The road stretched out ahead of Mrs. Rose as she drove back to the mansion, the night sky pressing down on her like a weight. The kiss with Dr. Parker still lingered on her lips, but her mind was far from the present. As she navigated the winding roads, her thoughts drifted back to the past—the tangled web of lies, deceit, and passion that had led her to this very moment. It all seemed so long ago now, but the memories were as vivid as ever.Rose had been young and ambitious when she first met Parker. He wasn’t a wealthy man then—just a medical student with big dreams and an even bigger heart. They had fallen for each other quickly, a whirlwind romance that consumed them both. Parker had been her everything back then. His kind eyes, his unwavering support, his dreams of becoming a doctor—they had all made her believe that their love could conquer anything. But then Kendrick had entered the picture. Kendrick, the wealthy bachelor who had swept into her life like a storm. He had come
Rose's knuckles turned white as she gripped the steering wheel, her thoughts consumed by Bella. How had everything fallen apart so quickly? Her careful plans with Parker, the years of deception, manipulation, and power—all shattered by one person. Bella. She couldn't believe that Kendrick's daughter would dare to interfere, and now she had ruined everything. But Bella would pay. Rose would make sure of it.Meanwhile, Luca’s mind was elsewhere, racing with concern for Ivy. Ever since her career had taken a nosedive, she had vanished from the public eye. She hadn’t answered his calls, hadn’t been seen in days, and Ryan’s words had only made things worse.“She’s locked herself up in her room,” Ryan had told him. “Won’t talk to anyone.”Luca didn’t hesitate. He had known Ivy for years, and though she often put up a tough front, he knew her better than most. Beneath that exterior was a woman who felt deeply—too deeply at times. Her career had meant the world to her, and now that it was in
Luca, on his way out, dialed Ryan’s number. As soon as Ryan picked up, Luca informed him, “I just left the house. Ivy’s okay now. I talked to her, and she’s had something to eat.” Ryan, surprised, let out a sigh of relief. “How did you manage that, man? She’s been locked up in there for days, refusing to talk to anyone. I tried reaching out, but she wouldn’t even answer the door.” “Well,” Luca chuckled, “let’s just say I’ve got some magic touch.” Ryan laughed. “Man, if that’s magic, then I need to learn some of it. Anyway, thanks a lot. I owe you one.” “Don’t worry about it,” Luca replied. “I’ll catch you later. I’m heading home now.” “Alright, take care, man,” Ryan said as he hung up. Luca put his phone back in his pocket and took a deep breath as he walked toward his car, feeling a strange sense of relief and concern all at once. Meanwhile, back at Ryan’s place, Bella appeared from behind him as he was about to leave the room. “You seem to be bonding quite well with Luca lately,
The next morning, Ryan woke up with a plan. He would pay a visit to Ivy. If Bella was involved in something against her, he needed to warn his sister. After getting dressed and making sure Bella had left the house for her usual errands, Ryan slipped out and drove straight to the mansion. When he arrived, Luca was already there, sitting in the living room. “Morning,” Luca greeted him, but his face was clouded with concern. "Ivy’s still sleeping. She hasn’t been doing great. Whatever happened with her designs shook her up." Ryan nodded, his jaw clenched. “We need to talk to her. There’s something I need to warn her about. Luca raised an eyebrow. Bella’s been covering her tracks well, but if we can get to the bottom of this, we can stop her.” Just as they were discussing their next move, Ivy walked into the room. She looked better than the last time Luca had seen her, but her face was still pale, her eyes distant. “What’s going on?” she asked softly, looking between the two men. Ryan
The next morning, Ryan woke up with a plan. He would pay a visit to Ivy. If Bella was involved in something against her, he needed to warn his sister. After getting dressed and making sure Bella had left the house for her usual errands, Ryan slipped out and drove straight to the mansion. When he arrived, Luca was already there, sitting in the living room. “Morning,” Luca greeted him, but his face was clouded with concern. "Ivy’s still sleeping. She hasn’t been doing great. Whatever happened with her designs shook her up." Ryan nodded, his jaw clenched. “We need to talk to her. There’s something I need to warn her about. Luca raised an eyebrow. Bella’s been covering her tracks well, but if we can get to the bottom of this, we can stop her.” Just as they were discussing their next move, Ivy walked into the room. She looked better than the last time Luca had seen her, but her face was still pale, her eyes distant. “What’s going on?” she asked softly, looking between the two men. Ryan
Luca and Ryan exchanged tense glances after the call ended abruptly. The voice on the other end of the line had answered with a simple "Hello," but they had said nothing, too unsure of how to proceed without a plan. Now the silence felt heavier as the realization settled: they needed to act fast if they were going to get to the bottom of this."We can't let this slip," Ryan said, breaking the silence. "Whoever that was, he’s involved. We need to get him talking."Luca nodded. "But we can't just call him back without a plan. He’ll get suspicious. And we need to stay on the call long enough to trace it."Ryan exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "So, what do we do? It’s not like we can just ask him who he is. We need leverage."Luca thought for a moment, pacing the room. "We need to make him think he's talking to someone he knows. We’ll use what we’ve learned from Bella’s texts, drop hints, and see if he bites."Ryan frowned, still unconvinced. "And if he doesn’t? We’ll blow our only
Ivy stood frozen, her eyes wide with shock as she watched her brother standing in Luca’s living room. The tension in the air was palpable as both of them faced each other, neither quite ready to break the silence that had fallen between them. Ryan’s casual entrance had now turned into an unexpected confrontation, and he knew he was caught."Ivy…" Ryan said slowly, running his hands through his hair, a nervous habit he had when trying to gather his thoughts. "What are you doing here?"Ivy folded her arms, her gaze narrowing. "I should be asking you that, Ryan. So, let me get this straight—you were faking your memory loss all along, huh? Because you recognize me now."Ryan sighed deeply, realizing there was no point in lying anymore. "No, Ivy, I wasn’t faking it. I did lose my memory after the accident. But... it came back a few weeks ago."Ivy’s expression shifted from anger to confusion. "A few weeks ago? And you didn’t tell anyone? Not me? Not Luca? What the hell, Ryan?"Luca, who had
Bella paced around her room, her phone still in her hand after the unknown caller hung up. She stared at the screen, trying to piece together what the cryptic message meant."Ryan, Ivy, and Luca together?" she muttered to herself, frustration simmering beneath the surface. "What could they possibly be up to? It can't be good…"She threw the phone onto her bed and stood by the window, her mind racing. She didn’t like being kept in the dark, especially when it came to Ryan. Things had spiraled out of control since Ryan’s supposed memory loss, and Bella was starting to wonder if she was being played. Her mind shifted to the Kendrick Empire, now within her grasp, but Ryan’s recent behavior was unsettling. She needed to figure out what they were doing—whatever their plan was, Bella wasn’t going to let them ruin everything she had worked for."Guess I’ll have to do some digging myself," she muttered, grabbing her purse and keys, determined to find out more.Downstairs, Rose Kendrick glided