“I need to face her sooner or later.”Skylar nodded. “Do you want me to come with you?”I shook my head. “No, I need to do this alone.”As I left the hospital and headed to the Kendrick mansion, my mind was a whirlwind of emotions.Betrayal, anger, fear, and a glimmer of hope all fought for dominance. I had no idea what awaited me, but I knew I had to be strong.Mrs. Rose greeted me with a cold smile as I entered the mansion. “Iris, thank you for coming.”“What do you want, Mrs. Rose?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.She motioned for me to sit. “We need to discuss the future. Specifically, your future in this family.”I felt a chill run down my spine. “What do you mean?”Mrs. Rose leaned forward, her eyes gleaming with malice. “Bella is pregnant with Ryan’s child. You understand what that means, don’t you?” My heart sank. “I understand.”“Good,” she said, her smile widening. “Then you know that it’s time for you to step aside. Ryan needs to focus on his future with Bella and the
“You’re not mad at me?” Ivy asked, relief evident in her voice.“Mad? No way. I’m proud of you, dear.”Ivy sighed with relief and smiled.“Now, let’s focus on getting Ryan to marry Bella,” Mrs. Rose said, her eyes gleaming with determination.“Mum, isn’t that too fast? Ryan hasn’t made a decision yet. Shouldn’t we let him decide?” Ivy suggested.“No, dear. We’ll decide for Ryan. He’s too confused to make the right choice. Bella needs to move into his house. I’ll go shopping for my grandchild later.”“Mum, isn’t it too soon to shop? We don’t even know the baby’s gender yet,” Ivy pointed out.“It doesn’t matter. I’ll buy for both genders, just in case they’re twins,” Mrs. Rose giggled.Ivy shook her head, smiling. “You’re something else, Mom. I have an appointment at 4 PM, so I can’t go shopping with you.”Mrs. Rose pouted. “I thought you’d come with me.”“No way, Mum. I have things to do. Bye,” Ivy said, kissing her mother’s cheek before leaving.Mrs. Rose picked up her phone and called
Iris sighed. “My life is a mess. I’m pregnant, and the father doesn’t care about me. He’s having a baby with another woman.”Jason’s eyes softened with empathy. "You... what are you doing here? You almost killed me earlier today, and now you're here to finish the job?" she blabbed, her words slurred."Did anyone send you to kill me? I know they all want me dead. I want myself dead too, so I understand," she chuckled bitterly."Stop saying rubbish, Iris," he replied sternly."So you know my name. Wow, they must have given you a lot of information about me," Iris said, laughing dramatically."That's enough for tonight. Let's get you home," he said firmly."But the fun just started. The party just begun. I want to stay," she protested weakly.He didn't respond as he grabbed her arm and lifted her onto his shoulder. He reached into his pocket, pulled out some money, and placed it on her table before carrying her out of the bar. As they walked, Iris continued to mumble incoherently."Ryan.
Immersed in paperwork, he lost track of time, and it was already late when he decided to head home, planning to see his mother the next day.The next morning, Ryan woke up, freshened up, and checked his phone. Still no call or message from Iris. Worry gnawed at him, but he decided to visit his mother first. On his way to her house, he continued trying to reach Iris.Upon arriving at his mother's house, he found Mrs. Rose looking sophisticated as ever, but not worried or sad as he had expected. He greeted her with a mix of relief and concern."Hi Mom, you sounded urgent.""Yes, son, it is urgent. Are you aware Bella is pregnant with your child?" she asked, her voice sharp.Ryan sighed, running his hands through his thick black hair. "Yes, Mom, I know she's pregnant, but it was a mistake. I didn't plan for this to happen. I have a wife, and I don't want to complicate things with Bella's pregnancy."Mrs. Rose's face hardened. "What you just said is nonsense. You didn't think about compl
She called Bella to check on her."Bella, how are things going?" she asked."Everything's fine, Rose. I'm settling in nicely," Bella replied with a smug smile."Good. Keep it up. We can't afford any mistakes," Mrs. Rose said, ending the call.As she put down the phone, Mrs. Rose's mind shifted to Jessica. She couldn't let her interfere with her plans. She made a call to an old contact, a man who owed her a favor."I need you to find someone for me. Jessica, and I need to know where she is," Mrs. Rose instructed."Consider it done," the man replied.Mrs. Rose ended the call, feeling a sense of control. She wouldn't let anything ruin her plans for Ryan and Bella.After Iris left the hospital, Skylar stayed behind to look after Mrs. Jessica. Hours passed, and there was still no sign of Iris. Skylar tried calling her several times, but her calls went unanswered. Growing worried, she decided to grab something to eat at the cafeteria. When she returned, Iris was still nowhere to be found, a
"Sky, what’s going on? Why are the police everywhere? Why do you look like this?" Iris asked, her voice trembling."You left mum alone in her ward. Why?" Skylar’s voice cracked with emotion."Iris, Mum is gone," Skylar said, tears streaming down her face."What do you mean? Sky, talk to me! What are you saying? Gone where?" Iris's voice rose in panic."Iris, calm down. There was a blackout last night. After 30 minutes, the lights came back on, but Mrs. Jessica was gone. I called you several times, but you didn’t pick up. They’re still searching for her," Skylar explained, her words coming out in a rush."Iris, where have you been?" Ryan asked as he approached them."Ryan... Ry... an, I..." Iris began to respond but then collapsed. Ryan caught her just in time, and she was quickly rushed into the hospital.As Iris was being attended to by the doctors, Ryan and Skylar were left in the hallway, trying to piece together what had happened."Skylar, did Iris say anything about where she was go
"Mr. Kendrick, I’ve found a lead. Jessica was seen being taken from the hospital by a man dressed as a doctor. We’re tracking him now."Ryan’s heart pounded. "Keep me updated. We need to find her fast."As he hung up, he turned to Iris and Skylar. "We have a lead. Jessica was taken by someone disguised as a doctor. They’re tracking him now."Iris nodded, determination in her eyes. "We’ll find her, Ryan. We have to."Hours turned into a tense waiting game. The hospital was abuzz with activity as the police continued their investigation. Ryan, Iris, and Skylar stayed close, waiting for any news.Finally, the investigator called again. "Mr. Kendrick, we’ve located the warehouse where they took Jessica. We’re moving in now."Ryan stood up, his heart racing. "I’m coming with you.""No, it’s too dangerous. Let us handle this," the investigator insisted."That’s my family. I’m not staying behind," Ryan said firmly.Iris stood up beside him. "I’m coming too. We’re in this together."The investi
Meanwhile, the man from the bar, Jason, watched from the shadows, a sinister smile on his face. He had overheard everything and knew he had the upper hand. He had taken advantage of Iris, and now he had a plan to use that information to his advantage. Little did Iris and Ryan know, their troubles were far from over.Back at the mansion, Mrs. Rose sat in the parlor, her mind racing. She couldn't let Iris's pregnancy derail her plans for Ryan and Bella. She picked up her phone and dialed a number."Bella, it's Rose. We need to accelerate our plan. I don't care what it takes, but Ryan must marry you, and soon," she said, her voice cold and calculating.Bella's voice came through the line, filled with confidence. "Don't worry, Rose. I'll handle it. Ryan will be mine, and we'll make sure Iris is out of the picture.”Mrs. Rose smiled. "Good. Make sure it happens. We can't afford any more surprises."As she ended the call, Mrs. Rose's mind shifted to Ivy. She needed her daughter to stay foc