Like the sound of broken glass, I feel like my whole world has been shattered into pieces after hearing those hurtful words from the man I have vowed to love and cherish. It was as if what I was experiencing on the inside was nothing more than a piercing wound that was incapable of being healed by any kind of antidote.As I stood there in front of everyone else watching me get humiliated by my own husband right after he kicked me out and supported an allegation I am completely innocent of, I thought that I would not have the least bit of courage to breathe again if I tried. I am completely innocent of this betrayal.My legs, on the other hand, were only able to move toward Justin thanks to some sort of miraculous intervention. At this point, I felt as though the weight of the world was pressing down on my eyes. That is when I realized it was already carrying an excessive amount of tears in its load. The tears that I had been hoping would not fall in front of him eventually made thei
Later that afternoon, Justin took me to his workplace. "Why have you brought me to this place all of a sudden?" I inquire as I trail behind Justin, resembling more of a domesticated companion than his spouse.Justin turned to face me, a hint of frustration in his eyes. "I thought we had finally come to an agreement about the project?" he said, his voice tinged with disappointment. "I brought you here to work together with Hector.I could hardly believe what I was hearing, my jaw barely opening in astonishment. From what I recall, I do not remember ever agreeing with Justin on that occasion. I could not help but lean in closer, my voice barely a whisper as I reminded him, "I did mention that I would consider it, but I don’t even have any idea that you’ve already set me up for this.”However, Justin leaned in closer, mirroring my gesture from a moment ago, as he responded, "This project cannot be delayed much longer, Margarette. So I hope you grasp the urgency of scheduling an appointm
Just as I thought I could not bear another moment of awkward silence, the elevator doors swung open to reveal none other than Hector. And his very presence saved me from answering Justin of his awkward query.With a look of confusion on his face, Hector seemed to suspect that he had stumbled upon a scene straight out of a contemporary romance novel. "Um, did I inadvertently interrupt a private moment?" he asked, his voice filled with uncertainty. He could not help but raise his left eyebrow in surprise.It was a rather awkward moment when both Justin and I simultaneously responded, "No, you didn't." After that, we exchanged looks, and I felt a chill go up my spine, especially because Justin was staring at me so closely again.Now I found myself utterly perplexed by Justin's true intentions.I was about to pose that question when, out of nowhere, Hector once again interjects, diverting both Justin's and my focus towards him.Justin strode forward, his hands casually nestled in his pock
“I know what was written in the contract, Justin. You don’t need to remind me every single time to the extent of using it to hurt me,” before I knew it, I was already able to express what it was that had been bugging my inner thoughts. I had to turn around to eventually face him as well.It didn’t bother me whether Justin would continue to mock me. I knew that if I had allowed to keep this within me, I would only end up regretting ever saying it to Justin.It would seem that that had an effect on Justin as I witness how it manage to make Justin feel a little guilty over what he said that it forced him to withdraw back.“You can go ahead first. We’re done for the day, anyway.” Instead, of apologizing, my dear husband chose to behave in this manner where he would rather kick me out to save his pride and ask for my forgiveness.Even though that was his suggestion, I tried to put up a face that doesn’t seem affected heavily by the insult that Justin left me a moment ago. With the courage
Justin with his lustful gaze towards me pressed me down on the bed. If he wasn't only behaving in an aggressive way, perhaps I would've appreciated the way his sexy toned body looks as it peaked beyond his unbuttoned shirt."What do you think you're doing, Justin?" my voice trembled at the thought of what might be going on within his mind right now.It left me feeling at least worried for his next move. "Just as what married couples always do." Justin's voice was deep as he buried his face on my neck.This makes things difficult for me. Knowing how persistent Justin would be now, things would really hard for me to prevent from occuring. “Justin, we can’t possibly do this.” I tried to plead him.However, what seemed to be a hopeful move that would eventually persuade him only ended up as something that had agitated Justin even more.“Why, Marga? Tell me, why are you being distant with me?!” His voice was so high, I thought the whole household would hear him now. There was no way I co
I don’t want to cheat myself any further. I knew it was Regina and after how I behaved today, I t would only be normal that my husband would seek what he couldn’t get from me with Regina. Although something in me was still hoping they wouldn’t do it as well.Knowing Regina was sick, I kind of doubt they’ll actually risk doing it either. However, it doesn’t change the fact that my husband would actually seek her company when he and I just had a misunderstanding.“Was it even a misunderstanding? I could see from his face how he saw through me clearly that I don’t want his advances on me.” I held my belly and as I sofly caress it while trying to prevent the tears from falling off my eyes once more, I eventually ended up realizing I was at fault here.What else could I even do? It wasn’t like I could tell Justin that I was pregnant either. My only choice was to drive him away like make him feel that I don’t want it without compromising the child in my belly’s existence. Even if it would
"You seemed to be enjoying home-cooked meals, my dear husband." I was not sure how I was able to say that without bursting out my anger.Looking at them right now still makes me feel so furious. It was only just a good thing that I was still able to control myself despite how I badly wanted to go and attack Regina. At the very least, I still wanted to make sure that I wouldn’t be stepping down my level to someone like her.“Marga, it’s not what you think—” Justin was about to tell me.Yet, before he could even begin to explain, I immediately cut him off as I raised my palm forward which meant that I didn’t want to hear any of his words. “I had heard that line just now. So please, don’t try to explain anymore, Justin. It’s pointless. You think telling me that it’s not what I think it was would eventually persuade me into believing that you really have no intention of doing this? Shame on you!” And I finally wasn’t able to control myself anymore. I finally said it before his face as I
[JUSTIN’S POV]I was able to see with my very own eyes how Margarette fell off the stairs just as she was able to free herself from my hold on her.The events transpired at an alarmingly rapid pace, and before I knew it, she was already lying on the bottom of the stairs, bleeding and unconscious.“Marga!” I let out a scream. Immediately, my reflexes compelled me to make a beeline for her and remove her from the situation. As soon as I was able to retrieve her body, I noticed that her head was bleeding from a cut, and it was oozing with a great deal of blood that had already stained her clothes.“Claude! I need help! Can nine-one-one quick!” My voice erupted as soon as I was able to hold Margarette in my arms.I had the sensation that my thoughts were floating in the air. There was no way that I could have possibly anticipated that things would go in this direction. If I had known, I would not have even bothered to make an effort to strike up a conversation with Margarette. I did not
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
The air in the penthouse was heavy with unspoken tension. I sat at the desk, eyes scanning through the files, absorbing the weight of what we had in our hands. The evidence was undeniable. Justin and Elise’s father had left a trail of financial crimes, bribes, and illegal dealings that could tear their empire apart. The question was—how did we move forward without tipping them off too soon?Leon stood behind me, his presence strong and reassuring. His hand was still on my shoulder, grounding me in the moment. "We need to be careful with this," he murmured.I nodded. "I know. We have to strike at the right moment."Dorian, now lounging on the couch, exhaled loudly. "I hate waiting. Feels like we should be doing something more than just sitting on this.""Patience is key," Leon countered. "If we rush, we lose the advantage."Dorian rolled his eyes but didn’t argue. I closed my laptop and stretched, the weight of the day settling deep into my bones. "I need a break."Leon caught my hand