“Nothing happened, you heard grandma, she slipped and fell” Jessica muttered.“I know you are lying, aunt Jessica,” Jayden said and Jessica sighed. “Can you guys just go play a game or find something to do? The maids will bring you guys food shortly…” Jessica said and stood up to leave but she paused when she heard what Mellisa said.“I think something happened to Grandpa,” Mellisa said and Jessica turned to them immediately.“What are you saying, Jessica? Nothing happened to Grandpa” Jessica muttered.“Then why is he not here? I know he was supposed to be staying with us for a few days and now he's not here. What happened to him?” Melissa asked and Jessica opened her mouth to speak but words weren't coming out.“Oh my goodness!!” Jayden exclaimed and then paused with a worried look on his face. Jessica's facial expressions changed into a horrific one. They have found out he's dead.“Grandpa has left. He told us he would be leaving, I just didn't expect him to leave today,” Jayden s
Meanwhile, Brandon who is seen lying on the bed with Hannah who has her head on his chest heard his phone ring. It was a call from the DPO, he quickly answered the phone call. He heaved a sigh of relief Jeff had been caught, now he would pay for everything by being in jail and justice would be served.“Thank you DPO, I'm on my way,” he said and ended the call. He stared at Hannah who was asleep. He didn't want to wake her up, so he gently removed her head from his chest and helped her lye on the bed.He covered her properly with the duvet and walked out of the room.The moment he walked out, he climbed downstairs and walked outside the house, after which he entered his car and drove off to the police station.The moment he got to the station, he alighted his car and walked inside the station. He went to the DPO’s office. They discussed and the DPO made a call and asked for Jeff to be brought in. A few minutes later Jeff was brought in.Brandon stood up the moment he saw Jeff who was
A week laterMeanwhile, Daniel’s funeral was done and he was buried.Everyone had just returned home from the funeral and was already tired. They decided to eat some food as they were hungry.“I'll set the table, you all can go change your clothes,” Arianna said and they all went upstairs including the kids to change their clothes but Hannah hadn't left, instead she stayed with Arianna as she decided to help her. It's been a week since Daniel died, it's been hard for Hannah and Arianna but with the help of family surrounding them, they were able to push through and not think so much about it. “Hannah, could you pass me the knife?” Arianna asked and Hannah passed her the knife. Just then they both heard a knock on the door.“I'll go get the door…”“No, it's fine, I'll go get it,” Hannah said, cutting off Arianna’s speech and then went to open the door.The moment she opened the door, she saw a woman with red curly hair, with a smile on her face and huge luggage, beside her.“Who are
The moment they got upstairs, he met Lisa standing by the stair rails. He wondered how long she'd been there and if she'd been watching the whole drama take place.“Hello, welcome Ma'am. It's an honor to meet the woman who gave birth to Lucas'' Lisa said as she moved towards Linda and hugged her.Linda was surprised, this was the only person who had welcomed her into the house fully. She wondered who Lisa was.“Thank you sweetheart” Linda muttered and kissed her on her cheeks.“Come on Mom, I need to show you your room,” Lucas said and walked away. Linda smiled at Lisa before walking away.“Who is she? “ Linda asked.“Not someone you should know…” Lucas said as he opened the door to the room and they walked in.“I think I like her, she's so welcoming and nice. She's the only person who has welcomed me here” Linda muttered as she entered the room and then sat on the bed.Lucas turned to her.“I thought I told you not to come to the mansion until I talk to Brandon…”“I couldn't wait, Ca
“Honey, you could if you want to but do it in an open place because I do not trust her, she might kidnap you at any given chance, no offense,” Arianna said Hannah turned to her and she shrugged. Jessica nodded and stood up before going upstairs to her room.Meanwhile, Hannah turned to Arianna.“Seems like the both of you do not like each other…” Hannah muttered and Arianna rolled her eyes.“She’s a bitc*. Truth is when I first came into the Colby house, I came in as a nanny for the kids.Linda and Thomas had just split, did you know she threatened me? She would send people after me thinking I was the reason her husband divorced her” Arianna muttered with an eye roll.“Were you?” Hannah asked.“What? No. I was only working there at that time. Thomas and I only became a thing 6 months after Linda left” Arianna muttered and Hannah nodded and sighed.“I don’t want her in this house. I wish I could kick her out” she muttered and Hannah turned to her.“Mom, give them a chance to get to kno
Meanwhile, it was morning and Hannah had woken up early to prepare breakfast for the kids and got them dressed for school, after which, the chauffeur took them to school.She then assisted the maid in setting breakfast for the entire family. After which, everyone started coming downstairs one after the other. Everyone was sitting in the dining area except Jessica, Brandon, and Linda.“Where’s Jessica and Brandon?” Lucas asked as he sat down. “Brandon is in his study room, Jessica must be in her room” Hannah muttered and Lucas nodded.Just then they saw Linda climbing down the stairs. She was putting on a short translucent nightwear. Arianna rolled her eyes the moment she saw her. “Good morning” Hannah greeted and Linda glared at her and looked away without responding. Hannah shook her head.“Lisa, Good morning, how was your night?“ Linda asked as she moved towards Lisa and Lisa stood up and hugged her.“My night was fine. How was yours? I hope you like it in your room?” Lisa asked
Jessica and Linda are seen together doing their pedicure and manicure in a room at the mansion, while they both sip the glass of alcohol in a glass beside them.Jessica stared at her mom and then looked away.“Gently” she said to the maid, cutting her nails.“So, where have you been all these years?” Jessica turned to Linda smiled.“You know have been on my own with Humphery, traveling around, going to Europe, Christmas in Miami, new year in Malaysia”“How about the capital of Canberra?” Jessica asked and kindly smiled.“Well, I haven’t been there recently”.“Too bad,” Jessica responded.“Why don’t you ask me what you’d like to ask me? Instead of plying me with alcohol to loosen my tongue. You know I know these tricks already, you got it from me.If there’s something you want to know, I have nothing to hide” Linda said and Jessica scoffed. Thank God, she just needed to go straight to the point.She then asked the maids to leave as they needed some privacy.“Why now?” She asked.“What
There were different pictures of Humphery and Linda together from when he was a baby to his teenage years. But then she paused and opened her eyes wide with the next picture she saw. “Oh my goodness!” She muttered the moment she picked up the picture. It was a picture of Lucas Linda and Humphrey together.She checked the date on the picture, it was a picture from just last month. She took another picture of them and stared at the date, it was from the last three weeks.“Lucas knew all this while, he knew about her, he knew about Humphery too when he came to our house but then pretended to hate him. He knew everything”, Jessica thought as she put the pictures in her bag. She felt so hurt that Lucas had lied to them. She walked out of the room and saw Humphery was still in the kitchen.“Uhm, I’ll be on my way now, humphrey” Jessica muttered and then walked out of the house. She hopped inside her car and zoomed off.Before Humphery could run out of the kitchen to say a proper goodbye
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