ALICE'S POVI was lying on my massage table, feeling the tension slowly melt away under the expert hands of my masseuse. The room was dimly lit, a soft, ambient glow coming from the candles I had set up, casting a warm, inviting atmosphere. William, my son, was seated comfortably in the room's chair, flipping through one of his books. He didn't mind sitting with me during these moments, knowing that I enjoyed having him nearby.As I was just beginning to sink deeper into relaxation, my phone rang. I let out a small sigh of annoyance, but I gestured for the masseuse to hand it to me. She did so with the quiet grace I expected of her. I glanced at the screen and saw Konrad's name flashing."Ah, Konrad," I murmured, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips. I glanced at the masseuse, and without a word, she understood and left the room, closing the door softly behind her. I turned to William and said, "It's Konrad."He looked up from his book with mild interest but didn’t say anything,
ALICE'S POVI dialed Todd Maroon's number, my fingers moving with purpose over the screen. It was time for the plan to set into motion. Todd answered on the second ring, his gruff voice greeting me with a casual, “Ma'am, what’s up?”“Todd,” I said, leaning back into my chair with a sigh. “The time has come for you to do a job for me. I need you to take care of Jocelia.”There was a pause on the line before Todd responded, “What exactly are we talking about here?”“I need her kidnapped,” I said firmly, “and taken to a secluded location. Make sure you avoid any cameras, and ensure that your face isn’t seen. The vehicle you use should be untraceable.”Todd chuckled. “I’m no rookie to this, Ma'am. You don’t have to worry about me getting caught. I know how to stay out of sight.”“Good,” I said, nodding to myself as I spoke. “The plan is to kidnap Jocelia, rough her up a bit, and leave her with some bruises. Nothing more, nothing less. We don’t want any permanent damage, just enough to sen
SYLVIA'S POVI squinted my eyes open, the early morning light streaming through the curtains. I found Zendaya looking down at me, her bright eyes full of mischief. She grinned and said, “Good morning, sleepyhead!”I smiled, still half-asleep, and responded, “Good morning, sweetheart.” Grayson, lying next to me, grunted and draped his arms over me, pulling me closer. “Heh,” he murmured, his voice thick with sleep.Zenith, not wanting to be left out, jumped onto the bed and laid down playfully on Grayson’s head. I chuckled at the sight and said, “Alright, you two, time to get up. You’ve got school.”Grayson, still holding me close, mumbled, “Dora can handle the baths today.”I turned to the kids and asked, “Do you want Dora to bathe you, or do you want to do it yourselves?”Both Zendaya and Zenith shouted in unison, “We want to bathe ourselves!”I laughed at their enthusiasm and teased, “Look at you, acting all grown-up now. Pretty soon, you’ll be asking to drive the car!”Zendaya and Z
SYLVIA'S POVI laughed, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride watching Zenith struggle to pack a small box into the moving lorry. His little face was scrunched up in concentration, refusing any help from anyone, even Grayson, who was standing by with a grin, ready to assist. It was such a small task, but to Zenith, it was monumental. Finally, after what seemed like an epic battle, he managed to place the box inside the lorry. He jumped up, his face beaming with excitement, and puffed out his chest like a little gorilla."I’m Superboy!" he declared with all the pride in the world, his voice ringing with the kind of confidence only a child can muster.We all burst into laughter—Grayson, the moving men, and I. Even the tension of the day couldn’t keep the smiles from our faces. Moving was stressful, but moments like these made it all worthwhile. This wasn’t just any move; we were leaving behind the toxicity, the deceit, and betrayal that had been suffocating us. We were finally movin
JOCELIA'S POVThe tension in the room could crush a steel pipe, and I could feel the weight of the conversation bearing down on me. My father was sitting behind his massive oak desk, his fingers drumming a slow, deliberate rhythm on the polished surface. The board members had just left, their murmurs of discontent still lingering in the air like a foul stench. I knew better than to speak out of turn, but I couldn’t keep the question bottled up any longer."So... Grayson didn’t agree with the proposal about marrying me?" I asked, trying to sound as meek and non-confrontational as possible. I could see the storm brewing in my father’s eyes, and the last thing I wanted was to be the one to set it off.He didn’t look up from the papers scattered across his desk as he responded. "No, he didn’t."There was no emotion in his voice, just cold, hard fact. I bit my lip, the words of reassurance I wanted to offer caught in my throat. My father had poured a lot of effort into this arrangement, be
SYLVIA'S POVAs I stood in the middle of the penthouse, boxes piled high around me, I took a deep breath. Today had been a whirlwind. After the chaos of the past few weeks, Grayson, Paul, and Rex were finally settling into the penthouse. I figured the least I could do was make the transition a bit smoother by ordering some pizza and grabbing a few essentials for the kitchen.“Pizza’s on the way,” I called out to the guys as they busied themselves with unpacking.Grayson glanced up from a box he was sorting through, giving me a grateful nod. “You’re a lifesaver, Sylvia. We’ll need the fuel.”I smiled back, but my mind was already shifting to the next task. I grabbed my keys and headed out to the car. The penthouse was luxurious, no doubt, but it was still missing a few personal touches. I decided to pick up some groceries while the guys were busy, thinking ahead to what meals I could prepare for the week.The drive to the store was quick, but it gave me a moment to collect my thoughts.
GRAYSON'S POVAs I sat on the edge of the couch, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Jocelia, with her perfectly calculated crocodile tears, was spewing all sorts of lies and venom on national television. The words "Sylvia stole Grayson from me" echoed in my head, and I couldn't help but wonder how I had ever been in love with someone like her. There she was, painting herself as the victim, while slandering Sylvia in every way she could think of. She called her a whore, claiming that Sylvia only rose to power by "climbing on men’s dicks," as she so crudely put it. My blood boiled as I listened to her tirade.I glanced over at Sylvia, who was sitting next to me, her eyes fixed on the TV. I knew that Jocelia had always been a thorn in her side, someone who never missed an opportunity to try and bring her down. But this was different—this was public, and this was low, even for Jocelia.The host of the late-night show, a man who thrived on controversy, leaned in with a smug expression.
SYLVIA'S POVI woke up that morning with a sense of determination, shaking off the lingering frustration from Jocelia's pathetic attempt at a smear campaign last night. She'd gone on some talk show, spouting her usual nonsense, but I couldn’t let that get to me. My day was packed with important tasks, and I needed to stay focused. The kids were already up and about, Zenith playing with his toys while Zendaya was brushing her hair in the bathroom. After getting them ready for school, I made sure they had their lunches packed and kissed them goodbye as they headed out the door.I took a deep breath as I dressed for work, selecting a sleek navy-blue dress that would command respect without being too flashy. Today was a big day for the company—the opening of our newly refurbished building. This wasn’t just any building; it represented the growth and resilience of my business, the very things Jocelia had tried to undermine. I glanced at the clock and grabbed my keys, determined to make the