Later that evening, the grand hall was buzzing with activity. Journalists and paparazzi crowded around the entrance, flashing their cameras as important guests arrived. Bella and her brother stood by the entrance, greeting the investors and guests as they walked in, all smiles and handshakes.The cameras flashed as Bella posed, the perfect picture of poise and confidence. But as the questions began to fly, she quickly realized the media was not going to be as easy to control as the company had been."Miss Bella, you are a well-known fashion icon. What happened to that career?" one journalist shouted.Bella smiled, tilting her head slightly. "Oh, I’ve simply transitioned into something more aligned with my current priorities. The business world requires just as much creativity as fashion, don’t you think?"Another voice from the crowd jumped in, the question sharp. "Are you married now to Ryan Kendrick?"Bella’s smile faltered for a brief second before she quickly regained composure.
Jessica lay on the cold floor of the dingy room, her breathing shallow and labored. Her body felt weak, every bone aching with the weight of exhaustion and sickness. Days had turned into weeks, and she could feel her health slipping away. But through the fog of pain and fatigue, one terrifying realization had become clear: she knew who had done this to her. Mrs. Rose Kendrick.The name churned in her mind, filling her with a mix of fear and anger. Jessica had once worked closely with the Kendrick family. She had been privy to their secrets, their hidden lives. But never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that Mrs. Rose, the seemingly elegant matriarch of the family, would go so far as to kidnap and try to kill her.Jessica coughed, her throat raw and dry. She tried to sit up, but her body refused to cooperate. The room spun around her as a wave of dizziness crashed over her, leaving her gasping for air. She needed help—urgent medical attention, or she wouldn’t survive much
She pursed her lips, clearly annoyed. This wasn’t part of the plan. Jessica needed to stay alive for now.“Look at you. Pathetic,” Mrs. Rose muttered, disgust lacing her words. “It seems I’ve underestimated just how frail you’ve become. You need medical attention.”She pulled out her phone and made a quick call. Her voice was sharp, all business. “Get someone here immediately. She’s in bad shape. I want her moved to a private facility. I don’t want her dead yet.”There was a brief pause as the person on the other end of the line responded. Mrs. Rose’s face remained impassive as she listened. “No. Take her to the facility I mentioned before. I don’t care what you have to do—just make sure she stays alive.”She ended the call, slipping the phone back into her handbag before turning her attention back to Jessica, who was slipping in and out of consciousness.“You’ll get the help you need, Jessica,” Mrs. Rose said in a mocking tone. “But don’t think for a second that this is out of kindness.
Ryan sat in the massive living room, the silence of the house almost suffocating. His fingers absentmindedly trailed along the arm of the sofa as he stared at the empty walls, void of any warmth or personality. Bella had cleared everything. All the paintings, the photos, and any semblance of the life he once shared with Iris.But Bella was his wife now or so she told him. And she seemed to care about him more than anyone else. She told him how his family had turned on her, how they had never accepted their relationship. Bella claimed they had even tried to sabotage her when she took over the company, forcing her to step in and save the empire in his absence. Still, Ryan couldn’t help but feel a nagging doubt. It gnawed at the back of his mind, small flashes of memories that didn’t add up, but with no concrete evidence, he had nothing to cling to.He rubbed his temples as the confusion lingered. "Maybe I'm overthinking this," he muttered to himself.The door creaked open, and Bella
Bella waved her hand dismissively. “Nothing too drastic, just a bit of rebranding. The Kendrick Empire needed a fresh face, something modern. Trust me, Ryan, once you’re back on your feet, you’ll see it was the right move.”Ryan’s mind wandered back to those flashes of memories. “I just... I don’t understand how everything could change so quickly.”Bella leaned in, cupping his face with her hands. “Ryan, you don’t need to understand everything right now. What matters is that I’m here, and we’re in this together. You trust me, don’t you?”Ryan hesitated, his mind battling with the conflicting emotions. The logical part of him wanted to ask more questions and dig deeper into the fragments of memories. But he was exhausted, both physically and mentally. Bella had been there for him through all of it, and without any proof to the contrary, he forced himself to believe her. He nodded.“I trust you,” he said, though his voice lacked the conviction he once held.Bella’s smile widened as s
Jessica lay in the hospital bed, her body weak, bruised, and barely able to move. The sterile smell of the private ward filled her nostrils as the low beeping of machines echoed in the room. Her vision was blurry, and every breath felt like an effort. She knew she was being kept alive for a reason perhaps so Mrs. Rose could toy with her life just a little longer. Yet, a part of her still held on, hoping for a miracle.The door creaked open, and in walked a man in a white coat, his face obscured by a surgical mask. He closed the door behind him and briefly glanced at the guards stationed outside.He lingered for a moment, studying their positions and ensuring no one was paying too much attention."Mrs. Jessica," he whispered as he approached her bed, his voice steady yet urgent.Jessica stirred, her eyes slowly focusing on the figure before her. Something about his voice felt different, not like the cold, clinical tone she had grown accustomed to.The doctor leaned down, lowering h
Luca sat in the dimly lit corner of his office, his fingers drumming lightly on the edge of his desk. His mind was racing, eyes fixed on his phone. As he remembered how he tracked down Mrs Jessica.Every lead so far had led to dead ends. Mrs. Rose had covered her tracks well, but Luca wasn’t about to give up. He knew Jessica held the key to unraveling everything.Suddenly, his phone buzzed. Luca glanced down, surprised to see an unknown number. Hesitantly, he answered."Hello?""Luca?" came a low voice from the other end. It was raspy, like the person speaking was constantly looking over their shoulder. "I don’t have much time. I’m one of the guards assigned to watch Mrs. Jessica."Luca’s heart skipped a beat. "Go on.""She’s being moved to a hospital tomorrow morning. They’re trying to keep it quiet, but I thought you should know. She’s in bad shape, and if they take her where Mrs. Rose wants, I don’t think she’ll survive."Luca’s jaw clenched. "Why are you telling me this?""Becaus
Mr. Kendrick sat in his study room, staring blankly at the framed portrait of his late father on the wall. The weight of everything was crushing him. The empire he had worked his entire life to maintain was slipping through his fingers, and the woman holding the reins was someone he despised. Bella had cleverly maneuvered herself into a position of power, using forged paperwork and her manipulation of the board to oust him from his own company.His heart ached with helplessness. He felt like a prisoner in his empire, forced to play along with her schemes if only to keep what little control he had left. The board was firmly on Bella's side, lured in by promises of fresh leadership and new visions for the company. No one questioned her authority, not even the ones who had once been loyal to him.Slumping into his chair, Kendrick reached for his phone and dialed a private number. He had no choice but to act fast if he wanted to save his company from the clutches of this woman. The on