EMMA'S POVIt had been two days since Veronica had taken Simeon out of the hospital and brought him to her house. Every hour that passed felt like torture to me. I couldn’t stop wondering what was happening between them. I sent countless messages to Veronica, shouting and threatening her to release Simeon, but she refused. Her silence was infuriating. Sometimes, I even questioned if Simeon wanted to stay there. Maybe he was enjoying his time with her. Or maybe... just maybe, Veronica was taking advantage of his injuries to trap him in her web.Her last words to me kept ringing in my head like a curse: "I will fuck Simeon until he forgets you." I hated how her voice echoed in my mind. What if Veronica was already doing it? The question haunted me relentlessly.This morning, the vibration of my phone woke me up. I didn’t even bother opening my eyes to look for it. I reached out blindly and answered the call.At first, I heard heavy breathing. Then, her voice—Veronica’s voice—mocking me.
JUDITH'S POV When Veronica knocked on my door two weeks ago, I never imagined how much my life would change. I was already at my lowest point, battling a serious health crisis with my mom. She needed surgery, and the cost was more than I could ever afford, even with my high-paying job. No one seemed willing to help, and I had exhausted all my options. Then, Veronica showed up like a miracle—although I’d soon realize she was anything but. The first words out of her mouth caught me completely off guard: "I need your help, and I’ll pay you any amount you want." My heart skipped a beat. Veronica’s offer sounded like it had been sent straight from heaven. I didn’t even ask what she needed at first. I was too focused on what her words meant—relief. A way out of this nightmare. But as she explained, I started to understand the real cost of her so-called help. "I want you to send a resignation letter to Emma," she began. At first, I thought it was a harmless favor. Maybe a disagreement o
VERONICA'S POVIt was an ordinary afternoon when one of my security guards informed me that a lady named Judith was waiting at the gate. I frowned, puzzled by her unexpected appearance. I don’t have any business with Judith anymore. Why is she here? I thought. Despite my confusion, I gave the order, “Walk her in.”Moments later, Judith strolled into my living room, and what she was wearing left me speechless. She had on a short, tight gown that hugged her curves in all the wrong—or right—ways, depending on who was looking. Her hips swayed with every step, and her breasts was practically on full display. Her nipples pressed visibly against the fabric, leaving nothing to the imagination.“Good afternoon,” Judith said with a sugary sweetness that made my stomach churn. I heard her words, but my attention was trapped by her bold appearance. She even cleared her throat to grab my attention further, forcing me to look up at her face.“What are you doing here, Judith?” I asked, doing my best
EMMA'S POV Finally, my app was ready. It had taken weeks of sleepless nights, endless trials, and rejections before it became perfect. Today was the day I’d present it to the team and stakeholders that I later sold ten percent of the company out to. I couldn’t deny that I felt proud. This app was going to change lives and bring people together. As I stood in front of the room, the presentation about to begin, the door suddenly opened, and there he was, Simeon.All eyes turned to him as he walked in, his presence commanding attention. My heart raced, and I hated that I felt a spark of joy. While everyone stood to welcome him back, I remained rooted, staring at him. He didn’t break eye contact as he walked straight toward me. Before I could comprehend what was happening, he pulled me into a kiss, right there in front of everyone.“I missed you so much,” he whispered.I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. The man who had disappeared for weeks, stayed with another woman, and left me in a sea of
SIMEON'S POV I hated myself for lying to Emma. I looked into her eyes and told her I didn’t sleep with Judith when I knew I had. It was a cowardly move, but I wasn’t ready to face the consequences of the truth. Emma’s trust was already fragile, and I couldn’t bear to break it completely. Still, the guilt weighed on me, and every time I thought about it, I felt disgusted with myself.The truth is, Judith’s visit to my house wasn’t planned. She came uninvited, dressed in a way that left nothing to the imagination. Ever since I bought forty percent of Pixel Forge Studios, Judith had been finding ways to get my attention. She didn’t even try to hide it anymore. At work, she used to wear professional, modest outfits, but later, she’d begun showing off her figure. I had noticed her curves, the way her blouses hugged her body, and the way she moved with a deliberate purpose. I tried to ignore it, but some part of me was tempted.When Judith touched me in front of Veronica, it shook me. Her
EMMA'S POVWhen Simeon and I arrived at the restaurant, the serene environment eased some of the tension between us. It was quiet and cool, the kind of place where you could have a meaningful conversation without distractions. We placed our orders, and soon enough, the food arrived. For a while, everything seemed normal. We ate in silence, savoring the calmness of the moment. Then, Simeon suddenly stopped eating, his fork hanging mid-air as if he had just remembered something important.“So, you know that Veronica wants me to believe that you had something to do with my stabbing?” he asked, his tone calm but serious.I froze, unsure of what to say at first. “What?” I finally managed, shocked by his words.“She told me that you knew about it,” he added, his voice filled with doubt.I leaned back in my chair, shaking my head in disbelief. “Do you know she got me arrested, Simeon? My arrest bought her enough time to move you out of the hospital before I could do anything,” I said, my voi
SIMEON'S POV After leaving the restaurant, the argument with Emma kept playing in my mind. I had hoped for a different outcome, but her words struck me harder than I cared to admit. Still, my resolve hadn’t wavered. Daniel had to pay for what he did, and I was ready to take what mattered most to him, Trenton Corp. My feelings for Emma wouldn’t stop me from exacting my revenge.As my driver maneuvered through the quiet streets, I pulled out my phone and dialed Veronica. She picked up after the first ring."Hello, Veronica. Are you home?""Yes, I am," she replied, her tone hinting at anticipation."Good. I’ll be there in ten minutes."Hanging up, I leaned back in my seat, my thoughts already drifting to what awaited me at Veronica's place. A text notification flashed across my phone screen. It was from Judith.Judith: I have a surprise for you tonight.I smirked. It was obvious what she meant. If she wanted to play, I’d indulge her after finishing my business with Veronica.When I arri
SIMEON'S POV It had been six days since the news broke. The headlines were brutal: “Simeon Grant: The Thief in a Suit.” Everywhere I turned, people whispered, stared, or outright accused me. My wealth, once admired, was now questioned. Was everything I had earned tainted? Daniel had managed to weaponize the truth and manipulate the narrative to turn New York against me.I couldn’t even blame him entirely. Ninety percent of what he said was true. He laid it all out, sparing no detail. Daniel explained how he transferred his properties to Veronica to shield them during his messy divorce with Emma. He even exposed how Veronica refused to return his assets once their arrangement ended. The public ate it up, especially since rumors about Veronica’s sudden control over Trenton Corp had been swirling for weeks. Now, they had their answer, and I was the scapegoat.That night, as I sat on Judith's couch, my phone rang. It was Emma. Her name on the screen sent a wave of guilt through me. After
SIMEON'S POVI was having a wonderful time in my sitting room, surrounded by laughter and the warm glow of soft lights. The air was rich with the aroma of wine and the faint scent of expensive perfume. Two stunning ladies were with me, each captivating in her unique way. Their beauty was undeniable, their presence mesmerizing. As the evening unfolded, the sound of clinking wine glasses echoed in the room, blending harmoniously with their playful laughter.They were dressed in nothing but radiant smiles, their carefree energy filling the space. I leaned back in my chair, savoring the moment, feeling like I had the world at my feet. Everything was perfect, almost too perfect. Then, out of nowhere, a noise outside shattered the tranquility.At first, I thought it might be the wind or some distant commotion, but then I recognized the voice. It was Emma’s. My heart skipped a beat. That voice, so familiar and yet so sharp at that moment, sent a wave of panic through me. Emma couldn’t see th
EMMA'S POVFor the past day, Jason hasn’t been answering my calls. At first, I tried to brush it off, convincing myself he was probably busy with work or tied up in something important. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling growing inside me. Yesterday at the office, his behavior wasn’t normal— it was strange, almost as if he was deliberately avoiding me. He barely even looked at me, let alone spoke to me like he usually does. Jason is never like that. Even when he’s stressed or under pressure, he always makes time to smile at me or share a few comforting words. Yesterday, though, was different. It was like he was trying to put some invisible wall between us, and I couldn’t understand why.The goodbye kiss he gave me by my car was the clearest sign that something was off. It wasn’t the same as usual. It wasn’t deep or passionate, and it didn’t feel like it came from the heart. Instead, it felt distant, almost like he was holding himself back. I replayed t
SIMEON'S POVThe moment Daniel and I discovered we shared a common enemy, Rose, it felt like fate had aligned our goals. She had been a thorn in both our sides for too long, interfering with our plans and making life unnecessarily complicated. It didn’t take long for us to decide we needed to eliminate her from the picture entirely.It was Daniel who suggested framing her for a crime. The idea was brilliant in its simplicity. If she were accused of something serious, something that could not be easily disproven, she’d be out of the way for good."Frame her for what?" I asked, leaning in to hear his plan.Daniel grinned, his confidence evident as he sipped his glass of wine. "I think framing her for running an illegal casino would be the best option," he said.I nodded thoughtfully but remained cautious. "There has to be evidence," I pointed out. "There must be a casino for the authorities to find when they investigate."Daniel leaned back in his chair, his grin widening. "I have a cas
EMMA'S POVI noticed the way Mary was looking at me, probably because of how I was staring at Jason. Her concerned gaze told me she had noticed something unusual about my reaction. “Is there any problem, ma?” she asked, her voice filled with curiosity and a hint of worry. I quickly shook my head, forcing a smile to reassure her. “Nothing,” I replied, hoping to divert her attention. To change the subject, I asked, “Are they all five?” Of course, I already knew the answer. The five candidates scheduled for the interview were waiting.“Yes, ma,” Mary confirmed with a professional tone, her expression now calm.It wasn’t every day you saw a man applying for a secretary position, and that alone would’ve been enough to surprise me. But seeing Jason— the same Jason I had met on the dating app and spent a wonderful evening with— completely left me speechless. It felt like the universe was playing a trick on me. What were the odds of him showing up here, in my office, for this job? I didn’t kn
EMMA'S POV Three days after my conversation with Rose, she was arrested. Her arrest didn’t surprise me, but her words before she was taken away kept replaying in my mind. She had insisted that Simeon and Daniel had framed her. As much as I didn’t want to believe her, the thought clung to me, refusing to leave. Since her arrest, everything around me had taken a strange turn. Simeon and Daniel began acting oddly, almost like they were trying too hard. They showered me with expensive gifts and compliments that felt excessive. It was as though they were competing for my attention and favor. I couldn’t shake off the echo of Rose's final words to me: “They’ve placed a bet on you. Whoever wins your heart gets something big.” At first, I brushed it off as a desperate attempt to manipulate me, but the constant attention and gifts from Simeon and Daniel made me reconsider. Could there be some truth to her claim? I had no evidence, but the idea planted a seed of doubt in my mind. The more I th
EMMA'S POVI sat on the couch, my mind swirling with a whirlwind of emotions I could barely process. Aunt Grace had just said something that felt like a slap across my face, and I couldn’t shake off the sting of her words. She stood in front of me, her arms folded tightly across her chest, her expression a mix of frustration and concern. Her sharp tone cut through the silence of the room like a knife."I don’t know why you don’t listen, Emma. Leave those two men alone. They don’t love you," Aunt Grace said, her voice firm and unyielding as we delved into the sensitive topic of Daniel and Simeon, the two men I had convinced myself were important in my life.I inhaled deeply, trying to maintain my composure despite the bubbling frustration threatening to spill over. I didn’t want to argue with her, but Aunt Grace had a way of pushing all the right buttons. "They both love me, Aunt Grace," I said, forcing my voice to remain steady. "I believe one of them is the best for me," I added, hop
SIMEON'S POVI sat on the edge of the bed, my hands gripping the sides, my head pounding with thoughts of Emma. The guilt swirling inside me felt like a heavy weight pressing down on my chest, suffocating me. My eyes stayed fixed on the floor as if staring at the wooden tiles would somehow bring clarity to the chaos in my mind. Emma’s face flashed in my thoughts— her bright smile, her warmth, her laughter. She didn’t deserve this. None of it.Behind me, Rose lay sprawled across the bed, her body glowing under the dim light of the room. Her hair cascaded over the pillow, and her lips curved into a small, smug smile. There was no denying her beauty; she was captivating in a way that could tempt anyone. But my heart wasn’t here. It wasn’t in this room, with her. It belonged to Emma, even though my actions betrayed every word of my love for her.Taking a deep breath, I forced the words out. "I can’t continue this with you. We can’t keep doing this," I said, my voice firmer than I expected
EMMA'S POVI couldn’t believe what I just heard. The message Rose had sent felt like a punch in the stomach, leaving me breathless. The words replayed in my mind like a haunting melody, each repetition more terrifying than the last. “You promised me two weeks to make Emma mine for the exchange of your life, but I haven’t seen anything. So, tell me a reason why I shouldn’t send my men to kill you?” My hands trembled as I clutched my phone, listening to those words over and over again, as if doing so would somehow change their meaning. But no matter how many times the audio kept playing , the words remained the same— cold, sharp, and utterly devastating.It was as if the air had been sucked out of the room. My heart raced, pounding so loudly in my chest that it drowned out every other sound. For a moment, the world around me seemed to blur, my mind unable to process what I had just listened to. Was this some kind of cruel joke? A mistake? I didn’t want to believe it, but deep down, I k
DANIEL'S POV It’s been six days since Rose made her promise to help me win Emma back. She said I’d have her in two weeks, but honestly, I haven’t seen any real effort from her side. Sure, Simeon hasn’t been around Pixel Forge Studios for the past two days, but does that really mean anything? I can’t help but feel like I’m being played. This question has been stuck in my head, repeating itself over and over, like an annoying tune you can’t get rid of.This morning, I woke up determined to take matters into my own hands. If Rose wouldn’t help me the way I wanted, then I’d have to find my way back into Emma’s heart myself. My plan was simple: pick her up for work. I thought it would be a good way to show her I was serious about fixing things between us.As my car pulled up in front of her house, I spotted her standing in the driveway, looking at her cars. She seemed undecided, her eyes moving back and forth between the vehicles, as if she were struggling to choose which one to take.“Ju