Tears has fallen into my eyes the instant I saw her in that state. My head shook in disbelief as I covered half my face with my two palms clasped together.“Come closer and have a better look,” Dr. Kanishk went closer to me again as she escorted me towards grandma.I suppose she sensed that I don’t have the courage to come closer. It felt like each step I take drawing myself near to were Grandma was, just simply squeeze my chest and caused me to become pressured and unable to breathe fairly.Perhaps it was because I really didn’t want to see grandma in this state which was why, I mean who would want someone to see their loved ones being in this state when you know that their lives were seemingly dependent on the machine.“Dr. Kanishk, is my grandma fully depending on the machine now?” I said fully forgetting that I was not allowed to talk and just act like a nurse.However, Dr. Kanishk simply answered, “No not really. Based on her chart, she was ordered to have this tube to assist her
Terrified.That was exactly what I felt at the moment.I couldn’t even make a single sound as his other hand covered my entire mouth. Even the freedom to move was deprived of me since his free hand had both my hands held above my head.I was still pinned against the cold walls of the dark suite room and I could barely make out his face. The strong scent of his masculine perfume intoxicates me, making me understand how close his face was against me,“Who sent you?” He snarled, and I felt him press his mouth beside my ear as he continued, “Who dared to summon you to your death?” he whispered above his breath while doing it against my left cheek.I knew it was a mistake that I freely entered this suite room without even asking if it’s even occupied. However, I was exactly at the point of moment where I don’t even have that much time to do that.The possibility of getting caught by my mother-in-law was giving me the chills. I didn’t want us to get caught because not only I would be in tro
“That’s why I am asking for your consideration since I can’t lift you up.” I told him, while trying to contain the annoyance I have for him.Yet, despite in his dizzy state, I just couldn’t believe that he was still capable of making me feel annoyed at him. “Hey nurse, I don’t know if it was only because I was feeling dizzy but you know, I actually find you attractive or maybe it was the melatonin.” he eventually said that caused my temple to crease.“Melatonin?” I asked as I remember that that was like a sleeping pill or something.“Yeah. I asked that so that I could sleep but you broke my sleep, nurse. Good job.” Now he even blame me for his deprived sleep. Although I quite feel guilty about it since I entered his suite room without any permission. Of course, he has all the rights to blame me.“Sor—” I was about to ask for an apology when I realize that I was still disguised as nurse. Of course I couldn’t possibly apologize for entering his suite. It would only be natural for me t
My hand rapidly flew outward which I believe must have been my reflexes as soon as I struggled to get away from him. There was an awkward sound of our lips parting after I successfully distanced my face from his.“You’re sick! Why did you do that?” I instantly yelled at him, completely forgetting the fact that my mother-in-law could possibly hear me from this point.I just couldn’t simply let this pass. He was a complete stranger who just randomly kissed me. I could easily file a case against him for harassing me.“You appeared like you wanted to taste my lips. I may be in delirium but I have a good sense you were staring at them for damn good seconds I barely even count how long.” He even teased which rapidly infuriated me that I felt I had to distance myself away from him at a much further space.“I didn’t ask for you to kiss me, you damn idiot!” I retort back, refusing to accept his claim that I want him to kiss me. There wasn’t even any truth to his claim that I was staring at his
There was a silence on his part after I said those things that somehow made me confirm that he agrees with me. And so, before he could even change his mind, I promptly made a quick move to grab the roll of the gauze and quickly roll it several times around his waist.“You try to be gentle, now is not the right time to be rough on me, woman.” he said, his voice deep with a contained pain. It made me quickly stop for a moment though, simply after hearing him address me as a woman instead of the nurse he used to tease me earlier. I suppose he really had gotten serious this time.“What made you stop? Go and finish quickly, it’s painful. Damn it!” He cursed and that was the final cue that made all my hunches right. “You were in pain all this time and you try to contain it and refuse to tell me.” I told him. “Why bother? You’re not a real nurse anyway,” He retorted back, his grumpy behavior was no longer bothering me for some reason. It was like the mere fact that I was able to successfu
I was not able to finish hearing out what the man’s name as I hurriedly stood to get near Dr, Kanishk. She was still staring at me with a bit of perplexed look on her face as though she must have misinterpreted what I was doing with the patient.Meanwhile, the patient suddenly made a comment that caused me and Dr. Kanishk divert our attention on him, “Now you even have an accomplice huh?” despite his condition, he even began to chuckle as though he found the situation ridiculous.If only I could tell him the truth so that he would finally stop from bugging me about why I was even disguising as a nurse in the first place, however, I believe it wasn’t something I should feel obligated telling him anyway.Afterall, he was still a stranger I shouldn’t concern myself anymore.Eventually, I decided to ignore him and turn my gaze back to Dr. Kanishk. “Let’s go?” I urged her to finally get me out of the suite room. She simply nods and lead the way first. And just as I was about to head out,
I suppose this was the effect of what I did earlier. While I was inside the other suite room where that patient who had a fatal wound on his waist, caused me to lift him up to his bed. “What happened to you child, huh? Did they hurt you? Tell me?” Aunt Lou was once again sounding so paranoid as she was so worried about what happened to me.“I don’t know.” I pretended that I was iunaware what truly happened. It made me suddenly bewildered why am I even trying to hide the truth from my aunt. Maybe because I didn’t want her to worry that I helped that matured man at the adjacent suite room.“Come inside the lab, we need to make sure the baby is fine.” Aunt lou insisted and I know that there was no way that I could even try to stop my aunt. Well, at least I have someone to worry about the child inside me other I, myself, alone.*****[WILMA MONTEFALCO’S POV]“You know how much of a hectic day it is at the office today and you really still want me to start working the divorce papers for y
[ MARGA’S POV ]Aunt Lou has done everything she could to make sure that she has enough test result.“Well the fetus inside you is miraculously doing fine even after the bleeding incident. Anyways, I’m going to prescribe some medicine you needed to take to avoid miscarriage. And please, try not to overstress yourself or even go about making yourself working physically.” Aunt Lou’s words once more caused me to remain silent.I knew that whenever she talks like that, especially the professional way, I knew that I must take it seriously. Knowing my aunt, it really doesn’t sit well with her whenever someone doesn’t pay any attention to the details she was discussing.I mean, I believe everyone else would find it annoying, but my aunt would really behave more stressed about it. Like she would really pressed it on me so that I would eventually understand.“Are you even listening to me, Marga?” And now, it what I was just talking about now happened to befall on me instead. “Of course,” I an
Nathan Calloway had always exuded a quiet menace, the kind that made people instinctively lower their gaze and step aside. But today, he didn’t bother with subtlety. He stood in my path like a hunter savoring his victory, his dark suit crisp, his expression one of smug satisfaction.“Margarette,” he said smoothly, like we were old friends. “Going somewhere?”I clenched my fists at my sides, forcing myself to keep my expression neutral. My heart was pounding, but I couldn’t let him see my fear.“I was just leaving,” I said, stepping sideways.He moved with me, blocking my way. Behind him, two of his men stood by the black car, watching. Waiting.“Now, now,” Nathan murmured, tilting his head. “Let’s not make this difficult. We both know how this ends.”A cold rush of adrenaline flooded my veins. I could fight. I could run. But neither would get me far.Leon’s voice came through my earpiece, low and urgent. “Margarette, I’m coming. Stall.”I swallowed. “If you know everything, why are yo
Elise Grant was a woman born into privilege, but privilege came with its own kind of chains. She had spent her life learning how to play the game, but now she was realizing that the rules had changed—and I was the one rewriting them.I watched her disappear into the fog, but I knew she wouldn't be able to walk away from this. Not entirely. People like Elise didn’t just sit back and watch their world collapse—they fought, even when they didn’t know who the real enemy was yet.Leon let out a quiet sigh, his fingers flexing against his side. "She’s going to struggle with this."Dorian smirked. "Good. People make the best decisions when they think they don’t have any other choice."I pulled my coat tighter around me. The air was damp, the salty ocean breeze mixing with the lingering scent of gasoline from the fishing boats docked nearby. "She’s going to reach out again soon."Leon’s gaze flicked to me. "How can you be so sure?""Because she’s smart," I said simply. "And because she’s terr
The wind whipped through my hair as I watched Elise disappear into the night. A thrill ran through me, a mix of victory and anticipation. She had taken the bait, but we weren’t in the clear yet. Not by a long shot.Leon and Dorian flanked me, their expressions unreadable. The three of us stood in silence for a beat, the ocean waves crashing against the wooden pier below us.“She’s scared,” Dorian finally muttered, lighting a cigarette. The flame illuminated his sharp features for a moment before fading into the night. “Which is good. Fear makes people predictable.”Leon’s gaze remained fixed on the path Elise had taken. His jaw clenched, his thoughts miles ahead of us. “Fear also makes people desperate.”I turned to him. “You think she’ll run to her father?”He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he shifted his stance, slipping his hands into the pockets of his coat. “Not immediately. She’s smart enough to know that if she tips him off too soon, she’s collateral damage.”I nodded. “The
The moment Elise Grant’s fingers touched mine, I knew I had her attention. She was a woman who played in circles of power, who measured every interaction with precision. A single misstep could cost her everything.I held onto her hand for just a fraction longer than necessary, letting the weight of my words settle between us. Then, with a small, knowing smile, I withdrew, lifting my champagne flute to my lips.“Margarette,” Elise repeated, as if testing how my name felt on her tongue. “I don’t believe I’ve heard of you before.”I chuckled softly. “That’s the point, isn’t it?”Elise tilted her head, intrigued but guarded. “And what exactly do you do, Margarette?”I swirled the champagne in my glass, watching the golden bubbles rise to the surface. “I help people see things they’ve overlooked.” I lifted my eyes to hers. “Or things they’ve been kept from seeing.”Her smile didn’t waver, but something in her gaze sharpened. “That sounds dangerously close to a threat.”“Not a threat.” I to
The black SUV moved through the city under the cover of darkness, the tension inside as thick as the fog rolling in from the harbor. I sat in the passenger seat, my fingers drumming against my thigh, my gaze fixed on the glittering skyline ahead. Leon drove in silence, his grip tight on the wheel, while Dorian lounged in the backseat, casually checking his watch as if we weren’t about to walk into one of the most dangerous plays of our lives.“Elise Grant won’t be easy to approach,” Dorian mused, breaking the silence. “She’s got bodyguards, a strict schedule, and enough privilege to think she’s untouchable.”“That’s what makes her blind to threats,” Leon countered. “She’s never had a reason to look over her shoulder.”I exhaled slowly, my mind racing through the details of the plan. Elise would be attending a charity gala tonight, hosted at a high-end hotel owned by one of her father’s associates. It was the perfect opportunity to get close, to plant the seeds of doubt in her mind. Th
The cabin felt smaller now. Maybe it was the presence of this new stranger, or maybe it was the way my nerves coiled tighter with every passing second. Either way, the moment Dorian stepped inside, I felt it—the shift in the air.I gripped the revolver tighter, even as I pushed the door shut.Leon emerged from the hallway, still holding his phone, his dark eyes sharp as they flickered between me and Dorian. He didn’t look surprised. If anything, he looked… resigned."Dorian." Leon’s voice was clipped. "You took your time."The stranger—Dorian—chuckled, running a hand through his dark hair. "Traffic," he said, as if that explained everything. His green eyes met mine again, studying me with a mix of curiosity and something I couldn’t quite name.I didn’t trust him."You’re staring," I said flatly, not bothering to hide the irritation in my voice.Dorian grinned, unbothered. "Just making sure you’re as sharp as Leon said.""Flattery isn’t going to make me lower the gun."Leon exhaled, pi
The car ride was silent except for the occasional hum of the tires against the pavement. Lillian sat in the driver’s seat, her hands steady on the wheel, eyes flicking between the road ahead and the rearview mirror. Every so often, I followed her gaze, expecting to catch sight of a shadow trailing behind us.Nothing.Yet the unease in my chest refused to settle.Leon had sent one of his private drivers to pick us up outside of town, just past the tree-lined outskirts where the city lights faded into darkness. The safe house was in an undisclosed location—secluded, heavily secured, and supposedly impenetrable. But after everything that had happened, I wasn’t sure I could believe in impenetrable anymore.Aunt Lou had been hesitant to let me go, but she knew staying behind was too dangerous. Uncle George had slipped a small revolver into my bag before I left, whispering instructions in a firm voice I had never heard from him before."Use it if you have to. Don’t hesitate."Now, as the he
i sat in the dimly lit room, my fingers trembling slightly as I clutched the warm cup of tea Aunt Lou had prepared for me. The fragrant steam curled upward, but even the soothing aroma couldn’t quiet the storm raging in my mind.No matter how tightly I wrapped myself in the comfort of my aunt’s presence, my thoughts remained restless, tangled with fear and uncertainty. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the same thing—Leon, his jaw tight with determination, refusing to back down no matter the danger. His need to uncover the truth had set us on a treacherous path, and with Alexa hidden away for her safety, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was about to go terribly wrong.Sleep had been a distant dream for the past few nights. Every creak of the house, every gust of wind against the window, sent my heart racing. I knew I was being watched. Maybe not now, in this moment, but somewhere out there, someone’s eyes were on me.A soft knock at the door shattered my thoughts.Aunt Lou
The room remained silent for a moment, heavy with the weight of what Lillian had just revealed. My mind raced, processing the implications of the forged document. Justin wasn’t just trying to intimidate me—he was trying to erase my claim entirely, to make it look like I had given up willingly.I clenched my fists, my pulse pounding in my ears. “How did you get this?” I asked, my voice steadier than I felt.Lillian exhaled sharply, pulling out a USB drive from her pocket and placing it on the table. “An informant within Justin’s circle leaked these to me. They overheard him discussing his next steps—he’s preparing to launder the stolen assets and shift everything offshore. If we don’t act now, your parents’ properties will be out of reach forever.”Uncle George muttered another curse under his breath. Aunt Lou, pale and shaken, placed a protective hand over mine. “What do we do now?” she asked, looking at me as if I had the answers.I swallowed hard, then turned to Lillian. “Do we have