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The fall
Last Updated:
2025-04-19 16:25:26
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My arranged marriage The pieces of the storm
Emma Watson I didn’t let go of Lucas’s hand for hours. Even after the doctors told me he was stable, that his vitals were strong, that there was nothing more to do but wait—I stayed. The monitors beeped steadily beside him, a slow, comforting rhythm that reassured me he was still here. He looked impossibly pale against the white sheets, his face drawn and still. Not at all like the Lucas I knew. The one who flirted shamelessly, who cracked jokes under pressure, who never backed down even when he should have. “I’m sorry,” I whispered, tightening my fingers around his. “This never should’ve happened.” I wasn’t sure if I was talking to him or myself. Ray had come and gone, lingering just long enough to squeeze my shoulder before slipping outside. I didn’t blame him. We all needed space in our own way to process what had just happened. I hadn’t had time to really think. Not during the shootout. Not during the blood-soaked rush to the hospital. Not when Benita fell or when
Last Updated : 2025-04-19My arranged marriage The cost of survival
Ray Maverick I’ve been shot at, betrayed, hunted like an animal, and watched people I trusted turn into monsters. But nothing—and I mean nothing—prepared me for what it would feel like to watch Emma get dragged into this war. I should’ve ended it sooner. I should’ve stopped Moreau years ago. And Benita... I should've never let her get close in the first place. Now I was standing in the ruins of what used to be my life. A penthouse that looked like a warzone. A man I once called a brother lying dead at my feet. And Emma—Emma, who still looked at me like I was worth saving. I didn’t deserve it. But I sure as hell wasn’t going to waste it. She stood beside me in the doorway, one hand gently resting on Lucas’s back as he was helped into the waiting ambulance. He was stable now, the paramedics assured us, but he needed surgery. Fast. Emma’s hand dropped from his back as they shut the doors. The flashing red and blue lights bounced off her face, catching the tightness in her jaw
Last Updated : 2025-04-19My arranged marriage Fragile pieces
Emma Watson The hospital lights were far too bright for this hour of the night. I sat beside Lucas’s bed, my hands folded tightly in my lap, eyes fixed on the slow, steady rise and fall of his chest. Machines beeped softly around him, an odd symphony of life and fragility that I couldn’t tune out no matter how hard I tried. There were bruises on his cheek, a gash over his eyebrow, and his arm was wrapped in thick gauze. But he was alive. Breathing. Healing. I’d almost lost him. Again. The nurse had said he was lucky—just missed hitting any major organs. A few inches to the left, and we’d be planning a funeral instead of whispering promises for recovery. I reached forward, gently brushing a piece of hair from his forehead. “You better not die on me, Lucas. I need you. We both do.” His eyelids didn’t flutter. He was still under heavy sedation, the doctors giving his body a chance to catch up to the trauma. The bullet wound in his side had required surgery. Ray had nearly
Last Updated : 2025-04-19My arranged marriage The weight of silence
Ray Maverick The hospital corridor was too quiet. Not the kind of silence that meant peace or rest—but the kind that wrapped around you like fog, heavy and suffocating. I stood with my back against the wall, arms crossed, watching the closed door to Lucas’s room. Inside, he was stable, they’d said. Recovering. But that word didn’t mean what it used to. Recovering implied going back to how things were before. And nothing about this felt like before. I didn’t know how long I’d been standing there, only that the world felt slower since we’d taken Moreau down. Since Benita crumpled in front of me with that stunned look in her eyes. Since Emma had looked at me like I was both her hero and a man she wasn’t quite sure she recognized. That look haunted me. I hadn’t slept in thirty-six hours, and even if I tried, I knew I wouldn’t. My body was tired, but my mind wouldn’t stop replaying it all—every gunshot, every choice, every consequence. The guilt didn’t claw at me. It didn’t n
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Emma Watson The sunlight spilled through my bedroom window like a quiet invitation—soft, golden, almost apologetic. It was the first real morning I’d had in what felt like weeks. No gunshots. No screaming. No running. Just the distant hum of the city below and the ticking clock on the wall that reminded me life was still moving forward, whether I was ready for it or not. I sat on the edge of my bed, a mug of half-drunk coffee in my hands. It had gone cold an hour ago, but I couldn’t bring myself to move. Every muscle in my body ached like I’d been fighting a war. Maybe I had. Maybe we all had. I hadn’t seen Ray since the night at the hospital. He’d texted, called once, but there was an unspoken understanding between us now—space. Time. The fragile truce between healing and heartache. I wasn’t even sure what I was supposed to be healing from. The violence? The fear? Or the part of me that still loved him—deeply, fiercely—and was now trying to reconcile that love with everyt
Last Updated : 2025-04-19My arranged marriage A Reckoning in the dark
Ray Maverick The rain had started again, soft at first, then heavier, tapping against the windows like impatient fingers demanding attention. The city below glowed beneath it—restless and alive, unaware that somewhere above its streets, I was about to confront the very man who had pulled every string in the chaos of our lives. I stood alone in the shadows of the abandoned warehouse overlooking the docks. The place reeked of damp concrete and old betrayal. My Glock was loaded, steady in my grip, the weight of it a grim comfort. This wasn’t about revenge anymore. This was about justice. For Emma. For Lucas. For myself. My phone buzzed in my coat pocket. A message from Emma. Be careful. I love you. I closed my eyes for a beat, letting her words settle the storm inside me. Then I tucked the phone away and moved forward. Footsteps echoed ahead. He was here. Moreau stepped into the open space beneath the rusted ceiling beams, flanked by two of his remaining men. He looked al
Last Updated : 2025-04-22My arranged marriage After the storm
Emma Watson The morning light filtered through the hospital blinds, casting pale gold across the tiled floor. I sat quietly beside Lucas’s bed, my fingers laced tightly around his. He was unconscious, but the doctors had said he was stable. That had to be enough for now. I should have felt relief. We’d won. Moreau was dead. Benita was gone. The nightmare we’d been trapped in for months was finally over. So why did I feel so hollow? A soft knock on the door broke through my thoughts. I turned just as Ray stepped into the room, his tall frame blocking the light for a moment. His face was drawn, exhaustion etched into every line. He hadn’t slept—neither of us had—but it wasn’t just fatigue that weighed him down. It was everything else. “Any change?” he asked gently, his voice hoarse. I shook my head. “No. He’s stable, but still out.” Ray crossed the room and lowered himself into the chair on the other side of the bed. He rested his forearms on his knees, staring at Lucas l
Last Updated : 2025-04-22My 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
Last Updated : 2025-04-22
Latest chapter
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
