“I didn’t, Linda showed me these pictures and told me you are having an affair, I do not want to believe it…” he muttered softly.“Then you shouldn’t…, can’t you see your mom is trying to come between us. You should do your research before believing what you are being told”“And I did my research and found out you truly bought the condo unit. Are you planning on leaving me or divorcing me?”“No, I can explain that…”“No Hannah, I do not want an explanation, save it…”“I don’t know what Linda told you but I expect you not to believe them…”“Oh please, save it. She was right, You’ve been playing me this whole time. Did you ever love me like you said?…” “Can you hear yourself right now Brandon?” She muttered, staring at him with a shock-filled expression.“I’m out of here, have a good night,” Hannah muttered as she took her bag and car keys and walked past Brandon and he didn’t try to stop her from leaving. She walked out of the house. She entered her car, ignited the engine, and drove
It was morning and Hannah was awoken by the sound of her phone ringing tone. With her sleeping eyes, she picked up her phone and answered it without checking the caller’s ID.“Hello Ma’am,” she heard Liam’s voice from the other side of the phone. She quickly opened her eyes wide.“Liam,” she muttered as she sat up properly on the bed.“Ma’am, the event is about to begin and we are waiting for you…” Liam muttered and Hannah who was confused had asked what event.“The company’s 25th anniversary,“ Liam muttered and Hannah opened her mouth wide in shock. She had completely forgotten about the event. She was so distracted with everything happening around her that she didn’t know the event was today and she wasn’t even prepared.“We are waiting for you Ma'am” Liam who didn’t hear Hannah’s voice anymore muttered jolting Hannah out of her thoughts again.“Of course, I’m on my way, Liam,” she said and ended the call: she checked the time on her phone and saw it was past 12.“Shit!” She muttere
“What?” Hannah opened her mouth wide in shock at what Brandon had said. He was publicly asking her to step down as the COO because he knew if he asked her in private she would not and doing it in public in front of everyone would leave her no choice but to step down. Hannah glared back at the crowd, she caught a glimpse of Linda at the coroner of the hall with an evil smirk on her face. She knew this was all Linda’s doings. She wondered what she had told Brandon that made him want her to step down.Hannah who was already pissed tried moving away from the stage but the Brandon tightened his grip on her wrist and held her from moving, while he kept smiling.“I know you all are wondering who the new COO would be. Well, she’s someone you all know, my long-time friend and a family too, Isabella Edward ....” Brandon muttered and Isabella stepped on the stage with a broad smile on her face. Hannah opened her eyes wide in shock, she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. “What the hell is g
Hannah had just gotten home from the event. She didn’t waste any time, instead, she walked straight to her room upstairs and brought out her clothes from the wardrobe.She brought out her luggage and started arranging her clothes in it and suddenly the door to the room opened and Brandon walked in.“You left like that, we were supposed to be in the event together,” he paused when he saw luggage on the bed.“What’s going on here?” Brandon asked in deep shock as he glared at Hannah who was packing her clothes.Hannah raised her head, glared at him, and looked away, proceeding with what she was doing without saying a word.“You are leaving?” Brandon asked and Hannah still didn’t say a word.“I’m talking to you, are you leaving?” He asked again, probably not believing what was happening right in front of him.“I’m no longer needed in the company Brandon, you kicked me out and made your ex-girlfriend the new COO. What do you need me for?” Hannah asked as she raised her head and glared at h
Hannah pulled away from the kiss and glared at his charming eyes. She glared at his wet plump lips from the kiss and then walked away from him. Brandon made to move towards her again but she shifted back. Just then Brandon heard his phone ring, he brought out his phone and checked his caller’s ID and then answered the phone call.“I'm on my way,” he said and ended the call and then glared at Hannah one more time before walking out of the room, closing the door behind him. She wondered who had called him. The thought of Isabella being the one who called him made her want to puke. She wondered where Isabella had come from, she was out of town the last time she checked and this was Linda’s plan all this while, Hannah scoffed and shook her head.She moved towards the door to see if it was locked from the outside but it wasn't. She opened the door and walked out of the room. She decided to go downstairs and drink water.She walked downstairs and to her greatest surprise she saw Linda in
It was morning and Hannah had woken up early. She woke up feeling energized and all.She had brought out her laptop and sent messages to all the members of the board except Brandon that there was going to be a Meeting today.After which she got dressed. She made sure she looked her best and dressed in a way Brandon would stare at her and would not be able to resist her looks.After which she hopped in her car, and zoomed off to the company. Her car came to a stop at the company, she walked straight to her office.A lot of people seemed to be surprised to see her, they probably thought she was there to hand over the position to Isabella Edward but they didn't know she was there to take over. She checked her time and saw it was time for the meeting. She took her laptop and some important files, after which she walked out of her office and locked the door to the office, taking the key with her so that no one would be able to get in. She walked to the board room and met everyone sitting
Hannah raised her head the moment Brandon barged in without knocking.He glared at Mr Brodsky and then paused for a second. Different thoughts mixed with anger going through his mind and the fact that Hannah and Mr Brodsky were holding hands when he walked in made things worse. He took a deep breath while trying to hold himself from punching Mr Brodsky on his face.“Excuse me, I need to speak with my wife…alone…” he muttered between gritted teeth and Mr Brodsky glared at him and then at Hannah who gave him a gentle nod.He walked out of the boardroom without looking back.Brandon closed the door and turned back to Hannah who had sat down on the chair,while she glared at him coldly.“What do you want?” Hannah asked and Brandon scoffed.“What do I want? What’s going on and what the hell is Brodsky doing here alone in this room?” He asked and Hannah rolled her eyes.“That is none of your concern, Brandon Colby,” she said as she stood up to leave but he stood in front of her blocking her
Meanwhile, Brandon is seen in Hannah’s office, pacing to and fro, not knowing what to do, he had ruined his marriage and everything with his hands. He had not only lost his company, he had lost his wife too.“Sir,” the door opened and Liam walked in.“Liam, did I do something wrong by telling everyone my wife was going to be stepping down as the COO and Isabella was going to be taking over?.” he asked and Liam glared at him and sighed before he spoke.“You took her by surprise, you took everyone by surprise, Sir. You should have tried talking to her before taking the decision,” Liam muttered and Brandon sighed. Mr. Edward had just come back to town after he left with his daughter and he requested his daughter get a position in the company. Edward holds 25% shares of Colbyco. He had threatened to withdraw the shares if Brandon didn't grant him the request and he knew if he told Hannah to step down she wouldn’t want to, so he had to do what he thought was right.“Maybe you should fix
Lucas had left the room to make some calls, leaving Hannah and Teresa alone in the dimly lit space. The air between them was thick with unspoken thoughts, with grief and frustration too heavy to voice.Teresa watched Hannah closely. She looked hollow—her eyes distant, her shoulders sagging under a weight no one could carry for her.“You okay?” Teresa finally asked.Hannah blinked and turned her head, forcing a weak smile. “Yeah.”Teresa hummed in response, clearly unconvinced. She reached into her pocket, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it with a practiced ease. Smoke curled in the air between them.“Do you smoke?” she asked, offering one toward Hannah.Hannah shook her head. “No. I never have.”Teresa chuckled, taking a long drag before exhaling. “Figures.”Silence stretched between them, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was the silence of two women who understood each other—different, yet bound by shared pain.“My mother-in-law used to hate me too,” Teresa murmured suddenly, he
Teresa sat in the back of a dimly lit bar, the scent of cigarette smoke and aged whiskey thick in the air. The place was quiet, the kind of underground haunt where no one asked questions, where secrets were currency, and where a person could disappear if they weren’t careful.She checked the time on her phone. Her contact was late.Across the table, Hannah fidgeted with the glass of water in front of her, her expression distant, lost in thoughts she wasn’t ready to speak out loud. Lucas sat beside her, his gaze locked on the entrance, his tension palpable.When the door finally creaked open, Teresa’s eyes narrowed as a tall, wiry man entered, his leather jacket scuffed and his face shadowed with stubble. He scanned the room before spotting her and sauntering over.“You’re late, Marco,” Teresa said, her voice edged with impatience.The man—Marco Ruiz—grinned as he slid into the seat across from her. “Good to see you too, Provenzano. You know how it is—hard to stay alive in this busines
Hannah stood in the dimly lit warehouse, her fingers clenched into fists at her sides. The stale scent of dust and oil filled the air, mingling with the cold fear settling deep in her stomach. The warehouse was one of many they had searched in the last twenty-four hours, but this one felt different. The moment she stepped inside, a weird sensation crawled over her skin, like a presence lingering just out of sight.Lucas moved beside her, scanning the rows of crates stacked high against the walls. His jaw was tight, his frustration barely concealed beneath his calm exterior. Teresa stood a few steps ahead, gun in hand, her eyes sharp as she surveyed their surroundings. They had all hoped—desperately—that this search would yield something more than dead ends and half-truths. But as the minutes ticked by, that hope was slipping.Brandon had vanished without a trace.Every lead they had followed led to nothing. Every whisper, every clue, every trail had been a carefully crafted illus
The night was thick with silence, the kind that felt like a living, breathing thing, pressing in on them as they stood at the edge of the abandoned docks. The stench of salt and rust filled the air, mixing with something darker—the unmistakable scent of blood.Teresa’s fingers curled around the handle of her gun as she scanned the area, her pulse drumming hard against her ribs. Her father was dead. That chapter of her life was over. But this? This wasn’t over. Not until she had him.Not until she had Brandon and brought him back to his family.“We should’ve heard something by now,” Hannah whispered, her voice tight with restrained panic.Teresa didn’t answer. She was thinking the same thing.The lead had been solid. Brandon had been held here—multiple sources confirmed it. The docks had been his prison. But as they stood here, surrounded by crates and shadows, the truth settled like ice in her veins.Brandon wasn’t here.And the blood on the floor was still fresh.Teresa crouched do
Teresa barely had a second to react before the door to her office swung open. The moment her eyes landed on the man standing there, a cold shiver ran down her spine. Her father.Bernardo Provenzano. The man she had once idolized. The man she had spent her entire life trying to please.And now, the man she had just betrayed.He stepped inside with a slow, deliberate pace, shutting the door behind him. The soft click of the lock sent her heart into overdrive.“Oh, my little princess,” he murmured, his voice filled with mock tenderness. But his eyes… they were filled with nothing but hatred.Teresa’s hands gripped the arms of her chair, knuckles turning white. Fear slithered through her veins, but she refused to let it show.“How disappointing,” he continued, shaking his head as if she were a child who had misbehaved. “I thought you were different. Better. Not like your mother.”Teresa inhaled sharply.His mother.For years, she had believed the lie—that her mother had been killed by a r
The beeping of machines was the only sound filling the hospital room. Jessica lay on the hospital bed, her skin deathly pale, her chest barely rising under the weight of the oxygen mask secured over her face. Wires and tubes connected her to the machines, keeping her alive, but just barely.Hannah stood frozen in the doorway, unable to move. The doctor’s words still rang in her ears, cutting deeper than any wound ever could.“She has a five percent chance of survival,” the doctor had said, his voice clinical, detached. “She lost too much blood, and the delay in medical care worsened her condition. We’re doing everything we can, but you need to prepare for the worst.”The worst.Hannah clenched her fists, nails digging into her palms. This was her fault. If she hadn’t suggested they escape… if she had just listened, just stayed put, Jessica wouldn’t be lying here, fighting for her life.And Brandon…A fresh wave of pain hit her. He was gone. Taken. She had watched him surrender himsel
The river had given them a chance, but it hadn’t given them freedom.Brandon collapsed onto the muddy shore, gasping for air. His limbs ached from the relentless current, but he didn’t have time to recover. Jessica.Lucas dragged her up the embankment, his breathing ragged. She was completely unconscious now, her body limp in his arms. The river had sapped whatever strength she had left. Her wound was bad—too bad. If they didn’t get her help soon…No. He couldn’t think like that.“Teresa,” Brandon barked, snapping back into survival mode. “Where’s the nearest hospital?”Teresa, still soaking wet, flipped open her laptop with shaking hands. Water dripped onto the screen, but she didn’t stop. “There’s one about six miles south,” she said breathlessly. “But there’s a problem.”Brandon exhaled sharply. “There’s always a problem.”Teresa gave him a grim look. “Bernardo’s men will have every major road blocked. They’re already watching the airspace. If we head to that hospital, they’ll find
The cave was damp and cold, the scent of moss and river water clinging to the air. Shadows stretched across the rocky walls, their flickering shapes cast by the distant glow of searchlights cutting through the trees outside. They had barely made it out alive.But they weren’t safe.Brandon pressed his back against the jagged rock, listening. Boots crunched against gravel just beyond the entrance. The soldiers were closing in. They had minutes—maybe seconds—before the cave was compromised.Lucas sat against the far wall, pressing his hand against Jessica’s wound. She was slipping fast, her skin pale, her lips trembling.“I can stop the bleeding, but not for long,” Teresa said, her voice tight with urgency. “But she needs real help, Brandon.”Brandon looked at Jessica’s barely conscious form, then at Hannah, who was up beside Teresa, shaking from the cold,she looked so pale. He had promised to protect her. He had promised to protect all of them.He clenched his fists. Promises meant not
The night was supposed to be theirs. They had escaped, survived impossible odds, and left Bernardo bleeding on the cold ground. But fate had other plans.They wondered how come he was alive. They had witnessed him go on his knees, blood all over him.The deafening roar of helicopter blades grew louder, sending shockwaves through Brandon’s chest. The floodlights cut through the dense trees, slicing through the shadows that had once been their cover. The tracker beneath the seat blinked like a taunting heartbeat—steady, unrelenting, and damning.Teresa’s fingers flew over her laptop, her breath ragged. “I need time,” she muttered, panic lacing her voice.“We don’t have time,” Lucas growled, yanking a rifle from the back. “They’re here.”Jessica shifted, barely conscious, her breathing uneven. Hannah took a deep breathe while having a second thoughts.Maybe she should just surrender herself to Bernardo and all this would be over. But Brandon here would rather die than watch her go back