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
"But where will we sleep tonight?" Giselle was anxious, afraid of staying somewhere unfamiliar. "And… if there's no transport today, when will we reach our destination?" Giselle longed for the comfort of a bed, a peaceful rest, without the constant travel. Alessandro gestured to a side street. "There's a guesthouse over there. It belongs to my mother's cousin. See?" Giselle looked at a semi-permanent house, recently renovated, with half-finished paintwork. "We can stay there for a couple of days…" Alessandro explained. Giselle stared at the guesthouse. Whether she liked it or not, she followed Alessandro to the door. "It looks empty. I haven't heard a sound. Is the owner out?" *** "Have you seen Giselle? Do you know where she is?" Jordan kept asking, going from person to person, but got nowhere. He still had no information about his daughter. "Where did she go?" Jordan felt exhausted, frust
"Doctor, we have a gunshot wound victim! Code red!" A nurse, breathless and frantic, burst into the doctor's consultation room."Right, I'm on my way. Cover for me."The nurse immediately obeyed the doctor's sharp command.The doctor arrived to find a woman lying pale and still, blood staining the sheets. Her family, huddled behind the observation window, looked on in panicked silence."Her heart rate's plummeting. Get her on oxygen, stat!""Yes, Doctor!"The doctor emerged, facing the distraught family. "Excuse me, who are you...?"A man, massaging his temples, spoke quickly. "I'm Alessandro, her husband. How is my wife, Doctor?" His voice was thick with panic."Please, try to remain calm. She's receiving treatment, and while her condition is critical, we're doing everything we can.""Can't you give me a proper diagnosis? I just want my wife to live, Doctor." His eyes welled up.The doctor offered a strained smile. "We'll do our best, but we can't make any guarantees…"Three d
Mischa let his henchman revel in his moment of triumph, then retreated. "Wait! You haven't been paid yet."Mischa's steps faltered. He smiled, raising an eyebrow. "How much do you want?""One hundred thousand dollars."Without hesitation, Mischa produced the cash. "However-" Before the man could snatch the money, Mischa continued, "Forty thousand will do for today! After all, haven't you got a new toy to play with?" He tossed the money at the man's feet.The man grumbled, protesting. "But this isn't what we agreed on! You don't know how hard I fought to get past those CCTV cameras-""Ahh, that's irrelevant. Go. If you don't want the money, give it back. This is the last time I'll pay you.""Can't you show some mercy-"His plea was ignored. Mischa walked away, the man trailing behind.Meanwhile, Giselle, still bound and terrified, frantically tried to break free. She scraped her hands against the rough wall, her skin bleeding. She had to escape, to find a way out...."I'll give Gis
Louis grabbed his chin viciously and received fierce stares from him. "Why—" Mischa still thought, if I tell the truth, would everything change?"Actually—" when Mischa tried to speak, Louis interrupted him. "I'll hear your words if it makes sense!""I-I just want the baby in my womb to have a father. Even if he is not your flesh and blood, do you just hope that you will consider him your son?""What?" Louis reacted in shock and squeezed his hair roughly, "Enough Mischa! Don't go any further, this is already a great insult to me and my family." Deep expressions of disappointment were clearly visible on his face. She couldn't believe it, and Mischa instead made her a cover for her disgrace. Really, a very heartless woman! "Forgive me Louis, I mentioned this reason for the sake of our relationship. Ever since Netty was by your side, you didn't even glance at me at all...""Unfortunately I'm too stupid to trust people like you so easily. If I had known from the beginning, I wouldn't
Louis wasn’t driving himself home. He’d opted for a cab, pulling up in front of a bar he hadn’t visited in ages. Stepping inside, the place was a whirlwind of young, reckless revelers and dancers grooving to the thumping DJ music. He weaved through the crowd, grabbing a drink the moment he spotted an empty stool.“Louis! What the hell are you doing?” Lucas appeared, his voice sharp, as he caught sight of his twin brother knocking back shots of hard liquor.“Louis, have you lost your mind? Your wife’s waiting at home, and you’re here, getting plastered?”Lucas tried to snatch the shot glass, but Louis held firm, his voice surprisingly calm. “Why the rush? Let’s relax and drink this stuff until we’re happy. Don’t worry about the cost.”This was getting out of hand. Louis wasn’t usually a drinker; this change was unsettling. Lucas needed to get him out of there before the alcohol did more damage. “Damn it! How do I even contact Mischa? My phone’s still in the car.”“Still want to wa
Louis’s words hung in the air, sharp as a threat. Mischa wondered if the woman with the long nails and platinum blonde hair was deliberately trying to drive a wedge between them. Giselle watched the woman discreetly. When Louis excused himself to make a call, Mischa casually pulled a cigarette from her purse and lit it, the acrid smell of tobacco instantly filling the room. Giselle coughed. "Excuse me, but this is a non-smoking area. There's a sign right over there."Mischa glanced at the sign Giselle indicated, then rolled her eyes. "And I care?"Giselle took a deep breath, composing herself. Just as Louis returned, Netty's doctor emerged from the room. "Doctor, how is my sister-in-law?" Giselle asked anxiously."She's still unconscious. We'll be monitoring her hourly. Please, try to stay calm."Louis was about to enter Netty's room, but Mischa stopped him. "Can't we just go home? You've already done so much…" Her plea hung unspoken in the air."No! Can't you see someone's life is
In her apartment, Mischa still couldn't sleep and kept shifting positions restlessly. Her eyes darted to the wall clock, then she mumbled, "It's already 2:00 AM." Slowly she sat up and leaned back against the pillow, blinking several times before glancing at her phone, which hadn't flashed since earlier. Her breath came out heavy, and her alertness heightened. Louis was going to meet Netty. "I have to make sure Netty keeps her distance from my husband." Mischa picked up her phone, planning to distract herself by opening social media. As she saw a post, her anxiety deepened when she noticed her husband's location was at the hospital! "This feels strange; I need to find out what he’s doing there." *** 2:05 AM "Ms. Netty needs type B blood. So we are currently looking for someone willing to donate..." Louis still remembered the doctor's words while talking to his sister Giselle, so he immediately went to see the doctor after making his decision. "Excuse me, doctor, I came to don
A social media post stopped Netty in her tracks. The photo showed a back – a very familiar back. She wanted to guess, but fear of being wrong gnawed at her. She checked the account’s owner, a name she recognized: "L Mischa." So familiar, but why the single 'L'? Could it be…? Should she guess it stood for Louis? Was it true, then? Were she and Louis meant to be? Before Netty could dwell further, a notification popped up. A new post from the same account, instantly showered with likes and supportive comments. "My guess is right, the 'L' stands for Louis. Is this the answer to my prayers? If we aren't meant to be, then help me find someone else, someone to help me forget his kindness and our memories." A text message arrived, advertising a part-time night shift job. "I guess this is it. Time to quit my old job and take this new one, even if it's just as a convenience store clerk, only six hours a day." Netty made up her mind. She told her family, grabbed her bag, and left to apply. S
Frustration, anger, and pent-up emotions boiled over after a failed plan. Louis vanished without a trace after that day, disappearing from circulation and ignoring all calls, both business-related and from his parents.His mind was consumed by the desire to apologize to Netty. If he went to her house and asked her family about her, would they tell him? But what if Netty wasn't home?He could barely imagine what would happen if he found out Netty wasn't home. Although he had called her several times, there was only a forwarding message.He spent his days alone, exhausted, without a confidante to vent the frustrations that had been building for days.Today, Louis unknowingly stopped near Mischa's family home. Before getting out of the car, he sat contemplating, murmuring, "I wonder how Mischa's doing?"Suddenly, he thought about the woman he admitted he didn't love at all. His expression was somber. Should he see Mischa now? Doubt clouded his eyes, but what would he say if he did?It
The whispers followed Giselle like a shadow. "They say she never got her mother's love, not even as a baby," one voice hissed. Another chimed in, "Really? Where'd you hear that?" Giselle’s cheeks burned. The judging stares felt like knives. But the whispers died down abruptly as a figure appeared – Alessandro, her husband. "Al-Alessandro..." breathed the gossips. Their attention shifted back to their shopping, the initial purpose of their visit to Giselle’s grocery store. Alessandro’s arrival transformed Giselle's frown into a radiant smile. Serving her customers, she was noticeably more relaxed. Alessandro, however, watched her with a tender gaze, a small smile playing on his lips. Netty, noticing this exchange, chuckled softly. Despite the storms they’d weathered, Giselle felt incredibly fortunate to have him. And now, cradled in her arms, their beautiful baby boy, Leon, completed their picture. Once the last customer left, Giselle