Hey readers!
Thanks for the continuous support.
I'm writing this to notify you that I'll be taking a 2 days rest from writing.
This is to finish certain tasks on my regular 9 to 5 office job.
See you on August 11, 2024, at 10 AM ET.
While I'm on break. I want to ask you a very important question.
Who does Hannah deserve?
Xander?
Ashton?
Someone new?
Or does she deserve to be alone?
Let me know your answer in the comment section.
Lots of love,
Latton Ripley
Seeing her daughter’s condition, Lani can’t help but think of the best way to neutralize Hannah’s leverage against her. She begins planning different things on how to harm Hannah, but the thought of Hannah’s retaliation, if her plan fails, scares her. Hesitantly, there’s only one logical way to make Hannah powerless. It’s to tell Xander the truth herself, or at least the version where she will look less vicious.Her heart is set on doing it, but her mind seems to yell that she is doing something wrong.Filled with hesitation, she called Xander to the balcony of Katarina’s ward while Katarina was having her follow-up CT scan.“Xander, I need to tell you something,” Lani uttered uneasily. He didn’t want to speak to her, but he saw on her face the severity of the topic that looked like it had been weighing on her. Hesitantly, Xander sat down and listened to Lani.Where she confesses the truth behind Charles Thompson.She sighs deeply. Her hands are fidgeting.Her stomach was churning
Hannah hurriedly packed her bag. The hesitation she had about attending the Class Reunion became the best option for her. She’ll use it as a reason for leaving so that Clarise and the others won’t worry about her. While Sergio and Amir will discreetly watch over them to make sure they are safe. Despite Lani telling her secret to Xander, Hannah felt something was amiss as if there was more to it. She could vividly remember the empty words she said to Lani to get her attention. ~“I wonder how you sleep at night knowing that you’re the real reason why your husband died.~ It meant nothing to Hannah but the fear in Lani’s eyes was obvious.“Once I’m out of here, I’ll have more time to investigate.” She mumbled and continued to pack her luggage. “Hannah, did the young master threaten to harm you?” Gloria asks worriedly as she watches Hannah’s frantic movements.Startled by Gloria’s sudden appearance, she almost shouted. She immediately collected herself, and shook her head, “No. Don’t wo
Denise was humming in glee while comfortably sitting in her dressing room. She’s patiently waiting for the crew to finish setting up the photo shoot for their first-ever poster for the short film.Though it's been several weeks since she last spoke and saw Xander. She’s updated with the news regarding the Millers: Katarina’s accident and Hannah’s possible involvement. “That bitch has gone wild,” she said to herself.Oblivious that her encounter with Mr. L was part of Hannah’s plan. Despite her father’s imprisonment and Xander’s coldness towards her, she still enjoys her small wins as people seem to sympathize with her misfortunes and an online celebrity website even called her a victim of the situation. Apart from that, no matter how angry and cold Xander was towards her lately, he continued to pay for her 3 bedroom luxury apartment and all her bills. He also gave her a credit card that she could use anytime —but she wanted more. She wants the fame, power, respect, and wealth that
“You are not supposed to be there,” Toby yelled over the phone.Ashton began pacing back and forth while taking a glimpse of Hannah’s location. He observes her gleeful smile while talking to her classmates and taking photos.“I know. I know, but that’s not what I need right now, Toby.” He pointed out.Soon, he gave Toby a rundown of the truth he discovered.“Oh my fucking god!” Toby uttered in shock. “I knew it, Denise is a liar. I didn’t know she could go this far.”“What should I do, Toby?” Ashton could hear his friend's heavy breathing from the other line, but he remained silent.“Toby?” “Yes, I’m here. Where’s the letter and the necklace now?” “I’m holding it right now.”“Do nothing.”“What do you mean?” Toby sighed deeply and glanced around his office as if checking for anyone who might eavesdrop on their conversation.“Because you are not supposed to be there. I told you before, whatever happened in New York, leave it in New York.” He remarked in a low voice. “Well, I can’t
Xander answered Denise’s call. He already knew what she needed as Yuri had already shown the now-viral video of Denise’s press conference.Xander didn’t wait for her to speak. Instead, he blurted out, “I already told Yuri to bury this news. No need for you to cry over it.” His voice is cold and seems exhausted from everything that had happened in the past week. She covers her mouth to muffle her cries, “Thank y—”Xander did not wait for her to finish and disconnected the call.He couldn’t forget his last conversation with Hannah.~Ask me how I did it…~Before speaking to her, he was 100 percent sure that Hannah had nothing to do with it and even told his mother that if there was a piece of evidence against her, he would punish her, but now that Hannah proudly admitted the crime he no longer knew what to do.He wants his sister to have the justice she deserves. On the other hand, he wants to win his ex-wife back. “It's always been my family against her and I always prefer my family mo
Ashton woke up with Hannah wrapped around his arms. He had never felt the bed this warm before. Far from the one-night stand he had where the night was a blur and the morning after it was as cold as ice. “What am I thinking?” He asks himself. “I could have had meaningful relationships, but I waited for Denise to love me back, limiting myself from actually being loved.” He mumbles and slowly gets out of bed. He picked up his pants that were on the floor, rummaged into his pocket, took out the envelopes, and placed them on the nightstand. “Whatever your decision is, I’m ready for it.” He said while caressing Hannah’s head.CONCURRENTLY…In Texas…Leon went home to their apartment. He is still in a wheelchair, but his wounds seem to heal easily.“I’m home!” He yelled while Jack wheeled him inside, alerting everyone in the house.Gloria immediately walked to greet him.While Clarise stared at him from the second floor, “My peaceful mornings are now gone.” She commented. “Had Hannah ret
“Let me repeat your order. One All American Cheeseburger with ranch sauce and fries as a side. One milkshake for the lady. For you sir, one bacon burger, hot wings, and a chocolate shake.”Hannah and Ashton nod in unison.Soon the waiter left.“Don’t you find it weird that we are here right now?”“Sitting in front of each other,” she remarks.“You used to bully me—”He almost choked in his spit, “I know, and I regret it.” He says as he drinks water.She smiled, “Look at us now. Who would have thought we'd get along and that you are a nice guy? Despite being a playboy.”He wipes his mouth, “I never had a serious relationship.”“I never looked for one and no one obligated me to be in one."He shrugs."I guess I set their expectations too low.” “The longest I have was a fling that lasted two months.”He pointed out.She nods, “Now I’m one of your flings.” She giggles.He grinned awkwardly, “I never introduced anyone to my family. I made myself free from commitment, so I could roam around
Denise left the hospital with a smile on her face. She never thought that her acting would work with Lani or so she thought. Back in the hospital…“Mom, I know what you are doing. You are really smart.” Katarina remarks gleefully.Lani smirked, “There’s nothing scarier than a woman losing everything to another woman. Let them fight each other while we set the main stage to cut them off for good. I don’t want to see both of them near Xander.” She stated with exasperation while holding her forehead.Katarina puffed, “Right. Once that happened, I wanted Hannah’s hair and her left foot. As for Denise, maybe her eyes.” She said eerily.Lani slowly stared at her daughter. Her words put a slight fear and discomfort into her.CONCURRENTLY…In Lansing, Michigan…Ashton parked the car near a ranch-style house. The house has white walls and a roof, while the door and windows are painted black. She glimpsed at him, “It's a nice house.” She muttered but couldn’t overcome the feeling of awkwardnes
In the blink of an eye… Months had passed and Ashton still hadn’t proposed. He started to become busy with his company, despite that not even once did the ring leave his pocket.During that time a lot of things happened. Charles had successfully dominated the shipping business and ended Hannah’s contract. She’s free to work for any company she likes. Toby continued to visit Xander and was happy to know that he was starting to respond to psychotherapy.Lani is still in maximum prison, and she is treated like a slave by everyone. She never thought in a million years she would be pushed around like trash by women half her age. That she needed to massage someone's callus feet just to have protection from other inmates.Aside from the hellish treatments, no one had visited her ever since she moved there. Ron even stopped sending her letters. She never felt alone and helpless in her life.Meanwhile, for Clarise and Zane, the day they had been waiting to arrive. It's a love story more than a
In Hannah’s ward. It was already 8 pm when Ashton returned. When he got to Hannah’s room, only Heidi was in there. “You’re back,” Hannah uttered in glee. She could sense that he was a bit calmer than before.“Have you eaten?” Heidi asked Ashton. He shook his head.“I’m buying us some food. Hannah wants some pasta. How about you? Anything particular you want?” Heidi asks. “Let me buy the food for us,” he suggested.Heidi shook his head, “You stay here. You should be resting not roaming around.” She insisted. “You kids stay here.” She added as she headed outside.He smiled and swiftly walked to Hannah to hold her hand. “I asked Clarise to buy me a hair clipper.” She blurted out while showing them to him.He narrowed his gaze, “Why?”“To cut my hair. So it will grow back the same length as my bald spot, and it would be all-natural. My hair grows back fast and it would be presentable enough at the time of Clarise and Zane's wedding. Would you help me cut my hair?” She asked as she ha
At Texas Southwestern Medical Center...“Ashton, where are you going?” Cyrene asked as she watched how his son got up from the bed and headed outside.“I want to see her. Where is she?” He replied in worry.She sighs, “She’s in the next room. Her friends are in there, and she’s still asleep. So calm yourself down. You just had 14 stitches on your chest and leg,” she explains.He shook his head, “I’m fine—”.Before he could finish his sentence, beeping sounds from the other room roared in the air, followed by shouting and cries.“Nurse!” “Nurse!” He heard Clarise and Zane’s voices in the hallway.He stood up immediately and checked what was happening.“Ashton!” Cyrene yelled, but all she could do was follow him.He entered the room next door and there she was being coaxed by Clarise and Zane to calm down.She’s having nightmares. Keeps seeing that she'll wake up in captivity and seeing a hospital ward is not helping her condition. She felt like she was still trapped in the cabin.She
After lunch, Zane and Clarise drove to one of their vendors.Zane couldn’t stop staring at his soon-to-be wife. She tried her best to smile, but she could not hide the uneasiness in her movements.He could no longer take it and finally voiced out his concerns. He closed the binder he was holding, "Do you want to postpone the wedding and wait for Hannah to return?" He asked in a soft voice.She shook her head, "She won't like that. She would hate to know that we delayed our wedding because of her. Aside from that, we have already paid for our vendors," she explained.He sighs, “I don’t want to say this... You know that... I love Hannah. She’s like a sister to me but… What kind of friend leaves her friends like that? She knew we were getting married, and she just left.” Her hands trembled. He felt fear in her. She inched close to him and glanced around the room, “The type that’s been abducted.” She said in a low voice.“Abducted?” He repeats in a louder tone.She covered his mouth imm
~Toby and I tried to call you, but you didn’t answer.~Ashton’s voice woke up Hannah from her slumber.“Ashton?” She called out. Her eyes expressed glee to hear his voice. She glanced around only to realize she was still trapped inside the room. ~You know I need to go back to dating~~You know I need to go back to dating~His recorded voice kept on repeating for a few more hours. Shortly, Xander arrived with a smug look on his face. “You’ve heard the recording. Ashton is back to his old ways. Drinking and partying with a random woman in the bar, like the filthy animal that he is. He'll sleep with anyone available.” He says mockingly.“Do you still think he is better than me?” He added as he caressed her face.She evaded his touch by hiding under the blanket. She remained silent. There’s a part of her happy that he is moving on with his life, but she can’t ignore the fact that it hurts so badly. It's like confirmation that she has already lost her chance to be happy.“How long am I i
Hannah woke up with the smell of savory food in the air.She could feel her stomach gurgling. “Are you hungry?” Xander asks her. She nods. He smiled eerily, “I made tomato soup and salad. Come get your food.” He suggested as he motioned at the table. She slowly rose from her bed, but before she could take her first step she noticed one of her feet was chained to the bed. There was confusion on her face. She slowly turned her head to him.“What games are you trying to play this time?” She asks with a trembling voice.He shrugs, “Say ‘Please’ and I'll move the table near you.” He uttered. “I will even throw on a piece of bread if you sound a little sweeter.”She doesn't want to do it, but she's hungry, thirsty, and weary. She lowered her head to hide how annoyed and angry she was, “I want to eat, please.” She uttered in a low sweet voice.He moved the table near her and then patted her head, “See, that’s not hard, is it? I knew you just needed to be retrained to be obedient. If you
Ashton’s hands are sweating. Now that his and Clarise’s suspicions were proven correct, he needed to act fast to look for Hannah. Despite that, everything must remain in secrecy as one wrong move might alert Xander, and he might move her somewhere farther away. As he stopped his car at the intersection traffic light, he began to utilize Galvin and his team to help him search for her. He dialed Galvin and he was soon answered. “Galvin, how are we on the list of Xander's properties?” “Check your email. I just sent it to you.” He replied.“Good. I want you to do something for me. Station a person in the Miller Mansion and document any movements.” Ashton demanded.“Sure, anything else?” Galvin uttered. Ashton sighs. Something is bothering him. First is the letter, then Xander is staying in the Miller Mansion, while Hannah is in Asia.It doesn’t add up and it doesn’t make any sense. A dozen questions are inside his mind. “Did Xander threaten her to write the letter, and she chose to l
“Come on, eat your pancakes,” Xander suggested as he pushed the paper plate at her.She began stabbing her food with the plastic pork in exasperation. “What did I ever do to you for you to treat me like this? You already know the truth that I’ve saved your life and this is the thanks I get. Imprisonment in this place…” She yelled at him. He raised his arm, and she flinched in fear and shielded her head with her hand. He lowered his arm and sighed deeply. “Why won’t you just be obedient? Like before?”She laughs mockingly, “And where will it take me? Years of misery? Whatever I do, you end up hurting me.” She remarks.“You don’t understand I’m just protecting you from making more mistakes in your life.” He explains.“How about you protect me against yourself? Let me go and never show yourself ever again,” she suggested.He shook his head, “I can’t. I won’t.” He held her shoulders firmly, “You’re the only one that genuinely cares for me, and you’re the only one I have.”“I used to car
Ashton effortlessly carried the boxes of Hannah’s files inside his room. Searching for anything that might point to where she is.But all he could find were the documents about her research into Denise, Lani, Ron, Donnie, and Hector Reese and the crimes they committed.On how she will convince Donnie to bring down Hector and Denise. While reading through the mountain of paperwork she had, he felt so proud of the effort she put through.“You are so amazing,” he mumbled.He then remembered Clarise’s words.~Someone might have threatened her.~“Xander,” he thought to himself.Soon he decided to message the investigator to get him a list of all of Xander’s property as he might have her held captive. “If he took her, could she be in the Miller Mansion?” He asked himself.Soon Toby’s statement lingered in his head.~He locked himself inside the mansion.~He starts pacing back and forth as he questions everything that has happened.“But… If that’s the case, how did he get her? If she’s in A