For hours, Elena sat next to her brother. She held his hand, whispered prayers and words of encouragement in his ear, anything to keep him with her. But nothing seemed to work.
He was in a deep, seemingly endless, coma.
When the doctors finally came in and asked her to step outside, she refused.
“I’m not leaving,” she told them firmly.
“But Madam—”
“I said I’m not leaving.”
The doctors shared a concerned look before turning back to her.
“All right,” one of the doctors agreed. “But we’re going to have to run a few tests on him, so if you could please step outside the room for a bit, we’d appreciate it. And I’m not sure if someone informed you or not, but Mr Matthews' son has been shifted to the children’s ward. He might wake up soon, so maybe you should…check on him.”
Elena swallowed, wiping her wet lashes. The doctors were right. She should check up on Caleb, now that he was out of the observation room. She could always come back to Josh later. Or maybe she should finally visit Shelly, her sister-in-law.
Elena’s stomach churned at the thought. She had met her a few times before. She was a lovely woman, always ready with a smile. She couldn’t imagine the pain Caleb would go through once he learned of her demise. How would he cope with it? He was only six.
Taking a deep breath, Elena forced herself to get up and leave the room. The doctors were quick to begin the tests, and Elena stepped out into the corridor, closing the door behind her.
She felt so numb, she didn’t know what to do. She could go and see Caleb, but she was too shaken to face him. Instead, she decided to see Shelly first.
She went to the nurse’s station and asked where the woman’s body was. Mr Jones was right behind her, following her silently like a shadow, as if too afraid to leave her alone.
“They took her down to the morgue, Madam,” the nurse said.
“Thank you.”
With a heavy heart, Elena headed to the morgue.
The smell of disinfectant filled her nostrils as soon as the doors to the elevator opened, making her gag. She didn’t like hospitals. In fact, she hated them. They reminded her of her mother. The woman who died too young.
Elena tried her best not to think about it, and instead focused on finding the morgue.
She found it at the end of the corridor and stopped in front of the large doors.
“I’ll wait here, Madam,” Mr Jones said, standing beside her.
“I don’t even know if I can do this,” she admitted, feeling a fresh wave of tears welling up in her eyes.
“You can, Madam,” the old man encouraged her. “You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for. And the sooner you face this, the easier it will get.”
She appreciated his words. He always seemed to know exactly what to say to make her feel better.
“Okay.”
Elena took a deep breath and pushed open the door.
She stepped inside the dimly lit room, her eyes immediately falling on the bodies covered by white sheets. She swallowed the lump in her throat and approached the nearest table.
“You can do this,” she told herself as she reached for the sheet.
She pulled it back, revealing Shelly’s pale face. Elena’s breath hitched, tears rolling down her cheeks. She looked peaceful, as if sleeping.
“I’m so sorry,” Elena whispered, gently stroking her hair.
“I wish I could’ve saved you. I wish…I wish things were different.”
She stood there for a few minutes, staring at her lifeless body. It was hard not to feel sad. Shelly was young, full of life, and had a bright future ahead of her.
But it was all taken away in an instant. It was so unfair. Shelly did not deserve this.
Elena took a deep breath, trying her best not to break down completely.
She pulled the sheet back over her body but instead of walking away, she stood there a while longer. She was in no hurry to leave.
“Don’t you worry about Caleb, Shelly. I’ll make sure he’s taken care of. You just rest now. And know that I’ll always watch over him. Always.”
And with that, she turned around and left.
She didn’t have the strength to see her brother yet, so she headed towards the children’s ward.
On her way to see her nephew, Elena couldn’t help but think about what she was supposed to do if her brother really did not make it. What if he never woke up? What if he left her too? What would she do then?
She didn’t want to think about it. It was too much for her to handle.
The truth was, she didn’t know what she would do without her brother. He was her rock, her anchor. He was always there for her, no matter what.
And now, the thought of losing him was terrifying.
She would be all alone in the world. Her only family would be gone, leaving her to fend for herself.
“I can’t let that happen,” she said, wiping away her tears. “It won’t. I won’t let it.”
Her mind raced with thoughts as she walked, until she reached the children’s ward.
A middle-aged woman greeted her with a sad smile, her eyes red-rimmed. Elena didn’t know who she was, but she didn’t look like the hospital staff. “We’re very sorry for your loss,” she said. “My name is Maria. I’m Master Caleb’s nanny.”
That made sense.
Elena nodded, unable to speak.
“Caleb is in room 104. Just down the hall. Let me take you to him.” The woman offered.
“Thank you.”
They walked together, the older woman keeping an eye on her.
“How is he?”
“He’s been asking for his father. Poor boy doesn’t understand what’s happened yet. I didn’t have the heart to tell him.”
Elena understood. The little boy would learn of the truth soon enough.
“Thank you for watching him,” Elena said, as they reached the room.
“Of course. I’ll be nearby, should you need anything.”
With a nod, Elena turned and went inside.
There was only one bed in the room, and her nephew was lying in it, looking small and fragile. His dark hair was disheveled, his skin pale.
Elena’s heart ached at the sight.
She slowly approached the bed, trying not to startle him.
“Hey, buddy,” she said softly, her voice shaking slightly.
The little boy looked up at her, his brown eyes wide. “Aunt Elena?”
“Yeah, it’s me,” she said, sitting down next to him.
“Where’s daddy?”
Elena hesitated, unsure of what to tell him.
“He’s…um, he’s in the hospital too. He got hurt, but he’ll be okay.”
“And mommy?” Caleb asked, his eyes filling with tears.
Elena swallowed thickly, her heart breaking. She couldn’t lie to him.
“Mommy…she’s…” she trailed off, unable to continue.
The tears began to flow freely down Caleb’s cheeks as realization dawned on him. He understood.
“No,” he cried, burying his face in Elena’s chest. “No, mommy!”
Elena wrapped her arms around him, holding him close. Tears streamed down her face as she listened to the little boy’s cries.
“I’m so sorry, Caleb,” she whispered, her voice breaking.
She held him tight, wishing she could take away his pain.
But she knew she couldn’t. Nothing she said or did would ever be able to ease the little boy’s suffering.
All she could do was be there for him, to comfort him as best as she could.
One year and six months later.“The car is ready, ma’am.” Betty Adams told Elena, as she stepped out of the airport and glanced around the familiar city.New York had been her home for more than a decade, but after Richard’s betrayal and the accident that shattered her once-perfect life into millions of painful pieces, she couldn’t stay any longer. She needed a break. A change in the scenery. And so did Caleb. The boy had lost his mother and had almost lost his father, too, if not for Elena who refused to pull the plug.Elena nodded and adjusted the sunglasses on her face.She was tired, jetlagged, and hungry.After spending a year and a half in Milan, Italy, she was finally back home.Betty, her trusted personal assistant, led the way towards the awaiting car.Elena followed her, her mind drifting to everything that had happened over the past year and a half.It was still hard to believe that her brother had been in a coma for so long. She thought he would wake up after a few days, b
The next morning, as Elena barely stepped out of the car on her way to the NYC office, a beautiful woman in an equally stunning designer dress stood in front of her, blocking her way. Elena frowned, her four guards mere microseconds away from pushing the woman aside, when Elena’s gaze fell on the woman’s face, and a smile, full of surprise, cracked across her lips. “Danika?” Elena chuckled, silently gesturing her guards to stand back as a familiar face smiled brightly at her. “You slut!” Danika grinned, throwing her arms around her best friend. “You’re actually back, and the first thing you do is head for work? What kind of joke is that? Get on that phone and cancel all your plans. Today, you’re all mine. We are getting shit-faced drunk, and you’re telling me EVERYTHING. Is that understood?” Elena hugged her friend before pulling away. “Don’t you think it’s too early to get drunk?” Danika laughed heartily, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Not early enough to not have a good
Simon Walsh gazed at the transparent hologram of the old artefact revolving in the air, his deep and dark eyes glistering in deep contemplation.This was going to be the next treasure in his collection.He could finally tell where the crown came from: Byzantine, and once belonged to a concubine who lived in the early 400. The last three red rubies dangling between two white pearl strands were carefully wrapped in platinum chains, making a dazzling decoration, just like any royalty jewels.And to think about how lucky he was for the final negotiation to be able to buy the crown?Simon let out a self-deprecating grin, remembering how many times he nearly lost the item, with his secret rival throwing hundreds of bidders between the table to completely confuse the entire market.Despite losing her nearly thrice, Simon would soon have the crown in the palm of his hand. He was certain of it, for no other jeweller in the States could afford that beauty with the price he had settled down at.T
A year ago in Paris. After a long and hectic day at work, Elena was glad to finally get a break. It was night and each of her staff had already left. She was exhausted and wanted nothing but to sit down and relax. She could feel her body was aching, her back hurting and her legs were wobbly. She was ready to call it a night and go back home. Elena walked out of the building and took in the cool Paris air. It was a relief to her after spending the whole day inside. She could feel the freshness of the air seeping in and filling her lungs. She closed her eyes and let the cool breeze caress her cheeks, enjoying the quiet and peace. But then she paused in her footsteps and remembered that Caleb would be having a sleepover at his best friend’s house. And it was only her who had to go back home. Alone. Alone, without anyone to share the bed with. Alone, without anyone to hold her tight and warm her heart. The thought made her sad. After the betrayal from her ex-fucking-husband, she ha
“So, what do you say, Elena?” He coiled a stray curl of hers around his finger, giving her a gentle tug. “Would you like to get out of here and go somewhere more private?”His offer caught her so damn off guard, her heart began to beat faster, and she never really realized that she never gave him her name during their entire exchange. The truth was, she had come to the bar to hook up with someone, and this guy was certainly attractive enough. Enough for her to ignore the fact he seemed to be aware of her identity despite meeting her the first time.“Um, I don’t know,” she replied, biting her lower lip.The stranger leaned in close, his face mere inches away from hers.“I think you do,” he whispered, his breath hot against her ear.His words sent a shiver down her spine, and she could feel herself starting to grow aroused. It had been such a long time since she felt like this.He slipped her hand in his and pulled her to him, moving her between his legs. He kissed the side of her neck
The stranger looked up at her, a mischievous glint in his eye. “Not yet,” he murmured. Elena groaned with frustration, but she knew there was no point in trying to resist him. He was in complete control, and all she could do was submit to his desires. The stranger began to kiss his way down her body once more, this time not stopping until he reached her aching pussy. He planted a soft kiss on her inner thigh, and then ran his tongue along her slit, tasting her arousal. She shuddered, already on the brink of orgasm. He flicked his tongue against her clit, sending waves of pleasure through her body. Elena couldn’t help but cry out, shutting her eyes tightly and grabbing fistfuls of the sheets as he continued his ministrations. She could feel herself getting closer and closer to climax, and when he slipped two fingers inside of her, she lost control. Her body convulsed, and she let out a loud moan as she came hard, her juices flowing out of her and all over the stranger’s fingers. B
[PRESENT]The masquerade ball, one month later, was nothing short of spectacular.The event was held at the Plaza, which was decorated with an opulent array of flowers and fairy lights. A live band played music that could be heard throughout the entire venue, and the guests mingled and danced with one another, their outfits the height of fashion and their masks an elaborate collection of feathers, lace, and jewels.In the midst of it all was Elena, wearing a floor-length gown of navy blue silk and a mask covered in silver beading. Her dark hair was swept up into an elegant twist, and her lips were painted a deep red. She looked gorgeous and she knew that, but the night was hardly about her. It was about the company, and it was about Josh.Elena had thrown the ball, inviting all the richest and most influential people in the world, in the hopes of drawing in the attention of the man who was known to have all the answers.Simon Walsh. The president of the Walsh Group of Companies. The m
“We’re here, sir,” his chauffeur said.Richard McDowell looked up from the screen of his phone and out the window of his car, realising that they had reached the venue for the ball thrown by M & S Group. He sighed deep into his chest and tucked the phone into the pocket of his suit coat, stealing a glance at the young woman sitting next to him on the plush seat of the car.“Are you sure about this?” He asked Cecelia as he watched his step-sister redo the clasp of the diamond necklace around her neck.Cecelia raised her eyes at him, her delicate brow furrowed with confusion. “What do you mean?”He shrugged, trying to look nonchalant about the whole thing. “We don’t have to be here. I don’t feel like it.”“Are you insane?” She scoffed, incredulous at his behaviour. “This is one of the most exclusive parties in the year. How can we not attend?”Well, that was one thing for sure. He couldn’t deny that. The only problem was, he wasn’t feeling that well. Since the incident a year and a half