Elizabeth, my mother, walked into my room with an aura that I had missed so much. Her face was bright as usual and she had a fixed smile on her face. That was her way of living, she always smiled even when she was in pain. A strong woman indeed. I took after her, in looks and character. We had a lot of things in common and that was why were inexplicably close to each other. "My baby boy, look at you," she said and embraced me warmly. I missed her warmth and her care. I didn't mean to make her worried about me, it was just the turnout of events that caused it. "I'm okay now, mom. You don't have to worry about me," I said, trying to make her feel better. She scoffed, "You said that to me last time and here you are, looking helpless on a hospital bed. I sent you here to have fun again and live your life the way you have always wanted it, not to get shot by some meaningless bitch with mind issues." "Mom!" I chuckled. Her humor was always there even in the most serious situation
** Collins**I relaxed in the wind cellar, taking a sip of the hot wine that I had in my hand. My mind was on a lot of things but I had to be slow with my thoughts, to avoid thinking wrongly.My mind was disrupted when I heard a grunt from outside, I got up and walked out of the house to see what the commotion was all about. I was not surprised to see Tessa, all bloodied and wounded, with Morgan who was helping her to walk.She wouldn't say that I did not warn her against going to attack Spencer openly. I told her and she chose to do whatever was on her mind, now she has to face the consequences herself."You don't look so good," I smirked at her."Please, Collins, call the doctor. I can't bear this pain anymore," Tessa cried out.I loved to see her in pain because she hardly listened to anything that I said. I folded my arms and simply looked at her, Morgan helped her to sit down and she murmured thank you to her. "I told you that attacking Spencer like that was a wrong idea but you
"Well, who do we have here? My one and only Aunty Elizabeth," I said loudly when I approached Elizabeth where she was sitting down and patiently waiting for me to come. She scoffed, "Aunty Elizabeth? Spare me that crap, Collins. You and I know that you have been longing to get rid of Spencer and me even as I little child that you were, you never welcomed us to the family." I smirked at her, satisfied by the fact that she still remembers those moments when I was their nemesis and wanted to get rid of them so badly. This day when I tormented them until they left this city. It was just a wonderful experience back then and I enjoyed every bit of it. "I like how bold you have become over the years but I doubt that your boldness is going last long. You see, I have a lot of plans for you and Spencer..." "Yeah, we have already figured that out when your crazy sidekick tried to kill a pregnant woman. She is lucky to be alive." I clenched my fists in anger because I knew that what Tes
** Sydney** I stood on the balcony of my room, looking outside at the clear sky and sun as it shone bright this morning. My hands subconsciously rubbed my belly bump that was becoming visible as each day passed by. My mind was zoned out on the various events that had just happened in the past few weeks. The whole new experience I had when I was with Spencer and how it died down pretty quickly unlike how I expected it to be. My thoughts were randomly thinking of how strong I have been while going through the drama of being involved with Spencer Martins. The love I felt we shared - was it even real? Or was it just an infatuation? Was I too desperate or scared of being alone that I couldn't even shed a little bit of hope of restoring my marriage? Now look at me here, back with my Aiden and his family because no matter how far I run, I would still come back to Aiden's arms. That was the power of destiny and this was how it wanted its game to go. I only played along to it and probably
Finally, after Aiden let me go, I decided to go to Spencer's workplace and drop my resignation letter on his desk. I know that he is currently in the hospital which was the best opportunity to do this, but I didn't want to leave his company like that. Even though I was with Aiden now, the royalty shares of my work were important to me. It should be hard work paid off. "Are you going to somewhere?" Aiden asked when he noticed how dressed up I was. I nodded, deciding to tell him the truth in case he intended to send someone to monitor my movements today. "I'm going to Spencer's company," I replied. "Why?" "I want to drop my resignation letter on his desk. Whenever Spencer is back from the hospital, he will see it," I said. "It is really important to do that. He already knows that you are going to quit your work," Aiden said. "He doesn't know that Aiden, and this is the best way to confirm that I'm done with work," I said trying to sound convincing to him. I didn't want to tell
My heart was pounding fast as I arrived at the hospital where Spencer was. I was scared too, what if he didn't want to see my face again? I stood in front of his room for some minutes before summoning the courage to knock slightly before opening the door to enter inside. He was lying down with his eyes closed but as soon as I closed the doors, Spencer opened his eyes to see who the visitor was. He tried to sit up when he saw me and l helped him to relax properly. "How are you feeling now?" I asked him. He snorted harshly, "Do you care about how I'm feeling?" "Spencer, I just came here to know how you are. Please, don't make it any more difficult for me than it is now," I said to him. Trying to suppress every emotional breakdown that was inside me, I kept staring at my hands. My palms were already sweating profusely as I was rubbing them both constantly. "You look pretty today," he said instead. "Thank you," I replied. "Why did you do that?" He asked suddenly. "What?" I was s
** Collins ** I tapped my fingers against the smooth surface of the café table, watching the door like a predator stalking prey. Miriam was late, as usual, but I didn’t mind. It gave me time to think—plan. Every move had to be calculated. With Sydney in the picture, my goal wasn’t simple anymore. She was a puzzle that couldn’t be solved with brute force or charm alone. Miriam finally walked in, her sharp heels clicking against the tile floor. Her eyes scanned the café before landing on me, her expression guarded as always. She wore her typical look of cool detachment, but I knew better. Beneath that icy exterior, she was desperate. She wanted Spencer, and that made her useful to me. “Miriam,” I greeted, standing up and gesturing for her to sit. She slid into the seat across from me, crossing her legs as if she wasn’t in a hurry. But I could feel the tension in the air. The desperation. “You wanted to talk,” she said, voice flat but curious. I leaned forward, lowering my voice. “I
** Collins ** I left the café with a satisfied smirk, replaying the conversation with Joyceline in my head. Sydney was as good as mine, and now, with Miriam and Joyceline both invested in their own little games, I had more leverage than I’d expected. All I needed now was to consolidate the plan—and for that, I had to meet with the others. When I got back to the estate, the old family house loomed over me like a dark reminder of what I was up against. The lights inside flickered warmly, but the air around it felt cold, heavy with the weight of generations of deals and betrayals. This place always made me feel both powerful and trapped at the same time. I pushed open the door and stepped inside. Tessa was the first to greet me, lounging on the grand couch with a book in hand, though she barely glanced at the pages. She dropped it as soon as she saw me, her gaze sharp. “How did it go?” she asked. I shrugged out of my jacket, tossing it onto the armrest. “Better than expected.” Tessa
** Sydney ** The day had finally arrived. The warm sunlight streamed through the tall windows of the bridal suite, casting a soft glow over everything it touched. I stood in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection in awe. The white dress I wore was a dream, elegant and simple, yet breathtaking in its detail. The lace sleeves hugged my arms, and the fabric flowed down like a waterfall, pooling gently at my feet. I could hardly believe it was me. I couldn’t help but smile, my heart fluttering with excitement. Today was the day I would marry Spencer—the man who had walked into my life at a time when I needed him the most, and the man I had grown to love more than I ever thought possible. The past few months had been a whirlwind, but in that moment, nothing else mattered. It was just us. There was a knock at the door, and Lydia, my best friend and now my maid of honor, peeked her head in. “You ready?” she asked with a grin. “As ready as I’ll ever be,” I said, my voice shaking sli
Elizabeth was sitting calmly in the living room, her legs were crossed and I could feel the elegance as it emanated from her calmness. My heartbeat was louder than the sound that came from the movie that she was watching in the television."Mom, you're here," Spencer said to get her attention.She turned around and smiled at him, when she looked at me, she maintained a mild expression before looking back at her son. "Yes, Spencer. I was bored at my place so I decided to come over and see you and Sydney," she replied to him.Spencer ordered a tray of fruits for his mom while we settled down to keep her company."You are looking healthy, Sydney," she complimented me."Thank you," I said with nervousness. I felt like my nervous system was going to break down any minute from now."Spencer, can you spare me twenty minutes of a private moment with Sydney?" Elizabeth asked her son.Spencer nodded and stood up, "Okay."As soon as he left, my heart sank further because I thought that Elizabeth
** Sydney**I felt his touch on my hair and earlobe and neck, his hands were all over my face but his touch was gentle, sweet and arousing. I stirred my eyes open slowly, I didn't want to wake up in the first place because the last few events have been exhausting for me.Learning the truth in the most painful manner was exhausting enough for me, I was glad that I was done with the Talker's family although it was not yet official. Aiden had really used my heart and broken it into a million pieces but in the darkest of hearts, I have found Spencer and he was willing to be my ride or die for life and nothing was going to change that forever."Good morning, sleepy head," Spencer murmured in my eyes and I giggled, that sweet feeling of being a loved woman has returned to me again."Spencer, why are you disturbing I and the baby so early in the morning?" I asked, pretending to be angry at him.He kissed my forehead and then my baby bump that was more visible now, we were almost at sixteen w
** Sydney ** I had thought about it for days before deciding to make the trip to see Joyceline. Part of me had wanted to avoid her altogether, to leave everything she had done in the past where it belonged—behind me. But there was another part, the part that needed closure, that needed to confront her, not out of anger or vengeance, but to finally put everything to rest. The drive to the jail was long, giving me too much time to think. As I parked the car and walked inside, my heart beat steadily in my chest, though I wasn’t sure if it was from nerves or resolve. It felt surreal, walking into this place, knowing that the woman who had once been my friend had turned against me in such a cruel way. They led me through the dimly lit hallways to a small room, separated by a pane of glass. Joyceline would be brought in soon, and I would finally face her. I sat down on the cold metal chair, my fingers tapping lightly on the surface of the table as I waited. When she entered, escorted by
** Sydney ** The pen trembled slightly in my hand as I hovered over the final line of the divorce papers. It was surreal to think that after everything, it was finally coming to an end. My marriage to Aiden—the lies, the manipulation, the deceit—was all about to be over with one stroke of a pen. I let out a deep breath and pressed the ink down, signing my name for the last time as his wife. It was done. I was free. I sat back in my chair, feeling both a weight lift off my chest and a strange emptiness settle in its place. It wasn’t like I was sad to see Aiden go. In fact, I was relieved. But the reality of it all—how much I had endured, how much I had fought for, only to end up here—left me feeling raw, exposed. “You alright?” Spencer’s voice cut through my thoughts, gentle but concerned. He was sitting across from me, his eyes soft as he watched me. I nodded, giving him a small smile. “Yeah. It’s just… surreal.” He reached across the table and took my hand, giving it a comfortin
** Spencer ** “Sydney, we need to talk about this now,” I said. She nodded, biting her lip as she tried to hold back more tears. “I just… I don’t know what to do or say now.” I gently took her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “You’ll figure it out, Sydney. You’re strong. And whatever you decide, I’ll be here for you. Always.” She looked up at me, her eyes filled with gratitude, and for a moment, the tension in the room lifted. We sat there in silence, just the two of us, and for the first time in a long time, I felt like maybe—just maybe—things would be okay again. I stayed close to Sydney, watching as the emotions played across her face. Her eyes, once filled with hurt and confusion, softened slightly as the reality of everything settled in. I could see the exhaustion in her, both from the ordeal with Aiden and the emotional rollercoaster she’d been on ever since he came back into her life. For a moment, I didn’t know what else to say. I just held her hand, letting the sil
Spencer’s POV I lost track of time after they took Sydney in. The sterile hospital walls felt like they were closing in, and the ticking of the clock in the waiting room was deafening. I kept pacing, back and forth, my mind racing with worst-case scenarios. What if the drug Joyceline gave her had lasting effects? What if the baby was harmed? Every minute felt like a lifetime. Max had come by earlier, sitting with me for a bit before he had to head out. His presence had been grounding, but now I was alone, back to circling the room. The nurses occasionally gave me sympathetic looks, but none of them had any answers. I ran my hands through my hair for what felt like the hundredth time. I couldn’t lose her. Not now. Not after everything. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the door to the waiting room swung open. I spun around, my heart pounding as the doctor walked in, clipboard in hand. I rushed up to him before he could even say a word. “How is she? Is Sydney okay? And the bab
**Spencer** The tension in the police van was palpable, the hum of the engine the only sound breaking the silence as we raced toward the location Collins had texted me. My hands were clenched tight, knuckles white from the grip I had on my phone. The moment the message had come through, I knew this was it—this was where Joyceline was holding Sydney. A sense of dread had been eating at me ever since I found out what Joyceline had planned. I should have seen it coming. After all, she was never one to back down, especially not when it came to getting what she wanted. But this… this was insane, even for her. I glanced at the police officers sitting beside me, their faces grim and focused. They had been briefed, and they knew how delicate this situation was. Sydney was pregnant, and any wrong move could not only endanger her but also the baby. The head of the task force, Officer Richards, looked over at me. “We’re almost there. Stay calm, Martin. We’ll handle this.” I nodded, swallowin
** Sydney ** I sat at the café, stirring the spoon in my coffee absentmindedly. The tension in my stomach hadn’t eased since Joyceline had called. I glanced at the door every few seconds, scanning each new arrival. My nerves were on high alert, and it didn’t help that Joyceline had always been good at getting under my skin. I tried to recall the last time we had spoken before everything exploded. She was the person I trusted with everything, my best friend—or at least, she had been before the betrayal. And now, here I was, waiting for her as if things hadn’t completely fallen apart. The door chimed, and in walked Joyceline. She wore her signature smirk, her eyes scanning the café until they landed on me. Her outfit was immaculate as always—a designer coat draped over her shoulders, her heels clicking as she walked confidently toward my table. Nothing about her seemed different on the surface, yet there was something in her eyes… something I couldn’t quite place. “Sydney,” she gree