Zack tried calling Ivy again, but her line didn't go through. His worry only grew as he drove closer to the area the GPS locator indicated. He had installed a GPS tracking device on her phone a few weeks ago for safety reasons. But he never knew he would use it in his kind of situation. He was finding it hard to get to the location quickly as the road was jam-packed with vehicles caused by a reduced lane. His eyes darted around his surroundings searching for a way out of the traffic congestion. Frustrated and impatient, he pummeled into the car horn. He couldn't find a way out of the lane despite taking another turn. He ran his fingers through his hair, leaning on the car window. He imagined the worst could have happened, seeing the traffic congestion at her last location and also the piercing sound of siren noise coming from a few distances away. "Oh, God." He groaned, clutching his forehead. Fear, worry, and guilt washed over him as the thought of losing her life filled his mind.
Zack's eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched as he gazed at the reporters. He never liked being questioned by them, especially at a desperate time like this. What irked him more was that they were blocking his exit from the hospital. They were like annoying flies buzzing around his eyes. He motioned for them to step aside, but they were too busy throwing questions at him to understand.His annoyance grew at their stubbornness and persistence."Mr. Zack Anderson, please update us on her condition."They kept pressing on, even though he didn't seem to be in the mood to provide answers.Zack stepped forward; his patience had run out. He pushed himself into the crowd, and they quickly moved out of the way for fear of him losing his temper. His anger was simmering, threatening to boil over."Zack Anderson, please answer..."Some reporters behind him were insistent. They followed him to the parking deck.Right there was his car, which made him realize Bryan must have brought it along with him and
Zack shut his eyes and buried his face in his palms. Another bad news he was very aware of, the 'another' Bryan was referring to. "He lost a lot of blood," Bryan said, his expression solemn. "He couldn't make it during the surgery." "This is getting out of hand, who is toying with me," Zack's voice trembled in anger. He was so tempted to strike the glass table in front of him. "We just lost Edmond and now...Louis," he clenched his fist, his mind drifted to the state of Ivy. If Louis couldn't make it, then how serious is Ivy's condition? He could only hope there would be no serious complications in her health. Bryan noticed his mood had shifted to worry. "Don't worry, sir, she will get through this," he assured. "She is a strong woman." If he could place his hand on Zack's shoulders to comfort him in this desperate situation, he would have, but he opted to offer words of encouragement instead. "I know she will," Zack responded, assuring himself. He lifted his face, feeling more det
Zack's eyebrow quirked, his eyes narrowing at her, trying to comprehend what she meant. Of course, he knew what she wanted to end, the awful situation devouring their tranquility. But what begged the question was what she planned on doing. How did she want to end it? Whatever it was, it didn't seem to be a good idea as she was certain he would disagree. Zack's gaze softened as he stared at her for a while, not knowing how to calm her down and relax without dwelling too deeply on her past ordeal. "Ivy, your safety is my priority, so get some rest and let me handle this," he said, his voice calm and gentle. Ivy shook her head weakly, her jaw still clenched. Zack, seeing her reaction, knew she wasn't ready to yield to his words. He let out a frustrated sigh. "Just come here." He sat upright and wrapped his arms around her. "Relax and don't worry. Focus on making a full recovery." Ivy remained silent with an unshakable resolve. Despite Zack assuring her of handling the situation,
The news of Ivy's accident has spread like wildfire. The media never gave up on finding updates on her health. They swarmed the hospital, and the management was fed up with their pestering. They would roam around the premises, sometimes of the day, checking to see if anyone related to her exited or entered the hospital so they could get an interview. A blue car halted at the parking deck, the media were alert as their eyes shifted to the new arrival. They immediately recognized the car's driver. Susan stepped out, her mind a blur as all her focus was on Ivy. Ever since the news of her accident, she had been trying to reach her, and now when she discovered the hospital she was admitted to, she rushed down to see if she was alright. Due to her being unsettled, she didn't realize a swamp of reporters was gathered at the entrance, all coming over to her direction. She was surrounded by the crowd and had no way to squirm away, so she opted to play along, give answers, and hurry to see I
Now that her mind has drifted to Louis, she began pondering about his current state. She totally forgot to ask Zack about him as she was so focused on how to get on with her plan and solving the situation."When will you be discharged? You seem fine now." Susan's voice jolted her from her thought. She snapped out of it and decided to reserve the questions she had for Zack."Yeah, you seem very okay," Anna chimed in as they both stared at her waiting for her reply."I don't know yet," she responded. "Maybe within the week, I would love to be discharged as soon as possible."Although Ivy responded to their questions, Anna sensed Ivy's mind was elsewhere. Her terse smile quickly faltered, and she couldn't help but notice the constant subtle surveillance from one of the bodyguards. Every few minutes, someone would discreetly peer in their direction, making her increasingly certain they, especially Susan, were being monitored. She couldn't hold back her inquisition anymore. Her curiosity w
Ivy sighed silently; she knew Susan was right. There was someone else who would stop her from doing anything reckless, and that's Zack. But that won't make her change her mind. She was firm on her decision, not regarding the risk to be taken. She just had to wait for her full recovery and discharge before getting ready to execute whatever she planned on doing. Susan stayed bedside her for quite some time; they changed the topic, happily chatting before Zack arrived. The moment Zack stepped into the room, Susan gathered her belongings, flashing Ivy a warm smile. "I should get going now, take care, okay?" As she left, Zack's serious expression softened. He sat on the bed, wrapping his hands around Ivy. Ivy was growing accustomed to the newly developed intimacy and connection between them, and she was truly grateful for having someone like Zack by her side. Cuddling her made her feel relief. "You will be discharged tomorrow. A personal nurse will assist you at home," he said, his voi
Zack would have disconnected the call, but the caller's words played on his mind; they clearly insinuated a hostile undertone. "Who are you?" he asked, his memory not reflecting the caller's voice.Silence followed in the background; it was both irritating and suffocating. Deep lines etched his face as he listened to the silence until his patience ran out."Answer me. How did you get this number?" he demanded, expecting a response soon, but there was none. The call disconnected from the other end, followed by a series of sharp beeps.He placed the phone away from his ears, his knitted brow quirked, his mind trying to ascertain who the mysterious caller was, but no matter how deeply he thought about it, he still couldn't recognize him. It seemed the caller certainly knew him."What does he want?" Ivy asked, her eyes penetrating through Zack; she overheard a bit of the conversation.Zack's contemplative gaze wandered. "I don't know; he's just another troublemaker," he replied, not sure
Ivy blinked incredulously as she stared at her father. Was he being serious? "You want me to lie under oath and perjure myself to save Jeremy's skin?" she spat, her voice trembling with rage.Steve's expression remained impassive, as though nothing else mattered to him. "I'm not asking you to lie, Ivy," he said, his voice smooth as silk. "I'm asking you to... refrain from testifying for the sake of our family, and I promise I'll make sure that after Jeremy serves just a few years, he will never bother you again."Ivy laughed in disbelief. "You're kidding, right? After everything he has done, you want to manipulate the whole situation and lighten his sentence?"Steve's face darkened, and for a moment, Ivy thought she saw a flicker of anger in his eyes. But then, his expression smoothed out again, and he spoke in a tone that was almost... reasonable."Ivy, listen to me. Jeremy made a mistake, okay? He's sorry for what he did, and he's willing to face the consequences. But if you testi
Susan's eyes widened in surprise, but she quickly nodded and signaled to the host that Ivy was ready to continue. Ivy took a deep breath, smoothing out her dress and pasting a bright smile on her face. She was determined to get through this, no matter what.As she walked back onto the stage, the audience applauded again, and Ivy waved, her smile never wavering. The host greeted her warmly and introduced the next segment of the show. Meanwhile, Ivy's eyes scanned the audience, her gaze locking onto her father and aunt, who were still sitting in the front row.Instantly, Ivy's anger and resentment simmered again, but she took a deep breath, determined to keep her cool. She was going to get through this, and she was going to make sure that her father and aunt didn't ruin it for her. They really had guts showing up here; whatever the reason, it didn't seem good.With a newfound sense of determination, Ivy refocused on the show, answering the host's questions with poise and confidence. She
Two days flew by in a whirlwind of preparations for the talk show. Ivy's days were filled with rehearsals, interviews, and wardrobe fittings. Susan was a constant presence, guiding Ivy through the process. Zack, on the other hand, kept a low profile, but Ivy could sense his eyes on her, watching her every move. It was as though he was scrutinizingly waiting for any mishap.As the day of the talk show approached, Ivy's nerves began to fray. She had always been comfortable in the spotlight, but this time felt different. She couldn't shake the feeling that facing an audience was a terrible idea. It wasn't supposed to be the case, but with everything that had happened lately, she needed time to heal. The nightmare and recollection had been haunting her; it worsened, and it was taking a toll on her appearance.Her eyes were always moist from crying late in the night despite her resolve not to shed tears. She couldn't brush off the pain, grief, and guilt that was eating her up.With thought
Zack shot out of bed and made his way to the door. Meanwhile, as Ivy watched him go, she felt a sense of trepidation. Who could be visiting her now?As Zack opened the door, he spoke in a low tone to Xavier. Ivy couldn't quite make out what they were saying, but she could tell that Zack was not happy.After a moment, Zack turned and walked back into the room, his expression grim as he locked eyes with Ivy."It's your manager."*****Meanwhile, Susan had already made herself at home in the living room, sitting on the couch, sipping a glass of water that Xavier had offered her.As Zack entered the room, Susan stood up, a bright smile plastered on her face. "Zack," she said, extending a manicured hand. "It's so good to see you."Zack's expression remained grim, and he ignored Susan's outstretched hand. "What are you doing here, Susan?" he asked bluntly.Susan's smile faltered for a moment, but she quickly recovered. "I came to see Ivy, of course," she said matter-of-factly. "I've been tr
Zack and Ivy exchanged glances, wondering who it could be. But then Ivy began to have a sinking feeling in her stomach. "I can take a rough guess," she said, slumping back on the bed and mouthing, "Judy." Zack's expression hardened, and he quickly got up from the bed and strode out of the room. "Let her in," he instructed Xavier, and Xavier nodded and hastened down the stairs. Zack followed suit. Judy was allowed in shortly meanwhile Zack had already taken a seat in the living room, his expression twisted in annoyance as he locked eyes with her. "What do you want?" he asked, his voice flat, as if bored by her presence. Judy's eyes were soft and gentle, scanning the whole room, expecting to see Ivy, but there was no sign of her. "Where is she?" Judy asked, her voice slightly trembling, her eyes scanning the room again as if hoping to catch a glimpse of Ivy. Zack's expression remained impassive, his arms crossed over his chest. "She's not available to see you right now,"
Zack's arms wrapped tightly around Ivy, holding her close as she sobbed uncontrollably. He knew a storm was raging within her. He had somewhat expected she would feel broken, but this—it was way more than he had anticipated. She wasn't just broken; she was shattered. The pain and anguish that ravaged her face was evident.Zack held her close, trying to absorb some of the pain that seemed to be tearing her apart. The truth behind her emotions seemed to be consuming her.Ivy's sobs slowly began to subside, and she pulled back from Zack, her eyes red and puffy from crying. She looked up at him, and for a moment, their eyes locked in a silent understanding."Ivy," Zack whispered, his voice barely audible. "I'm sorry about your mom. Irene told me everything."Ivy's eyes searched Zack's face for a moment before she wiped her tears. "She did?"Zack nodded and took her hands in his, his eyes locked on hers. "Whatever happened was devastating, and I'm extremely worried about you." He hesitated
Ivy tossed and turned relentlessly in her bed, her eyes fluttering open to a scene that felt all too real. She was standing in her living room, but it wasn't the warm and cozy space she knew. It was cold and tense, with police officers looming over her dad."Mr. Steve, I'm afraid with the evidence we found, we need to take you in for questioning," one of the officers said, his voice firm but polite.Steve's face was pale with shock, his eyes wide with fear. "What evidence?" he demanded, his voice trembling.The officer hesitated, his expression unreadable. "We can't disclose that right now. But we do have enough to arrest you on suspicion of murder."Steve repeated, his voice shaking, "Murder? No... I didn't kill anyone."The officer's expression remained stern. "Steve, please turn around and put your hands behind your back. You're under arrest."Ivy watched in horror as the officers handcuffed her dad and led him away. She tried to scream, but her voice was frozen in her throat.She
Irene stepped into her house, closing the door behind her as if trying to shut out the world. She stood still for a moment, her eyes scanning the familiar surroundings as if seeing them for the first time.Everything around felt hollow. If she knew recollection of the past would cause her this emptiness, she wouldn't have done it. Now she felt like she had traveled back to the past experiences she wanted to shut out for so long."Hey, why are you back so late? It's midnight," Dave sprang up from the couch, but then he noticed the distant look in Irene's eyes. "Irene?"Irene didn't respond. She just walked past him, her feet carrying her on autopilot to the bedroom. Dave's eyes followed her, concern etched on his face."Irene, what's wrong?" he asked, getting up from the couch to follow her.Irene stopped in front of the bedroom door, her hand on the doorknob. She turned to face Dave, her eyes empty and haunted."Nothing," she said flatly, "just tired."With that, she slammed the door
Fifteen-year-old Ivy's feet wobbled, drained from all the running, as she pushed through the door of her home. She panted heavily, catching her breath and meeting the stunned silence in the house.It was odd; she had expected to see her mother standing in the doorway, ready to scold her for running off like that, or perhaps to be welcomed by her sister's taunts, but there was nothing.She raised her head only to find the living room empty."Mum? Irene?" she called, scanning the room, but then someone else emerged—someone she didn't expect to see."Dad? Dad!" She kicked off her shoes and enveloped him in a tight embrace. "I've been looking for you, Dad. Where were you?"Steve pulled away, his expression somber. "I, um..." he began, his gaze on Ivy's face faltering. Ivy noticed the way his voice quaked; her eyes scanned his face, and she caught his hand trembling at his side."Dad, why the face?" Ivy asked, concern etched on her face.Steve looked away without responding; his eyes seeme