The courtroom was filled with an air of anticipation as the litigants, lawyers, and spectators waited for Judge Jeffrey Jordan to take his seat. Another day of the trial arrived, with Freya wearing a mask of confidence as she sat quietly in her chair, her eyes fixed on some point in front of her. Attorney Kim, her lawyer, sat beside her, flipping through a stack of papers.Unlike previous court proceedings, Diego didn't show up. He had a lot of work to do and a case to sort out with his company's board of directors.After a few minutes, Desmond arrived and took his seat beside his lawyer, Attorney Simon, across from Freya and her lawyer.Just right before he sat down, his eyes met Freya's in a silent confrontation, Desmond's eyes blazing with malice. At that instant, he recalled the heated exchange of words between the two of them the day before, with Freya being unusually confident.Desmond sat smugly, his lawyer whispering something in his ear. Desmond's eyes flicked towards Freya
7:45 AMFreya hurried around the kitchen, preparing breakfast for Noah and herself before they headed out— her to work, Noah to school. The morning sunlight streaming through the kitchen window illuminated her busy movements as she prepared breakfast, though her thoughts were very far from the kitchen. She reflected on the most recent court's proceedings as she expertly cracked eggs into a bowl, whisked them together with a fork, and then poured the mixture into a hot skillet. Memories of the humiliation she had faced at the witness stand in the last court hearing resurfaced in her mind, sending a ripple of self reproach through her. Why had she allowed Desmond and his lawyer to belittle her?As she worked and pondered on the court case, Freya called out to Noah, who was still in his room. "Noah, sweetie, time to get up! We don't want to be late for school!" Then she paused, listening carefully for Noah's response. She expected to hear the sound of his footsteps or the rustle of h
Desmond sat behind his massive, mahogany office desk, his eyes fixed blankly on a distant point. His mind raced with strategies, counter-strategies, possibilities, questions, plans, thoughts…he seemed utterly troubled.His stiff and unsmiling expression, and his clenched jaw proved his inner turmoil. It was a battle between himself and his thoughts. His anxiety heightened and he couldn't help but imagine worse-case scenarios.Lost in a deep realm of thoughts, Desmond leaned back in his swivel chair, swirling from side to side, staring blankly at the ceiling.He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, a hint of desperation in his eyes. After a while of pondering on something, he sat up, shaking his head vigorously.Then he averted his gaze to a photo on his desk. Slowly, he picked up the photograph, his eyes fixed intently on it. It was a photo of Diego and Freya, with Diego's arms wrapped lovingly around Freya. A polished silver vase holding a bouquet of fresh flowers was on the desk and as he
After another successful day at work — the restaurant bustling with lots of supportive customers, her food truck business experiencing massive sales — Freya pulled up to Noah's school, her heart filled with a mix of excitement and routine. Although Noah had asked her several times to finally give him the freedom to go home by himself as he was a “big boy” now, Freya's motherly instincts moved her to continue picking him from school. She felt like she had to protect him even though Desmond, their only threat, wasn't in that city. He could take them by surprise as he had always done.As she stepped out of her flashy crimson-red car, she looked forward to seeing Noah's bright smile and hearing about his day. Stepping onto the sidewalk, she felt a sense of excitement wash over her as she also couldn't wait to tell Noah all about her splendid day.But as she approached the school entrance, a sense of unease slowly began to creep in. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something f
Freya arrived home, her heart racing with several disturbing thoughts. Her driver pulled into the driveway, and Freya's eyes scanned the front of the house for any sign of Noah or Diego.But there was nothing. No sign of life, no indication that anyone was home.Then, her driver killed the engine and the car screeched to a halt. Without thinking twice, Freya leapt out of the car and sprinted towards the front door, her anxiety spiked. She ransacked her purse for her keys, her hands trembling as she unlocked the door and burst inside.Then she stopped abruptly, realizing no one was home, which explained why the house was locked. Her eyes scanned the empty living room, her face etched with uncertainty. The silence in the house was deafening and scary as well.Freya let out a deep sigh, pulling herself together. Slowly, she took her seat on the couch, reminding herself that Diego was with Noah. But why weren't they home yet?Her heart raced as she pulled out her phone and dialed Diego's
As soon as Diego got to his car, he pressed the buttons of his car key and yanked the door open with a sense of desperation. He slid into the driver's seat, and his hands trembled slightly as he jammed the key into the ignition. Right before he started the engine, his driver, seeing he was about to leave urgently, sprinted towards the car and halted by the driver's side window.Diego wound the glass window down and glanced at his driver, ready to listen to him. Although his patience was hanging on a thin thread.“Boss, let me drive you home. I'm so sorry for leaving the car”, the driver said quickly, a hint of worry in his voice.Diego immediately averted his gaze from his driver, giving him a dismissive wave. “I can drive myself. I'm going somewhere important. Just go home”, he said curtly and wound up the car window.Without waiting to hear his driver's response, he started the engine and was about to put the car in gear when his phone buzzed again.Frantically, he glanced down at
Diego walked cautiously into the abandoned warehouse, his heart racing with anticipation and uncertainty. The creaking of the old wooden door beneath his hand echoed through the vast space, making him feel like an intruder. He hesitated for a few seconds, scanning the room first as if contemplating whether to go on or turn back before it was too late.Then, once again, thoughts of Noah flashed in his mind and his determination rekindled. The urge to protect Noah clouded his senses and made him blind to the possibilities of danger lying ahead.Slowly, he took a bold step forward, his expression hardened. As he entered, the faint light from the setting sun outside struggled to penetrate the grimy windows, casting long shadows across the dusty floor. The air inside was stale and musty, thick with the scent of decay and neglect. Diego recoiled in disgust, and his chest tightened as he coughed a few times, having been clearly not used to such an environment as that. He hid his face behi
The man with the gun tightened his grip around the weapon, his index finger set at the trigger, ready to strike. “You're not going anywhere, gentleman”, he sneered at the shocked looking Diego, his voice dripping with disdain.“Welcome, Mr. Diego. We've been waiting for you”, another henchman added, his eyes glinting with a sinister intent.Suddenly, Diego's shocked expression transformed into that of determination. His brows furrowed in a silent question, and his expression hardened.With a bold voice, he asked, “Who are you? And what business do we have?”“You'll find out soon enough. Be patient”, the third hefty man intervened, his face twisted in a cold smirk.Diego rolled his eyes heavenward and snorted angrily in disgust. He ran his fingers into his hair, driving the strands backwards impatiently.“Look, I don't have time for this drama. I just want to see my son. Where is he?” Diego said in a hateful growl, his eyes blazing with growing fury.His chest heaved intensely as he f
The paramedics arrived at the scene and burst into the room only to see the unconscious man who lay in Freya's arms. As they began to prepare their first aid supplies. Freya's sobs grew louder, her body shaking with convulsive grief. She felt like she was losing the love of her life, and she couldn't bear the thought of living without him. As she held him in her arms, she felt a sense of desperation wash over her. She didn't want to accept the fact that he might be gone. She held him tighter, as if she could will him back to life.Her face was red with anguish, and her eyes puffy from crying. She couldn't bear to say goodbye. Her heart was wrenched, and her spirits dampened. Right before the paramedics took Diego away, Freya gently placed her fingers on his wrist, feeling for a pulse. At first, she couldn't detect anything, and her heart sank in despair. But then, after a while of patience, she felt a faint, weak pulse beating.Her heart leaped with a sense of relief and hope — he was
Freya sat frozen on the floor, devastated. As she stared blankly into space, still clutching her phone tightly, tears of anguish began to crawl slowly out of her eyes.Just then, a pang of reality gripped her throat and she snapped into action. That wasn't the time to mourn. She refused to believe he was dead. And if indeed he was half dead, she had to hurry up and save his life. She had to call for help.With the last shred of strength in her body, Freya pulled herself together and typed the emergency number on her phone, ready to dial.Just as she was about to call the line, Freya heard the doorbell. Her reflexes kicked in and she sprang to her feet, darting towards the door.With a strong sense of anticipation, she yanked the door open, not having any particular person in mind who would be visiting that minute.As she spotted the visitor, her heart sank in disappointment. For a fraction of a second, she had imagined the person at the door to be Diego. Alive and breathing. However,
6:16PMFreya's eyes darted frantically around her living room, her gaze lingering on the clock on the wall for what felt like the hundredth time.The evening sun had long since dipped below the horizon, yet her son and the man she loved the most weren't home yet. Diego hadn't called her back, neither was he picking her calls.She paced back and forth across the floor, her feet moving with a restless energy as her mind raced with worst-case scenarios.Her hands were clenched into fists at her sides, and her breath came in as short, sharp gasps. She felt like she was losing her mind, her anxiety spiraling out of control with each passing minute. What brought about their sudden disappearance? Had something happened to them?She continued her frantic pacing, her phone clutched tightly in her hand. She was one step away from involving the police. After all, all it took was to dial “911”.However, she had to be sure of the exact situation they were in first before raising an alarm. Though h
The man with the gun tightened his grip around the weapon, his index finger set at the trigger, ready to strike. “You're not going anywhere, gentleman”, he sneered at the shocked looking Diego, his voice dripping with disdain.“Welcome, Mr. Diego. We've been waiting for you”, another henchman added, his eyes glinting with a sinister intent.Suddenly, Diego's shocked expression transformed into that of determination. His brows furrowed in a silent question, and his expression hardened.With a bold voice, he asked, “Who are you? And what business do we have?”“You'll find out soon enough. Be patient”, the third hefty man intervened, his face twisted in a cold smirk.Diego rolled his eyes heavenward and snorted angrily in disgust. He ran his fingers into his hair, driving the strands backwards impatiently.“Look, I don't have time for this drama. I just want to see my son. Where is he?” Diego said in a hateful growl, his eyes blazing with growing fury.His chest heaved intensely as he f
Diego walked cautiously into the abandoned warehouse, his heart racing with anticipation and uncertainty. The creaking of the old wooden door beneath his hand echoed through the vast space, making him feel like an intruder. He hesitated for a few seconds, scanning the room first as if contemplating whether to go on or turn back before it was too late.Then, once again, thoughts of Noah flashed in his mind and his determination rekindled. The urge to protect Noah clouded his senses and made him blind to the possibilities of danger lying ahead.Slowly, he took a bold step forward, his expression hardened. As he entered, the faint light from the setting sun outside struggled to penetrate the grimy windows, casting long shadows across the dusty floor. The air inside was stale and musty, thick with the scent of decay and neglect. Diego recoiled in disgust, and his chest tightened as he coughed a few times, having been clearly not used to such an environment as that. He hid his face behi
As soon as Diego got to his car, he pressed the buttons of his car key and yanked the door open with a sense of desperation. He slid into the driver's seat, and his hands trembled slightly as he jammed the key into the ignition. Right before he started the engine, his driver, seeing he was about to leave urgently, sprinted towards the car and halted by the driver's side window.Diego wound the glass window down and glanced at his driver, ready to listen to him. Although his patience was hanging on a thin thread.“Boss, let me drive you home. I'm so sorry for leaving the car”, the driver said quickly, a hint of worry in his voice.Diego immediately averted his gaze from his driver, giving him a dismissive wave. “I can drive myself. I'm going somewhere important. Just go home”, he said curtly and wound up the car window.Without waiting to hear his driver's response, he started the engine and was about to put the car in gear when his phone buzzed again.Frantically, he glanced down at
Freya arrived home, her heart racing with several disturbing thoughts. Her driver pulled into the driveway, and Freya's eyes scanned the front of the house for any sign of Noah or Diego.But there was nothing. No sign of life, no indication that anyone was home.Then, her driver killed the engine and the car screeched to a halt. Without thinking twice, Freya leapt out of the car and sprinted towards the front door, her anxiety spiked. She ransacked her purse for her keys, her hands trembling as she unlocked the door and burst inside.Then she stopped abruptly, realizing no one was home, which explained why the house was locked. Her eyes scanned the empty living room, her face etched with uncertainty. The silence in the house was deafening and scary as well.Freya let out a deep sigh, pulling herself together. Slowly, she took her seat on the couch, reminding herself that Diego was with Noah. But why weren't they home yet?Her heart raced as she pulled out her phone and dialed Diego's
After another successful day at work — the restaurant bustling with lots of supportive customers, her food truck business experiencing massive sales — Freya pulled up to Noah's school, her heart filled with a mix of excitement and routine. Although Noah had asked her several times to finally give him the freedom to go home by himself as he was a “big boy” now, Freya's motherly instincts moved her to continue picking him from school. She felt like she had to protect him even though Desmond, their only threat, wasn't in that city. He could take them by surprise as he had always done.As she stepped out of her flashy crimson-red car, she looked forward to seeing Noah's bright smile and hearing about his day. Stepping onto the sidewalk, she felt a sense of excitement wash over her as she also couldn't wait to tell Noah all about her splendid day.But as she approached the school entrance, a sense of unease slowly began to creep in. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something f
Desmond sat behind his massive, mahogany office desk, his eyes fixed blankly on a distant point. His mind raced with strategies, counter-strategies, possibilities, questions, plans, thoughts…he seemed utterly troubled.His stiff and unsmiling expression, and his clenched jaw proved his inner turmoil. It was a battle between himself and his thoughts. His anxiety heightened and he couldn't help but imagine worse-case scenarios.Lost in a deep realm of thoughts, Desmond leaned back in his swivel chair, swirling from side to side, staring blankly at the ceiling.He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, a hint of desperation in his eyes. After a while of pondering on something, he sat up, shaking his head vigorously.Then he averted his gaze to a photo on his desk. Slowly, he picked up the photograph, his eyes fixed intently on it. It was a photo of Diego and Freya, with Diego's arms wrapped lovingly around Freya. A polished silver vase holding a bouquet of fresh flowers was on the desk and as he