Jonas pulled away from Alva for a brief moment as he tried to catch his breath.Afterward, they stared at each other and smiled."I think Vidar will be pissed if he finds me here," Jonas told Alva.She nodded, "I did think of that. I better get his permission then."Before Jonas could stop Alva, she opened the door of her room and went out while saying, "Please wait for me, Jonas." She began going down to look for Vidar when she saw him coming up.Jonas sat down and sighed. He was seeing a different side of Alva, one he loved. But he felt the timing was not right. In the end, he was willing to do anything as long as Alva was happy, so he waited for her.Vidar smiled when he saw Alva."You seem happier than you did earlier," he noted. "I take it your conversation with Jonas went well?"Alva smiled, feeling a little embarrassed, "Actually, I want to ask for a favor."Vidar put his arm around her neck and began leading her back to her room. "You know you can always ask me for anything."
Jonas obliged, pulling back just enough to strip off his shirt. Alva’s breath hitched as she took in the sight of him....the hard planes of his chest, the definition of his muscles. He was beautiful, and he was hers. Her hands skimmed over his bare skin, exploring him with a mix of awe and urgency. Jonas groaned at her touch, his head falling forward to rest against her shoulder. “You’re going to drive me crazy,” he muttered, his voice thick with desire. “Good,” she whispered, surprising herself again. She reached for the buttons of her blouse, her fingers fumbling slightly in her eagerness. Jonas stopped her, his hands covering hers. “Let me,” he said, his eyes locking with hers. Slowly, almost reverently, he unbuttoned her blouse, revealing inch by inch of her skin. His lips followed the path of his hands, placing soft kisses along her collarbone and the top of her breasts. Alva’s breathing grew shallow, her body tingling under his touch. When he finally removed the blouse com
MARIANNE I stepped on my brake pedal and gave myself a minute to catch my breath. My hands were shivering and I felt chilled to the bone. I still could not believe what I had just seen. I opened my phone and watched for the umpteenth time, the pornographic video that had been sent to me anonymously. My husband of almost two years was in bed, having sex with a woman that wasn't me. His face was revealed in the video, while hers was concealed. The only thing I could make of the woman was her slender wrist and the gold bracelet around it. It seemed oddly familiar but I could not remember where I had seen it. For two years, I believed my marriage was the best in the world because my husband, Tony adored me and worshipped the ground I walked on. I was the richest woman in the city and my company, RAY INDUSTRIES was the number one in the country, yet, my happiest moments were the ones spent with my husband. That was how much I loved him. How could he betray my trust? Hands still
MARIANNE At the police station, I was cuffed and kept in a dimly lit room with four chairs, one table, and a window. I was exhausted and my eyes were puffy from crying. Even though Tony cheated on me, he was the love of my life and I could not believe he was no more. In a flash, I had become a widow; the youngest I knew because I had just turned twenty, a month ago. The three policemen sat in front of me, questioning me as though I were a common criminal. "Don't you know who I am?" I asked. "I own foundations, charity organizations, and free hospitals. I help people, not hurt them. No matter what, I could never murder a man I loved with my life." "Stop beating around the bush and answer the damn question!" One of the policemen yelled at me, slapping his palms on the table. I didn't have to be a police officer or a lawyer to know that what the men were doing was not standard procedure. They were biased toward me and I had no idea why. "I won't speak any more until my lawy
MARIANNE I sighed in relief as I thanked Britney repeatedly. "There's no need to thank me," she expressed. "You are my best friend and I will do anything for you." The next morning, just as my lawyer had promised, I was arraigned before a judge. I had been restless throughout the night as it was my first time being in a cell. I tried not to cry because I knew it wouldn't help my situation. I convinced myself that I was just unfortunate. I never should have married Tony. After the judge questioned me, I took a plea of not guilty. My attorney didn't seem pleased by that but I didn't care. No one was going to make me admit to something I never did. Since it was my first appearance, I expected that I would be granted bail and allowed to show up in court from the comfort of my home during the preliminary hearings. I planned to get the best lawyer for myself once I was released on bail and got access to my phone. However, nothing like that happened. The judge allowed a ten minutes re
MARIANNE Everything felt like a dream. Just like that, I had been condemned for something I never did. My only crime was being too kind and trusting the wrong people. As I was being transported by ship along with a few other prisoners, the judge's words echoed in my ears, "This court finds the accused; Mrs. Tony, guilty of first-degree murder and sentences her to life imprisonment with hard labor in the Norwegian Island Prison. I recalled the triumphant look on Britney's face as I was being taken away and could not understand what I ever did wrong to her. When I met her so many years ago, I had just finished high school. Being the daughter of the richest man in the city, I lived in affluence as opposed to her who was struggling to get by. I saw her working as a waiter at a party and took her side when a guest treated her disrespectfully. We got close from that night and I got to find out that she had no family. She was an orphan who had to work from a very young age just to
MARIANNE If it weren't for the date and time stamp on the video, I would have thought Paula was lying to me. As I watched the video, everything began to piece together in my head. I recalled when Tony had first approached me for a relationship. I had refused his advances, especially since I had just clocked eighteen, but Britney kept encouraging me to give him a chance, claiming we were perfect for each other and would be together forever. Back then, I was amazed at how Tony and I had the same tastes, interests, and even fashion sense. I believed he was truly destined for me. Only after Paula's revelation did I realize that Britney had planted him in my life and told him about my likes and dislikes. No wonder he seemed so perfect in my eyes and I ended up falling in love with him. They deceived me for so long and plotted my downfall. The false testimonies from my secretary and Tony's sister finally made more sense to me. I felt so much anger surge within me and a deep year
TROY After two years, I was back in the Scandinavia, the place that took everything from me. I had rented the whole beach for the evening because I wanted to be alone. I stood by my once favorite beach in Oslo and closed my eyes as memories from the past flooded my mind; Her beautiful smile, and the warmth of her body, pressed against mine as we stared at the stars together. Aislinn was everything to me until she was snatched away so cruelly. I opened my eyes and stared at the water, hoping its calmness would soothe my turbulent heart. All of a sudden, something caught my attention. Floating and approaching from a distance, I tried to make out what it was. I took a few steps closer, dipping my legs into the water. I gasped when I realized it was a person; a woman, and judging by the way she looked, I knew she was dead. I turned and wanted to leave but a question struck my mind; what if she wasn't dead? What if Aislinn was in a similar situation and needed help? Would I hav
Jonas obliged, pulling back just enough to strip off his shirt. Alva’s breath hitched as she took in the sight of him....the hard planes of his chest, the definition of his muscles. He was beautiful, and he was hers. Her hands skimmed over his bare skin, exploring him with a mix of awe and urgency. Jonas groaned at her touch, his head falling forward to rest against her shoulder. “You’re going to drive me crazy,” he muttered, his voice thick with desire. “Good,” she whispered, surprising herself again. She reached for the buttons of her blouse, her fingers fumbling slightly in her eagerness. Jonas stopped her, his hands covering hers. “Let me,” he said, his eyes locking with hers. Slowly, almost reverently, he unbuttoned her blouse, revealing inch by inch of her skin. His lips followed the path of his hands, placing soft kisses along her collarbone and the top of her breasts. Alva’s breathing grew shallow, her body tingling under his touch. When he finally removed the blouse com
Jonas pulled away from Alva for a brief moment as he tried to catch his breath.Afterward, they stared at each other and smiled."I think Vidar will be pissed if he finds me here," Jonas told Alva.She nodded, "I did think of that. I better get his permission then."Before Jonas could stop Alva, she opened the door of her room and went out while saying, "Please wait for me, Jonas." She began going down to look for Vidar when she saw him coming up.Jonas sat down and sighed. He was seeing a different side of Alva, one he loved. But he felt the timing was not right. In the end, he was willing to do anything as long as Alva was happy, so he waited for her.Vidar smiled when he saw Alva."You seem happier than you did earlier," he noted. "I take it your conversation with Jonas went well?"Alva smiled, feeling a little embarrassed, "Actually, I want to ask for a favor."Vidar put his arm around her neck and began leading her back to her room. "You know you can always ask me for anything."
Jonas sat opposite Vidar, curious about what he wanted to say to him. “What do you feel for my sister?” Vidar asked, his tone steady but probing. Jonas leaned back in his chair, meeting Vidar’s gaze. He didn't hesitate. “I love Alva more than anything. She’s the only girl I want to spend my life with. For her, I would do anything.” Vidar studied him for a moment, his expression softening into a rare smile. “That's interesting, and music to my ears.” Jonas nodded, relieved to have Vidar’s approval, but Vidar’s smile quickly faded. His voice turned sharp. “But are you telling me the truth? What does Emilie Larsen mean to you?” Jonas stiffened but remained composed. “Emilie was my fiancée,” he admitted. “But it was never about love. The engagement was arranged.....nothing more than a business deal. The moment I fell for Alva, I knew I couldn’t go through with it. I’ve already called off the engagement as you know.” Vidar’s eyes narrowed as he assessed Jonas’s sincerity. After
Vidar emerged from the bar, the weight of his meeting still lingering in his steps. He went towards the hotel's entrance, his thoughts drifting to the quiet solace of his room. Yet, just as the idea of retreating crossed his mind, he remembered Alva. "She's still in the garden with Jonas," he thought. He hesitated. "Should I give them some privacy?" The idea was tempting, he trusted Alva, and he didn’t want to intrude on her moment. But another part of him insisted, "No, I should check on them just once to see if Alva is okay." Vidar sighed, running a hand through his hair. Alva was too young to be in such a relationship.....in his opinion. Yet, here she was......head over heels for Jonas and carrying his child. It wasn’t an ideal situation, but Vidar had made peace with it. Alva’s happiness was what mattered most, and if Jonas made her happy, then Vidar wasn’t going to stand in the way. Still, his protective instincts urged him to take a quick look. 'Checking on her just on
"Hi, Nikolai, this is Freya, Alva's best friend. Alva just asked me if you and I have spoken, and I remembered she gave me your number and mentioned you were going to call me. Is everything okay with you?" Freya stared at the message she had just typed into her phone, her thumb hovering over the send button. Her heart pounded against her chest, and she let out a shaky sigh. The thought of sending the message filled her with dread. She knew she could never send such a message. Lying on her bed, she clenched her phone tightly. She could almost hear Alva's voice in her head, teasing her about her feelings for Nikolai. Freya shook her head, trying to dispel the nervous thoughts. Just as she was about to delete the message, her mother’s voice rang out behind her, startling her. “What are you doing, Freya?” Freya bolted upright, her heart skipping a beat. She quickly turned her phone screen downward and tossed it onto the bed before spinning around to face her mom. “Nothing! Just..
Alva stepped back abruptly, her breath catching in her throat as she stared at Jonas, unable to believe her eyes. The world around her seemed to blur, and all she could focus on was him, standing there with that familiar look in his eyes....an expression she had tried to forget but couldn’t. "Jonas..." she whispered, her voice barely audible over the sound of her racing heartbeat. Jonas gave her a small, apologetic smile. "Yes, it's me." His voice was warm, yet there was a hint of hesitation. "I’m sorry you haven't heard from me in a while. I thought you needed time to adjust to everything in your new environment. And, honestly, it’s been difficult not talking to you." She blinked, struggling to process his words. "So you followed me all the way here?" Her tone was accusatory, but the fluttering in her chest betrayed her annoyance. Jonas chuckled softly, the sound rich and soothing. "No, not exactly. If I’d known you were in Denmark, I would have been more prepared. This is a surp
Alva stretched her legs cautiously, testing her ankle with a few steps. Then, with a sudden burst of confidence, she strode across her room and twirled around. “Perfect!” she declared to the empty space. “Goodbye, crutches. Hello, independence!” Vidar, walking by her room, poked his head in. “Did you just say goodbye to inanimate objects? Should I be concerned?” Alva grinned. “Laugh all you want, Vidar. You don’t know what it’s like to walk with crutches or limp around.” “True,” Vidar agreed, leaning against the doorframe. “But you’re walking fine now, so no slacking for you, especially during this workshop. You’ll be networking like a pro.” “Networking?” Alva groaned. “Why does that sound like a punishment?” Vidar smirked. “Because it is. But you’ll survive. I’ll make sure of it.” At this time, Thea was pacing her room, muttering under her breath. “If Alva hadn’t come along, I would’ve been the one going on this trip with Vidar,” her voice dripped with resentment as s
Freya sat nervously in the corner of the small eatery. Her hands were clenched tightly in her lap. The place was warm and simple, with soft chatter and the clinking of plates filling the room. Across from her, Jonas leaned back in his chair, watching her closely. His gaze was sharp but didn’t feel mean. “Relax, Freya,” Jonas said, a small smile on his face. “You look like I called you here to yell at you.” Freya shifted in her seat, trying to smile back. “It’s not that… I just don’t know why you wanted to meet.” “Let’s start with dinner,” he said, pointing at the menu in front of them. Freya shook her head quickly. “I already ate. I’m not hungry.” Jonas raised an eyebrow but didn’t argue. He set the menu aside and leaned forward, his face turning serious. “Alright, let’s get to the point. Freya, I was angry with you before. Because of what you did, I kept misunderstanding Alva, and things between us got bad.” Freya’s stomach twisted with guilt. She opened her mouth to apol
Freya’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears as she grabbed Alva’s hand tightly. “You’re incredible. I knew you were destined for greatness, Alva, but CEO? That’s next-level stuff. I’m so proud of you!” “Thank you,” Alva replied, squeezing her friend’s hand. “And when the time comes, you can come work with me in the company. We’ll run it together.” Freya’s lip quivered, and she blinked rapidly, trying to keep her tears in check. “Alva, you’re the best friend anyone could ask for. No, scratch that—you’re the best human being alive.” Alva giggled. “Don’t cry, Freya. Save the waterworks for the CEO inauguration.” “I can’t help it!” Freya wailed dramatically before pulling Alva into a bone-crushing hug. “I’m the luckiest person in the world to have you.” As Freya finally released her, she wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand, smiling brightly. “So… can I come on this fancy business trip too? I’ll hide in your suitcase.” Alva shook her head, laughing. “No can do.” “Why not?