Derek’s fingers flew across the keyboard as the screen in front of him displayed the explosive news of Liliana Anderson’s return. Chloe stood beside him, biting her lip in worry.“Derek, this is bad,” Chloe muttered. “Everyone’s talking about it, and your job was to make sure any news related to her didn’t get published.”She should have contacted their team of hackers rather than depend on him. Well, her boss chose to listen to her boyfriend, and now this happened.Derek frowned, his focus sharp. “I didn’t even notice it until you showed me,” he admitted, his tone frustrated. The fact that something so significant had slipped past him was troubling. He prided himself on being aware of everything that happened online, especially when it related to his boss. Now he had failed to carry out the order effectively; this was definitely going to come back to bite him. He knew that for sure.“Can you take it down immediately?” Chloe asked, her voice a mix of hope and urgency.“I’m already on
When they finally arrived home, Ray didn’t wait a second longer. His need for Lilly was a wildfire that had only grown hotter during the drive, fueled by the remnants of the drug still coursing through his veins. He couldn’t quench it any longer. He swept her into his arms as soon as they stepped through the door, his grip both possessive and tender, but with a slight edge of desperation that hadn’t been there before.Lilly raised an eyebrow but didn’t protest, her usual composure intact. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her upstairs, their destination clear. Ray’s heart pounded in his chest, the erratic beat matching the intensity of the desire raging inside him. He could feel Lilly’s steady heartbeat against him, a calming rhythm that sharply contrasted with his own storm.As they reached the bedroom, Ray set Lilly down on her feet, though his hands lingered on her waist. The room was bathed in the soft glow of the moonlight, casting long, mysterious shadows. For a
Chapter 60Jerry had always prided himself on his ability to spot details others missed. So when he saw the news about Liliana Anderson all he could notice was the blurry, image of his brother and a woman who maybe the dead Liliana Anderson he knows that man features very well, his instincts kicked in. Most people wouldn’t have given it a second glance, but Jerry knew better. The man’s posture, the way he held himself—even in the fuzzy photo—screamed *Ray*.“What the hell…” Jerry muttered to himself, staring at the screen. He clicked on the image, zooming in and out, trying to get a clearer view, but the more he looked, the more certain he became. His brother was with a ghost. That had to be the only explanation. The infamous ‘Ice Queen’ had died—he was sure of it, well not that sure. Yet here she was, or at least someone who looked eerily like her, standing next to Ray.Ray hands were around the ghost so that means she is the mysterious girl, wait a minute, does that mean his elder
Chapter 61:### Chapter 61Jerry couldn’t wait to tell his mother the news, so as soon as he parked in front of the Manchester estate, he dashed inside, taking the stairs two at a time. The house was quiet, the hour late, but Jerry was too wired to care. He knew his mother would be up, probably sipping tea in her sitting room or reading one of her novels.He burst into her room without knocking, grinning from ear to ear. “Mom! You won’t believe this!”Michelle Manchester looked up from her book, a soft smile playing on her lips. “Jerry, darling, do you realize what time it is?” She set the book down and shook her head, though her eyes sparkled with amusement. “Barging in here like a wild man… what could be so important that it couldn’t wait until morning?”Jerry plopped down beside her on the bed, his energy infectious. “You’re never going to guess who Ray’s dating.”Michelle’s eyebrows arched in interest. “Oh? Is this about that mysterious girl he’s been so secretive about? Do tell,
Chapter 62 Helena groaned as sunlight crept through the curtains, her head pounding from the previous night’s indulgences. Her body ached, a reminder of the intense encounter she’d had. She grimaced, her thoughts tinged with disgust. I can’t believe I slept with that old man, she thought, although grudgingly admitting he had been surprisingly good. As she sat on the edge of her bed, Helena’s anger began to bubble up. A sudden thought struck her like a cold splash of water—the reporter. Her mother had arranged for reporters to capture her and Ray during their supposed intimate moment. Panic surged through her as she recalled the events of the previous night. Did they see? The thought made her stomach churn. She remembered Mr. Blackwood’s hands on her, the two of them lost in the heat of the moment in one of the secluded rooms upstairs. She had been so confident that everything was under control, that no one would dare interrupt her. But what if the reporter had followed her? Wha
Ray stirred as the first light of dawn filtered through the curtains, casting a soft, golden hue over the room. He blinked, slowly waking from a deep, dreamless sleep. His body was warm and relaxed, the usual tension in his muscles absent. As his senses sharpened, he became acutely aware of the soft, steady breathing next to him and the warmth of another body pressed against his side. Lilly. A wave of emotions washed over him as he turned his head slightly to see her still asleep, her face serene and peaceful in the early morning light. The memories of the previous night flooded back, and a deep sense of contentment settled over him. There was something about waking up next to her that made everything feel right. The chaos of the world outside, the responsibilities waiting for him—they all seemed distant and insignificant in this moment. Ray couldn’t help but reach out, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. His fingers lingered on her cheek, marveling at the softness of h
Helena’s hands trembled as she gripped her phone, her eyes scanning the latest message from her best friend. The evidence was undeniable—a screenshot of a blog post, now deleted, showed the mysterious woman in the same dress Liliana had worn to the ball. But what chilled Helena to the bone was the uncanny resemblance between the woman’s facial features and that bitch. “This can’t be happening,” Helena muttered under her breath, her fingers tightening around the phone until her knuckles turned white. The anger that had been simmering inside her since last night erupted, her chest heaving with each shallow breath. How had she missed this? How could that emotionless corpse be with her Ray, let alone in a relationship with her Ray? She was so caught up with her hubby that she didn’t even notice that bitch. Why, why, why! Helena’s thoughts spiraled into a dark, twisted place. She couldn’t fathom how someone like that bitch —a woman who was supposedly an emotional vagabond and had the em
Helena barely had time to gather herself after her disastrous video when she heard the heavy knock on her door. Her heart pounded in her chest, dread creeping up her spine. She knew that knock all too well—it was her father. And he was furious.The door swung open, and James stormed into the room, his face twisted in anger. Matilda followed closely behind, her expression a mix of concern and forced calm. “Helena!” James’s voice boomed, making her flinch. “What in the world were you thinking?”Helena swallowed hard, trying to maintain her composure. “Dad, I was just trying to—”“Trying to what?” he interrupted, his eyes narrowing. “Destroy our family’s reputation? You’ve embarrassed us beyond repair! Using the charity ball as an excuse to drug Ray Manchester, of all people? How could you be so reckless? Your naked picture with my business partner is all over the internet, how I’m I to face the world after this?Helena’s heart raced as she stumbled over her words. “I—I didn’t think it
“She was poisoned. Now, who are you?” the voice answered before shooting back a question.Liliana’s thoughts raced as she tried to make sense of the voice’s revelation. Poisoned? Her? The concept didn’t fit the narrative she had assumed—this body, Liliana’s body, was supposed to be impervious to toxins.“She was poisoned by her family,” the voice repeated with cold certainty, as if the explanation were simple and unquestionable.Liliana’s fists clenched, anger surging. “That’s impossible,” she hissed aloud, her voice trembling. “This body has built-in resistances. It’s practically untouchable unless…”She trailed off, dread creeping in as the horrifying possibility dawned on her. “Unless it’s self-destruction,” she whispered. “The pill.”“What pill?” the voice asked sharply, curiosity lacing its tone.Liliana’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Just forget it,” she snapped, unwilling to give the voice more ammunition. She shifted the topic quickly. “Have you dealt with the Andersons yet
Ray gazed at her face, hoping to see his old Lily, but the one standing before him seemed guarded and unwilling to open up."I'm really okay," Lily said, though she couldn't convince him. It like seemed annoying or threaten him, triggering the body thief. She must truly love him.Ray nodded in understanding before asking. “Can I take my bath?“ he felt uncertain about his next move. If she didn't want him to bath, then so be it. What mattered most was her health, well-being, and safety. Even his own discomfort was insignificant and could be ignored at any time.Lilly couldn't help but smile hearing what he said: "You must really love her."‘Her’ what her, why is she referring to herself as a third person’ Ray thought.“I love you” he said Ever since their conversation at the hospital, he couldn't shake off the feeling that this woman might be different. It was as if she had some kind of personality disorder, like two people were living inside her or two personalities were at war.‘He
“Aww, cutie pie, you shouldn’t dare me like that. I dare—and I will.”The words left her lips with a teasing smirk, but before she could relish her triumph, a sharp, searing pain erupted in her head. Her body jolted violently, like an unseen force had reached into her core and seized control. She gasped, her eyes widening in panic as her limbs shook uncontrollably.It felt like her skull was being split apart.‘You need to know your limits and behave yourself, or I will send you back to wherever you came from,’ a cold, sinister voice boomed inside her mind. The sound reverberated like hammer blows, each word driving shards of pain deeper into her brain.“No!” Liliana choked out, clutching her head as her body convulsed.“Lilly—Lilly! Lilly, please look at me! Open your eyes! Are you okay?” Ray’s voice cracked, frantic as he knelt by the bed, gripping her trembling shoulders. His calm composure shattered like glass.One moment, she had been teasing him, and now she was violently shakin
It had been two hours since the heads of the kidnappers inexplicably exploded in the torture room—something impossible, something unimaginable to mankind.Like, how the hell do people’s heads just blow up like they’re firecrackers?Whoever was after his baby girl’s life wasn’t ordinary. Ray was sure of one thing: his wife knew more than she was letting on. Her psychologist was coming over tomorrow, and he could only hope she would open up to him. This new version of her was terrifying in ways he couldn’t put into words. She had taken down six hefty men as if they were toddlers.It didn’t add up.Looking at her past self—the woman she used to be—she had always seemed weak and harmless just emotionless, someone who didn’t even know how to throw a punch. The investigation into her past showed nothing about her having fighting skills. Nothing.Before leaving, Ray had instructed Damon to contact a team of forensic pathologist to perform an autopsy. He needed answers. Anything. With that do
Back in the Lab“This is bad. Very bad,” Grey muttered to himself, tapping frantically at the keys on his laptop.He stared at the monitor in disbelief. The system was back online.“What… how…?” he stammered, his eyes wide with horror. He had been trying to deactivate the radiation sequence—he was sure of it.The screen flickered. A new message appeared, bold and cold:“COMMAND OVERRIDDEN. OPERATION EXECUTED.”Grey’s breath hitched. His trembling fingers hovered uselessly over the keyboard. Whatever had happened, it was far beyond his comprehension. The hackers had reached into their system like ghosts.Before he could process the full extent of the failure, the lab door slammed open.Matt stormed in, his face flushed red with anger. “What the hell just happened, Grey?” he barked, his voice sharp enough to cut steel.“I—I disabled it!” Grey stammered, jabbing a finger at the monitor as if to defend himself. “I swear I deactivated the sequence! Someone else—” His voice broke off, his h
The warehouse was cloaked in darkness, its oppressive silence broken only by the steady drip of water from a corroded pipe. The stench of rust, mildew, and blood lingered in the air, a nauseating prelude to the carnage within.Six men sat bound to metal chairs in a grim row, their heads slumped forward in exhaustion. The metallic bands around their foreheads hummed faintly, the only sound betraying the deathtrap concealed within.Jerry paced the room, his boots clanking against the concrete floor as he barked orders to his underlings. “Clip their tongues,” he snarled, his voice sharp and commanding. “Make sure they can’t bite down and die on their terms. These bastards don’t deserve an easy way out.”A sinister grin played on his lips as he turned back toward the men. Their battered faces showed defiance even in their broken state. Jerry liked it when they resisted—it made breaking them all the more satisfying.But then, something changed.A faint flicker of red danced across the meta
Matt’s pulse quickened as he stared at the footage. The “pet,” the most prized creation of their master, was not supposed to care. Her emotions—or lack thereof—were engineered to perfection, ensuring blind loyalty and unwavering execution of orders. Yet there she was, her face flickering with a softness he had never seen before, an almost protective rage as she shielded one of their captured men.Grey turned the screen toward him, rewinding to the critical moment. “See that? Right there,” he said, pointing at the pixelated image. The pet, with her fluid movements and deadly precision, should have eliminated the threat without hesitation. Instead, she had hesitated, even turning her weapon on their own operatives to protect the man.“This is no malfunction,” Grey continued, his voice shaky. “Something inside her is… waking up.”Matt rubbed his temples, his mind racing. He needed to contain this before the boss found out. Any sign of imperfection in his creations was not tolerated, and
“The Manchester family has them,” a tall man with curly hair muttered, his voice tense.The man seated in the center of the room barely moved, his presence radiating authority. Lounging back in his oversized leather chair like a king surveying his domain, he lifted his gaze to the curly-haired man, his expression sharp with disdain.“And what does my pet have to do with them?” His deep voice rumbled through the room like distant thunder. “Do they even know who they’re messing with?” he fired, each word cutting like a blade.Matt, the curly-haired man, flinched slightly but held his ground. The tension in the room was palpable, the air heavy with unspoken consequences.The boss’s jaw tightened, his gaze darkening as he processed the implications. The Manchester family. Their meddling was not part of the plan. They were powerful, yes—but so was he. “What are they trying to achieve by getting involved?” he muttered, almost to himself.Matt cleared his throat, knowing he had to answer car
“Who are you?” Lilly turned abruptly to Ray, sitting beside her in the private jet. Her voice was sharp, almost accusing.Ray blinked, startled. Since takeoff, she’d barely acknowledged his presence, staring out the window or resting her head back like he didn’t exist. Why the sudden question?“I didn’t say anything,” he replied carefully, his brow furrowing when her intense gaze didn’t waver.‘I’m in your mind, dummy.’What the hell? Lilly flinched. Did that voice just call me a dummy?‘Yes, I did. And you still haven’t answered my question.’ The voice was colder this time, almost impatient.‘Body thief,’ Lilly shot back in her mind, defiance surging. If she wanted to play games, fine—she wasn’t backing down.‘The fact that you’re calling me that means you already know who I am,’ the voice retorted smoothly. ‘I have no memory of you, but clearly, you remember me.’‘Duh! Of course, I do,’ Lilly fired, sarcasm dripping from her thoughts. ‘I’m the one in charge of this body now. But bef