CARTER’S POV: It’s been two years, but I’m still grieving my loss. I’m at the cemetery, standing in front of Hazel’s grave with a bouquet of her favorite white jasmine in hand. I make this pilgrimage countless times to appease my guilt for the cruel words and actions I hurled at her in her last moments. "If only I could turn back the time," I whisper. My fingers trace the engraved letters of her name and our unborn child’s that nobody got to utter except me in my nightmares, feeling the chill of the stone seeping into my skin. As I make my way back to my car, an unfamiliar, old couple walks towards Hazel’s grave. They‘re weeping, clutching each other. The man carries a bouquet of flowers, the woman a small, framed photograph of an unfamiliar younger woman. Who are they? I’m sure they’re not one of Hazel’s adoptive family members, Hazel also doesn’t have a friend except for Lilian. When I approach them, they gasp in fear as if I’m about to do something horrible to them. The wom
LILIAN’S POV: We had been so passionate, so in sync before Morgan came along. Now, it feels like Carter's attention is monopolized by Morgan, while I’m relegated to just an insignificant role. The only time I feel Carter's attention on me is when we’re in bed, and even that feels like it’s driven more by routine than passion. Elmyra’s voice pulls me out from my thoughts. "Is something bothering you?" she asks, her tone deceptively gentle.I sigh. "Carter. How can he not show some effort with our wedding when we've talked about this several times before, even when he was still married to Hazel?"Elmyra chuckles. The sound grates on my already frayed nerves, but I force myself to be calm. I’ve been trying my best not to make a bad impression on her, no matter how infuriating I find her.Elmyra leans closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Remember, once you're married to my son, you'll lose all the privilege to question his words and actions. You must follow him, an
HAZEL’S POV: My heart aches as I think of Sammy who has to remain at hospital for I have no idea how much longer. Our bills have already reached thousands of dollars since he became an in-patient just a few days ago. Without Marius’ help, we won’t be able to sustain it.I grab the bag, heavy with fresh clothes, and step out of my house. The sand crunches softly beneath my feet as I make my way to the bus stop. While waiting for the bus to arrive, the sound of an approaching BMW catches my attention. It glides by, followed by another, and then another. Then, a chill runs down my spine when I notice the plate numbers: WTL. T-that’s… The Whitlocks! What are they doing here?! Why do the people of my past keep reappearing now all of a sudden?!Men in black suits begin to emerge from the cars, their faces hard and menacing. Some of them I’ve seen, and even talked to before. They’re Carter’s bodyguards!Panic surges through me, and without thinking, I bolt towards the nearest convenienc
Wow! This is all… so much!This place, with its panoramic views and opulent decor, is beyond anything I’ve ever imagined for me and my son. I only want a safe place to hide, but Marius offers so much more than that - a penthouse.I lay Sammy onto his bed. His own bedroom has medical equipment meticulously arranged, and a private, in-house nurse who’ll look after him. Betty and I also have our own bedrooms, though Betty is free to come and go home just as what stated in our contract.My eyes fall upon Marius to thank him. But, I utter no single word as I first notice the red mark on his cheek. Guilt gnaws at my insides. I’ve acted out of fear and misunderstanding, and Marius has responded with compassion and generosity.Night descends, Betty is asleep in her bedroom, while the nurse is with Sammy in Sammy’s bedroom. Marius is preparing to leave and go back to the capital."I can't thank you enough, Marius," I say softly, walking over to him with an ice bag. "For everything."Marius' s
“Marius Thorne, I’ll give you twenty-four hours to surrender my wife and my child to me. Otherwise, you’ll lose everything you hold dear.” Carter and his bodyguards have left, but the threat of their return lingers. How much else can he do? Can he really destroy Marius, a man who also belongs from another powerful family? If Carter can find me here, in the supposed safe place of Marius, it means that I’ll never be truly safe anywhere else. Back in the penthouse, I sink on the sofa while Marius paces by the floor-to-ceiling window, his jaw set in a grim line. “Marius, I’m sorry that you were dragged into this,” I say. Marius moves to sit beside me, then takes my hand and squeezes it. “Don’t worry about me, Carter won’t dare harm me. If he will, I’ll make sure to retaliate. I’m not the only one who’s gonna go down, he will too.” “Will you really fight this battle with me?” I ask. Marius nods. There’s a determination in his gaze. I squeeze his hand back as I straighten my shou
LILIAN’S POV: Tonight, I wanna feel close to Carter again, to break down the walls between us that seem to be growing higher each day. After adjusting my lingerie, I make my way to Carter's bedroom. He’s sitting on the edge of the bed with a glass of bourbon in hand. His broad shoulders are tense, his gaze distant as he stares at the wall opposite. “Carter,” I say seductively. “I wanna make love with you. It’s been a week since the last time we did it.” “Yes, please. I need a stress reliever,” he replies with equal sultriness. I take the glass from his hand and set it on the nightstand. Then, I begin to undress him. Carter leans into my touch, his eyes closing briefly. But just as I undo the last button of his shirt, his phone rings. Carter's eyes snap open, and he pulls away from me, reaching for his phone with a frown. "Hello?" The previous warmth of his voice is replaced with a cold edge. "What?! Are you sure?!"He stands up and exits the bedroom. My frustration flares that
CARTER’S POV: This is an official declaration of war! I thought I could control them, but they’re proving to be more resilient than I’ve anticipated! My hands tremble slightly as I pick up the divorce papers I just received, the bold signature of Hazel and Marius as her divorce lawyer, glaring back at me. I crumple the papers and hurl them to the trash can. Hazel wants to play dirty? So be it! She couldn't and wouldn’t win. Not over me! I snatch my phone and call Attorney Culpo, the best lawyer I could ever think of. "I want all legal rights to search Marius' penthouse as soon as possible!" I bark, pacing my office. "I want to take my son from Hazel, and I want full custody… no matter what it takes!" -[“Mr. Whitlock, we need to be strategic about this. Barging in—"]- “I don’t care how you do it! Just make it happen!” I interrupt, before dropping the call. I storm out of my office, my bodyguards falling into step behind me. My first official battleground: the Thorne’s residen
MARIUS’ POV: Bang! The shattered pieces of the vase scatter on the tiled floor, almost hitting my feet. “Are you out of your mind?!” dad shouts, his face reddening. “You put everything you worked so hard for at risk just because of a woman?!” I remain nonchalant. I can’t argue ‘cause what I did is unarguably a crime.“Marius only did that to help Lilian,” mom says, casting a glare toward Lilian, who stands distressed in the corner.“Regardless!” dad counters. “He shouldn’t have switched Carter’s wife’s identity with a dead woman’s!”Dad closes the distance between us in a few quick strides, his hand latching onto my jaw, forcing me to meet his glare. I feel the sting of his grip but doesn’t waver.“I want you to back out from that woman’s divorce case,” he demands in a much calmer but still dangerous tone. “Let another lawyer do it for her.”“That’s not gonna happen. I’ll remain Hazel’s lawyer,” I say.Dad’s grip tightens painfully on my jaw. “If you disobey me, I’ll strip you of y
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