I ate some food Alex brought, but couldn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted. The thought of Anderson being with her made my stomach twist. I can’t let him have her. If she doesn’t want me anymore, fine, she can be with someone else, but not him.I tilted my head toward my assistant, who had been standing in the room since he walked in."Get the wheelchair and push me to Alex’s office." I said, but he didn’t move."You can’t be moving around; you heard what the nurse said."One look from me was enough warning. He quickly nodded and hurried to get the chair. When he returned, I stood up from the couch and sat down.It’s not that I can’t walk, I just don’t want to overexert myself while still in the hospital. If my vitals are weak, Alex won’t discharge me, and I need to leave this place.We left the room and were on our way to Alex’s office when Grace crossed my mind. I haven’t checked up on her, and I’m not sure how she’s doing."Take me to Grace’s room; I want to see her condition." I orde
"Where do you think you’re going?" Alex asked, standing up and reaching out to stop me."I need to get there before nightfall." I replied, keeping my tone firm. "Don’t try to stop me—I’ll be back to finish my treatment." Turning to Jasper, I added, "Get the car ready. We’re leaving."Alex sighed, resting his hands on his desk and lowering his head. "Can you switch doctors?" He said quietly. "I can’t work with patients who don’t listen, I’m not that patient."I had to hold back a laugh as I looked away. "Fine. Once my recovery is done, I’ll transfer back to my father’s doctor." I replied, heading toward the door."Jerk." He muttered under his breath, though I heard him. Why keep me in the hospital when I feel fine? He said I passed out from the impact, and that I would be okay.I made my way to the parking lot, my men following closely. When we reached the car, they held the door open, and I settled into the seat, leaning back as the car started moving.Seeing Emily brought a wave of r
Emily It was Saturday morning, and I needed to go out to pick up a few things. After getting up, I took a quick shower and joined everyone for breakfast. Father didn’t join us again, Mother said he had stayed up late last night. I wondered if he was avoiding me, but if that were the case, I’m sure that Mother would have said something. I'm her only daughter, after all; she wouldn't keep secrets from me. After breakfast, I grabbed my keys and headed toward the door. As I descended the stairs, Lisa was coming up and stopped when she saw me. "Father wants to see you in his study." She informed me, turning around without waiting for a response. "Is he already awake?" I called after her, but she didn’t stop. Her eyes looked heavy, probably from sleep. Mother had woken her up just in time for breakfast. I continued downstairs and made my way to Father’s study. "Good morning, Father." I greeted, leaning in to kiss his cheek. "Good morning. How was your night? It’s the weekend; where are
"I don't blame her; she takes after you. So I'm not surprised she's showing this kind of attitude." I said. The smile Samantha had when she showed up vanished. It was clear she was holding back from unleashing that side of her. We were in public, and everyone knew her as Ryan's mother. If she did anything foolish, she would be all over the news. "You see, she's talking down on you. She was your maid, Mother, you shouldn't be nice to her." Amber said, clearly wanting to hit me, but Samantha held her back. "Get a grip on yourself, Amber. We have wronged her in the past." Samantha said through gritted teeth, before turning to me. "I know you are still mad at me for what we have done to you in the past, but please spare me some time." I was taken aback; she had never spoken to me this softly. It was always one insult after another. I had never been on her good side, even when I did things correctly, she found fault. And when I got it wrong, she would curse me until she ran out of thing
RyanIt was the weekend, and I had planned to rest at home until my assistant told me the Mayor had invited me for dinner at his place. I had wanted to relax at home and get enough rest before Monday, but hearing the Fernandez family would be there, I decided to go, hoping I would see Emily at the dinner.It’s been over an hour since I arrived, and the house was a bit crowded with a few families invited, but I still hadn’t spotted Emily. I met her father, and we exchanged pleasantries as usual and talked briefly about business before parting ways. His wife, however, didn’t seem pleased. I understand she dislikes me because of what happened to her daughter, which is why I need to win her back.“Ladies and gentlemen, please come over to the dining room.” I heard, and I made my way toward the dining area, a few guests trailing behind me.I took my seat, conversing with a lady and her husband next to me, when I heard someone call my name.“Hello, Mr. Ryan. We meet again.” Looking in the
Attending this dinner had truly been an honor. Coming here turned out to be a good decision; the encouragement to win Emily back was overwhelming, and I’m determined to do just that. Her mother may be against it, given the furtive looks she cast around the room, but if I need to win her over too, I will. Taking a sip of water, I stood up and excused myself, making my way out to the parking lot. The guests at this dinner were the Mayor’s close allies, those who had supported him during his campaign. Having influential people like Fernandez in his corner likely helped him secure the election. Reaching the parking lot, I saw Jasper leaning against the car. "Boss, are we leaving?" He asked, straightening up. "Not yet. What about Emily? I asked you to set up a meeting with her." I reminded him. He looked down, as though reluctant to deliver bad news. "I haven’t told you yet, but believe me, I’ve tried everything I could. She’s being stubborn, and I’m not sure what else to do." I was si
Emily Staying home alone was unbearably boring, with no one around to talk to. I wished Lisa had stayed, but she insisted on going with the others for dinner. After returning from the store, I tried passing time at a lounge, but Biggy suggested we leave because he suspected someone was tailing us. It bothered me, my life now revolved around constantly looking over my shoulder. The days of carefree parties with my college friends were long gone. It was exhausting, but I was learning to live with it. Thinking of my old friends, I picked up my phone, scrolling through contacts. I had two close friends, but they both lived in Italy. They hadn’t approved of my marriage to Ryan, which was why they stopped calling. Two years later, I tried reaching out, but they never picked up. I figured they were still upset with me, but holding a grudge for so long felt harsh. Just then, Anderson’s name flashed on the screen. I’d been expecting his call. Pressing the answer button, I put the phone to m
I walked Anderson out to the parking lot, standing there until he drove off. Once he was out of sight, I turned back toward the house, hoping to retreat to my room in peace. But as I entered the living room, I found Mother standing by the stairs, as if waiting for me. After everything that had happened, I wasn't in the mood to talk. What she did earlier was uncalled-for. Father has done so much for me, more than I could ever ask for. Yet, she had the nerve to question his role in my life, asking what he had really done for me. "Let’s talk for a few minutes." She said, her voice softer than usual. I said nothing and walked past her. She’s my mother, she should know me better than anyone. She should remember the life I have had, especially with my birth father, who never showed me any care or kindness. All he ever did was hurl insults, making me feel worthless. When I was six, I came home from school one day, and Mother told me he had died. That was the last I ever heard of him. Moth
It had been two days since I announced the launch of the new refinery, and today it was happening live. I had invited a few people to grace the occasion, and I was pleased they all showed up to celebrate with me. Most of the invited guests had already left, leaving me with just a handful who stayed behind to keep me company while I addressed some issues. One of them was Mr. Fernandez.I had sent him an invitation, hoping he would come, and to my greatest surprise, he did. I spotted him earlier when most of the guests had gathered. At the time, I was busy inspecting some equipment and walking around the machines when he and his group arrived."Mr. Ryan." one of them called, catching my attention. I stepped back to meet them, extending my hand for a handshake."I'm honored you showed up. Thank you for sparing some time from your busy schedule." I said."You are welcome! Keep up the good work. We will be on our way now." Mr. Fernandez replied.I nodded, gesturing toward the exit. "Let me
I arrived home and made my way upstairs to freshen up before thinking about grabbing dinner. It had been months since I last cooked, but making something tonight didn’t seem like a bad idea. I dropped my phone on the bed and proceeded to strip off my clothes. While reaching for my T-shirt, I thought I heard some commotion outside. The voices sounded distant, and it would take a minute to get downstairs to check. I ignored it and turned to walk into the washroom when a knock on my bedroom door halted me. "Jasper, is that you?" I asked, waiting quietly for a response. "Yes, we have a problem." He replied, and I immediately thought about the voices I had heard. "Anderson showed up and refuses to leave until he meets you." Anderson? What does he want? Could the police still be watching us? Does he want to get dragged in for questioning? It’s only been a few days since his accomplice died—why is he showing up at my house now? I need to warn him. "I will be downstairs." I responded. He
Ryan It was late in the evening. I had been indoors working all day, but an idea suddenly popped into my head, prompting me to step out. The death of the figure we held hostage still lingered in my mind. I decided it was time to find out more about the kind of person he was and the people he worked for. If Anderson was truly one of them, then it’s likely they worked together before he was killed. I recalled keeping a business card belonging to one of the men from the abandoned estate where the figure resided. He had claimed he wasn’t a killer, and if he was telling the truth, then I needed to uncover who he really was before that bastard ended his life. I have tried every possible way to catch the perpetrator, but nothing has worked so far. What other avenue is left for me to explore? I was a peaceful young man during my school days, with no issues or conflicts with anyone. Yet here I am, entangled in a web of betrayal and violence. In my line of business, there are many who have
We spent the entire day moving from one orphanage to another, distributing the items I had asked Ethan to arrange for me. I hadn’t been to the office all day. Though it was the weekend, I still had work to catch up on. As soon as I left the house, we headed to the store where the items were packed.Father was kind enough to hire some guards to accompany me on the journey. I went out with a convoy of vehicles, which I hadn’t expected until they showed up at the location where the goods were stored.The guards helped load everything into the cars, and we set off to deliver the items to the orphanages. It had been a fun and fulfilling day since morning, though I had overheard some of them complaining about being hungry.We had breakfast before leaving, but I guess going there and here, had made them all exhausted. They made a great team, I wasn't just going out with them, they were all entertaining and fun to be with.We were headed to a Christian orphanage run by a group of reverend sis
As we arrived at the courthouse, I spotted the lawyer outside, engaged in a conversation with an elderly lady. The area was slightly crowded, making me wonder if the session had already concluded.Stepping out of the car, my gaze shifted to Adams, who was emerging from the courthouse exit. His expression was dark, and moments later, his father followed behind him, both looking tense. I couldn’t help but wonder what had happened to put them in such a mood.I walked toward the lawyer, who waved me over. As I approached, I noticed Adams heading in my direction. Ignoring him, I focused on the lawyer."Don’t tell me I’m late. I left as soon as I called you." I said, standing beside the elderly lady he had been speaking to, exchanging greetings."When you called, we were about to enter the courthouse. The evidence you provided was strong enough to wrap things up quickly." He replied."Emily, I need to talk to you." Adams interrupted, his voice firm."I'm sorry, you can't see her. Please lea
EmilyIf I hadn't grown up a bit before Father left us, I wouldn't have believed what Mother told me a few hours ago. I had a rough childhood, and he was never there for me. Mother wasn’t allowed to show me love, which I guess was why she lied to me—saying he had died—and ran away with me.But did he really tell her he wouldn’t come home unless she sent me back to the orphanage? Did he divorce her because of that? How could he have trust issues when he knew she liked his friend before he made his intentions known to her?Two best friends fell in love with her, but she ended up with him. Such a miserable man I call Father. How could he even think Mother slept with his best friend when she was married to him? Was he that insecure because he was lucky to wed her instead of his friend?Mother did the right thing by leaving him. I'm glad I didn't grow up with him. Who knows, he might have killed me by now and claimed it was an accident. I have a father who cherishes me, I should hold him d
Ryan I sat in the car, waiting for Zara to come prove she was in her hostel and not somewhere else. The clip my men sent me played on repeat in my head, a video of her walking out of Empire Company. What was she doing there? I had warned her countless times to stay away from Emily. The last time she interfered in Emily’s business, she got a punch for her efforts. And now, she had the audacity to go all the way to her company. For what exactly? I sent Zara to this school for a reason, to study and, most importantly, to stay away from Emily. But clearly, a two-hour drive wasn’t enough of a deterrent for her. If she needed anything, why couldn’t she have called Jasper? Or me? Instead, she chose to disobey, as if my warnings meant nothing. She had claimed she was in her hostel over an hour ago, saying she needed to freshen up before coming out. But the timeline didn’t add up. It was clear she hadn’t been in her hostel, at least not the whole time. And now I was left to wonder how man
As I swiped it open, a video clip popped up, and I proceeded to play it. The sight of what I saw almost made me drop my phone. Remembering I was still in the reception area, I hurried down to my office and shut the door behind me. Watching the clip, I clutched my chest, struggling to breathe. This has been happening right under my nose, and I’m just finding out? How long has he been sleeping with her? Did he really sleep with her? Unable to take it any longer, I let the tears roll down my cheeks, crying out the pain that surged through me. Is this why he never looked at me with love? I tried for four long years, was I never good enough for him? What did I do to deserve this? Was liking him my mistake? Has he been with her all these years? Where? How? And why am I just finding out now? I reached for my face and wiped my tears away. He’s not worth it. Why should I cry? It’s been months already, but I still can’t get over him, no matter how much effort I put in. Fine, we are divorce
I woke up to voices drifting from another room—or so I thought. It wasn’t until I jumped out of bed and made my way downstairs that I realized the voices were real. Following the sound, I marched into the living room, only to find Father and Ethan fully dressed, with Biggy standing beside them, arms folded.I froze, furrowing my brows as I scanned the room. They were deep in conversation, so much so that none of them noticed me standing there."You are all dressed? Are you heading somewhere? It’s still early to go out." I said, breaking the conversation and drawing their attention.Father turned, smiling faintly as I stepped closer. I wrapped him in a quick hug. "Good morning." I greeted, pulling back."Good morning, sweetheart. Did you sleep well?" He asked."I did," I replied, then turned to Ethan, who patted my hair lightly."Hope you are okay?" Ethan asked.I nodded but kept my focus on them. "Where are you all going?"Father cleared his throat. "We are heading out. Mr. Lincoln wi