KatherineI woke up the next morning feeling like absolute hell. My eyes were still swollen from a lot of crying, my head pounded, and my entire body ached from last night. But I refused to let it show. I was Katherine Smith, and I wasn’t going to let this break me.That bastard Jayden was gone. My father was now in prison. Everyone in the company was whispering behind my back, waiting for me to crumble. But I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction. If Emilia thought she had won, she was dead wrong.I picked myself up, put on my best dress, did my makeup to perfection, and walked into the Kane Group building like I totally owned the place.But I wasn’t just here to work today.I was here to ruin Emilia from the inside out.And I knew exactly who to use.As I stepped into the office, I saw Lucia, one of the lower ranked employees who had a bad habit of poking her nose where it does not belong. She was the type to gossip about literally anything and everything, always eager to spread rumor
EmiliaWhat the hell? What the actual hell? It was her. It was Katherine who drugged me that night. Now that I actually think about it, it all makes a lot of senseThe realization of this truth hit me like a train, my body stiffening as the pieces came together. I actually thought I was crazy, I kept on questioning myself over and over again about what exactly had happened that night at the club. But now, it all made sense.I remembered vividly, she had approached me that night, all smiles and she came to mock me. My drink had been right in front of her, and I recalled that I had turned my back at her at some point. That must have been when she did it. That crazy bitch.I clenched my fists as my breathing became fast. I could not believe it. After everything, she was the one who had drugged me that night, setting everything in motion.I swallowed hard. Richard.Had she done it to him too?He had even accused me once, believing I was the one who spiked his drink. But what if Katherine
RichardIt had been a long day, but the day was far from over. I had even accused Emilia of drugging me that night, even though she claimed her innocence. It took me a short while but I finally realized how wrong I was. I was happy to find out she was carrying my child. Now, it seemed that Katherine was the one responsible for drugging both of us. I would get to the bottom of this. If I found out she was behind my own ordeal, she was in for even more trouble. She was already in hot water, but this? It could destroy her completely.Emilia was fast asleep, and honestly, I couldn’t blame her. She had been through a lot, we both have and she was carrying my child. I watched her as he slept peacefully on the couch, her body curled slightly as she rested. It made me feel protective of her. I couldn't help but smile as I admired her, but then my mind turned back to Katherine and everything that had unfolded today .I needed answers, and I was going to get them.I stepped out of my office, loo
EmiliaI had just woken up to find myself alone. All alone in Richard's office. My head was throbbing really hard, and my eyes felt very heavy and weak. It was probably due to the pregnancy and the stress that followed from everything that has been going on. I sat up slowly, rubbing my eyes and my temples as I tried to shake off the dizziness.I stood up slowly and carefully, the room was still spinning a little around me. I had no idea where Richard had gone to. I hadn’t heard him leave as I was fast asleep on the couch. As I walked towards the door, a sharp pain suddenly shot through my lower abdomen. I froze, gasping a little from the sudden discomfort. I placed my hand on my stomach instinctively, and the pain seemed to linger on for a second before it faded away just as quickly as it had come. What the hell was that?I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. The baby was okay. I was okay. It just had to be all the combines stress. That’s all it was. I wasn’t used to feeling so
EmiliaThe sight of my best friend brought me a sense of warmth that I didn't know I was missing. Seeing her in all her felony was nothing compared to texting her or our long hours spent on calls.She ran towards me like a child who had just been promised a candy bar. I swear, if she didn’t know that I was pregnant, Bae likely would have jumped straight into her arms.When we finally embraced it was like a homecoming. We stayed like that for a while, just holding each other in the middle of the office, completely forgetting where we were. The people walking by didn’t seem to care much. They probably thought we were just another pair of friends who hadn’t seen each other in too long.Bae and her exaggerated antics always made me smile.After a moment, we pulled back.“Oh my God, what are you doing here, Bae?” I asked, still stunned. She could see the shock on my face, and it made her grin from ear to ear. "Oh, I didn’t come here for you, I only came here for a little bit of sightseei
RichardIt's been three days since Emilia and Bae's little reunion. Things at my company now seems to be running smoothly.I sat behind my desk with my eyes glowing due to the reflection of my computer. I was going over the company's financial records, reviewing some data and making sure no one was screwing anything up.The kane group was expanding at a very rapid pace and I needed to make sure everything was right on track. The numbers had to add up, the strategy needs to flawless, and my employees need to keep being persistent. There is simply no room for errors.As I scrolled through the data repeatedly, the door to my office creaked open.I didn't need to raise my head to know who it was.The loud clicking of high heels across the floor made it clear to me it was the company's legal representative, Alisha Johnson. I didn't mind her company, so far it was strictly professional.She had been trying to make moves at me for months now but I didn't give in, and I'm glad I didn't. My
Richard Katherine sat still in the interrogation room with her hands resting on the table in front of her.I stood right outside with Emilia behind a reinforced glass. The kind of glass where we could see what was going on and was being said on the inside but they couldn't see or hear us outside.A female officer sat across from her as I watch we watched outside behind the glass. Flipping through a file. She didn’t speak immediately, just reading whatever information they had.I stood there hoping to get some answers about what had happened that night."Do you think she'll confess, she is very hot headed you know." Emilia commented."She doesn't have a choice, we have enough evidence against her to put her in prison whether she talks or not." I scoffed. "Either way she better confess." "You’re being investigated for drugging Emilia Kane," the female detective finally said, her voice professional and neutral. Katherine lifted her chin as she smirked. "I want my lawyer."The nerve of
RichardThe sun was just beginning to rise when I woke up, the soft light was creeping in through the curtains.The peaceful and quiet hum of the city outside was barely noticeable, but it was certainly there, a very subtle reminder that life was goinf to keep on moving forward. I quietly slipped out of the bed moving carefully not to disturb Emilia, who was still sleeping soundly beside me. I could never quite get over how peaceful she looked when she slept. There was something so calming about the way her hair spread across the pillow and the way she breathed so steadily. It made me want to protect her even more, as if nothing or no one would dare to touch her. It was always nice to wake to wake every morning and watch her sleep peacefully by my side I made my way to the balcony of our bedroom, stepping outside into the cool morning air. The view from out here was breathtaking, with the city stretching out in front of me, bathed in the soft golden light of dawn. I definitely pi
EmiliaI took the elevator and made my way up to my office. Just as I was about to walk in, my secretary stood up from her desk and gently stepped in front of me."Excuse me, Mrs. Kane," she said, holding a small tablet in her hand. "You have a new schedule today."I stopped, slightly confused. "What new schedule? I thought I was done for the day."She tapped quickly on her tablet, her eyes scanning the screen. "There's an impromptu board meeting. I just got the update. It’s scheduled for 1 PM."I glanced at the clock on the wall behind her. It was already 12:50."1 PM? That’s in ten minutes," I said, raising an eyebrow. "Do you know who called the meeting?"She typed a bit more, then looked up. "It was... Mrs. Smith."I didn’t even try to hide the frown that formed on my face. "Of course it was," I muttered.Without another word, I turned around and headed into my office to grab a file and straighten up. I didn’t want to give Elena the satisfaction of seeing me caught off guard.---
EmiliaDinner last night was a disaster. I was attacked by Richard's mum and that smug called Elena, head on.Even Richard's cousin Jacob insulted me. I wonder why his family decided to pick on me, even suggested that my child isn't his. What the hell??Last night was an absolute disaster, A full-on nightmareBut like every bad dream, the morning always comes. And when it does, I shake it off. I move on.I knew what Emelda and Elena were trying to do. Their plan was clever, I'll give them that but it was very petty. They wanted to humiliate me, to make me feel small, like I didn’t belong. They might have gottento me last night but I wasn’t going to let it stick. I wasn’t going to let two bored women with too much time on their hands ruin my peace.Not after everything I’ve been through.I wasn’t going to let any of them see me flinch. So today, I made sure to look like I was glowing.I wore a sleek, fitted dress , black, simple, elegant. My heels clicked confidently on the floor as I
RichardHer expression shifted for a moment. It was small, barely noticeable, but I caught it. There was something in her eyes. A flicker of hesitation, maybe even discomfort. She opened her mouth to say something but paused, like she was trying to find the right words. That told me everything I needed to know. This wasn’t just a casual chat.Nora had never been the type to hesitate. She was sharp, always composed. So seeing her like this—unsure, quiet, almost nervous—was new. And it made me curious.I hadn’t spoken to her in a long time. The last time we saw each other... things were complicated, to say the least. We hadn’t parted on bad terms, but there was unfinished business, words left unsaid. Now here she was again, standing in front of me, looking like she had something important to say.“I just...” She stopped and looked down briefly, then back at me. “I wanted to catch up, Richard.”Her voice was softer than usual, but it was still steady. She forced a small smile, though it
Elena I walked into my office with a slight smile on my lips. Last night had gone exactly how I wanted. Emilia was shattered. I could see it in her eyes. Every word Emelda said at that dinner, every glance chuckle I had, every smirk, I did it on purpose. And it worked. She was falling apart. I slipped off my coat and hung it carefully on the brass hook behind my door. As I turned, my reflection caught my eye in the large glass window. I paused and looked at myself, perfect makeup, flawless hair, fitted dress. Powerful. Beautiful. Intimidating. I moved to my desk and sat down, slowly crossing one leg over the other. I opened my laptop, but I wasn’t really reading the emails. My mind was still at the dinner last night. Emilia had looked like a deer caught in headlights. She didn’t fight back. She just sat there, quiet, eyes dull, like someone who had finally realized she didn’t belong. She’s breaking. She’s going to leave on her own. And when she does, I will finally break her ju
RichardI felt a little bit of relief now. Emilia seemed okay, and I was okay too. After everything that happened, after all the shouting, the hurt feelings, the coldness between us,just hearing her voice so calm and seeing her smile again made me breathe easier. It was like a heavy weight had been lifted off my chest. Things weren’t perfect yet, but they were better. And that was enough for now.I leaned back a little and looked at her. She was seated on the couch in her office, her hands gently resting on her desk. She looked calm, peaceful even, but I knew her well enough to still be worried. What happened last night wasn't something anyone could easily brush off, especially not her. But still, she had this strong way of holding herself together."I'll make it up to you, I promise," I said, keeping my voice low and sincere. I meant it with every part of me. She deserved that, at the very least."With what? A French toast?" She teased as she gave me a wink."Okay, good one," I co
Richard The day had just begun, but I was already exhausted and drained, my body was sitting in my office chair but my mind was elsewhere. The weight of it all seemed to hang over me like a dark cloud. The stress, the meetings, the constant expectations, it was all becoming too much. I couldn't focus on anything. My thoughts were jumbled, and my mind felt heavy with everything I had to manage. Being Richard Kane wasn’t just a job, it was a constant battle to stay on top, to meet the ever-growing expectations of the company, the family, and everyone around me.But I knew I needed to pull myself together. I couldn’t afford to let the pressure break me. I had responsibilities, and I couldn’t let my mind wander, not today, not now.I rubbed the back of my neck as I stared at the screen in front of me. I wasn't even reading the emails anymore.I was just staring at the words that had no meaning at the moment.The pressure of running a company, the drama surrounding Emilia and my family w
RichardAs I stepped inside the building, the usual buzzing and soft chattering of employees filled the air. The sound was almost comforting. The hum if a productive office, phones ringing, shoes tapped against the tiled floor, keyboards clicked nonstop, it was the typical morning scene at Kane Group. Most days, I would pause for just a moment right at the entrance. I had this habit of stopping, lifting my head slightly, and waiting for people to notice me. That slight pause always made them hurry back to their workstations, pretending they hadn’t just been chatting or joking around seconds ago.But today... today was different. I wasn't paying attention to any of that. My mind was elsewhere.I didn’t stop.I didn’t wait for anyone to notice me.I just walked straight in, my head slightly lowered, my eyes fixed on the ground ahead of me. A few murmurs all around my but I couldn't care less. Thoughts ran wild in my head. My head was preoccupied with a thousand things at once and non
RichardI stood there, staring down at my plate. My mind felt numb, and my body was stiff with anger. I didn’t know what to do, what to feel, or even how to react. I glanced over at my mother. She sat there, completely unfazed, like she hadn’t just ripped my wife apart emotionally.Emilia was still sobbing quietly. I could hear the soft sounds of her tears, and every one of them hit me like a slap. How could my mother do this? How could she say those things, attack the woman I loved so mercilessly?Then, suddenly, everything went quiet. Emilia stopped crying, and I looked up just in time to see her stand. Her face was red and swollen from the tears, and her eyes were filled with pain. I could see the hurt in them, but she didn’t say a word."I think I’m full," she said, her voice shaky, barely a whisper. She didn’t even look at me. "I’m just gonna go to bed now," she added, turning around to leave.I opened my mouth, about to call out to her, but the words got stuck in my throat. I
EmiliaSomething inside of me snapped. It wasn’t just the words she had spoken. It was everything, The pressure, the words, the stares—it all became too much. I felt my chest tighten, and the constant judgment, the subtle insults, the way Richard’s mother had made me feel less than, every single time. My hands began to tremble under the table. My throat burned with anger, but it wasn’t just that—it was pain too. Deep pain.I could feel my chest tighten, my hands tremble, and my heart beat faster. My blood was boiling as I looked directly at her. And before I could stop myself, I just lost it.“How dare you accuse me of something like that?” I snapped, my voice loud and shaking with anger. “Do you have any idea what you're accusing me of, huh?”My face was red now, and my vision blurred from the hot rush of emotion that flooded over me. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. This was a new low. The woman who was supposed to be Richard’s mother, the one who should’ve been supportiv