Chapter 30: Did anybody call for a lawyer?ETHANA day has passed, still nothing tangible from Sam on the murder of Mrs. Smith. I was summoned by the police the next morning after the incident to give my statement which I willingly did, of course they still didn't give me back my phone.“Where to sir?” My driver asked, after I got back to my car from the police station.“Take me home.” I responded, I wasn't ready to deal with any drama today so going home was the best option.On the way home I got lost in thoughts, thoughts about Mia, why was I always thinking about her? It reminded me of when I was still young and in love—with Emily. I met Emily in college and fell head over heels with her. We got married but she dumped me, for what you'd ask, for money. She left me for a rich dude, after she left, I came to the conclusion that love was giving someone the power to destroy you hoping that they don't. I gave her the power to destroy me and she did just that, she shattered me.Trust is
Chapter 31: Unsolved casesETHAN“You had a business deal with Smith Cole?” I asked, looking up at her.“What's wrong?” She asked, obviously confused.“A client of mine was murdered, and he's her husband.” I responded.“He's the person I'm suspecting to have committed the murder.” I added emphasis on ‘murder’.“Oh my God!” Mia exclaimed.“I did some background checks on him, he’s really influential and into some shady things.Mia just sat there looking, mouth agape, she looked really cute, she'd even look cuter with my dick in-between those lips of…“Ethan!” John called out to me, disrupting my dirty thoughts of his daughter.If only he knew…“Ye… yeah…” I stuttered, my eyes blinking away from looking at her.“What advice do you have for us?” John asked, obviously concerned for his daughter while I was just having dirty thoughts of her.“Don't worry, I'll take on the case and ensure Mia doesn't pay him a dime or is hurt by this issue.” I assured John who took a sigh of relief.“Do I
Chapter 32: Paranoia SOPHIE This wasn't all in my head, I was being followed, I thought it was when I told Mia and she asked me if I was taking my meds, like I wouldn't know when I'm being followed. As I left Mia’s house, I felt it again— eyes piercing my back immediately, I knew something was off. I glanced over my shoulder as I got into my car, scanning the quiet street. Nothing seemed out of place: a few parked cars, a man walking his dog, nothing out of the ordinary but still, my gut twisted in that familiar way. I locked my car doors as soon as I slid into the driver’s seat, my fingers trembling as I gripped the wheel. It was probably nothing. Just my mind playing tricks on me. I had learnt not to trust it lately—paranoia had become my constant companion. With a sharp exhale, I started the engine and pulled away from Mia’s driveway, forcing myself not to check the rearview mirror too often. Once inside my apartment, I locked the door and slid the deadbolt into place. A
Chapter 33: CCTV footageMIAA few days later I got a call from the police inviting me to the station because they got a lead on the stolen artifacts from my gallery. The officer on the phone didn't give me all the details so I didn’t know what to expect when I walked into the police station the next morning.It has been really stressful on me since the artifacts were stolen, especially since I got the legal notice from Smiths industries.I sat down at the lobby, waiting for the detective on the case to call me in. Not long later, Detective Carter called me into his office, I stood on shaky legs and followed him down the narrow hallway. His office was cluttered but functional, with stacks of papers threatening to fall off his desk. He gestured for me to sit across from him, his expression neutral but serious. “Miss Mia,” he began, folding his hands on the desk. “We’ve made some progress in your case.” I nodded, leaning forward. “What did you find?” Carter hesitated for a moment
Chapter 34: Stupid promiseGREG EVANSThat little bitch, coming here and telling me what to do, how dare she? If I had known she'd turn out like this, I would have also gotten her some drugs like her brother.A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts, must be my useless brother.“You're back, you should have seen the way your…” I grumbled as I opened the door.Men in uniform greeted me by shoving a warrant on my face.“Mr Greg Evans?” One of them asked.“Yes, who's asking?” I responded.“We have a warrant for your arrest in connection with theft and obstruction of justice by tampering with evidence.” He said, handcuffing me.“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand these rights?” He added, leading me out of the house.I look back and see Mia observing all these from the staircase and doing nothing. Now
Chapter 35: Three strokesMIAImmediately I heard the knock on the door, I knew that the police had gotten the warrant and had come to take the human trash at my house away.Coming down the stairs, l looked down and my thoughts were right. The officers already handcuffed him and were taking him away. He looked back and saw me, but I didn't care, he deserved what he got.Dancing with joy downstairs, I went to the dining area and warmed up some pizza for my lone time so I could eat it and watch my favorite TV show. It wasn’t much, but after everything that had happened with the gallery theft and the police, I deserved a little normal life. Or so I thought. The sound of the front door opening shattered my peace. My dad’s voice called out, “Mia, are you home?” “Yeah, in here!” I said from the living room, sitting up.He walked in, and my stomach dropped. Behind him was Uncle Greg, looking entirely too pleased with himself. “What is he doing here?” I asked, my voice sharp as I shot u
Chapter 36: Case closedETHANAfter a few days, I contacted the detective in charge of the murder case asking for updates.“The case is closed sir, it was ruled a suicide.” She responded when I asked about the case.“Closed, why?” I answered surprised. “Could someone tell me what the hell is going on in this country? That woman was fucking murdered for God damn sake.”“The evidence we found on the scene after cross examination pointed towards suicide, she shot herself to death.” She explained.“God damn it. Aren't you listening to me?”“I don't believe that, something else is at play here, why would she send me a ‘help me’ text when she just wanted to kill herself?” I asked her, my voice sounding irritated.“I'm sorry sir, There's nothing more to investigate unless you have an unknown lead somewhere that you would like to share with us.” She responded, her tone sharp.I kept quiet because I don't have any leads regarding the case.“Since you're mute, I guess it's settled then.” She sa
Chapter 37: Contesting the willGREG EVANSI knew John was going to come to my rescue, ever since he made that promise to dad, he had always fulfilled it—a daddy’s boy indeed.As soon as we got home and I saw Mia's angry face, nothing pleased me more. It was safe to say that I could die a happy death after that view. Father and daughter got into an argument and I didn't have the energy for that, so I left them and headed to my room.The house was boring and boring is suffocating. If they thought I’d sit here and play nice, just because John helped his own elder brother then they have got another thing coming. I wasn't going to sit still and I wasn't going to go back to where I was staying, the pressure there was too much for one man to bear.I needed air. More than that, I needed a drink, hell I needed a distraction—something loud. The club was the obvious choice. I left the house and drove through the city with one of the cars at home since that fool didn't want to buy me a car. T
Chapter 81: The CEOJOHN EVANSThe plan sounded simple, okay maybe not that simple. I thought as I sat in Ethan’s office, my fingers drumming against the armrest of the chair. Greg was pacing near the window, his usual arrogance replaced with something sharper—determination. Ethan, on the other hand, was unnervingly calm, his gaze fixed on the laptop screen in front of him."This has to work," Greg muttered, running a hand through his hair. "If Ryan catches on too soon…" "He won’t, he’s too busy gloating over his so-called victory. He won’t see this coming." Ethan interrupted smoothly as he leaned back, hands behind his headI exhaled slowly. "Walk me through it again. Every step." "We’re manufacturing a controlled market panic. We’ve already leaked insider reports suggesting Ryan’s reckless financial decisions. The key investors are nervous—once we push just a little more, they’ll start pulling out." Ethan said as he finally looked up, his expression unreadable."And when they d
Chapter 80: Tough luck, MarcusETHAN I sat in my office, staring at the stacks of documents spread across my desk. The final court hearing was tomorrow, and everything depends on what Greg would do. Would he actually follow through with the plan? Or would he let his arrogance get the best of him? I didn't trust him. Not fully. Which is why I had spent the last two nights digging up every possible loophole, inconsistency, and piece of evidence to shut Marcus down if things took a turn. If Greg backed out, I needed to be ready. Daniel knocked on my door and walked in without waiting for permission. "Boss, you need to rest. You’ve barely slept in days." He said, his voice filled with concern.I ignored him, flipping through another document. "Did you get the financial records I asked for?" He sighed but handed me the folder. "Yeah. Marcus’s case is weak. If Greg doesn’t do as planned, you can crush them with this.""Good. But let’s hope it doesn’t come to that." I nodded, fli
Chapter 79: A planGREG EVANS I should have known better.I should have seen it coming. Ryan played me like a damn fool, and now, here I was stripped of everything that should have been mine yet again. The company, the power, the influence—all gone because I was stupid enough to think Ryan would actually be loyal to me. I scoffed, swirling the whiskey in my glass as I leaned back in my chair. I thought the burn of the liquor would do something to soothe the anger bubbling inside me but boy was I wrong. I'm sure I was red as boiling lavaI had trusted Ryan, received his assistance with the thought that he just wanted revenge against John but boy was I wrong. He went behind my back and snatched everything.And the worst part? John was right.The thought made my stomach churn with disgust. That last family meeting had been a disaster, the moment I admitted to John and Cecilia what Ryan had done. I clenched my jaw as the memory played out in my head. The way John lunged at me
Chapter 78: MarvinMIAMy heart jumped and I gripped the steering wheel tighter, my breath hitching in my throat. Slowly, I turned my head, my stomach knotting the moment I saw him. It was my brother— His eyes, eerily calm, met mine through the glass. I hesitated before rolling down the window just a crack. “What are you doing here?” “Relax, Mia. I’m not here to cause trouble. I just wanted to see you.” He responded, a small smile played on his lips, one that was almost… gentle. His voice held none of the usual sharpness, none of the unstable energy I always feared. My shoulders loosened slightly. Maybe… maybe he was okay. Taking a cautious breath, I opened the door and stepped out.“I’ve missed you so much Marvin,” I admitted softly, and before I could second-guess myself, I wrapped my arms around him. For a moment, he didn’t move. But then, his muscles tensed beneath my touch. His breathing grew shallow. A warning bell rang in my head—too late. I immediately felt a sh
Chapter 77: Don’t act like you’re some saintLIAMMia, cheating on me with Ethan.The words kept repeating in my head, over and over, my fingers curled into fists as I stared at the empty space where Mia had stood just minutes ago. She had left. Not even a single explanation. Nothing to deny Sophie’s claim. She didn’t even try. Sophie was still here, watching me, waiting for me to say something. But there was nothing left to say. "Are you seriously just going to stand there all night?" Sophie asked, arms crossed. I turned to her, my voice dangerously calm. "Get out. I need space." "Excuse me?" She blinked, feigning innocence. "You heard me." My jaw tightened. "Get. Out." "Liam, don’t act like you’re some saint. Mia’s not the only one who…" She scoffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder."I said, get the hell out of my house." I growled, as I took a step toward her, my patience running dangerously thin.Her smirk faltered, but she recovered quickly, rolling her eyes a
Chapter 76: The biggest joke of the centuryMIAEthan, in love with me? That had to be the biggest joke of the century.“What?” I asked as I bursted out laughingI stared at him, my heart pounding in my chest, my breath caught somewhere between disbelief and… something else. Ethan Blake doesn’t do love. And yet, there he was, standing in front of me, looking at me with those eyes that made my throat dry. “I’m in love with you, Mia.” His words echoed in my head, repeating endlessly, as if it were some cruel joke.“You don’t just wake up one day and decide you love someone, Ethan.” I said, shaking my head vigorously.“That’s not what happened.” He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.“Really?” I crossed my arms. “Then what did?” “It wasn’t just one day. It was spending every damn day thinking about you, spending every second fighting against it. And then, I realized I didn’t want to fight it anymore.” He responded, his jaw tightening.I blinked, my throat tightening. I hated
Chapter 75: ConfrontationJOHN EVANSI sat at the edge of my bed, my fingers tightening around the whiskey glass in my hand. Greg had been granted access to everything he had always desired and still lost everything. How could my own brother be so damn stupid? As if it wasn’t enough that he contested our father’s will, taking what should have rightfully stayed in my control. No, Greg had to go a step further. He let Ryan—of all people, double-cross him.Ryan. My teeth clenched. The man who had once been my best friend.I should have seen it coming. Revenge, that’s all this was to him. And now, he has succeeded. I exhaled sharply and set the whiskey glass down, rubbing my temples. I can’t let this go.Greg might be too much of an idiot to fight for the company, but I wasn’t. I refused to watch from the sidelines while Ryan sat at my father’s desk. I stood up and grabbed my suit jacket, sliding it on. Cecilia, who had been watching me silently from across the room, sighed l
Chapter 74: Fallen for youETHANI knew I had fallen for her. There was no point in denying it anymore or pretending that she was just some obsession or a challenge I was yet to conquer. It was already certain that no matter how much I tried to resist, I would keep coming back to the same damn realization. I was in love with Mia Evans.I let out a frustrated sigh, rubbing a hand down my face as I replayed this morning’s disaster. She had woken up in my bed and immediately assumed the worst. The anger in her voice, the way she had looked at me like I was nothing but a predator—it hurt as hell. I don't blame her to think that of me, after all, I have always been a womanizer hell, I even slept with her bestfriend and I have a lot of women as my booty call.But the fact was that I had done nothing wrong, the past me would have been so disappointed, afterall that's what I wanted, to have a taste of her pussy, but after she threw herself at me, I just carried her to my room and slept
Chapter 73: Everything, goneMIAWhere was I? I shifted under the covers, only to realize that I wasn’t in my own bed. The scent of expensive cologne, woody, masculine, and all too familiar—wrapped around me. I turned my head, scanning the room as realization hit me.This was Ethan’s room. I sat up abruptly, my heart beating hard. I was no longer wearing my night wear from last night, and that got me thinkingOh shit, he didn't…?I turned to the other side of the bed—it was empty. The door creaked open before I could finish the thought. Ethan walked in, freshly showered, dressed in a casual white shirt and dark pants, his hair slightly damp. His eyes flicked to me, surprise flashing across his face. “You’re awake,” he said, his voice smooth as ever. “You jerk! How dare you take advantage of my vulnerable state.” I screamed immediately I set my eyes on him, my jaw clenching.“What? I don't…” He responded.“Don't even say anything, I don't want to hear it asshole.” I seethed