The car stopped in front of Brenda’s apartment, and we both got out, making our way towards the house. I held Kelly’s hand as we climbed the few steps leading to the door. Brenda unlocked it, and as soon as she pushed it open, my phone started ringing. I let go of Kelly’s hand, and she walked inside ahead of us.Pulling my phone out, I glanced at the screen. It was Lily, the nurse, calling.I answered quickly, “Hello?”“Miss Carlisle,” Lily’s voice came through, sounding a little excited. “I’ve spoken with my cousin, and she’s thrilled that you’re ready to address Ivan’s fans officially. She said she’d like to meet with you tomorrow to plan out how the interview will go.”A surge of nerves and anticipation hit me. “Thank you so much, Lily. Please send me the address, location, and her contact information. I’ll be there.”“I’ll send everything shortly,” she replied warmly. “I’m really happy you’re doing this. It’ll clear up a lot of things.”“Thanks again. I couldn’t have done this wi
After dinner, I tucked Kelly into bed, kissed her goodnight, and went to my room. But even though I lay down, sleep eluded me. A part of me didn’t want to do the interview tomorrow. Fear gnawed at me, what if doing this would only make things worse? What if Ivan's fans only hated me more? Another part of me wanted to go through with it, to finally be free from the constant attacks and castigation that had been thrown my way since everything fell apart.I closed my eyes, hoping to drift off, but the unease was relentless. Fear crept up my sleeves like an unwelcome chill, the kind I hadn't felt before. What I was about to do would change everything, not just for me but for Mrs. Carlos too. The world needed to see the kind of person she truly was. She was the one who deserved the hatred, not me. She was the one pulling the strings, manipulating everything from behind the scenes.But no matter how much I tried to console myself, it still felt... wrong somehow. Not because she didn’t deser
Sofia didn’t waste time. “There has been a lot of speculation in the media about your relationship with Ivan and the events surrounding your wedding. Many people believe you were involved with Nathaniel, Ivan’s brother. Can you tell us what really happened?”I took a deep breath. “The truth is… none of what’s been said is accurate. I was set up. Nathaniel manipulated the situation, and Mrs. Carlos… she’s been pulling the strings from the start. She never wanted me to marry Ivan, and she did everything she could to stop it.”Sofia leaned in, clearly intrigued. “What exactly did she do?”“She orchestrated the entire scandal. The kiss with Nathaniel, it wasn’t something I wanted. It was part of a larger scheme to ruin my relationship with Ivan. I’ve been painted as the villain, but I’ve been a pawn in their game. Nathaniel had harsh me several times using my past against me and Mrs Carlos didn't stop any of it instead she used him to destroy my wedding to Ivan.“Sofia’s eyes widened slig
When we got home, Brenda went into the kitchen to prepare dinner. I settled on the couch, scrolling through the comments left by Ivan's fans. To my relief, they were finally believing me, and the revelation of Kelly had shifted the narrative. The hate was no longer directed at me; instead, it was aimed squarely at Mrs. Carlos and Nathaniel.I sighed deeply, feeling the tension that had built up over the past few months begin to release. But just as I was starting to relax, a knock at the door broke the moment. I stood up, heading over to see who it was.The instant I opened the door, a tall figure grabbed my wrist and yanked me forward. I barely had time to react before his hand was clamped over my mouth, muffling my screams. He dragged me toward a black SUV parked near Brenda’s apartment. Panic flooded me, and I struggled to free myself, but his grip was ironclad.He shoved me into the back seat, where Nathaniel sat waiting with a sinister grin."If you only knew what you've done tod
Before The One-Night StandI’ve always loved Ivan, even before I met him. I can still remember when I first started developing feelings for him. It was during one of our monthly book hunts, a tradition my sister and I cherished. We'd go out, scour bookshops, buy books, and then binge-read them. I had always loved reading, it was a part of who I was. But that day, I found a particular book that changed everything.Taming My CEO Husband. The title alone caught my attention, but the cover was what really drew me in.“I’ll take this one,” I murmured to myself, pulling the book off the shelf. I ran my fingers over the title, intrigued, before flipping through the pages to get a feel for it.Meanwhile, Chloe was on the other side of the bookstore, clutching the books she had chosen. She was a die-hard J.K. Rowling fan, the kind of girl who’d empty her savings just to get the next book in the Harry Potter series.“Ivan Carlos,” I whispered, my fingers brushing over the name of the author. Th
Flashback (cont'd)I stood in front of the full-length mirror in my room, staring at my reflection. My long brown hair had been ironed to perfection, falling in sleek waves down my back. I smoothed my hands over my dress, admiring the way it hugged my figure, and let out a small sigh. I could almost imagine Ivan Carlos standing behind me, his strong arms wrapping around my waist, pulling me close. The thought made my heart race.Just as I was lost in the fantasy, a familiar voice broke through my daydream. “What are you doing?” Emma’s voice snapped me back to reality as she walked into the room, her eyebrows raised in amusement.I turned to face her, slightly flustered. “Oh, hey. I didn’t hear you come in.”Emma folded her arms, leaning against the doorframe with a smirk. “Clearly. So, what’s with all the glam? Where are you going?”I bit my lip, feeling a little shy. “I heard Ivan Carlos is coming to Canada for a book signing, and… I really want to see him.”Emma rolled her eyes dram
I sat on the cold, hard floor, my face buried in my knees, tears soaking through the fabric of my jeans. The room was dark and dusty, the air heavy and stale. All I could think about was Kelly. Was she okay? Had she been asking for me? The thought of her little voice calling out for me was enough to break me.The room felt smaller with each passing hour, suffocating me slowly. I had been here for days, trapped, alone, without food or water. My throat was dry, my stomach ached with hunger, and my body felt weak, almost too weak to cry anymore. But the tears came anyway, hot and relentless.I hoped, prayed, that someone would come. Ivan. Brenda. Anyone. But there was nothing. No sound, no light, just the unbearable silence of abandonment. Even Nathaniel, who claimed he wanted me, who had kidnapped for his mother didn't bother to check up on me. I had never felt more helpless, more forgotten.Would anyone even know where to find me? Would they come in time?I hugged my knees tighter, try
Six days had passed, and I was still locked inside that suffocating room. I tried to hold onto the hope Brenda had always told me to cling to, but it was slipping away. I was too weak to stand, the physical pain from Mrs. Carlos’s blows had mostly healed, but the ache in my heart remained. What had I done to deserve this? All I wanted was to be with Ivan. Was that too much to ask?Now, she had threatened to hurt Kelly if I didn’t give in to her demands. The thought of my little girl in danger because of me haunted my every waking moment. My throat was dry, and hunger gnawed at my insides. I couldn't take it anymore. I was ready to surrender, ready to do whatever she asked if it meant Kelly would be safe.The door creaked open, and I lay on the cold, hard floor, too exhausted to move. I couldn’t even muster the strength to speak. The man entered and pulled me up by the arm, but there was no fight left in me. I followed him weakly, my body barely able to support itself. As we descended