As soon as Autumn heard that Maverick had finalized the divorce proceedings, ready for court, she acted without hesitation. She barely paused to catch her breath after work before instructing the manor’s maids to pack her belongings.She couldn't predict when Iris might make her move—or Ivan, for that matter. Since her last encounter with him, she'd been avoiding him like the plague.Her fingers trailed along the railing as she descended the steps slowly, step by step, taking in the mansion around her for what she hoped would be the last time."Madam Autumn, we're all done," one of the maids informed her gently. Autumn gave a slight nod and moved toward the group of maids who had assisted her in packing everything.She took a moment, looking at the maids standing in a respectful line, heads slightly bowed. "Thank you all for your service over the years and for looking after me these past few months," she said, her tone softening. "If any of you needs a letter of recommendation to le
Derek’s tired eyes drifted over to Autumn, standing there in the doorway, surrounded by her bags. Her cheeks were flushed from the chill of the night, her breath forming faint clouds in the cold air. He felt a dozen questions bubbling up inside—what was she doing here? And how did she manage to carry all those bags by herself?He poked his head outside, squinting down the hallway, hoping he’d see security helping with her things. But no one was there. The reality that she’d dragged this many bags all the way from her husband’s house herself only added to the tension in the air."Please, let me stay here for the night," Autumn finally said, her voice just above a whisper, her eyes pleading as she took a deep, steadying breath.Since she’d left, she’d been scrambling for options. She couldn’t go to a hotel—Maverick would find her there without much effort. And she didn’t have the time to find an apartment. Right now, she just needed a safe place, if only for tonight, maybe longer. As mu
Ivan downed another cup of gin. It was late, and with each swallow, he felt more sober than before, which only deepened his frustration. His head pounded, a relentless drumming in sync with his restless thoughts about Autumn.Where would she sleep tonight?Was she really going through with the divorce? Did she ever even love him? He knew they'd had their share of fights, but he never imagined Autumn would take things this far. Though he'd been aware of her infidelity, he’d still been willing to forgive her, hoping she might reflect on her actions and seek redemption.For the first time, his mind couldn’t shake the thought of her, his heart twisting as he came to a grim realization: he might actually be in love with Autumn. His mouth turned bitter as memories of their last exchange replayed in his head—her voice asking if he ever truly loved her. If she’d only been more patient, he might’ve finally been able to tell her.A manic laugh escaped his lips. Autumn had loved him for more t
The tension in the civil affairs bureau was quite thick. A young couple stood at the counter, signing their marriage papers, while a handful of relatives beamed with joy at the union. Autumn kept her gaze averted from the bride, not wanting her glance to betray the bitterness she felt. She had been married once herself, and seeing the bride in that simple white dress, smiling blissfully in her husband’s arms, stirred old memories she’d rather forget.Why couldn't the couple marry in a church? She knew they likely had their reasons, though deep down, she realized she was projecting her own insecurities onto them. Her own wedding had also taken place in court—not because money was an issue, as might be the case for these newlyweds, but because Ivan had insisted on avoiding anything extravagant. Besides, the circumstances that led them to marry were far from idyllic, laced with their own kind of scandal, and a quiet ceremony seemed like the only option.It stung to remember that in her p
"I apologize for my behavior just now Maverick. I've been meaning to do that to Ivan for a while and he had it coming." Autumn massaged the mark that Ivan had given to her. In the past she would have cried or practically sobbed over the fact that Ivan had treated her like that but right now it was a burning reminder as to why she was doing this. Besides she had hit him as well, twice to be exact and if Maverick hadn't stopped her she might have done more. Autumn was glad either way, Ivan might have regain his composure and overpowered her. At least she got the best of him. Maverick sighed, having pulled Autumn to a corner. His grim expression cascading down her red cheek. Her head bent down as she respectfully tire her gaze away from him. Even if Maverick hated to admit it, Autumn was surely going to be a great loss when she died. "What would even warrant you to slap your husband? Even if he offended you, you had to right to slap him." Maverick spat, his disgust evident. Autumn s
Autumn sat on the cold, sterile bench, her hands clasped tightly as she waited for her bail to be posted. She tried to piece together fragments of the interrogation, the detectives overwhelming her with questions, barely giving her a chance to breathe. She bit her lip, wondering who could have set her up. Was it Maverick, Dexter, or Iris? She strained to recall anything from the investigation, but the officers had given her no clues, only escorting her back to her cell afterward."Mrs. Ashton, your bail has been paid. You're lucky," a police officer muttered, his tone clipped as Autumn rose from the bench. It hadn’t even been an hour since the questioning ended. The cell doors creaked open, and Autumn stepped out, meeting the officer's unimpressed stare."It’s Miss Dawson,” she corrected. The officer rolled his eyes, and she followed him through the hallway, toward the lobby, where Derek was signing some documents. A small smirk formed on her lips as he put the pen down and turned to
Derek locked his bedroom door, twisting the knob firmly before turning his attention down the hall to Autumn's room. His hand hovered over her doorknob, hesitating. He figured she must still be shaken after that grueling interview.With a sigh, he pulled out his phone, dialing the detective’s number. As the line connected, he headed downstairs, one hand in his pocket while the other held his phone to his ear.“Hello…” the detective answered, his voice gruff but alert.“How far have you gone with the investigation?” Derek asked, an unsettling tension threading through his tone.“Oh, right,” the detective responded, “I did find something interesting. The company’s checkbook has a new entry that doesn’t align with any of your official transactions.”Derek's brows drew together. “I’m not talking about the checkbook,” he replied sharply. “I asked you to look into Charlie Fraser.” Yet, despite himself, his curiosity was piqued. He already knew every recent transaction was tied to embezzleme
A wedding dress—it had to be a wedding dress. Autumn scrunched her nose as she took in the sight of Iris draped in layers of white satin and lace. Iris’s face was alight with a triumphant smile, basking in the extravagance of her gown. She looked entirely out of place, like a misplaced bride, but that didn’t matter to her. She was getting exactly what she wanted: attention. Still, did she have to demand that kind of attention—at Alexander Fraser’s funeral, of all places? Everyone else wore black in solemn respect for the late Alexander Fraser, but Iris stood there in a cloud of white, aware of the stares drilling into her from all sides. Iris didn’t seem to care; in fact, her smile only grew as Autumn walked into the room alone, dressed in a simple, somber black. The crowd’s gaze shifted from Iris to Autumn, but Iris held her head high, striding over to her sister with an exaggerated smile. “You’re late, don’t you think?” Iris's voice rang out, just loud enough to ensure it carried
Ivan's hand quaked under the butt of the gun. His eyes reddened, simmering in a heat of hatred. He didn’t know what he hated more—his stupid uncle or the way every single person looked up to him in admiration. He hated it to the fucking core, the same admiration his uncle had gotten when he publicly disowned him and his brothers. He lowered his gaze, and the sight of her pissed him off even more. It wasn’t bad enough that she was the main reason his father tortured him day and night, but she just had to fuck the one person he hated most. "Is this who you left me for? My uncle? After everything I did for you!" Ivan raised his voice, his index finger laced around the trigger. He turned his attention back to his uncle. "And you," he seethed. "What do you think you’re going to gain? Do you really think everyone believes you’re some fucking hero just because you put on some shitty chivalry? You’re a fucking asshole." Ivan spat the words, but Derek didn’t flinch one bit. His eyes lock
Ivan could no longer maintain his composure as he slammed the documents onto the table, his glare drilling into the now-nervous executives. The tension in the room was thick. Just before they could finalize the deal, news broke that Derek and Autumn were on their way to oversee the negotiations. The news spread like wildfire, leaving the company’s employees buzzing with indistinct chatter.Ivan’s eyes darted toward Judas, then to his phone. Twenty-five minutes was left. Judas, however, was seething beneath his calm exterior. Ivan’s outburst had shattered their carefully constructed facade, making them appear inexperienced and unfit to lead the company. Worse still, Derek’s insistence that no meeting should proceed without him complicated matters further. Winning over the executives now would be a fucking uphill battle. If Judas had foreseen his uncle meddling with his plans, he might have considered a more drastic solution, he should have killed him from the beginning."Ivan," Judas
Autumn held her stomach, exhaling a puff of warm air as her stylist tightened the corset further. She had been feeling self-conscious about her figure, and when the stylist suggested a corset, it seemed like a good idea. Now, as the laces pulled taut, she wished she could breathe with ease. After what felt like an eternity, the stylist helped her into a red midi dress—a tailored, structured piece with a V-neckline and a wrap-style bodice. The fabric hugged her frame, cinched at the waist with a matching belt that enhanced her silhouette. Autumn gulped, a forced smile tugging at her lips. "Is the belt really necessary?" she asked with a nervous chuckle. The stylist simply nodded, patting her gently on the back as she adjusted the final touches on the belt. A mirror had been brought over, nestled close to the table near the hospital bed, reflecting Autumn’s image back at her. Her hands fiddled awkwardly as she stared at the woman in the mirror. For a moment, she could barely recogn
The line went dead, and the silence that followed was almost suffocating. Autumn’s hand trembled, her face twisting into a worried pout. She glanced at Evette, then at Derek. “I’m sorry,” she murmured, her voice quivering as she turned to Derek. “They’re going to take everything,” Autumn hissed, her voice rising in panic. “And it’s all my fault.” Before her knees could buckle, Derek caught her mid-fall, pulling her gently back up and guiding her onto the bed. “It’s okay,” he whispered, his voice steady as he wiped the tears streaming down her face. Autumn shook her head bitterly. “It’s not okay. I didn’t think this through. I left the company practically in Judas’s grasp. I was so scared of Iris that I forced Evette to watch over me instead of keeping an eye on him. I handed the company to your nephews on a silver platter,” she sobbed, her voice fragile and broken, like splintered glass. “I let you down.” A pout formed on her lips as Derek continued to dry her tears, liste
Autumn could not decipher if this was a dream. Derek remembers her well not so clearly but he somehow remembers the love he has for her.Derek pulled Autumn close patting the back of her head as she broke down, sobbing into him. The more she cried, the more he felt pathetic for making her this miserable.They both pulled away from the hug, Derek plants a kiss on Autumn's forehead, slowly he kisses her nose. He presses his lips on both her cheek. He pulls away once more, his eyes glued to her lips. Autumn's cheeks spread a warm color across her cheek bones, her eyes plummeting down to her thighs.Derek slowly inched towards her, his heart racing. Autumn shuts her eyes as Derek came closer, his lips brushing against hers."Derek?" Evette screamed in shock as Derek stepped aside to reveal Autumn who's face was redder than a tomato.Autumn immediately saw that Lucas wasn't with her and began to panic."Where is Lucas?" Autumn asked.Evette walked closer to her pulling out her phone."Lu
Derek could feel the world closing on him. It was ridiculous he was looking for someone and didn't even know how they looked like.But he felt if he just saw this person, things would feel better, the pounding headache he was feeling every second would simmer.He dragged his feed forcibly across the cold tile of the hospital. The walls around him began to spin and immediately he figured out if he should just give up."Derek!!!" Derek paused. That had to be his name, the nurse called him Mr Derek earlier. He couldn't force his body to turn, so he just stood there. The sound of footsteps coming closer could be heard till the figure appeared before him.His eyes widened open to get a closer look of the woman."You're awake." Relief was laced in her tone, her eyes wet in tears. Derek slowly extend both his hands, they cupped her face as he pushed his face closer to hers to get a closer look."Autumn?" He asked as the woman shook her head. Derek immediately saw the validity in her gaze an
Ivan rose from his cell, his gaze locking with the wardens as they escorted him out. News had spread like wildfire: Iris and her father were dead in what was being labeled a double suicide. Ivan felt no sorrow, no grief—only disappointment. Iris had taken the easy way out, leaving him alone to bear the weight of their ruined legacy. The wardens led him to the visitation room. A faint smirk tugged at his lips. The only person who would bother to see him was Autumn—it was obvious to him that she was still obsessed with him. But to his surprise, the person waiting for him wasn’t Autumn. It was his brother. Ivan’s face immediately fell into a scowl, his disappointment unmistakable. The look was so clear that even someone miles away could have caught it. He sat down across from Judas, his fury bubbling just beneath the surface. Ivan had never forgiven his brother for betraying him and their father, all to grovel at Autumn’s feet. “What are you doing here?” Ivan snapped, his eyes narro
Derek slowly opened his eyes. The scene before him felt eerily familiar, yet he couldn’t place where he was. Everything around him was white—the bed, the sheets, the pillows, the walls, even the clothes he wore. “Did I die?” he murmured, a wave of nausea washing over him. His face turned ashen, and he was certain it was the only color breaking the monotony of white. Then, his ears caught a faint sound, muffled at first. Children. Were they crying? No, they were laughing. His gaze shifted toward the white door, curiosity tugging at him, urging him to investigate. “Don’t open that door.” Derek froze at a woman’s command, for some reason he did not get a weird surge of panic that a woman was in his room. He slowly turned, his eyes basking at a woman in white, she looked familiar, her skin was as pale as a ghost, her hair shiny and long. She wore a red lipstick that only seemed to be the only interesting contrast on her face.“Stay with me Derek, don’t leave me for her.” The woman warn
Autumn’s eyes remained fixed on the screen, watching the footage of Ivan and Iris’s arrest. A heavy sigh escaped her lips as a wave of relief washed over her—both of them were finally caught, and the rumors tarnishing her name were beginning to fade. The headlines dominating the tabloids were a whirlwind: Elliot’s death, Ivan and Iris’s arrest, and speculation about the whereabouts of the real Charlie Fraser. At last, people were starting to accept the truth about Iris’s plastic surgery, thanks to the damning recording. Turning off the TV, Autumn shifted her focus to her son. She gazed down at him with a soft smile, the corners of her lips curving with a mix of affection and protectiveness.“No one is going to hurt you now, Lucas. Mommy will make sure of that,” Autumn whispered softly to the little one cradled in her arms. If it were possible, she would have held him even tighter, her fear of losing him looming over her like a shadow. She refused to let the nurses take him back to t