HaraldSitting in the section reserved for the defendant, my sweaty hands rested on my knees. The courtroom was packed, and the air was thick with murmurs and looks of contempt. I couldn't lift my head to look at anyone; shame weighed on me like an unbreakable chain. The judge began reading the crimes my family was being tried for, and with each word uttered, the burden grew. My name was tied to all of this, even though I had never had a direct hand in the business. But as Charles Morton's son and Bruce's brother, my presence was inevitable. I was a Morton, and now I was paying for it.As the judge described the evidence, I saw the grim faces of those who had been victims of our family. There were many stories of lives destroyed by the greed and power the Mortons had accumulated over the years. As I tried to distance myself from this weight, I felt myself sinking more and more into the mud they created. Each statement was a blow, each report was an open wound that burned inside.I kne
HaraldJake Gardner told his story with an intensity that set the surrounding air on fire. I had already known, in part, what he was going to say, but hearing it from his own mouth was much more brutal than I could have imagined. He started with the name that made me cringe in my seat: Henry Gardner. Jake's father. A man who, twenty years ago, had tried to do what no one else had the courage to do—challenge the Mortons"My father," Jake began, his voice firm but filled with deep pain, "was a partner at Morton Enterprise for a short time. He had believed he was part of something big, a company that brought progress. But everything changed when he realized the dirt behind the transactions. He discovered... things. Corruption, fraud, and extortion.The mention of his father's name brought a suffocating weight to the room. The words weighed heavily on me. I had heard of this story before—fragments scattered over the years, whispers of rumors that my family had always tried to stifle. But
JakeI was consoling my mother after the judge's hearing on that very important day in our lives when the Mortons' son appeared, asking to speak to us. There was a tense moment when he approached me and my mother. I could feel that my mother was tense from the involuntary grip of her hand that was holding my arm.“I would really like to speak to you,” Harald Morton asked again. On his face, there was a black shadow, as if he was overwhelmed.“What would you have to say?” I questioned him, as if I wasn't interested in hearing what he wanted to say. I wasn't actually interested. Likewise, I mean, what would a member of that hateful family have to say to me and my mother? He would certainly be there to try to calm our spirits by offering money, just as they always did with their victims.The man in front of me shifted his weight from one leg to the other in a somewhat disconcerting way, as if he were having to bear a lot inside him. “That’s all this is about, Mr. Gardner,” he began in a
HaraldI had gone into the bathroom, alone, and looked at myself in the mirror. My face looked different, more tired, as if the weight of all the recent events had finally begun to be reflected physically on me. The encounter with Jake Gardner and his mother still remained fresh in my mind. It had been a tense, difficult conversation, filled with hurt, guilt and, somehow, a thread of hope that I still couldn't quite identify. What I had done—that attempt to apologize, was the least I could do, but it didn't erase everything my family had caused over the decades. Still, as strange as it seemed, a small relief was beginning to wash over me. Maybe, finally, my family's victims were starting to receive some form of justice.I sighed as I washed my hands, letting the water run for longer than necessary, as if that could purify something beyond the physical. I wanted to wash away all the guilt and all the dirt that the Morton name carried, but I knew that wasn't possible. Likewise, I spent
NancySitting in the basement next to Bruce, heavy silence filled the air, except for the sound of popcorn popping in the bowl next to me. I had prepared it as an ironic gesture, an almost theatrical touch to watch Bruce's downfall. He, who so loved being in control, was now tied up, powerless, and reduced to insignificance. The man I knew who for so many years imposed his power on everyone around him, was now nothing more than a shadow of what he once was. Even so, his tongue remained sharp."You're stupid, Nancy," he began, his tone full of contempt despite his miserable situation. His hands were trapped, and he could barely move, but his arrogance was still intact. "You and your boyfriend just destroyed our children's future. With the fall of the Morton empire, the money that supports Amber's luxurious life will run out, and now our daughter will have to work and live in poverty, like a damn normal person. Is that what you want? Our boy Peter is going to spend his entire life worki
NancyWhen Jake finally arrived, the sun had already set, painting the sky with orange and gold tones. I had stood at the window, watching the mansion's courtyard, feeling the weight of waiting. My heart was heavy, anxious to see him, but also uneasy about everything we had faced in the last few days. As soon as I saw his car cross the gate, I felt an immediate relief, as if his presence was capable of dispelling all the fear and anguish that hung over me.I didn't wait for him to get out of the car. I ran out of the house and as soon as he left, I threw myself into his arms. Furthermore, I hugged him tightly, feeling the warmth and security of his body. For a moment, all the pain I carried dissipated. He wrapped me in his arms, firm, as if he wanted to protect me from everything, and I knew in that instant that I was in the right place."I'm sorry I was late," he whispered, his voice muffled against my hair as he stroked me. "I spent time with my mom. I needed to be with her after ev
HaraldSince that encounter with Glory in the bathroom, the confusion never seemed to leave me. She wanted us to run away together, abandoning everything, leaving the past behind. Before, an idea like that would have filled me with excitement, it would have been the kind of adventure I needed to free myself. There were five years of secret meetings, five years of a passion that burned in the shadows, away from my father's relentless gaze. Being with Glory had been a way to challenge him, to prove to myself that he didn't have absolute control over my life. She had been my silent rebellion, the outlet that allowed me to breathe amid the constant pressure and humiliation.But now... now I hesitated. Her proposal, something that would have been irresistible in the past, seemed to no longer make sense. I drove aimlessly, trying to understand what had changed. And my thoughts kept coming back to Candace.Candace, who was always there, by my side, without asking questions. Candace, who neve
CandaceI was at home, worried about Harald and the situation he was living in. The mansion felt emptier than ever, silent and heavy, as if the walls had absorbed the tension I felt. Harald had left to represent his family at the trial, and I couldn't stop thinking about how much this could hurt him. He was trying to clear the Mortons' name, even though he knew the odds were against him, and that made me uneasy.I needed to find a way to distract myself, so it occurred to me that I could cook. I wanted him to come home and find something welcoming, a dinner made by me, a surprise that would make him feel a little comfort after such an exhausting day. There was just one problem: I had never cooked in my life. I grew up surrounded by servants, and the kitchen was almost unknown territory for me. But that afternoon, I decided I would give it a try.I took out my cell phone and started looking for easy recipes. I wanted something that wasn't so simple that it looked boring, but also not s