"Okay, just calm down. You're getting a little ahead of yourself here." Emmerson says halting my thoughts and dismissing what I said.I stare at Emerson, my blood boiling. "Do you really think so? I'm getting ahead of myself here? Is that what you think now?" I let out a bitter laugh, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Oh, please, just tell me what's next. Since you're the one in control of everything, why don’t you go ahead and tell me what I feel? What I think? What I should do?" My arms fly up in frustration. "You’re just going to plan my whole life out for me, aren't you? Even though you don’t want me, even though you’re not with me anymore, you still want to control me!" I find myself raising my voice with every word.Before he can respond, there's a knock at the door.Knock, knock.We both freeze, our argument hanging heavy in the air. My breathing is uneven, my chest rising and falling as I glare at Emerson.Knock, knock.And then—Madeline’s voice.“Mina? Emerson?” Another pause
EmmersonAs Mina left, angrily, not sparing a glance or looking back towards us, I was still down on my knees. But this time, I wasn’t filled with desperation—I was filled with relief.At least she wasn’t leaving.At least I would be sure she was close and taken care of.I knew how her mind worked. When she was angry, she just did things and acted on impulse. I just needed her to cool down and understand what I was saying to her.I was doing all of this for her.Even if it killed me in the end.If we got married now, I would keep asking myself—did she truly have real feelings for me? Or would she always have Eric in her heart?Even though every part of me wanted to ask her to come back, to take her back so everything could return to normal, so I could hold her in my arms again and be with her, I knew this was the right choice for both of us. This would be good for us.And if she did decide that she wanted me, if she chose me in the end, then that would be the best thing to ever happen
I wonder if Eric ever really saw it—how happy I had been with Mina.I wonder if he could tell that the fact there is no wedding, whether that means I’m with her or not, is tearing me apart inside.And I wonder if he even cares.Does it matter to him if what Mina and I had was real? Does he care that she made me happy? Or is he only focused on himself, on what he thinks he’s won?The thought lingers, heavy in my chest.But I don’t want to entertain him, so I say, “I’m glad that you’re happy. Can you leave now?”Eric grins wider. “I brought you a gift.” He pushes the box closer to me. “I knew you weren’t going to marry her. I just knew. I was like, my father? To do that to me? Hell no! And I tried to tell people that you wouldn't actually marry her, but they didn’t believe me. Can you believe it? I just knew it. Thanks, Dad.”He stands up, still shaking his head, convinced of his own delusion. “I just knew you were always going to be on my side. I just knew you wouldn’t choose her ov
I know Tomas here under the title of a butler, but in reality, I hired him as security. He started as a bodyguard, but having visible security inside the house made things uncomfortable. So, he took on the role of a butler to keep people at ease.No one expects a butler to be security. No one suspects that he watches over everything—over the house, the estate, the staff.He's the real manager of this place, the one who keeps it all running.And over the years, we’ve formed a kind of friendship.I wouldn’t say I have many real friends, people I can truly talk to, be my true self. But Thomas—he’s different. Sometimes, when I have things weighing on my mind, I talk to him. And over time, he’s proven to be very wise and have very good advice.So, yes. He became family. A friend. Someone I trust.If I were asked to name my closest confidants, Thomas would be one of them.Now, as he steps into the office, his face is grim.He doesn’t need to ask why I called him here.He already knows.And
I raise an eyebrow, caught off guard but also amused by his actions. “Who?”“Don’t play dumb,” he snaps. “I want to see Mina. She hasn’t been seen. She hasn’t been heard. She’s not picking up my calls. She and I had a lot of plans. We had an understanding, and she’s not doing her part. Today is supposed to be her wedding. I was supposed to be in her wedding, but zip! Nothing from her. And my mom just tells me there’s no wedding.”He steps closer, his face twisted in anger.“Where is she?” His voice rises. “Did you kill her? Where did you bury her body? Did you kidnap her, where did you lock her in this house?”“Treyson, are you okay?“ I ask him, This little boy must be insane.“Wherever you hid her, whatever you did…. I am going to find out.““ It's too early in the morning to deal with this,” I mutter under my breath.For now, I just want him gone.“Get out of my house,” I say, turning around to go back to the bedroom.But no—he runs in front of me, standing there as if he can block
MinaI woke up today, and the first thing I did was laugh.Today was supposed to be my wedding day.But instead, it was going to be the day I severed ties—with Emerson, with my family, with the life that had been planned for me.Today was the day I set myself free.Sitting in this house all these days, I used the time to grieve. To mourn what I thought I had, what I knew I had lost. I allowed myself to feel everything—anger, sadness, regret—but then I decided.I was moving on.I wasn’t going to let Emerson control me. I wasn’t going to let him dictate my life, tell me what to do, or make decisions for me.Yesterday, I bought a ticket.I was going to Rio.When I first told Emerson about it—during our argument—it had been an impulsive idea, something that slipped out in the heat of the moment. He brushed it off and dismissed it like it was nothing.But it had taken root.The more I sat in this house, the more I realised—I had nothing left here. No friends. No family. Not even the man I
"What do you mean, what the hell is going on?" I snap, pushing myself up slightly despite the pain in my leg. "I should be the one asking you that question. What the hell are you doing here? How are you here? Why are you even here? What’s going on?"Trey stares at me, his brows furrowing as if I’m the one acting irrationally."Were you leaving?" His voice is sharp, confused. "Where are you going?""I'm very confused about what is going on here," I fire back. "Why the hell are you here?""Why wouldn’t I be here?" he counters, folding his arms.I exhale sharply,"You cancelled the wedding. You’re not living in the mansion. You disappeared—" He shakes his head like he still can’t believe it. "You know, I thought Emerson had actually done something to you, that prick. I actually thought he abducted you."I blink. "Abducted me?""Yeah. You don’t know how some people’s minds work, especially when it has to do with matters of the heart" he insists, his expression serious. "I mean, you’re you
I look back at Trey, and he must see something in my face because he says, "I'll get it."Knock, knock.This time, a voice follows."Mina? Is everything alright in there?"Trey groans and strides toward the door before I can stop him.He swings it open. "Hello, old man—""Where’s Mina?" Thomas interrupts, dismissing what he said. "I need to see her. I need to know she's okay."Trey scoffs. "What, you think I came here just to hurt her?"Thomas barely acknowledges him. "Mina?"I step forward quickly before this turns into something. "I'm fine, Thomas," I say.He studies me for a moment before nodding. "Okay. I just wanted to make sure everything's okay.""Everything's fine," I assure him. "Thanks."With another nod, Thomas turns and starts leaving.I close the door behind him, exhaling before I go back to sit down.Trey is watching me, curiosity flickering in his eyes."So," he says, tilting his head, "the two of you really broke up. You're not together anymore?"“In what language d
Eric opened his mouth, hesitating. "I was just—1... We ...."But he seemed stuck. His usual confidence wavered, and I could see the turmoil in his eyes. So, I took the initiative for him."Eric just came to see me," I said, keeping my voice light. "He heard I was pregnant and wanted to tell me how happy and excited he was that he’s getting a sibling."I turned to Eric and gave him a small smile."We were just hashing out our little differences," I continued, "because now, we’re going to be a real family."Eric stood up abruptly, nodding his head. "Yeah, yeah, yeah… I’m just gonna— I’m gonna go."Emerson watched him closely. "Okay. Did you need anything?"Eric didn’t look fine. His usual sharp presence was replaced by something… lost.He just kept nodding. "I just— I have to clear my head. I’m just— I’m going to go."Emerson stepped aside, allowing him to pass. Eric walked out without another word.
"Of course, I am serious, Mina," Eric said, unwavering. "I have never been serious about something as much as I am serious about this—about us."He leaned forward, his eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that made my skin crawl. "Mina, what’s stopping you? What’s keeping you back?"I opened my mouth, ready to tell him exactly what was stopping me, but he cut me off before I could even form the words."I know you don’t love my father," he pressed on. "I mean, you two weren't even together a few days ago. And suddenly, the moment he finds out you’re pregnant, you’re back together? Just like that?" He scoffed. "You and I both know that’s not real. You weren’t with him because you loved him. You were with him for revenge—because of me. Because you still love me."I clenched my fists, as I forced myself to stay calm.He wasn’t finished. "Do you really want to start a family with my father? For God’s sake, Mina, he’s an old man!" His voice
"Eric, I have no idea what you're talking about. I am—""No!" He cut me off sharply, his voice urgent. "Shhh! Mina, just listen to me, okay? Listen to me."I stiffened at the intensity in his voice."Think about you and me. Think of us as kids. Think of us as grown-ups. We have always been together. We have always done things together. You and I… we could have been the most powerful couple in the world," he said, his eyes locking onto mine.I opened my mouth to protest, but he didn’t let me."Just think of our plans," he urged, his voice filled with desperation. "Think of our plans when we were together. Think of our plans when we were at university. Think of the future we wanted.""Eric, no, wait—""Just think of those as you listen to me, okay?" He moved closer. "We had plans to conquer the world. You and I… we were going to be the richest couple on this planet. You are just so smart. And you're so amazing and intelligent. And when you focus on something, you actually make wonders,
"Thank you," I said, smiling genuinely at Madeline. Her response was a soft laugh as if she couldn’t help herself. I wasn’t upset by her questions, though, and I didn’t think much of it.Emmerson's voice cut through the silence. "Mina has been through a lot, so I’m going to get her to bed upstairs to relax." He turned towards Madeline. "Madeline, I’m sure you’ve prepared the soup, can you bring it up in about 15 minutes so I can help her get showered and changed?"Madeline nodded, looking at me. "Of course."With that, Madeline left towards the kitchen, and everyone else dispersed. Emerson then carried me up the stairs. He prepared the bath for me, making sure the water temperature was just right. We then found ourselves in a debate about whether he should give me a bath. Of course, he won, insisting that I needed help.There was something tender in the way he handled me, every movement was made with love and care. After the bath, he helped me apply oil to my skin, the sensation soo
She looked at me with that twisted, dark smile, the one that told me she thought she had won. As if she had accomplished exactly what she came here to do. But she was still standing in my room, still breathing the same air as me, still existing in my space, and I couldn’t take it. The anger, the pain, the years of resentment came over me. My voice came out in a scream, raw and filled with fury. "Get out! Get out, get out, get out!" The door burst open. A nurse rushed in, followed closely by Trey. His eyes darted between me and my mother, concern into his face. "What’s going on?" he demanded. "Mina, what happened?" I pointed a shaking hand at Kristy. "I don’t want to see this woman ever again in my life!" My voice was hoarse, but I didn’t care. "I’ll get a restraining order if I have to. If I ever see you again, I swear I will make you regret it." The words cut through the air.
She looked at me for a long moment before speaking again."I am willing to give you another chance." She announced.A surprised cough escaped my lips. "A chance?" I repeated, narrowing my eyes. "A chance to do what, exactly?""A chance to prove that you have wished no ill for your sister," she said firmly. "To prove that you actually are part of this family."A disbelieving chuckle slipped past my lips, but my mother didn’t flinch. She pressed on as if she truly believed she held all the power in this conversation."You’re going to call Eric," she continued. "You’re going to tell him that everything that happened with Trey was wrong. You're going to talk to Trey and convince him to tell Eric that maybe he was lying. Just… find something. Make up anything. But make sure that Eric calls Rita, apologizes, and takes your sister back home where she belongs."She said it as if the matter was settled as if she had the final say.
By the time we turned back towards the room, we noticed that the doctor had already left. I guess there had been too much crying in the room. I found myself laughing. "I'm so happy, Emerson." He grinned, his excitement evident. "I'm even happier. You don’t know how I’m feeling right now. I want to—" He let out a breathless laugh. "I want to dance. I want to jump with joy. I want to scream it from the top of this building. I'm going to be a dad, Mina!" "And I'm going to be a mom," I said, my voice breaking as fresh tears welled in my eyes. Emerson's expression softened. "Oh my God, why are you still crying? I don’t think it’s good for the baby to cry so much." "I know," I sniffled, wiping my eyes. "I’m going to try. I really am. But I don’t know how to stop—I’m just so happy." At that moment, my stomach let out a loud rumble. Emerson chuckled. "Looks like our baby is hu
The doctor’s expression remained calm. “Did you drink every day?”I shook my head quickly. “No, not every day. Just occasionally.”Guilt flooded me. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I—I didn’t know I was pregnant.” My voice cracked, and the tears returned, burning the back of my eyes.The doctor placed a hand on my shoulder, squeezing gently. “Mina, it’s okay. You didn’t know.”I hiccupped on a sob. “But what if I—”“Listen to me,” she interrupted firmly, “You and the baby are healthy. Tomorrow, we’ll do a full examination, and so far, everything looks good. The important thing is that you know now. And because you know, I trust that you’ll take better care of yourself from here on out.”I sniffled, nodding, still feeling the weight of my mistakes.“But I need you to stop panicking, Mina,” she continued. “Stress will raise your blood pressure, and that’s not good for the baby. Right now, I just need you to focus on resting and
I just sat there, staring at Emmerson. My tongue felt heavy like it was weighed down by all that I couldn’t bring myself to say.“Come on, what is it?” Emerson urged, his voice softer now, careful. “Tell me whatever it is. We can go through it together.”But there was fear in his eyes. A fear that told me he was bracing himself for the worst.I opened my mouth, but no words came out.Before I could even attempt to find them, Trey spoke up. “We’re still waiting for the results. There hasn’t been a concrete answer yet.”Emerson exhaled, his shoulders losing a fraction of their tension. “What do you mean, concrete answer? What did the doctor say? What could it be?”“It’s fine,” I said quickly, nodding as I squeezed his hand. “Just wait for the results.”He looked at me, then at our intertwined fingers, and for some reason, my hands were trembling.Then he turned to Trey. “Treyson, can I talk to you aside for a minute?”Panic spiked in my chest. I clutched Emerson’s hand tighter. “No.