MARIUS’ POV: One by one, the Chinese investors express their desire to quit being my company’s investors. All of them demand that Mei Zhou should remain my business partner since she’s whom they trust, and not me. It’s not a surprise that Mei Zhou is exerting her influence against me for not getting what she wants. I was hoping that the Chinese investors are mature enough not to be influenced by her, but this is proof that I was wrong. I turn off my laptop, refusing to read the investors’ emails anymore. All that remains in my mind is that I only have twenty-four hours to make things up with Mei Zhou before they push through with their threats. My desperation to fix my relationship with my wife continues to clash against my desperation for success. Suddenly, my phone rings, and Mei Zhou’s name flashes on the screen. Without a moment’s hesitation, I toss my phone on the desk. After a few more attempts to call me, she gives up and just sends me a text message; -[Are you still mad
Mei Zhou irritatingly remains nonchalant. “I thought my husband has already fired you as his business partner? Anything else you want from him?” Hazel asks with a hint of anger in her tone. Mei Zhou stands up. “I came here to apologize for the misunderstanding I’ve caused you both. I didn’t know that helping Mr. Thorne, while making a name for myself in this foreign country, was crossing the line for you.” There’s no genuineness, either fakeness, in her apology. Hazel is probably feeling the same way as we both don’t respond to Mei Zhou. Mei Zhou leaves our house, taking with her the tension in the atmosphere. I immediately instruct the guards not to let her in if ever she comes back again. When night comes, Hazel attempts to sleep in the guest room again, but I gently imprison her into my arms and lock the door of our bedroom. “You’re not going anywhere,” I whisper with longing. Through the impassiveness she’s trying to maintain, there’s the same longing in her eyes. I le
HAZEL’S POV: Mei Zhou isn’t stopping with just ruining Marius’ business, but she’s ruining mine too! Aside from signing a real estate business deal with Reve Whitlock, she’s now introducing her cosmetic business, offering almost the same products like mine. My sales have dropped even further since then, while the consumers are getting crazy over Mei Zhou’s cosmetic lines. I lean back against my oversized chair, and think for a bit. Unfortunately, I can’t think properly. Gradually but expectedly, Marius and my businesses continue to struggle. Keeping them will only make us lose more money, but letting go of them will give us no choice but to consider being employed. The worst part is, Marius has piles of bank loans. Papa offers to pay them all off, and Marius can just pay him in return whenever he already can. But, out of pride, Marius refuses. “I can handle this. I just need more time and the right investors,” he says. To keep our staff and bodyguards employed to us, Mariu
MEI’S POV: Nice try to bring me down, Hazel Thorne. Only that, I won’t fall.The news that are against what I desire keep circulating online. Even the ones I’ve paid to take them down are failing to do their job. My eyebrow arches in irritation at the video of Marius and Hazel kissing right after Hazel filed for their divorce. Then, my jaw clenches in anger when I swipe to the video of Hazel humiliating me last night at my cosmetic business event. The popularity of my cosmetic business from when it’s launched has significantly plummeted. I don’t mind, I can squander as much money as I want to keep it going. But what I mind is Hazel’s cosmetic business gaining momentum out of the public's pity on her. Funny, how consumers can just switch sides and forget the past in just a snap of a finger. I can use that kind of behavior to my advantage too with the help of Reve Whitlock. I call him through my phone. -[“What can I do for you, Mei?”]- “Come here in my penthouse. I’ll discuss so
Betty Thorne and Elmyra Whitlock, the mothers who have lost their beloved sons to Hazel. And I’m gonna use their hatred towards her to get what I want. In the study room of my penthouse, I welcome both Betty and Elmyra warmly. Betty somewhat has a change of demeanor towards me. She has probably liked my extremely expensive gift to her. Elmyra is obviously excited. She has probably heard good things about me from Reve. “Thank you for coming here, ladies,” I say very casually. Then I motion for my secretary to hand them each a box with a bar of pure gold inside: a tradition I do to avoid rejection in my demand. Betty doesn’t react much when she flips the lid of the box open, but Emyra grins with excitement. “What do you want from me?” Betty asks. “If you want Marius, as I heard from the news, I can’t help you. He’s blindly in love with Hazel.” I smile. “No. I call the two of you today coz we have one thing in common: we all despise Hazel.” “I’ll crush Hazel’s financial status,
HAZEL’S POV: My babies are k.idnapped?! An agonizing scream tears at my throat as I’m informed of the appalling incident through a phone call! I bolt out of my store, and jump into my car. Oh God, please… I hope this is just a bad prank!. Fearful thoughts after fearful thoughts make my entire body tremble, and my tears gush from my eyes. When I arrive at the park, there are barrier tapes around the bloodstains on the grass. One of the police officers asks, “Do you know anyone who could’ve done this to your children?” Even without an actual proof, I drop names whom I thought have the ability to do this; Reve Whitlock and Pierce Thorne. The police furrows her brow in confusion. “But Mr. Pierce Thorne is currently in jail.” “He is, but he may have ordered someone to kidnap my sons,” I reply, desperation in my voice. Betty could be that someone, but I don’t think she has the guts to be as evil as her husband. Marius finally arrives. He’s as horrified as I am. We rush into ea
MARIUS’POV: Thank goodness! The DNA shows that the burned bodies aren’t Sammy’s or Archie’s. However, it’s still chilling and infuriating that someone has the stomach to dig up and burn week-old corpses just to scare us! The police continue their search for Sammy and Archie. But until now, our only leads are the very same people they interviewed a few days back. There are times that I find myself staring blankly at a distance with tears falling from my eyes. I’ve never been this petrified my whole life, and it makes me just wanna end my life! And it’s just my missing children that’s making me petrify, it’s Hazel’s condition too. She keeps on refusing to eat, let alone drink water. She barely sleeps and when she does, she’d wake up immediately from a nightmare. “I want my babies back,” she’d cry, while clutching me desperately. No matter how much I desire to appear strong for her, I can’t. I’d always end up crying with her. Dad pays us a visit every day to not only help us find o
Mom cups my face with her hands. And for the first time since the k.idnapping incident, she expresses some semblance of concern. “Please don’t do that,” she says. “T-To show you I’m really innocent, I’ll even hire private investigators.” “You should’ve done that the moment you found out that your grandson is missing.” I remove her hands from my face with aggression, then stand up. “Before I commit s.uicide, I’ll make sure to kill you and Pierce first,” I add coldly through my clenched teeth. Mom trembles in fear at my threat. But that doesn’t give me any satisfaction at all. She and Pierce keep on ruining my life to the point that they even involve my sons! I must find evidence against them before I commit another crime once again! I head to Pierce’s study and start searching through his cabinets and bookshelves. The staff beg me to stop, but I ignore them. Then, the bodyguards come in to stop me. The instant one of them touches me, I punch him in the face, causing him to r
Being the world’s richest and powerful couple is an honor, but comes with it the burden of attracting possible new jealous and evil individuals. To prepare for this, Marius and I put the country’s Chief of police and the General of the army on our payroll in exchange for their protection of our family’s well-being. Additionally, we befriend some politicians here and abroad by funding their projects and election campaigns. We also keep our contact with the hacker and the cosmetic artist. Though we’re not yet needing their help again, we’re sending them and their families’ gifts every once in a while - a way to show our appreciation for the skills and to keep them loyal to us. Everything is going well. Except,... My relationships with my former and my current mothers-in-law. They remain adamant in forgetting our pasts. Even so, we maintain our respect for each other unlike before. Plus, they always visit their grandchildren to spend some time with them. “Elmyra,” I begin, trying to
Charles Guo Committed S.uicide Behind Bars! - That’s the headline of every news outlet. I’m shocked that he’d do this to himself. But to make sure that this isn’t just a lie so that he can escape jail, I head to the morgue myself. And there he is - white and cold, with a chain mark on his neck. There’s a little guilt in me, but there’s also a huge relief. Suzy and the others who vouched for him in the courtroom are now in jail for lying, awaiting their trials. The second DNA results of Rain and his grandparents turn out to be positive, and the one Suzy presented to the court is proven to be fabricated. This, hiding Rain’s father’s death from the law, and hiring my former bodyguards to become their spies and kill my family, add to the charges she’ll be facing, making it difficult for her to pose bail. “P-please, Hazel… I’m sorry I chose my husband over you. He threatened me, that’s why I have no choice,” she cries, clutching the bars of her cell.I raise an eyebrow. “You didn’t
My tears continue to cascade from my eyes, as I chase after Marius, who’s on a stretcher and being rushed to the emergency room. “Ma’am, you can’t enter,” the doctor says as she shuts the door in my face. I sink to my knees and clutches my tightening chest. Oh God! Please, save Marius! Don’t take him from me! Hours pass, but the emergency doors remain closed. There’s no update about Marius’ situation so far. Betty has arrived too, panicking and sobbing, which only makes me even more apprehensive. The nurses help her to calm down by giving her some medications. Then I sit beside her, hoping to give and get comfort. But,... “If I lose my son too, I will kill myself, and will blame my death on you,” she says, coldly. I stop myself from responding. This isn’t the right time and place to argue. Finally, the doctor steps out of the emergency room, his expression grave. “The patient is in a coma and will be under monitoring. The bullet has pierced through his left lung, but it’s
A week has lapsed,...And finally, the judgment day has arrived! Will fate back us up? Or will it vouch for Charles instead? Inside the courtroom, Charles looks calm, a complete turnaround from how he was when he’s in our basement. Sitting on the bench behind him is Amber, Rain and Suzy. I saw those three earlier, arriving separately. The media were all over them, throwing questions about the scandal surrounding their family’s odd relationships. They ignored them. And just like Charles, they all look calmer than how I was expecting them to be. When the trial begins, the first case that’s discussed is the m.urder of Rain’s biological father. Rain’s grandparents get on the witness stand. Their emotions rise as they state how they remember their son when he was still alive. “He just suddenly came home one day with groceries and shopping bags that we knew he can’t afford, given the salary he’s getting in Mr. Guo’s factory,” the father says. “Soon, he brought us a brand new house
HAZEL’S POV: It’s proven that Amber Stark can’t be trusted. But, what about Suzy and Rain Guo, will they side with me and Marius? Marius and I, disguised as Crystal and Chris, meet Suzy and Rain in a high-end cafe. “Give us the list of Charles’ illegal businesses, and we promise that all of his wealth will be yours,” I say. Suzy responds, “Believe it or not, my husband doesn’t have any illegal businesses, so there’s no way you can lawfully freeze his access to his wealth.” It seems like we can’t trust these two as well. If only our hacker can find these pieces of information, then we won’t need to bargain with them. But our hacker has limitations too. Suddenly, Suzy’s aura shifts! “However, I can give you the identity of Rain’s biological father. You can use his death against Charles,” she says. That’s a help, but that's not enough to freeze Charles’ assets. Charles may still be able to utilize his wealth to manipulate the authorities. After giving us the details of Rain’s
AMBER’S POV: Crystal Wu’s offer is tempting, but she and her husband can’t be trusted. Plus, Charles won’t be defeated that easily. I call Charles through my phone since he hasn’t come back home yet. When he picks up, he sounds a little more enthusiastic than usual. Even when he’s celebrating something huge, he isn’t like this. “Weird,” I murmur, then continue with a clearer voice. “Be careful. Crystal Wu is planning to destroy your finances, and she’s trying to use me against you.” His enthusiasm doesn’t falter. -[“I’ll be careful. Thanks for letting me know.”]- He then drops the call, and I can’t reconnect with him when I try to call him again. Frustrated, I send her a text message: -[Where are you anyway? I need s.ex!]- But, there’s no reply. I meet Rain and Suzy, who are having their lunch in the dining area. Then I tell them about Crystal Wu’s scheme. “She wants me to know all Charles’ illegal businesses, so the government can freeze all of his wealth just like what hap
HAZEL’S POV: It’s not easy to harden our hearts, but Marius and I must do it if we don’t want our enemies to get the better of us again. We already got access to our bodyguards’ and house staff’s past and current call and text message logs, and we identified five Guo’s spies in total. To stop them from continuously betraying us, we target their weaknesses - their loved ones. We gathered the traitors inside the study, and took their phones and their weapons. At first they’re confused until we explained why.“You’re spies of Charles Guo and you’ll pay for that big time,” Marius said coldly.Stunned, their faces paled and their bodies clenched. But none dared to deny it.“We have your family members, hidden in a place where you can’t contact or see them. If you want them to stay safe, you must follow every single thing we’ll demand from you,” I added with equal coldness.Alarmed, they tremble. One of them even kneeled down and begged,“Please, my family has nothing to do with my bet
“Take off all the CCTVs now!” I roar. Frantically, the maids and the bodyguards uninstall all the CCTVs in every corner of my estate. It may lessen the safety of my home, but I can’t risk giving my enemies more of our privacy! Once they’re done, I turn to Suzy and clutches her shoulders furiously.“I didn’t realize that there’s CCTV in that hospital room!” Suzy explains, trembling in fear. “Regardless! You shouldn’t have told the Thornes about our family’s affair!” I hiss, before pushing her onto the sofa. Then I turn to Amber, who’s fearfully hiding behind Rain. I wanna lash out at her too, but I stop myself. Even I didn't think that the CCTVs in my home used for our safety would be hacked to shove us into danger.Over the next few days, the mainstream and social media explode with news about our unconventional family relationships. We have become the laughing stock of the entire country. I can’t get out of my estate out of humiliation, can’t even accept an interview or a new
CHARLES’ POV: There’s nothing! Crystal and Chris Wu’s cellphones can’t provide anything that’ll connect them to Marius and Hazel Thorne! I turn to Rain and ask, “Are you sure you don’t know them?” Rain replies, “They invested one billion dollars to my new business venture, but I don’t know them personally. And I also don’t remember ever inviting them to my prenuptial party.” Irritation courses through me. “You’re so s.tupid to not meet your investors in person! I’m not gonna be surprised why until now you can’t build connections on your own!” “And now we can’t be sure if we can trust those two or not!” Rain shrugs, unbothered in showing his disinterest. I can’t believe that I’m squandering so much wealth for this d.umbass! If only I’m able to produce my own son, I would never let him exist! Amber approaches me and seductively rubs her palms across my chest area. “Honey, I’m scared. Everybody is talking about us now. Shall we just confess our affair?” she asks without any hin