JOCELIA'S POVI slumped on the kitchen stool, wearing nothing but an old pair of sweats, a bowl of ice cream in one hand, my phone in the other. The cold sweetness numbed my mouth, but it did nothing to dull the ache in my chest. My thumb swiped listlessly across the screen as I scrolled through article after article about Grayson Lockwood. The headlines all screamed the same thing—his final breakup with me and the rekindling of his relationship with his ex-wife, Sylvia Hanson."Grayson and Sylvia Hanson Spotted Together: Back On?""Lockwood and Hanson Reunite After Split from Jocelia."Each headline felt like a fresh stab to the heart, a reminder of what I had lost and the humiliation of it all. I tried to stop reading, but it was like picking at a scab that wouldn’t heal. Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring the screen. I shoved another spoonful of ice cream into my mouth, the creamy texture soothing my throat, but it couldn’t stop the sobs that threatened to escape.I was losing hi
JOCELIA'S POVAs I moved quietly through the hallway, my footsteps were nearly silent on the plush carpet. The opulence of our penthouse was something I usually took for granted, but today, it felt like a gilded cage. The low murmur of voices filtered through, and I leaned closer, my heart pounding in my chest. Eavesdropping wasn't exactly an uncommon practice in our world; secrets were currency, and I was about to collect.From what I could hear, there were only three voices inside besides my father’s. The trusted board members. These were men who had been with the Lockwood's for years, advising, supporting, and occasionally challenging their decisions. I recognized their voices—sharp, seasoned, and laced with the arrogance that came from years of wielding power.“I’d prefer to skip the pleasantries, Konrad,” one of them said. His voice was clipped, impatient. “We’d rather get straight to the point. Why the sudden summons?”My father’s voice, usually so controlled and measured, had a
SYLVIA'S POVAs Grayson and I finished our tour of the building, he turned to me with a serious look. “We’ll get started on the renovations right away,” he said, his voice steady and reassuring. The building was perfect, with plenty of space and the potential to house all the operations of my company. I smiled, nodding in agreement, feeling a sense of relief that things were finally coming together.The Realtor approached Grayson, handing him a stack of documents. I watched as Grayson carefully signed the papers, his brow furrowed in concentration. Then, something caught my eye—a name on the document that wasn’t his. It was Zendaya’s name. My heart skipped a beat as I realized that Grayson was signing over the penthouse in her name. A few pages later, he signed another document, this time putting the building in Zenith’s name.Afterward, Grayson wrote out a check for the Realtor, who shook his hand gratefully before leaving us alone. As the door clicked shut, I couldn’t hold back my c
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