Chapter 40 JESSICA’S POV “How did the business party go last night?” Bishop asked, taking me by surprise. He never asked about things like that but then… “Met with some of father’s business associates and I asked them to support me when the need arises.” I sighed, taking off my glasses. “Those old men cannot be fully trusted. Seeing the way they turned on your father when he died, I would say you shouldn't trust anyone of them. They are all twisted.” He explained. I nodded, taking in what he said. Over the past few years, Bishop has made sure I didn't have to depend on any of them and he kept reminding me why I should not depend on them. They were nothing but wolves looking for who to prey and considering the way most of them were against my taking over the empire, I learned the hard way. At some point, I took it upon myself to prove to them that I was more than that but after Bishop lectured me. We had lost a million-dollar deal to one of them and I had been depressed, worrie
BRIAN’ S POV “Yes, Violeta. Send the emails to them and make sure to finish up the files.” I said as I walked into Holly Empire, barely responding to the greeting from a passerby. “Also, make sure that the files with Holly are done before tonight. We are lagging behind.” I told her. “Okay, sir.” She responded. I disconnected the call, swiping my access card on the access control. I walked into the elevator, letting out a deep sigh as I clicked the ninth floor. Just as the elevator closed up, someone pushed their leg forward, stopping it from closing and I lifted a confused look up to see Bishop who tilted his head to the side. He came to stand beside me, dipping one of his hands into his pocket. “Good morning,” He greeted. “Morning to you too,” I replied, keeping my focus forward. We didn't talk to each other after that. Reaching the seventh floor, Bishop stepped out while I continued to the ninth floor. I had a meeting with Jessica and I knew I was on time today. Getting the
ANGELA’S POV My mouth hung open as I heard what Jessica told Brian on the phone. His fist clenched tight as he dropped the phone, standing rooted to the spot. Maybe I should leave him. I was the cause of these. I should not have trusted Royals when he said that he would not release it to the public. Imagine the shock I felt when I saw the headlines. It was unexpected. After the night we spent in his car, I didn't know that he was already planning on making me the scapegoat. Now I did not even know what to do. “Brian…” I trailed off, sadness evident on my face. I moved to touch him but he stepped away. “I will send a call to Fen to see what he is doing.” With that, he walked past me and exited the house. I was left there alone. I knew who Royals targeted wasn't me but Brian. He could have just put my name only but since he added Brian’s name, it weighed more on him than it did to me. I closed my eyes, regretting my decision to agree to his stupid advances. I stepped out of the
JESSICA’S POV I didn't expect Amanda to come looking for me. After I told Brian last night that we might cancel the contract between us, I had gone to think about it. I knew that it was just a matter of time before Nelson picked this up and used it against me so I had to apply pressure on Brian to get rid of whatever this was. Bishop walked into the office, dropping the iPad before me. “It is getting worse. I don't think Brian is doing anything to these at all.” He shook his head in disappointment. I closed my eyes. I was not going to interfere with this time. I had interfered before in the past and he was not aware but now… this looked way too complicated and I will always choose not to get involved. “Have you looked into it?” I had asked him to look into it when Brian left the office yesterday in a rush. When Claire brought the phone for me to see, I was gobsmacked and just told her to leave because I didn't know how to tell him, and when Bishop came to show me, I knew I had t
BRIAN’S POV HOLLY EMPIRE DECLARES THEIR STAND WITH BRIAN KNOX IN THE ONGOING SCANDAL WITH HIS MISTRESS! HOLLY EMPIRE REFUTES CLAIMS OF CUTTING TIES WITH BRIAN KNOX AMIDST MISTRESS SAGA! HOLLY EMPIRE CONTINUES TO PROTECT BRIAN KNOX AMIDST MISTRESS! Read to find out…. I read the contents of the headlines, and something akin to gratitude formed in my chest as I locked the phone. I thought Jessica had said that she was going to cancel the contract. Why did she release this? Was this the reason she asked to meet today? If that is so, I'd better go to meet her. I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I have not shaved for days and in fact, I hardly had a good bath. Whosoever Royals has given this job to was doing a great job at it because, over the week, it has managed to garner over a million visits and engagement which was affecting me negatively. I still haven't heard from Angela and I sent a serial warning to her. She must not meet Royals again which she agreed that she was
Chapter 45 BRIAN’S POV With Jessica’s words still hanging around my head, I walked into the bar. Luckily, I have been able to reduce the spread of the posts. It looked like the more we clear bot account making these posts, the more new accounts are created and I knew this person was just persistent in ruining my reputation. “Gosh, man! You really look like you need a bath.” David scrunched up his nose as he stared at me fully. I had taken my bath, I just didn't shave. I shook my head, ignoring his remark. If only he knew how hard it had been for me, he would not say what he said. “A shot,” I told the barman as I turned my attention back to my friend. “So what are you doing about Freddy?” David asked as I took the shot that was passed across to me. I downed it within a few seconds. “What am I doing? Is there something I should do about him? “ “Isn’t there?” He cocked an eyebrow. “I already asked him if he was involved in it and by his answer, I don't think so.” I shook m
ANGELA'S POV I frantically dialed Brian's number, but he didn't answer. Again. The silence was deafening, echoing my deepest fears. Had he given up on me? Did he still care? The weight of his ignoring me crushed me. My heart raced, pounding against my chest like a drum. I clutched my phone, desperation creeping in. Why was he shutting me out? Didn't he know I needed him now more than ever? The viral posts haunted me, their cruel words seared into my mind. I felt responsible for the chaos, the damage. Brian's reputation, his life – all suffering because of me. Tears blurred my vision as I scrolled through the relentless online attacks. The shame and guilt suffocated me. Maybe I was too toxic, too harmful. Maybe Brian deserved better. Dark thoughts crept in, whispering sinister lies. "You're worthless, Angela. You've ruined everything. You should just disappear." In a desperate attempt to escape the agony, I grabbed a pen and paper. Dear Brian, You're the sunshine that brightens
BRIAN’S POV Moving towards the crowd, I saw Yvonne signaling to me. The crowd began to pave the way for me as I walked through. Their shouts echoed through the air and interviewers bombarded me. “Mr. Brian, would you like to speak on the recent video about you and Angela Cruz?” “Everyone is going crazy about the videos. The ratings on your site are starting to drop. What would you like to say to this?” “You should say something, Mr. Brian.” I stopped before these people, staring at them all. I knew who was behind this. There was no way people would gather themselves to come to my company without being paid like this. “There is nothing for you all to be worried about. Our products are still top-notched and they remain harmless for use. Kindly trust in us as we handle this. An official memo will be released very soon. Thank you.” I said as politely as I could. “Shut up! You should focus on your father's business and stop following whores who will only ruin your business!” Someo
The quiet hum of the office enveloped Jessica as she worked diligently at her desk. The papers strewn before her detailed the intricacies of her latest case, but her focus faltered as her mind wandered. The events of the last few days had been overwhelming, to say the least. The precinct was still reeling from the chaos surrounding Angela's arrest, and tension hung in the air like an oppressive fog. Jessica leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples as a faint headache began to pulse. She was no stranger to pressure, but something about this situation felt more complex than usual, as though there were pieces to the puzzle she hadn’t yet discovered. A sharp knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts. She straightened her posture, masking her fatigue with a professional demeanor. "Come in," she called, her voice steady. The door creaked open, and Bishop stepped inside. He moved with the calculated confidence of someone who always knew more than he let on. His expres
The quiet hum of the office enveloped Jessica as she worked diligently at her desk. The papers strewn before her detailed the intricacies of her latest case, but her focus faltered as her mind wandered. The events of the last few days had been overwhelming, to say the least. The precinct was still reeling from the chaos surrounding Angela's arrest, and tension hung in the air like an oppressive fog. Jessica leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples as a faint headache began to pulse. She was no stranger to pressure, but something about this situation felt more complex than usual, as though there were pieces to the puzzle she hadn’t yet discovered. A sharp knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts. She straightened her posture, masking her fatigue with a professional demeanor. "Come in," she called, her voice steady. The door creaked open, and Bishop stepped inside. He moved with the calculated confidence of someone who always knew more than he let on. His expres
The quiet hum of the office enveloped Jessica as she worked diligently at her desk. The papers strewn before her detailed the intricacies of her latest case, but her focus faltered as her mind wandered. The events of the last few days had been overwhelming, to say the least. The precinct was still reeling from the chaos surrounding Angela's arrest, and tension hung in the air like an oppressive fog. Jessica leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples as a faint headache began to pulse. She was no stranger to pressure, but something about this situation felt more complex than usual, as though there were pieces to the puzzle she hadn’t yet discovered. A sharp knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts. She straightened her posture, masking her fatigue with a professional demeanor. "Come in," she called, her voice steady. The door creaked open, and Bishop stepped inside. He moved with the calculated confidence of someone who always knew more than he let on. His expres
The quiet hum of the office enveloped Jessica as she worked diligently at her desk. The papers strewn before her detailed the intricacies of her latest case, but her focus faltered as her mind wandered. The events of the last few days had been overwhelming, to say the least. The precinct was still reeling from the chaos surrounding Angela's arrest, and tension hung in the air like an oppressive fog. Jessica leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples as a faint headache began to pulse. She was no stranger to pressure, but something about this situation felt more complex than usual, as though there were pieces to the puzzle she hadn’t yet discovered. A sharp knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts. She straightened her posture, masking her fatigue with a professional demeanor. "Come in," she called, her voice steady. The door creaked open, and Bishop stepped inside. He moved with the calculated confidence of someone who always knew more than he let on. His expres
The quiet hum of the office enveloped Jessica as she worked diligently at her desk. The papers strewn before her detailed the intricacies of her latest case, but her focus faltered as her mind wandered. The events of the last few days had been overwhelming, to say the least. The precinct was still reeling from the chaos surrounding Angela's arrest, and tension hung in the air like an oppressive fog. Jessica leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples as a faint headache began to pulse. She was no stranger to pressure, but something about this situation felt more complex than usual, as though there were pieces to the puzzle she hadn’t yet discovered. A sharp knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts. She straightened her posture, masking her fatigue with a professional demeanor. "Come in," she called, her voice steady. The door creaked open, and Bishop stepped inside. He moved with the calculated confidence of someone who always knew more than he let on. His expres
The quiet hum of the office enveloped Jessica as she worked diligently at her desk. The papers strewn before her detailed the intricacies of her latest case, but her focus faltered as her mind wandered. The events of the last few days had been overwhelming, to say the least. The precinct was still reeling from the chaos surrounding Angela's arrest, and tension hung in the air like an oppressive fog. Jessica leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples as a faint headache began to pulse. She was no stranger to pressure, but something about this situation felt more complex than usual, as though there were pieces to the puzzle she hadn’t yet discovered. A sharp knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts. She straightened her posture, masking her fatigue with a professional demeanor. "Come in," she called, her voice steady. The door creaked open, and Bishop stepped inside. He moved with the calculated confidence of someone who always knew more than he let on. His expression
The quiet hum of the office enveloped Jessica as she worked diligently at her desk. The papers strewn before her detailed the intricacies of her latest case, but her focus faltered as her mind wandered. The events of the last few days had been overwhelming, to say the least. The precinct was still reeling from the chaos surrounding Angela's arrest, and tension hung in the air like an oppressive fog. Jessica leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples as a faint headache began to pulse. She was no stranger to pressure, but something about this situation felt more complex than usual, as though there were pieces to the puzzle she hadn’t yet discovered. A sharp knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts. She straightened her posture, masking her fatigue with a professional demeanor. "Come in," she called, her voice steady. The door creaked open, and Bishop stepped inside. He moved with the calculated confidence of someone who always knew more than he let on. His expression w
BRIAN’S POV I stared at my phone, tapping my fingers against the desk as the ringtone droned on for the third time. No answer. Grey wasn’t exactly the most reliable guy when it came to picking up calls, but this felt different. The longer the silence stretched, the tighter the knot in my stomach became. He should’ve answered by now. Something wasn’t right. I hung up and dialed again, muttering under my breath. “Come on, Grey. Pick up.” Still nothing. Before I could decide whether to leave another message, my phone buzzed in my hand. An unknown number lit up the screen. For a second, I debated ignoring it, but instinct told me to answer. “This is Brian,” I said sharply. “Brian, this is Officer Carter from the precinct.” The name took a second to register. Carter. I’d spoken to him before—back when Angela first got arrested. His tone wasn’t urgent, but it wasn’t casual, either. “What’s going on?” I asked, already bracing myself for bad news. There was a pause
**Angela’s POV** The metallic clang of the prison gate echoed behind me, a sound I thought I’d never hear again. For three long months, those gates had been my reality—cold, unyielding, and suffocating. Now, they were shutting behind me, leaving a hollow sense of disbelief in their wake. I took a hesitant step forward, my heart pounding in my chest as I squinted into the sunlight. Freedom felt foreign, as though I’d stepped into someone else’s life. A black car idled by the curb, sleek and polished, standing out against the drab prison exterior. I had no idea who was responsible for my release. The last time I’d heard from anyone, it was Brian's failed attempt to see me, blocked by the guards. I thought about him for a brief moment, then quickly shoved the thought away. The driver exited the car and opened the back door, gesturing for me to enter. I hesitated until I saw her. Sophia White. My mother. She stepped out of the car with the grace of someone who always command