Chapter 11: Business TensionsI couldn't sleep.The city lights sparkled through Marcus's penthouse windows, a constellation of artificial stars that did nothing to quiet my racing mind. His bed felt too empty, too cold without him, even though he'd only been gone for an hour. Board emergency, he'd
It was war.And I'd chosen my side.My phone lit up with a text from Emma: *You still up? Got intel about Victoria you need to hear.*I smiled in the dark. Tomorrow would bring new battles.But tonight? Tonight was ours.I slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Marcus. The city had quieted, that st
Chapter 11: Business TensionsMarcus's fingers drummed against his mahogany desk as Stanley Chen, head of legal, droned on about shareholder concerns. I watched from the corner office's leather couch, pretending to review quarterly reports while stealing glances at the man who'd turned my world upsi
Chapter 12: Hidden ConnectionsThe morning sickness hit just as James walked into my office."Are you okay?" His voice carried that familiar concern that used to make my heart flutter. Now it just made my stomach churn harder."Fine," I managed, gripping my desk. "Just... haven't eaten."He frowned,
James's phone screen felt like a ticking bomb between us. Marcus's hand tightened on mine as the footage played on loop – his tender touches, my vulnerable moment, all our careful secrets exposed in harsh fluorescent light."Interesting morning routine," James said, his voice deadly quiet. "Tell me,
Chapter 14: UltimatumsVictoria Henderson's smile promised destruction as she glided into my office, manila envelope tapping against her manicured nails. The same nails that had once patted my cheek at holiday parties, calling me "the daughter she never had." The irony wasn't lost on me."Am I inter
Chapter 15: Victoria's GameThe exclusive restaurant Victoria had chosen hummed with power. Every table hosted someone who mattered in our city's hierarchy - politicians dining with donors, celebrities with publicists, business titans with ambitious protégés. The perfect setting for her ambush."Sop
Chapter 16: Corporate WhispersThe Henderson Industries boardroom felt like a courtroom as I slipped into Marcus's side entrance, careful to avoid the main hallway where executives might spot me. The tension suffocated the space - thick enough to slice with the letter opener on Marcus's immaculate d
Chapter 50: Manifested"Sophia, wait." Marcus catches my arm as I move toward the door. The look in his eyes—that unfamiliar shadow I'd glimpsed moments before—has vanished, replaced by raw vulnerability. "You can't seriously believe I'd hurt Truth."The pendant's glow pulses beneath our daughter's
Chapter 49: An Accidenr"Hello again, Sophia." William Henderson's voice flows from my daughter's tiny lips. "Did you really think it would be that easy to get rid of me?"The pendant burns against my palm, pulsing with an urgency I can feel in my bones. Terror and rage war inside me—a primal, mater
Chapter 48: Two minutesMy own face stares back at me—older, lined with years I haven't lived, eyes hardened by experiences I haven't endured. Yet unmistakably me.The room falls into stunned silence. Truth whimpers in my arms, her warm weight anchoring me to reality when everything else feels like
Chapter 47: Sanctuary unfoldedMy own face stares back at me through the flames—not as I am now, but as I might be decades from now. Lined with age, eyes hardened by experience, mouth curved into a knowing smile that I've never worn. Yet unmistakably me."What is this?" I whisper, my voice barely au
Chapter 46: A cry in the darknessThe darkness isn't complete silence. It's alive—breathing, watching, waiting.Truth's cry pierces through the blackness, a high-pitched wail that sends electricity down my spine. My hand instinctively reaches for her, fingers searching for the familiar softness of h
Chapter 45: Sanctuary BreachedThe police interview lasted hours. I watched Truth sleep in her portable bassinet, positioned between Marcus and me, as detectives combed through Victoria's surprise visit. The clock on the wall ticked past midnight, each second feeling like an eternity."Ms. Mitchell,
Chapter 44: Blood and BetrayalMy blood ran cold. DNA results? What possible game was Victoria playing now?"This is absurd," Marcus said, voice steady despite the tension radiating from him. "Another desperate manipulation. Truth is our daughter."Victoria's laugh contained no warmth, just practice
Chapter 43: Into the Dark"Get to the nursery—now," Marcus commanded, his voice barely above a whisper. His hand found mine in the darkness, squeezing once before he released me. "Take Truth and lock yourselves in."My heart hammered against my ribs as I clutched our daughter tighter. "Marcus—""Go,
Chapter 42: Blood TiesMy legs threatened to give way beneath me. I sank onto the couch, clutching Truth to my chest like a shield."You're James's half-sister?" The words felt foreign on my tongue, impossible despite the evidence standing before me. Yet looking at Rachel now—*really* looking—I coul