NORA'S POV
Adrian hesitated, the weight of unspoken words thick in the air. He glanced at Genevieve, his lips pressed into a tight line, as though unsure if he should continue.
I stepped closer, my arms instinctively wrapping around my belly, a protective barrier against the tension crackling between us. “What aren’t you saying?” I asked, my voice quieter than I intended.
Genevieve arched a brow, cutting a sharp look at Adrian. “Go on,” she said, her tone edged with irritation. “You may as well tell her. You’re stalling, Adrian.”
SAM'S POV Pain was the first thing I felt, dull but persistent, pulling me back into consciousness. The sterile scent of disinfectant and the steady beeping of monitors told me where I was before I even opened my eyes.“Nora,” I croaked, my voice barely above a whisper.Her warm hand clasped mine instantly, and when I turned my head, there she was—her eyes filled with tears, her expression a mix of relief and heartbreak. “Sam,” she said softly, leaning closer. “You’re awake.”I
NORA'S POV I froze the moment Daniel stepped into the room.How dare he? How dare he walk in here as if nothing had happened? The last time I saw him, he had been doubled over in pain, his face contorted in shock after I drove a nail into his abdomen. He hadn’t changed much. Still infuriatingly handsome, his dark hair brushed back neatly, his piercing eyes holding the same intensity that had always unnerved me. But now, there was something else there. Regret.“You’ve got some nerve,” I said coldly, ri
SAM'S POV The Bennett mansion was quiet, save for the faint murmur of voices filtering in from the parlor downstairs. I leaned back against the armrest of the leather couch in my study, savoring the comfort of being home again after the chaos of the past week. My chest still ached faintly, a painful reminder of how close I’d come to losing everything, but at least I was alive, and finally out of the hospital.The knock at the door came just as I was finishing my coffee. I looked up to see William step inside, his sharp, silver-haired presence as commanding as ever.“Dad,” I said, sitting up straighter.
NORA'S POV The room descended into chaos.“Fraud! Fraud! Fraud!”The chants were relentless, a thunderous roar from the crowd that made my skin prickle. I gripped Sam’s arm tightly, my nails digging into his sleeve as I tried to steady myself. The lights above the stage felt blinding, the flashes of cameras like bursts of lightning.From the center of the crowd, a woman stepped forward, her dark eyes gleaming with satisfaction. Her sleek black hair framed sharp features that were calm, calculated, and terrif
SAM'S POV The morning air felt heavy, weighed down by the chaos brewing outside the Bennett estate. I sat at the kitchen table, scrolling through my phone with a sinking feeling in my stomach. The DNA test results were plastered everywhere—Pictory, media blogs, even reputable outlets.“Billionaire Scandal: Is Nora Bennett Carrying Another Man’s Child?”The headlines were brutal, ea
NORA'S POV The tension in the Bennett estate felt like a living, breathing thing, suffocating and relentless. Every corner of the house seemed to hum with whispers, each shadow heavy with suspicion. But I refused to let it break me.Sitting in Adrian’s office, I clenched my fists, staring at the photos of the fake DNA test results that had gone viral. The cold, sterile lab report had a single, damning conclusion: the child I carried wasn’t Sam’s. I knew it was a lie, but the damage it had done to my reputation was very real.“I need answers, Adrian,” I said, my voice steady but tinged with desperation.
SAM'S POV I was sitting at my desk, trying to lose myself in a stack of papers. But I couldn’t concentrate. My mind kept circling back to everything that had happened, the mess we were trying to untangle. I looked up as they approached, and immediately, I could feel the tension in the air.“What is it now?” I asked, my voice tired, edged with irritation. I didn’t have the energy for more bad news.Nora hesitated. Her eyes flickered toward Adrian before settling back on me. “Sam,” she began softly, “it’s about the fake DNA tes
SAM'S POV The tension in the Bennett mansion felt like a storm waiting to break. I stood at the head of the long dining table, the weight of the family’s expectations pressing down on me. Adrian was seated to my right, his usual calm demeanor masking the turmoil beneath. Genevieve sat at the other end, her sharp eyes scanning the room like a predator preparing to strike. Nora, radiant even in her exhaustion, was seated by my side, her hand resting protectively over her growing belly.The door opened, and my father stepped in, his face bearing a grave expression. But the person who followed him made my stomach churn. My father gave me a sad look and exited the
NORA'S POV The rain was still falling in sheets when I pulled into the driveway of the Bennett mansion. My hands trembled on the steering wheel, my pulse racing from my encounter with Jacob and Daniel. The weight of Jacob’s threats lingered like a shadow over me, his words echoing in my mind.“Evelyn is dead because of you. Sam deserves to feel the pain I feel.”The mansion loomed ahead, its grand facade now a reminder of the chaos within. I stepped out of the car, the rain soaking through my clothes in seconds, and hurried toward the front door. By the time I entered the warm foyer, I was dripping wet, shivering f
SAM'S POV The rain poured relentlessly, its rhythmic pounding on the mansion’s tall windows blending with the muffled buzz of voices from the staff below. I sat in my father’s study, the dim light from the desk lamp casting long shadows across the room. The air was heavy, laden with memories of him. I could almost hear his voice, deep and firm, offering advice I desperately needed now.The city was ablaze with whispers of Evelyn Caradelli’s death. The news had spread like wildfire, dragging the Bennett name through the mud once again. I had managed to send Charlie back to his family earlier, though his parti
NORA'S POVThe rain had eased into a soft drizzle, but the chill in the air seeped into my bones as I stood in front of Daniel. His eyes bore into mine, searching for something I wasn’t sure I could give him.“You can still get out,” he said, his voice steady but filled with urgency. “Come with me now, let's disappear. You don’t have to be a part of this anymore, Nora. You never should have been.”I shook my head, my hands trembling as I wrapped my arms around myself. “I can’t,” I whispered. “I can’t leave her. I can’t leave my daughter.”
NORA'S POV The rain began as a soft drizzle, blurring the windshield as I navigated the winding roads back to the Bennett mansion. My hands tightened on the steering wheel, my thoughts in turmoil.Isabella’s words replayed in my head, cutting deeper each time. He’s stepping down, you know. Sam’s giving it all up.A part of me wanted to believe that this was the answer—that stepping down would end the chaos, the danger, the endless schemes. But deep down, I knew it wasn’t true. Being the head of the Bennett family was Sam’s birthright, the weight he was meant to carry. If he let it go now, what wou
SAM'S POV The room was eerily silent except for the faint hum of the desk lamp. I sat alone, the draft of my resignation speech spread out before me. The pen felt heavy in my hand as I stared at the words, each one a reminder of how much I was about to lose.This is for the family. This is what Dad would’ve wanted.I lifted the pen, preparing to sign my name at the bottom of the speech, when a shadow fell across the paper.“Uncle Sam?”Startled, I looked up to see Charles standing in the doorway.“Charles?” I said, my voice sharper than I intended. “What are you doing here? It’s late.”He hesitated, his hands stuffed into his pockets, and for a brief moment, I saw the boy he really was, vulnerable, unsure and just a kid. But I couldn’t shake the wariness that tightened my chest. Memories of our last encounter, the leaked footage, Jacob’s schemes… they were all too fresh.I carefully set the pen down, my eyes narrowing slightly. “Does your father know you’re here?”Charles shook his h
NORA'S POV The room was silent, except for the soft rustle of Zoe’s blanket as I adjusted it over her. She lay peacefully in her crib, her tiny hands curled into delicate fists. Watching her sleep should have calmed me, but the storm inside me raged on.I sat by the window, twisting the engagement ring on my finger, a small, beautiful reminder of Sam’s promise, a promise that now felt like a distant dream. We weren’t even married anymore, not really. This ring, this life we were trying to rebuild, felt like it was balancing on the edge of a knife.Was this worth it?The schemes, the threats—Margot, Elias, Daniel—they all had one thing in common: their insistence that I never should have come back. The words echoed in my mind, taunting me, as if they knew the doubts that were eating me alive.I could disappear.The thought gripped me, startling in its clarity. Zoe and I could vanish, start over somewhere far away. A place where no one cared about the Bennett name or the Caradellis, or
SAM'S POV The soft hum of the wind and the faint glow of city lights surrounded us on the balcony that night. I held Zoe close, her tiny body resting against my chest, wrapped snugly in a pale pink blanket. She made little cooing sounds, her breaths rhythmic and steady, as though she felt the same peace I pretended to feel.“You’re okay,” I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. “You’re home now, little one.”The weight of her fragility pressed against me, a reminder of how close we’d come to losing her. The thought made my throat tighten, but I pushed it away. Tonight wasn’t for guil
NORA'S POVGenevieve stormed into the sitting room, her heels clicking sharply against the polished floor. She was a force of nature, her fiery red hair cascading down her shoulders in loose waves, a contrast to the stiff, severe styles she’d adopted in recent months. There was a familiar spark in her green eyes now, a liveliness I hadn’t seen in so long it almost took my breath away.She looked like the old Gen.She paused in the doorway, her gaze locking onto mine. Her expression was intense, yes, but it wasn’t cold. For the first time in what felt like forever, there was warmth there, a genuine concern that made
SAM'S POV The Bennett mansion was chaotic. Phones rang incessantly, my assistants shuffled in and out with stacks of reports, and Adrian barked orders in the hallway as we tried to manage the fallout from Margot’s leak.The Moretti deal had been the skeleton in the closet we had worked tirelessly to bury, but now it was out in the open, and the stench was overwhelming.The headlines were merciless:"Bennett Empire's Darkest Deal: $10