Jayden drove home in a haze, his hands gripping the steering wheel, and he imagined his being someone's neck. He subconsciously tightened his grip on the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. The article, the headline that Jasmine wasn’t his real mother, echoed in his mind. His mind struggled to make sense of it, but something deep inside him was beginning to put two and two together, and something began to shift. ‘You’re being unreasonable,’ he muttered to him as he shut those thoughts out of his head. The drive home felt longer than it should have been, and when he finally arrived at the mansion, the weight of it all pressed heavily on his chest. As he entered the house, a strange sense of heaviness hit him. It was more than just the eerie quiet that settled over everything; there was something palpable in the air. “Your parents are in their room, sir.” The helper who opened the door informed him. Jayden nodded, his heart pounding harder as he made his way up
Jayden drove aimlessly through the city, the steady hum of the car engine doing little to drown out the storm raging in his mind. As he remembered his father’s revelation, he felt suffocated. His hands clenched the steering wheel with such intensity that his knuckles turned white, and the faint creak of the leather beneath his grip was the only sound competing with his labored breathing.Jasmine isn’t my mother.The thought repeated itself over and over, echoing in his mind. He couldn’t believe it. She was the woman who had raised him, loved him, been there for him through every high and low. She wasn’t his real mother.Every memory of her felt tainted now, overshadowed by the truth. The fact that they had hid it from him for all of his life and probably wouldn’t have told him had the article not come out was a slap to his face.The betrayal hit him in waves, each one stronger than the last. Why hadn’t they told him? Why had they waited until the news forced their hand? He thoug
The fluorescent lights of the hospital hallway greeter Jasmine and Justin rushed toward the ER, their steps hurried and frantic. The receptionist’s voice on the phone had been calm but grave when she’d informed them of Jayden’s accident. Jasmine’s heart hadn’t stopped pounding since as her mind conjured every worst-case scenario about Jayden and how he was doing. Justin walked beside her, his face pale and tight with worry.“What do they mean someone hit him and then disappeared?” Jasmine muttered, her voice trembling. “Who does that? Who leaves someone on the road like that?”Justin placed a hand on her back, and he rubbed it gently. Though his expression was grim. “We’ll find out. Let’s focus on Jayden first.”The moment they reached the nurse’s station, a staff member gestured them toward a private room. “He’s stable,” the nurse reassured them quickly, seeing the panic etched on their faces, and it made them calm down a bit. “The doctors did a thorough examination, and his in
Zendaya’s head throbbed as she slowly opened her eyes. She saw she was in a dark room and a frown appeared on her face. Her body ached as she tried to move, only to find herself bound to a chair. Her wrists were tied tightly behind her back, the coarse rope digging into her skin as she moved. Panic immediately set in as she struggled, her breaths quick and shallow.The faint creak of a door opening sent chills down her spine as she turned in the direction of where the sound had come from. “Who’s there?” she demanded, her voice hoarse. “What do you want?”The figure didn’t respond immediately, stepping closer until the overhead light flickered on. The sudden brightness made her wince, but when her eyes adjusted, her blood ran cold as she saw who was in front of her.“Anil?” she whispered in disbelief.He stood before her, a cruel smile on his face that sent shivers down her spine. He looked different his usually composed demeanor replaced with something sinister and there was a
The deafening sound of the gunshot echoed through the room, and Zendaya braced herself for the end. But to her surprise, she felt no pain. Slowly, she opened her eyes, her heart pounding in her chest.Anil stood frozen, his eyes wide with shock. And her mouth fell open when she saw that he had been shot in the shoulder. Regardless, he proceeded to shoot her once again and another shoot to his legs brought him down on his knees."Step away from her!" a familiar voice roared with anger as he stepped into the room.It was Jayden. He looked disheveled, and her heart bled when she saw his physical condition. “Jayden?” Zendaya called her voice a mix of relief and disbelief.Anil snarled, raising his gun to fire, but Jayden didn’t hesitate. Another shot rang out, and this time, it was to his palm.Anil groaned in the weapon slipping from his grasp and Jayden kicked it away as he then pounced on Anil.“Jayden, he'll die,” Zendaya stated when Anil had turned into a bleeding mess.Her words
Jayden's losing consciousness lingered in Zendaya's mind as Lucas led her out of the dark, suffocating room. Her heart pounded as she hoped Jayden was okay. “Get an ambulance here immediately!” Justin barked at an officer as they exited the building.Zendaya stumbled slightly, her legs weak from exhaustion and fear. Lucas caught her, steadying her with a reassuring hand on her shoulder.“You’re safe now,” Lucas said gently.“But Jayden…” Zendaya whispered, her eyes never leaving Justin’s retreating figure as he carried Jayden toward an ambulance that had just arrived.“He’ll be fine,” Lucas assured her. “You need to rest as well.”Paramedics rushed to Justin, quickly taking Jayden onto a stretcher.Blood seeped through his bandages, and Zendaya’s stomach churned at the sight. She tried to follow, but Lucas held her back.“You need to get checked too,” Lucas insisted, gesturing to another paramedic who was approaching her.“No,” Zendaya protested, shaking her head. “I need to go wit
Two Months LaterThe Gerano mansion was buzzing with energy as the family and other well-wishers gathered to celebrate Jayden's birthday. The air was filled with laughter, music, and the clinking of glasses as the sun began to set. Jayden stood near the center of the room, talking to friends when he caught sight of Lucas approaching him.“Excuse me,” he said to the men he was talking to and he walked towards Lucas.“Enjoying the party?” Jayden asked with a smirk.Lucas shot him a look, which showed that he had been forced to be there probably by his wife and daughter. “I still don't like you. Don’t push it,” he warned.Jayden pouted as he pretended to be sad. “Don’t say that father-in-law,” he said and he had to stifle his laughter at the horrified expression Lucas always gave whenever he called him that. After he was discharged from the hospital, he and Lucas sat down to have a chat about Zendaya and his relationship.Lucas' words were simple, “Hurt her and you die.”He wondered w
"...In other news, Jayden Gerano, the heir to the Gerano empire, is back," she heard the news reporter say before turning off her tablet.The last thing she wanted was to hear about the man she hated more than anything in the world, especially when she was preoccupied with getting her fiancé to talk to her.They shouldn’t be having such a useless fight when they were days away from their wedding.Matthew Terrence, the man she loved the most in the world. He was an employee in her dad’s company, and it was love at first sight when she laid eyes on him.A lot of people, including her family, didn’t think the relationship would last due to their differences in status.However, she and Matthew had proved them all wrong as they were in their second year together.If their relationship was able to survive the scrutiny, then the fight over where their honeymoon was going to be didn’t stand a chance.“Ma’am, we have arrived,” she heard her driver say to her, breaking her line of thoughts.“Don
Two Months LaterThe Gerano mansion was buzzing with energy as the family and other well-wishers gathered to celebrate Jayden's birthday. The air was filled with laughter, music, and the clinking of glasses as the sun began to set. Jayden stood near the center of the room, talking to friends when he caught sight of Lucas approaching him.“Excuse me,” he said to the men he was talking to and he walked towards Lucas.“Enjoying the party?” Jayden asked with a smirk.Lucas shot him a look, which showed that he had been forced to be there probably by his wife and daughter. “I still don't like you. Don’t push it,” he warned.Jayden pouted as he pretended to be sad. “Don’t say that father-in-law,” he said and he had to stifle his laughter at the horrified expression Lucas always gave whenever he called him that. After he was discharged from the hospital, he and Lucas sat down to have a chat about Zendaya and his relationship.Lucas' words were simple, “Hurt her and you die.”He wondered w
Jayden's losing consciousness lingered in Zendaya's mind as Lucas led her out of the dark, suffocating room. Her heart pounded as she hoped Jayden was okay. “Get an ambulance here immediately!” Justin barked at an officer as they exited the building.Zendaya stumbled slightly, her legs weak from exhaustion and fear. Lucas caught her, steadying her with a reassuring hand on her shoulder.“You’re safe now,” Lucas said gently.“But Jayden…” Zendaya whispered, her eyes never leaving Justin’s retreating figure as he carried Jayden toward an ambulance that had just arrived.“He’ll be fine,” Lucas assured her. “You need to rest as well.”Paramedics rushed to Justin, quickly taking Jayden onto a stretcher.Blood seeped through his bandages, and Zendaya’s stomach churned at the sight. She tried to follow, but Lucas held her back.“You need to get checked too,” Lucas insisted, gesturing to another paramedic who was approaching her.“No,” Zendaya protested, shaking her head. “I need to go wit
The deafening sound of the gunshot echoed through the room, and Zendaya braced herself for the end. But to her surprise, she felt no pain. Slowly, she opened her eyes, her heart pounding in her chest.Anil stood frozen, his eyes wide with shock. And her mouth fell open when she saw that he had been shot in the shoulder. Regardless, he proceeded to shoot her once again and another shoot to his legs brought him down on his knees."Step away from her!" a familiar voice roared with anger as he stepped into the room.It was Jayden. He looked disheveled, and her heart bled when she saw his physical condition. “Jayden?” Zendaya called her voice a mix of relief and disbelief.Anil snarled, raising his gun to fire, but Jayden didn’t hesitate. Another shot rang out, and this time, it was to his palm.Anil groaned in the weapon slipping from his grasp and Jayden kicked it away as he then pounced on Anil.“Jayden, he'll die,” Zendaya stated when Anil had turned into a bleeding mess.Her words
Zendaya’s head throbbed as she slowly opened her eyes. She saw she was in a dark room and a frown appeared on her face. Her body ached as she tried to move, only to find herself bound to a chair. Her wrists were tied tightly behind her back, the coarse rope digging into her skin as she moved. Panic immediately set in as she struggled, her breaths quick and shallow.The faint creak of a door opening sent chills down her spine as she turned in the direction of where the sound had come from. “Who’s there?” she demanded, her voice hoarse. “What do you want?”The figure didn’t respond immediately, stepping closer until the overhead light flickered on. The sudden brightness made her wince, but when her eyes adjusted, her blood ran cold as she saw who was in front of her.“Anil?” she whispered in disbelief.He stood before her, a cruel smile on his face that sent shivers down her spine. He looked different his usually composed demeanor replaced with something sinister and there was a
The fluorescent lights of the hospital hallway greeter Jasmine and Justin rushed toward the ER, their steps hurried and frantic. The receptionist’s voice on the phone had been calm but grave when she’d informed them of Jayden’s accident. Jasmine’s heart hadn’t stopped pounding since as her mind conjured every worst-case scenario about Jayden and how he was doing. Justin walked beside her, his face pale and tight with worry.“What do they mean someone hit him and then disappeared?” Jasmine muttered, her voice trembling. “Who does that? Who leaves someone on the road like that?”Justin placed a hand on her back, and he rubbed it gently. Though his expression was grim. “We’ll find out. Let’s focus on Jayden first.”The moment they reached the nurse’s station, a staff member gestured them toward a private room. “He’s stable,” the nurse reassured them quickly, seeing the panic etched on their faces, and it made them calm down a bit. “The doctors did a thorough examination, and his in
Jayden drove aimlessly through the city, the steady hum of the car engine doing little to drown out the storm raging in his mind. As he remembered his father’s revelation, he felt suffocated. His hands clenched the steering wheel with such intensity that his knuckles turned white, and the faint creak of the leather beneath his grip was the only sound competing with his labored breathing.Jasmine isn’t my mother.The thought repeated itself over and over, echoing in his mind. He couldn’t believe it. She was the woman who had raised him, loved him, been there for him through every high and low. She wasn’t his real mother.Every memory of her felt tainted now, overshadowed by the truth. The fact that they had hid it from him for all of his life and probably wouldn’t have told him had the article not come out was a slap to his face.The betrayal hit him in waves, each one stronger than the last. Why hadn’t they told him? Why had they waited until the news forced their hand? He thoug
Jayden drove home in a haze, his hands gripping the steering wheel, and he imagined his being someone's neck. He subconsciously tightened his grip on the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. The article, the headline that Jasmine wasn’t his real mother, echoed in his mind. His mind struggled to make sense of it, but something deep inside him was beginning to put two and two together, and something began to shift. ‘You’re being unreasonable,’ he muttered to him as he shut those thoughts out of his head. The drive home felt longer than it should have been, and when he finally arrived at the mansion, the weight of it all pressed heavily on his chest. As he entered the house, a strange sense of heaviness hit him. It was more than just the eerie quiet that settled over everything; there was something palpable in the air. “Your parents are in their room, sir.” The helper who opened the door informed him. Jayden nodded, his heart pounding harder as he made his way up
Zendaya stirred awake, the first rays of sunlight peeking through the curtains. The room was warm, and the faint smell of Jayden lingered in the air, a mix of his cologne and something undeniably him. Opening her eyes, she blinked a few times before turning her head to see Jayden sleeping beside her, his face relaxed and peaceful.Her lips curled into a soft smile as she took in the sight of him. He was lying on his stomach, the sheets were around his waist, leaving his broad back and a glimpse of his toned arms on display to her.His dark hair was messy, sticking up in different directions from her fingers running through it last night.Last night. Her cheeks warmed at the memory.Last night, he’d truly proven he was a beast, just as he’d promised. The passion, the fire, the way he’d driven her to the edge over and over, it left her breathless just thinking about it and the heat rushed to her legs even though he was sore. A smile appeared on her face as she brushed her fingers o
The room was dimly lit, the only source of illumination being the faint glow from a laptop screen on a cluttered desk. .Papers and files were scattered, some bearing Jayden’s name in bold letters. The two men stood on opposite sides of the room, their faces partially hidden.The taller man paced, his hands shoved deep into his pockets as his mind raced. He finally stopped, turning to face his boss, who was seated behind the desk.“We’ve got something big,” the taller man said, his voice laced with excitement and malice. “Something that’ll change everything, boss.”The boss didn’t respond immediately. He leaned back in his chair, his sharp eyes narrowing as he studied the man before him. “What is it?” he asked, his tone calm but deadly.The taller man hesitated for a moment before stepping forward and placing a file on the desk. “It’s about Jayden,” he said, tapping the file with a finger. “Something that has been hidden.”The boss arched a brow, his interest piqued. He opened the