HAZEL’S POV: A package from Marius comes to me this morning: a divorce paper and a positive pregnancy test with a letter saying that he and Mei Zhou are expecting their first child.My initial excitement dwindles, acknowledging that this isn’t from Marius but from Mei Zhou herself. Thankfully, after my encounter with Marius last night, I’m smarter now than to believe what our enemies are presenting to us.Marius and I can pretend that we agree to divorce each other, while waiting for the perfect timing to crush Mei Zhou down. And her pregnancy, it may be fake just like Nicole’s. And even if it’s not fake, the baby’s father can’t be Marius.Surprisingly, Mei Zhou’s pregnancy isn’t on the news yet. Obviously, she’ll be questioned about it. People will turn against her even more for being a homewrecker. I remember her and Reeve Whitlock pretending to be a thing before just to salvage her reputation when I accused her of trying to steal Marius from me. Her cosmetic business’ sales went
MEI’S POV: S.hit! My hand trembles as I stare at the positive pregnancy test. Anger flares, but I force myself to stay calm. Marius can’t know that this baby isn’t his, but Reve Whitlock’s! When I tell Marius about my pregnancy, he acknowledges it. He’s not particularly happy, but he’s not in denial either. However,... When I tell my parents about the news, they’re furious. “I didn’t raise you while giving you everything you want just to be a mistress!” Dad hisses. With confidence, I reply, “Marius will divorce his wife, and will marry me. Therefore, I'm no longer gonna be his mistress, but his wife.” Still, both mom and dad are disgusted at me. This is the first time I have had a face-to-face conversation with them ever since returning to this country. And they’ve been unaccepting of Marius ever since we started dating a few days back. “What will you do if that guy returns to his wife once he remembers her?” mom asks, her brow furrowed with worry. I shrug. “I don’t know
Overnight, my bribery towards the FBI agents go viral. I try to deny it by claiming it’s a fake video, created by AI. But, the FBI agents discredit my claims. Now, I'm handcuffed. And while being escorted to the FBI headquarters, cameras unforgivingly flicker on my face, microphones being disrespectfully shoved to my lips. “Since you bribed the authorities, are you admitting that your parents are guilty of the allegations against them?” one annoying reporter asks. With feign confidence, I respond, “The truth will prevail.” My mouth stings at the words. If the truth prevails, it’s the end of me and my parents. That’s why I have to think of a new way to turn the tide to our favor while I still have time. Fortunately, bribery is a bailable offense. Mom and dad send their lawyer to pay my bail and I’m set free. Unfortunately, me and them will be under surveillance for the entire duration of the investigation and the government has issued a freeze order to all of our assets until w
I blink awake, feeling my heartbeats. I’m still alive? A sigh of disappointment escapes me. As I clench my fist, a sting wriggles through my dressed, wounded wrist. And as I sit up, mom and dad rush towards my bed with worried yet relieved faces. “How are you feeling?” dad asks. Without responding, I get up from bed, put on a coat, and descend to the garage. Mom and dad try to stop me, but I continue to maneuver my car out of their mansion’s gates. I have to end my enemies, before they can end me; Leslie, Hazel then Marius! And there’s no time to waste! Arriving at Leslie’s luxurious apartment, he welcomes me with an irritating smile. “So, have you thought about how you can pay your remaining balance to me?” he asks as he hands me a glass of wine. I glare at him for a moment, before aggressively knocking the wine glass out of his grasp. He steps back, fear creeping on his face. “I still have bars of gold hidden in my vault. I can give you all of them if you can kill M
Is this mafia boss here to silent us now? The man eyes me from head to toe, before flickering his gaze back to mom and dad. “If you want my mercy and my trust, then I’ll take your daughter with me back home in Italy.” My chest clenches in fear when mom and dad only glance at each other without any attempt to reject him. The man stands up and extends his hand to me. “I’m Adriano Giordanno, the mafia boss of Le Distruzioni. I’m pleased to meet you, Miss Mei Zhou.” I glare at his hand, and refuse to take it. “What will you do to me if I come with you? Turn me into your slave?” He smirks. “Possibly. But, if you become a good girl and follow all of my rules, I may turn you into my wife, a powerful woman no one can match.” I smirk back with more mockery than his. “I’m pregnant with another man’s, Marius Thorne’s, baby. Don’t tell me you’re okay with that?” Recognition flickers in his eyes. “I’ve seen that guy on TV before, and his wife too. Men are men, unable to stay loyal even if
HAZEL’S POV: Finally! Marius and I can spend time together again. Mei Zhou can’t do anything against us now. And I hope she’s the last who will ever dare try to ruin us. Time flies by so quickly that I barely notice that Sammy is already speaking a few words with clarity, while Archie can now crawl and sit on his own. Our enemies took away our time as parents to them, that we miss these little things. But I promise to do my best to make it up to them. Our night is filled with laughter as we play, and as we watch cartoons together. It’s a little late when Sammy and Archie have fallen asleep, but I don’t mind. Next, Marius and I have a little chat with papa, thanking him for everything he has done for us. “Anything to make you and my grandchildren happy,” papa says, before giving us a big hug. Afterwards, Marius and I head to our bedroom. Marius pulls me into his arms, and I dangle my arms over his neck. Then, our lips lock in a passionate kiss. Gradually, we undress each ot
As I slowly regain my consciousness, I realize that I’m blindfolded, gagged, and tied up. I’m also on something soft and quite shaky - a car? No, cars’ seats don’t feel like this. So, where am I? My desperation to find Marius, and make sure he’s safe gives me strength to move. I roll, then thud! I hiss in pain when I hit something akin to a carpeted floor. Then I jerk in fear when a pair of hands touch me, while an unfamiliar voice of a woman echoing, “Are you, okay? You shouldn’t move too much. We’ll land at our destination soon.” Land?! We’re in a plane?! I wiggle as aggressively as I can, but the metals on my wrists and ankles are not loosening and only biting my skin. I scream. Though it’s muffled, whoever is with me pulls down the gag from my mouth. “Who are you? Where are you bringing me?” I ask. “I’m just a flight attendant hired by someone I don’t know. And we’re gonna land in Sicily, Italy soon,” the voice says. Confusion continues to engulf me. “But why?!” The wo
I’m being bathed by women in uniforms. Aside from their young looks, they’re all pretty. Intrigued, I ask, “Are you Adriano’s… uhm… slaves?” They glance at each other, then their shoulders slump in sadness, which makes me feel guilty for asking. “We are, but we’re all once his woman,” one of them says. “If you don’t satisfy him tonight, you’ll become one of us too. He won’t let you go out of his estate. And if you attempt to escape, you’ll be killed just like the others.” Fear grips my chest. I’ve escaped Carter, the mental institution and even my mental distress. But this one will probably give me the most difficult chance of reclaiming my freedom. There are an estimated three hundred bodyguards roaming around the front yard and the entire mansion. Way more than what the wealthiest I’ve ever known have in their own estate. Adriano is a mafia boss, so I expect that he’s also far more dangerous than either Carter or Pierce. I ask again, “Do you know anyone named Marius Thron