POV GregoryPublic humiliation. Newspapers plastered my face across their pages, some even mocking me. How could I forgive Emma for making me go through this hell? She abandoned me, carrying my child. She prevented me from receiving my inheritance, and now all I have left is a mediocre job in the family business while I watch Edward rise to success.I drank the last sip of whiskey and then threw the glass against the wall. I hadn’t noticed Samantha approaching; I only heard the maid’s scream as the object shattered into a thousand pieces just inches from her face.“What do you want, maid?” I demanded, already under the influence of alcohol, my tone harsh and abrasive, making Samantha shrink, seeming smaller than she was.“You have a visitor,” she stammered, tripping over her words. She feared me.I closed my eyes. I knew I owed Samantha an apology for almost hitting her with a glass, though it hadn’t been my intention. But I didn’t like to apologize to anyone. I was a man without regr
Gregory’s PoVEdward asked for the postponement of his inauguration for the second time. It was obvious he would; he claimed to be traveling for work, but I knew exactly what he was doing. He was taking Emma to another country to hide her from me, believing I wouldn’t find her.I tried to discover where that bastard had gone, but the airline refused to provide me the information, not even for a hefty sum. Edward was clever enough to cover his tracks, but I was determined to outsmart him.I was in my office, piecing together clues about where Emma might be, when Alya walked in unannounced. I only realized it had grown dark outside when I glanced at the window and saw the night. Not only that, but I didn’t say a word to her; I merely watched, annoyed, as she approached and wrapped her arms around me.I immediately pulled away and avoided looking at her, knowing I’d see her disappointment. But Alya wasn’t the type to hide her feelings. If something bothered her, she’d say it outright, bo
Emma’s POVEdward didn’t take me out of the country as I wanted. Instead, he brought me to a farm in the countryside, less than 200 kilometers away from where Gregory was.“I won’t be able to visit you constantly,” he said, hanging his coat in the closet near the house entrance, “but you can call me whenever you want. I’ll always be available.”Certainly, my face showed my disappointment with his decision, but I knew that on my own, I wouldn’t get far from here either. I barely had enough money to sustain myself for long, which was ironic since I had been married to a billionaire for two and a half years. But Gregory purchased everything I had. He rarely gave me money and forbade me from working.I had accepted living like that all those years. I believed I could soften Gregory’s hard heart, but my kindness only pushed him further away from me. Not only that, but I desperately wished I could decide my destiny right now—to go as far away as I could from Gregory and everything that remi
Gregory’s POVI took the first flight that morning, even knowing Edward was back and his inauguration as president would happen that afternoon. I traveled alongside Mason, who was confident he had found Emma.It made perfect sense for her to be in England, the land where Edward had lived his entire life. I had to admit that Mason had been faster than expected.“You seem eager to find your woman,” came a provocative whisper in my ear.I glared at him with disdain as Mason laughed, mocking me.“How could I not be eager? I need to make Emma pay for what she did as soon as possible.”Mason shrugged, and his expression made it clear he didn’t believe me. Over the past few days, several theories about my supposed interest in Emma have emerged, both from Mason and Alya herself. No one could accept that I needed to find her to reclaim what was mine, even if it meant doing so by force.“I heard Edward is taking over the presidency today,” he teased me again. “What difference will it make if Em
POV. GregoryGregory mocked me in front of everyone. Those people seemed to believe his words. Gregory painted me as a lunatic who urgently needed treatment.“All right, the meeting is over for today,” he said, putting his hands in his pockets, his expression softening. The laughter in the room subsided, and all I heard afterward were footsteps leaving, until no one remained.During those long minutes waiting for the room to empty, I held myself back from doing something reckless. I already had too many problems and couldn’t afford to get involved in another. It was when the last person left the room and the door closed that Edward stopped being the victim and became the villain.“What did you think you’d find in England, Gregory?” I frowned. “Did you think that if I were with Emma, I’d take her to an abandoned house? Don’t you know I haven’t lived in that place for years?”He was trying to drag me into his dirty game to the point of making me believe that I was indeed the one losing
POV: GregoryOne hour later, I was standing in front of the police station, surrounded by journalists pointing their microphones at me. What did they want me to say? That I was responsible for the explosion? If I told the truth, no one would believe me.My hunt for Emma was becoming far too dangerous, and I questioned during the drive whether it was even worth it. Edward’s words lingered in my mind—there had to be a bigger reason than just recovering an inheritance that was no longer mine. I owed myself an explanation as to why I wanted Emma by my side.I walked into the chief’s office and only then realized how disheveled I looked. My reflection in the mirror startled me. My beard had overgrown, and my hair was messy. I was a far cry from the handsome and charming man I once was. Since Grandpa’s death and Emma’s disappearance, my life had never been the same.I sat down under the watchful eyes, but it was someone else’s presence that caught my attention. Edward entered the room with
POV EmmaAfter Edward left, I felt like someone had thrown me into a life that wasn’t mine. A woman like me, who grew up facing hardships and had to learn to work early to help my mother support our home, didn’t know how to lead a fleet of employees.Edward had left over twenty people around me to manage and give orders to, and I didn’t know how to do that. It felt strange to be served and not even get up to wash a glass.When I married Gregory, I realized I needed to go back to my old habits to keep from going mad in that marriage. I would lock myself in the mansion’s kitchen, washing pots and cooking. It became my favorite pastime in the prison I lived in.I couldn’t go out alone, do my shopping, or choose my shoes. Gregory had governed my entire life for two and a half years, and it was as if I had forgotten how to take care of myself.I thought that running away would set me free, but now I felt like I had just moved to another cell. The story was repeating itself. I watched those
I remember only entering the house and then waking up in my room, with Edward by my side. My head spun like a top and cracked like an exploding bomb as I startled myself by getting up so quickly.“Don’t strain yourself, Emma,” Edward’s hand reached out, touching my shoulders and forcing me to lie down again. “I called a doctor to take care of you.”Still with my eyes closed, I questioned how I had ended up there and how Edward had arrived so quickly. But I couldn’t say anything; I could only think about the life and safety of the child I was expecting. I needed to ensure nothing happened to him.“You shouldn’t have gone out alone,” Edward said again. He ran a hand over his face and cast a worried look at me. “I was told you arrived here very disoriented and faint. What happened? Did someone hurt you?”He touched my hand, but I pulled it back. Should I really trust Edward? My head was now so confused that I didn’t know what to do anymore. I knew Gregory was being accused of blowing up
Emma.An hour ago, Lia snatched the phone from my hands and disconnected every screen device in the house. She said the order had come from my husband. Her face was heavy, like someone hiding a big secret. Immediately, I fought against my nurse. I lunged at Lia so she would give me the phone back, and she didn’t resist.The news was there, with a photo of Gregory and Helena being placed in an ambulance.The company appointed Gregory as its new president today amid many controversies.“What the hell is going on here?” My tearful eyes reached Lia. “Is this what you were trying to hide from me?”It was unfair of me to blame Lia. She was only following Gregory’s orders. I wanted to run to him and demand the truth, but something held me back, telling me to stay because Gregory would soon show up.And it didn’t take long for him to appear. Half an hour later, Gregory was standing in front of me, his eyes filled with pain. He knew the mistake he had made and he also knew the consequences tha
Gregory.I was able to see the exact moment they rushed to help Helena and take her to the hospital. If Edward intended to cause chaos, he had succeeded. I abandoned everything to go with her. In the past, I wouldn't have cared about leaving her in a hospital under someone else's care, but now I do. Helena was the only living family I had.The only one—because to me, Edward was nothing. He was born to make my life unbearable, and he was succeeding. He would only rest when he had taken everything from me and then some. I tried to forget all the confusion and help Helena. I knew that my presence would only worsen her condition, but I couldn’t leave her alone at that moment.When I got into the ambulance, she looked into my eyes and said, her voice trembling:“I always suspected that you and Emma didn’t truly love each other.”“Let’s save that conversation for later.” I turned my face away from hers. “You need to focus on your health now.”“Later, when, Gregory? When I’m dead? Do you pla
Gregory“Sir, we installed the cameras,” the head of security reported, entering my office to complete his task.“All of them? Are you sure?” I looked into his eyes, scrutinizing him. I couldn’t let anything slip by.“Positive, sir. If anyone enters the mansion, we’ll know.”I didn’t feel safe or at ease. Now that my grandfather gave me his entire inheritance, I could imagine Edward’s fury. His goal had always been to destroy me, even before our grandfather passed away. Now that the game had shifted, and the situation seemed to be in my favor, Edward wouldn’t just stand by watching me win.“Great!” I grabbed my briefcase from the desk and took one last look at my reflection in the mirror, noticing that I was ready to go take my place.Strangely, I wasn’t as happy as I thought I would be. The feeling of deceiving Emma burned inside me. I had already learned, in the cruelest way, the price paid for the wrong choices we make.“Keep an eye on Emma twenty-four hours a day. Don’t let her le
GregoryI still couldn’t believe that the inheritance I had fought so hard for was finally mine. The message I received that morning said I needed to sign the documents, and everything my grandfather had denied me would be passed on to me.I looked at Emma and felt that nothing seemed to make sense anymore. I would trade everything I had achieved to save her life. Even though I had fought bravely for that money, if Emma wasn’t with me to enjoy those benefits, nothing would be worth it.She asked me if there was something wrong, and cowardly I denied any information. I was still looking for a way to tell Emma the whole truth until I found that solution. I kept lying, deceiving her, knowing that when Emma found out, she would never forgive me.Anyone would understand that I had used her and the illness to gain Helena’s kindness, but I never once asked for the will to be changed. Helena was doing it more for my wife than for me, but Emma wouldn’t understand. It was because of that inheri
Emma.The illness had given a truce.Gregory and I didn’t discuss the illness anymore during the days we spent in Spain. Everything was so perfect that I didn’t want to go back home to that reality where Mason, Edward, Ayla, and so many other people I no longer wanted to see existed.I cuddled up with him in bed, listening to his heartbeat, when his phone vibrated beside us. Gregory didn’t move. He was sleeping so deeply that even if there were noise, he wouldn’t wake up to answer. I stretched out my arm and picked up the device. On the notification tab, there was a message from Gregory’s lawyer saying he needed to return to sign the documents.Gregory stirred, and I immediately put the phone back. We didn’t have the habit of going through each other’s things. Gregory didn’t check my phone, and I didn’t check his. In the past, I wouldn’t have even dared to touch that device. I remember Gregory always keeping it out of my reach while exchanging intimate messages with Alya—or at least,
Emma.Cutting my hair wasn’t the same as losing an arm or a leg, but cutting it felt like I was losing an important part of my body. I knew it would grow back, that if I were lucky enough to live another year, it would be long again, just as beautiful as it was now. But seeing the scissors cutting through my locks and, right after, the clippers running over my scalp made me shed tears.No one should be forced to shave their head, but the illness wouldn’t leave a single strand behind, and I couldn’t bear to watch my hair fall out slowly without being able to do anything. I tried to be strong, to see the bright side—the one where there was hope of watching it grow back like a plant—but the pain I felt was inevitable.When I looked in the mirror, I saw Gregory’s reflection right behind me. His eyes shone with deep sadness, but he tried to smile to show that everything was okay. I never imagined I would feel bad seeing Gregory suffer, especially knowing that I was the reason for his pain.
Emma.I glimpsed Gregory as soon as I woke up the next day. He was lying beside me, his icy eyes fixed on me so tenderly that I thought I wouldn’t be able to look at him for long. A smile played on my lips. Last night had been a mixture of feelings I couldn’t explain.During those years of marriage, it was the first time Gregory had given me all his love while we slept together.He leaned in and kissed me, then covered me a little more before getting up and saying:“Stay in bed.” He got dressed quickly, and I could feel the cold creeping into the room. “The weather in Spain is simply bitter. You’d better stay covered from head to toe so you don’t catch a cold.”“I would rather not spend the day in bed.” I threw the blanket aside and got up.That was when I looked back and noticed many strands of hair on my pillow. I froze for a moment, just staring at them as if they weren’t real. I tried to raise my hand and place it on my head, running my fingers through my hair as more strands fell
I admired Emma in silence as she ate, wishing that moment could last forever, until my phone vibrated in my pocket. I ignored the first call, but it didn’t stop after that. Not only that, but I should have turned it off—that was my truest intention—when a message from Helena lit up my screen.“Answer the phone, Gregory. I’ve changed the will.”I jumped from my chair. Emma’s distraction that day prevented her from noticing. She only saw when I stepped away to the other side to take Helena’s last call.“You should have called me and told me what happened.”Her voice was trembling on the other end of the line. I turned my head to look at Emma, and she was watching me intently. It was impossible to pretend normalcy in the face of what was happening.“Emma and I are fine.” I closed my eyes and massaged my temples. “There was no need to change the will just because of that.”But what the hell was I saying? I had desired that inheritance for nearly my entire life, believing it should be mine
Emma.When we arrived at the hotel, it was like another bomb exploding in our minds. Gregory paced back and forth in the room, his face red as he gestured while speaking with his lawyer about the situation. We should be enjoying ourselves now, but I felt trapped, unable to do so.“We can’t leave the city,” he threw his phone onto the bed and ran a hand over his face. “We can’t go back home either, not until the Spanish police clear us.”“This could take months,” I said, feeling discouragement wash over me. “Then let’s drop the complaint.”“Things aren’t that simple, Emma,” he huffed, lifting his head toward the ceiling as if pleading for help from the heavens. “Let’s make the most of our trip. I won’t let Edward take this from me, too.”Bravely, Gregory took my hand and pulled me out of the room. I didn’t question him, trusting his decision, though my heart pounded uncontrollably in my chest, fearing that Edward would appear again to finish what he had started. On the way to the build