Matilda paced the room, her heels clicking against the marble floor as she frantically dialed Ellen’s number. Her hands were trembling. The sight of Liliana’s betrayal on the television had ignited a storm of rage, but it was Helena who now posed the greatest risk. If Helena saw any of this—if she even *suspected* what had happened—it could unravel everything.The changes in Liliana came as a big shock to her, and her sudden interest in investigating her poisoning was unexpected. What changed? What happened to the old Liliana that does even give a fuck what happens around her. Ellen picked up on the third ring. Her voice, as cool and calculated as always, soothed Matilda’s nerves for a brief moment. "Mrs Anderson, what is it?" she asked right away, she may love Helena but she does give a flying fuck about anyone of her family.“Ellen, I need your help.” Matilda didn’t waste time with pleasantries. “You need to keep Helena away from the news—away from anything to do with Liliana and R
In the grand Manchester estate, sunlight streamed through the tall windows, casting a warm glow on the lavishly decorated sitting room. Mitchell, was seated on a cushion, her eyes glued to the television screen. The news of her son’s marriage to Liliana Anderson had just broken, and Mitchell’s lips curled into a wide, triumphant smile.“I knew it,” she said, turning to her husband,, who was sitting nearby with a newspaper in hand. His gaze shifted from the paper to the screen, where Liliana was coolly conducting an interview. She was elegant, poised, and utterly unapologetic about her recent takeover of Anderson Empire. Mitchell’s heart swelled with pride.“You see that, hubby?” Mitchell’s voice rose with excitement, the usually composed woman unable to contain herself. “That’s *our* son’s wife. She’s a force of nature! Look at her—fearless. She’s not like those other women, all demure and helpless. Liliana knows exactly what she wants, and she’s not afraid to take it. The Andersons d
Chloe stepped into her car, starting the engine as she mentally prepared for the drive to Jerry’s house. She had to deliver some documents and assist with investigating Felix’s Aunt Ava, as ordered by her boss. The past three months had been filled with surprises, but the biggest one was the transformation in her boss. A woman who once didn’t care about any man now seemed entirely enmeshed with a Manchester, practically handing her empire over to him on a silver platter. *What if he betrays her?* Chloe thought, her fingers tightening on the steering wheel. *Men can’t be trusted with power, especially not when they already have plenty of their own.* Still, she had to trust her boss’s judgment. She had never made a wrong business decision before, and Chloe could only hope this wouldn’t be the first. As she checked her G****e Maps, making sure she was heading in the right direction, the thought of seeing Jerry made her grimace. He made her skin crawl with the way he stared at her—like h
Chapter 93“Gosh! My phone has been ringing nonstop, it’s quite frustrating,” Lilly said with her voice sounds like she just yelled, tossing her phone onto the couch in a rare outburst.Ray glanced up from his stack of documents, surprised by her sudden display of anger. He had never seen her showing any emotions, except for the moments when they were intimate. Normally, Lilly was composed, almost detached, but seeing her express real frustration made her seem more human—more relatable. He found it cute and sexy. This was the woman carrying his child, and that realization stirred something deep in him. Their baby was already having an effect on her, and he loved watching her change, becoming more raw and vulnerable."It's Anderson, isn't it?" Ray asked, though he already knew the answer. He set his papers aside and moved closer to her. Lilly sighed heavily, rubbing her temples. “Yes, the press. And board members. Andresin. Everyone’s got something to say, and it’s exhausting.”It had
‘Mummy, why? Why did you forget about me? Why didn’t you and Daddy come back?’ A little girl, around five years old, cried out with tears streaming down her face, her eyes filled with a haunting loneliness. She looked like she had been abandoned by the entire world, her tiny shoulders trembling as she waited for an answer that would never come.Lilly watched her, and an unfamiliar ache rose within her chest, a feeling she couldn’t quite name. How could a mother ever abandon her child? She took a step closer, her voice soft but full of promise. ‘Little girl, who is your mummy? I’ll help you find her,’ she offered, unable to bear the sorrow in the girl’s innocent eyes. Lilly knew, in that moment, she would do anything to see her smile.‘I’ve been a good girl, Mummy. How could you have forgotten your little princess? Am I really that bad—that Mummy doesn’t even recognize me anymore?’ The girl’s voice trembled as she spoke, her words cutting through the silence like a blade. She clutched
“Good Morning wifey” Ray greeted while pulling Lilly into his arm, he could feel her unstable emotions but chooses to keep quite knowing there was nothing he could do to keep her mind off the girl from her dream, He already had Drake investigating if she had ever had a child which he knew was impossible, since he was one with her virginity. So where in the world was this little girl thing coming from? Ray loves the fact his baby girl is showing signs of being human rather than a robot. But the nightmare is the only annoying thing to him, and since nightmare of a thing began. She seen more distance than before. He thought marriage will bring them closer and close the gap between them, but it prove otherwise. They are physically close, but every other closeness is excluded in their marriage."Can you get off?" Lilly muttered, clearly annoyed. The last thing she wanted right now was any physical contact with anybody.“Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed” Ray teased, trying to d
She was visibly against the idea of him accompanying her on the trip. Her face was a mix of emotions, making it hard to pinpoint exactly how she felt.‘How can she change so much in just a month?’ he asked himself puzzled. "Marriage is about teamwork, wifey. We're supposed to face things together."He couldn't help but plead, "Can't I just send a team of bodyguards to ensure your safety?"Lilly can’t rap her head around why he was sudden protective. "I know I'm pregnant, and I would never put our child in harm's way," she said, holding his face and looking into his eyes."Hubby, I know you're worried about me, but I need you to trust that I can take care of myself and our child. I want to go on this trip alone, but I'm willing to compromise and take my assistant with me to make you feel better. However, I don't want a team of bodyguards following me. Let's just keep this trip private and tell people I'm taking a sick leave instead."Ray stared at her, his jaw tightening as he tried to
“Are you okay, man?” Felix asked, glancing at the lonely figure staring into empty space, emotionless, dragging a cigarette between his lips. The aura around him made it obvious— even to a blind man— that he was both angry and deeply sad. Felix had never seen him like this before. He knew Ray always wore a cold, stoic face, but the atmosphere surrounding him now was rare. Looking at him slouched on the cushion like that, one couldn’t help but pity him. He looked so lonely. When it seemed no answer was forthcoming, Felix turned toward Derek. “Do you know what happened to him?” Derek just shook his head and threw his hands in the air, as if to say, I don’t know, man. Maybe there’s trouble in paradise. Ray suddenly turned his head and looked at Felix, who was seated at the other end of the private room. He exhaled a ring of smoke from his mouth, his voice low but clear. “What is love?” Everyone in the room froze, turning to him in surprise. No one had expected such a question from
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
Ray leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees as his fingers interlocked. His knuckles whitened, betraying his frustration. “Gone?” he echoed sharply, his voice low but tense. “What does that even mean? You can’t just disappear from yourself, Lilly.”Her smile grew wider, a mixture of amusement and defiance. “Can’t I? People change, Cutie. Sometimes dramatically. Sometimes…” she paused, her eyes glinting with something unreadable, “…completely.” “That’s not change,” he snapped, his calm demeanor cracking. “That’s evasion. Deflection. You’re talking in circles, Lilly, and it’s only making me question you more.”“Good,” she quipped, crossing one leg over the other. “You should question things more often. Keeps life interesting.”Ray’s patience was wearing thin, but he forced himself to stay seated. His voice dropped, quieter but no less intense. “This isn’t a game. You can play coy all you want, but I see through you. The way you carry yourself now, the way you look at me—it’s li
Water doesn’t have taste Chloe hesitated for a moment, caught between relief and the usual unease Lilly’s sharp tongue brought out in her. “Y-yes, Boss! Right away,” she stammered, standing abruptly and smoothing her skirt. “I’ll, um, see what I can find.” As she turned to leave, the door opened, and Ray stepped in, his imposing figure filling the room. Chloe froze mid-step, her eyes widening as though caught in a spotlight. She has never felt this much fear in her life but he couldn’t be blamed, if she hadn’t listened to her boss and followed his order this won’t have happened. “Excuse me,” Ray said evenly, his deep voice calm but commanding. Looking at her annoys him, he can’t believe in entrusted his family life into her hand, she basically incompetent. Chloe immediately backed away, nearly tripping over her own feet. “S-sorry, Mr. Manchester— I mean, Ray— I mean, sir!” she blurted, her words coming out in a panicked rush. Ray arched a brow, his sharp gaze sweeping over her
Ray paced the hospital hallway, his phone pressed tightly to his ear. His voice was low but sharp, the tension in his tone unmistakable.“Did the alpha team call to inform you the kidnappers and do you have any idea who sent them yet?” he asked, his words clipped and precise.Jerry’s reply came quickly. “No. They’re hired mercenaries, but there’s a link to underworld. I’ve already got people looking into it.”Ray’s jaw tightened. “Good. Have those bastards sent to New York. I want to interrogated them personally. I don’t care what it takes.”“I’ll make the arrangements,” Jerry assured him. “But, big bro, focus on SIL and the baby for now. We can handle the rest.”Ray nodded absently, though Jerry couldn’t see it. “Speaking of bastards, I know you Jerry, do not cause too damage on them that will make them lifeless before my arrival”“Seriously big bro, they are basically a new set of toys they hurt my family and you want me to let them be till your arrival, that’s unfair” Jerry whined.
Ray slumped back into the hospital chair, exhaustion weighing heavily on his shoulders. His gaze lingered on Lilly, still pale and fragile against the pristine white sheets, but alive. The doctor’s warnings echoed in his mind—her body was at its limit, and the baby was clinging to life by a thread.He pulled out his phone and scrolled to Damon’s number. As the line connected, Ray’s voice was low but steady, masking the turmoil inside him.“Damon, I need you to handle something for me,” Ray said without preamble.“Morning to you too, Ray,” Damon replied dryly. “What’s wrong?” ‘Does this dude even check the time before calling’ Damon thought, it basically 2 minutes after 1 am.Jerry has already told him about Lilly kidnapped and he was the one who gave them the location of the best hospital around the area with the best medical equipment, and efficient doctors that can attend to Lilly fast and could be trusted.“It’s Lilly,” Ray said, his tone softening. “She’s stable, but… she’s not h