The atmosphere in the grand living room was thick with tension as Antony sat at the polished oak table, his fingers curling into tight fists as he tried to mask the simmering frustration inside him. Lydia, sitting across from him, was noticeably quieter than usual, her usually sharp eyes softened with concern. Their parents, both imposing figures of authority, stood before them, having just returned from their travels.Their mother, elegant in a classic, well-tailored suit, looked at both of them, her eyes dark with an unreadable expression. Their father, the patriarch of the family, stood behind her, his arms folded with a look of cold expectation in his eyes.“This is not the time to be at odds with each other,” their father began, his voice smooth but firm, cutting through the thick silence. “We are family. You will never have anyone else like each other in this world. You must stop fighting over petty matters.”Antony’s jaw clenched, and his chest tightened. He didn’t like being t
Lydia had always been the perfect daughter—the obedient, quiet one who did everything by the book. She watched her parents’ every move, learned from their successes and failures, and, in turn, molded herself into someone they could rely on. She had been conditioned to be the strong one, the calm one, the one who kept her emotions under control. But lately, that control was slipping.As she sat there, still reeling from the conversation with her parents, something dark and uncomfortable stirred deep within her. It was a feeling she had never fully understood or acknowledged until now, a sense of emptiness that gnawed at her when she was alone. There was a bitterness rising in her chest, one that she had tried to suppress for years.She wasn’t like Antony. Antony had the courage to speak his truth. Antony had the ability to pursue what he wanted, to embrace whatever life threw at him. And yet, as he sat across from her, standing up to their parents and demanding his own way, she felt so
Lydia sat on the cold edge of her bed, the lights in her room dimmed to a soft amber hue that cast long shadows across the walls. Outside, the city pulsed with its usual life—cars honking, footsteps echoing down the pavements, laughter from strangers. But inside her room, it was deafeningly quiet. Still. Almost painfully still.Her fingers trembled as she held onto the hem of her dress, eyes locked on nothing in particular. Her vision was blurry, not from sleep, but from the tears she’d been fighting all day. One escaped. Then another. Soon, they fell freely, soaking her cheeks, slipping down to her lips—salty, warm, familiar. She didn’t bother wiping them away.She started sobbing, first quietly—little gasps and hiccups that shook her shoulders. Then came the uncontrollable cries, the ones that came from deep within her chest, the ones she had buried for too long. The ones that spoke of pain that had no name.Her heart ached. Not just from longing, but from shame. From bitterness. Fr
“I think…” she paused, her voice cracking. “I think I’m in love with Antony.”There was silence.Not the silence of contemplation. Not the silence of understanding.It was the kind of silence that cut the air like shattered glass.Her mother’s spoon dropped into her teacup with a sharpclink. Her father leaned back slowly in his chair, his brow furrowing, the warmth from his face draining in an instant.“Lydia,” her mother finally said, voice low, stunned. “Did you just say... Antony?”Lydia nodded, her eye
Antony sat on the edge of his bed, scrolling absentmindedly through his phone when he heard soft knocks on his door.“Come in,” he said without looking up, expecting it to be one of the housemaids or perhaps Charles needing something.To his surprise, Lydia walked in—graceful and serene as always, but with something different in her eyes. Something unreadable. She wasn’t smiling, but there was a strange calmness to her presence that made the air around her tense.“Hey,” she said softly, her fingers nervously playing with the hem of her sweater.“Hey, Lyds. You okay?” Antony asked, lifting his eyes from the screen to meet hers.She stepped
Antony walked out of the house, each step heavier than the last, his heart pounding in his chest like a drum of betrayal. The front door slammed behind him with a sharp echo that vibrated through his entire body. It felt final. Like a door to a chapter of his life had just closed forever.He walked aimlessly down the street, hands buried deep in his pockets, eyes glazed with confusion and disbelief. His mind was a storm — images flashing in no particular order: Lydia’s tearful confession, his father’s outburst, his mother’s trembling voice… and the silence that followed. A silence louder than any scream.The truth had shattered him.The family he had loved so fiercely, the people he had trusted with his soul… had built it all on a lie.He wasn't their son.He wasn't Lydia’s brother.He wasn’t even sure who he was anymore.“Why now?” he whispered to himself, his voice barely audible. “Why after all these years?”His thoughts wandered to Lydia. The way she looked at him. The pain in her
Antony’s steps were slow and uncertain, his mind weighed down by the truth, by pain, by a future that suddenly felt like a shattered mirror—dangerously sharp, and hopelessly broken.The streets were quiet, only a few cars whizzed past now and then. The wind whipped through his coat as he walked on, aimlessly, numb to the world around him. The alcohol in his system made everything blur slightly, his thoughts more chaotic than ever.He barely noticed when he stepped onto the road, lost in a memory of his childhood—of playing catch with Charles, of Lydia bringing them lemonade. For a moment, he smiled, before the sound of screeching tires tore the peace apart.SCREEEEEECH!Bright headlights flooded his vision.A loud horn.A scream.Then—Blackness.The impact tossed him several meters off the tarmac, his body thudding against the cold, hard ground. The car didn’t stop—it sped away, its tires screeching again as it disappeared into the night like a phantom.“OH MY GOD!! SOMEBODY HELP!!”
Lydia sat on the cold bench just outside the ICU, her head buried in her palms, her tears soaking the sleeves of her sweater. She had cried so much that her eyes were swollen, red, and aching, but she couldn’t stop. Not now. Not when the guilt gnawed at her like a relentless beast.Every beep of the machines behind the glass wall felt like a slap to her soul.Antony.Her Antony.Lying there unconscious. Fighting for his life.And it was all her fault.She had broken something that could never be fixed.“If only I hadn’t said those things… if only I had stayed silent,” she whispered between sobs, her voice barely audible.She could still hear her own words echoing in the walls of her mind."I don’t love you as a brother..."What had she been thinking? What demon had possessed her to cross the line that should never have been approached, let alone shattered?Lydia clenched her fists against her thighs, rocking slightly back and forth.“This is punishment,” she whispered. “God is punishi
The following morning, the air around Antony’s family home buzzed with tension and anticipation.Detective Mills and his team had requested an emergency meeting. Everyone, from Lydia to Antony’s grieving parents, gathered anxiously in the drawing room, their nerves raw from weeks of grief and unanswered questions.Detective Mills walked in with a laptop tucked under his arm and a hard, unreadable look in his eyes."We have news," he announced, his voice sharp and clear. "We were able to recover the surveillance footage that had been wiped from the hospital’s security system."A heavy silence fell across the room.Everyone leaned forward as Mills placed the laptop on the table and pulled up the footage.What appeared on the screen made every heart in the room stop.There, clear as day, was the image of a woman sneaking into Antony’s hospital room the night he died. She moved with eerie precision, her face partially covered but unmistakable to those who knew her.It was James’s mother.
While the Drakes and Rita's family were planning a new chapter filled with joy and beginnings, far from their world, another family was consumed by grief and questions — Antony's family.The suddenness of Antony's death had left a gaping wound, one that no condolences or prayers could heal. His parents, once lively and full of pride, now seemed like mere shadows of themselves. Their once grand estate felt cold and hollow, haunted by whispers of what could have been — and more darkly, what truly happened.The police investigation was tireless. Antony’s father had spared no expense, hiring not only private investigators but also forensic experts to comb through every detail surrounding his son's death. Reports were piling up — some inconsistent, some deeply unsettling.There was no peace at home either. Every conversation, every glance, was thick with suspicion and despair.And then there was Lydia.Since the day Antony was pronounced dead, Lydia had not been the same. She moved through
Her father gave her a long, scrutinizing look before pulling her into a bear hug as well. “You’ve been away for too long. How are you? And… how are the boys?” he asked, his voice filled with genuine concern.“The babies are fine,” Rita replied, her heart swelling with affection for the tiny creatures that had changed her life. “They’re so much work, but so worth it.”Her mother stepped forward, gently placing her hands on Rita’s shoulders. “You look good, my dear. You’ve blossomed. I can see the happiness in you, even though I know it hasn’t been easy.”Rita smiled, nodding. “It hasn’t been easy, but I’m happy now. Everything’s going well. I’m finally settling in.”As her parents entered the house, they were introduced to the nursery, where the twins were peacefully sleeping in their cribs. Rita’s heart swelled as she watched her parents' faces soften at the sight of their grandsons.Her father stepped forward, admiring the little ones. “They’re beautiful. I see so much of Adrian in t
The house had barely settled back into the joyous atmosphere when the front doors slammed open again.The echo rang through the air as Sophie and James were dragged back into the limelight — but this time, it was a humiliating, bitter spectacle.Sophie’s carefully curated appearance had already started to unravel.Her red dress that once looked fierce and confident now appeared out of place, like the outfit of someone trying to hold onto their power that was quickly slipping away.Her perfectly painted makeup had begun to smear with the tears she couldn’t hold back.James, on the other hand, tried to mask his panic with a cocky, defiant smile.But his attempt at maintaining control was shattered when the guards escorted them directly into the middle of the hall, the center of all eyes.“This is your last chance,” Mr. Drake’s voice thundered through the room.The gathered family members looked on with curiosity, shock, and disgust.Adrian had never felt more disgusted in his life.His
Inside the hospital room, the atmosphere was light, warm, almost sacred.Adrian sat at Rita’s side, one baby asleep in his arms, the other tucked against Rita’s chest.Mr. Drake — the once cold, stern patriarch — stood by the window, hands behind his back, occasionally glancing at his grandsons with a rare smile softening his weathered face.Mrs. Drake couldn't stop fussing over the babies, cooing softly and wrapping the twins in tiny blankets she had rushed to buy.Adrian's sister was already taking pictures secretly, unable to contain her excitement at becoming an aunt.It felt surreal — like a wound that had long been open was finally being stitched closed.The Drakes — once divided, cold, and controlled by expectations — were finally feeling like a real family again.They started discussing plans for a small private welcome dinner, just close family only, to properly receive Rita and the twins into the Drake family.Mrs. Drake was excitedly suggesting decorations and baby gifts wh
Francis was spiraling.His father's threat echoed endlessly in his mind.If the world finds out… you're no longer my son.He could feel the walls closing in.Every whisper in the hallway, every glance from the house staff, felt heavier now — like they knew.Like everyone knew.And Linet…She wasn't staying quiet.Across town, Linet was preparing for war.She sat at her vanity, fixing her flawless makeup with steady hands, while her eyes gleamed with a dangerous light.She picked up her phone and sent a mass message to the elite social circle:"Exclusive family announcement coming soon. You won't want to miss it.Location: Dalton Estate.Time: Dinner party tomorrow.Dress to impress."Then, she called her lawyer."I want all legal documents ready," she said crisply. "If Francis tries to divorce me, I want full rights to use his infertility reports. Make it messy."The lawyer hesitated. "Are you sure you want to go that far?""I was thrown away like trash," Linet hissed. "It's their tur
Thrown out like garbage.Humiliated in front of everyone.Linet sat alone in a dim hotel room that night, staring blankly at the city lights. The shame burned through her skin like acid — but she didn’t cry. No, Linet wasn’t the crying type. She was the kind that bled inside until the blood turned to venom.“They think they won,” she muttered darkly to herself.“They think they’re so perfect...”A cruel smile curved her lips.Let them laugh now. Let them celebrate.Because when she was done, they would all regret the day they crossed her.Especially Francis.A few days later, Linet sent a calm, polite message to Francis:"Can we talk? Just a final conversation. I’ll even buy you coffee."To her surprise — or maybe not — Francis agreed.Guilt gnawed at him; maybe he felt he owed her that much.They met at a discreet little café, far from the estate’s judging eyes. Linet looked stunning — composed, almost saintly in a soft blue dress, no sign of the hellfire brewing inside her.Francis
Back at the city, darkness brewed beneath the surface.Mary, still recovering from everything she had been through, knew she couldn't let Linet’s lies continue any longer.After everything Linet had done — manipulating, lying, scheming — Mary had found out the ugly truth: Linet’s pregnancy was nothing but a well-played act to trap Francis and the entire family.Mary decided the upcoming family dinner would be the perfect stage to expose Linet publicly — in front of everyone Linet was trying to fool.She began gathering evidence carefully — doctor's reports, witness statements, and even a secret recording of Linet bragging to a "friend" about how her "baby bump" was nothing but a prosthetic trick for now.Mary was careful, calculating — she knew Linet was dangerous when cornered.What Mary didn’t know, however, was that Linet had already sensed the threat.Her instincts were sharp.She knew Mary wasn’t the type to stay quiet, especially after the last tense confrontation they had.Pani
Sophie stood frozen outside the hospital doors, her hands clenched tightly into fists.She could barely believe what had just happened.After all the years of loyalty, after enduring Adrian’s coldness for so long, his mother — the one person she thought she could rely on — had abandoned her without a second thought.Abandoned her... for Rita's babies.Tears of rage and humiliation welled up in her eyes.She had supported the engagement, she had tolerated Adrian’s indifference, and now, she was nothing but a discarded afterthought.Choking on her sobs, she pulled out her phone and called her father."Dad..." she whimpered the moment he picked up."I’ve been humiliated... She left me... for those... those babies!" she cried.Her father tried to calm her, but Sophie wasn't listening.The rage was blinding.She shoved the phone into her purse and stormed off down the street, not caring where she was going, bumping into strangers without apology.She was too angry to notice anything.That