Without thinking, Luca pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly as she sobbed against his chest. He stroked her hair, whispering soothing words as she let out all the pain she had been holding in. As her sobs quieted, Ivy looked up at him, her eyes filled with a vulnerability he had never seen before."Stay with me," she whispered, her voice barely above a breath.Luca hesitated, knowing what she was asking. He knew he should leave and give her space, but the connection between them was too strong. He couldn't walk away from her, not now."Ivy..." he began, but she silenced him with a kiss, her lips soft and desperate against his. It was a kiss filled with need, with all the fear and pain she had been carrying. Luca responded, his hands tightening around her as he kissed her back with equal fervor.Before he knew it, they were in her bedroom, the door closing behind them. Ivy's hands fumbled with his shirt as she pulled him closer, needing to feel his warmth, his comfort. Luca he
The soft hum of the air conditioning provided a steady background noise in Dr. Parker's office, but the tension in the room was anything but calming. The sterile, clinical atmosphere clashed sharply with the clandestine whispers and stolen glances that passed between Dr. Parker and his long-time mistress. They were playing a dangerous game, one that had been carefully orchestrated for years, and tonight, the stakes were higher than ever.His mistress paced the length of the office, her heels clicking sharply against the tiled floor. Her elegant appearance—dark hair pulled into a sleek chignon, and a tailored dress that hugged her figure—belied the turmoil brewing beneath the surface. She paused in front of the large mahogany desk, her eyes narrowing as she turned to face Dr. Parker, who leaned casually against the desk, his shirt slightly untucked from the passionate encounter that had just taken place.“You should have finished him off when he collapsed,” she hissed, her voice lo
Her lips curved into a cold smile, the excitement of their impending success momentarily pushing aside her frustration. “Then let’s do it. The sooner we’re rid of him, the sooner we can take control of everything.”Dr. Parker returned her smile, though he was tinged with a sense of caution. “We will. But remember, honey, we have to be smart about this. One wrong move and everything we’ve worked for could come crashing down.”Her smile faltered slightly, the weight of his words settling over her like a dark cloud. “I know,” she murmured, her earlier confidence wavering. “But I’m just so tired of waiting. We’ve come so far, and I’m ready to see the end of this.”Dr. Parker reached out, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “We’re almost there. Just a little longer, and everything we’ve dreamed of will be ours.”She looked up at him, her eyes filled with a mixture of hope and fear. “You promise?”“I promise,” Dr. Parker replied, his voice steady. “Now, go home and get some rest. We’
The man nodded approvingly, his lips curving into a small smile. “Good. We can’t afford any mistakes, especially now. Mr. Kendrick’s condition is deteriorating, and it won’t be long before we have full control.”Bella’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she closed the folder and slid it back into the drawer. “I’ve waited so long for this moment. We’ve both sacrificed so much, but it’s finally paying off.”The man walked over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “And we’ll make sure it stays that way. No one will take this from us. Not Mr. Kendrick, not Ivy, not Ryan—no one.”Bella leaned into his touch, feeling a surge of confidence and validation. “What’s our next move?” she asked, her voice filled with anticipation.“We wait for the right moment,” he replied, his deep voice resonating with calm authority. “Once Mr. Kendrick is out of the picture, the board will be easier to handle. We’ll secure our positions, make sure the assets are transferred, and then—”“Then, we own it all,”
“Bella,” he said quietly, his voice cutting through the silence. “We need to talk.”She straightened up, sensing the seriousness in his tone. “What is it?”He hesitated for a moment, his eyes flickering with something she couldn’t quite place. “There’s been a development. Something we didn’t anticipate.”Bella’s heart skipped a beat, a cold sense of dread settling over her. “What do you mean? What’s happened?”He stepped into the office, closing the door behind him as he walked over to her. “We might have a problem,” he said, his voice low. “I just got word that Ryan is starting to wake up. He’s regaining consciousness.”Bella’s eyes widened in shock, her mind racing as she processed the news. This wasn’t part of the plan—Ryan was supposed to be out of the picture, incapacitated, unable to interfere. But if he was waking up…“What do we do?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, her earlier confidence faltering in the face of this unexpected development. Her brother’s expression ha
Luca stood beside her, his presence a calming force. “He looks better,” he said softly, his eyes fixed on Ryan.Before Ivy could respond, the door behind them opened, and Dr. Parker entered the room. His expression was as professional as ever, but there was a coldness in his eyes that Ivy had never noticed before.“Good morning,” Dr. Parker said, his voice smooth as he approached the bed. “I’m glad to see you both here. Ryan’s condition has stabilized overnight, but we’re still monitoring him closely.”Ivy nodded, trying to read the doctor’s face. “Do you think he’ll wake up soon?” she asked, her voice hopeful.Dr. Parker’s lips pressed into a thin line. “It’s difficult to say,” he replied, his tone carefully neutral. “He’s been through a lot, both physically and mentally. His body needs time to recover.”Luca’s eyes narrowed slightly as he watched the doctor, a sense of unease creeping into his mind. Something about Dr. Parker’s demeanor felt off as if he were hiding something. But Lu
Iris lay in the bed, the dim light casting eerie shadows on the walls, deepening the sense of isolation that had become her constant companion. Her body, weakened by the confinement and the minimal rations she was given, felt heavy and unresponsive. The baby within her moved slightly, a faint reminder of life, but even that small comfort was overshadowed by the relentless despair gnawing at her soul.The single hand that was free from the restraints rested limply by her side, a minor concession that allowed her some semblance of humanity in this hellish prison. The other hand was tied securely to the bed frame, the rough rope biting into her skin whenever she tried to shift even slightly.The door creaked open, a sound that usually signaled the arrival of her captors or the cold nurse, but this time, it was different. Iris was only half aware of the intrusion, her exhaustion weighing down her eyelids as she drifted in and out of a restless sleep.A figure moved silently into the ro
Flashes of images flickered behind her closed eyelids—disjointed, fragmented memories that didn’t quite make sense. A man’s face, his features blurred and indistinct, hovered in her mind’s eye, and then a woman, her voice soft and comforting, calling Iris’s name. Iris… Iris…The voice was familiar, like a half-remembered dream, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t place it. The images came and went, like the flicker of an old film reel, each one more elusive than the last. The man’s face appeared again, this time with a tender smile, but it faded before she could grasp its significance.Iris clamped her free hand over her ears as if she could block out the relentless assault of her mind. She squeezed her eyes shut, willing the images to stop, but they persisted, a cruel reminder of the life she couldn’t remember."Mum… Mum, is that you?" she whispered, her voice cracking under the weight of her despair. But the only response was the hollow echo of her voice in the empty r