As Anita stood in the corridor outside Nathan's office, her mind spinning with the information they had just found, the mansion felt colder than normal, the walls closing in on her. On a scale that made her heart race, betrayal was getting closer. As far as she could see, Nathan's universe was devoid of innocent people. Now that the people he had trusted had started to show their actual selves, the only thing separating Nathan from total devastation was the alliance they had formed.When Nathan had declared his intent to take the war to Harry and his covert allies, the weight of their shared determination had lit a fire in her. But with the pieces of the puzzle falling into place, Anita couldn’t help but feel a growing unease. They were no longer just fighting for control over Nathan’s empire—they were fighting for survival. A sharp knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. “Nathan, it’s time,” Gregor’s voice sounded muffled through the thick oak. Nathan’s voice was calm but laye
Tension pervaded the night air, the kind that persisted long after the storm had passed. Tonight, however, the storm was building inside the magnificent walls of the Kingston Estate, as New York's elite assembled for what was ostensibly a masquerade party. Betrayals danced in the shadows, friendships changed, and secrets hid beneath the glittering masks and flowing champagne.Anita Grant watched the sleek black automobile come up the marble driveway, adjusting the tiny black mask that covered half of her face. Like its occupants, the estate was imposing and towering, resembling an ancient beast. Anita, however, was not the innocent young woman who had formerly shied away from this world. She had learnt to play their game, to survive. She wasn't here tonight to plead for approval, either. She had come to ruin them.Nathan Grant, wearing a well-tailored black tuxedo, stood next to her and radiated sheer authority. Anita was aware that his angular features were unreadable and fri
With crystal chandeliers illuminating the sea of affluent visitors in a golden colour, the enormous ballroom glistened with luxury. The air was filled with whispered discussions and laughter, but beneath the elegance, there was a lot of stress. Every look was a covert threat, and every smile concealed a hidden agenda. Anita walked elegantly next to Nathan, her hand lightly grazing the material of his fitted suit. She had long learnt to hide her fragility, but she felt the weight of the eyes, the whispers, the judgement that followed her. She was more than just Nathan Grant's wife tonight. In this perverse game of deceit and power, she was his accomplice.With practiced ease, their target sipped whisky while standing close to the marble bar. Adrian Walker. The man who drew strings from the shadows and flourished in the dark. More sly than Eleanor and more dangerous than Harry, he was the real puppeteer of the Walker family. And Anita was prepared to confront him tonight. Bef
Long, menacing shadows were cast across the well-kept gardens by the imposing estate, which loomed in the darkness. Tension permeated the air inside. With her fingers tucked around a glass of wine she hadn't touched, Anita sat in the darkened study. Her thoughts were elsewhere, on the message Harry had just given Nathan, even though the illumination of the city skyline flickered through the enormous windows. Is Nathan Grant Withholding More Information Than Just His Wife's Identity? Will Harry Walker Reveal a Secret Family Scandal?That was a loaded query. What's the response? The danger lay in that. Beneath his fitted shirt, Nathan stood close to the hearth, his broad shoulders strained. Since they got back from the charity gala, he had been silent, his jaw so tightened that she could hear his teeth grinding. An eerie chill had taken the place of the warmth that had been restored by their passion earlier in the evening. Finally, with a kind yet steely edge, Anita murmured,
The city lights cast a golden haze over the bedroom, but the warmth was fleeting. Anita sat on the edge of the bed, staring at her phone screen, while Nathan stood by the window, his broad shoulders rigid as he browsed through the most current reports, his jaw tensed and his grasp increasing with each second. The world outside was rife with whispers, each more deadly than the last, and Harry was plotting his next move.Nathan turned to Anita, his eyes dark and unreadable. "Harry claims to have proof of a secret from my past—something damaging enough to bring me down." Anita shivered. "What kind of secret?" Nathan exhaled, raking a hand through his hair. "He hasn't revealed it yet. He's baiting us, making us sweat." His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "But he won't win."Anita’s gaze met his, searching for any trace of hesitancy. However, there was none. Nathan Grant was not the type to buckle under pressure. Still, she realised this was more than simply a corporate rivalry—
The bedroom air became oppressive. Nathan's visage hardened like stone, and Anita sensed the change in the atmosphere. They had been deceived by someone. Someone around. She stepped closer to him, her heart racing. "Who is it?" Nathan paused and gripped his phone more tightly. There was nothing he could have said that was as terrible as his silence. "Nathan," she insisted. "Tell me." He tightened his jaw. "At this time, we lack proof." Anita felt sick to her stomach. It wasn't a no. It was a suspicion. "Who do you believe it to be?" She hardly raised her voice above a whisper.She felt the flare of wrath and betrayal when Nathan finally looked her in the eye. "There's someone in this house," he remarked somberly. "Someone who is aware of everything we do." Like a noose tightening around her throat, the weight of his words descended upon her. Inside, someone. Someone they had faith in. Eleanor. Anita's thoughts were racing. Eleanor had never wanted her in the fa
It was colder than ever in the mansion. Anita stood outside the window of the master bedroom, staring mockingly at the far-off glittering city lights. Her life fell apart under the weight of silence and betrayal, while the world outside flourished. Two days. It has been two days since Nathan's mind was poisoned by Harry's hateful remarks. She has been alone in a house that no longer feels like home for two days after Nathan abandoned her. Her spirit burned with calm wrath, yet her heart hurt. She would defend herself if Nathan didn't defend her. The heavy silence was broken when the door behind her creaked open. As Nathan entered, she turned, gasping for air. His angular features were darkened by doubt and fury, and he appeared worn out.We need to talk,” he said in a low, restrained voice, and Anita straightened her back to hide her vulnerability. “Then talk.” Nathan closed the door and approached her slowly, his eyes unreadable, saying, “I know who the traitor is.” Her hea
Amidst the dense silence, the knock on the door reverberated like a shot. The heat of Nathan's kiss was still lingering on her lips as his body tensed next to her, but the tension crackling in the air now overshadowed it. It made Anita's heart race. That door held another storm and another war, whoever was on the other side. Eleanor stood there, her piercing eyes darting between them, and Nathan yanked the door open.“Well,” she thought, entering without permission. "I hate to break up whatever romantic dispute you two were having, but we are facing a serious crisis." Nathan clenched his jaw. "Now what?" A sleek tablet was thrown upon the bed by Eleanor. A breaking news notice was still visible on the screen. As Anita saw the headline, her breath caught. "GRANT FAMILY SECRETS EXPOSED: ANITA MATTHEWS—A GOLD DIGGER OR SOMETHING WORSE?"She reached for the iPad and began reading the article. The page covered every aspect of her life, including her mother's hardships, Gregor's
Slow motion shattered the world. Nathan fell to the ground with a horrible thud as his body struck the concrete. Beneath him, blood spread like a dark flower, soaking through the white shirt. "No!" Anita fell to her knees next to him, her scream ripped from her throat. She pushed her trembling hands against his chest in an attempt to halt the bleeding, hold him to her, and prevent herself from breaking. "Nathan! Remain with me. You dare not abandon me at this time. You dare not! Only a gasp, a constricted breath, and a spasm of pain flickered through his jaw as his lips moved but no sound emerged.With a casual smugness, Harry lowered his weapon and took a step closer, his eyes glimmering with sinister glee. “You know, Anita, for a woman so full of fire, you really do keep making the same mistake.” Her eyes were flaming with fury as she turned to face him. He went on, gently circling her, "You think you're in control, but you're not." You weren't. Like your father, you
Like a heartbeat, the quiet between them throbbed. Shadows danced across Nathan's sharp features in the faint, flickering light, creating a haunting appearance. “You want the truth?” he murmured at last, his voice so low Anita had to lean in to catch the words. "Then get ready." Because your father isn't the only one involved. Everything is involved, including how we met, the Walkers, the Bennetts, and my business. Anita tensed. "What are you discussing?" Nathan pointed to the disorganised desk. "Everything you've ever experienced was planned out and premeditated. The one-night stand, the night we met? It was not a coincidence. You were supposed to be present. She blinked. "No. That isn't possible. You didn't even know who I was—“I didn’t,” Nathan cut in. However, another person did. Someone who knew I wouldn't be able to let you go if we ever met paths. Someone who desired our connection in order to gain leverage. In her ears, her pulse roared. "Who?" Nathan pi
Anita's spine tingled when the door creaked open with a spooky sound. The smell of old concrete and rust permeated the moist air of the deserted warehouse. Every corner was covered in shadows, and the distant hum of the city outside seemed to be lost in the vastness of the room. With caution, Anita entered, her footfall resonating in the quiet. The sole source of illumination was a dim ray that filtered through a broken window located high above, creating long, angular shadows on the concrete floor. She looked around, every fibre of her body alert to the unknown threats that might be hiding in the darkness, her pulse thumping in her chest.She didn't know what to anticipate in this place. She could clearly see the map Nathan had left her, but she couldn't understand its significance or purpose. And what had he been up to? When she had thought they were finally on the same page, what had motivated him to leave her such a confusing message and to cut off contact? She was plague
As Anita made her way through the eerily quiet mansion's halls, her heart pounded against her ribs. Now, the commotion, the smoke, the flashing lights seemed like a faraway memory. Her feelings and thoughts were a whirlpool of bewilderment and sorrow. She could not get Nathan's face out of her head, his eyes meeting hers in that last second before everything broke down. Was he gone from her? Would all for which they had battled turn to ashes?She proceeded carefully through the building, her fingers brushing against the cool walls, each step echoing the anxiety that had pervaded the air for days. Although Nathan's absence felt like a wound too deep to ignore, Harry's betrayal still hurt. She needed to locate him. What had happened to him had to be known to her. However, nothing was ever easy. When Anita arrived at the end of the corridor, she was in front of the door leading to Nathan's office. The metal handle felt cold and unforgiving under her fingers, and it was locked.
Between them, the weight of the quiet hung heavy and oppressive. Anita struggled to maintain her composure as her chest rose and fell and her breathing became irregular. However, it was not feasible. Everything she believed to be true about their world and about herself had been destroyed by Nathan's comments, which were facts she had never asked for. Nevertheless, there was a glimmer of something else behind the tempest of emotions raging within her. A glimpse of the person she had turned into in this cruel game. A lady with a history of abuse. A woman who had made it out alive. And a woman who would not be kept in the background any longer."Anita..." Nathan's eyes continued to beg for comprehension, and his voice was strained and urgent. You must have faith in me. I did everything I did for you. to keep you safe. In a subtle request for him to stop, she held out her hand. Her heart was overflowing with conflicting emotions, including fear, wrath, betrayal, and love.
Above Anita's head, the faint illumination of a broken lamp flickered, creating long, unsettling shadows on the walls. She tried to calm herself by holding onto the edge of the table with trembling palms. She had arrived here as a result of every action she had taken during this tornado of upheaval, including choices, sacrifices, and betrayals. Right up till now. To Nathan, who stood opposite her and had that unreadable expression on his face. As though trying to remind her of something she already knew, her heart thumped loudly and insistently in her chest. Could she, however, trust herself? Would she be able to trust him? Anita tried to ignore the impending uncertainty by closing her eyes. Amidst the turmoil of everything—Harry's treachery, Eleanor's disdain, and Stacy's manipulation—one item caught her off guard: Nathan's silence. His distance.They had been balancing on a tightrope for months. Convenience marriage, a front, but gradually, gradually, it had evolved into
Standing at her elegant mahogany desk, Anita felt the weight of the power she suddenly possessed pressing down on her chest. She had the authority to run the business and the empire that had previously belonged to Nathan, but that authority also came with the burden of tearing it down and starting over, brick by brick. The future would be shaped by every choice she made going forward. Standing upright in front of the board, she had already demonstrated her worth, but that was just the start. She was startled out of her daydream as her phone buzzed on the desk. When she noticed the caller ID, she paused her fingers as she reached for it. Daniel. This was what she had anticipated. Daniel's voice crackled over the phone, "Anita." "There is a circumstance. It's urgent. You must hear this firsthand.The anxiety she had been repressing began to creep up her spine as her heart skipped a beat. "What's happening?" "It concerns Harry." Anger rose in her chest as her pulse accelera
As the sun sank below the horizon and the city was bathed in an orange glow, the penthouse was eerily quiet. With the city's lights glimmering like far-off stars, Anita stood in front of the enormous windows. However, the vista began to feel more like a battlefield than a privilege. She was reminded of the empire she now ruled and the power that accompanied it by every shadow and light flicker. She didn't know when she had gone too far, when she had ceased to grieve for Nathan and begun planning her next course of action, but it had happened. The grieving had shifted to resolution sometime between viewing the files and realising the stakes.Everything Nathan had left behind had been given to her. All the nasty secrets. All of the shady deals. All the truths she had been denied. The world would suddenly be aware of it. There was no turning back. She had gone too far. Those who believed they could control, manipulate, and exploit Anita Grant would soon discover the hard way
Everything was silent. Too silent. As the last echoes of the explosion vanished into the darkness, Anita stood at the edge of the flaming debris, her body shaking. The structure that had once stood for Nathan's empire, his legacy, and his castle was now reduced to a charred skeleton of ash and twisted steel. She was unable to hear the distant cries of emergency sirens. Smoke spiralled into the sky like mourning veils, and all she could hear was the harsh, uneven sound of her own breath. He had returned for her. after which she was barred out. Her voice was hoarse from yelling his name, and her palms were scraped raw from beating on the sealed exit. He never did, however, open the door.Since he never meant to. She muttered, "Nathan," as though the wind might take her words back in time, past the debris and the fire, to the man who had given all up. Security, firefighters, and medical personnel moved around her, but she remained still. The edges of the world were blurred.