“Michael?” Hannah repeated in shock, slowly turning around.“Tell me this is a joke, Lily.” Lily hung her head dejectedly, “I wish it were Hannah, but that’s the truth,” she said and slowly stepped forward. Hannah stepped back instinctively, still overwhelmed by what she’d heard. Seeing her reaction, Lily stopped, her face tinged with regret, “I’m sorry Hannah, I wish I could take it all back, I’d do things differently this time,” she paused, almost as if taking an inward reflective look.“After I left the family, I soon regretted my decisions but by then it was too late to come back. I knew Alfred was on the lookout for me and the only way I knew I could keep the family safe was if I stayed away for good.” Lily’s voice began to break,“I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. We had suffered for too long, the family business was failing and I guess I just saw the opportunity to better my life and I didn’t stop to think of anyone else. I know it was selfish, but I was young and stup
“What do you want Michael?” Hannah repeated sternly.“What I’ve always wanted? Money and power.” Michael replied.“How do you expect us to find 10 million dollars in the next twenty-four hours?” Hannah asked in irritation. “I don’t know, but that seems like your problem. However, if you want some pointers, I suggest you start by asking your husband. He must have a stack of cash lying around somewhere.”Listening to the way Michael was sounding now, Mia could not believe that she’d once had feelings for such a cruel and selfish man.“Why are you doing this Michael? How could you do this to us? Our family loved and respected you.”“Respect?!” Michael spat, his anger boiling over.“Do not speak of respect, Hannah. Your family treated me like trash, belittling my reputation just because I wasn’t making so much money or came from a rich home like you.” He paused, his voice becoming low and sinister, “You all deserve everything that is happening to you. For years, I was nothing but a dog o
“Michael,” Lily gasped in horror. Just then Michael stepped forward flashing her a malicious grin. “It’s been a while Lily, missed me?”Lily clenched her fists in anger, but Hannah had a very different reaction. Seeing Michael again for the first time in years, she felt the pit of her stomach churning in disgust. She wanted to swing her palm and claw off the stupid smirk on his face, but she knew his thugs would overpower her before she even got close.Michael shifted his gaze toward her with a casual smile, “Hannah, we finally meet again in person.”“What are you doing here, Michael? You already told us to get you your money in twenty hours.” Mia spat.Ignoring her tone, Michael pouted, “What? You’re not happy to see me? Here I was thinking that you’d be a little excited to find out it’s been me you were talking to the whole time.”Hannah’s brows creased in anger. It seemed the more she heard Michael’s voice, the more aggravated she was getting. Seeing that none of the sisters were
“Past? What past? What is he talking about Hannah?” Ethan asked shifting closer with a stern look.“Your husband wants to know Hannah, why don't you tell him?” Michael asked softly.“I wasn't talking to you buddy,” Ethan interjected sharply.Michael scoffed, “So what is it going to be Hannah? You want to tell him or should I?” Michael asked, but sensing her hesitation, he opened his mouth to speak but before he could say anything, Hannah quickly spoke up, “He's my ex-boyfriend, Ethan,” she said looking down. As soon as those words fell, Ethan's eyes widened in shock, “I'm sorry, what?” Ethan blurted, twisting his face in disdain, “Did you just say he's your ex-boyfriend?” Ethan repeated angrily. However, Mia did not answer. She remained quiet, hesitating to look at him in the face.“You're not embarrassed by me, are you Hannah?” Michael interjected again with a sly smirk on his face. His presence here only made things worse and Ethan sneered, “Hey buddy, I'm trying to have a convers
Certainly, Ethan was not going to let her off the hook either. Ethan took a step forward and started to approach her, but before he could get close to her, Hannah stepped forward, her eyes still flashing with horror, “We need to get out of here Ethan,” she said urgently, but Ethan ignored her, still staring intensely at Lily who by this time wished the ground could open up and swallow her.“Ethan, we need to get out of here. Someone might come around soon and we'll have to explain all these,” she said shifting her gaze across the men sprawled out on the floor, still in shock over what Ethan had done.However, again Ethan ignored her, still maintaining his focus on Lily,“Can you hear me, Ethan, I said…” she started, but Ethan quickly interjected, his eyes narrowing in rage, “And you! Do not think we're through. You have a lot to explain, so you better prepare your answers.” Hannah stopped, shaken by the harshness of his voice. She knew finding out about Michael this way would be annoy
“That’s it Ethan,” Lily blurted, “I know neither of you has any reasons to trust or believe me, but believe it or not, I’ve spent the last three years finding out how shitty I’ve been to both of you,” she paused, shifting her gaze to Hannah. “When I heard that you two had gotten married, I thought I had to come back and make amends for my mistakes, but then I figured out that Michael was also in your city so I had to hide away and keep a low profile. As much as I wanted to write my mistakes, I couldn’t let him find me, so I decided to stay away.”“But even then, I couldn’t completely stay away. I knew Michael would try to reach out to you if he couldn’t get to me, and that’s why I’m here.” At this time, Ethan and Hannah stared at her in disbelief. Throughout their entire time knowing her, they’d never known Lily to be someone to think about anyone other than herself.“Hannah,” Lily said, shifting her gaze to her, “I’m truly sorry for everything I did. I’m sorry I ran away with Michae
Hannah froze as soon as she heard those words. She knew that Ethan had some sort of relationship with Lily, but she could never think it’d be this bad. It suddenly made sense, the letter she found, how he never talked about her. She had thought that maybe Lily had crossed him as well, but this, this was worse. If they were about to get married, that could only mean one thing. Ethan had fallen in love with her. She opened her mouth to speak but the words formed a lump in her throat and she just stared at Lily, her mind reeling with thoughts.Is this why Ethan married her? Did she remind him of Lily or was it just to get back at her? Suddenly she started to feel claustrophobic and started breathing and panting heavily.Ethan heaved a deep sigh and finally broke the silence, “Hannah, I can explain,” he said, reaching out to hold her, “Don’t touch me!” Hannah retorted shaking his hand off her.She quickly opened the car door and stepped out, walking beside the road.“Are you happy now?”
Lily remained frozen in place following her confession. Her heart was beating rapidly. Although a weight had finally been lifted off her chest, she still did not feel relieved, not with the silence that followed.Ethan did not say anything. He stared at her intensely, his gaze never leaving her face. In his mind, it was easier to hate Lily. It was easier to believe that she did all those things out of her own selfish desires.He’d held on to that for years, and in a way, they transitioned him into the person he was today, but now, it felt like everything he’d done because of her in the past four years was without cause. All the time, he held himself back from feeling anything for anyone else. All the time he spent looking for her just to get an explanation and then to get his revenge, it all felt utterly pointless.Staring at her now, he didn’t know what to feel. Should he feel relieved that he finally learned the truth and that the reason she left him was not to intentionally humili
The ocean stretched endlessly before them, its deep blue waters shimmering under the afternoon sun. The waves crashed rhythmically against the shore, filling the air with the scent of salt and freedom. The soft hum of distant laughter, the occasional cry of a seagull, and the warmth of the sand beneath his feet made Ethan feel something he hadn’t in a long time—at peace.He lay back in his beach chair, sunglasses shielding his eyes as he took in the scene before him. Hannah and Lily were walking along the shoreline, their bare feet sinking into the wet sand with each step. Hannah’s laughter carried over the breeze, light and unguarded.Ethan couldn’t stop staring at her. It had been years since he’d seen her this carefree. No worries, no burdens—just pure, unfiltered joy.Lucian, lounging beside him, sipped his drink and smirked. “Didn’t think you were the vacation type.”Ethan chuckled, shaking his head. “Didn’t think I’d get a second chance at this kind of peace.”Lucian nodded slow
The evening air carried the soft scent of roses and freshly cut grass as the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting a golden glow over the garden. Strings of twinkling lights hung above, flickering gently in the breeze. It was simple, intimate—exactly what they needed.Ethan adjusted the cuff of his suit, taking a deep breath. He never thought he’d be standing here again, vowing himself to Hannah, not because they had to, but because they chose to.Lucian clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Nervous?”Ethan scoffed. “Since when do I get nervous?”Lucian smirked. “You’re literally sweating.”Ethan wiped his palms against his pants, rolling his eyes. “It’s just hot out.”Lucian chuckled. “Sure it is.”But the truth was, Ethan was nervous—not because he doubted what he was about to do, but because of how much it meant.He glanced around. The guest list was small, just their closest friends and family. Noah stood in the corner, ever the watchful guardian. Lily adjusted Hannah’s bouquet, whisper
Ethan sat across from Hannah in their bedroom, the quiet between them stretching long and heavy, filled with everything they hadn’t yet said. The past few days had been a storm—one they had barely made it through. And yet, in this moment, it wasn’t the past battles that scared Ethan the most. It was this. Sitting here, looking at Hannah, knowing he had nearly lost her in more ways than one.Hannah sat on the edge of the bed, her hands clasped together in her lap. There was no anger in her eyes, but there was something else—something deeper. A sadness. A weariness. And maybe, just maybe, a little hope.Ethan exhaled slowly, rubbing his hands together as if that would ease the tension in his chest. “I should’ve told you everything from the beginning,” he admitted, his voice quiet but firm. “I thought keeping things from you would protect you, but all it did was push you away. I was scared of losing you.”Hannah sighed, running a hand through her hair. “Ethan, I knew you had secrets. I c
The explosion was deafening. A wave of heat and force slammed into Ethan, knocking him off balance as shards of debris flew through the air. The ground beneath him trembled. Smoke curled into the night sky, filling his lungs with the acrid scent of burning metal and dust.Ethan coughed, trying to steady himself as his vision swam. He turned his head and saw Anderson slumped beside him, barely conscious, his breathing shallow.A few feet away, the man in the tailored suit—his enemy, his nightmare—stumbled back from the force of the blast. But even through the chaos, he recovered quickly, brushing the dust off his expensive jacket. A smirk tugged at his lips, as if none of this fazed him.Lucian, always the fastest to react, grabbed Ethan’s arm. His grip was firm, urgent. “Move!”Ethan didn’t waste time. He wrapped an arm around Anderson and hoisted him up, supporting most of his weight. Anderson groaned in pain, but he didn’t resist.Flames crackled from the black SUVs parked nearby. T
A thick silence fell over the room. Ethan’s breath hitched in his throat, his pulse thundering as Anderson’s words settled in. “You should have left things alone.” What did he even mean by that? Ethan wondered.Lucian exchanged a glance with Ethan, his body shifting uncomfortably. He took a step toward the door, his hand instinctively reaching for the gun at his waist. Something was wrong. Very wrong.Ethan turned back to Anderson, whose face was pale, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. His breathing was ragged, his chest rising and falling with effort. But it wasn’t pain that twisted his features—it was terror.“Anderson,” Ethan pressed, his fingers tightening around Anderson’s cold wrist. “What do you mean? Who did this to you?”Anderson tried to move, but his body was too weak. He clenched his jaw, forcing out a whisper between his shallow breaths.“They know.”Ethan’s blood ran cold.Before he could ask what Anderson meant, Lucian moved abruptly, shoving Ethan back.“Get down
As Ethan entered the room again, his heart sank as he saw Anderson. He looked even worse than he was before. Ethan hesitated for a moment, and then pulled a chair close to the bed and sat down, gripping the armrest tightly.This time around, Lucian stood by the door, arms crossed and his eyes scanning the room like he expected danger to come crashing through at any moment. Somewhere deep down, he knew Anderson was not in the clear yet. Not while he was still in this hospital.Ethan barely noticed, Lucian’s demeanor. He reached out, hesitating before lightly grasping Anderson’s wrist. It was cold. Too cold.His throat felt tight. “You have to wake up,” he whispered. “You have to tell me who did this.”Anderson didn’t move.Ethan exhaled shakily, his grip tightening. “I thought you were dead. Do you get that? I—” His voice wavered, and he clenched his jaw. “I grieved you. And now you’re back, but you’re barely here, and I—”He shook his head, frustration burning beneath his skin. “Damn
The hospital room felt smaller, like the walls were closing in, pressing down on Ethan’s chest as he watched Anderson convulse on the bed. The shrill beeping of the heart monitor filled his ears, drowning out everything else. Nurses and doctors shouted, moving quickly, but all Ethan could focus on was Anderson—pale, shaking, slipping away right in front of him.“They know.”The words echoed in his mind like a warning, a scream he couldn’t ignore. Lucian was still gripping his arm, holding him back, but Ethan barely felt it. His entire body was tense, his breath coming in short, shallow bursts.A nurse shoved past them, her voice sharp and urgent. “We need to stabilize him now!”“BP’s dropping fast!” another called.“Charging to 200!”Ethan flinched as the defibrillator paddles pressed against Anderson’s chest.“Clear!”Anderson’s body jerked, then slumped.Ethan’s stomach twisted.“Again!”Another jolt. Another lifeless slump.Panic gripped Ethan so hard his pulse pounded against his
Lucian paced. He couldn’t help it. His body was too charged, his mind too overwhelmed to stay still. His breaths came in sharp, measured inhales as he kept his eyes on Anderson.Ethan hadn’t moved. He was still kneeling beside his cousin, gripping his arm as if afraid that if he let go, Anderson would disappear again. His lips moved in whispers, too low for Lucian to hear. Maybe he was apologizing. Maybe he was making promises.Lucian clenched his jaw. He could hear the distant wail of sirens now, cutting through the silence of Greenville’s ruins. Help was coming. But was it fast enough? He didn’t know how Anderson had managed to survive this long, but one thing was sure, if he hadn’t gotten any help soon, he might not make it much longer anymore.His eyes flickered to Ethan. The man had barely reacted to anything else since they found Anderson. The emotions flickering across his face were too raw to name, shock, disbelief, agony, relief. All tangled into something indescribable.Luci
The drive to Greenville was short, but every mile stretched on like an eternity. With each passing second, Lucian’s hand gripped the wheel tighter, his mind caught in an endless loop of Ethan’s chilling words.“The earthquake should’ve taken me, not him.” Those words replayed once again in his mind, followed by guilt, regret and pain.Ethan had been drowning in it, and Lucian had missed all the signs. This weighed heavily on him considering his welfare was one of the main things he was supposed to look out for. How could he have been so blind? Lucian groaned.He should have stopped him. Should have made him stay. Should have—He exhaled sharply. “No. No more should-haves.” He muttered. He was here now, and in a matter of time, he would find Ethan before it was too late.As he looked at the place now, the road cracked at the edges, debris scattered across the pavement like fallen memories. The photos had not done it justice, the ruins of this place was more than what was shown. Buildin