One morning, as I sat by the window in the nursery, sipping on tea, I felt a soft kick. A flutter at first, then a stronger nudge—our baby was moving. A rush of warmth flooded me, and I called out for Leon, my heart bursting with excitement.
"Leon!" I yelled, unable to contain myself. "Come here, quick!"
Leon appeared in the doorway, a mix of alarm and curiosity on his face. "What is it?" he asked, rushing over to me.
I grabbed his hand and placed it on my belly. "Did you feel that? He’s kicking."
He stood still, his hand resting on my bump, waiting. And then, it happened—a little nudge from within.
His eyes widened, and a huge grin spread across h
The separation anxiety hit harder than I thought it would.Leon had only been gone for a few hours, yet it felt like days. I kept telling myself it was just three days, but the thought of him being so far away, flying across the world to Italy, had my stomach in knots.I tried to distract myself by reading books, TV shows, even a long bath, but none of it worked. Every time I thought about him being gone, the tears just came, uncontrollably. I had already tried calling him through Viber, even though I knew he was likely still on the plane. It was irrational, I knew that, but I couldn’t help myself.Eventually, Aunt Lou noticed that my anxiety was getting out of hand. And I appreciate how she tried reassuring me that everything was fine, remind
After Sarah left, the mood at the park was ruined.I could see it in Aunt Lou’s worried expression, Letty’s frustration, and Lena’s quiet glances. We all knew that lingering here wasn’t going to make me feel any better, so we packed up our things and headed back home.And the moment I stepped through the front door of the summer house, I couldn’t help but felt a sudden overwhelming urge to call Leon.Once we were settled inside, I excused myself to my room, pulling out my phone and dialing Leon’s viber, this time I was certain that he would be able to answer. I could feel the anxiety bubbling up again as I listened to the dial tone.
After leaving Regina behind in the waiting room, I stepped into the familiar warmth of Dr. Lou’s clinic. Aunt Lou was already inside, waiting for me with her usual calm, reassuring smile. She stood up from her chair as I walked in, and immediately, the subtle tension I had felt after seeing Regina seemed to melt away.“Margarette, you okay? You were running a little late and I was just about to call you to check if you’re all right.” Aunt Lou asked, her eyes scanning my face with concern. I nodded and sat down beside her, taking a deep breath. “Yeah, I’m fine, Aunt Lou. Well, to be honest, I just…I happen to ran into Regina outside actually.”Aunt Lou raised an eyebrow, surprised. “Regina? You mean Justin’s mistress? What’s she doing here?”“She said she had a bone marrow transplant, and was having her consultation” I said quietly, still trying to process the change I had seen in her. “She looked… different. Not like her usual self who often intimidate me often.”Aunt Lou nodded, sit
As I made my way downstairs to the dining room, the delicious aroma of Letty’s cooking filled the air, instantly lifting my spirits. I could hear the soft chatter from the kitchen, the clatter of dishes, and the occasional laugh from Lena, who had clearly been assigned the role of Letty’s helper for the night.It felt good, being surrounded by family. Despite everything on my mind—Leon being away, my run-in with Regina, and the overwhelming anticipation of motherhood—I found solace in these simple moments.I stepped into the dining room, and Aunt Lou was already setting the table, her usual efficient self. She looked up when she saw me and smiled. “There you are, sweetheart. Feeling a little better?”I nodded, returning her smile. &l
The air was crisp as Aunt Lou and I made our way down the sidewalk toward the pharmacy to buy some of the vitamins I needed.I tried to push away the lingering sense of unease that had settled in ever since I saw Regina at my OB-GYN appointment yesterday by making some habit of going out more often, while I still could.Now that I was out of the house again with Aunt Lou to pick up some medicine, I hoped to shake off the anxiety that had clung to me all day. But, as luck would have it, life had other plans.As we stepped into the pharmacy, Aunt Lou busied herself at the counter while I browsed the aisles, looking for some vitamins and pregnancy essentials. I was trying to keep my mind focused on the present—on the baby and Leon's return—
As we left the coffee shop, Regina and I walked in silence for a while. The streets were busy, and the noise of the city created a buzzing backdrop to the heavy conversation we’d just had. I still couldn’t believe what I’d just agreed to—a potential alliance with Regina, of all people. Part of me was still suspicious, but there was also a part that wanted to believe she was sincere. If she was telling the truth, this could be the key to finally taking Wilma down.When we got closer to the car where Aunt Lou had stayed behind, I turned to Regina.“I’ll talk to my lawyer,” I said, keeping my voice measured. “We’ll see what the next steps are if you’re serious about testifying. But I need you to be prepared for what’s coming. Wilma’s not going to take this lying down.”Regina nodded, her face pale but resolute. “I know. But I’m ready. I can’t keep living in fear of her.”I studied her for a moment longer, then gave a short nod. “Alright. I’ll be in touch.”With that, we parted ways. As
After another encounter with Regina, I suddenly felt the familiar weight of anxiety pressing down on me again. It was giving me the hard to sleep on it especially whenever her every words comes to my mind.I couldn’t help but sympathize over the feeling of having some people control over you and that you couldn’t do anything but obey them because it was your life that was at stake—I surely felt that part of her.And now, Wilma was planning something—something big. I couldn’t afford to wait and see how things played out. I needed advice, a plan, and most importantly, I needed to be prepared. That’s why I found myself sitting in Jack's office the following afternoon, nervously tapping my fingers on the arm of my chair while he read through the notes I’d brought him. Jack was my former lawyer, who helped me a lot with my lawsuit against Justin. And because of that, I could only trust him more than anyone when it came to legal matters. He was the one who’d helped me navigate the mess wi
LATER THAT EVENING, while I sat quietly in the living room, and enjoying the sip a hot cup of herbal tea that Aunt Lou had made for me, the tension that had been brewing throughout the day finally came to a head. Aunt Lou had been hovering, her watchful eyes lingering on me every time I moved or said anything. It wasn’t like her usual caring concern—it felt heavier, more disapproving. I could sense something was wrong, but I hadn’t wanted to push. I wanted to ask her what could be bothering her but I feel like it would be best to wait for her to tell it to me instead.Finally, she couldn’t hold it in any longer.“Margarette,” Aunt Lou started, her tone gentle but firm. She sat down across from me, folding her hands in her lap. “I don’t think this is a good idea.”I set my cup down, frowning slightly. “What do you mean?”She let out a soft sigh, as though she had been holding her breath. “Meeting with Regina. Talking to Jack without waiting for Leon to come back. You’re pregnant, swee
The rain was falling again.It always did on days like this—days that felt like endings.I stood on the edge of the cliffs overlooking the stormy waters of Anacortes, my coat pulled tightly around me, the hood shielding my face from the wind that carried the scent of salt and something older—something like goodbye.Leon stood behind me. I didn’t have to turn around to feel him there. His presence was familiar now, carved into my skin like muscle memory. He’d been my gravity, my storm, my salvation, and my ruin—sometimes all at once.“It’s really over, isn’t it?” I whispered, more to the wind than to him.He didn’t answer right away. His silence was as heavy as the stormclouds above us.“I wanted to fix everything for you,” he said finally, his voice hoarse, like it had been dragged across a battlefield. “I wanted to give you a life that didn’t hurt.”I closed my eyes. The ache in my chest pulsed with every beat of my heart. “You did,” I said. “For a while, you did.”I heard the crunch
I took a deep breath, steadying myself. “I’m not the same person I was before,” I said, my voice firm, unwavering. “And I’m not walking away this time.”The man’s eyes flickered with a moment of doubt, just enough for me to catch. And then, before I could even register what had happened, Leon moved.Faster than I could blink, Leon was in front of me, his hand grabbing the gun and twisting it out of the man’s grasp. The force of it sent the man stumbling back, but he didn’t go down easily. His bodyguards rushed in, but Leon was already a step ahead, disarming one of them with a swift, calculated move.I stood frozen for a moment, trying to process what I was witnessing. Leon—always so calm, always so careful—was ruthless. He was like a force of nature, determined to protect me at all costs.But the fight wasn’t over yet. The man recovered, his eyes burning with rage. “You really think you’ve won?” he spat, his voice dripping with venom. “You’re nothing but a pawn in a game you can’t ev
The sound of boots drew closer, pounding the floor with an urgency that echoed through the cavernous halls of the estate. My heart raced as the reality of what I had just heard crashed into me like a tidal wave. The man who had once been a part of my life—my family’s betrayer, the one who had orchestrated their deaths—stood there, calmly, as if this was just another night for him.Leon’s grip on my hand tightened, but I didn’t let him pull me away. I could feel the air thickening with tension, the walls pressing in as everything I thought I knew began to crumble.The intruders were only moments away.The man—he—smirked, watching us. “You think this will end well? You’ve no idea what you’re up against. My people are everywhere.”I took a step forward, ignoring Leon’s silent plea to retreat. “You killed them. And you thought I would be the next one to fall in line?” My voice was a whisper, but it held a power I hadn’t realized I had. “You were wrong.”The man’s face faltered, just for a
Next Morning at the Estate Archives. The basement was cold and damp, and the air smelled of mildew and secrets. Old boxes lined the walls, labeled in my father’s tidy script. Financial records. Land deeds. Correspondence.Leon sifted through a crate of documents while I dug through another.Then something caught my eye.A faded folder labeled: Project Thornfield.I opened it slowly.Inside were blueprints—plans for development across coastal land that was supposed to be protected forest. There were signatures from multiple board members, including names I recognized.And then, one I didn’t.N. Vallis.Leon leaned over. “You know that name?”I shook my head. “No. But look here—he signed off on the project two weeks before my parents died.”Leon pulled out his phone. “I’ll run a background check.”I kept flipping through the documents—and found something that made my blood run cold.An aerial photo.Of the cliffside. Our property.With a giant red X drawn over the coordinates where my p
THREE WEEKS LATER...The investigation moved faster than I’d expected. With the board fully on our side now, the paper trail unraveled like a thread pulled from an old sweater—each piece of evidence exposing the next. Shell companies. Forged contracts. Witnesses who had remained silent out of fear but were finally coming forward.Still, no one had seen him since the day of the summit. He had vanished without a trace. No flights. No offshore activity. No messages. It was like he’d disappeared into smoke.But Dorian didn’t believe in ghosts. “He’s hiding,” he said as he handed me a thick folder. “And this—this will force him out.”I flipped through the documents. Bank records. A property registered under an alias. Hidden deep in the woods outside of Anacortes. I felt my stomach twist.Leon stepped up behind me, his hand grazing my shoulder. “Let’s pay him a visit.”The cabin was barely more than a shadow tucked between trees. No lights. No car. Just silence and the thrum of insects in t
Sunlight crept cautiously through the cracks in the blinds, casting golden slivers across the hardwood floor of the safe house bedroom. I sat curled up on the edge of the bed, a blanket draped around my shoulders and the journal heavy in my lap. The cover was cracked, worn with age and secrets. My fingers hovered over the first page for what felt like an eternity.Leon was nearby—he hadn’t slept much, either. He stood at the window with a mug of black coffee, watching the world outside with quiet alertness. When I finally opened the journal, he turned slightly but didn’t speak. He knew I needed silence for this.The first entry was dated nearly two decades ago.July 14th. We signed the contract today. Two families, one future. The woman from Delmar Holdings is more cunning than I expected. She knows we’re desperate—and she used it. I told Mariana to trust me. That this was the only way. God help me, I hope I’m right.My breath hitched. Mariana—that was my mother’s name.I flipped thro
MARGARETTE'S POVBefore we could react, the door behind us burst open.Three armed men rushed in, dressed in black, their movements precise and rehearsed. Leon shoved me behind him, drawing his gun up in an instant. Dorian, who had been lingering near the entrance, took cover behind a cabinet, gun already out.“Elise’s father wasn’t bluffing,” I breathed, my heart hammering. “He had backup ready.”Leon fired the first shot, catching one of the intruders in the shoulder and sending him crashing to the floor. Chaos erupted. Dorian ducked low and returned fire, narrowly missing another attacker who retaliated with a spray of bullets that shattered the windows.I crouched behind an overturned table, the sound of gunfire drowning out my thoughts. The locket in my palm dug into my skin, its edges sharp—a painful reminder that I couldn’t afford to lose control now.“Elise’s father!” I shouted to Leon. “He’s escaping!”Through the haze of smoke and broken glass, I saw the man slinking toward
The sound of footsteps pounding in the hallway was the last thing I heard before the door slammed open.I barely had time to react before a rush of armed men poured into the room, their eyes scanning every corner, landing finally on me. There was no mistaking the intent behind their cold stares.“Get down!” Leon’s voice crackled through the earpiece again, but there was no time to obey. I couldn’t allow myself to hesitate—not now, not when the truth was within reach.I raised my gun, my hands steady despite the chaos unfolding around me. I wasn’t going down without a fight, not after everything I had lost. Not after everything Elise’s father had taken from me.Before the first man could react, I fired. The sound of the shot echoed in the confined space, the bullet finding its mark in the man’s chest. His body crumpled to the ground with a sickening thud, but the others didn’t hesitate. They moved in faster, their guns drawn, but I was ready.I ducked behind the desk, using it as cover
Dawn came in silver slivers through the cracks in the window. I hadn’t slept—not really. My mind was too loud, looping the footage over and over like a broken reel.Leon sat across from me at the table, sipping his coffee like it was the only thing keeping him grounded. Neither of us had said much since the footage. We didn’t need to. The truth had cut so deep, it didn’t leave room for small talk.But I had questions.And I needed answers.“How long do you think he’s known I survived?” I finally asked, voice hoarse.Leon didn’t look away from his mug. “Long enough to start covering his tracks. But he didn’t expect the locket to resurface.”My hand instinctively reached for it. The locket was warm now, like it had absorbed my grief and fury. Inside was a picture of my mother and me—her arm around my tiny shoulders, her smile soft but tired. A photo I hadn’t even remembered until last night.“He killed her,” I whispered. “He killed my father. For what? A project?”“Not just a project,”