Aidan returned to his office and, in a fit of frustration, swept some files off his desk with his hands. Papers scattered everywhere as he clenched his fists, feeling like he had lost a rare opportunity again."Dammit," he muttered under his breath, his voice filled with regret. "If only I had listened to my instinct and made Amira leave some minutes earlier before Karina came, she wouldn't have forcefully kissed me."He cursed himself for losing control of the situation earlier. The thought of Karina's hurt expression haunted him. "I was so close," he whispered, his voice cracking with emotion. "So close to making things right."He paced back and forth, his mind racing. "Why did I let her get to me? Why did I let this happen?"Slumping into his chair, he buried his face in his hands, feeling the weight of his mistakes. "I have to fix this," he resolved, his voice barely audible. "I can't lose her. Not like this."The office was silent except for the sound of his ragged breathing. The
The next minute, Karina put on a careless expression, her face turning cold and indifferent. She sat down and asked, "How are things going at the mansion?" She cleared her throat, trying to change the topic as she glanced at Gina.Gina sighed. "Everything is... not really good with you and Sophie's absence. By the way, Uncle Elijah left the mansion with his family."Karina's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Why?"Gina shrugged. "Aunt Zora asked them to leave."Karina shook her head. "That's not good."Gina waved it off. "Uncle Elijah wanted that. He wanted them to stay away so Aunt Martha might not cause any other trouble."Karina nodded in understanding. "Alright then. Anyway, I plan on returning today with Sophie."Gina's face lit up. "You know, Aunt Zora guessed right. I guess I'll make sure the celebration of your return with Sophie is carried out properly tonight."Karina smiled. "Thank you. I'm sure we can celebrate my upcoming marriage too. Do you think I should invite Lucas over
Alicia's mind raced. She knew she had to stay strong, to find a way out of this nightmare. "You won't get away with this," she vowed, her voice steady despite the fear gnawing at her insides.Lucas pulled away from Amira just enough to look at Alicia, his expression a mixture of amusement and menace. "Oh, but I already have, Alicia. You're completely at my mercy."Amira's laughter mingled with Lucas's, creating an eerie symphony of malevolence. "And there's nothing you can do about it."As the display continued, Alicia's resolve hardened. She knew she had to find a way to escape, to stop Lucas and expose his true nature. But for now, all she could do was endure, her mind plotting her next move, even as her body remained trapped.Meanwhile, Karina arrived at her house, the sun beginning to dip below the horizon. As she opened the front door, Sophie stood in the hallway, arms crossed and a slight pout on her face."You were supposed to be home two hours ago so we could do the packing,"
Alicia chuckled bitterly. "I'm talking about Lucas. He's a lot of things you can't fathom. A deceiver, a liar, and a user." Amira cackled. "Oh, woman, you're just saying this to poison my mind about him because he left you." Alicia shook her head. "I stopped loving a jerk like him a long time ago. I know him well. He holds something special to me." Amira's brows creased. "What is that? Your heart?" she teased. Alicia shook her head vehemently. "No. My true joy. My son. He's hurting him." Amira was utterly confused. "What?" Alicia sniffed, her voice trembling. "You know the worst part of it?" Curious, Amira asked, "What?" Alicia started laughing bitterly. "My son is also h—" Just then, a sharp sound was heard, and Alicia’s head reclined, unconscious. Amira noticed a small pin now embedded in Alicia's collarbone. She turned around to see Lucas approaching, a cold look in his eyes. "What did you do?" she demanded. Lucas snorted. "Something to keep her quiet for about six hour
Detective Kai nodded, taking notes. "And you didn't see anyone suspicious or notice any unusual activity around the car?"Karina shook her head. "No, it was just a quick stop. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary."*** *** ***Meanwhile, Amira, deep in thought about Aidan and Karina since she left the place where Lucas had Alicia captive, arrived at Algernon Group Company and headed straight to Aidan's office. Determined to seek answers, she barged in, catching Aidan as he was preparing to leave. He gave her a displeased look. "What do you want, Amira?"She walked straight up to him, her eyes blazing. "Tell me about the night before I found you at the house. What happened?"Aidan eyed her coolly. "I have no idea what you're talking about."Amira moved closer, quickly unbuttoning his shirt and pulling it back, exposing his neck and the love bite marks on his back and nape. Her eyes widened with a mix of anger and hurt. "You can't lie to me, Aidan. How did you get these marks? I
In the less sophisticated living room of the Algernon family’s old house, Amira sat on the couch, her face buried in her hands as she sobbed. Cruzita, Aidan’s mother, sat beside her, gently patting her back, while Wally, Cruzita’s sister, stood by the window, her arms crossed.“Cruzita,” Amira cried, lifting her tear-streaked face, “Karina is always seducing Aidan. She wants to snatch him away from me.”Cruzita frowned, her eyes narrowing. “What do you mean, dear?”Wally chimed in, her voice dripping with disdain. “Karina must have grown feelings for Aidan again. That’s why the bitch came back to our house, pretending to be all benevolent.”Cruzita hugged Amira tighter, her face hardening. “Karina will never get back with Aidan. He probably hates her more now after everything she’s done to us.”Amira bit her lip, withholding the truth about Aidan’s feelings and his revelation of his I with Karina. “Aidan wants to dump me,” she continued, her voice trembling. “He told me he can’t be w
Lucas sniffed, and turned to his mother, looking deadly. “I will believe you this time, but if I find out she’s involved in Sophie’s kidnapping, she will have me to contend with. I will also make sure that she rots in jail. I swear!”With that, he stormed out of the house, the sound of his car driving off fading into the night. Juliana rushed to Anita, who was still holding her neck, trying to soothe her.“You’ve really gotten Lucas extremely angry,” Juliana said anxiously, her eyes filled with worry.Anita stopped her, her voice dripping with contempt. “Lucas doesn’t scare me though he’s a bloody psycho.”Juliana’s voice trembled. “What if he finds out that you did it?”Anita cut in tersely. “He won’t know if you just keep your mouth shut, mother.” She shot her mother a warning look.Juliana sighed, her shoulders slumping. “Alright, but we have to be careful.”Anita’s expression softened slightly. “Don’t panic. Just let me handle this. You keep covering my back.” With that, she turn
Karina was thrashing in her sleep, her face contorted with fear. In her dream, she was in a dark, endless hallway. Shadows flickered on the walls, and the air was thick with an eerie silence. She could hear Sophie's faint cries echoing down the corridor."Mommy! Mommy!" Sophie's voice was desperate, filled with terror.Karina ran toward the sound, her heart pounding in her chest. "Sophie! Where are you?" she cried out, her voice trembling.She reached a door at the end of the hallway and flung it open. Inside, she saw Sophie being dragged away by faceless figures. Sophie's eyes were wide with fear, her tiny hands reaching out for her mother."Mommy, help me!" Sophie screamed.Karina lunged forward, but the distance between them seemed to stretch infinitely. "No! Sophie! Let her go!" she yelled, her voice breaking with anguish.The figures turned, their featureless faces hauntingly expressionless. They continued to pull Sophie away, her cries growing fainter. Karina fell to her knees,
A Few Months LaterLife had started to return to normal for Karina and Sophie. Sophie, with the help of therapy and the constant support from Aidan and Karina, had begun to heal from the trauma of her kidnapping. They spent their weekends visiting parks, and museums, and sometimes just enjoying quiet family picnics, which helped Sophie find joy again.Karina and Aidan, too, had found a new rhythm in their relationship. They decided to set aside their past differences and work together for Sophie’s happiness and welfare. Aidan's family, especially his mother, Cruzita, had also mended fences with Karina. The shared goal of giving Sophie a stable and loving environment brought them closer.Meanwhile, Lilly had undergone her transplant surgery, thanks to the Everhardt family's efforts in finding a suitable donor. Her recovery was a beacon of hope amidst the chaos.During these months, Anita and Amira faced their trials. Amira’s defense team, led by her best lawyers, had fought tirelessly t
The atmosphere was charged with a mixture of dread and desperate hope, a battle of wills playing out in the room.The men appeared, one of them carrying Sophie on his shoulder as she squirmed and cried. Karina called out desperately, "Sophie! Sophie!"Anita's expression turned concerned as she watched the scene unfold, her eyes flickering between Karina and Sophie. “I’m doing you the honors because I’m a mother too. Use this moment well and say goodbye properly to your daughter.” She signaled to the man, who dropped Sophie down and the other went and untied Karina. The little girl ran to Karina, her face tear-streaked and trembling.“Mommy, I missed you,” Sophie cried, trembling.Karina managed a smile through her tears, cuddling her daughter tightly.“Don’t worry, darling. I’m here. Nothing will happen to you.” She scanned Sophie’s face, then shot an angry look at Anita. “Why does my daughter look like this? What have you been doing to her?!”Anita shrugged nonchalantly. “Just keep
Karina watched with teary, weary eyes as Anita paced impatiently. Lucas stood nearby, his face a mask of frustration. Juliana returned, her face pale as she informed them that Lilly was ready.Lucas sneered at Anita. “Where are your men? They should’ve been here by now.”“They’re coming. They should be—” She was cut off by a knock on the door.Anita took a step forward, but Lucas stopped her with a raised hand. He went to open the door and returned with two burly men in tow.“What the heck kept you guys?” Anita snapped.“Sorry, ma’am. Traffic was a nightmare,” one of the men apologized.Anita hissed. “Fine. Lucas, they’ll go get Sophie now.”Lucas nodded, watching them head upstairs before turning his gaze back to Karina, who was sobbing and staring at him with a mix of sorrow and betrayal.“Lucas, I never thought you could do this to me,” she choked out, her voice trembling with a mix of desperation and heartbreak.He leaned forward, feigning remorse. “I’m sorry, love. You know I ha
Anita asked, tensed, “What are we going to do?”“Tie her up!” Lucas commanded. He dragged a chair and placed Karina on it, securing her tightly with ropes. “Where are your guys who are supposed to take Sophie to the facility?” he grumbled.“They are on their way,” Anita muttered, nervously glancing at Karina.Lilly appeared, her eyes widening in horror as she saw Karina, who was now bleeding from the head. “Mommy, what happened to Aunt Karina?”Lucas flicked his gaze at the girl, snarling, “Ugh, this girl. Take her to her room and get her ready, Mother!”Juliana quivered and walked to Lilly. “Let’s go, my dear,” she said softly, leading Lilly upstairs as Lucas continued tying Karina to the chair.In the Everhardt mansion, Aidan walked into the house. “Where’s Karina?” he asked Gina.“She went to the office about 30 minutes ago,” Gina replied.He nodded and turned to leave but stopped as Georgia walked in with some files in her hands. “Georgia, have you seen Karina?” he quickly asked.
Aidan and Karina arrived at the Everhardt mansion, the tension palpable between them. Aidan got out of his car and quickly walked up to her, his tone urgent. "Karina, I think we should inform Inspector Kai."Her eyes widened in surprise. "No. We shouldn't.""What? Why?" Aidan asked, bewildered."Lucas is no fool," Karina explained, her voice steady but tense. "He might have figured that I didn't just come to his family's house looking for him. I'm sure Anita told him already that she saw me at the hospital, and then he figured out that he messed up by lying to me twice."Aidan shook his head in frustration. "So, what are we going to do? Stay calm when Sophie's earring was lying in their house?"She sighed deeply, struggling to keep her composure. "Aidan, we shouldn't react impulsively. Lucas shouldn't think that I'm suspecting him."Aidan eyed her with concern. "Are you scared of him or what?""I'm just considering the odds and possibilities now. What if… my daughter is in that house
Karina answered it, faking her cheerful voice. "Hello, Lucas.""Hi, Karina. Uh, sorry but you can't see Anita or Lilly."Her brows creased. "What? Why?""They left the country. They went to Switzerland.""But you said we could have dinner with them, Lucas.""Yes, I had no idea they left. I just called my mom and she told me about it."She nodded. "So, when did they leave?""Last night, yeah."She nodded. "Okay. It's fine. Let's talk later." She ended the call and groaned. "He lied again."Aidan asked, "What happened?""I saw Anita and Lilly less than an hour ago, and he said they left last night," she concluded.Aidan's expression turned grim. "He's definitely hiding something, Karina.""I feel so too. I need to go over to his family's house.""I'm coming with you.""But you're going to stay outside and hide. Paraventure Lucas shows up, he shouldn't see you."He agreed, and they left. Aidan followed Karina's car as she drove to the Salvatore Mansion.When Karina arrived, she placed so
The air in the room shifted, charged with a new, tense energy.Lucas's face darkened, his jaw clenched tightly."Karina?" he muttered, half to himself, half to Amira. The intimacy between him and Amira shattered instantly, replaced by a complicated mix of fear, guilt, and anger.Amira pulled back slightly, her eyes wide with surprise and worry. “What do we do?" she whispered, her voice trembling.Lucas took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "Stay quiet," he ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument. He disentangled himself from Amira, his expression hardening as he prepared to face whatever was waiting for him on the other side of the door.Lucas started heading to the door and halted. He spun and gestured at Amira to go hide somewhere. She quickly grabbed her clothes and ran off, her footsteps light as she disappeared into another room. He exhaled deeply, trying to steady himself."Lucas, are you there…?" Karina's voice was tinged with impatience."Uh, I'm coming!" he ca
Anita held Lilly’s hand tightly as they walked into an examining room in an extinguished hospital owned by the Algernon family. She had brought Lilly for a discreet proper checkup. She had been meticulous in ensuring this visit would be confidential, preparing for the upcoming transplant surgery. After the doctor had thoroughly examined Lilly, they all returned to his office, a tense silence hanging in the air.The doctor sat behind his desk, looking over Lilly’s charts before raising his eyes to Anita."So, Mrs. Anita, when is Lilly scheduled for the transplant?"Anita forced a smile, her mind racing for a believable answer. "We’re taking her to England for the transplant. A hospital there has found a suitable donor."The doctor frowned, clearly puzzled. "England? Which hospital, if you don't mind me asking? We need to transfer her medical records and ensure they have all the necessary information."Anita’s responses became increasingly evasive. "It's a private facility. They’ve as
Soon, Amira matched Lucas’s vigor, her enthusiasm doubling his pleasure. He growled and moaned, “Good girl, keep going.” She finished, then licked him from his V-line up to his chest, biting his nipples. Lucas groaned, his body tensing with the mix of pleasure and pain.“You’re not scared of me?” he muttered hoarsely.Amira smiled naughtily. “Why would I be? I know you won’t kill me.”He nodded, kissing her forehead. “I won’t. You're just different.” They started kissing passionately, their lips moving in a synchronized dance of lust and dominance. She asked between breaths, “How?”He chuckled, pulling back to look at her. “Everyone considers me a monster.”They locked gazes, Amira’s eyes piercing into his as she smirked. “We’re alike. Raymond used to be someone special to me before. I loved and adored him.” Her tone turned flat and callous. “But I killed him.”Lucas grinned. “I’m not like you, darling. I don’t kill the ones I love. Only those who give me trouble.”She started care