Lyla’s POVJace’s mother didn’t break eye contact. Her gaze was cold and intense as she scrutinized me from head to toe. Thankfully, I was wearing an outfit that hid the shape of my tummy, concealing my baby bump.“I’ve just been resting and taking care of Jace,” I said quickly, trying to deflect. “I guess that’s why I’ve put on a little weight.” I forced a smile, but it faltered too quickly for me to recover.“That’s not what I asked, Lyla.” Her voice was sharper now, louder. “I asked, are you pregnant?”“Come on, Mum!” Jace’s voice cut through the tension as he stepped in front of me. He was clearly irritated. “Give her a break! If she’s pregnant, you’ll be the first to know.”“Good. She better not be,” Mrs. Karev snapped, her tone now cold and emotionless. “The only person allowed to carry your child is Sasha. So, this one here better not be pregnant.”I could feel my face flushing, the tension thick in the air. Just as the situation was becoming unbearable, a voice from behind int
Lyla’s POVI felt sick to my stomach when I heard Mrs. Karev speak. If I didn’t know her cognitive abilities, I would have sworn she was an uneducated street vendor. My mouth fell open, and I couldn’t help but stare at her, utterly dumbfounded.“Pardon?” That was the only thing I could manage to say.“You heard me correctly,” Mrs. Karev snapped. “Sasha will head the project, and since it was your idea, you’ll have the opportunity to work under her.”I couldn’t make sense of it—not because Mrs. Karev was being biased, but because Sasha had no idea how to handle a business, let alone a major project like this one. If Mrs. Karev wasn’t careful, she was going to ruin everything the family had worked so hard for. Sasha was going to destroy it all.“With all due respect, Mrs. Karev, this idea was mine. If you want Sasha to take the lead, I’ll gladly hand over the files, but I’m only doing it because of my relationship with Jace. I won’t be part of the disaster waiting to happen. You’re bein
Lyla’s POVJace stormed into the car, slamming the door with such force I thought it might come off its hinges. His anger was palpable, and I could see the fury burning in his eyes. He didn't speak a word to me, only turned to the driver and muttered, “Drive.” The car lurched forward, and I watched as Mrs. Karev and Sasha stood, their eyes locked on us. I could hear Mrs. Karev calling Jace’s name, but he didn’t respond. They wanted to speak to him, but he had already stormed out of the office, too furious to even acknowledge them.Even with the AC running, the heat inside the car felt suffocating. Jace hadn’t said anything, just silently removed his suit jacket, unbuttoned his shirt, and loosened his tie. The tension in the air was thick, but I didn’t dare interrupt. Finally, he spoke, his voice tight with frustration. “My mom is an intelligent, educated woman, but somehow, Sasha and her family have completely brainwashed her. I can’t understand why she’s letting Sasha handle this pr
Lyla’s POV"Don't be dramatic now, girl," Abel sneered, leaning closer. "You and I both know that the only reason my cousin married you was to use you to build the already successful company. He doesn’t love you. Come be with me, and I’ll take care of you. Let me show you what a real man is like." He reached for my hair, but I quickly pushed him away, my heart pounding in my chest."You better not push your luck, Abel," I hissed. "If it weren’t for the fact that I don’t want to create a scene, I’d slap you so hard across the face you wouldn’t know what hit you. What the hell is wrong with you? I’m married to your cousin—have you forgotten that?" I waved my ring in front of his face, but he didn’t seem to care."Don’t be delusional," he scoffed. "Who says you can’t cheat with me? Jace’s mother doesn’t want you, my father doesn’t want to see you either, but I can take you away from all of them. I can buy you a beach house, a penthouse, and we can do whatever we want. Just you and me, no
Lyla’s POVNot this feeling again, the one I hated so much. The one that made me feel like I was going to pass out, like I was sinking and evaporating all at once. It overtook me, and I couldn’t help but groan, screaming out in fear. The words kept replaying in my mind, each one sharper than the last. "She overdosed. My sister." My heart stopped for a moment as my feet stumbled in the elevator. I was paralyzed by the news—the weight of it was too much to bear.I couldn’t control the tears that started flowing, and Jace kept asking me what had happened, but my lips were too shaky to form a coherent sentence.“What happened? What happened? What did she say to you?” Jace's voice was frantic as he held me, trying to make eye contact. But I was too broken to respond. He picked my phone up from the floor, where I had dropped it in shock. Mrs. Maddy was still on the line, panicking, telling him what had happened. The elevator doors opened just then, and we hurried out, racing to the car.“Go
Lyla's POVBailey was home, on bed rest after everything that had happened. I wouldn’t leave her side. I was furious, heartbroken, and terrified for her, but I didn’t say a word. I just sat there, staring at her, lost in my thoughts."Sis, I’m fine," she said softly, noticing the tear that rolled down my cheek."Why, Bailey? Why would you do that? You tried to end your life… Why would you put me through that, especially when you know how hard things are for me? What’s going on with you?" My voice trembled, calm but filled with so much pain. I couldn’t stop the tears from falling. This was the second time Bailey had come so close to death. What if next time she didn’t make it? Another fear bubbled to the surface.“I’m sorry, Sis,” Bailey whispered, her voice breaking. “The pain was just too much. I just wanted everything to go away. I didn’t want to feel like this anymore.”I couldn’t blame her, not entirely. I knew everyone had their own battles, their own struggles. But hearing my li
Lyla’s POV“I’m eagerly anticipating our first night together, I can't wait to show you just how much you’ve been missing. I’ve transferred $2 million into your account as a gesture to spoil you and prove that I can offer so much more.I was reading the note when Jace opened the door and stood behind me. I quickly hid the paper inside my shorts before he could see who the parcel was from.“What is that? Who sent you a package?” Jace stretched his neck, trying to see what I was holding. Panic surged through me. How was I supposed to explain this? How could I tell him that it was from his cousin, Abel, and that the contents were completely inappropriate? I had to think fast, and my mind raced as I tried to come up with a believable lie.“It’s a package from a lingerie brand. They want me to work with them and sent me a sample,” I said quickly, hoping it would work.“Oh, I see. What do they want? Can I see it?” Jace asked, his curiosity clear.My heart skipped a beat. There was no way he
Lyla’s POVJace’s face was filled with anger, but it suddenly morphed into a burst of laughter.“Oh my god! You should’ve seen your face!” he laughed again, and I felt the tension in my body begin to ease.I shook my head in disbelief. “What’s wrong with you, Jace?” I playfully swatted his shoulder, and he pulled me closer, planting a soft kiss on my forehead.“You know I’d never hurt you, right? I only came in here to apologize for what I said downstairs. I was too harsh. I just wanted to say sorry,” he murmured, kissing my forehead again.“It’s alright. Your reasons are valid, and I’m not upset. You did what you thought was right. I’ll just return the item and let them know I’m not interested,” I reassured him.“You don’t have to return it. You can keep it. Well, except for the dildo, of course,” he chuckled, teasing me.“I’ll return everything so it doesn’t remind me of my bad decision,” I said, half-laughing, half-serious.We shared a brief kiss, but before anything could go furth
Lyla’s POVThe way Jace stormed out of his office sent a chill down my spine. I had no idea what his next move would be. I’d seen him angry before, but this time was different. When he looked at me, his eyes were burning with rage, and I could feel the fury radiating off of him from where I stood. My legs felt like they had turned to stone. It was as if the blood had stopped flowing, and I was rooted in place, unable to move. I was shocked—confused—and I had no idea who was behind this, but I knew I had been framed.I finally mustered enough courage to push myself up and head outside. As soon as I stepped into the open air, I saw the workers huddled together, murmuring amongst themselves. The moment they saw me, they stopped talking, and an uncomfortable silence fell over the scene.Everything had come to a halt—production, the office staff, even the truck deliveries. It felt as though time had stopped. I tried to call a cab, but for some inexplicable reason, my phone kept failing to
Lyla's Pov Lyla was left alone in Jace's office, unsure of what to do next, Jace doesn't believe her. How could he just believe what he saw without flinching, I'm a part of this family now,why would he ever think I would do something this terrible to drag the family's name to the mud.I may be an orphan,but definitely not evil, please God come to my rescue,give me the strength to scale through this phase.Suddenly,the door opened and Jace walked in. How could you do this to us, I trusted you,I fought my family because of you. Indeed the saying that what an elder sees while standing, even if a child climbs the highest mountain would never see it is true.You're evil, Lyla and I hate you.I thought I've found the one who completes me,but see what I've become now. I'm so disappointed in you.Babe, can't you see I've been framed here?How could you easily accept this without digesting it or better still have a second thought that someone has perfectly plotted this out to implicate me?
Lyla’s POVI couldn’t calm Jace down. My own emotions were a whirlwind—shock and rage mixed together in a storm that left me speechless. The damage was unimaginable. Products worth millions had been ruined in an instant, and not a single thing could be saved. It felt like a nightmare, and in the midst of it, Jace was absolutely fuming. I didn’t know what to say to comfort him. Not now. Not when we were in the middle of a crisis. The only thing that mattered was finding out who was responsible for this sabotage.Jace shot up from his seat, his face twisted in anger. He grabbed the factory manager by the shirt, lifting him off the ground. The poor guy’s feet hung suspended in the air, his eyes wide with fear. I could see it in Jace’s face: if someone didn’t stop him soon, this could spiral into something worse.“Jace, please!” I couldn’t even finish my sentence before he turned and looked at me, his eyes wild with fury.“Who the hell sabotaged my product?” Jace’s voice thundered, his wo
Lyla's POVWe stayed in the car, waiting as the officers quickly took action. They cleared the press away, and although it was a struggle, they managed to do it. Eventually, we were led into the Feds building, where I sat beside Jace, we held hands as we waited for the state head. A wave of pain hit me in my stomach, but I did my best to hide it. I couldn’t let him see it—not now. He was already under so much stress, and I knew how deeply he cared about me. I didn’t want to distract him."I’ll be brief, Mr. Jace," the head of the department said, his tone formal. "This offense is serious. It’s a state-level crime, and you’re facing jail time and a hefty fine for the damages your company may owe. It could cost you a fortune."Jace shook his head. "As I said, Officer, this must be a mistake. There’s no way my drink could contain the substances you mentioned. It’s just not possible."I nodded in agreement. But the officer wasn't convinced. He reached into a drawer and pulled out a stack
Lyla’s POV“An illegal substance in my drink? That’s impossible,” Jace said, his voice a low, incredulous laugh. His usual confidence seemed rattled, though he tried to maintain composure. “We just rebranded that drink a few weeks ago. We even did the launch yesterday! How could something that just entered the market days ago test positive for anything? There’s been some sort of mistake, I’m sure of it.”The officer, a woman with short black hair and sharp eyes, stood her ground. “There’s no mistake, Mr. Jace. The lab results are clear. The drink tested positive for codeine and ethanol, both controlled substances. What’s worse, it’s widely consumed by underage children, which is illegal. We’ll have to take you in for questioning.”“No!” Mrs. Karev exploded. Her face was red with fury. “I won’t let you do this! Where’s your warrant?”“Here you go, ma’am,” the officer replied, handing over the arrest warrant. Mrs. Karev grabbed it quickly, scanning the document before glaring at Jace.T
Jace PovExcuse me officers, this can't be true.Only I and Lyla have access to the formula used in preparation of the drink.The same drink that was taken by everyone at the party last weekend?How come it's now poisonous to the public.The person in charge of mixing the drink was interrogated and claimed that Lyla paid him to add additional substances to the drink.Impossible, Lyla will never do such a thing, Jace said.Exactly,how can I do such a thing when all I ever wanted is for the company and family business to expand.The Government officials then asked for video footage to ascertain what actually went wrong, they showed him CCTV footage of a girl who looks exactly like Lyla and even wears her kind of clothes. To top that, they show him the receipt, showing that a huge amount of money left Lyla’s bank account. Jace, please don't listen to them, can't you see I've been framed here?I can't even remember the last time I went on a shopping spree.Can't you see this has been pl
Lyla’s POV“So, because you managed to pull off just one project, you think you can sleep all day? Is that how Mr Karev and I built this company?” Mrs. Karev’s voice sliced through the room. “I always knew you were the bad egg dragging Jace down. I have never liked you and you always give me a reason to hate you! How can you still be in bed by this time? No wonder you cannot produce any child because God knows you cannot take care of them.“Mum!” Jace barked, his voice frustrated. “It’s too early for this.”“Early?” Mrs. Karev scoffed. “It’s past 10 AM, and here you are, sleeping like a couple of jobless people.”“Good morning, Mrs. Karev,” I said, my voice cutting through the tension.“There’s nothing good about this morning, Lyla. You’d better get up, get out of bed, and make breakfast for me and my son. I’m sure Jace didn’t marry you to have you lounging around the house. If there’s nothing else to do, go unload my suitcases from the car.”“Suitcases? I thought you were only stayin
Lyla's POVI froze on the bed, and the only thought racing through my mind was how much pressure I was going to be under. If I allowed it, Mrs. Karev would become a thorn in my side the moment she stepped foot in our home.“I don’t understand,” I said, my voice tinged with frustration. “Why is she moving in with us? She has a whole mansion to herself. Why does she need to come live here?” I frowned, and Jace immediately noticed my reaction.“I know this is going to inconvenience you a lot,” he began, but I interrupted him before he could finish.“Yes, it is!” I snapped, my voice sharp.“She’s only staying for a week or two, I promise. She says she wants to spend time with me since I won’t be going to the family house. She misses me, you know? I’m her only child. I have to understand her, too. I know she can be a handful, but please, just put up with her for this period.”I stood up from the bed, and Jace reached for my arm, pulling me gently back toward him. I pulled away, not ready t
Lyla’s PovMy mood changed instantly.“What? Why?”Don't tell me you accepted her proposal,I asked with a very stern face.You know how sour our relationship is,you know she doesn't like me, please tell me you refused, talk to me babe i said my heart racing at a very fast pace.I'm sorry my love,she insisted and I couldn't help it, so I gave her the go ahead to come over, I'm sorry “Someone pinch me, probably I'm dreaming”. You did what? Tears filling up and blurring my vision.How could you babe, you were present at the rebranding party, you were there when she said all those mean things to me and you still accepted for her to move in with us without even informing me?How am I supposed to live with a woman who hates me so much, who's never pleased with anything I do as long as it comes from me.How could you Jace, I feel betrayed,how could you do this to me Oh! My nightmares just began.You're rarely home during the day,how do I cope at home alone with your mother now.Before I c