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58 . James stormed down the hallway, muttering to himself, “Why the hell do I have so many problems? My life sucks… sucks!” His steps grew faster as his irritation flared up. “Today, I swear, I’m gonna kick his ass. I’m out here busting mine, working every single day to lock down that business deal, and he’s off drinking his life away. Unbelievable!” It had been a week since James last heard from Rican. Every time he called, it went straight to voicemail, and not once did Rican bother to call him back. Today, though, he finally got a call from him, but—surprise, surprise—not a single word on the other end. “Unreal!” James grumbled, clenching his fists. James opened the door, stepping inside only to be met with near total darkness. “Rican? Why the hell didn’t you turn on the lights?” James called out, but there was only silence. Frowning, he pulled out his phone, turning on the flashlight as he reached for the light switch. His eyes went wide at the sight: the room wa
59Rican struggled to open his eyes, the heaviness making each blink feel like lifting a weight. His face scrunched as he finally managed to pry them open, only to find himself in a completely unfamiliar room. The sterile smell, the quiet hum of machines, and the feel of a bandage on his hand, where an IV line was attached, told him he was in the hospital. He glanced around, disoriented, until a familiar voice broke the silence.“You almost scared me to death, you psycho!” James said, his tone a mix of relief and annoyance. He lightly punched Rican’s arm, then plopped down in the chair beside him.Rican slowly turned his head, meeting James's eyes for a moment before looking away toward the window. “How did you even find me?” he asked, his voice weak but laced with curiosity.James raised an eyebrow. “Are you serious?” He let out a dramatic sigh and shook his head, pretending to be disappointed. “I thought you’d say something like, ‘Thank you for saving my life, James. You’r
60Alessa lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, the weight of her thoughts pressing heavily on her chest. She tried to keep it together, but tears slipped from her eyes, streaming down her cheeks without end. She couldn’t shake the ache that gripped her heart.Just then, Martha entered the room with a tray, a soft but concerned look on her face. She placed the tray on the bedside table, watching Alessa with worry. "Dear, please eat something," Martha pleaded gently. "You haven’t had anything since yesterday, and at this rate, you’re going to make yourself ill."Alessa sat up slowly, her face etched with fatigue, her eyes red from crying. She looked at Martha, desperation clouding her gaze. “Did… did Rican come?” she whispered, a faint glimmer of hope breaking through her sorrow.Martha’s face softened even more, and she shook her head. “No, dear… he hasn’t come.”That was all it took for Alessa’s last shred of composure to crumble. She buried her face in her hands an
61Steve felt a pang in his chest as he saw Rican standing at the foot of the stairs, eyes flashing with fury, fists clenched as if ready for a fight and James was standing beside him.Without hesitation, he walked toward his son, trying to ignore the bitterness and hurt that mixed with concern. Alessa lingered near the back, visibly tense.She finally saw him as a small smile flashed on her face but it didn’t last long when she heard there next conversation.“Rican,” Steve began, his voice calm, but Rican cut him off.“Why are you here, Mr. Stefano Rossi?” Rican spat, the title thick with sarcasm. “Did you forget that I don’t want you in this house? Or do you just not know how to listen?”Steve sighed, extending a hand toward him. “Rican, you’ve just gotten out of the hospital. You’re not in any state to be this worked up. The doctor told you to rest.”But as he reached for him, Rican slapped his hand away. “Stay the hell away from me!” he shouted, his voice echoing through th
62Alessa stood there, frozen, as James spoke. When she saw him come out of Rican's room, she wiped her tear-streaked face and quickly asked, her voice barely holding steady, “How is he? Is he… okay?”James hesitated, not quite able to ignore the distress on her face. “He’s fine,” he answered shortly, “just sleeping now.” He turned to leave, but she called out to him again.“Wait—James, please,” she said, her voice trembling, “Can you tell me what happened to him? I saw his hand, bandaged. Did he… did he hurt himself?” Her face was etched with worry, and he could see she truly didn’t know what had happened.James scratched his head, trying to decide how much he should tell her. Finally, he said, “He, uh… he took something, okay? He overdosed.”A small gasp escaped her lips, and her eyes filled with shock. “Overdosed?”‘Overdosed of what?”“Drugs”- James this time said straight.James sighed, looking away as he tried to find the words. “Doctor said he’ll be fine, and they were
Chapter 63 .Alessa paced the room, biting her nails, her voice urgent as she spoke into the phone. “Xavier, it’s Alessa.”“Oh my God, Alessa!” Xavier’s voice sounded panicked. “Are you okay? Rican didn’t… he didn’t hurt you, did he?” There was genuine worry in his tone, as he knew all too well the strength of Rican’s anger.Alessa’s heart twisted at his words. She took a shaky breath before answering, “I’m… I’m fine.” But her voice quivered, betraying her emotions.Xavier sighed, clearly relieved. “You have no idea how worried I’ve been. I’ve tried calling you so many times. After everything that happened, I thought…” he trailed off, his voice filled with concern. “But believe me, Alessa, I didn’t take advantage of anything. I honestly have no idea how we even ended up… like that.” He said the words carefully, smoothly, leaning back against his couch as he bit into an apple, watching her reaction through the phone.“I know, Xavier. I believe you,” Alessa said, her voice soft
Chapter 64.|Sia|"I am happy, I am so happy that finally Rican sees me. My heart felt so much excitement when I heard him saying those words it's felt like I was flying. I couldn't even hold my excitement. I just wanted to scream out of happiness that finally Rican will get rid of that bitch and we can back together."- She smiled.She lay in bed, wide-eyed, unable to calm herself enough to sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, a rush of happiness jolted her awake. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was barely five in the morning. She didn't mind. Last night’s words from Rican replayed in her head like a dream come true.But the feeling was short-lived. Her gaze fell on the open door, and when she saw Rican walking down the hall, her heart sank. She slipped out of bed, following quietly, only to stop dead when he paused outside Alessa's room. Sia's fingers clenched around the door frame, and the bright excitement she’d felt only moments before drained from her.She watched in
65.Liam and Rose stepped into the house, finding the door slightly ajar. Rose shook her head with a small sigh. “Kids these days—so careless,” she muttered. They had just returned from a long business trip, and after weeks away, they were eager to surprise their daughter, Sia.But something still puzzled them. Why had Sia chosen to stay with Rican and Alessa instead of with her own brother, Scott? Scott had told them she had stopped answering his calls and even blocked his number. Eventually, he’d given up trying to reach her, assuming she’d contact him when she was ready.When Rose came to know about Sia was living with Alessa and Rican, Rose didn’t like it, in fact she was the one who always against their relationship, she just don’t want her daughter to be with anyone related to Steve’s family since she saw how much Emily suffered. But despite her misgivings, Sia had stayed here many times, and over the years, they’d gotten used to it.“Should we have at least let Rican