The midday sun beat down on her, as Elena exited the apartment she lived in and walked to her car. She settled into the driver’s seat, feeling the intensity of the heat radiating from the sidewalk outside. She adjusted her sunglasses and took a slow, calming breath, enjoying the cool blast of air conditioning as it began to ease the uncomfortable warmth.Then she inserted the key in the ignition. Turning the key she fully expected the engine to roar to life. But instead, it gave a weak sputter and fell silent. “Oh, come on!” she muttered, frustration in her voice and in her tone as she tried again. This time, the engine barely sputtered before quitting completely, leaving an uneasy silence around her. “This can't be happening right now.” She mumbled, pushing herself back against the car seat as she pulled a strand of hair from her face.She glanced around, almost embarrassed, as if someone might witness her struggle with the aging car. It felt like a cruel reminder of everything she’d
Nathan was seated down, contemplating what he had done, when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, glancing at the screen before bringing it to his ear. The voice on the other end was chilling and unemotional.“It’s done,” the man reported, his tone carrying a finality that made Nathan feel like something had twisted deep inside him, “We took care of her, just like you wanted.”Nathan didn’t respond immediately. His gaze drifted to the dull, worn-down walls of the small apartment, the silence around him feeling suddenly oppressive. He’d thought this would bring him relief, some sense of satisfaction. But instead, his chest felt nothing but heartache, guit, sadness, a sick ache building as he gripped the phone tighter.He swallowed, his expression cold and voice barely above a whisper as he replied. “Are you sure?” he asked, he was feeling bad. Nonetheless he was still hoping that they had truly done their job and took care of Elena, “You made certain she couldn’t survive?”
Liam hurried through the hospital's automatic doors, the sound of his footsteps echoing in the air. His facial expression was a mask of worry. Beside him were Cara, Luke, and Megan, each of them having insisted on accompanying him after hearing about Elena’s accident. But their reasons were different. They weren’t there for Elena, they were there for him in this tough time. Cara and Luke didn’t know Elena at all to care, and Megan, though concerned, had no real affection for Elena due to her cunning and manipulative ways. The only reason Megan might feel a hint of worry now was because Elena was carrying Liam’s child, the baby that was family to her.Nonetheless, their presence was a comfort to Liam, though it did little to ease the anxiety within him. The doctor hadn’t been very clear on Elena’s condition over the phone, and Liam couldn’t get rid of the fear that something terrible had happened. He didn’t want to lose his child, especially not before he’d even had the chance to me
Liam turned to look at Nathan. Their expressions were unreadable as the two men stared at each other. From the hostility in each other's eyes, it was clear they were enemies.Liam turned back around with a sigh. Although he disliked Nathan’s presence intensely, he decided to tolerate it for now. There were more pressing matters at hand than their mutual disdain.Nathan stepped further into the room, closing the door quietly behind him. His gaze lingered on Elena. And a storm of frustration was boiling beneath his calm facade. ‘How the fuck is she still alive?’ he thought bitterly. ‘Those bastards. Useless idiots. I should have done this myself instead of hiring some incompetent fools.’ The sight of Elena still breathing, although shallowly, was infuriating Nathan. All his carefully planned plans, the money he had spent, the risks taken now felt like it was a waste.But the wasted money was the least of Nathan's concerns right now.He feared that if Elena woke up, there was a very rea
Slipping into the room, Nathan’s eyes were fixed on Elena with a cold, predatory intensity. Not even seeing her in the state that she was in, made him feel bad for her. It was a testament of how much hatred he had built up for her, ever since the betrayal.The door clicked shut softly behind him. As he approached the bed, his footsteps were slow and deliberate. His gaze roamed over her pale face. He stood by the bed, glaring down at her unconscious body. At first, his facial expression was casual, as if he were merely observing something boring. But then, suddenly, his demeanor shifted. His eyes softened, and his brow furrowed in an almost sorrowful way. The rapid change in his emotions was unusual and unsettling. It was as though two opposing emotions: cold detachment and remorse battled within him, each fighting for dominance. Well, Elena was someone whom he used to consider family, and loved so of course he was going to be feeling bad and guilty, but at the same time he hated h
At the same time, Irene and Alvin Danvers arrived outside the hospital room, accompanied by Doctor Grant.The doctor Grant was telling them about Elena's health and the risks she could face on her way to recovery. He spoke calmly, his tone professional yet reassuring. “So far, there have been no complications. She should recover well.”Alvin Danvers voice was composed as usual, but laced with concern as he enquired“And the pregnancy? Is the baby going to be okay?”“Yes, we believe so,” Doctor Grant replied, nodding his head. “But even with all indications being positive, we can’t be completely sure there won’t be complications. It’s something we’ll need to monitor closely.”"That's such a relief, that she is better," Irene Danvers sighed, her tension slightly easing. As much as she and the Danvers family didn't like Elena, they were worried about her, because she was carrying, potentially the future heir to the Danvers empire. Irenes brows furrowed again as she asked, “What other ris
It was 9 o'clock In the morning, inside the luxurious Lopez mansion, in the kitchen.A young man, in his early twenties, stared hard at his wristwatch. A frown made its way to his face when he saw the time on his wrist watch, two hours had passed, and he was still far from finishing his chores.The young man's name was Liam Steinfeld and he was the live-in son -in-law of the Lopez family.Taking his eyes off his wristwatch Liam sighed irritably as he stared at the dirty dishes that needed cleaning. And after that, he still needed to wash his wife's clothes.Being a live-in son-in-law, Liam had to cook, clean, take his in-laws kids to school, and do all the housework for the Lopez family. Not only that, but he also had to endure a lot of insults from the whole family, even the maids and butlers were above him in the house. His life had become a living hell ever since he stepped foot in the mansion."Liam, clean my bedroom and wash the kids' clothes!" A female voice from the living room
"Ow, what's that for?" Liam exclaimed, feeling pain on the spot where his mother in-law hit him with a bottle.Taking his eyes off his mother in law, Liam lowered his gaze and looked at the bottle that Mrs. Lopez just hit him with, then he shifted his gaze to look at her with a cold expression that sent shivers down her spine. He was sick of The Lopez's hitting him whenever they wanted."What was that for?" He asked in a low and soft tone. Scoffing, Mrs Lopez pointed her index finger at him as she said. "Divorce my daughter, or I'll make your life a living hell! You're wasting her time! Tell me what could you give her Liam? You're just a nobody with no one in his life so divorce my daughter or I'll make your life a living hell! And mark my words, when I say 'I'll make you regret trapping my daughter', I really mean it… I'll make you wish you never met her." Mrs Lopez warned word by word, making sure Liam gets the word through his useless head. And then she stormed out of the kitchen.
At the same time, Irene and Alvin Danvers arrived outside the hospital room, accompanied by Doctor Grant.The doctor Grant was telling them about Elena's health and the risks she could face on her way to recovery. He spoke calmly, his tone professional yet reassuring. “So far, there have been no complications. She should recover well.”Alvin Danvers voice was composed as usual, but laced with concern as he enquired“And the pregnancy? Is the baby going to be okay?”“Yes, we believe so,” Doctor Grant replied, nodding his head. “But even with all indications being positive, we can’t be completely sure there won’t be complications. It’s something we’ll need to monitor closely.”"That's such a relief, that she is better," Irene Danvers sighed, her tension slightly easing. As much as she and the Danvers family didn't like Elena, they were worried about her, because she was carrying, potentially the future heir to the Danvers empire. Irenes brows furrowed again as she asked, “What other ris
Slipping into the room, Nathan’s eyes were fixed on Elena with a cold, predatory intensity. Not even seeing her in the state that she was in, made him feel bad for her. It was a testament of how much hatred he had built up for her, ever since the betrayal.The door clicked shut softly behind him. As he approached the bed, his footsteps were slow and deliberate. His gaze roamed over her pale face. He stood by the bed, glaring down at her unconscious body. At first, his facial expression was casual, as if he were merely observing something boring. But then, suddenly, his demeanor shifted. His eyes softened, and his brow furrowed in an almost sorrowful way. The rapid change in his emotions was unusual and unsettling. It was as though two opposing emotions: cold detachment and remorse battled within him, each fighting for dominance. Well, Elena was someone whom he used to consider family, and loved so of course he was going to be feeling bad and guilty, but at the same time he hated h
Liam turned to look at Nathan. Their expressions were unreadable as the two men stared at each other. From the hostility in each other's eyes, it was clear they were enemies.Liam turned back around with a sigh. Although he disliked Nathan’s presence intensely, he decided to tolerate it for now. There were more pressing matters at hand than their mutual disdain.Nathan stepped further into the room, closing the door quietly behind him. His gaze lingered on Elena. And a storm of frustration was boiling beneath his calm facade. ‘How the fuck is she still alive?’ he thought bitterly. ‘Those bastards. Useless idiots. I should have done this myself instead of hiring some incompetent fools.’ The sight of Elena still breathing, although shallowly, was infuriating Nathan. All his carefully planned plans, the money he had spent, the risks taken now felt like it was a waste.But the wasted money was the least of Nathan's concerns right now.He feared that if Elena woke up, there was a very rea
Liam hurried through the hospital's automatic doors, the sound of his footsteps echoing in the air. His facial expression was a mask of worry. Beside him were Cara, Luke, and Megan, each of them having insisted on accompanying him after hearing about Elena’s accident. But their reasons were different. They weren’t there for Elena, they were there for him in this tough time. Cara and Luke didn’t know Elena at all to care, and Megan, though concerned, had no real affection for Elena due to her cunning and manipulative ways. The only reason Megan might feel a hint of worry now was because Elena was carrying Liam’s child, the baby that was family to her.Nonetheless, their presence was a comfort to Liam, though it did little to ease the anxiety within him. The doctor hadn’t been very clear on Elena’s condition over the phone, and Liam couldn’t get rid of the fear that something terrible had happened. He didn’t want to lose his child, especially not before he’d even had the chance to me
Nathan was seated down, contemplating what he had done, when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, glancing at the screen before bringing it to his ear. The voice on the other end was chilling and unemotional.“It’s done,” the man reported, his tone carrying a finality that made Nathan feel like something had twisted deep inside him, “We took care of her, just like you wanted.”Nathan didn’t respond immediately. His gaze drifted to the dull, worn-down walls of the small apartment, the silence around him feeling suddenly oppressive. He’d thought this would bring him relief, some sense of satisfaction. But instead, his chest felt nothing but heartache, guit, sadness, a sick ache building as he gripped the phone tighter.He swallowed, his expression cold and voice barely above a whisper as he replied. “Are you sure?” he asked, he was feeling bad. Nonetheless he was still hoping that they had truly done their job and took care of Elena, “You made certain she couldn’t survive?”
The midday sun beat down on her, as Elena exited the apartment she lived in and walked to her car. She settled into the driver’s seat, feeling the intensity of the heat radiating from the sidewalk outside. She adjusted her sunglasses and took a slow, calming breath, enjoying the cool blast of air conditioning as it began to ease the uncomfortable warmth.Then she inserted the key in the ignition. Turning the key she fully expected the engine to roar to life. But instead, it gave a weak sputter and fell silent. “Oh, come on!” she muttered, frustration in her voice and in her tone as she tried again. This time, the engine barely sputtered before quitting completely, leaving an uneasy silence around her. “This can't be happening right now.” She mumbled, pushing herself back against the car seat as she pulled a strand of hair from her face.She glanced around, almost embarrassed, as if someone might witness her struggle with the aging car. It felt like a cruel reminder of everything she’d
The men exchanged glances before one of them leaned back, his hand lingering over the cash and counting it. He looked up at Nathan with a frown. “Yeah, don't worry, we can handle the job easily.” He paused and tossed the stacks of money to the other guy beside him, saying, “But this isn’t enough for us to do the job,” the man said, his voice low but insistent. “We are supposed to take care of two people, not just one. The price you’re offering here? It's only for one.”Nathan’s jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing. His teeth clenched as he shot them a hard glare. “What do you mean, two?” he snapped. He’d only specified one target, so they had made up the second target. It seemed like these guys were trying to milk more money out of him and he wasn't going to let that happen. What did they take him for? A fool?“You greedy bastards!” he spat angrily, his voice dangerously calm. “You’re supposed to handle one person. What the hell do you mean, two people?”The second man, who had been sile
Aretha took a deep breath, her eyes meeting Liam's with a determined gaze. “I’ll help you,” she said, though a slight hesitation lingered in her tone. She wasn’t entirely comfortable with her decision. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to support Liam; it was just that the idea of going against Selena, her old college friend, left her feeling like a bad person. Aretha had known about Selena’s manipulative ways, but they had never directly affected her, so she had stayed on the sidelines.Though they’d drifted apart after college and rarely spoke now, the thought of siding against Selena brought some guilt. Still, seeing Liam’s hopeful expression, she reminded herself why she’d agreed.Liam’s face lit up, a genuine smile spreading across his features. Relief and gratitude was visible in his eyes, and he gave her a slight nod, clearly grateful for her support.“Thank you, Aretha. This means a lot,” Liam replied, his voice laced with sincerity. A subtle, satisfied smile played at his lips a
At the Carrington's residence. The morning sun shone through the streets. Liam stood outside his sleek sports car outside the Carrington residence, watching as Ethan carefully helped Mr. Carrington up the steps and into the house. He let out a sigh, turning his thoughts to Aretha who was nowhere to be seen. He hadn’t come to the Carrington residence just to visit; he came here for Aretha because he needed her help. Aretha had known Selena from their college days, and she seemed to know about the person she was. If Liam could get Aretha's help and testify against her in court he would easily win this lawsuit.‘Where is she?’ Liam wondered. He hadn't seen Aretha ever since he arrived and she had told him she would meet him there, yet she was nowhere to be seen. “Easy, Dad,” Ethan murmured, steadying Mr. Carrington with a supportive grip.Liam observed them quietly, relieved that Mr. Carrington was finally out of the hospital. This was a step forward. But he still had to help them d