“Another day thinking about it again…” I whispered to myself as I stretched my body to begin the day.The days following my dinner with Leon seemed to stretch endlessly, as if time itself had decided to crawl at a snail’s pace just to torment me. Each hour felt heavier than the last, weighted with the unresolved tension between us and the unsaid words that lingered like a ghost in the room. I desperately needed a distraction, anything to keep my mind from wandering back to that night, to the conversation that had left me feeling more lost than ever. And so I buried myself in housework, trying to exhaust my body so that my mind would finally relent. The pantry, long overdue for a reorganization, became my first project. I spent hours sorting through spices and canned goods, aligning jars and containers with an almost obsessive precision. But no matter how perfectly I arranged the shelves, it did nothing to quell the gnawing ache deep in my chest. When the pantry no longer offered an
As Aunt Lou drove us toward the Montefalco villa, I could sense her unease. She gripped the steering wheel a little too tightly, her knuckles white against the leather. “Margarette, just a little reminder, this is as close as we can get. You know that we can’t stay too close. We’ll have to park at a distance or they might notice us,” she said, her voice tinged with concern.“I understand, Aunt Lou,” I replied softly. “We don’t have to get too close anyway. Just seeing the front view of the villa will be enough.”We eventually found a spot that wasn’t too far away. From where we parked, I could see the sprawling mansion, its grandeur still as imposing as ever. The perfectly manicured lawns, the towering gates—it all looked exactly the same, but the memories it held for me had changed.As we sat there, the villa looming in the distance, I couldn’t help but let my mind drift back to the three years I had spent inside those walls. “You know, Aunt Lou,” I began, my voice almost a whisper,
The drive to the café was a blur of passing scenery, but my mind was stuck on one image: Justin, his hand on Regina’s back, guiding her out of the car like it was the most natural thing in the world. I couldn’t shake the sight, no matter how hard I tried to push it away. By the time Aunt Lou and I found a quiet corner in the café, the weight of it all was pressing down on me.Aunt Lou didn’t say anything at first, just ordered us both a cup of tea. But I could see the tension in her shoulders, the way her mouth was set in a tight line. When the waitress finally left us alone, Aunt Lou leaned forward, her expression dark.“I don’t understand how he could do that,” she began, her voice low and trembling with anger. “Bringing that woman into your home like it’s nothing. Like, it’s perfectly normal.”I wrapped my hands around the warm cup of tea, trying to find comfort in the heat. “It’s like he’s not still married to me,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “He’s acting like Regina has
As soon as we walked into the store, the rows of gleaming iPhones caught my eye. I couldn't help but be drawn to the newest models, their sleek designs practically begging to be held. The sales clerk was on me in an instant, enthusiastically detailing all the latest features. I nodded along, but my mind was elsewhere—on the price tag that was far out of my reach.“I think this one would suit you perfectly,” the clerk said, handing me the newest model.I held it for a moment, admiring the smooth feel of it in my hand before handing it back with a tight smile. “It’s beautiful, but I’m just browsing today.”Leon, standing a few steps behind me, was watching quietly, his eyes narrowing slightly. He hadn’t said much since we’d arrived, but I could tell he was taking everything in. As I turned to walk away, pretending to be more interested in grabbing a bite to eat instead, he caught my arm gently. “You’re not getting the phone?” he asked, his tone light but probing.I shook my head, trying
The weight of Leon's words lingered like a dark cloud over me, the knowledge that Wilma—my former mother-in-law—had orchestrated every vile act that had torn my life apart. The false accusations, the humiliation, the destruction of everything I had once held dear... it all traced back to her. My mind raced, desperate to find a way to use this information to turn the tide in court. But without Leon’s testimony, what could I possibly do?I was so consumed by these thoughts that I didn’t even notice Aunt Lou watching me from across the table. The savory aroma of the food in front of me, usually a comfort, barely registered. Aunt Lou had gone through the trouble of preparing one of my favorite dishes, but there I was, just staring at it blankly."Margarette," Aunt Lou's voice cut through the fog in my mind, startling me back to reality. I blinked, looking up to meet her concerned gaze. "What’s going on with you? You haven't touched your food."I glanced down at my untouched plate, realizi
I wasn’t content to let things rest with just the hope that justice would favor me. No, I needed more. I needed solid evidence if I was ever going to win this lawsuit. As Aunt Lou left for her clinic, I found myself dialing Henry’s number, my heart pounding with every ring.Henry had overseen the failed multi-billion dollar project alongside me, but ever since that fateful day when I fell down the staircase, I’d been sidelined from the operations. It still puzzled me how they could so confidently accuse me when I had barely touched the project documents. There had to be something more to this, something I was missing. Henry answered on the second ring, his voice warm and familiar. “Margarette, it’s been a while. How are you holding up?”“I’m managing, Henry. Listen, I know this might seem out of the blue, but can we meet? I need to discuss something important.”There was a brief pause on the other end, and I held my breath, waiting for his response. “Of course,” he finally said. “The
The next day, the anticipation of seeing Leon again had me restless all morning. I kept replaying our last conversation in my mind, his voice lingering like a soft echo that I couldn’t quite shake. The memories were a mix of warmth and anxiety, making it hard for me to focus on anything else.When the doorbell finally rang, I felt a rush of nerves. I smoothed my hands over my skirt, trying to calm the flutter in my chest before opening the door. There stood Leon, looking as composed as ever, but there was a softness in his eyes that made my heart skip a beat.“Margarette,” he greeted with a smile, stepping inside as I motioned for him to enter. The familiar scent of his cologne filled the room, wrapping around me like a comforting embrace.“Leon,” I replied, closing the door behind him. “Thank you for coming.”He shrugged slightly, as if it were nothing, but the way his gaze lingered on me told a different story. “Of course. We have a lot to discuss.”We settled in the living room, th
As the sun's first light filtered through the curtains, I found myself wide awake, my mind already racing with plans. Today was the day I would cook dinner for Leon, and for reasons I couldn’t fully comprehend, I felt an overwhelming urge to make sure everything was perfect. It wasn’t just about gratitude; there was something more—a deeper need to show Leon that I could create something special for him, something that spoke beyond words.I slipped out of bed and headed straight for the kitchen, my thoughts a whirlwind of recipes and ideas. The kitchen was still dark, the only light coming from the faint glow of the morning sky. I moved with purpose, gathering ingredients, mentally mapping out the courses I wanted to prepare. Just as I was setting a pot of coffee to brew, Aunt Lou appeared at the doorway, still in her robe, her hair slightly tousled from sleep. She blinked at me, surprise evident in her eyes as she took in the scene before her."Margarette, you’re up early," she remar
The weight of the file in my hands was suffocating. The words blurred together, but the truth was undeniable—my father hadn’t just been a scientist. He had been a test subject. And Elise’s father had orchestrated it all.Leon took the file from me carefully, his jaw tight as he read through the documents. “This wasn’t just research. They were experimenting on people.”Dorian exhaled sharply. “And your father was one of them.”I clenched my fists. “But why? What were they trying to do?”Leon flipped to the last page, scanning the details. His eyes darkened. “Something about genetic resilience. Accelerated healing. They were looking for ways to manipulate biological responses to trauma.”My stomach churned. “You mean… like making people stronger?”“Stronger, faster, immune to certain injuries.” Leon met my gaze, his voice heavy. “Margarette, they weren’t just studying human endurance. They were creating something.”A chill ran down my spine. “Creating what?”Dorian shifted uncomfortably
The room felt heavier now, as if the ghosts of the past had never truly left. My father’s study had once been a place of quiet authority, filled with the scent of polished wood and old books. Now, it was chaos—a graveyard of secrets waiting to be unearthed.Leon and Dorian moved swiftly, sifting through papers, searching for anything that might explain my father’s connection to Elise’s father. But my hands trembled as I flipped through the documents.My father’s handwriting stared back at me in sharp, deliberate strokes.Project Haven—Initiated 20 years agoI frowned. “Project Haven?”Leon peered over my shoulder. “That name mean anything to you?”I shook my head, but something about it felt... familiar. Like a memory I had brushed against in passing but never grasped fully.Dorian pulled a dust-covered filing box from beneath the desk. “We’ve got more.” He popped the latch and revealed stacks of old documents, some stamped with red ink.CONFIDENTIAL.I swallowed hard as I pulled out
The weight of the locket in my palm was heavier than I remembered. The last time I had seen it, I was a child—too young to understand the depth of what had been stolen from me. And now, years later, it had resurfaced in the hands of a man who had every reason to use it against me.Leon’s grip on my knees tightened. “We need to figure out why he has this.”I nodded, but my thoughts were elsewhere, tangled in memories I had buried long ago. My parents. Their deaths. The accident—or what I had been told was an accident.I took a shaky breath. “This locket... it was my mother’s. She gave it to me the day before she died.” My voice wavered. “When they found me after the accident, it was gone.”Leon’s eyes darkened. “Someone took it.”“Not just someone,” I whispered. “Elise’s father.”Dorian entered the room, his usual calm demeanor slightly frayed. “I just got word. Elise’s father left town hours ago. Whatever game he’s playing, he planned this move in advance.”Leon cursed under his breat
The moment we arrived at Leon’s safe house, a heavy silence settled between us. The tension in the air was suffocating, thick with unspoken fears and the weight of what we had just learned. Alexa was gone. And Elise's father—the man who had been a phantom in the shadows of our problems—had finally made his move.I paced the length of the dimly lit living room, arms crossed over my chest. My mind raced, trying to piece together the possibilities of where Alexa could be and what they might be doing to her. Dorian stood near the window, his sharp eyes scanning the darkness beyond, while Leon leaned against the wall, his jaw locked tight.“We need to move,” I said, breaking the silence. My voice came out steadier than I expected, but my hands were trembling. “Every second we waste, Alexa could be—” I cut myself off before finishing the thought. I refused to let fear paralyze me.Leon pushed off the wall, his expression unreadable. “Dorian already has our people searching the perimeter of
The city swallowed us whole the moment we stepped out of the car. Anacortes was the same—steel and stone, sharp edges and dark alleys—but I felt it in my bones. Something had changed. Or maybe it was just me.I wasn’t the same woman who had left this place behind. I wasn’t the same woman who had fallen in love in this city, built a life here, and thought she could outrun the ghosts waiting in the shadows. I had returned, but not as a victim. Not as the woman Elise’s father had once underestimated. No, this time, I was ready for war.Leon moved beside me, his presence solid, his energy coiled like a predator waiting to strike. He was on edge too. We all were.“Dorian.” Leon’s voice was low, sharp. “What do we know about Elise’s father’s movements?”Dorian’s fingers danced over his phone screen, his brow furrowing. “He’s been careful, but not careful enough. There’s been an increase in high-profile meetings in the city—business moguls, politicians, even a few well-dressed criminals. He’
The moment we stepped into the house, I could feel the tension in the air. Every shadow felt like a threat, every silence too loud. Leon locked the door behind us, and Dorian immediately pulled the curtains shut, moving with a precision that told me he’d done this before. I was no stranger to fear, but tonight, it pressed against my skin like a second layer.Elise’s father was behind this. I could feel it in my bones. And that terrified me more than anything.Leon paced near the fireplace, his face locked in a storm of controlled fury. Dorian sat at the table, his fingers moving across the keyboard of his laptop, eyes scanning for any digital trace of Alexa. I stood in the center of the room, my mind spinning with a thousand possibilities.“She’s out there somewhere,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “And we’re running out of time.”Leon exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. “We need to figure out what Elise’s father wants. What’s his endgame?”Dorian didn’t look u
The moment we stepped into the safe house, the air felt different. Heavy. Charged with something unspoken but undeniable. The low hum of tension sat thick between us, each of us knowing that Alexa’s disappearance wasn’t a coincidence. It was a move—a calculated strike from Victor Langford, a man whose power was as dangerous as his reach.I couldn’t stop my hands from trembling as I reached for the envelope Leon had just read aloud. You should have stayed away. The words were scrawled in sharp, deliberate handwriting. I imagined Victor writing them with a smirk, knowing exactly what this message would do to us.Leon exhaled sharply, crushing the paper in his fist. “We need to move fast.”Dorian nodded. “I’ll put our guys on the streets. If they moved Alexa within city limits, someone saw something.”I swallowed, forcing my voice to steady. “We can’t just wait for information. We need to hit back.”Leon’s gaze snapped to mine, a flicker of something unreadable in his expression. “What a
The night felt heavier than before, the air thick with unspoken tension as we pieced together what Elise’s father’s return truly meant. My mind raced through the implications—if he had found her, it meant he wasn’t working alone. It meant he had resources, people willing to do his bidding, and most of all, it meant we weren’t prepared for what was coming.Elise hadn’t moved from her place on the couch, her fingers white-knuckling the phone. She wasn’t the same woman I had met before—there was something fragile about her now, something shattered. I understood that feeling far too well.Leon and Dorian were standing near the kitchen island, speaking in hushed voices, but I caught fragments of their conversation.“We need to move her somewhere else,” Dorian said, arms crossed. “If he got to her once, he can do it again.”Leon ran a hand through his hair, his jaw tight. “Moving her won’t change anything if he has the means to track her.”“Then what do you suggest? We wait for him to knock
The tension still lingered, like static in the air, even after we had ensured Elise’s safety and returned to the penthouse. The night had been long, exhausting, and I was running on nothing but adrenaline and borrowed time.Leon stood at the kitchen counter, pouring himself a glass of whiskey. The amber liquid swirled in the crystal tumbler as he took a slow sip, his eyes trained on me. He didn’t have to say anything—I could feel the weight of his gaze."You’re shaking," he murmured.I exhaled sharply, glancing down at my hands. He was right. I hadn’t even realized it.Leon set his glass down and crossed the space between us in two strides. His hands, warm and steady, caught mine, stilling them. "Come here."I let him pull me into his arms, the exhaustion catching up to me all at once. I buried my face against his chest, breathing him in—woodsy cologne, something faintly smoky, something undeniably him."You always act like you have to carry the weight of everything on your own," he m