The restaurant was quiet, save for the soft hum of background music and the clinking of silverware against plates. Jessica sat across from Matthew, her posture stiff, her arms folded across her chest. The air between them was thick with tension—unspoken words, unresolved emotions, and a history too painful to forget.Matthew cleared his throat. “Uhm, what would you like to eat? I can ask the waiter to bring something.”Jessica didn’t break eye contact. “Nothing. You said you wanted to talk. So talk.”Her voice was cold, but beneath her icy exterior, she was barely holding herself together. Seeing him again, hearing his voice, watching the way his eyes still softened when they met hers—it was all too much.Matthew gave her a small nod and gestured to the waiter. “Just water for now. We’ll call if we need anything else.”The waiter left, and then it was just the two of them.A beat of silence stretched between them before Matthew finally spoke.“Jessica, I know you’re angry. And you hav
The room fell into an awkward silence as Jessica traced her fingers over the edges of the letter, her heart pounding. The scent of the flowers filled the air, delicate yet overwhelming. She had barely finished reading when she sensed the weight of her brothers’ stares pressing against her.“Brandon, if you’re going to be ordering flowers every day, at least create a garden for Hannah to store them,” Lucas teased, breaking the tension.“I didn’t order them.”The humor drained from Lucas’s face as everyone turned to Brandon, but his confusion mirrored theirs.“Then who sent them?” Lucas asked.Jessica already knew the answer, but she hesitated, her fingers tightening around the paper.“Didn’t the delivery guy say who they were for?”“No,” Alex answered, stepping forward. “But there’s a letter attached. Your name is written on the back, ma’am.”Jessica’s heart skipped a beat. There was only one person who would send her something like this. Her hands trembled slightly as she took the let
The dimly lit apartment smelled of stale perfume and frustration. Linda paced back and forth, her fingers clenching and unclenching around her phone. It had been days since she left the Colby mansion, and yet, no one had called her. Not even Lucas.The thought made her blood boil.This was all because of Hannah. That woman had come into their lives like a storm, tearing apart everything Linda had carefully built. No matter how hard she tried, Hannah always seemed to be one step ahead. It was infuriating.The sound of the front door opening made her spin around. A wave of relief washed over her as she saw Humphrey step inside.“Oh, thank God you’re here,” she muttered, exhaling sharply. “I was dying of boredom. I needed someone to talk to.”Humphrey, however, didn’t share her enthusiasm. His dark eyes held an edge of irritation as he closed the door behind him.“How about Lucas?” he asked, arching a brow. “He’s your favorite son, after all. Aren’t you two always together?”Linda scowle
Linda’s words lingered in the air, thick with malice.“We are going to kill Hannah.”Isabella’s eyes widened in pure horror. “What?” she shrieked, stumbling back a step.Linda quickly moved toward the door, twisting the lock before turning back to her. “Lower your voice,” she hissed, her expression calm and calculating.Isabella’s hands shook as she ran them through her hair. “Kill Hannah? Are you insane? I have never killed anyone, and I never will. I can’t—”Linda rolled her eyes, cutting her off. “You talk too much. I never said you’d be the one doing it. We’ll hire someone. A professional. We won’t have to lift a finger. No one will suspect us.”Isabella’s breathing was uneven as she processed the words. The idea of murder had never crossed her mind, not like this. She wanted Hannah gone, wanted her out of the picture, but this? This was a whole new level of dangerous.“Are you having second thoughts?” Linda asked, watching her with a raised brow. Then, she leaned in slightly, voi
Matthew could feel the weight of the tension in the air as he sat at the dining table. It was suffocating, pressing down on him with every second that passed. He had expected resistance—Brandon and Lucas had never liked him—but the sharp hostility in Lucas’s voice still took him off guard.“So, Matthew,” Lucas began, his voice laced with sarcasm. “When did you get back in town? Last I heard, you disappeared after what happened between you and my little sister.”Matthew forced a polite smile. “I came back recently after my sister lost her husband.”Lucas hummed, unimpressed. “Oh, so you just happened to run into Jessica after visiting your sister? How convenient.” He tilted his head, eyeing Matthew with suspicion. “How do we know you’re not lying to us again?”Jessica’s stomach twisted into knots. She shot Lucas a warning look, silently pleading with him to stop, but Lucas ignored her.“I don’t have a reason to lie,” Matthew said evenly.Lucas scoffed, shaking his head. “Really? You co
Jessica rolled her eyes and walked away, leaving Linda fuming in silence. The older woman’s glare followed Jessica until she disappeared down the hallway. Taking a deep breath to suppress her irritation, Linda composed herself before making her way to the dining room, where Lucas and Hannah sat.“Oh, Lucas, my beloved son,” Linda cooed, her voice dripping with affection as she wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek.Lucas smiled faintly. “Where have you been?” he asked, studying her with mild curiosity.“Busy with some things,” Linda replied vaguely, before turning her sharp gaze to Hannah. The younger woman, however, didn’t acknowledge her presence. Instead, she kept her focus on her meal, as if Linda was nothing more than a ghost in the room.Linda’s eyes narrowed. “Mom, are you okay?” Lucas asked, noticing her sudden shift in demeanor.Linda quickly composed herself, flashing him a tight smile. “I’m fine,” she assured him. “I just saw a familiar car leaving when I arrived
The moment Matthew slipped through the back door and entered the house, he caught sight of Alex descending the grand staircase.“Alex,” he called.The butler looked up, his expression shifting from surprise to mild curiosity. “Mr. Matthew,” he greeted. “I wasn’t expecting you here this early.”Matthew exhaled in relief. “Thank goodness I found you in time. I’m planning a surprise breakfast for Jessica, and I could use your help setting everything up.”A slow smile spread across Alex’s face. “Of course, Mr. Matthew. Whatever you need, I’m at your service. Miss Jessica stepped out a few minutes ago, but she’ll be back soon.”Matthew nodded, pleased by the news. “Perfect. By the time she returns, everything will be ready.”They headed to the kitchen, swiftly setting to work. The scent of freshly chopped herbs and sizzling butter filled the air as they moved in perfect harmony, preparing the meal. As Matthew was about to cut the meat, he frowned at the dull blade in his hand.“Alex, do we
Brandon strode into the company with a growing sense of unease. The first thing he noticed was that Hannah’s car wasn’t parked in the garage. He tried to brush off the concern creeping into his gut, but when he got to her office and found it empty, the worry turned into something much worse.He pulled out his phone and called her again. Straight to voicemail.His chest tightened. That wasn’t like Hannah. She never turned her phone off, especially when she knew there were important matters at the company that might require her attention.Without wasting another second, he dialed William.“Hey, has Hannah come by the office today?”“No, sir. I haven’t seen her,” William responded.Brandon’s grip on his phone tightened. “You’re sure? She left home hours ago.”“Positive. She hasn’t been here.”Brandon cursed under his breath and immediately called home. Alex answered after the first ring.“Alex, is my wife there?”“No, sir. She left a few hours ago.”“A few hours ago?” Brandon repeated, h
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