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Ties that Strain
Last Updated:
2024-08-16 18:38:48
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Fading Embers: The Search For Lost Love The Weight of Secrets
Four Years Ago“Young Mr. Lewiston,” Athena called, her hands trembling as she approached Anthony, who sat with his legs crossed, exuding an air of detachment. Dread and fear overwhelmed her.Her mother, Lauren, was the head cook at the Lewiston Estate. As the only child of a divorced mother, Athena had no choice but to work alongside her, serving the Lewiston family.It hadn’t been easy. The youngest Lewiston son, Anthony, had taken a lustful interest in her. Despite her attempts to resist, she had fallen into his trap.Anthony glanced at her, his lips twitching in displeasure at the interruption. He didn’t appreciate anyone intruding on his space, especially when he was alone.“What is it, Athena?” he asked quietly, returning his gaze to his phone.Felix had just sent him several pictures of girls. He was planning a yacht party for his twenty-second birthday, and the girls were exactly what he wanted.“I’m sorry, I...” Athena stammered.He furrowed his brow. “Is that why you’re here
Last Updated : 2024-08-19Fading Embers: The Search For Lost Love Unraveling Shadows
“Cal!” Willia called out, rushing toward Calista the moment she spotted her. Calista quickened her steps, meeting her sister halfway and clasping Willia’s trembling hands.“Tell me everything, Willia. Where did they take Father?” Calista’s voice wavered as the tears she’d been holding back during her journey back to California finally spilled over. Seeing her sister so distraught shattered what little composure she had left.“I have no idea, Cal.” Willia’s voice shook as she struggled to hold back her own tears. Her hair was disheveled, a clear sign she had fought hard before they managed to take their father. “Dad was beaten and mishandled. I thought we paid them off already.”Calista’s heart clenched at the revelation. Her father had been harmed. If this situation unraveled, she knew she would never forgive those responsible—not even Signoral.“They didn’t touch you, did they?” Calista asked, her eyes scanning her sister.“No,” Willia replied, gripping her sister’s hands tightly as
Last Updated : 2024-08-20Fading Embers: The Search For Lost Love The Turning Point
“Call,” Ranya ordered, leaning back in his chair as Valerie dialed the number. She handed the phone to him, but he gestured for her to keep it.As the phone rang, tension thickened the air. Ranya quickly texted Linn:‘Calling my father now. Block every location access. He must not know where I am.’Linn responded almost immediately:‘On it, sir.’The call went unanswered after several rings. Calista sighed, her anxiety palpable.“I had a feeling he wouldn’t pick up,” she said, frustration edging her voice.“He’s probably busy. Maybe now isn’t the right time,” Valerie suggested.“If he’s involved, he won’t deny it,” Willia chimed in. Mrs. MacQuoid quietly excused herself to the kitchen, returning with a tray of fruit juice.Calista couldn’t help but admire her mother’s hospitality, even under stress.“Thank you, Mrs. MacQuoid,” Ranya whispered as she handed cups to him and Valerie.Mrs. MacQuoid nodded and retreated upstairs, leaving them alone.“You’re really smart,” Ranya complimente
Last Updated : 2024-08-20Fading Embers: The Search For Lost Love The Price of Love
Minutes after Signoral ended the call, a message beeped on Ranya’s phone.Valerie opened it and turned to her boss.“It’s a video, sir.”“A video?” Ranya echoed, baffled. Had Finn found something significant and decided to send a clip of whatever he discovered?“Who’s the sender?” he asked, his eyes lingering on Calista.There was an invisible barrier between them, one he couldn’t seem to cross. Calista appeared reluctant, and he understood perfectly well why.Calista had her head buried in her arms, navigating through the storm of betrayal by someone she had once trusted. She had never expected Signoral to use such cruel tactics just to get Ranya away from her.“How could I have been so blind all along?” Calista murmured, unable to shake the heavy weight of betrayal. She had always considered Signoral a sister, never imagining that she would go to such extremes.Emily had been everything she wanted in a friend. Now, she wasn’t sure if their meeting years ago was a coincidence or a ca
Last Updated : 2024-08-22Fading Embers: The Search For Lost Love The Sicilian Pursuit
“I was just indoors, putting things in order while trying to believe that my husband was safe. Minutes into it, a phone suddenly rang. Believe me, I was extremely frightened at first,” Mrs. MacQuoid said, her voice trembling slightly as she recounted the experience.They all stood around her, listening intently.“That must have been when Dad was trying to stop one of them from searching Mom’s closets. She had expensive jewelry that he bought for her when he was still working,” Willia speculated, her fingers nervously covering her mouth.“Maybe Mr. MacQuoid took the phone. I think he did that so he could be found, or so they could be found,” Ranya added, a flicker of hope in his eyes.“Did you answer it, Mama?” Calista asked.“No,” her mother replied. “I knew right away that it wasn’t your father’s or Willia’s.”Calista nodded, noting that her mother hadn’t touched the phone with her bare hands. It was wrapped in a white handkerchief. A small smile played on Calista’s lips, wondering if
Last Updated : 2024-08-22Fading Embers: The Search For Lost Love On the Edge of Desperation
“Can you just sit?” Her voice was strained as she watched him pace relentlessly around the room. “You’re making me uneasy.”He glared at her, his eyes burning with defiance and anger. How could she say that when she was the reason for his restlessness? If he dared step outside the confines of this room, his secret would be exposed, ripe for the prying ears of the media to feast on for weeks. That would jeopardize his chances with the only person who had ever truly warmed his heart.What tormented him even more was the thought of Ranya possibly positioning himself as Calista’s partner and earning her family’s trust. Maybe right now, they were on the verge of having dinner, and he could picture Ranya sitting where he always sat, right next to Calista.His fists clenched in fury. He hadn’t even been able to attend his father’s ceremony because of Athena’s threats.Anthony couldn’t be sure if Athena’s threats were true. What if he got rid of her, only for everything she warned about to co
Last Updated : 2024-08-26Fading Embers: The Search For Lost Love Where Danger Meets Comfort
“The flight will take twelve hours…”“Make it seven,” Ranya commanded. His tone left no room for negotiation, even though the pilot knew the request was impossible, regardless of the route or speed.“We can’t, sir…” the pilot, a man in his mid-forties, responded hesitantly. The two other pilots beside him exchanged nervous glances as Ranya’s intense gaze bore into them.“What?” Ranya’s voice, though quiet, carried a weight that made the men flinch. “Those guys made it in eight hours. How can you say otherwise?”“They made it in ten,” Valerie interjected, bowing slightly. “Mr. MacQuoid was taken around 7 a.m., and by the time we located him, it was already 6 p.m.”The pilots exhaled in relief, sensing Valerie’s presence as a lifeline.“I believe they took a brief detour before torturing Mr. MacQuoid for hours,” she continued, her voice even.Calista shut her eyes tightly. The thought of her father suffering because of her made her want to scream. She had unwittingly condemned him to th
Last Updated : 2024-08-26Fading Embers: The Search For Lost Love Edge of Darkness
5:42 AM.“We’ve arrived in Sicily. Please prepare for disembarkation!”Calista winced, stretching under the blanket. She blinked a few times, disoriented by the sudden announcement and the early hour.As she sat up to buckle her seatbelt, she realized it was already fastened.“Sorry your sleep was interrupted,” Ranya’s gentle voice came from in front of her. She looked up to see him smiling softly. “Good morning.”“What time is it?” she asked, her voice still groggy. He glanced up briefly from the tablet in his hand, earplugs nestled in his ears.“5:50.”“Oh.” She turned to Valerie, who was engrossed in her laptop, barely acknowledging her with a nod.“You both seem busy,” Calista observed, noticing the focused intensity on their faces.“Yes,” Ranya replied curtly, not looking up.Calista had seen him like this countless times—the seriousness, the way he immersed himself in work. It was one of the traits she had helplessly fallen in love with. Watching him so deeply focused made her w
Last Updated : 2024-08-28
Latest chapter
Fading Embers: The Search For Lost Love Forever, My Love
The hospital buzzed with urgency as medics wheeled Calista into the emergency room. Tubes snaked across her fragile body, her face pale and lifeless. The doctor barked orders to his team, his voice sharp with authority.“She’s in critical condition! We need to stabilize her heart!”Ranya stood frozen in the hallway, his hands trembling as they clutched the edges of his blood-streaked jacket. His throat burned from inhaling smoke, but the agony in his chest far outweighed the physical pain. He paced, his eyes darting to the operating room’s red light. Every second felt like an eternity.When the doctor emerged, his face grim, Ranya rushed toward him, gripping his coat. “Save her!” His voice cracked, raw with desperation. “Do whatever it takes. I’ll pay any amount, give up anything—just save her!”The doctor placed a firm hand on Ranya’s shoulder. “We’ll do our best, but her heart is weak. She’s on life support now. The next 24 hours are critical.”Ranya staggered back, the weight of th
Fading Embers: The Search For Lost Love Fury
Ranya gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles white with tension as he pushed the car to its limits. The tires screeched on the asphalt, leaving behind faint trails of smoke as the vehicle hurtled through the deserted road.His heart pounded violently against his ribcage, every beat a painful reminder of the urgency that gripped him. The image of Calista’s face - her laughter, her warmth - flashed before him. He gritted his teeth, muttering to himself.“Hold on, Calista. Hold on for me,” he whispered, his voice a mix of desperation and determination.Lynn’s voice crackled in his earpiece, updating him on the location. “Boss, the building is fully engulfed. Be careful.”“Careful?” Ranya barked back. “She’s in there, Lynn! Do you understand what that means?”Lynn’s silence was answer enough. Ranya’s foot pressed harder on the gas pedal as he weaved through traffic. His mind raced with worst-case scenarios. Was she alive? Was she trapped, crying out for him? The thought of her s
Fading Embers: The Search For Lost Love Chairman Hamilton
The whole crowd stirred the moment the old man spoke up, his voice reverberating through the grand hall. Chairman Hamilton, with trembling hands, pointed toward Signoral, his face etched with desperation. “Tell me now!” he rasped, eyes gleaming with unshed tears. “What did you do to my Allen?”Allen had always come to him in dreams, begging him to remember. Yet he would wake up to find his mind a blank slate—unable to recall anything.The guests murmured among themselves; the atmosphere turning electric. Whispers of confusion, disbelief, and anticipation rippled through the sea of faces.Signoral’s face turned pale, but she forced herself to remain composed. Clutching Ranya’s arm, her nails dug into his skin as she hissed under her breath, “Ignore him. Let’s finish this wedding. Now.”Ranya shoved her hands away and turned to her with a smirk that didn’t reach his eyes. “Afraid to lose, Signoral?” he asked mockingly, his lips twitching as he pressed a small button on his earpiece. “Ly
Fading Embers: The Search For Lost Love Wedding
The wedding took place in the sprawling outdoors of a luxurious estate in Texas. Guests from across the globe - politicians, business moguls, and celebrities - graced the event. Despite the short notice, the wedding was a spectacle of grandeur. Ornate decorations, pristine floral arrangements, and the soft hum of a live orchestra created an enchanting ambiance. Ranya stood at the altar, his tailored suit exuding elegance, but beneath the surface, a storm of emotions churned. Worry for Calista tightened his chest with every passing moment. He fought to maintain his stoic facade, yet memories of his promises, and the potential consequences of this union—haunted him. Thoughts of Calista filled his mind: her smile, her trust, and the despair she must have felt. His hands, clasped tightly in front of him, trembled imperceptibly, a stark contrast to the composed image he projected. With every glance toward the arriving guests, the whispers of his conscience grew louder, questioning h
Fading Embers: The Search For Lost Love Talk of the devil.
Signoral stood in front of the full-length mirror, her reflection a striking vision of elegance. Her white gown, meticulously crafted with intricate lace and shimmering beads, hugged her figure as though it had been made for her alone. Penelope and a small team of stylists hovered around her, making final adjustments to her veil and train. The air felt stiff, not just from the preparations, but from Signoral's brewing thoughts. She couldn't help but feel something was wrong. But she had made Penelope check over and over for any sign of leakage whatsoever. Charlotte, too, had seemed to be in good health, but she hadn't wanted to take any chances. That was why she had wired a lot of money to her, with stern warnings that she had to disappear for good this time. Her phone buzzed on the vanity table, drawing her attention. She picked it up, glanced at the caller ID, and swiped to answer. Charlotte's voice came through, sharp and accusatory. Talk of the devil. "Signoral," Charlott
Fading Embers: The Search For Lost Love Disappointed
The following morning, preparations for the wedding were in full swing. All of America buzzed with shock at the whirlwind announcement of Ranya and Signoral's wedding. Speculations ran wild, and everyone had an opinion about the sudden turn of events. Some believed Ranya was erratic, incapable of making rational decisions. Others celebrated, claiming that Signoral had finally secured her rightful place by his side. Meanwhile, a considerable number expressed disappointment, having grown fond of Calista and rooting for her relationship with Ranya. The media frenzy was unparalleled. Paparazzi and journalists flocked to both the Lewiston Estate and Signoral's residence, hoping for an exclusive statement from either of them. As expected, Signoral basked in the attention, offering vague yet tantalizing comments to reporters. Ranya, however, maintained a strict low profile, refusing to entertain any questions. Five hours before the open-air wedding—the most talked about in America—the
Fading Embers: The Search For Lost Love Shadows and Secrets
Washington, D.C."Did you do as I instructed?" Mr. Lewiston's voice emerged quietly, his hands working diligently on his laptop as he screened through the files the caller had sent him. "Yes, sir," came the composed reply of a woman from the other end of the call. "I sent you every single detail, including the supplements injected into his system. I had one of my men verify the data—it’s accurate." "And the real heiress?" Mr. Lewiston asked, his tone dropping lower. There was a brief pause before she responded. "She was spotted in China, sir, with your sister," she said, hesitating slightly. "But the authorities were already looking for her. I was about to make provisions to get her out, but they're out already... Mr. Windsor used his jet to take them out. They're on their way to Texas as we speak." "Good work, Rena," he said, leaning back in his chair as he moved his fingers away from the keyboard. His fingers tapped rhythmically against the desk while he processed the inform
Fading Embers: The Search For Lost Love Calista
Calista sat in the dimly lit room, her arms wrapped around the chair as the evening deepened into night. Anthony sat across from her, his expression torn between guilt and frustration as they both stared at nothing in silence. Signoral's guards loomed near the door, their presence a constant reminder of her captivity. Calista glanced at Anthony, her annoyance simmering beneath the surface. "Why?" she asked, her voice low and angry. Anthony raised his head and turned to her. Bruises marred his body from the beating. "Why what?" Calista turned away, her chest tightening. She couldn't shake her growing resentment toward Ranya. He hadn't even tried to reach out or threaten Signoral on her behalf. Did he even care if she was okay? He had told her the night before that he couldn’t breathe if she wasn’t near… but he sounded like someone who had enough oxygen to last him forever, even without her by his side. Her mind drifted to Signoral’s earlier words after she had ended Ranya’s
Fading Embers: The Search For Lost Love Wedding
“The wedding wouldn't be held in Washington as I promised. We will have it here." Ranya ended the call with Signoral, his jaw tightening as the anger he had bottled up turned into weariness. The room fell silent for a moment, all eyes on him. Damian, Valerie, Lena, and Lynn exchanged wary glances, their expressions a mixture of concern and disbelief. "You didn't ask if she was doing okay…" Mr. MacQuoid's voice broke the silence. He couldn't help himself. His daughter was being held captive by someone who used to be her best friend. Ranya glanced at Mr. MacQuoid, knowing the man felt guilty and was beating himself up over Calista's kidnapping. Perhaps if he hadn't called her to talk about leaving Ranya, things wouldn't have escalated the way they had. "No," Ranya replied curtly, shoving the anger and worry aside. "Hearing her voice will only make me do nasty things I'd definitely regret." And that was the truth. He wouldn't be able to bear it if her voice betrayed any uneasin
