EmilyNothing was making sense. The entire conversation with Anderson last night kept replaying in my mind. There’s no way he lied to me, right? I can’t believe he would go so far as to twist the truth just to make me forget that Grace saved me from that accident. He said he would find out what happened and locate her family, but according to him, I shouldn’t worry, she’s just an orphan with a history of criminal cases.He even claimed she was being chased when the accident happened. The story didn’t add up, but then again, it could be true. Maybe she’s not who I think she is.What I can’t shake off is how she’s being treated at the hospital as an anonymous patient. And Ryan, he’s the one funding her medical bills. To make things stranger, his friend is the doctor overseeing her care.In my four years of marriage to Ryan, Grace never crossed our paths. I never saw her at the house; she never visited. I can’t say for certain that she’s related to him. Could my security team have gotten
I returned with a bottle of wine and two glasses. Placing them on the table, I uncorked the bottle and poured into the glasses, handing one to him."Cheers." He said, raising his glass.I smiled, clinking my glass against his before taking a sip.I hadn’t met him in person before, so I wasn’t sure if he was naturally this pleasant or simply putting on a calm demeanor. He didn’t strike me as someone difficult to deal with, but I supposed I would find out soon enough once we got into the conversation.Setting my glass down on the table, I noticed he did the same. His full attention was now on me. I couldn’t wait for him to start the conversation, so I decided to speak first."I haven’t had the opportunity to come and see you. As the president overseeing various business affairs, my schedule doesn’t allow me as much freedom as I’d like.""Well, I understand that you are busy as the president." He said, his tone even. "But, it’s safe to say you have been declining my invitations."He lean
It was time for me to go home, but there was still no sign of Biggy. He said he would be back, so why hasn’t he shown up yet? I didn’t bother asking where he was going earlier, and now his number isn’t connecting. What could be wrong? I just hope he’s okay.Instead of waiting around, I decided to leave and take a cab home. He had gone out in my car, so I couldn’t use the company vehicle to leave. As for driving a bus… maybe I could, but I have never tried it before.That shouldn’t be an excuse, an emergency could force me to drive it someday. But for today, I will just take a cab home. Picking up my bag, I made my way to the lot to hail one.As I stood outside, Ethan’s car came to a halt in front of me. He rolled down the window, lowering his head to meet my gaze."Hop in; I will drop you off at home." He said.Without hesitation, I opened the car door, settled into the passenger seat, and buckled my seatbelt.“Why are you the one picking me up? I can't reach my guard.” I asked.“He c
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
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
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
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
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
EmilyIt's frustrating. I'm beginning to break down, even though I'm doing everything possible to find evidence to bring them down. Ten hours have passed, and I still can't find anything to put them behind bars.I'm slowly losing my sanity in the midst of all this chaos, something I never imagined I would experience in my life. Being wealthy comes with so many troubles.Back then, I was happy with Mother, even though Father didn't come home on some occasions. We always had fun, keeping each other company. But ever since I added "Fernandez" to my name, it hasn't been the same for me.I felt hands on my shoulders. Tilting my head, I came face to face with Lisa. Dressed up, hands on her trolley, ready to leave. She’s supposed to fly out of the country with Father to Atlanta where she runs her fashion company, but because he’s bedridden, she has to go alone."Let me drop you off at the airport." I said, trying to get up, but she pushed me back down and sat on the edge of the couch."Is so
Emily said they were behind his attack. Why did she allow them into the hospital? What if they finish the job there? Something needs to be done. As for the money he requested, did Zara assign him to do that? Now it all makes sense. The allegations against him weren’t false. The money he was accused of stealing? He took it. "Boss." I looked at him as he extended his hand, offering me his phone. "Ms. Emily." I took the phone from him and placed it to my ear. "Hey, is everything okay? How's your father?" I asked. "Still the same. He hasn't moved or woken up. But that's not why I'm calling. Did you get my messages? I think you should look into it." I sighed. "I did get your message. The mayor's wife told me her husband went to the hospital. Why did you allow them?" "I was leaving Alex's residence when Mother sent me a message. By the time I got there, they had already left. I didn’t get the chance to meet them." Someone needs to find out what truly transpired. Why did they attack hi
"Just be patient. You heard what your mother said. But she had no right to decide what she thought was good for you." He said, his voice firm yet calm.He sighed, looking away briefly. I could sense the concern in his tone, but as a doctor, he wasn’t supposed to show emotion, especially since this wasn’t about a patient. Doctors are trained to hold back their emotions, reserving their dread for moments when a life is truly lost.He patted my shoulder before standing up from the couch and striding back to his desk.I remained tense, unable to speak since returning from Grace's room. How did I not know she was my cousin? Why would Mother hide this from everyone? Was Amber even aware? She’s nowhere to be found, so I have no idea what she knows.Is she aware Mother hired Zara? Amber and Zara never got along, so it’s possible she knows, and that’s why she despises her. But why would Mother harbor such dislike for her niece and nephew without a good reason?Zara once had a brother, but he p
RyanI urged Jasper to drive faster. I needed to get to the house before mother leaves. She was supposed to be at home, but ever since Amber went missing, she hadn’t ceased visiting her boyfriend. I had called Zara repeatedly, but she wasn’t answering. Now, I wasn’t sure if she was deliberately ignoring me.Was this all part of some plan? How could she tell Emily she was pregnant with my child? Was she trying to destroy what I was still struggling to rebuild with Emily? She said she would change, yet here she was, tormenting her again.Everyone needed to understand their place in my life. I couldn’t let them ruin what I was building, especially after four years of neglecting Emily and finally trying to make things right.When we arrived at the house, I stepped out of the car and headed straight into the living room. Without hesitation, I ascended the stairs, striding purposefully toward her room.At her door, I knocked briefly, and as soon as she responded, I pushed the door open and
I walked into the living room, and there Ryan was, seated on the couch. His gaze met mine, and he smiled. I couldn’t help but smile back, my excitement bubbling over. Seeing him this close after a few days felt surreal."I didn’t expect to meet you here. We could have…" He began, but his words trailed off as he stood and walked toward me. Before I could even drop my bag, he was already pulling me into a hug.I snuggled into him, inhaling his cologne—a sweet mix of strawberry and vanilla. It hadn’t even been a week, but I missed him so much already.I fucking love this man. I’ve always loved him. Nothing has ever changed that. I thought I had moved on, but seeing him now made me realize it was all a lie from the start.Remembering why I was here, I gently pulled away from him. There would be time for this later, but right now, I am needing answers. He had been hiding things from me, and that had to stop.His brows furrowed as I stepped back, the smile on his face fading into a frown"A
I wasn’t sure if I should even be here, but before I knew it, I found myself driving toward her house. I needed an explanation, something to justify what she had done to me. What had I ever done to deserve this? Paying someone else to carry his child, knowing full well he was sick and could barely father one on his own?I could have been patient. I was there for him, ready to wait for as long as it took. I gave up everything, turned my back on my family, my career, my dignity, all for him. What more could I have sacrificed?I stepped out of the car, my heart heavy with anger and hurt, and made my way to the living room. Nothing had really changed here. The memories came rushing back, those years I spent cleaning, cooking, and doing her laundry because the maid was either sick, on her off days, or simply unavailable. A lot of it fell to me, and I endured it all.I marched into the house and was greeted by the maid. She looked up from her task, freezing the moment her eyes met mine. I e
Emily I arrived at the hospital and hurried inside the building, my heart pounding frantically since I’d heard the news. She couldn’t be pregnant for him, there was no possible way. I had suspected he was sleeping with her from the start, but everything seemed to shift when I was called to help him on the day he had the substance in his system. Alex had confirmed that he was given something that caused his intoxication, accompanied by heavy sleep. I knocked on his office door and waited a few seconds for a response, but there was none. Was he outside? Attending to a patient? Either way, I decided I could wait inside. I pushed the door open, but the room was empty. I walked further in and sat down to wait for him. That’s when I heard muffled sounds. Turning my attention to the source, I looked behind the bed. To my surprise, I saw a little child lying there. "Hey, are you sick?" I asked softly, walking up to her. She nodded in response, her small face pale and fragile. "I have
Zara How the hell did this happen? I can’t believe our plans failed, and we lost her. If there’s anyone I should blame, it’s Adams. I don't understand why the hell he had to ask for money. All he needed to do was follow a simple instruction, ask her to come over. But he messed it up completely. I heard a car, and looked out the window to see who’s parking outside. Tiptoeing toward the sliding window, I peered through. It was Adams, parking in the lot. I needed an explanation for why he did what he did. I marched back toward the bed, pacing while I waited for him to come upstairs. Getting him involved in this had been a terrible idea. The money he asked for was something he already had sitting in his bank account. What more did he require it for? He’d stolen enough from Empire Company. So why pull this stunt? The door to the room creaked open, and I knew it was him. I stood still, listening as the door clicked shut. As soon as it did, I turned to face him. He wore a troubled expres
It wasn’t long before I made up my mind to step out of the car. The phone was never going to ring at this point, and I’m not sure if we are in the right address. Jasper had claimed he knew the place and had brought us here, but at this point, I don’t think it has to be this place. We have to leave, go back, and wait for them to call. I pushed the door open, looking around the place to find anything suspicious. Someone could be somewhere watching us without us being aware. If I find anyone here, he’s a suspect, he has something to do with this. The car that just passed is no exception; I have to look into it. Maybe there could be a connection. I continued to look around, but I couldn’t even find where my guard had entered. Too many incomplete buildings, not sure where to follow. "Boss." Jasper called, and as I turned to look behind, in the blink of an eye, something flew past my eyes, landing on the car. "It's a knife." He announced, just in time as I looked at the knife that pierce