“Sorry, sir, that’s all I wanted to say. The rest is up to you.” The man bowed slightly before leaving.After he’d gone, Clara turned to her husband, demanding an explanation. Joe didn’t even say a word.“I heard you talking about Uncle Steve. Does he need help? He’s your uncle, why aren’t you helping him?”Joe rubbed his face, sighing. “Leave him to face the consequences of his actions, Lara. Maybe he’ll learn his lesson.”“What if Uncle Steve regrets what he’s done and wants to change?” Clara asked, hoping for a change of heart from her husband.But Joe didn’t want to discuss his uncle in front of Clara. He just walked away without another word.Clara felt a pang of guilt, but she let him go, giving him space to process things.In the quiet, she heard a commotion outside. Hysterical screams echoed through the apartment complex.From her open window, Clara saw the chaos unfolding beyond the gates. She even saw Joe amidst the hubbub.Curiosity got the better of her.“Stop! What’
Selena awoke to a cool breeze from the wide-open window. She looked out, taking in the opulent building from her bed. “Where am I?” She scanned her surroundings, trying to piece together what had happened, struggling to sit up. “Ouch! Why does everything hurt so much?” Despite racking her brain, Selena couldn’t remember. She noticed a blanket draped over part of her body. As she tried to stand, her legs felt numb. “Holy crap! I still have to…” Her words trailed off as she spotted her bag on the nightstand. Pulling back the blanket, she gasped. She was completely naked. Selena’s memory flickered, and she bit her lip anxiously. “What did Raffaele do?” But why had he left? Why was the room so empty now? The thought spurred her into action. She saw her clothes on the edge of the bed and quickly dressed. “You’re awake,” a man with a scarred face said, entering the room. Selena ignored him, turning her back and massagin
Two security guards roughly shoved Selena out of the hospital. She sighed, then turned to find Raffaele standing before her. “What took you so long?” he grumbled. “You said this wasn’t my business! You’re so busy defending Stave, but he doesn’t even appreciate you…” “Stave isn’t like that…” Selena countered, her face cold. “Enough!” Raffaele snapped after a moment. “What are you clinging to? Money? Power? Position?” He scoffed. “Isn’t it all gone? The auditors took away his position, right? The guy’s broke. Did you know he’s been supporting you with embezzled funds all this time?” Raffaele’s eyes blazed as he spoke. Silence fell. Selena crossed her arms, staring intently at Raffaele. “Satisfied? Has my husband’s shady dealings been bothering you this much?” “Selena…” Raffaele stopped, not wanting to be a spectacle any longer. “Let’s talk somewhere else. See how they’re staring?”
At the police station, Selena was being questioned. She looked more distraught than ever. The atmosphere was thick with tension as detectives revealed that the death of a high-ranking official like Stave wasn't a simple accident. When her name was called, Selena looked up. “Following the investigation, we need to inform you of something. The investigative team has found evidence pointing to premeditated murder.” Selena’s brow furrowed. “Excuse me? What do you mean?” The officers exchanged glances. “We’re not accusing you directly, but our investigation suggests you’re a prime suspect. Especially since you were the first to discover Mr. Stave’s body.” Selena scoffed. “What kind of reasoning is that? I didn’t do anything! Why am I being accused? Stave was my husband, my provider. There’s no way I would do that.” Selena tried to defend herself. “I swear, I never even thought of killing Stave.” They produced documents and a phone
"Lara, why are you asking so many questions today? Are you…?""Aunt Selena. Are you sure she killed your uncle for his money? I heard her family's loaded, so why would she need more?"Clara's curiosity was met with a serious frown from her husband, Joe. "Speaking of, I didn't expect you to know so much about her."Clara let out a short laugh. "Why not? It's all over the internet and social media. It's gone viral, dude! You haven't heard?"Joe rubbed his face, looking stressed. “Okay, let’s ditch the gossip and talk about us.”"You mean…"Before Clara could finish, Joe's phone rang. "Yeah, hello…"He shot Clara a quick glance, took a deep breath, and hung up. "Honey, I gotta run. Something's come up," he said, ruffling her hair before grabbing his jacket and keys."Wait, is it that important? It's late, can't it wait till tomorrow?"Clara's pleading tone stopped him."Don't worry, I'll be quick. I promise I'll be back before midnight. Hungry? I can grab takeout. Spaghetti, burger
"No, I can't let this go. I have to fight for our marriage, clear up this misunderstanding." Clara desperately hoped to see her husband, who hadn't come home since the previous night. But amidst the city's gridlock, Clara saw something unexpected through her car window. The man in the suit was Joe, her husband, emerging from a hotel. But trailing behind him was a woman in a skimpy outfit. "Am I the only one who just realized that outside our home, Joe…" Clara's thoughts spiraled. Her gaze was fixed on the pair, hurrying as if someone was chasing them. With all her courage, Clara got out of her car and approached her husband, her eyes red-rimmed. "Joe, who is she?" "H-honey?" Joe was startled, though he tried to hide it, Clara saw the nervousness in his eyes. The woman beside Joe smiled nonchalantly. "Hey, I'm Halen. An old friend of Joe's. This is…" "Joe's wife," Clara cut in flatly, her eyes narrowed in suspic
Alessandro was on edge. The news had spread: the son of the late, bankrupt Steve Perhaps was dating Giselle.Her father, however, was completely against their relationship. Alessandro and Giselle had to meet in secret, sneaking around in deserted places.Alessandro sighed before leaving his tiny apartment for work.Living alone was hard, especially since his mother, Selena, had disappeared, leaving him to fend for himself. He'd had to toughen up, befriending some less-than-savory characters to survive.Despite this, Alessandro was a good person at heart. If his father hadn't lost everything, he'd have gone to university overseas. But that was a fantasy now, an impossible dream. His mother didn't seem to care about his struggles.His adoptive father, Raffaele, was also reportedly deep in debt since absconding with his mother. This led Alessandro to become entirely self-reliant, refusing any financial help.He worked a dead-end job, earning just enough for food and rent, but he did
Back at the bus station, "Are you sure about this?" Alessandro again questioned Giselle's decision. After she nodded, Alessandro examined her lightweight backpack. "Your bag's so light. Is that all you're taking?" He frowned, unconvinced. "Yes…" "But… we're not just staying there for a day or two…" He raised an eyebrow, disbelieving Giselle's seemingly casual answer. "You know what my dad's like," Giselle said, and Alessandro nodded in understanding. "Then let's go." They boarded the bus and stowed their bags. Before getting on, Giselle looked back, her gaze lingering on the image of her father, the man who'd raised her since infancy, the man she was about to leave behind. "Giselle, what's wrong?" "Nothing…" Giselle quickly looked away. "No matter what happens, I have to get out of here." This thought strengthened her resolve. On the bus, Giselle stared out the window, her face clou
Raffaelle was hesitant, but seeing that his wife was losing confidence in him, Raffaele approached them and whispered."Never mind, it's no good talking in the street, we should go in there and talk over a drink. Wouldn't that be more relaxing?" Both of their eyebrows rose when Raffaele pointed to a cafe not far from them. Their eyes met, as if negotiating this."No need!" Selena said suddenly, which was surprising. But, it seemed that she was trying to argue with a stable facial expression. "My husband is not doing well, at least as a wife I should take care of him and treat him. I'll give you whatever you want as long as the problem can be solved here, isn't it simple?"Raffaelle did not expect Selena to defend him now. His surprise made him finally agree to his wife's proposal. "Did you hear what my wife said? As soon as this problem is over, we can leave immediately."The sound of mocking laughter was heard again.Raffaele somewhat regretted that he was so weak at the moment, wh
"Giselle, can you give me some money? I have a social event today, and I can't show up empty-handed!" Her mother-in-law's voice, sharp and demanding, cut through the air from the family room.Giselle braced herself. Her mother-in-law stood in the doorway, her hand outstretched, looking like she was collecting a debt. "Mother…" Giselle began, but her mother-in-law cut her off."Give it to me now. Didn't your grocery store sales increase this week? That's because I helped promote it.""I know, but the money I gave you yesterday…" Giselle protested weakly."Yesterday? Are you kidding? How much did you even give me? It wouldn't last long, Giselle. And you know a woman's needs are endless. I need a body scrub at the salon."A salon? Giselle rubbed her temples. Her mother-in-law was talking about luxury treatments while Giselle herself barely had enough for diapers."Can't you postpone your… little trip to the spa? I don't have any extra money right now. I need to restock the store."
The world of the mafia; everyone assumes a mafioso is a ruthless criminal. But Raffaele wasn't like that. He led a clandestine group operating within the legal system, dispensing a twisted form of justice. They were handsomely paid – a price well worth the work. Raffaele was a judicial mafia, a man courted by corporations eager to secure his services. Yet, he remained fiercely loyal, refusing additional clients.Selena's eyes widened in shock at the text message from her son, Alessandro. Despite the thrill, a deep-seated anxiety gnawed at her. Raffaele's past, no matter how long buried, would eventually resurface.Selena was baffled. How did Alessandro know? The events were years old. Fear gripped her; she imagined Alessandro plotting revenge. At her age, fleeing wasn't an option. She couldn't just abandon her life with Raffaele.Selena stared rigidly at the man beside her in bed, then slipped out when she heard voices.Outside on the veranda, Giselle cradled her baby, tending
Clara presented her burgundy dress, retrieved from the closet, to her husband with a somber expression.Seeing her face, Joe furrowed his brows. "What's wrong with the dress?" He took it, examined it, and discovered a tear at the corner. He hadn't expected his hours-long search to end like this. His gaze softened as he watched his wife lamenting her favorite dress. "Forget it," he said, picking up a dress from the pile of clothes scattered on the floor. "You can buy another one. Look, I think this one's nice too. You always look stunning in everything you wear," he added patiently.Clara glanced at it without much interest. "Yeah, it's pretty, but I've worn it to the annual event too many times."Suddenly, an idea struck Clara. She opened a shopping app on her phone and smiled. "I think I can still buy some clothes before our guests arrive. We still have time before 8 PM."Joe was speechless. Watching his wife add several fashion items to her cart, he asked, "Why are you buying so
The shop was bustling with customers. The brooch artisan, finally distracted, avoided the topic, feigning busyness."See? Most of them are like that, indirectly extorting, blaming trivial things on others to get their work bought. Isn't it sneaky?"Netty nodded, genuinely impressed by Louis's unexpected perceptiveness."Let's go.""Wait! You're my boss now, won't going together put me back in the spotlight?"Louis started to speak, but the man who almost discovered his identity yesterday reappeared. Netty quickly got into the car and slammed the door shut."What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost..." Louis opened the conversation."Ah, i-it's nothing. I just feel we should leave quickly." Netty kept glancing behind, making sure her brother Alessandro didn't see her, then sighed."Really?" Receiving a nod, Louis drove to Nexgen Attire Co.Getting out, Netty unbuckled her seatbelt, but her movement was again stopped. "Can you please stop being so formal with me?""Why? This is
"Louis, thank you for today," Netty finally spoke, breaking the silence that had stretched through their journey from the restaurant.Louis responded with a warm smile. Netty herself felt adrift, unsure of herself, almost brazen in her renewed proximity to the man she'd previously forbidden from seeing her.Back at Netty's lodging, Louis broached a delicate subject. "Netty, could our friendship blossom into something more? I'm curious to hear your thoughts."Netty was speechless, her mind reeling. She had no immediate answer.Louis continued, "I won't pressure you for an answer now. Take your time. Go inside and rest. We can talk tomorrow."Tomorrow? Yes, they'd be seeing each other more often, but that didn't mean Netty was ready to answer his question then. ***"Ouch!" Netty yelped as her door burst open, her head colliding with the frame."Netty...""Why did you just barge in? At least knock!" she grumbled.The man before her stood there, unfazed. Netty realized she was only i
She dismissed her suspicions when she finally spotted an empty taxi and hopped in.Arriving at her lodgings, Netty was startled by a shout directed at her. "You!" The woman pointed angrily.Netty turned to see the woman destroying plants in her yard. "Excuse me, who are you? Why are you doing this in front of my house?""Are you still asking?" The woman scoffed. "You have the nerve to look at me like that after you dared to flirt with my fiancé, Louis.""Louis?" Netty's eyes widened. "He's your fiancé?" A mocking smile played on her lips as she looked at the slightly older woman. "I almost mistook you for his maid.""Don't be so cheeky…" Netty closed her eyes, bracing for a slap, but the woman didn't hit her.What's this? She's not a coward, is she?Opening her eyes, Netty was even more shocked to see Louis holding the woman's arm, preventing her from striking. "Y-you?""What are you doing here, Mischa? Your presence is disturbing everyone!" he said firmly.Netty was speechless,
"Just a petty reason?" Netty hung her head, silent. Louis, however, was impatient. He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards a nearby cafe."Wait! Are you sure about this?" Netty asked, resisting his pull."Yeah, I guess we haven't eaten anything since this morning."Netty was indeed hungry. Besides, who could refuse a free meal from a rich guy like Louis? It would definitely save her some cash.The atmosphere was awkward. Netty barely touched her food. "What's wrong? Eat before it gets cold. Or, do you want me to help you finish it?" Louis tried to lighten the mood with a joke.Netty remained silent, slowly picking at her food. His words earlier were gnawing at her. But distancing herself from someone close… that seemed like the better option. She knew she was being selfish, but to keep her job, she'd decided to become a stranger in a strange land.By the time they finished, Louis was different. He was cold, distant. He didn't even open her car door or say goodbye when he drop
Out of town...Netty went to a company to apply for a job, looking at the face of the person who was interviewing her, she remembered someone who looked a lot like someone, could it be...Netty shook her head quickly, waking up to the strange thoughts that were going through her mind."Netty!""Yes!" Although she was surprised, Netty enthusiastically answered when her name was called. "You've read all the rules in this company, right?"Nervous Netty nodded,"The same rules will apply in the future. Remember! You have not been formally accepted, but to test your performance you are given a month until you officially become a permanent employee here and even then if you pass.""What? So this..." Netty showed her disappointment when she got a response from the company."That's right, before getting a salary, your ability must be tested.""Without salary?" Netty repeated the same word. Hufft... She com