**Brian’s POV** The sterile smell of the prison lingered in my nostrils as I stepped out of the visitation room, my mind heavy with thoughts of Angela. Her sunken eyes and defeated posture haunted me, even as I tried to push them to the back of my mind. She didn’t say much during our meeting, but the hurt in her eyes spoke volumes. I was already drowning in guilt, but after speaking with that cop, the weight on my shoulders had become unbearable. The pieces of the puzzle were starting to fall into place, and I couldn’t ignore the fact that someone was orchestrating all of this—someone powerful enough to manipulate every move I made. I needed answers, and there was only one person I could confront now: Jessica. The drive to Jessica’s company was a blur. My hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, my thoughts a chaotic storm of anger and confusion. How much did Jessica know? Had she been pulling the strings all along, or was she just as clueless as I was? When I arrived at her
**Angela’s POV** The sound of clanging metal doors echoed through the dimly lit hallway as the guard called my name. My body ached from the beating I had endured earlier, my cellmates’ fists and feet bruising me in places I hadn’t known could hurt. They had cornered me, their attacks brutal and unrelenting. I knew they had been paid to do it—bribed by someone who wanted me weak, broken, and silent. Still, I refused to cry. Even as I stumbled toward the visitation area, my clothes tattered and my face swollen, I kept my head high. I didn’t need a mirror to know I looked terrible, but I wasn’t going to give anyone the satisfaction of seeing me crumble. “Sit,” the guard barked, and I glared at him before reluctantly obeying. I hadn’t been expecting a visitor, and when I saw who it was, my blood boiled. Royals. His smug face greeted me from the other side of the glass, and I instantly wished I had refused to come out. Anger twisted my expression as I sank into the chair, my movem
Chapter 53 BRIAN’S POV The house felt empty without Angela being in it. Even though she sometimes demanded a lot, she still added a bit of life to the house. Annoyance settled into the depths of my bones because of my inability to save her. She had done everything to help me, even when I did not want to admit it. Now, all I want to do is look for ways to get her out. Royals must really be satisfied with everything that had happened. I let out a deep sigh, staring at the file Jessica had sent to me to review and I couldn't even focus right now. The deadline was tonight and I was nowhere close to being done. I tried to keep my focus on the work before me but it was not doing. At the same time, my phone beeped with a message alert and I narrowed my eyes on the unknown contact. It was not saved on my phone. Who was this person? Do you want to know the truth? Meet me at Imperial Palace at 8 PM. Be punctual. That was all it said. The truth? What truth? My phone’s ringing
**Angela's POV** The clatter of the metal tray hitting the floor echoed through the room, the meager portion of food spilling out like it had been waiting to escape its fate. My stomach growled, but I ignored it, my focus on the sneering faces of the women surrounding me. “Oops,” one of them mocked, her voice dripping with fake concern. “Looks like you dropped your food, princess.” I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to lash out. It wasn’t the first time they had done this, and I knew it wouldn’t be the last. The group of them circled me like vultures, their eyes gleaming with cruel delight. “Don’t just stand there, clean it up,” another one said, shoving me toward the mess on the ground. I bent down, my hands trembling as I scooped the cold food back onto the tray. My mind raced, calculating my next move. I could let this slide again, but something inside me rebelled at the thought. “You’ve had your fun,” I said, my voice low and steady. “Now back off.” The laughter s
BRIAN’S POV I stopped before the prison, anger oozed from me and I gripped the steering wheel in a death grasp, my knuckles whitening in the process. I didn't want to see her after she was dragged out from the court that day. It still replayed, the way she begged me to save her. I let out a shaky breath, stepping out of my car and slamming the door shut. Heading inside, I stopped before the counter, requesting to meet her. What I didn't expect was the stink eye that was directed at me. I tried not to react when the cop rudely let me to the meeting room. Taking my seat, he excused himself and later returned with Angela who seemed to be struggling againt his painful grip. He pushed her forward, making me lurch for her from my seat but she fell to her knees. His wicked laugh rang out behind her as he stepped before her, whispering something into her ears then turning to me. “You have just ten minutes with this whore. Anything higher than that, she will pay with her body like s
**Jessica’s POV** The soft hum of the air conditioner filled the room as Bishop leaned back in his chair, the faint creak of leather breaking the silence. I was perched on the edge of the sleek black sofa in my office, going over the last few details of the company shares we had recently reacquired. It was one of those rare moments where I felt a sliver of relief—progress was being made. “So, with these shares back in our control,” I said, scanning the documents in my hand, “we’ve regained majority control. This should put an end to the underhanded moves by Nelson, at least for now.” Bishop nodded, but his expression was distant, his eyes clouded with something that wasn’t related to business. “Is there something on your mind, Bishop?” I asked, setting the papers aside. He hesitated, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Jessica, there’s something I’ve been meaning to bring up with you.” I tilted my head, curiosity piqued. He took a deep breath, his gaze serious as it locke
JESSICA’S POV “The shareholders are requesting for an emergency meeting with you, Jessica,” Bishop informed me like I hadn't been receiving numerous emails over the night. It seemed like someone had gone to rouse them. The person was using Brian as an excuse for bad business and had put them in worry. The fact that I knew who that person could be only me boil in anger even more. Nelson was trying his best to make sure that I was ruined. What he didn't know was that I was just starting with him. I looked forward, my gaze hardening in the process. “Grant them their request. In fact, schedule the meeting for an hour time.” I said, returning my focus to the monitor before me. “Are you sure you want to do this?” He asked me. “You can always choose to send them individual messages to put them at rest.” “And will that really put them at rest?” I questioned sharply, regretting immediately. I opened my mouth to apologize but he shook his head. “Don’t. You are right. It would only po
JESSICA’S POV “Mommy, where are we going?” Sabrina asked me as we stepped out of the house. I looked down at her as I grinned. “Guess?” I wiggled my brows. She pretended to be thinking like she didn't overhear me telling their caretaker. “The beach?” She deliberately guessed wrong. I shook my head, turning to Felicia to guess also. “Is it the amusement park?” She asked, sounding unsure of her answer. I faced Israel who just shrugged, not caring where we were headed at all. “The only person with the correct answer here is… Felicia!” I announced. She grinned wide as she clapped her hands in joy.JESSICA’S POV “Mommy, where are we going?” Sabrina asked me as we stepped out of the house. I looked down at her as I grinned. “Guess?” I wiggled my brows. She pretended to be thinking like she didn't overhear me telling their caretaker. “The beach?” She deliberately guessed wrong. I shook my head, turning to Felicia to guess also. “Is it the amusement park?” She asked, s
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