Never accepting DefeatLocked in the spot for who knows how long, my eyes grew even darker, and so did his. Our rage accelerated with every passing minute. I knew I was doing what was right. It was best to end the shreds one at a time, pointing and hitting the nail on its head. It had been a long, long struggle and would only end with bloodshed. I had taken enough already—enough of the guts, stunts, misery, and public showdown that had eaten deep into my spine. Shredding my heart every passing minute, like a strong wave of obsession, piercing deep into my soul.A smirk spread across his face, replacing the dread and horror within his heart. I miserably felt sick, unable to comprehend the sudden shift. The hurricane intensified, burning like lightning in my heart, like a lightning bolt.In my peripheral vision, I saw the guards, each surrounded, pointing guns at each other. Everything was about to go down the drain. All the years of labor and struggle—how painful that after all these y
RuinedJack’s pov“I will also prove to you that I am far ahead of you, faster than you can even imagine,” he exclaimed, his features etched with more confidence and certainty than I could comprehend. I thought this fool of a man, standing right in front of me, would just give up and bid me farewell, greeting my parents and loved ones, especially Emma—over there in the afterlife. But he was so confident in his stunts that my heart only quickened, a string pulling across my spine, sending shivers throughout. My limbs were growing feeble but I shrugged it off, putting up again.I wasn’t going to let his words affect me, never. I was strong, resolute in my heart—stronger than I had ever been. Harry had nothing over me; I had always had the upper hand, the master of the jungle, weaving my strategies of attack and defense. Was I going to let his empty words get to me? No, not a chance, not now nor ever.“I doubt you’ll do anything,” I sneered, my expression fixed and unchanged. My heart ti
Bang!Harry’s POVI was sure I was getting to him, deep down in his hardened heart, like a spear shredding that single organ into tiny little pieces, feeding it to him so he could taste how it felt. The delight that another person who had once navigated your suffering was now going through the same ordeal was overwhelming.I felt satisfied, for not giving up on myself, even after feeling defeated and vulnerable to him. He was way stronger than I was and connected to a more dreaded mafia group, but one thing was certain,I had him playing at the mercy of my smartness. However, I had no clue what I was really saying or doing. I had never plotted anything over the years, all because I was focused on protecting my family and enjoying the peace while he was gone. I never saw this side of him coming. I thought he had gotten over all these fights already. I mean, it had been five good years since our last confrontation, and in my naive heart, I thought it was over. But never would I have thou
The interviewCeline’s povThe camera zoomed in as I walked to the entrance of the hall, amidst the crowd scattered around the premises of the large auditorium. I couldn’t help but feel a pang in my heart, an overwhelming sense of accomplishment surging through me, like a rush of heavy spring rain.“Have a good day, Miss Emma Wood,” the security personnel greeted, a grin spreading across my face in a hearty welcome.“Here she comes,” the reporter announced, and all gazes shifted in my direction. My heartbeat suddenly accelerated, rising and falling in an instant. I was feeling a mix of nervousness and unease. The thought of having all eyes on me fueled my discomfort. But I needed to remain poised, perfect before their eager gaze.Starting a branch of the firm here in New York wasn’t difficult, especially with capable hands to ensure its success. Today, I was finally here for the grand opening, celebrated as the most successful and influential figure recognized globally. The butterflie
Her nameAll eyes widened in disbelief. I turned toward the direction of the voice as the footsteps approached. The smile on my face suddenly dissipated, and the urge to throw up surged. Right before the interviewer, whose mouth had parted, I could read the lines on her face. Not only had that name surfaced, but it was also so articulated and directed at me specifically, the voice echoed through the entire room. It had been buried in my past, and I wished it had remained so, but fate had a different plan. Today was the company's grand opening, yet so much was happening in just a brief flicker of time.It wasn't enough that the interviewer asked questions that were off-limits, now another person—who I believed was from my past—was obviously present here. Who could that be? My heart was rising and falling like a pendulum. Thousands of thoughts flew by in just a second. One of which was the reason I felt it wasn't time yet to return to New York. But I couldn't remain in a foreign land fo
The gun shotHarry’s povThe thunderous sound of the shot pierced through the air, echoing in the space between. Tension built inside my heart, and for a moment, I felt like I wasn’t breathing. My heartbeat became erratic as I closed my eyes in pain, my hopes shredded. Yet, there was no pain, no blood, only distant hums and sounds.I opened my eyes just in time to hear another gunshot. Its crack was loud and direct. Two men were already lying on the floor, blood gushing from their heads. It was a precise shot, aimed specifically in our direction.Tilting my head for cover, I noticed Jack was nowhere in sight. I stumbled toward the half-brick wall at the far end of the area, crouching low in defense. My hands tightly clutched the empty pistol, every step pounding deep as my heartbeat accelerated with fear of the unknown.I had no way to defend myself, even though I remained at the scene. The only option was to take cover.Once under cover, I peered through a gap in the bricks, cowardly
The MeetingThree Months LaterA whole lot of problems at once. Reeling from the shock of nearly losing my life in the attack, the pain amassed from the incident and having to face my twisted fate was just too much. Never would I have thought in my wildest dreams that I would be desolate, alone, and lonely. Multiple threats from the stakeholders of the company and the pain of having to start all over again compounded my suffering.Was life paying me back for everything I did in the past? Specifically, for what I did to Celine and her innocent child. I wouldn’t have gone so far as to let my hatred for Jack push me into involving the innocent child, who knew nothing of the incident. Karma was really dealing with me.It had been three months since the incident, yet I couldn’t get the events out of my mind. My heart shredded even more, and tears welled up in the corners of my eyes whenever I thought about it. No sign of Lily and Derick, no valid information about their whereabouts, or the
UncertaintyCeline’s povFacing the dim light of the city stretched before me, its radiant and opulent view enlightened my eyes. The glass windows were designed this way to catch a glimpse of the bustling activities and hums of city life. It interested me most to watch this radiance whenever I had a moment of peace.It had been three months since the company fully started here in New York and had gained immense recognition in such a short period of time.The air conditioner positioned at the rooftop by the left end blew, ruffling my hair. Tucking it back into place, my eyes widened at the increasingly bustling crowd of passersby, waiting for the signal to resume their activities.Just then, a beep on my phone drew my attention back to the office. I reached for my phone and checked the caller ID—Principal.“Hello,” I greeted, unsure of the impromptu call.“Miss Wood, you are needed urgently. It's about Henry,” her tone unreadable.“What about him?” I asked, my heartbeat accelerating.“
Dungeon Celine's POVWalking past the hallway, I gasped, holding my breath as I took in the surroundings. A tiny pang pulled at me, but then a surge of determination suddenly took hold of my being. I wasn't used to places like this, yet I snapped back to focus as I stepped into the lounge.“Ma'am, what do you need?” a waitress asked, walking toward me. I glanced around, taking in the sight of the place. It revealed a more intense environment, a mix of individuals. Some had a dreaded appearance, wearing rugged, torn jeans or disheveled suits. A few others, more decently dressed, were all engrossed in their activities and fun.I found an empty table at the other end of the hall, away from the cramped seats and the litter of bottles beneath many of the tables. “Just give me water,” I said curtly, and the waitress hurried off to fulfill my request. My heart raced wildly, but I knew I had to end all of this once and for all. The leader of this particular group controlled the other organiz
ForbiddenQuickly brushing my hands off, a cool shiver ran down my spine. In a moment of clarity, I realized what had just happened, which jolted me. I reached for her hands, tapping gently, but there was no response.“Gosh, what have I done?”I hastily pulled away from her and stroked her hair, letting my fingers trail down the side of her neck. It was instantly cold, and I jerked backward in shock. My body broke into a cold sweat despite the chills running through me. This can’t be happening. No!“Mum!” I called to her, but there was no response. My body trembled slightly. I raised her hands gently, but they dropped slowly, and that was when the true reality struck me. No! No! What have I done? I slammed my hands hard on the couch, making a reverberating noise that echoed through the entire room. Amidst my worries and misery, I still realized that I had just done something I shouldn't have.“Mum!” I called again, my eyes fixed on her face, which was still innocent, her eyes slightly
Her deathHarry's POV A surge of relief washed through me as I anticipated her call. I had sent her another gift just yesterday and hoped she had received it.Morning had already come, yet I hadn’t heard from her; not even a text. The earlier relief was gradually fading away. She was right to treat me the way she did; I had tried so hard to absorb that truth. Still, I couldn’t shake off the urge to go see Mum. She had given me false information about Dad’s death, but Louis had advised me to calm down before confronting her. That advice, however, had lingered long enough.It had been two days of intense worry and sorrow. Each time there was a glimmer of hope, it drowned in an ocean of grief and bitterness. I doubted if I could hold on any longer; I couldn’t heal unless I sorted things out quickly. I pulled my phone out of my breast pocket and hesitated for a moment before typing a text to Celine.Countless texts had been sent over the past few days, yet none received a reply. Still, I
Another Battle?My heart wandered to what Sharon had said earlier, and I couldn't shake off the urgency I felt to meet her. She sounded too serious, and whatever important information she had to disclose, I knew it was related to the past. As much as I never wanted to revisit my past, I still needed to know what it was all about.I had the urge to call Evelyn, but I restrained myself. There was no need to burden her with my issues anymore. I tried to grasp sleep throughout the night as I awaited the morning, but all my efforts proved futile, and I was already giving up in frustration.I reached my hand to the head of the bed where my podcast device was. I tapped to play the popular music streaming on it, tuning it to a lower key and pitch before slumping back onto the bed. I carefully freed my mind from all worries, and soon, the music synced with my heart. Slowly, I closed my eyes, and soon, I drifted off to sleep.*****Sitting in this popular resort at the far-right end of the larg
Intriguing SuspenseCeline’s POVMy heart shattered even more as I watched his reactions and flimsy flirting excuses, which he thought would win me over. I felt like I was losing it. He had taken something precious from me in the past, and as if that wasn’t enough, he still had to hide it from me; an act I despised so much.“I never want to see you near us again,” I cursed, looking intensely at his derailed expression, masked with even greater pain and hurt.“Please, for the…”“Just go,” Henry cut in, and he swallowed hard. I hated seeing my son angry, just as much as I felt the pain of a reopened wound. If my mum were alive, I wouldn’t have gone through the torment I endured. I doubted I would have faced the ridicule and humiliation his singular action caused me. Glaring at him, still crouched on the floor, I felt like strangling the life out of him for taking what was so precious and priceless to me, yet I tried so hard to restrain the urge.“Why are you still pleading? Take your di
BrokenHarry's POVI felt a shiver run down my spine the moment she pointed to the diary on the floor. My heart skipped a beat; or thousands. I distinctly remembered tucking the diary into the shelves, so how did it end up here, on the floor in this room?"How did you get that?" I asked, the perplexed look on my face betraying my confusion.She scoffed, shooting me a deadly stare that set my entire body aflame. "You still have the nerve to ask that? Isn't it your handwriting on it? You're just so pathetic," Evelyn spat, and I winced."Just get out of here this minute!" Celine barked, and my heart sank even more. Her pained expression and the tears on her cheeks tugged at something inside me. I tried to reach for her, but Evelyn slapped my hand away, rolling her eyes derisively."Never try that again," she snapped. Celine said nothing, her head buried in her hands, her face a picture of intense disdain.I crouched low, dropping to my knees. "Please, I'm so sorry for whatever you saw in
ExposedCeline's POV“Get the things ready and well arranged in the car while I quickly change into something perfect,” I instructed the new driver who had just started working.“Alright, ma,” he responded, turning to leave as I headed towards the staircase.“Ahh, girl, I’m so happy for you!” Evelyn chimed in from the door, hobbling towards me with a smile plastered all over her face.“Please calm down. You know you don’t need to walk fast in your condition. Slow and steady,” I teased, and she scoffed.“So, I shouldn’t walk fast anymore? Where is it written?” she snapped.“In your antenatal instructions, of course.”“No, you could have just called me a little child that should crawl instead.” She finally reached me.“You aren’t dressed yet.”“Yeah, but I’m going upstairs to get dressed now. Aren’t you coming over to help me with buttoning up?” I asked.“You should have just taken me along with you. It’s obvious you were actually waiting for me, pretending not to care,” she teased, com
AcceptedHarry's POVI could feel her breath heavily against mine as I deepened the kiss, my tongue savoring every drop of sweetness from her lips. I only pulled away when I realized she was out of breath.My gaze fixed on her intensely; I could see the fire and sparks buried within her eyes. I wasn't going to let go. I had long desired this moment, but somehow, I was denied it by the circumstances that followed thereafter.I kissed her again, enjoying every moment as she groaned, feeling the tingling sensation in her body. Her hands strayed to my back, her fingers digging deep through my shirt. I kissed her even more, lifting her to sit on the table while keeping our lips locked. My hands moved through her long, flowing gown, sliding up from her knees to her thighs. Her groans intensified, stirring my desire to continue. I could feel myself getting hard, not wanting to stop anytime soon.Just then, a bit of sanity struck me, hitting me hard enough to reset my senses. I stopped in my
Tingling SensationCan't believe he said those words. Wasn't he supposed be glad if I gave him a second chance in our lives. Or was he just putting on an act to get at me?“Why did you say that?” Evelyn asked, her eyes widened in shock as well. I silently thanked her in my heart for speaking up.“Because it's not the right time for that. Besides, my top priority is to ensure she's in perfect condition and not the other way around.”“Alright, if you say so,” Evelyn exclaimed.“But Dad, I can't wait for us to be one happy family again. Besides, Mum isn’t complaining about it, is she?” He turned to ask me, and I froze in place.“Mum!”“Yes, cutie, not really,” I replied, and he grinned.“You see, Mum isn’t complaining.”“Can we drop this issue for now? There are many other things to deal with right now.”“See, there is,” I replied, feeling utterly relieved at that moment. I wasn’t going to face any tough questions, even though I knew Henry had many to ask.*****Two months laterI steppe