Selene: The bastard tilts his head slightly, his smirk widening. "Let’s just say I have a weird hobby—hurting pretty girls like you." His voice is casual, almost amused, like this is all a game to him. "If it were up to me, I wouldn’t want you dead just yet. I’d take you home, chain you up, make sure you never see daylight again. And then…" He leans in slightly. "I’d slit your throat. That’s how I like my victims to look." The words send a chill down my spine, but before I can react, Detective Rivers shoves him back into his seat. I don’t hesitate. I lunge forward, grabbing his cuffed wrists and squeezing, pressing the cold metal into his skin. His smirk vanishes as he winces, his body jerking against the restraints. A sharp cry of pain escapes him, but I don’t let go. I tighten my grip, staring into those brown eyes. Liar. Something about this isn’t adding up. He talks big, but the guy sitting in front of me doesn’t look like a killer. His words are meant to scare me, b
Jess POV I slam the plates down on the kitchen counter, the sound of them crashing against the surface barely registering through the storm of rage in my mind. I scream loudly, feeling the pressure build up in my chest like it's about to explode. The servants must have heard, but they know better than to come near me when I'm like this. They won’t dare ask me what’s wrong, not when they know I’m ready to skin them alive. I can’t stand it anymore. It’s like I’m losing my grip on everything. Why isn’t anything going my way? How is Selene still alive? I thought for sure this time would work. I paid a small fortune for that job to be done right. She’s not some kind of magician, not some supernatural being—she’s just a woman. So how the hell is she dodging death every time? The idiot I hired to finish the job is locked up now, and I’m sure he’ll stay there for a while. If he ever gets out, I’ll make sure the next job he does gets done properly. If I had been the one to poison
Jess’ Pov: I follow closely behind her, confusion creeping up my spine. When I step into the room, my breath catches in my throat. Mason. His eyes lock onto me, and before I can react, he shoves my father out of the way. His grip tightens around my neck, slamming me against the wall. I gasp for air, caught between shock and something darker I can’t quite place. My mother’s scream cuts through the air, but it’s no use. Mason doesn’t let up. His grip tightens, his eyes burning with fury as he squeezes the life out of me. My hands scramble, trying to push him off, but he's too strong. "I warned you, didn’t I?" he growls, his voice low and dangerous. "I told you to stay away from Selene. Instead, you went ahead and tried to poison her. Did you really think I wouldn’t know? This has Jess written all over it." My mother rushes forward, desperate to pry Mason off me, but with one swift shove, he sends her flying backward. My father is quick to catch her, but the impact is enough to
Maximus POV Selene’s eyes are wild with panic, her breath coming in sharp, quick gasps. I can feel the tension in the air as she stands before me, her fists clenched at her sides. I’ve never seen her like this—her usual calm demeanor completely shattered. “Where are they? Where did you take them?” Her voice trembles with rage, and I see a flicker of desperation in her eyes. “I thought I made it clear, Maximus, that you should stay the hell away from my children. Where have you taken them? Answer me!” I’m stunned, completely caught off guard by her sudden outburst. My mind races, trying to piece together what could have happened, but nothing comes to mind. I glance at my secretary, who is clearly unsettled by the situation, and give a quick nod. They take the cue, hurrying out of the room without another word. Now, I’m left alone with Selene, and her eyes are burning into me, demanding answers. I stand up slowly, unsure of how to approach her, but I know I need to calm her do
Maximus’ Pov: Selene’s eyes are bloodshot, and she’s struggling so hard to keep her tears in. But it’s no use. I can see her breaking apart right in front of me, and it hurts. She loves our children, and I can see that clearly. It makes me feel a strange sense of relief, knowing she’s not like Jess. But at the same time, I want to know what’s happening. What the hell is going on? Poisoned? Why didn’t I know? Who would try to kill her? She doesn’t deserve this. She couldn’t hurt a fly. I don’t understand why all of this is happening to her. And deep down, I know it's because of me. If I hadn’t been so damn selfish and divorced her five years ago, maybe I would’ve been there for her—protecting her from whatever the hell is going on now. I should have been the one to help her, but instead, I let her go, and now she’s dealing with things no one should ever have to go through. I never told my family about our children because I knew exactly how they would react. They would harass
Selene’s POV My hands shake as I prepare for surgery. This has never happened before—not once in my life. I’ve always been confident in the OR, always ready. But today, something feels off. My hands are dry, rough, unsteady. I know I won’t be at my best, but I can’t let my patient down. If I don’t do this, he will die. I take a deep breath, forcing myself to focus, but the weight in my chest won’t lift. It’s been two days since my children disappeared. Two days of silence. No ransom, no demands—nothing. The detectives are doing everything they can, but whoever took them is smart. No traces, no leads. I feel like I’m unraveling. What is my world without Anna and Asher? They drive me crazy, always getting into trouble, always testing my patience—but I wouldn’t trade a second of it. And now, no matter how much it kills me, I have to work with Maximus. I can’t do this alone. I’m barely holding on as it is. Tears blur my vision as I rush into the bathroom, bumping into a few doc
Selene’s POV: Avery stays silent, her expression frozen in shock. I can tell she’s trying to process everything—that I had kids with Maximus, that I kept it from her all this time. I expect her to be angry, maybe even lash out, but instead, she focuses on calming me down. “Relax, Selene. Take a deep breath,” she says gently, tapping my shoulders. “Having a panic attack won’t help. We need to think. Do you have any suspects? Since Neo is in jail, it can’t be him. What about your stepsister? This seems like something she’d do.” I shake my head. “No, it doesn’t add up,” I murmur. “Jess doesn’t even know I have kids. As far as she’s concerned, I’m barren, and I want to keep it that way. She’s never met them.” I sniff, wiping my nose. “Maximus, on the other hand… he only found out recently—when he ran into them at the mall. And right after that, they disappeared.” My voice tightens. “If I have to suspect anyone, it’s him, not Jess.” Avery frowns, thinking it over, but I don’t sto
Maximus' POV I never expected to find my children on the outskirts of town. The detectives on the case were moving too slowly, so I hired a private investigator—someone fast, efficient, and relentless. When we arrived at the location, my heart clenches. An old, worn-down cabin stands before us, looking as lifeless as the nightmare I’ve been living. The detectives kick the door open, and the moment my eyes land on Anna and Asher, something inside me shatters. They’re huddled in a corner, Anna clutching Asher protectively. His small frame trembles in her arms, his face pale with fear. A dark bruise mars the corner of Anna’s lip, proof of whatever hell they’ve been through. She looks like she’s been hit more than once. Asher, my boy—he’s completely shaken. Then they see me. Without hesitation, they rush forward, throwing themselves into my arms, their bodies wracked with sobs. I hold them tight, pressing them close, whispering promises I should have made sooner. Outside,
Maximus’ POV"Asher, slow down! The ice cream isn’t going anywhere," I grunt, watching my son sprint ahead like he’s in some kind of race. "If you fall, I swear I won’t feel bad for you this time. I’m serious—get back here!"Of course, he doesn’t listen. If anything, he runs even faster, making me chase him like some desperate lunatic.I give up. I’m already exhausted, and the last thing I need is to pass out because my kids are being their usual mischievous selves.Beside me, Raymond chuckles, clearly enjoying my suffering. I shoot him a sharp look, and just like that, his laughter dies."I don’t think you’re in any position to laugh," I scowl, crossing my arms. "This is your fault. You had one job, Raymond. One. Look after them till I got back. I don’t need you to be the ‘cool uncle’—I need you to be the responsible one. No wonder Avery doesn’t like you.Please, for the love of everything good, remind me never to let you babysit again. You’re the worst."He grins, completely unfazed
Maximus: My heart skips a beat. “That bomb explosion was meant to take out everyone, including Benjamin, whom I sent. That’s right, Maximus, I’m the one behind your sabotage,” he continues, grinning widely. “The orphanage, the construction worker, Henry O'Hara, sending you those threatening messages—it was all me. And I must say, I had fun, but now the fun is over. My sidekick is dead. I told him I don’t like loose ends, so I had to end his life. Benjamin is practically useless to me.” It’s one shocking revelation after another. First Jess, now this?! What’s next? “You’re lucky Raymond survived. I don’t know how he got out of the building on time, but that’s not my business. My fight isn’t with him.” Mason steps closer “Now come over here, let’s go, Selene. I’ve already arranged a plane to take us anywhere you want. We can get married and live however we want.” Selene takes a step back as Mason points a gun at us. I move her behind me, determined not to let my brother hurt th
Maximus POV It’s been over an hour since the police took Jess away, and the weight of it all still hasn’t fully hit me. She’s finally going to pay for what she’s done. Her words echo in my head, and I can’t seem to shake them. I can’t believe all these years I’ve been lied to—Kylie isn’t even my daughter. Jess has been deceiving me all this time. But I won’t let that define how I see Kylie. I will prove Jess wrong. When I look at my child, I won’t see someone else’s daughter. I’ll see my daughter, and nothing Jess says will change that. If she thinks that I’m going to hate Kylie because of her lies, she’s sorely mistaken. Kylie has always been the light in my life. She’s the reason I’ve been able to endure this broken marriage for as long as I have. Every morning, seeing her smile makes everything worth it. The thought of ever telling her she wasn’t mine is unthinkable, especially with the anxiety issues she’s been battling thanks to Jess. I would never put that on her—she’
Selene: I take an involuntary step back as panic courses through my veins. "What are you doing here? How are you out?" My voice comes out shaky, my mind racing. How is he not behind bars? He poisoned me. He almost killed me. I can’t comprehend how he’s standing in front of me, free. He must see the confusion in my eyes, because he immediately starts talking, as though he’s read my thoughts. "I know what you're thinking," he says, his tone hesitant but strangely apologetic. “What am I doing out of jail? Well, I can't tell you how I got out. I didn't escape if that's what you're thinking. I just... I wanted to apologize." I feel an odd sense of dread twist in my gut. "Apologize?" I repeat, incredulously. I take another cautious step back. I don’t trust him. Not after what he did to me. Not after what he almost did. His eyes are desperate, almost pleading, as he moves closer, and I instinctively take another step back, my body going tense. "I lied," he continues, his voice low. “I
Selene: My life feels like it's spiraling, like a country song with all its ups and downs. I'm drowning in the weight of it, but there's no time for wallowing in despair. That’s exactly what Jess wants, and I'm not going to give her the satisfaction of seeing me broken. When Anna and Asher get back from their outing with Maximus, the first thing they do is run straight looking for Nelly. My heart tightens, knowing the truth that they can’t yet understand. How do I explain to them that the woman they trusted—who took care of them, played with them, and protected them—was the same person who orchestrated their kidnapping and tried to take my life over the past few months? How do I explain that? It hits my mom the hardest. She’s known Nelly for years, taken her in like family. To find out that the woman she trusted was behind this all… it’s breaking her. She doesn’t say much, just quiet and distant. But I can see the sadness in her eyes. She tells me she’ll heal, just needs time
Selene’s POV: Without thinking, I slam her door open, my anger boiling over. How dare she?! After everything, after I took her in, trusted her, and let her live under my roof like family. I feel like a fool. How could I not see that something was off about Nelly all this time? She’s been my enemy this whole time, and I didn’t even realize it. "Selene, I’m fine. I’m just frustrated," Nelly says, her voice trembling slightly. "I wanted to go to the bathroom, but then I remembered that I can't walk. I almost hurt myself, but I’m fine. Really." I can’t even look at her. How does she act so innocent, so pretentious, when I know what she's done to me? How does she stand there, pretending like nothing happened? Every instinct tells me to slap her, to make her feel the weight of what she’s done. But I know it wouldn’t be worth it. I’ve already called the cops. It won’t be long now before she’s where she belongs. I can't hold it in any longer. The words spill out of me, bitter and furio
Selene: If life had a spinning wheel, mine would be spinning out of control. Chaos. That’s what my world feels like. One disaster after another, piling on top of each other until I can barely breathe. First, I got hit by a car. Then, I barely survived being poisoned. Not long after that, my children were kidnapped from school. And now? Now Nelly is stuck in a wheelchair, with no clear answer on when—or if—she’ll ever walk again. Whoever ran her over wasn’t just reckless. They were brutal. She’s devastated. She barely leaves her room, convinced that her life is over. That she’s useless to me now. Nothing I say seems to get through to her. She keeps insisting that I’ll fire her—abandon her—because she can’t take care of Anna and Asher anymore. As if she’s just some employee. She’s family. My mom adores her. My kids love her. I wish she could see that. I wish she could understand that she’s not alone in this. At least the driver was arrested. A drunk driver. In the m
Maximus POV His eyes flick to Anna, then back to me, a smirk playing on his lips. "You do have kids elsewhere," he says, his tone laced with something unreadable. "And might I say, your daughter is your exact copy. So? Aren’t you going to introduce me to my niece and nephew?" I don’t respond. I can’t. He studies my expression, his smirk deepening. "Why are you looking at me like that? You seem… tense. What’s going on?" I force myself to mask my shock, but my mind is racing. What the hell is Mason doing here? And more importantly—how does he know about Selene and the kids? I get that Anna looks exactly like me, but why does Mason automatically assume Selene is their mother? There are plenty of women he could have considered—so why her? My stomach twists. He’s obsessed. And I don’t like it. It’s like he thinks Selene belongs to him. Like she’s some prize he missed out on. Did he follow me here? I didn’t even notice if someone was tailing me. That’s what bothers me th
Maximus’ POV For the first time in days, I feel a sense of relief. My kids are safe. That’s all that matters. Even though Anna sprained her wrist and has to wear a bandage for now, I can’t help but feel a strange sense of pride. Turns out, she was the one riling up their kidnapper, protecting Asher from getting hit. I guess whoever took them doesn’t like quick-witted kids. Anna may have my looks, but she’s got Selene’s sharp tongue. And while that might have made things worse for her in that hellhole, I’m glad she never backed down. She’s strong. What I don’t feel good about is Selene still believing I had something to do with this. No matter what I say, no matter what I do, she refuses to let go of the idea that I was involved. And honestly? I’m getting tired of proving my innocence. But nothing could have prepared me for the shock I got this morning. Selene called me—early. Good thing I spent the night at the office. If I’d been home, Jess would have started nagging