"Hey man, are the investors here already?" Ryan asked."They are on their way, hopefully," Luca replied."Alright, let's get things ready."An hour later, the investors arrived. They went into the waiting room while Ryan and Luca prepared for the meeting. In the middle of their discussion, a notification popped up on Ryan's phone, but he ignored it. Almost immediately, another notification popped up, and he picked up his phone, excusing himself.It was a message from Bella: "Ryan, please help me. I don't know what is wrong with the baby."Ryan replied to her message: "I'll be back shortly. Please hold on."Ryan rushed into the meeting room and asked Luca to finish up as an emergency had come up."What about the documents you need to sign?" Luca askedRyan pulled out a pen from his suit and hastily signed everywhere needed without reading through the documents. After signing, he dashed out of the company and into his car, zooming off. The investors left after Luca saw them off.Luca arran
The nurse let out a relieved sigh and began to clean Iris up, her hands trembling slightly. "You poor thing," she mumbled, her tone gentler now. "You still don't remember anything? Not where you came from? Your parents? Husband? Siblings? What are their names?”Iris stared at the nurse, her expression blank, eyes clouded with confusion. The nurse shook her head, resigning herself to the futility of her questions. "Forget it," she muttered, "there's no point. You're never going to remember anything."After changing Iris into a fresh set of clothes, the nurse prepared to leave the room, gathering the dirty sheets and wiping the floor clean. Just as she reached the door, she heard Iris's voice, faint and filled with desperation."Mum... Mum, is that you?" Iris's voice was barely audible, yet it was filled with an emotion that caused the nurse to freeze in her tracks.The nurse turned slowly, her eyes locking onto Iris's. "What did you say? What's your mother's name?" she asked, her voice
The man had grabbed her by the face, his grip bruising her delicate skin. "Aw, you wanna go home to your mummy? Well, your mummy will never see you again," he had mocked before slapping her hard across the face.Iris had fallen to the ground, her vision swimming with pain as the guards laughed. They had hauled her up, each one taking turns slapping her until she was barely conscious. Then, they dragged her back to the room and threw her onto the cold floor, her head striking the iron bar she had used to attack the guard.They had tied her up again, this time more securely, and left her there to bleed and cry. But then, Iris had felt something else- a warm, sticky wetness between her legs. She had looked down and seen blood seeping through her clothes, and panic had gripped her."No, no, no... my baby... somebody helps!Please, help me!" she screamed, her voice hoarse with terror.The guards had rushed in, their eyes widening at the sight of her bleeding. They had quickly called for he
Her heart pounded in her chest as she made her way to the emergency room, where she found Dr. Parker waiting.“Parker, what’s happening? How is he?” she demanded, her voice shaking.Dr. Parker hesitated, his face grim. “Rose, it’s bad. Ryan’s injuries are severe—multiple fractures, internal bleeding, and head trauma. We’re doing everything we can, but… we have to be prepared for the worst.”Mrs. Rose staggered backward, the weight of his words nearly knocking her off her feet. “No… no, he can’t… He’s my baby,” she whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks.“He’s strong, Rose. But the next few hours are critical. We need to pray for a miracle,” Dr. Parker said, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.Mrs. Rose nodded numbly, her mind barely able to process what was happening. She turned and walked toward the waiting area, each step feeling like a lifetime. As she sat down, her mind drifted to the secrets she had kept, the lies she had told. Would this be her punishment? Losing ever
Back in the waiting area, Ivy paced nervously. She had just arrived, and the sight of her parents in such vulnerable states was terrifying. She hadn’t seen Ryan yet, and the thought of her brother lying in a hospital bed, fighting for his life, made her stomach churn.Suddenly, she felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She pulled it out, expecting another message from Luca about the investors, but instead, it was a text from an unknown number.Ivy, the truth is closer than you think. Meet me at the hospital chapel. Now. Her heart skipped a beat as she read the message. What truth? Who could be sending this? Curiosity and fear mingled as she hesitated for a moment, then made her way to the chapel.When she arrived, she found the chapel dimly lit, with a single figure sitting in one of the pews. As she approached, the figure turned, revealing the same rugged man who had confronted Ryan at the warehouse.“You…” Ivy gasped, her heart racing. The man nodded, his expression grave. “It’s time
“Bella… Ryan was in an accident.”Bella’s world tilted. “What? When? How bad is it?”“Right after you called him,” Mrs. Rose explained, her voice breaking. “He was rushing home when he… he collided with another car. He’s in the hospital now, in critical condition.”“No, no, this can’t be happening,” Bella whispered, her hands trembling as she gripped the phone. “Where is he? Which hospital?”Mrs. Rose told her, and without another word, Bella hung up and scrambled out of bed, ignoring the pain that shot through her abdomen. She needed to see Ryan, to be with him. She couldn’t lose him too.At the hospital, Mrs. Rose was pacing the hallway outside the intensive care unit. Her usually composed demeanor was shattered, her face pale with worry. The doctors had given her little hope; Ryan’s injuries were severe, and he was fighting for his life.As she waited, Dr. Parker emerged from the room, his expression grave. Mrs. Rose rushed to him, clutching his arm. “Parker, how is he? Is he going
Mrs. Rose swallowed hard, fear tightening in her chest. “Alright. I’ll be there shortly.”As she hung up the phone, Mrs. Rose’s mind raced. What could the police possibly have on her family? And why was it so urgent that she come in now, of all times? She knew she couldn’t leave Ryan’s side for long, but something in the detective’s voice told her that this was important. Very important.She stood up, smoothing out her dress, and took a deep breath. “I’ll be back soon,” she whispered to herself before heading out the door.As Mrs. Rose arrived at the police station, Detective Harris greeted her with a somber expression. He led her to a small, private room where he closed the door behind them.“Thank you for coming, Mrs. Kendrick. I know this is a difficult time for you,” he began, his tone professional yet compassionate.“Just tell me what this is about,” Mrs. Rose replied, her nerves fraying with every passing second. The detective sighed, pulling out a file from his desk. “We’ve been i
The Kendrick Empire was theirs now, and they were reveling in their victory.As they drank and plotted, the conversation turned to their plans for the future. Victor, ever the strategist, began outlining the rebranding efforts they would undertake in the coming weeks.“First things first,” Victor began, his voice taking on a commanding tone. “We need to completely overhaul the company’s image. Kendrick Industries will be no more. Instead, we’ll launch a new brand, one that reflects our vision—our power.”What about the employees?” Lucas asked, his fingers tapping thoughtfully on the tablet. “We need to make sure we have the right people in place. Loyalists. People who will follow our orders without question.”Victor nodded in agreement. “We’ll clean house. Anyone who was too close to Kendrick, anyone who might still be loyal to him, will be let go. We need a fresh start, with people who understand who’s in charge now.”“And the assets?” Sam chimed in. “We should start liquidating some o