Emerson then continued his voice cold. "Just because I’m going to marry you doesn’t mean you can make decisions for me, or help me make decisions, or tell me how to treat my son. He is my son. I’ve been raising him since he was born, and after his mother left, I raised him all by myself. I know him better than you! You were married for three years, and you couldn’t even figure out how to reach him. You didn't have the slightest idea he was going behind your back until it was too late."His words cut through me, twisting unmercifully inside me."So next time," he went on, each word sharp and deliberate, "just like I told you before we got into this agreement, I am going to remind you again…..don’t make a move without me. And you went ahead and made a huge decision like that without me."I couldn’t take it anymore. I stood up, my heart pounding. "You know what, Emerson? I'm not going to sit here and let you talk to me like that. I already quit, and I am not taking it back so deal with
Emerson chuckled softly, his smile almost apologetic. "You think this is funny?" I asked, not amused in the slightest."No, no, it’s not funny," he said quickly, shaking his head. "It’s just… I know Eric, and I know how to handle him. When it comes to Eric and me, whatever we have going on, just let me deal with it. But I am sorry for the things I said to you in my office. It wasn’t fair and I regretted them as soon as they were out of my mouth."I folded my arms, still unsure if I was ready to accept his apology. "Would you please... forgive me?" he added, his voice almost pleading.I looked at him, taking a deep breath. This was the moment where we both understood that the conversation we were having wasn’t just about Eric or the company. It was about us, and how we were going to navigate our relationship from here on out.“I don't know Emmerson. I really don't know what to say to you. You really hurt me. The things you say to me, they really……” “I know, I never should have said
Emerson didn’t move right away, giving me time to recover as I lay there, completely spent. He slowly kissed his way back up my body, his lips brushing against my stomach, my chest, and finally, my neck. When his mouth reached mine again, I pulled him into a deep, heated kiss, tasting myself on his lips, still reeling from what had just happened.I kissed him even harder as I pulled him closer to me and then started grinding myself against him. I was naked down there and he was still in his pants. I pulled him against me as I pulled myself against him trying to get as much friction as I could get from him and his hardness that was clearly unmistakable. He thumped at me as he continued kissing me with one hand on my waist, the other attenuating between my hair, my head, and my thighs. His kisses got even more angrier with every thump. He started giving me as he concentrated his attention on thumping and hitting the spot that was just right on my clit, making me moan and then he would
i put everything inside my car and was just about to get in when emerson stopped me. i looked at him with a questioning expression. "what?""have you had breakfast?" he asked casually."yes, i had breakfast. charlotte brought it for me, a brownie and a cup of coffee," i replied, wondering where he was going with this."let me take you out for brunch," he insisted.i rolled my eyes. "you're so fucking annoying," i muttered with a hidden smile, glancing back up at the blackwind building, feeling a strange sense of finality."come on, please. it's your last day at this company, and i want to make it memorable. i want to make it good, please." he added, his tone softening, almost pleading.i hesitated for a moment, then sighed. "well, since i quit, maybe it’s okay for me to indulge a little." i gave him a small smile. "let’s go."he locked the door and he surprised me by taking my hand as we started heading down the busy street towards a classic modern hotel nearby.the waitress took our
I kept walking, going inside the car as his driver moved to the trunk and started extracting my boxes. As I approached the door, Thomas opened it for me with his plastered-on smile."Thomas, how are you?" I greeted him."I'm okay, miss," he replied. "Are those your stuff? Should I help you with them?""Yeah, maybe you should help me with them. I really have no idea where to put them.""What are they? I'm sorry if I may ask. Do you want me to put them in your room, or do you have somewhere specific you want me to put them?""I don’t know. They’re stuff from work, but I don’t think they’re important enough that I need to hide them in my room. But I also don’t know where you’re going to put them.""Don’t worry about that, miss. I’ll have it taken care of," he assured me with a smile as he started heading towards the car.I got inside the house and, just as I was about to go up the stairs, I remembered Madeline. I decided to go and see her. Just as I turned around, I heard footsteps on t
"You did this?" I asked, still in disbelief at the sight in front of me."Well, I didn’t make it myself," Emerson replied with a shrug. "I just gave them an idea of the office you wanted, the colours you loved, and let them pick a design to surprise you. So, tell me... do you like it?""Do I like it?" I spun around, taking in the entire room. "I love it! You know how much I love orange and purple, my favourite colours,”“ just like the woman," he teased with a wink.I smiled at him, warmth spreading through me. "I love it," I said, as my fingers trailed over the bookcases and the desk. There was something about the way it had been put together—stylish, but also cosy and inviting.I walked towards the large window and looked outside. The lush garden stretched out before me, vibrant with greenery and flowers, the sunlight filtering through the trees. It was breathtaking."It's amazing," I said, my voice soft, turning to face him. "I absolutely love it.""That’s all I wanted," Emerson sa
We both turned our heads toward Thomas, who was now standing there, and I was taken by surprise by the look on his face. I had never seen Thomas angry before. He was always the quiet one, the one who smiled, took instructions, and kept to himself. He never got involved in household matters. So seeing him like this was a shock, but it also made me pause.He shut Rose down with a single look, his voice a little too cold. "Know your place in this house."Without another word, he walked toward me, opening the door to the back garden. "Miss, they’re out there," he said quietly, gesturing toward where Emerson and Madeline were. I could tell Thomas wanted a moment alone with Rose, so I shot her one last look and stepped outside, letting the door close behind me.As I walked down the garden path, I tried to shake off the strange feeling from earlier, but something was still bothering me. The tension was high, not just from Rose’s words but from the whole atmosphere in this house. And yet,
"Someone wrote the word BITCH here. I’m telling you, I saw it with my own eyes. They wrote it here. It’s just here." I pointed insistently. "Am I supposed to have just eliminated it? I’m not making this up. Why would I make it up? It was written right here. B-I-T-C-H. In small little capital letters, right here at the corner."I looked toward Emerson, but there was no reaction on his face. "Emerson, seriously, why would I make this up? And why would someone scratch it? You told me it’s brand new. So, are you telling me I just scratched it by myself? Who scratched it?""Calm down," Emerson interrupted softly, stepping towards me with his usual calmness. He placed a steadying hand on my shoulder. "Calm down, Mia. Take a deep breath. Just breathe."I exhaled slowly, watching him, needing him to believe me, to believe what I saw. And finally, he said, "I believe you."I sighed with relief. "You would never do that.“ Emerson continued, “It’s not in your behaviour, not in your character.
EmmersonI exhaled sharply, my patience thinning. “Let’s just go inside.”Without another word, I turned and walked back into the room. Eric followed behind me.The moment Rita saw him, her entire face lit up.“Eric,” she called softly, reaching for him.He forced a smile and moved toward her, taking her hand in his.Kristen was the one holding the baby. I turned to her. “Can I hold him?”She hesitated for a second before nodding and carefully placing the tiny bundle in my arms.The baby was small but chubby, wrapped snugly in a white hospital blanket. His face was peaceful, his tiny hands curled into fists. He was an adorable little thing, though, like most newborns, he had that same squishy, undefined look.I realized then that we had all held the baby before Eric had. The baby's father.“Eric,” I said, shifting the baby slightly. “Come take a look at your son.”He stepped closer, peering at the Babby. For a moment, I thought he was going to take him into his arms. But he didn’t.H
EmmersonI made my way toward the hospital, still trying to call Eric, but he wasn’t picking up. Frustration tightened my grip on the phone as I dialled again. Nothing.I had no choice. I instructed Tom to use his people to track him down. It didn’t take long before they confirmed his location—he was at home. Just sitting there. Ignoring my calls.I exhaled sharply and changed direction, instructing the driver to take me to his house instead. As we pulled up, I noticed how dark and lifeless the place seemed. The entire house was pitch black. Not a single light on.A cold feeling settled in my chest.I stepped out of the car and made my way inside, calling his name. "Eric!"No answer. I tried again, louder this time. Still nothing.A bad feeling crept over me as I moved further inside. The silence was too thick as I headed to the master bedroom.And that’s where I found him.Slumped against the bed, a half-empty bottle of whiskey dangling from his fingers. The room reeked of alcohol.
"So, what do you want me to do, Mina?" Emerson asks, his voice tight with frustration. "What would you have me do when you say you don't want to go back home?"I take a deep breath, trying to keep my emotions in check. "For starters, you can start investigating her," I say firmly. "Find out if these allegations are true. Because if this poor girl is inside there and she didn’t do this, it’s not fair. She's still young. She still has a bright future ahead of her."" It’s not right to accuse someone if we don’t have all the facts." He stares at me, his expression conflicted. "And what if Madeline didn’t do it? What if we go accusing Madeline of all of this, and she had nothing to do with it? Think about how she’s been there for me, for you, for our family. She’s practically family now. If we accuse her of this, what will happen?"I shake my head. "So what do you want me to do? Go back into that house with a woman who wants to kill me?"
"Like I said, it happened a long time ago. Eric was probably nine or ten, I think. I don't really remember," Emerson says, his voice low and measured, like he's treading carefully.I sit there, staring at him, waiting for him to continue."Like I told you, when Eric’s mom left, we got closer. We used to have these nightcaps sometimes. We would drink—maybe a cup of coffee or a glass of wine or whiskey in the evening. Sometimes, when I had a rough day at work, getting the company out there…" He pauses, running a hand through his hair. "So that day, as we normally did, we had a glass of whiskey. And then another and I lost track of what happened that night."I swallow hard. My hands curl into fists on my lap. "What are you trying to say?"He finally looks at me. "I'm telling you the truth. I don't know what happened." He exhales sharply. "I just woke up in bed with Madeline there beside me. We were both naked."The words land like a slap. My
"Okay, look, Mina," Emerson starts, his voice softer now, but still laced with hesitation. "I know that Madeline is attracted to me. I know she has this... thing for me. She used to think that we could become more, but I was always honest with her. I told her that nothing could ever happen between us."I cross my arms, staring at him. He’s still avoiding the real answer.He sighs. "I know she can be a little... intense sometimes. But she's not dangerous. Come on, Mina, you've known her for years. I've known her for years. She’s never done anything crazy before. To try and kill you? That’s just too much, don’t you think?"I nod, my throat tightening. "I know," I admit. "That’s why it was so hard for me to accept at first. But then Rose made sense. There is something there. There’s a reason I didn’t believe it wasn't Rose in the first place. There’s something about Madeline that’s off."His jaw clenches. "So... you do believe that it was Madeline who did this?"I look him in the eyes. "
"What?" Emerson asks his voice tight with confusion.But I don't back down. "I asked you, Emerson," I say, my voice firm. "Have you been sleeping with Madeline? Have you been sleeping with her the whole time I was at the estate? Has this all been some kind of game? Some kind of—""What the hell are you talking about?" he interrupts, his voice rising with frustration. "What has Rose been telling you?"And then, I see it. The flicker of something in his eyes. A hesitation. "I knew this was not a good idea," he mutters under his breath.I let out a bitter laugh. "Oh, I think it was a marvellous idea. I think this was the best decision I could have made for our relationship.""Why are you even saying all this?" he asks, rubbing his forehead as if I'm the one exhausting him."Emerson," I say slowly, deliberately. "You haven't answered my question. Tell me—have you been sleeping with Madeline?"His jaw tightens. "No, I have not been sleeping with Madeline.""Okay, then did you?" I press. "
I can't believe this, but I know that it is true. It had all been right there, right in front of my face. Madeline's love for Emerson was so obvious. And her hatred for me. There were so many times she showed me how she hated me. But I chose to ignore that. I chose to ignore the things that I hated about her. The things that irritated me about her. I chose to solve it to feel good. I chose to try and find a relationship with her. Because my relationship with my mother was dead. So I tried finding it in this woman. This person I thought I knew. She had shown her disdain for me from the start, And when she wanted to hush things down with me, I was so happy. I felt like I had gotten my mom back.But when I was thinking that, this woman was planning my death. She was planning my downfall. Mine. And she didn't even care about this baby. This poor baby hadn't done anything towards her. She is dangerous. Who does that? Who hates you so much and smiles on your f
She lets out a long sigh. "So I went back into the kitchen to find the pudding. I met the waitress who needed help at the back of the house. I showed her where everything was, and when I came back inside… the pudding was gone...I thought maybe someone else had taken it."I nod slowly, the realization settling deeper within me. “That must have been when Treyson arrived and had taken it,” I tell her, my voice steady but shaking inside.“Yes, it must have been,” Rose agrees, her eyes wide. “But I didn’t know that at the time. So, I started rushing outside, thinking that you had already eaten it. And then I find you, you know, eating the pudding. I don’t even think about it. I just flash towards you and throw the ball away..."" And then you tell me not to eat it.”“Did I say that?” she asks, surprised.I nod, her face pained as she continues. “Yeah, maybe I did. But I don’t remember saying that either. I was just so focused on
"I tried to talk to her," Rose continues, her voice filled with regret. "I tried to tell her to forget about it. You were pregnant now. The two of you were planning to get married. After the pregnancy, Emerson was clearly taken by you. He was in love with you, and it was so obvious. He doted on you. You were so happy, and there was no question about the two of you being in love, about being a family."She pauses, looking down at her hands as if replaying the events in her mind."I tried to tell Madeline to see that. I tried to tell her to give up on this competition with you. I tried to tell her to forget about Emerson. He obviously didn’t love her. I mean, if they had been dating all those years, and he’d never shown her how he felt about her, then he probably didn’t feel for her that way."I try to process her words, but a knot tightens in my stomach."She wouldn’t understand," Rose murmurs. "And that’s one of the reasons she started shutting me off. I kept telling her that she shou