~Twelve years ago~"I don't want you to go out", Crystal whined, "Why can't you just stay here with me and celebrate your anniversary?"Jessica gave Eric a knowing look before bending her knee to reach Crystal's level."Sweetie you know your father and I love you and your brother very much, but this is our anniversary, a day to celebrate just how much we love each other."Six year old Crystal blinked confused, "So you don't love each other on other days?"Eric bent his knee too, "No my little swan, that is not what your mother is saying. We love each other everyday just as much as we love you and your brother but today is just an extra day to celebrate the love between us.""But you said you love us too. Why can't you celebrate with us?""Alright Snowflake, Logan came into the room, "I will make you a deal. You let Mum and Dad go on their date and on their way back they will get you all the chocolate and ice cream you want."Crystal's eyes sparkled, "Yay!!! Chocolate."Without a secon
"But I don't understand. Why would my parents adopt him?""Why didn't they tell me?""Does Logan know that he is adopted?"Christian sighed, "I don't have the answers to your questions. The only people that can answer that unfortunately are not alive.""But-"Ryke interrupted her, "Crystal. It has been a really long day. Why don't we just go home and we will figure the rest of it out?"He turned to Christian, "I need you to find out who is sending her those messages.""Of course. Crystal if I may, I think there is so much more to your parents death. If someone had them murdered, there is a possibility that-""Christian", Ryke warned."I'm sorry. I will leave and get started on tracking that number.""Thank you." Ryke and Crystal said at the same time.Crystal waited for Christian to leave before she asked, "Am I in danger?""No. But I will need you to keep your head low for the mean time. You will only go to school and then from school, you will go straight back home.""Okay.""Thank
Crystal glanced between the three of them before turning to Richard, "What are you talking about?"Richard stood in the doorway with a smug expression on his face."I don't have the answers. Why don't you ask them? Logan, why don't you start us off?"Logan took a step forward, clenching his fist, "Richard, what the hell are you talking about? Why would you accuse me of sending that picture of our mother to the press?"Richard chuckled condescendingly. "Oh, Logan, just do everyone a favor and spare us the lies."Crystal's eyes narrowed. "That's a lie, Richard! Logan loved our mother. He would never stoop so low as to exploit her memory like that."She turned to Logan, "Right Lo?"Logan hesitated for a moment, his eyes darting between Crystal and Richard. "Crystal.""No. Don't you dare say it. Do you know what that picture could have done if it was true? How my life would have capsized? Why would you do something like that? What the hell is going on?"Richard's eyes gleamed with satisf
Crystal opened her eyes, a scream tearing out. She looked around. Everything was so white and bright. "You are finally awake." Her eyes immediately went to Ryke. "What happened? Weren't we just on the plane?" "We were." She blinked confused, "Then how are we here?" Ryke uncrossed his leg, sitting up straight, "It was a slight malfunction like the pilot said and then you passed out." "But how did I get here and where are we? Ryke sighed, "We are in Paris and to answer the question of how we got there, I carried you like the prince charming to your Cinderella." Crystal narrowed her eyes at him," Don't mock me." He smiled, taking a sip of the drink in his hand and then suddenly memories from the plane came rushing in. Her eyes widened in horror. What the hell was she thinking? Her eyes went down to his fingers wrapped around the glass. The fingers that been inside her. "Fuck my finger", she heard his voice in her head. Ryke's smiled deepened as he watched her battle with h
Crystal's heart pounded in her chest as she stood."What?" Ryke turned his head to find the person she was staring at in shock. There were hundreds of people passing by.Crystal tried to make her towards the man.Ryke held her back, "What do you think you are doing?"Before she could react, a sudden gust of wind swept through the narrow street, causing her father's figure to blur momentarily. When Crystal blinked, he was gone. Vanished into thin air.Crystal blinked. The man had disappeared from her sight. It wasn't possible that he was alive but she saw him. She couldn't mistake her father even in her dreams."Where is he? He was just standing there. I swear I saw him."She tried to move in that direction but Ryke stopped her, "Crystal your father is gone.""No. I just saw him. He is one of the reasons I wanted to come to Paris. He would tell me stories about it non stop and he told me when I was older he would take me so I could experience the city of love. It has to be him."Ryke l
Chloe adjusted her dress as she got down from the cab. It was the second time she was going to his house but she still felt nervous. She walked past his car heading for the door. Raising her hand, she knocked on the door but it opened by itself. The energy from the house felt off. "Christian", she called out as she stepped into the house. There was no reply. "Christian", she tried again, still nothing.She made her way inside the house and her shoe stepped on something wet.The light in the room was dim so it was hard to decipher what the liquid was.A groan sounded from behind the two seated sofa. A gasp flew out of her mouth as her eyes landed on Christian's body surrounded by the liquid she had stepped in, blood.Chloae rushed over to him, kneeling at his side. "Christian", she screamed.Christian smiled faintly, raising a bloodied hand to touch her cheek, "When I said scream out my name, this was definitely not what I had in mind." Under normal circumstances, maybe she would ha
As the mournful toll of the church bells resonated through the air, a somber atmosphere enveloped the scene. Thick, gray clouds hung low in the sky, casting a shadow over the grieving congregation that had gathered for the burial ceremony. The weather seemed to mirror the collective sorrow that filled the hearts of those in attendance.Crystal sat amidst a sea of mourners, her gaze sweeping across the room. Family, friends, and acquaintances had gathered to pay their respects, their faces etched with sorrow and sympathy. She searched for Chloe, her best friend, who stood by her side, her eyes swollen and red from countless tears. Crystal knew that it was almost time—time to say their final goodbyes.She tried not to be so bitter about it but in the end it all came down to one thing, life was cruel and unfair.The Reverend, a tall figure draped in somber robes, stood solemnly beside the casket at the front of the room. The Reverend cleared his throat, "Mrs Sterling will say a few word
Christian's eyelids fluttered as he gradually emerged from the depths of unconsciousness. The sterile white walls of the hospital room came into focus, and he felt the weight of his body against the soft hospital bed. A dull ache pulsed through his body, a constant reminder of the ordeal he had just been through.As his gaze wandered around the room, Christian's eyes locked onto Ryke, who stood at the door with a mixture of relief and concern etched on his face. A small, genuine smile lifted the corners of Christian's lips, despite the exhaustion that clung to him. "You must have really missed me," he quipped, attempting to inject a touch of humor into the tense atmosphere.Ryke's expression remained unreadable for a moment, but then he took a step forward, the relief in his eyes slowly becoming more apparent. "You have no idea," Ryke replied softly, his voice tinged with emotion. He approached the bed, the worry still evident in his movements, but trying to keep a composed demeanor.
Dread crept over her, a chill running down her spine. She stared at the message, a surge of fear and confusion flooding her mind. Who was behind this threat? The text had come from a different number. Her thoughts raced, trying to make sense of the menacing warning.With a shaky hand, she put the phone down, her mind reeling with a thousand questions and an equal number of fears. The ominous message echoed in her mind, leaving her on edge and uncertain of what would come next.Taking in a deep breath, she composed herself and walked out of the building, hurrying to the one person that made her feel safe in all the chaos revolving around her life.Crystal threw herself at Ryke immediately she set her eyes on him, catching him off guard, and he hesitated before wrapping his arms around her. It was unexpected; her words of missing him, the sudden embrace, all of it felt unreal to him, especially given the strained circumstances between them.When they finally disconnected from the hug, R
“I asked you a question, Crystal,” Logan gritted his teeth.Shaking her head, Crystal took a step back from the painting and let out a hollow laugh, “I just realized something. Crystal? I thought I was snowflake.”Logan’s glare intensified, “That still doesn’t answer my question.”Crystal rolled her eyes and turned to Isabella, “So I guess I was wrong and you are innocent,” she spat."Wrong or not, it doesn't change the fact that I had nothing to do with whatever mess you've found yourself in," Isabella finally spoke, her voice calm but tinged with an undercurrent of irritation.Crystal's frustration flared, her eyes narrowing as she retorted, “Logan might have gotten you out but I know what I saw and I have evidence. There are also witnesses that saw you enter Ryke’s mansion.”Isabella chuckled darkly, a bitter edge to the sound. "Evidence can be deceiving, and witnesses can be manipulated. You should know that, Crystal."Crystal shook her head in disbelief. "I trusted you, Isabella
Crystal stepped into the sterile, echoing confines of the visiting room at the correctional facility. Her breath caught as she caught sight of Isabella, sitting calmly, seemingly indifferent to the world around her. Crystal's heart pounded against her chest as she approached the table, her emotions in turmoil, her hands trembling with a mix of apprehension and longing for answers."Isabella," Crystal's voice quivered slightly as she took a seat across from her former best friend. Isabella lifted her gaze casually, her expression unreadable. Crystal's eyes searched Isabella's face, seeking any hint of remorse, of the friendship they once shared, but found nothing."I'm surprised you came," Isabella remarked casually, her tone devoid of emotion. "I had to," Crystal replied, her voice breaking slightly. "I need to understand, Bels. Why? Why did you do it?"Isabella leaned back in her chair, a faint smirk playing at the corners of her lips. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she
Chloe slowly fluttered her eyes open, the hazy blur of the hospital room coming into focus. The sterile scent, the faint hum of machines, all too familiar yet always disconcerting. As her vision cleared, she caught sight of Christian, his relief evident as their eyes met.A faint smile tugged at Christian's lips, but Chloe could see the underlying worry etched in the lines of his face, his attempt at humor failing to mask his concern. "Hey there, sleeping beauty," he quipped, a weak attempt to lighten the weight of the moment. "Is this becoming our thing now? Almost getting killed and ending up in the hospital?”Chloe managed a small, tired chuckle, but the gravity of their situation weighed heavily upon her. "Seems like it," she murmured, her voice hoarse from the ordeal. "But I wouldn't mind a change of pace anytime soon."Their banter masked the underlying tension that lingered in the air. Chloe's gaze softened as she reached out, her fingers lightly brushing against Christian's ha
The cacophony of voices echoed around him, distant yet somehow piercing. He found himself standing in the hazy periphery of a scene, a memory from his childhood that remained etched in his subconscious—the day he overheard his parents arguing.Their voices, once muffled whispers, now reverberated sharply through the walls, a symphony of discord that shook the very foundation of his understanding. Logan crept closer to the partially ajar door of his father’s study, drawn by the urgency in his parents' voices. He lingered, unseen, on the periphery of their heated exchange."I can't believe you're bringing this up again!" Jessica’s voice was filled with a mixture of anguish and exasperation."Jessica, he deserves to know," his father's voice replied, the weight of responsibility tinged with a hint of sorrow.Their words were like shards of glass, piercing Logan's sheltered world, fragmenting the illusion of his reality. He stood frozen, unseen, as the truth unfolded in the exchange bet
Logan's sleek black sedan pulled up outside the police station. Stepping out, his demeanor was one of controlled urgency, every stride purposeful as he approached the entrance.Approaching the front desk, he spoke with a tone that demanded attention. "I need to speak with someone in charge regarding the arrest of Isabella Montez."The officer behind the desk regarded Logan with a hint of skepticism, his uniform crisply pressed as he sized up the affluent newcomer. "I'm sorry, sir. I can't provide details about ongoing cases."Logan's frustration simmered beneath his controlled demeanor. "I understand, but Ms. Montez's arrest is a mistake. I need to rectify this immediately."The officer glanced at his computer screen before meeting Logan's gaze. "I'll see if someone can speak with you, sir. Please wait here."Minutes dragged like hours as Logan paced the station's lobby, his mind racing with a myriad of scenarios and strategies to make Isabella's release. Finally, a stern-looking de
Isabella stood before Ricardo, a mix of defiance and fear flickering in her eyes. "I did everything you asked me to, enough with the threats," she declared, her voice trembling slightly.Ricardo's lips curled into a chilling smile. "You have always been more beautiful when you defy me. But beauty won't clear your debt, my dear," he remarked, his tone cold and calculating. "You know the rules. I ask, you comply.""Please," Isabella begged, desperation lacing her words. "I've done what you asked. Let me go. Let me be free of this."His smile faded, replaced by an unsettling glint in his eyes. "Freedom? Oh, Isabella, freedom comes at a cost. And your debt won't be paid until I get what I want," he sneered, relishing his control over her.Tears welled in Isabella's eyes as she felt the weight of his words crushing her hopes. "I'll tell Logan. He'll help me. He'll—"Ricardo's laughter cut through her plea, a cruel and mocking sound. "Tell Logan? And what can he do, my dear?" he taunted, th
Chapter 40The world became a flurry in Crystal’s eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks, her heart pounding a rapid rhythm of fear and desperation. Chloe lay motionless on the stretcher, wheeled away by the frantic medical team."Please, you have to help her. She can't breathe. I think … I think she’s dying.” Crystal's voice quivered with panic as she pleaded with the nurses, her hands shaking as she clutched at the edge of the stretcher.The nurses, while empathetic, tried to calm her down. "Ma'am, we're doing everything we can. Please step back and let us do our job," one of the nurses said in a reassuring tone, gently guiding Crystal away from the treatment area.Crystal's breaths came in ragged gasps, her eyes wide with terror. "But she's my friend. I can't lose her. Please, you have to save her," she pleaded, her voice cracking with emotion."Miss, we understand, but we need you to stay calm for her sake. The doctors are with her; they're doing everything possible," another nurse
Crystal cried out, and he put his hand over her mouth to quiet her. "I'm sorry," he said. "It's just so big. It hurts." She shook her head, trying not to cry. "Don't worry," he said. "Just relax and let it go in."He began moving his hips slowly, pushing his cock deeper inside her. She gasped again as he pushed harder, stretching her walls even more than they were already. Then he stopped, holding himself deep inside her, "How does that feel?" he asked. "Good," she replied, "But it still hurts." He planted a small kiss on her forehead then he started moving again, sliding his cock in and out of her. She moaned softly, and then he kissed her, his tongue exploring her mouth. He pulled away from her and laid on his back. "Get on top of me," he ordered.A blush stained her cheek, “I don’t know how to be on top.” Fiddling with her fingers, she tried to look everywhere in the room but him.“Hey, look at me. Do you trust me?”She nodded, biting her lips.“Come here. I will teach you and