The early morning sun filtered through the heavy drapes of Richard’s study, casting muted shadows over the room. Isabella stood quietly by the door, her hand resting on the polished wood handle as she listened to the murmur of voices within. She had expected to find Richard alone, but instead, Cynthia’s unmistakably sweet, condescending tone drifted out, causing Isabella to pause. “Richard, darling, the villa in the south of France is perfect for a family vacation,” Cynthia purred, her voice dripping with self-satisfaction. “Just you, me, and... well, our son, of course. Doesn’t that sound wonderful? We need the respite you know, for our family. Jacob especially. The poor boy has been through a lot trying to fit into this prestigious family” Isabella’s heart clenched. Their son. A constant reminder of Richard's betrayal, of the family that had been forged behind her back. She pushed open the door and stepped into the room, her presence immediately altering the air. Richard and Cynt
The clock had long passed midnight, and the mansion was blanketed in silence. The dimly lit halls were still. Amelia lay in bed, restless, her mind buzzing with everything that had happened over the past few weeks. No matter how much she tossed and turned, sleep wouldn’t come. With a sigh, she threw off her blanket and decided to go downstairs for a glass of water, hoping it might calm her racing thoughts. As she padded barefoot down the stairs, the sound of hushed voices stopped her in her tracks. She paused on the landing, peering over the railing, and realized the voices were coming from the sitting room. One of them was unmistakably Cynthia’s, but the other was muffled—it was on the phone. Amelia’s curiosity got the best of her, and she moved closer, taking careful, quiet steps so as not to be noticed. Her breath hitched when she caught the tail end of Cynthia’s conversation. "We have to push her out, understand?" Cynthia’s voice was sharp, cold. "Isabella’s in the way. As lon
AVA I wasn’t feeling right all morning, but I brushed it off. Tamy and I had just gone for grocery shopping, and I could barely carry the bags myself towards the waiting car. My head was spinning that I thought I might collapse. Why was I feeling suddenly weak? Was it because of the stress in my family’s home? Was it affecting me mentally? It felt like my bones were so stiff and too heavy to lift me and the world around me kept spinning. I was close to the car door, when the first wave of dizziness hit. My head spun, and I felt a tightness in my chest. It was sudden—too sudden. I leaned against the car for support, struggling to catch my breath. "Ava? Are you okay? You’ve been unsteady, do you need water?” Tamy asked, her voice filled with concern as she came around to my side. "I... I don't feel good," I admitted, feeling like the world was tipping sideways. “I’m just feeling so lightheaded. I don’t know why” "We need to get you home," Tamy said firmly, helping me into th
John sat in his study, a glass of whiskey resting in his hand, when his phone buzzed. It was Dr. Reynolds. He answered, irritation flickering in his eyes. “What is it?” “John, I have some news about Ava,” Dr. Reynolds said, his voice serious. “What about her?” John asked, a hint of impatience creeping into his tone. “She’s pregnant,” the doctor confirmed. John felt the air rush out of his lungs. “Pregnant?” he repeated, the word tasting bitter on his tongue. “Are you sure?” “Yes, I just ran the tests. She’s definitely pregnant,” Dr. Reynolds reiterated. Shock morphed into fury within John. How could this happen? This was a wrench thrown into his plans, a threat to everything he had been orchestrating. But as the anger simmered, a sly thought crept in—perhaps he could still use this to his advantage. “Thank you for the information, Doctor. I’ll handle it from here,” John said, ending the call abruptly. John leaned back in his chair, his mind racing after receiving a call from D
AVA I couldn’t help but smile as I walked up the driveway, my heart light and full of excitement. The doctor’s words still echoed in my mind. Pregnant. I was carrying Liam’s child—our child. I couldn’t wait to tell him. My hand instinctively went to my stomach, and a soft laugh escaped my lips. This was the moment we had been waiting for, the next step in our lives together. As I opened the door to the house, I called out, “Liam?” I couldn’t wait to share the news with him. But when I stepped into the living room, I froze. There he was, standing in the middle of the room, a piece of paper clutched tightly in his hand, his face pale and his eyes filled with... hurt. “Ava,” his voice was cold, distant—nothing like the Liam I knew. I blinked, confused. “Liam, what’s wrong? I have something to tell you—” He cut me off, holding up the paper. “Did you sign this?” I stared at the paper, trying to make sense of it. Then it hit me—the contract. The contract. My heart sank, and I felt the
AVA I sat in the living room with Isabella and Amelia, feeling a strange weight in the air. It had been a few days since I came back to my father’s house after everything with Liam. The ache in my chest hadn’t dulled. I tried so hard to be strong but every now and then, I found myself slipping into my thoughts. How could I be strong, when everything else had fallen apart so quickly? Liam hadn’t contacted me, not for a single day. I was beyond heartbroken. I sat still, staring at the blank open space of the ceiling when the silence in the room was punctuated by the sound of the front door slamming open. I flinched, my eyes darting toward the entrance as a man I didn’t recognize barged in, his eyes blazing with fury. He looked disheveled, like he had been running or pacing for hours before deciding to storm in here. Cynthia walked into the living room at that moment, her face drained of all color the moment she saw him. She looked like she had seen a ghost. “Why would you barge i
LIAMI sat in my room, staring at the clothes scattered across the bed, but I couldn’t focus. Everything seemed to blur together, and my mind was somewhere else—on her. No matter how hard I tried to shove the memories aside, they kept coming back, stronger, clearer, more painful. Ava. I squeezed my eyes shut, the image of her tear-streaked face flashing behind my lids. I had thrown her out, pushed her away when things were finally beginning to look all right in our lives, all because of that damn contract John had shown me. I couldn’t stop replaying that moment in my head—her voice cracking, pleading, trying to explain, but I hadn’t listened. I couldn’t. I was too angry, too blindsided by what John had revealed. I’d been so sure. So damn sure that what Uncle John told me was the truth. He’d shown me the contract, after all—proof that Ava had only married me for money. I could still hear his voice, dripping with concern, warning me about her greed. The paper had her signature on i
In the dimly lit study, the heavy scent of cigar smoke lingered in the air. John Tyson sat behind his large oak desk, fingers tapping rhythmically against the polished wood as his mind churned with plans and schemes. Across from him, Clara perched on the edge of a leather armchair, fidgeting with her hands, her gaze flicking nervously between the door and her brother. "I don’t like this," she muttered, breaking the tense silence. "We’ve done enough damage. Liam’s health has improved since Ava came into his life. Maybe it’s time to let things be." John’s gaze hardened as he turned to face her, his fingers pausing mid-tap. “You think I care about Liam’s well-being, Clara? This isn’t about him. It’s about our legacy, our fortune. Ava’s nothing more than a distraction, and I’ll be damned if I let her undo years of planning.” Clara sighed, leaning back in her chair, her shoulders sagging under the weight of their family’s endless plots. “We’ve been at this for too long, Dad. We’ve done