First day at work!The floor was sticky, a disgusting mixture of spilled soda, dropped fries, and forgotten ketchup. My hands ached from scrubbing the grime off the tables, and my back screamed in protest with every movement. I was exhausted, my legs like jelly, and my belly, a giant bowling ball stuck to my body, was throbbing with every step. It wasn’t supposed to be this hard. I had thought a cleaning job would be easy, a way to earn some money and get back on my feet. But here I was, feeling like I was carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders, and my aching back.“You should have gotten an abortion,” a voice sneered behind me. My stomach lurched. I knew those words were meant to hurt, to make me feel small, worthless.“So with this your pot belly, they call it pregnancy…can you even use it to work?” another voice chimed in, dripping with mockery. The laughter that followed was like a swarm of angry bees, buzzing in my ears, stinging my heart. I tried to ignore them, to
Five Years LaterBacon and toast! The smell filled our tiny apartment, making my tummy rumble. My three little sweethearts, Jade, Joan, and Jones, were already at the kitchen counter, their eyes shining bright, ready for breakfast.“Mommy, are we packing for Daddy’s place today?” Jade asked, her voice a sweet melody that always melted my heart.I took a deep breath, my chest tightening as I felt the familiar pang of guilt. “Yes, sweetie,” I said, forcing a smile. “We’re going to see Daddy today. We’re going home.”“But Mommy, why do we have to go home?” Joan asked, her brow furrowed in confusion."Because it's time, sweetie. It's time we go back to our country," I said, trying to keep my voice light. “Can’t we stay here? This place is so fun!” Jones chimed in, his voice filled with a child’s innocent joy. They were right. This place, this little apartment, was where they had grown up, where they had learned to walk and talk, where they had discovered the world with wide eyes and curi
You know those times when you're excited about a trip? Imagine that, but you're also a little scared because you're going back to a place where things went really wrong. Like, really, really wrong. So, there I was, with my kids, all happy and carefree, heading to the airport. I was trying to pretend everything was okay, but deep down, I was feeling like a scared little kid myself. You know how sometimes you get that tight feeling in your chest when you're nervous? Yeah, that was me. But I had to be strong for my kids, right? They were looking at me with their bright, innocent eyes, so I put on a brave face and said, "Come on, team, let's go home!" We got on the plane, and I took a deep breath. This was it, the moment we'd been waiting for. I was going back to my country, to the place where I'd grown up, where I felt safe and loved. But it was also the place where everything had fallen apart. The place where I'd lost everything. We were soaring through the air, the world shrinking
Caroline Her words were a venomous barb, a reminder of the power she held, the power he had allowed her to wield. I felt a surge of anger, but I held it back, my anger fueled by the fear I saw in my children's eyes."You know what, Jeffrey," I said, my voice low and dangerous. "You have nothing to do with me anymore. And if you think you can just waltz back into my life and pretend nothing happened, you're wrong. I'm not the same woman I was. I've moved on. And I'm not going back." I turned my back on them, my heart pounding like a drum in my chest. I took my children's hands, their small fingers intertwined with mine, a reminder of the love and strength that held us together. "Come on, team," I said, my voice firm. "Let's get home." The taxi pulled up to the familiar brick building, a wave of nostalgia washing over me as I recognized the intricate wrought iron fence and the cheerful potted geraniums lining the entrance. It was home. "We're here, Miss Caroline," the driver announ
3rd povAncelotti sat in his office, looking out the big window. The sun was setting, making the sky look like a beautiful painting with bright oranges and soft pinks. But he wasn’t really seeing the sunset. His mind was busy thinking about Caroline.Just a few years ago, he had seen her working in one of his restaurants. “How did I not notice her before?” he wondered. It felt strange to think that someone so special had been right in front of him all along. He remembered the first time they met at a bar. They talked and laughed for hours, sharing stories and dreams. It felt like they had a real connection.Then, they spent a night together that he couldn’t forget. It was magical, filled with laughter and warmth. But now, everything feels different. His heart sank as he remembered what his manager had told him: “She left Europe.” Why would she leave? Did she not want to see him again?Ancelotti's mind raced with questions. “Is she pregnant?” he thought, feeling panic rising in his st
3rd povAfter the meeting ended, Ancelotti decided he needed to take action about Caroline. He couldn’t just sit around wondering where she was anymore. He picked up his phone and called Emily again.“Emily! Can you help me find out more about Caroline?” he asked urgently.“Of course! What do you want me to do?” she replied quickly.“I need you to dig deeper into any connections we might have with her or anyone who knows her,” Ancelotti said firmly.“Got it! I’ll start right away,” Emily promised before hanging up.Feeling hopeful for the first time that day, Ancelotti leaned back in his chair and thought about what could happen next. What if they found out where Caroline was? What if she wanted to talk to him?Hours passed as Ancelotti worked on other tasks while waiting for Emily’s update. He tried not to let his imagination run wild but couldn’t help dreaming about seeing Caroline again.Finally, just as the sun began to set again outside his office window, Emily walked in with a fo
Jeffrey’s pov“Boss," Miguel, my security detail, said, his voice a little too loud for the hushed atmosphere of my private office. "Everything okay? You've been pacing for an hour, muttering to yourself. You look like you've seen a ghost."I stopped pacing and turned to him, the knot of anxiety in my stomach tightening. "Miguel, it's nothing," I said, trying to sound nonchalant, but I could feel my voice cracking a little. "Just… thinking.""About the deal with the Faraday Group?" Miguel asked, his eyes narrowed with suspicion. "No, no, not about that," I waved my hand dismissively. "It's about something else. Something… personal.""Something personal?" He raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. "You, Boss, have a personal life? Now that's a story I gotta hear."I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "It's not like that. It's just... I saw someone today. Someone I haven't seen in years.""Years? We are talking decades here?" Miguel's grin widened. "You’re telling me you h
Jeffrey "Caroline," I muttered, the name of a prayer escaping my lips. It was a prayer for a second chance, a chance I didn't deserve. My plan was crazy, I knew that. It felt like something out of a movie, something you wouldn't believe if someone told you it was real. But I was desperate. And desperation, I learned, can make you do things you never thought possible.The first step was simple, almost embarrassingly simple: I needed to find out where Caroline was living. I didn't have her number anymore. The last time I'd tried calling, the number had been disconnected. She'd vanished like a wisp of smoke, leaving me behind with nothing but a hollow ache and a million regrets. But I was a man of resources. I had my connections. It wasn't hard to track her down, not with the right people on my side. It took a few calls, a few favors, a few dollars exchanged under the table. And soon, I had it. The address. Caroline's new home, the place where she was building her life, the place wh
We packed up everything – the USB drive, the metal box, the photos, and the weird envelope with the symbol.It was like we were getting ready for some kind of covert operation. I even found an old backpack of my brother's that was totally black and looked like something a spy would use.I grabbed my flashlight again, and Jane insisted on bringing a bag of gummy bears, "for emergency energy," she said. I secretly thought she just really liked gummy bears.We met Jake at the park, near the old gazebo. He looked super freaked out, like he hadn't slept all night. His hair was all messy, and he kept looking around, like he expected Dr. Albright to pop out from behind a tree.He was a good friend of Jeffrey’s, he kept telling us he knew they had to do something, and that he wished he had noticed that something was going on. I could see that he was upset."Okay, show me everything," he said, his voice all shaky. I handed him the USB drive and the photos, and he started looking through them,
The files on the USB drive were a mess. Like, seriously disorganized. There were Word documents with weird titles like "Project Nightingale" and "Operation Sunset," a bunch of photos of random places I didn’t recognize, and a couple of video files with names like "Meeting 1" and "Meeting 2." It was like Jeffrey was trying to make his own spy movie.“Okay, let’s start with the documents,” I said, clicking on "Project Nightingale." A Word file opened up, filled with super technical stuff about some kind of… well, I wasn’t totally sure what it was, but it involved weird chemical formulas and codes. It looked like something out of a science fiction movie.“Ugh, this is boring,” Jane groaned, tapping her pen on her notebook. “Is this all about science? Where’s the action?”I scrolled through it quickly. It mentioned something about "a new compound," "enhanced performance," and "high-risk investment." That’s when I saw a name, hidden in a paragraph: "Dr. Albright." The name sounded vaguely
My heart practically jumped out of my chest and started tap-dancing. Someone was definitely outside the door, and it was not Jeffrey. We had to think fast. Jane dove behind the overflowing laundry hamper, almost knocking over a stack of dirty socks.I quickly shoved the metal box under the bed, hoping no one would look there. I grabbed the USB drive and shoved it into my back pocket, making sure it wouldn’t fall out if I moved around.The keys jingled again, and this time, the door started to open. I scrambled behind the bookcase, trying to make myself as small as possible. I could see the front of the door from the small gap behind the books. It creaked open slowly, and a man walked in. But it wasn't just any man. It was Detective Rourke!My stomach did a triple flip. What was he doing here? Had he followed us? Did he know we broke in? I held my breath, trying not to make a sound. He stepped inside, his face all serious and… I don’t know, kind of tired looking. He didn’t seem to noti
The police dudes were gone, finally! But the noise outside was even worse now. Those reporters were like a pack of wild dogs, barking questions about me. "Is Miss Caroline a suspect?" they yelled. "Did she hire a hitman?" Ugh, it was like a really bad soap opera. I pressed my head against the door, trying to block out the sound of them saying my name with that nasty, suspicious tone."I didn't do this," I whispered, tears dripping onto the wood. I felt like I was starring in some horrible crime movie, and everyone thought I was the bad guy! Even those detectives, Rourke and Lane, looked at me like they didn't believe a word I said. Like, hello, I used to babysit kids, not plan murders!I needed to prove I was innocent, pronto. I couldn't just sit here and wait for everyone to decide I was a criminal. I had to find the real shooter. Like in a Nancy Drew book, but way scarier.Then, my phone buzzed. It was Jake, Jeffrey’s friend. He picked up right away. "Any news?" he said, his voice a
Caroline tightened her grip on the steering wheel, her heart hammering against her ribs. The city lights flickered past, blurring as she sped through the near-empty streets. Jane sat beside her, arms folded, her face set in a skeptical frown."Jane, this isn’t normal," Caroline said, her voice quieter now. "Detective Rourke wouldn’t be here unless something was seriously wrong."Jane shifted in her seat, sighing. "Okay, but what does that mean? That Jeffrey just… vanished? That someone took him?"Caroline swallowed hard. "I don’t know. But I do know that if the police are looking at me, I need to figure out what really happened—before they decide I did something I didn’t."Jane exhaled sharply, rubbing her temples. "This whole thing is insane. First, Rourke ambushes you at your own house, now Jeffrey’s missing? And let’s not even talk about Maria stirring up trouble. You know she’s behind all this, right?"Caroline clenched her jaw. "I wouldn’t be surprised."Maria had been a thorn in
Caroline paced the living room, her phone clutched tightly in her hand. "Jane, we need to go. Jeffrey hasn’t answered any of my calls today. This isn’t like him."Jane, lounging on the couch with her legs crossed, glanced up with a tired sigh. "Caroline, maybe he’s just busy. It’s late, and I’m exhausted. Can’t this wait until tomorrow?""No, it can’t," Caroline said firmly, her voice edged with worry. "Jeffrey doesn’t just ignore us like this. What if something’s wrong? What if he needs help?"Jane groaned, stretching her arms over her head. "Fine. But if we’re going, you’re driving. I don’t have the energy for this.""Deal," Caroline said quickly, grabbing the car keys from the coffee table. She was already at the door before Jane could protest further.Outside, the night air was crisp, and the neighborhood was silent except for the faint hum of streetlights. Caroline unlocked the car and slid into the driver’s seat while Jane reluctantly climbed into the passenger seat.As Caroline
Caroline paced the length of her bedroom, her phone pressed tightly against her ear. The line rang endlessly, each unanswered tone slicing through her already frazzled nerves. She had called Jeffrey five times now, and still, there was no response.Her heels clicked sharply against the hardwood floor as she made her way to the window, peering out at the quiet street below. She tapped the phone to her palm and let out a frustrated sigh. “Jeffrey, pick up,” she muttered under her breath, dialing his number again.When it went straight to voicemail this time, her heart sank. “Why aren’t you answering?” she said aloud, gripping the phone so tightly her knuckles turned white. “Is it because of Maria? Did she—” She stopped herself mid-sentence, shaking her head.Turning away from the window, she began pacing again, her mind racing with possibilities. What if something’s happened? she thought, her chest tightening. What if he’s worse than they said?The room felt suffocating. She threw her p
Jeffrey was lying in his hospital bed, his face pale and drawn from the ordeal of surgery. The sterile smell of antiseptic filled the private room, and the steady beeping of monitors was the only sound accompanying his shallow breathing.He had been in and out of consciousness, recovering slowly, and his thoughts drifted aimlessly between pain and the surreal feeling of helplessness.The door opened quietly, and Maria, his new wife, walked in. She was dressed impeccably in a tailored designer suit, her high heels clicking softly against the tiled floor.Her demeanor was composed, her face set in an expression of forced concern, but there was a sharpness in her eyes that betrayed her true nature. Maria carried herself with the kind of authority that demanded obedience—like a queen entering her court.The two guards she had stationed outside stepped aside reluctantly as she ordered, “Stay here. I need privacy with my husband.” Her tone brooked no argument.Inside, Maria sat down beside
Caroline stood at the edge of the docks, her arms crossed tightly against the biting night air. The faint sound of waves lapping against the pylons did nothing to soothe her nerves. She could feel the weight of everything she’d endured pressing down on her like a stone, and the soft hum of approaching headlights brought a fresh wave of tension.Ancelotti stood nearby, leaning against the hood of a sleek black car, a glass of whiskey in hand. Marco, ever vigilant, was close by, his sharp eyes scanning the dark streets for any signs of trouble. The three of them had been through so much together, yet the heaviness in the air tonight was different.“I’m not surprised Maralyn kidnapped my twins,” Caroline finally said, her voice quiet but unwavering. The words seemed to echo in the stillness, carrying a sharp edge that made Ancelotti glance at her.He raised an eyebrow, his usually impassive face softening with curiosity. “Your twins? What does Maralyn have against them?”Caroline let out