{Martha's POV}I walked towards the elevator in haste, my gaze drifting to the watch on my wrist. I was late, so fucking late, for the meeting I had set to finalize the investment deal.Cherie walked in haste to meet up with me, her brows furrowed and her lips slightly parted as though she wanted to speak but she didn'speak, anything.I could feel her tension, matching my own, though neither of us was to blame for our tardiness. How could we have predicted the car would break down in the middle of the highway? The wait for help had taken longer than expected, and now, here we were.The elevator door slid closed, and I took a relaxing breath, brushing my hand against my hair. As I waited patiently, staring at the metallic door, my thoughts ran an extra mile.This wasn't good, and the fact that it would leave a bad reputation in the minds of the investors didn't make things easier for me.The moment the door slid open, I rushed out again, walking down the hallway towards the conference
{Nathan's POV}"Mrs. Carlos, how are you feeling today?" I asked, as I walked into the ward and made my way towards the patient bed side. She raised her hand slightly, as if to get a better view of my face, though her expression was hard to read with the bandages wrapped around most of her face. Only her eyes, nostrils, and mouth were visible. It had been three days since her facelift and rhinoplasty surgery. I knew the recovery process was painful, healing could take weeks, but she was pushing through."I'm fine," she murmured, her voice muffled by the bandages. "Feeling like a sixteen-year-old already." She managed a small, thumbs-up at me.I chuckled. "Of course, Mrs. Carlos. You’ll be breaking the internet with your new look in no time." Moving closer, I carefully inspected the bandages. "I hope the pain isn’t too bad anymore?"She shifted her hand to rest gently on the pillow, her gaze fixed on the ceiling. "Just a little fuzzy. It’s nothing compared to when the anesthesia wore
Martha's POVI sat at the kitchen island, nibbling on a slice of creamy white cake while staring at my phone screen. I scrolled through one picture after another, my eyes lingering on Peter and Rachel’s wedding photo. In the image, he stood proudly by her side, his arm around her waist, another picture showed them during their honeymoon, laughing under the soft glow of a sunset.I didn’t know why I was doing this to myself. Why was I staring at pictures that should have fueled my anger and resentment? Instead, I found myself stuck, my finger hesitating over the screen as if it would uncover something I was searching for but dreading to find.I took a spoonful of cake, its sweetness doing little to soothe the bitterness rising within me. I kept scrolling, my eyes scanning every image for something, anything, that connected to me. Something within me just wanted to see a picture of my old self, I could remember Peter had taken endless pictures of me. But as I stared at his Instagram no
{Nathan's POV}I took off my shirt the moment I entered the room and headed straight to the bathroom for a quick shower. I couldn’t shake the look on Martha’s face from my mind, something was wrong. Something was definitely bothering her.As the warm water cascaded over me, I replayed the events of the evening. My mother’s attempts to stop me from pressing Martha further only made my unease grow. What was she hiding? Why didn’t she want to open up?Grabbing a towel off the rack, I wrapped it around my waist and walked out of the bathroom toward my closet. After slipping into my nightwear, I decided I needed to check on her. If something was wrong, I needed to know.Making my way to her room, I reached for the door handle when her voice stopped me.“I’ve told you to stop calling me,” she said, her tone sharp and firm. “If you continue with this, I won’t hesitate to cancel the investment deal.”Curiosity rooted me in place. Who was she talking to?I leaned closer, pressing my ear gently
{Martha's POV}I scrolled through the files on my desk with a satisfied smile. Everything was settled; all I needed now was to wait for the profits. Closing the file, I leaned back against my chair, spinning it around to face the glass wall. The city looked surreal from up here, like something out of a TV show.Smiling, I closed my eyes, taking a deep, relaxing breath. The door creaked, and the next thing I heard were footsteps. I spun the chair back around to face the door.Thankfully, it was Cherie. She walked in and said, “It's lunch break, ma’am. What would you like me to get?”“Have you had lunch yet?” I asked her.She briefly shook her head, forcing a small smile, clearly surprised by my question. “No, ma’am. I was just about to get mine.”I stood up, grabbing my bag from the small locker beside my desk. “Let’s go out for lunch.”Her face brightened into a genuine smile. “Okay, Miss Evans.”I handed her my bag, and she took it. We walked out of the office together, with me leadi
{Martha's POV}The rest of the day felt like a blur to me. Each minute, I found myself complaining and trying to push the memory of Peter stalking me out of my head. I had finished my work for the day and decided to hang out in the office to pass the time.“Miss Evans, someone is here to see you,” Cherie said as she entered the office a few minutes after I had started dozing off. A blue file was in her hand, which she placed on the table.“Who’s that?” I asked, lifting my head from where it had been resting on the armrest of the sleek black chair. I caught her gray eyes flickering to meet mine.“I don’t know her. She said her name is Ruth,” Cherie replied.“Okay,” I said, sitting up and stretching my arms to shake off the sleep. “Let her in.”“Okay, Miss Evans,” she said softly before walking out of the office.I picked up the blue file from the table, flipping through the papers to skim their contents. The details were written in bold letters, outlining the company’s progress in ship
{Peter's POV}I stared at the phone in my hand with a wide smile. I couldn’t believe she fell for it, she didn’t even recognize my voice. It was good that she didn’t, and I had played my game well.I stood up from the bed and walked over to the wardrobe to change into something decent. Maybe a green sweatshirt and black pants would look casual. I slipped into them, selected one of my favorite romantic perfumes, the kind that always set the mood just right, and finally grabbed my keys from the nightstand.“Honey, where are you going?” Rachel’s voice rang out just as I was about to leave the room. It suddenly dawned on me that she’d been there the entire time. I turned in her direction. “I have an important meeting to attend at eight.”She sat up on the bed, wiping her eyes with her palm before focusing them on me. “Why now, honey? I wanted us to spend some quality time together. Do you always have to go to meetings?”Her complaints had no real merit, and every minute she delayed me in
{Martha POV}I scoffed, rolling my eyes heavenward as Peter reached for the button on the stereo. He glanced at me briefly before pressing it, and the music started softly, gradually increasing in volume.Each passing second fueled my irritation, the anger simmering inside me reaching its peak. The fact that I was sitting in his car, the very car that had once belonged to my father, made my skin crawl. This car, now in the possession of the man who didn’t think twice before taking everything, was a cruel reminder of all I despised about him.Lost in my thoughts, I didn’t even notice when we arrived at Brea’s residence.“Thanks, Mr. Henderson,” she said with a cheeky smile, turning to me with guilt etched on her face. “I’m sorry for trying to speak for you, Miss Evans.”I realized my hands, resting on my lap, were clenched into tight fists. I quickly released them and forced a smile. “No problem, Brea. Have a good night’s rest.”“Thank you, Miss Evans,” she replied softly before closin
{Martha's POV}"Good morning, my queen," Nathan whispered against my ear, his lips brushing my cheek in a feather-light kiss. His voice, deep and husky with sleep, sent a shiver down my spine. I stirred, my lashes fluttering open to meet the soft glow of the morning sun filtering through the curtains."Morning, my love," I murmured sleepily, turning onto my side to face him. A slow smile spread across my lips as he cupped my cheek, his warmth seeping into my skin. He leaned in, pressing a gentle peck to my forehead before pushing himself up from the bed.I stretched, my arms reaching over my head as a deep sigh escaped my lips. For the first time in seven years, I felt truly free, as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. No more battles, no more struggles, I had finally reclaimed what was rightfully mine. And best of all, I was engaged to the most loving, handsome man in the world. Everything was exactly as I had dreamed.Nathan stood by the window, the golden sunlight castin
{Martha's POV}“Thank you, Michael,” Nathan said as he exchanged a handshake with him.I sat there, unmoving, as if I had been glued to my seat. The courtroom was nearly empty now, people filing out in hushed murmurs. I had won. I had fought for justice and reclaimed what was taken from me. But instead of triumph, a hollow ache settled deep within my chest. What I truly longed for, what would have made this victory complete, was seeing my beloved parents again.The bitter truth cut through me like a blade. I had allowed the man who planned their deaths into my life. I had loved him. I had let him and his family treat me like nothing. And now, even though justice had been served, my heart still bled.“Come on,” Carolina’s voice broke through my haze as she positioned herself behind me. “You won the case, Martha. Peter Henderson is finally going to pay for everything he took from you.”I turned to her and forced a thin-lipped smile. “Yes, I won,” I murmured, my voice distant, detached.
{Martha's POV}The blaring sound of my phone shattered the peaceful silence of the early morning. I groaned, rolling over and burying my face into the warmth of Nathan’s chest, hoping the caller would give up. But the ringing persisted, shrill and unrelenting.Nathan stirred beside me, his arm tightening around my waist as he let out a soft sigh. “My love,” he murmured sleepily, pressing a gentle kiss to my temple. “Your phone.”I groaned again, reluctantly stretching my hand toward the nightstand. Without glancing at the caller ID, I grabbed the phone and pressed it against my ear.“Hello?” I mumbled, my voice thick with sleep.“Good morning, Martha.”The familiar voice sent a jolt through my body, instantly dispelling the last traces of drowsiness. My breath caught in my throat. Peter.I sat up abruptly, the sheets pooling around my waist as my pulse quickened. After the incident at the Henderson's mansion and the call to court. Peter and I had never spoke to each other, at some poi
{Martha’s POV}“Come on, let me take you to the room so you can rest,” Nathan said as we pulled away from the hug.I let out a deep sigh, exhaustion settling in as he stood and took my hand. His touch was warm, reassuring, the kind of steady presence I needed right now.“Don’t let this bother you,” he murmured as we made our way toward the stairs. “I’ll talk to Michael about it. While you rest, he and I will continue the investigation.”I squeezed his hand, my voice barely above a whisper. “Thank you so much.”Nathan glanced down at me, his expression firm with certainty. “Peter will get what he deserves, my love. I promise you.”His words carried so much conviction that, for a moment, I almost believed justice was inevitable.When we reached the bedroom, I settled onto the bed, the soft mattress cradling my tired body. Nathan lay beside me, pulling me close until my head rested against his chest. His steady heartbeat beneath my ear was soothing, grounding me in a way nothing else cou
{Martha’s POV}I took a deep breath as my body sank into the plush cushions of the living room couch. A wave of relief washed over me, the familiar scent of home wrapping around me like a warm embrace.I had missed this place, the way the soft glow of the chandelier made everything feel safe, the quiet hum of the city outside the windows, the warmth that lived in these walls. And I also had missed staying in the same roof with Nathan. “I’ll tell Carolina to prepare tea for you,” Nathan murmured, leaning in to place a gentle kiss on my cheek. His lips were warm, lingering for just a moment before he straightened and made his way to the kitchen.I watched him disappear around the corner, my heart aching in a way I couldn’t quite describe.Leaning my head against the armrest, I let my eyes flutter shut, allowing the exhaustion to settle. But just as I began to relax, the vibration of my phone in my pocket snapped me back to reality.I frowned, fishing it out and glancing at the screen.
{Martha's POV}I sat on the couch, gripping the hem of my sweater tightly, trying to suppress the weakness coursing through my body. My limbs felt heavy, exhaustion tugging at me, and the urge to go back to bed was almost unbearable.Nathan's eyes were fixed on me, concern evident in his gaze. “What’s wrong?” he asked after a moment, his voice softer than I expected.I hesitated, shifting slightly under his scrutiny. This Nathan, this gentle, caring version of him, was different from the man who had once pushed me away, convinced that I had no place in his life. The change in him was undeniable.Before I could answer, he stood and crossed the small distance between us. When he reached me, he took my hand in his, his grip warm and reassuring. A shiver ran through me, not from the cold, but from the comforting heat of his touch.His thumb brushed against my knuckles before he reached up, resting his palm lightly against my forehead. His touch was tender, his fingers lingering as if he c
{Nathan’s POV}I buried my face in my palm, my elbow resting on the polished surface of my desk. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get Martha out of my mind.Everyday that passes I felt like seeing her and wanting her by my side, but I felt too broken to even muster the courage to go and see her. “What's wrong with me?" I asked myself as I close my eyes. When I sent her away, I thought I was doing the right thing. I convinced myself that keeping my distance would make things easier, that maybe it would ease the pain of betrayal I felt. But now? Now, all I wanted was to have her back.A frustrated sigh escaped me as I leaned back in my chair.After talking to Michael, I found out that Martha had taken Peter to court over her stolen inheritance. She had been fighting this battle alone, and I wasn’t there for her. The guilt gnawed at me, heavy and unrelenting. I should have been by her side. I should have protected her.I reached for the bottle of water on my desk, twisting the ca
{Martha’s POV}I sat curled up on the couch, a warm blanket draped over me, sipping my tea in slow, deliberate sips. The heat spread through my chest, soothing but not entirely taking away the discomfort that had settled deep in my body.I had barely slept last night. My stomach churned with nausea, and an aching fatigue clung to my bones, making every movement feel like a struggle.At first, I brushed it off as the early symptoms of pregnancy, morning sickness, fatigue, maybe a little dizziness. It was normal, right? But as the hours dragged on, my body felt heavier, and a dull pain gnawed at my head, making it impossible to ignore.I closed my eyes, taking deep breaths in an attempt to ease the discomfort, but it didn’t help. Then, a sharp pain twisted in my stomach.I gasped, pressing a hand to my abdomen, my breath hitching. A wave of heat rushed over me, followed by an unbearable chill. My skin felt clammy, my hands trembling as I reached for my phone.This wasn’t normal. Somethi
{Martha's POV}"Objection, my Lord," the man who had arrived earlier with Peter stood up, his sharp gaze locking onto mine. "She claims that Peter tricked her into signing divorce papers and orchestrated her supposed death, but we have video footage showing her jumping into the river of her own accord. Not only that, but it has been seven years since the incident, and she never came forward to stake her claim until now."A hush fell over the courtroom. My breath caught in my throat.I turned to Michael, searching for reassurance, but his expression had darkened. He clenched his jaw, clearly frustrated, but he remained silent, waiting for the judge’s response.The judge adjusted his glasses, considering the statement. "Do you have this footage with you now?"Peter's lawyer nodded confidently, gesturing to an assistant who walked up to the judge with a flash drive. "Yes, my Lord. If permitted, we can play it right here."I clenched my fists beneath the table. Rachel, sitting beside Pete