If I could just talk my way out of this, maybe they’d let me go. I forced mys
Sheila’s POV I walked into the new hospital, a basket of fruit in my hands, feeling a rare sense of happiness. I was going to see Mom. The air was cool, and the bright, clean halls of the hospital looked spotless. Knowing she was in a comfortable room, resting well, made everything seem a little brighter.As I pushed open the door to her room, I saw her sitting up in bed, a small smile playing on her lips. The sight of her without the usual lines of pain etched into her face filled me with relief.“Mom,” I said softly, walking over to her with the basket. “Look what I brought you.”She looked at the basket, her smile widening. “Sheila, my dear, you’re spoiling me.”I placed the basket on the table beside her bed and leaned down to kiss her cheek. “You deserve it, Mom. How are you feeling?”Her eyes shone with a warmth I hadn’t seen in a long time. “Better than I have in years. This place… it’s so peaceful. How were you able to afford this place? it looks quite expensive.”“It wasn’t
Andrew's POV"Mr. Walker, the projections for the next quarter look promising, but we need your input on the final adjustments," one of my foreign investors said during the zoom meeting.I nodded, glancing at the charts on the screen. "I agree, but let's consider diversifying the portfolio a bit more. We don't want to put all our eggs in one basket, especially with the current market volatility."Another investor chimed in, "Good point, Mr. Walker. But what about the new tech investments? Should we scale back or push forward?""We push forward," I replied without hesitation. "Technology is the future. If we want to stay ahead, we need to invest now, while the opportunities are ripe."There was a brief pause on the other end as they considered my suggestion. "Alright, we'll adjust the plan accordingly. Mr Grey, anything else we should consider?"As the both of them discussed, my thoughts unintentionally drifted to the night Sheila
Phoebe's POV"I’m so angry with my dad right now!" I vented to my friends who had come over for a visit. "I told him I wasn't interested in the arranged marriage with his foreign business partner and that I wouldn’t agree to it, but he even went as far as freezing all my debit cards!”My friends exchanged worried looks, trying to comfort me. “You really need to calm down, Phoebe. Maybe there could be another way of explaining to your dad about this?”“There's nothing I haven't done to change his mind! I've begged and begged, threatened to end my life, done everything I could think of, but he just wouldn't bulge!” I yelled angrily.Muna then asked, "Who’s this foreign investor your dad wants you to marry? Isn’t he worried that the investor might take you away to another country, and we might never see you again?”“Antonio Ricardo,” I replied, rolling my eyes. “He’s apparently a billionaire Spanish tycoon my dad wants me to marry.”
Sheila's POVAndrew was already at the breakfast table when I walked into the dining room. The morning light streamed through the windows, making everything look so peaceful. He was dressed for work, casually flipping through some papers while a servant poured him a fresh cup of coffee.“Good morning,” I said, taking a seat across from him.“Morning,” Andrew replied, looking up with a smile. “Are you ready for your day with Grandma? She's quite excited about it.”I shifted in my chair, feeling a bit nervous. “I guess so. Are you sure you can’t come with me?”He chuckled softly, shaking his head. “I’d love to, but I’ve got a lot to do at work today. Besides, it’s you she invited, not me. You’ll be fine.”I sighed, eyeing the breakfast that had just been set before me. “I don’t know. Your grandfather will be there, right? And you know he’s not exactly fond of me. It’ll be awkward without you. What if they ask about us, or the scandal with Alan? What if—”Before I could continue, Andrew