NICK I guess it was time to face the fact that I had screwed up. I wasn’t even with my son yet, and I’d already messed things up badly. I had told Marcus to open a branch in Asia, but I swear I didn’t know that’s where we were heading. I just wanted to help him take his mind off things, so he would
OLIVIAI wasn’t sure what I was hoping for. When Nick and my dad walked in, I found myself looking past them, almost expecting to see Marcus right behind them. I had told the man I needed time to myself, yet deep down, I still hoped to see him. How pathetic, wanting one thing but wishing for somethi
NICKI thought I knew what joy and happiness were, but then I heard my son defend me. He stood in front of me, protective and determined, insisting that I shouldn’t be sent away. A warmth spread through my chest, filling me in ways I’d never experienced before, making me feel more alive than I ever
MARCUS“Why are you still not doing what I asked? The boss has been on edge, and you’re still delaying things. Do you want to be fired, is that it?” Steve’s voice was sharp with frustration.“It’s not that, Steve, but we can’t rush these things. There are permits we need to get, and those things don
XANDER“I told you that I am not leaving here until I make Luke feel what I felt when he took my father from me. when he felt me as an orphan with nowhere to go.” I have been looking for that man for many years now. I forgot about him for a while when my wife was still alive. She made me feel comple
ETHANAfter dealing with that guy, I went looking for Nick. I overheard part of his phone call, but I couldn’t make sense of what he was saying. Still, I had a feeling he was up to something. I never fully trusted him, especially when it came to Olivia and Samuel. Those two were everything to me, an
OLIVIAIt’s been a week since Lilly came to live with me. My baby was growing, though not as quickly as I had hoped. Still, I could see progress, and that gave me a sense of relief. I registered her using the documents the doctors had brought back, and I chose Marcus’s mother’s name as her middle na
XANDERI was furious about what happened earlier. I didn’t even know where Xander had come from or what he was thinking showing up there like that. I’d checked before going back to Olivia’s room, and everything was fine—she and Samuel were outside, playing by the pool. Then, out of nowhere, Xander a
MARCUSI regret ever listening. I wish I had kept my distance, stayed out of it, and resisted the temptation to eavesdrop on Olivia’s therapy session. I only wanted to understand what that man, Xander, had done to her. I needed to know the depth of the damage he had inflicted upon my wife. Never in
LUKEI stood outside, listening to Nick as he worked on breaking Xander down. The boy was good, too good for my liking. I never intended for those boys to be involved in my line of work. Keeping Nick behind was never meant to have him do this, it was meant to keep him away from Olivia. Being around
NICK“Do your worst, Nick,” Xander sneered, blood dribbling from the corner of his mouth as he spat it onto the floor at my feet. “See now? You people shot me, and I haven’t been able to contact my guys. The alert is out. It’s no longer just about Olivia. Now, your whole circle is fair game.”I coul
MARCUS“Olivia, you’re still not well,” I said, my voice firm but laced with concern. “And yet, you want to know about that? I’m not telling you anything right now. Recover first if you want to be included. Until then, I’m not saying a word.”I could feel my frustration rising. We had just gotten ho
OLIVIABy the time we landed back at New Village, Luke’s men were already waiting for us at the airport. The moment we arrived, Marcus spoke with them outside the car, while I settled inside with the kids. My baby girl was still fast asleep in my arms, and her brother had just started to stir as the
Nick“Nick, calm down. There was nothing you were going to do there. You promised not to interfere with her anymore. She left with her husband and kids to fix herself, to fix her marriage. You don’t belong there.”I stopped, the words hitting me like a slap. I turned to glare at him, fury bubbling i
MARCUS“Home. I want to go home.”Those were the first words Olivia spoke when she finally woke up. The urgency and exhaustion in her voice were clear, and it broke something in me to hear it. Home. The place where she could feel safe again, where she could begin to heal. I didn’t hesitate for a sec
OLIVIAI couldn’t tell how long I had been unconscious or why I had lost consciousness in the first place. The confusion lingered in my mind, but when I finally opened my eyes, everything shifted. There, sitting quietly beside me, was Marcus, his head resting on the edge of my bed.His presence felt
MARCUSI trembled with fury as I watched my wife in such a state. The sight of her, broken and trembling, filled me with a rage that burned so intensely, I could barely contain it. The urge to scream, to shout, to lash out at everything and everyone was overwhelming. I wanted to destroy everything,