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
Audrey’s pov“Well, this is unexpected,” I said, leaning back in my chair and folding my arms. “What brings you to my office, Stephanie?”She didn’t answer. She just stood there with her arms crossed and that look in her eye that could pierce steel. It was almost funny how mad she looked—like a toddler throwing a fit. I couldn’t help but smile.“I’m here,” she began, her voice was tight and betrayed a rage just below the surface that she could barely contain, “to get answers."I raised an eyebrow. "Answers? About what exactly?”“You know what I’m talking about,” she snapped, her voice rising. “You’ve been meddling where you don’t belong, Audrey. Because of you, Eric has stripped me of my authority in the company. Because of you, I’ve been pushed out of every decision-making process!”I laughed—a genuine, hearty laugh that seemed to infuriate her even more. “Stephanie, you’ve done this to yourself. Don’t act like I’m the villain here. You brought a quack doctor into our home to treat m
Audrey’s povI arched an eyebrow at him, my spoon frozen in mid-air above the bowl of ice cream I was about to eat. “And where exactly do you suggest we go on this spontaneous trip?”He grinned. “Trust me. I’ve got a place in mind. Somewhere peaceful, no distractions, no Amelia, no Stephanie.”The idea was tempting, I couldn’t deny that. But I shook my head, the weight of responsibility settling on my shoulders once again. “Xander, I can’t leave my father right now. Not when he’s finally getting better. What if something happens while I’m gone?”He reached across the desk, taking my free hand in his. “Elena’s here. She’s more than capable of looking after your father. And honestly, Audrey, what’s the worst that could happen in two days?”I opened my mouth to argue, but couldn’t dispute that. Elena was really efficient. Was I willing to give myself just two days of peace? It had been so long since my body had known what a break was, maybe it was worth the risk.“You mean it,” I whisper
Amelia’s povI sat on the floor of my office with a mat as I laughed with a drink in my hand at the jokes Mark was telling.He laughed and told me all that he had seen and noticed in the office as I agreed with him.I couldn’t even argue with him as he was right.“And those idiots who think that they can do a better job,” I laughed as he nodded and I twirled a strand of my hair around as I looked at him in a seductive way.I sat in a way where he could see my laps and I saw him trying so hard to look away.“Don’t tell me you aren’t attracted to me,” I smiled as he nodded.“You are attractive, Miss amelia.”“Oh please. Call me Amelia. You already called me that earlier. What’s stopping you from taking it a bit further?”“You ate my boss’s sister. I can’t do anything…”“Oh please. You’re so uptight.”I got up and crossed my legs over him as I sat on his thighs which had him gasping. “You can’t tell me you don’t want to take this further.”He nodded as I leaned in to kiss him. It was me
Amelia’s povThe commissioner’s phone rang mid-conversation, and his face instantly turned grave. “I have to take this,” he said, rising from the table without waiting for a reply.I studied him as he paced a few feet off, speaking low and fast into the phone. Whatever it was had to be important. I glanced around at everyone else sitting at the table, but no one else seemed as intrigued as I.After a minute or so he came back, a hard look on his face. “I have to go out,” he said shortly, already heading for the door. I frowned. “Not even goodbye?”He glanced over his shoulder, clearly distracted. “We’ll talk later. Keep in touch.”And just like that, he was gone, the door clicking softly shut behind him as he made his way quickly to the car parked just outside the building. He hadn’t even left me a number or taken mine—a strange move for someone who claimed his interest in speaking with me again soon was genuine.But then again, men like him were always in a hurry—always running arou
Amelia’s povShe held me against her chest, smoothing my hair with a hand. “Hush now, child. There is no use crying over spilt milk.”Her words didn’t help. If anything, they made me feel worse. How could she be so uncaring, so unfeeling?I drew back from her, looking straight into her eyes. “You don’t care? He’s dead, mum. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”Her gaze grew harder for a moment, and then she held my face tightly between her hands. “What does bother me, Amelia, is seeing you like this,” she said finally. “You’re stronger than this. The commissioner’s death may have been a shock for us all, but it is not the end of the world for us- nor will it be for you. I’m just glad you’re safe. That is all.”Her calmness should have been reassuring, but I only felt my anxiety spike higher. I nodded mutely, not trusting myself to say anything in return. Of course she wasn’t being completely honest. Even if she hadn’t caused the explosion herself, mum knew far more than she was willing
Author’s povThe police quickly surrounded Daniel, cuffing him as he groaned on the floor. Blood trickled from his nose, and his face was twisted in anger and humiliation.“You’ll regret this, Xander!” Daniel spat, glaring up at his brother.Xander leaned down, his expression calm but firm. “Regret? That’s something you should feel for all the lives you’ve ruined. It’s over, Daniel.”As Daniel struggled against his restraints, the head of police stepped forward. He pulled out a list of charges and began reading them aloud.“Daniel Clarkson, you are being charged with the following: the kidnapping of Mrs. Wright, the attempted murder of Xander Clarkson, embezzlement from your family’s company, obstruction of justice, and numerous other crimes. You’ll be facing a long time in prison.”Daniel’s face contorted with rage. “None of it is true!” he shouted. “This is a setup! You’re all working against me!”“Your corrupt cop was also seen running off and right now he’s willing to testify agai
Author’s povMrs. Wright sat in the dark room, straining her ears for the movements of her captors. It had been a few hours since they taken her from her old place and brought her to this new place, hours marked by terror and solitude and confusion. But something inside had changed that night. Something told her she couldn’t be captive anymore. With newfound resolve, Mrs. Wright steeled herself and tiptoed to the door.The house was still; her captors didn’t suspect a thing when they had gone to bed earlier. Mrs. Wright cautiously unlocked the door, afraid of its creaking as she turned the knob to let herself out into the night air that was cool and freeing.She was done hiding. This time, she was going to save herself.The road stretched before her was infinite in the dark. She knew that with each step she took away from her prison it was another opportunity to get to her son and get out a solution. Her heart was beating both in fear and anticipation of the worst. She ran through t
Daniel’s povI stormed out of his office, hot blood rushed through my veins. How dare he? Who the hell does this man think he is? Some kind of a superhero coming to ‘save’ the company. He was going too far and asking too much. I got out of the company and headed for my car as I sat down there and leaned back in it. I was so angry I couldn’t hold myself back.My hands gripped tightly around my steering wheel; those knuckles were all white as if they were screaming ‘help!’ in some invisible way. In anger, I punched my steering wheel a couple of times before leaning back in my seat.I then turned the ignition and drove directly to the warehouse where I had everything under control—my men, my operations, and my future. It was a sanctuary of sorts for me, a place where I could reorganize my thoughts and plans without any distractions or disturbances. A couple of my men were already there when I arrived.They all stood up as soon as they saw me enter, feeling the unrest radiating off me. “
Audrey’s povI clearly remembered the drive to the cabin that morning. I’d driven so slowly, looking in the rearview mirror every few seconds to make sure I wasn’t being followed. The streets had been practically empty, but everything had felt still and foreboding because of it. When I had gotten to the place, I had parked a few hundred meters from the cabin itself, hiding my car behind some trees before continuing on foot.The closer I got to the cabin, the more uneasy I felt. Something was very wrong. The place looked abandoned—deserted—but it wasn’t just that. It was something else; something I couldn't explain.“Mrs wright?” I asked while staying at the door and knocking. I hoped no one would bash my head in as I opened it inwards as it groaned under my hand as I gave it a push so I could step inside.The sight that met my eyes made my stomach plummet. The entire cabin was in shambles. Furniture was flipped over, papers were strewn across the floor, and a faint acrid smell wafted
Xander’s povI sat in my office, the door closed behind me as I went through the financial reports once more. My anger simmered beneath the surface. It was bad enough that the company was in such a state, but the audacity of the board to act like nothing was wrong infuriated me. My father had worked too hard to build this company, and I wasn’t about to let it crumble under their watch—or Daniel’s.Just as I was contemplating my next move, there was a sharp knock on the door. Before I could answer, one of the board members stepped in, closing the door behind him. He was an older man, someone who had been with the company for decades, yet his face now looked pale and nervous.“Mr. Xander,” he started, his voice shaking, “I need to talk to you.”I reclined back in my chair, signaling for him to continue. “What is it?” I questioned, but I already knew he didn’t come here to help me with anything but to stress me.The man hesitated, and then he leaned forward a little. “I think you should
Xander’s povI was in my company office gazing at the files lying on my table. My secretary had compiled every possible document pertaining to the financial record of the company and I was growing more angry after going through it. How was it not tallying? Who drew this large amount of money, the supporting bills and receipts were in no record?I could see lots of money being removed from the company but there was no mention of them being used for the company again. Why was this a thing?I called for my assistance as she appeared before me.“Is this all?” I asked as she nodded.“Yes, Mr. Xander. I think this is all there is available in the system…”“You think?” I interrupted her as she gulped.“It is all I could find in the system.”I leaned back in my chair and drummed my fingers on my desk. “This doesn’t make any sense… Someone has been withdrawing money at absurd rates recently, and with no record of what it’s being used for? How the hell does that work?”She didn’t answer, but sh
Daniel’s povI smiled after hearing his voice. Xander, always so easy to rile up. “Calm down, baby brother,” I scoffed. Taking another sip of my drink as I got to my feet to face him. “I was merely conversing with her. No need to get your knickers in a twist.”He stepped closer, glowering. “I said, stay away from her.”I saluted him sarcastically and stepped back a pace or two. “Okay, okay. Chill out if it bothers you so much.”As I walked away, I glanced back at Xander over my shoulder. “You should really learn to relax,” I drawled, mocking him as much as possible. “It’s bad for your health, all this stress you carry around.”Walking through the doors out of the pool area with self-satisfaction rolling off me in waves, I didn’t care about Xander and his anger. Not when they were both going to be defeated very soon.Back in my room, I poured myself another drink and stared out the window. It was a clear blue night with stars in the sky, but I wasn’t looking at the sky or the stars or
Daniel’s povLola’s body went rigid and her face turned a shade of red that clashed horribly with her hair. “Audrey?” she screeched.“Yes,” I said, nodding. “Why would she do this to me?”I shrugged. “I don’t know. But she must have seen that maybe Xander was looking at you a certain way and she just wanted you out of the equation.”Lola laughed cynically, and shook her head. “Audrey is going to regret this.” She said, “She honestly believes that nobody is going to stop her? For real.”I said nothing, just letting her stew. If nothing else, getting angry at Audrey took her mind off what had happened. "Wow, you look like hell," I said, taking a step back from the chart."Gee, really? How would you have guessed?" she snapped and rolled her eyes at me.I smirked, leaning against the wall. “You’re lucky to be alive, you know.”Her glare seemed to darken at my words. “If your people were competent at making sure no harm came to you and I, this wouldn’t have happened in the first place!”
Audrey’s pov“No,” I said, just as firmly. “But we can’t do anything stupid either. Any wrong step in this thing and it could throw us all over the edge. We just found her, let’s be careful and tail her for a while while trying to know what’s going on.”He gave a long heavy sigh and rubbed his fingers across his forehead. His eyes looked miserable because he knew I was right."Let's think this through," I said softly, resting my hand on his arm. "We'll find a solution for her. But we have to do it right."Reluctantly, he nodded, but his shoulders drooped in defeat. "Okay," he whispered. "But we need to hurry. I don't think she can last much longer."I nodded with both relief and determination. ***Daniel’s povI was in the car already heading to the house when I got a call from my men. “Boss, we have a problem.”“What is it?” I growled while clutching the wheel.“Mrs. Wright brought a stranger into the house she is hiding in, and now that we’ve arrived, the person is gone.”I frowne