Audrey’s pov“Let me check,” the operator said. A couple minutes passed before she came back with the same answer. “I’ve searched our national and international databases, and this doctor isn’t licensed anywhere.”“Alright. Thank you.”I hung up, my heart pounding.This was the proof I was waiting for. I picked up my phone and dialed my good friend Detective Marcus Hill. I had known this man since college, and there wasn’t a person alive that I trust more than him in the law.“Marcus,” I said when he answered, “I need your help.”“What’s wrong, Audrey?” he asked in a worried tone.I told him everything—the doctor's sketchiness, the absent files on his license, and my theory about him possibly hurting Dad under Stephanie's orders. Marcus didn't interrupt once, but when I finally finished speaking, he sounded pissed.“This is serious, Audrey. If this guy is practicing medicine without a license and endangering lives, he needs to be stopped immediately.”“Exactly,” I said. “Can you help
Xander’s pov“It’s…going well,” I said, trying to keep it neutral. No one needed to know mine and Audrey’s business but ours.Elena squinted at me like she didn’t buy it, but she dropped it. “Come in, come in. Sit down. You have so much catching up to do.”We made our way into the cozy living room, and she handed me a mug of coffee before collapsing onto the couch across from me. We caught up on the last few years of our lives in laughter and stories that, for a moment, I was sure nothing had changed. It felt so good to let go and be weightless again.But that wasn’t why I was here.“Elena,” I started, putting my mug down on the table. “I’m here because I need your help. It’s about Audrey’s father.”Her expression changed instantly, the playful look gone for the first time in as long as I could remember and replaced with a seriousness that seemed out of place. “What happened?” she demanded, leaning toward me.I told her everything—the doctor, the poison, how Eric had been getting wors
Stephanie’s pov"I... I don't think so," he said finally, and his tone gave me pause.I sighed loudly. I was already regretting hiring these incompetents. “Fine. I’ll handle it. Don’t call me unless someone is actually fucking dying.” I ended the call and dialed Dr. Barve’s number immediately, annoyed that I was even having to make this personal phone call, but my annoyance went deeper when his phone rang and rang and then clicked over to voicemail. I tried again with the same result, feeling myself become more irritated as my fingers drummed impatiently against the arm of the chair.Where in fact was he?Frustrated, I scrolled through my contacts and hit the number for his assistant. No answer. Great. What was wrong with everyone today? My frustration turned to unease as I realized that wasn’t like Barve at all. He was supposed to be reliable – especially now.With a sigh, I hit the number for my spy."Find Barve," I said. "Now."There was a moment's silence on the other end of the
Stephanie’s povI decided to visit Barve and know if there was any way in saving him.The police station was cold and smelled like sweat and sterilizer. I hated places like this; the air seemed to laugh at my love of high fashion and higher society by holding onto me as if it could keep me grounded in reality. But necessary or not, if I wanted to take back control of my life, I had to do this.I was led to the holding room, my heels echoing briskly on the hard tile floor as I navigated behind the lead officer. Doctor Barve was hunched on the steel bench, beyond his usual arrogance and distanced demeanor with a fusion of angst seen only in a man desperate for an escape. He glanced up from under his brows when he heard me drawing nearer, his face betraying an expression indicative of shock mingled with relief.“Stephanie,” he muttered under his breath as if no time were left to lose. “You’re here—”I folded my arms over my chest and tilted my head, studying him with mild disgust. “Wha
Xander's povAudrey’s lips quirked into a partial smile. “I wish I could’ve seen that. Stephanie wigging out? That doesn’t happen often.”“It really was something,” I told her, stretching back in my chair and lacing my fingers behind my head. “She tried to threaten me, as a matter of fact. Told me I was a loser wasting my time. So I just smiled and reminded her that we all have secrets—the would-be doctor she paid off. She didn’t know how to deal with it.”Audrey’s smile faded. She was suddenly serious. “Do you think she’ll give up now? Or do you think she’ll escalate?”I thought about that for a second.“I don’t know,” I said finally. “Stephanie doesn’t seem like the kind of person who stops doing something just because it’s not working anymore.”“Yeah, but we’ve pretty much shut down every avenue she’s tried so far. And barve is gone, basically . . .”“She’ll try something else,” I interrupted, then continued with my original thought. “But it really seems like she’s running out of o
Stephanie’s povI stormed out of the house, the heels of my shoes clicking loudly against the tiled floor as I made my way to the garden. My anger boiled beneath the surface, threatening to spill over. As I stepped outside, I saw them—my so-called guards, lounging around as if their job was to host a tea party.“You useless idiots!” I barked, my voice cutting through the tranquil air. They scrambled to their feet, startled by my sudden appearance. “Why haven’t you done anything about Audrey and her stupid guards? You’re just standing here like statues!”One of them, the taller of the group, dared to speak up. “Ma’am, Miss Audrey had us demoted. We’re no longer allowed near Sir Eric. We’ve been reassigned to… garden duty.”I narrowed my eyes, fury rising like a tide. “And you just accepted that? You let her strip you of your duties without so much as a fight?”He shifted uncomfortably, glancing at the others for support, but they all avoided my gaze. Pathetic. “Ma’am,” he stammered, “h
Stephanie’s povThe moment the commissioner’s words hit me, it felt like the ground had shifted beneath me. My grip on the phone tightened, my knuckles turning white. His voice was calm, almost amused, as if he knew he had me cornered.“What did you just say?” I asked, my voice trembling with both rage and fear.“I said,” he repeated with deliberate slowness, “the only way you’ll get your precious doctor out of prison is if you come to my bedroom tonight. Otherwise, I’ll make sure both of you rot behind bars. And let me remind you, Stephanie, your dear doctor Barve has already sung like a canary.”A cold shiver ran down my spine. My heart pounded in my chest as I struggled to process his words. He knew. He knew everything. My plans, my schemes—he had it all. And now, he wanted to use that against me.“You’re bluffing,” I hissed, trying to sound more confident than I felt. “You don’t have anything on me.”“Oh, but I do,” he said, chuckling darkly. “Dr. Barve was very… forthcoming under
Stephanie’s povThe drive to the police station with the commissioner was tense. He sat beside me, fiddling with his phone and stealing nervous glances in my direction. I knew he didn’t trust me, and frankly, the feeling was mutual. But for now, our goals aligned, and that was all that mattered.When we arrived, the station was bustling with officers shuffling papers and interrogating suspects. The chaos only fueled my annoyance. The commissioner led me through a narrow hallway toward the holding cells, and my heels clicked sharply against the linoleum floor, each step echoing my growing irritation.Finally, we arrived at the cell where Dr. Barve was being held. To my surprise, he wasn’t in the dingy cell I had imagined. Instead, he lay on a cot in what seemed to be an improvised medical room, pale and disheveled. The faint smell of antiseptic hung in the air.The commissioner gestured toward the door. “I’ll leave you two to talk. But don’t take too long.”I nodded curtly. “You’ll be
Stephanie’s pov“You’re mad,” I hissed, trying to maintain my composure even as fear coiled around my throat.“Mad?” His laughter was sharp and cruel. “You haven’t even begun to see mad.” He loosened his grip slightly, but his presence was still oppressive. “Do you think I didn’t hear every word you said to Barve back there? You two plotting your next move, thinking you’re so untouchable. Well, guess what? I want in. Whatever it is you’re planning—Eric, the company, the inheritance—I want a piece of it.”I froze, my mind racing as I tried to process his words. He knows.“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I lied, my voice steady despite the tremor in my heart.“Oh, don’t play coy with me.” His grin widened, and he took a step back, crossing his arms. “Shall I spell it out for you? How about I start with telling Eric whose child Amelia really is?”My breath caught in my throat, and for a moment, the room seemed to tilt. He couldn’t possibly know. Could he?The commissioner’s eyes
Stephanie’s povThe drive to the police station with the commissioner was tense. He sat beside me, fiddling with his phone and stealing nervous glances in my direction. I knew he didn’t trust me, and frankly, the feeling was mutual. But for now, our goals aligned, and that was all that mattered.When we arrived, the station was bustling with officers shuffling papers and interrogating suspects. The chaos only fueled my annoyance. The commissioner led me through a narrow hallway toward the holding cells, and my heels clicked sharply against the linoleum floor, each step echoing my growing irritation.Finally, we arrived at the cell where Dr. Barve was being held. To my surprise, he wasn’t in the dingy cell I had imagined. Instead, he lay on a cot in what seemed to be an improvised medical room, pale and disheveled. The faint smell of antiseptic hung in the air.The commissioner gestured toward the door. “I’ll leave you two to talk. But don’t take too long.”I nodded curtly. “You’ll be
Stephanie’s povThe moment the commissioner’s words hit me, it felt like the ground had shifted beneath me. My grip on the phone tightened, my knuckles turning white. His voice was calm, almost amused, as if he knew he had me cornered.“What did you just say?” I asked, my voice trembling with both rage and fear.“I said,” he repeated with deliberate slowness, “the only way you’ll get your precious doctor out of prison is if you come to my bedroom tonight. Otherwise, I’ll make sure both of you rot behind bars. And let me remind you, Stephanie, your dear doctor Barve has already sung like a canary.”A cold shiver ran down my spine. My heart pounded in my chest as I struggled to process his words. He knew. He knew everything. My plans, my schemes—he had it all. And now, he wanted to use that against me.“You’re bluffing,” I hissed, trying to sound more confident than I felt. “You don’t have anything on me.”“Oh, but I do,” he said, chuckling darkly. “Dr. Barve was very… forthcoming under
Stephanie’s povI stormed out of the house, the heels of my shoes clicking loudly against the tiled floor as I made my way to the garden. My anger boiled beneath the surface, threatening to spill over. As I stepped outside, I saw them—my so-called guards, lounging around as if their job was to host a tea party.“You useless idiots!” I barked, my voice cutting through the tranquil air. They scrambled to their feet, startled by my sudden appearance. “Why haven’t you done anything about Audrey and her stupid guards? You’re just standing here like statues!”One of them, the taller of the group, dared to speak up. “Ma’am, Miss Audrey had us demoted. We’re no longer allowed near Sir Eric. We’ve been reassigned to… garden duty.”I narrowed my eyes, fury rising like a tide. “And you just accepted that? You let her strip you of your duties without so much as a fight?”He shifted uncomfortably, glancing at the others for support, but they all avoided my gaze. Pathetic. “Ma’am,” he stammered, “h
Xander's povAudrey’s lips quirked into a partial smile. “I wish I could’ve seen that. Stephanie wigging out? That doesn’t happen often.”“It really was something,” I told her, stretching back in my chair and lacing my fingers behind my head. “She tried to threaten me, as a matter of fact. Told me I was a loser wasting my time. So I just smiled and reminded her that we all have secrets—the would-be doctor she paid off. She didn’t know how to deal with it.”Audrey’s smile faded. She was suddenly serious. “Do you think she’ll give up now? Or do you think she’ll escalate?”I thought about that for a second.“I don’t know,” I said finally. “Stephanie doesn’t seem like the kind of person who stops doing something just because it’s not working anymore.”“Yeah, but we’ve pretty much shut down every avenue she’s tried so far. And barve is gone, basically . . .”“She’ll try something else,” I interrupted, then continued with my original thought. “But it really seems like she’s running out of o
Stephanie’s povI decided to visit Barve and know if there was any way in saving him.The police station was cold and smelled like sweat and sterilizer. I hated places like this; the air seemed to laugh at my love of high fashion and higher society by holding onto me as if it could keep me grounded in reality. But necessary or not, if I wanted to take back control of my life, I had to do this.I was led to the holding room, my heels echoing briskly on the hard tile floor as I navigated behind the lead officer. Doctor Barve was hunched on the steel bench, beyond his usual arrogance and distanced demeanor with a fusion of angst seen only in a man desperate for an escape. He glanced up from under his brows when he heard me drawing nearer, his face betraying an expression indicative of shock mingled with relief.“Stephanie,” he muttered under his breath as if no time were left to lose. “You’re here—”I folded my arms over my chest and tilted my head, studying him with mild disgust. “Wha
Stephanie’s pov"I... I don't think so," he said finally, and his tone gave me pause.I sighed loudly. I was already regretting hiring these incompetents. “Fine. I’ll handle it. Don’t call me unless someone is actually fucking dying.” I ended the call and dialed Dr. Barve’s number immediately, annoyed that I was even having to make this personal phone call, but my annoyance went deeper when his phone rang and rang and then clicked over to voicemail. I tried again with the same result, feeling myself become more irritated as my fingers drummed impatiently against the arm of the chair.Where in fact was he?Frustrated, I scrolled through my contacts and hit the number for his assistant. No answer. Great. What was wrong with everyone today? My frustration turned to unease as I realized that wasn’t like Barve at all. He was supposed to be reliable – especially now.With a sigh, I hit the number for my spy."Find Barve," I said. "Now."There was a moment's silence on the other end of the
Xander’s pov“It’s…going well,” I said, trying to keep it neutral. No one needed to know mine and Audrey’s business but ours.Elena squinted at me like she didn’t buy it, but she dropped it. “Come in, come in. Sit down. You have so much catching up to do.”We made our way into the cozy living room, and she handed me a mug of coffee before collapsing onto the couch across from me. We caught up on the last few years of our lives in laughter and stories that, for a moment, I was sure nothing had changed. It felt so good to let go and be weightless again.But that wasn’t why I was here.“Elena,” I started, putting my mug down on the table. “I’m here because I need your help. It’s about Audrey’s father.”Her expression changed instantly, the playful look gone for the first time in as long as I could remember and replaced with a seriousness that seemed out of place. “What happened?” she demanded, leaning toward me.I told her everything—the doctor, the poison, how Eric had been getting wors
Audrey’s pov“Let me check,” the operator said. A couple minutes passed before she came back with the same answer. “I’ve searched our national and international databases, and this doctor isn’t licensed anywhere.”“Alright. Thank you.”I hung up, my heart pounding.This was the proof I was waiting for. I picked up my phone and dialed my good friend Detective Marcus Hill. I had known this man since college, and there wasn’t a person alive that I trust more than him in the law.“Marcus,” I said when he answered, “I need your help.”“What’s wrong, Audrey?” he asked in a worried tone.I told him everything—the doctor's sketchiness, the absent files on his license, and my theory about him possibly hurting Dad under Stephanie's orders. Marcus didn't interrupt once, but when I finally finished speaking, he sounded pissed.“This is serious, Audrey. If this guy is practicing medicine without a license and endangering lives, he needs to be stopped immediately.”“Exactly,” I said. “Can you help