I stepped into the office, shutting the door behind me. The air inside was heavy, thick with tension, like something bad was about to unfold. Ken was already seated, his fingers drumming against the desk almost impatiently. “Boss, you’re a bit late,” he said, not looking up from the laptop in front of him.I exhaled, rolling my shoulders as I pulled out a chair. “My apologies.” I leaned forward. “So what do we have here? ”Ken pushed the laptop toward me. “Take a good look at this.”I shifted in my seat, my eyes narrowing as I focused on the screen. The footage was grainy but clear enough to make out the figures moving in the darkness. My breath seized when I recognized her.Rose.She was at Helen’s house. I checked the date on the video and saw that it was yesterday.I frowned, my stomach twisting. What the hell was she doing there? And why the hell was she bringing men with her?“Where did you get this?” I asked, my voice low, controlled.Ken leaned back. “I stationed some cameras
As I was still pondering over it, I was surprised when I heard a car drive into the compound. The way the engine sounded, it clearly showed that the person was in a hurry.Speaking of the devil, I hissed under my breath. It was Ashton.What the hell was he doing here this early in the morning?I stood at the door, arms crossed, watching as he stepped out of his car. He came down majestically as though he were someone important.“What do you want this early morning?” I spat at him before he even got close enough.He let out a breath, trying to remain calm. “Good morning, Helen. Won’t you at least let me come in?”“No.”He raised an eyebrow. “And why not?”I laughed, shaking my head. “Tell your so-called whore to leave me alone.”That caught him off guard. He didn’t understand who I was talking about until I gave him a profound look and he saw it was Rose. “What?”“You heard me, Ashton. I just got intel that Rose has been asking about me. She’s been sniffing around my former city too.”
“Helen, what's going on? You sound shook up," Mr. Anderson said over the phone. He was really upset as I told him what had happened.I tried to keep my voice calm as I responded, even though I was shaking inside. "Mr. Anderson. I no longer think I can work in this city."His voice was full of worry as he asked, "What's the matter? What really happened?"“Because of this, I told you I never wanted to come back to this place. This city is where my past has been following me around." I took a deep breath, trying to find the right words, trying to put my feelings into check because I was on a call. "You told me I'd love it here, and I really do. But I can't keep working too much and putting my kids and myself at risk.”"Danger?" The fear in his voice made me understand that he didn’t actually know what was going on behind the scenes. “What happened?”“I had a run-in with Ashton and… and Rose, she showed up near my place yesterday. I also just had the most scary phone call with my chauffe
“Sir, we have a situation…” Dan said, running into my office. He sounded so anxious, as though the city was on fire.“What?” I asked, my heart racing. “What’s going on?”He gave me his phone; the screen lit up with an unknown number. “It’s the head of the Police Department here in Seattle. They need to talk to you.”I took the phone, surprised as to why the head of police wanted to talk to me. “Put them through.”“This is Chief Thompson,” a deep voice came through the line. “Sir, we just received information regarding a potential kidnapping attempt of one Miss Helen’s Kids, an actress here in this city on contract. We believe that Mrs. Rose has a hand in this.”My mouth dropped. “What?! Where are Helen's kids?” I asked sharply, my thoughts running wild. I needed to know they were safe.“They’re currently with her at her home,” The Chief responded. “We’re sending additional units to her location right now to ensure their safety.”“I’ll meet you there,” I said. I could not let anything
“Wait… what?! Did you call the police on me?” Rose shouted out, her face twisted with shock. “Are you mad? Do you know this will stain the Fletcher's Corporation, your family company?!”I laughed, shaking my head. “I'm not concerned about that, Rose. I care about getting you behind bars. You are evil, and you need to pay for your crimes.”As I spoke, I watched the cops get closer, their sirens screaming and lights flashing. I already tipped off Mr. Thompson that Rose would be at home, so he had his guys follow my car when I came here.“Just keep your mouth shut,” I warned her sternly. “You brought on yourself.”The police officers stepped out of their cars, quickly assessing the scene. I could see them move with precision, their eyes locked on Rose as they approached.“Ma’am,” One of the cops said firmly, “we have information about a potential kidnapping. We need you to come with us.”“Kidnapping? I didn’t do anything!” Rose yelled, with her hands flying everywhere. “You have to belie
I hung up, irritation running through me as I stared at the wall across from me. “What’s wrong with everyone?” I muttered under my breath. “Can’t they see how dangerous Rose is? Am I the only one who sees this?”My head was spinning and I didn’t even know what to do anymore. I felt like I was in deep water, and every move I made only seemed to pull me further under. Would any of them actually help me get Helen back, or was I just making a bigger mess of everything?“Damn it!” I muttered to myself, walking around the area. “I need to have it all settled.”So, I grabbed my phone and called Dan's number, waiting for him to pick up.“Hey, Ashton, what’s going on?” Dan answered carefully.“I need you to get the police to release Rose,” I ordered, cutting right to the point.“What? Are you serious?” he asked, clearly taken aback. “After everything that happened? She’s a danger to Helen and the kids!”“I don’t care!” I shouted, feeling the anger boil over. “Just do it! No questions. Just ma
It had been a week since everything had settled down. The saga with Rose finally had calmed down, and my life here in Seattle was starting to feel somewhat normal again. My kids were back in school, and I promised myself I would drop them off every day to avoid any issues. I just wanted to keep them safe.As I checked the time on my phone, I realized I still had about thirty minutes before I had to be on set for my next film scene. My stomach growled softly, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten anything substantial all morning. I needed a little pick-me-up, something sweet.“I could really go for some ice cream,” I said to myself, a smile creeping onto my face at the thought. I remembered the cute little ice cream shop I had seen a few days ago while driving around. It was famous for its really nice flavors and bright décor.I made a quick decision. I hopped into my car and drove to the ice cream shop, eager to treat myself. The sun was shining bright, and the music playing on the radi
“Ashton, you have a meeting with the investors at 4 PM today,” Dan was saying as he walked into my office. His voice was clear, but I literally didn’t hear a thing of what he said. My mind was so far away. I didn't raise my head or even look his way. All I was lost in was how I was going to convince Helen that I love her with every fiber of my being.“Ashton… Ashton! Ashton!” Dan called out, and as his voice grew louder, I suddenly jerked out of my thoughts. He shook me gently and I snapped back to reality. “Uh…. Yes….. Yeah,” I stuttered, still a bit dazed. “What?”“Chill out, man,” he chuckled, his brow raised as he dropped the files he was holding on the table. “You look so troubled, like you lost seven major deals in a day.”“It’s not funny,” I said, frowning. I wasn’t ready to have Dan make me feel worse than I already was.“Okay, okay. I’m sorry!” Dan replied with a playful tone, trying to lighten my mood as he apologized. “But seriously, what’s going on? I’ve noticed since th
Driving back home, I couldn’t shake off the strange shift in Rose’s tone. The moment I brought up Henry’s behavior and then his legitimacy, her attitude changed, and she suddenly flared up so badly. She’d gone from defensive and literally wanted to bring the roof down, like a cat backed into a corner. It didn’t add up, and the way she reacted raised a question in my head I couldn’t ignore.Is Henry really Ashton’s child? Or not?It made me grip the steering wheel tighter as I was lost in thought. Rose wasn’t above doing whatever it took to get what she wanted. That much was clear. But if she’d gone as far as lying about who Henry’s father was… Why? And how? What was she hiding?I needed answers.Pulling over to the side of the road, I grabbed my phone and scrolled to Zita’s number. She was the perfect person that could help me fish out the truth in this kind of situation. The phone rang twice before her familiar, upbeat voice came through.“Hi Rita, how are you doing?” I greeted,
I felt my heart racing as I tried to keep my anger in check. Sitting in that office with Rose felt like being cornered in a cage with a wild animal. I didn’t know why I kept wasting my breath on her. She clearly had no sense, no respect. She didn’t care about her actions, only how they affected her. She literally was someone that would go to any length to have what she always wanted.“Principal Thompson, please look into what we discussed,” I said, turning back to her and pretending Rose didn’t exist. I was done with her nonsense. I needed to focus.“Sure, ma’am. I promise we will make sure this doesn’t repeat itself again,” The principal replied, still apologizing with her eyes and words. “Thank you,” I smiled, feeling slightly relieved. I just wanted to get out of that office and away from this whole mess.I stormed out of the room, feeling the tension lift a little, but just as I reached my car, I heard a voice behind me.“Hey! Where do you think you’re going?” Rose shouted, her
I hated stepping my feet back into the school for the second time in as many weeks. The principal's office felt like a hellhole, and I could already feel my anger rising. I had just come from a long day on set, filming for hours, and my mind was already clogged and drained. Just for me to get a call from the principal that my kids were in a fight. Again.“Principal Thompson, I can’t believe I’m back here again!” I hissed as I walked into her office. “What happened now?”She looked up from her desk; her facial expression was really apologetic. “Helen, I understand your frustration, but please, let me explain. Your son got into another fight with Henry.”“Henry? That riffraff boy?” I snapped, crossing my arms tightly. “This is unacceptable! My kids were supposed to be safe here!”“Please try to calm down,” She cajoled, pressing a finger to her temples as if trying to calm herself down. “I’m truly sorry this is happening again. I promised you it wouldn’t be an issue.”“I don’t care abo
Getting ready for school, I couldn’t shake the feelings from the other day. I still vividly remember the day Daddy came and said those terrible things to my mom. I could still hear his voice, loud and hurtful.“Why are you even here, Ashton?” I heard my mom scream at him. “You don’t care about us! Just leave and don’t come back!”He just looked at me, his face all messed up and angry. “I’m Henry’s dad. You won't deny me the privilege to see my own son”Then he walked out of the house, and I felt this wave of anger wash over me. How could he talk to my mom like that? I knew, at that moment, that I had to make sure those kids paid for what he did.“I’ll make them pay,” I hissed to myself as tears filled my eyes. It wasn’t fair that he got to be mean and walk away without any consequences.With a heavy heart, I snuggled back under my bed sheets. Mommy was always there for me, working hard to keep us going. Daddy would come by, but he was never really present. “I’m busy, Henry,” he would
“Mom, just relax… okay?” Kate said, laughing as she playfully rolled her eyes on me. I was amazed at her little display of attitude, my brain taking a short trip down the memory lane of when they were just babies a few years back. “Who do you all think you are?” I asked, a small laugh escaping my lips. “You kids are turning into real little adults!”“I’m not a baby anymore!” Kate huffed proudly and stuck her nose in the air, “I’m growing up, Mommy!”“Yes, but you will always be my baby,” I replied, ruffling her hair affectionately.Everybody laughed as she said it, but I then noticed Jake wasn't showing excitement like the rest of us, as he was just quiet and moody in one corner.As I walked up to him, the rest went to meet Rita in the kitchen to get dinner ready.“Hey, what’s wrong, buddy?” I asked, noticing the change in his energy. He looked down, fiddling with the hem of his towel.“Nothing,” he answered, avoiding eye contact.Soon I reached him, kneeling so I was at his level. “
“Mommy, Mommy! We had a really good time!” Kate exclaimed as she ran into my bedroom, wrapping her little arms tightly around me. Her excitement was so clear as she was so happy, and I couldn’t help but smile as I lifted her up, spinning her around.“Ooh, my baby!” I cooed. I placed her back down gently as I played with her hair. “Did you really have fun?”“Yes! Aunty Rita is the best!” She answered with a huge grin, her big eyes shining with pure happiness.I chuckled, feeling a bit of relief wash over me. “So, Aunty Rita really spoiled you all, huh?”Just then, Blake and Jake came rushing in, both sporting big grins that matched Kate's. “We had ice cream!” Jake said as he couldn’t stop jumping up and down.“And swings! Super high!” Blake chipped in, mimicking a swing motion with his arms. “It was the best!”I laughed. “Really? Did Aunt Rita do anything else fun?”“Yes!” Kate shouted. “She took us to the slides, and we all played together!”Rita, who had just walked in behind the bo
Rose was getting on my nerves, but I had to be mature here so I took a deep breath to steady myself. “I care about you, Rose. I really do”“Do you? Because it sure doesn't look that way. You can't seriously think I’d accept you playing house with them while I’m sitting here alone.”“Why can’t you try to understand?” I was almost pleading now, my tone shifting towards desperation. “Helen’s their mom and my wife! I need to make things right. If I can connect with them, maybe she’ll want to talk to me.”“Talk about what? You have all this history. We moved on.” She exclaimed, her anger rising again. “You’re not some knight in shining armor for a family that isn’t yours!“I never claimed to be!” I shouted, the heat of the moment overwhelming me. “But you’re making it hard for me to explain. I need to confront my past to move forward with my future.”“Your future with whom?” She screamed, throwing her arms up in frustration. “With them? Because it sure looks like you’re playing family with
Driving like a maniac toward Rose’s house, my heart raced. I needed to explain myself about being late, but I was also scared of how she would react. “Come on, come on,” I hissed under my breath, trying to keep my focus on the road. The minutes seemed to stretch, and the traffic felt stronger than usual. Suddenly, I found myself staring at a truck way too close for comfort. “Shit!” I shouted, swerving hard to the right just in time, my tires screeching against the asphalt on the road. “That was too close!” My heart went wild in my chest as I regained control of the car, moving ahead.After about twenty intense minutes of running like a madman on the road, I arrived at Rose's house. I quickly walked to the front door and swung it open.There she was, sitting on the couch, her lovely gown hugging her curves perfectly, but her expression was anything but beautiful. She was holding a glass, and I could see the anger boiling in her eyes.“Rose!” I took a delayed step forward as I looke
“Shit... Rita, sorry to break up this lovely catch-up with the kids, but I have somewhere I really need to be…” I trailed off, looking down at my watch to see how far spent time had gone. My heart skipped a beat because I knew how angry Rose would be by now, seeing that I was literally over 2 hours late for our dinner.Before I finished telling Rita I wanted to leave, Kate walked up to me, her face etched in deep concentration. She was holding her brothers' hands, and her face really looked so serious. “Before you leave, may I please ask you a question?”“Sure, Kate! What’s on your mind?”She looked at Jake and Blake and then looked back at me, her eyes filled with that curious look. “Are you our father?”Damn! That question hit me like a freight train. My heart dropped to my stomach. How could she have found out? I quickly gave Rita a confused look, whose expression only matched my shock. She had her mouth slightly open, clearly surprised also.“What….. What do you mean by that, Kat