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After the storm
Huling Na-update:
2025-04-22 21:22:21
Kaugnay na kabanata
My arranged marriage A reckoning in silence
Ray Maverick The morning after Moreau’s arrest was deceptively quiet. I stood at the floor-to-ceiling windows of the hospital waiting room, watching the city breathe under a golden sunrise. It was the kind of view that used to make me feel powerful. In control. Now, all I felt was a strange weight in my chest—something between relief and remorse. Emma was with Lucas, who was still unconscious but stable. They’d rushed him into surgery the second we arrived. I wanted to be in there with him, wanted to watch over the man who had risked everything to help me tear down Moreau’s empire—but I knew he wouldn’t want me hovering. He’d told me once that silence was its own kind of loyalty. I never understood what he meant until now. The hallway behind me echoed with the soft sounds of nurses and machines beeping in the distance. I could feel eyes on me—hospital staff, security, even the few reporters who had gotten wind of what happened last night. None dared approach. Not yet. I le
Huling Na-update : 2025-04-22My arranged marriage The weight of the crown
Emma Watson The hospital corridors were too quiet. For a building filled with life and emergencies, the silence was unsettling—thick with unspoken fears and the ghosts of what almost happened. I sat in the waiting room, a cup of lukewarm coffee in my hand, my foot tapping restlessly against the tile floor. The adrenaline had long worn off, but my mind refused to slow down. Lucas was stable. The doctors said he’d pulled through surgery and was expected to make a full recovery. That alone should have brought relief. But it didn’t. Because Ray hadn’t spoken a word to me since the ambulance arrived. He'd ridden with Lucas, stone-faced and quiet, his eyes unreadable. I’d followed behind in a separate vehicle, escorted by two officers who kept their distance but never stopped watching me. Not as a suspect—no. That part of my life had finally closed. But still as a curiosity. A woman who had been dragged into the world of blood and billionaires, who had stood in the crossfire and
Huling Na-update : 2025-04-22My arranged marriage Rebuilding the kingdom
Ray Maverick The boardroom smelled like polished oak, espresso, and tension. It had been twenty-two hours since Moreau’s death. Twelve since Lucas came out of surgery. And barely five since I held Emma in my arms and let the weight of everything crash into me like a hurricane. Now I stood at the head of Maverick Global’s boardroom table, staring down the remaining members of my executive team. Some loyal. Some opportunistic. All of them waiting to see what I’d do next. And I wasn’t in the mood to play games. “As of this morning,” I said, voice steady but firm, “all accounts connected to Jacques Moreau and his shell companies have been frozen. Legal is pursuing embezzlement charges, and any board member discovered to be complicit in the siphoning of funds will be held criminally liable.” A few members shifted uncomfortably in their seats. “I’m not here to rebuild what was broken,” I continued. “I’m here to build something better. More transparent. More accountable.” “Ra
Huling Na-update : 2025-04-22My arranged marriage After tragedy
Emma Watson The sunrise looked different from Ray’s penthouse. Softer, maybe. Less like a warning and more like a promise. The city below still pulsed with its usual noise—horns, sirens, the buzz of lives continuing—but up here, wrapped in Ray’s arms beneath his crisp sheets, everything felt still. It was the first time in days I’d slept through the night without waking in a panic. The first time I hadn’t dreamed of gunfire or blood. Ray was already awake, propped up on one elbow, eyes on me like he was memorizing every freckle. He didn’t say anything. Just watched. “Staring’s a little creepy,” I murmured, voice scratchy from sleep. He smiled. “You’re beautiful when you sleep.” I laughed, ducking my face into the pillow. “Liar.” He leaned in, brushing a kiss to my cheek. “Not even a little.” It still surprised me sometimes—how gentle he could be. After everything. After Moreau. After Benita. After that final shot that silenced the war but left so many bruises in it
Huling Na-update : 2025-04-22My arranged marriage The weight of a crown
Emma Watson The sunrise looked different from Ray’s penthouse. Softer, maybe. Less like a warning and more like a promise. The city below still pulsed with its usual noise—horns, sirens, the buzz of lives continuing—but up here, wrapped in Ray’s arms beneath his crisp sheets, everything felt still. It was the first time in days I’d slept through the night without waking in a panic. The first time I hadn’t dreamed of gunfire or blood. Ray was already awake, propped up on one elbow, eyes on me like he was memorizing every freckle. He didn’t say anything. Just watched. “Staring’s a little creepy,” I murmured, voice scratchy from sleep. He smiled. “You’re beautiful when you sleep.” I laughed, ducking my face into the pillow. “Liar.” He leaned in, brushing a kiss to my cheek. “Not even a little.” It still surprised me sometimes—how gentle he could be. After everything. After Moreau. After Benita. After that final shot that silenced the war but left so many bruises in it
Huling Na-update : 2025-04-22My arranged marriage What comes after
Emma Watson I always imagined that when the war ended—our war, the one that nearly cost us everything—there would be a clear line between before and after. That I’d wake up one morning, stretch beneath clean sheets, and feel lighter. Free. But peace, I’m learning, isn’t loud. It’s quiet. It arrives in pieces. A moment here. A breath there. Slowly, it builds a new life from the ashes of the old. This morning, it looked like sunlight warming Ray’s bare shoulder as he slept beside me. The way his hand instinctively found mine even in sleep. The faint crease between his brows, a remnant of the stress he still hadn’t shaken. It looked like us. And that scared the hell out of me. Because when everything is finally safe, what are you supposed to do with all the adrenaline you’ve lived on for so long? I pulled myself from bed as quietly as I could and slipped into one of Ray’s oversized shirts. His scent clung to the fabric—clean, woodsy, a little intoxicating. I padded barefoot
Huling Na-update : 2025-04-22My arranged marriage Breaking point
Ray Maverick The steady beep of the heart monitor was the only thing grounding me. I stood at the edge of Lucas’s hospital bed, my fists clenched and shoulders tight. He was alive—barely. Tubes snaked into his arms, and bruises marred the side of his face. It should’ve been me lying there. He took the bullet meant for me. Guilt was a quiet, gnawing thing, but now it roared like a beast inside my chest. I hadn’t slept. I couldn’t. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Moreau’s smirk, Benita’s last breath, Emma’s wide eyes as she fought to save Lucas while I wrestled a man I’d once called a mentor. It should’ve ended with closure. Instead, it ended in blood. I ran a hand through my hair and turned away from the bed. The hospital hallway was quiet this time of night. Emma had gone to grab coffee, but I knew she was just giving me space. She’d seen it—the way I froze when the nurse updated us, the look on my face when Lucas slipped into unconsciousness. She hadn’t said it out lou
Huling Na-update : 2025-04-22My arranged marriage The edge of us
Emma Watson The air outside the hospital was crisp, a welcome contrast to the sterile intensity of the emergency room. I stood on the sidewalk with my arms wrapped tightly around myself, trying to steady my nerves. My heart still pounded from everything that had happened—Moreau, Benita, the gunfire, the blood. Lucas was alive, but barely. Ray had changed. I had changed. And now, all I could do was wait. I turned my eyes up to the sky, the inky darkness broken only by the faint glow of streetlights and the soft flicker of stars. A world still spinning, indifferent to the chaos we’d just survived. My phone buzzed in my pocket. Ray. “How’s Lucas?” he texted. I stared at the screen for a second, debating whether to tell him the truth. That Lucas had lost a lot of blood. That the doctors weren’t sure if he’d walk without pain again. That he might not be the same man who once smiled so easily, who flirted so shamelessly. But I just typed: Still in surgery. I’ll let you know as
Huling Na-update : 2025-04-22
Pinakabagong kabanata
My arranged marriage Home at last
Emma WatsonThe late afternoon sun poured through the tall windows of the Manhattan penthouse, casting golden beams across the sleek marble floors. The scent of fresh lilies drifted through the open space, mingling with the faint aroma of roasted coffee from the kitchen. For the first time in months, the silence didn’t feel heavy or dangerous. It felt... peaceful.I stood barefoot by the glass wall, gazing out at the city I once hated for everything it took from me. Now, somehow, it had given me everything too.Behind me, Ray’s footsteps echoed softly across the wood. I didn’t turn. I didn’t have to. I knew his presence by heart now—the rhythm of his breathing, the tension in his muscles when he was deep in thought, the way his energy wrapped around mine like a second skin.He came to stand beside me, his hand finding mine. Warm. Solid. Real.“This view used to make me feel invincible,” he said quietly.I looked up at him, his profile bathed in the soft light. “And now?”He glanced do
My arranged marriage Forever
Ray The night air bit against my skin as I stood on the rooftop of the Kingstone building, the skyline of Manhattan stretching before me in all its glittering, indifferent glory. The city didn’t know what it had cost me to get here—or maybe it didn’t care. Either way, the end was coming. And I was ready. Behind me, the wind whipped at my coat, and the faint sound of footsteps echoed from the stairwell. I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. “Are you sure about this?” Lucas’s voice was low, hoarse from the healing wound in his side. I glanced back at him. “It ends tonight. One way or another.” He nodded grimly and joined me at the edge. “We have snipers stationed on the west building, just like you planned. Emma’s team is holding the perimeter.” My throat tightened at her name. We’d said our goodbyes earlier, just in case. She’d kissed me like it might be the last time. Maybe it would be. “They’ll be here,” I said. “Benitez doesn’t miss a chance to gloat.” Luc
My arranged marriage The forever
Emma I used to think love was the end goal. Like if I could just find the right person, all the broken parts would fall into place and I’d finally feel whole. But love wasn’t the end. It was the beginning. Because when Ray and I stopped running from who we were—and started building toward who we wanted to become—something bigger took root. Something wilder. Braver. Truer. Not a happy ending. A brave one. And that made all the difference. We spent the first few weeks after the wedding wrapped in a kind of quiet bliss. The world slowed down. Emails went unanswered. The Fellowship ran without us for a little while. Priya handled most of the chaos, sending short updates with emojis and bullet points. I skimmed them between morning walks and late-night dips in the ocean. Ray was softer, more still. I could see it in the way he looked at me—like the war inside him had finally gone quiet. I’d never felt more like myself. And in that stillness, something surpri
My arranged marriage More than a name
Ray When I was a kid, I thought power meant control. Silence in a boardroom. Eyes following your every move. A last name that carried weight, made people sit straighter. Turns out, none of that matters when you’re standing in a village where no one knows who you are—just that you show up when you say you will. That’s real power. Not dominance. But trust. And for the first time in my life, I wasn’t chasing power to bury my father's shadow. I was chasing purpose—with Emma beside me. We moved slower now, not because we had to, but because we could. Mornings began with thick coffee and open laptops, balancing spreadsheets with outreach emails. The fellowship was growing faster than we planned. Our quiet office above the bookstore had tripled in size, and we were already looking for a new space. We weren’t just funding journalism. We were creating platforms. Safety nets. A family of storytellers, rebels, and truth-seekers. People I would’ve never noticed if I’d stay
My arranged marriage The shape of forever
The Shape of Forever Emma The breeze was warm, laced with the scent of frangipani and sea salt as I stepped out onto the balcony. Below, the ocean stretched into a horizon so clear and infinite, it felt like time itself paused to breathe. Bali wasn’t what I expected. It was better. No crowds. No headlines. No past. Just us—and the rhythm of waves that didn’t care about who we used to be. Ray was in the kitchen, humming something soft as he sliced fruit. Shirtless, barefoot, sun-kissed. If I didn’t already love him, I would’ve fallen for him right then and there. But I’d already fallen—completely, recklessly, irrevocably. And here, in this quiet corner of the world, it finally felt safe to land. We spent our mornings wrapped in each other, too lazy to set alarms. Sometimes we talked. Sometimes we didn’t need to. His fingertips would trace patterns on my skin while the sun climbed higher, and I’d close my eyes, memorizing the silence between our heartbeats. In the af
My arranged marriage The legacy we choose
Ray The wind cut through my coat as I stepped out of the cabin one last time, the cold air snapping me to attention. Snow crunched beneath my boots, and far below, the world stretched out in a sea of silver and blue—mountains frozen in time, quiet valleys that didn’t care about headlines, betrayals, or billion-dollar collapses. Up here, the world couldn’t touch us. But it also couldn’t stay frozen forever. Behind me, Emma zipped up her duffel bag and slung it over her shoulder. Her cheeks were flushed pink from the chill, her hair tied back in a loose braid. She looked at me like she always did—like I wasn’t the broken son of a corrupt empire, but something more. Something worth saving. And maybe—for the first time in my life—I believed her. The train we caught into Lucerne was empty except for an older couple reading a newspaper and a teenage boy scrolling on a cracked phone. Emma sat beside me, her head leaning on my shoulder, one hand looped around my arm. I watched the
My arranged marriage The after shock
Emma The sun rose behind a shroud of pale clouds as we crossed the Swiss border. Ray sat beside me in the back of the SUV, his eyes fixed on the snow-dusted mountains ahead. Lucas dozed in the front passenger seat, snoring softly, a jacket draped over his face like a makeshift shield from reality. I watched Ray in the quiet. The shadows under his eyes hadn’t faded, even after everything we’d done. Even after the truth had finally come out. The Chronicle had published it all. Langston Enterprises. The bribes. The offshore accounts. The ports. The human cost. The devastation left in his father’s wake. It was global news now. Presidents were giving statements. CEOs were distancing themselves. Stocks were crashing. Investigations were launching across four continents. And yet, somehow, the air between us still held that tension. That edge. Because justice came with a price. And we were the ones who’d lit the match. The safe house was tucked into the mountains above Interla
My arranged marriage The weight of his name
Ray It wasn’t just the name—it was everything that came with it. Langston. In boardrooms, it carried weight. On Wall Street, it opened doors. But in my blood, it felt like a curse I’d spent my entire life trying to outrun. And now, it was time to turn around and face it. I stared at the screen, Emma asleep beside me on the couch, her legs curled underneath a blanket, her head resting on my thigh. The glow of the laptop cast long shadows across her peaceful face. God, she deserved peace. Deserved a life untouched by this war. But she’d chosen to fight anyway. With me. For me. I couldn’t let that be for nothing. I scrolled through the documents we’d compiled—encrypted logs, money transfers, real estate deals, fake nonprofit filings, covert port activity. All of it pointed back to one name: Langston Enterprises. All of it pointed back to my father. Everything we needed to dismantle his empire was right here. The question was—who could we trust with it? Lucas had reached
My arranged marriage Beneath the ashes
Emma The morning after the bloodshed, the safe house felt eerily quiet—like the walls themselves were holding their breath. I stood by the window, watching the pale gray mist roll over the hills. The trees swayed in a rhythm that felt too calm, too detached from what had happened less than twenty-four hours ago. Inside me, a different storm brewed. One that didn’t care for peace or clarity. Ray was still asleep. His breathing steady beside me in the bed we had barely touched since arriving. We’d held each other in silence last night, the kind of silence that didn’t beg for words but craved understanding. But even in his arms, I hadn’t truly rested. My mind hadn’t stopped since I’d pulled the trigger. I’d never killed before. I wasn’t even sure I believed in the right to. But when that man raised his weapon toward Lucas, something primal in me had taken over. I hadn’t hesitated. I hadn’t flinched. I’d acted. And I didn’t regret it. That’s what scared me the most. I steppe
