MAXWELL (POV)The police station was a complete contrast to the opulence of Adrian’s mansion, where we were standing few minutes ago.Everyone one of us from the maids to the guards to Adrian himself were all present.The cold, fluorescent lights twinkled overhead, casting harsh shadows on the linoleum floor. The air was thick with the scent of stale coffee and disinfectant, mingling with the anxiety that permeated the room.Adrian, Caleb, and I were ushered into a cramped waiting area. The anxiety was vivid; no one spoke as we waited for the officers to call us in.I could feel the eyes of some of the maids and guards on me, the fear in the faces was almost a physical thing, pressing in from all sides. Miss Hawkins, the chief maid, sat across from me, her hands wringing together in her lap. She looked up at me with a little hint of accusation as though she were blaming me for the involvement of the police.The door to the interrogation room creaked open, and a uniformed officer s
MAXWELL (POV)As we exited the building, the sharp contrast between the stark, cold interiors and the warm, afternoon sun was jarring.Adrian walked silently beside me, his initial aggresive demeanor replaced by a distant, almost vacant expression. Caleb followed closely behind, his eyes darting around as if he were still trying to piece together a puzzle that didn’t quite fit.The maids and guards, who had been brought in for questioning, stood huddled near the second car. They exchanged nervous glances, their fear palpable. Miss Hawkins, in particular, looked like she was holding herself together by sheer willpower. As I approached, I noticed the small tremors in her hands as she adjusted her coat. I gave her a reassuring nod, though inside, I was battling my own storm of doubts.Adrian stopped beside his car, a sleek black Benz that seemed almost too polished for the so called grim situation. Caleb moved to open the door for him, but Adrian hesitated, his hand lingering on the
IVY POV)My heart thumped loudly in my chest as I pressed myself against the cold, damp wall of the alley. The veil I was wearing felt suffocating, its fabric clinging to the skin of my face, but I pulled it tighter, desperate to stay hidden. It was only the second day of my escape, but it already felt like an eternity. My whole body ached from the cold and the tension of being on constant alert. The streets of San Francisco were quite unfamiliar to me, and I had no idea where to go. My life had been so linear before now, from Caleb’s house to Bayview hospital, and from the hospital back to Caleb’s house but now, I was lost in a maze with no clear way out.As I stood there, cryptic thoughts swirled in my mind, refusing to settle. “So his grandfather was Xavier the Second? The very same one from the Twelfth Baptist Church?” I couldn’t wrap my head around it. How was it even possible? My breath hitched as I muttered under my breath, “The Lord is my shepherd” The words felt ho
The knocking on the door grew louder and more persistent. I could feel the tension tightening around us. My heart thumped harder as the once-muted murmurs outside grew clearer, sharper and violent The tones belonged to men who clearly meant us harm. My gaze shifted to Mr. Collins, who was standing by the window with wide, fearful eyes, his calm demeanor giving way to an anxious looking different, completely different from the person I saw few minutes ago. He was sweating now, small beads forming on his forehead, a stark contrast to the calm, composed man I saw few minutes ago.Dr. Collins sat beside me, her hands clasped so tightly in her lap that her knuckles was beginning to turn white. I could feel her fear as acutely as my own, a cold, creeping sensation that had settled into the pit of my stomach. We both tried to keep calm, to pretend that maybe just maybe if we stayed quiet, if we didn’t move, the danger outside would pass us by. But the relentless knocking and the gro
The distant wail of sirens grew louder, reverberating through the quiet house. I felt a surge of relief as I clung to Dr. Collins, my tears finally beginning to subside. The sound of footsteps approaching from outside filled me with some sense of hope.Minutes later, we heard a bang and Dr Collins immediately rushed to open the lock from within before shouting.“Come on in.”At once, the front door creaked open, and the blur of flashing lights illuminated the room. Uniformed officers marched in, their faces set with a blend of professionalism and concern. They quickly took stock of the situation, their eyes scanning the room before focusing on us.Then One officer, a tall man with a stern expression, stepped forward. “I’m Officer Daniels,” he said, his voice firm but not unkind. “Can you tell us what happened here?”Dr. Collins stood, wiping her tears and trying to compose herself. “We were just about to call for help when we heard the knocking,” she explained. “We were terri
Ivy POV) Caleb walked in, his eyes locking onto mine with a male volent intensity that made my blood run cold. Instinctively, I reached for the door and locked it, a futile attempt to create some barrier between usBut Caleb kept advancing, his steps slow and deliberate, like a predator closing in on its prey. I backed away until I felt the rough wall against my spine.Isabella’s voice echoed in my head, questioning everything that had led to this moment. The pieces were all scattered in my mind, but the picture was still incomplete, hazy with fear and doubt.Caleb stopped at the table, his lips curling into a devilish smile that sent chills down my spine. He laughed, a sound so devoid of warmth that it filled the room with a palpable sense of dread. Then, slowly, he sat down in the same chair the police chief had occupied earlier, as if claiming it for himself. He raised his hands in a mock gesture, as though he were about to take an oath, then dropped them just as theatricall
IVY POV) My shoes slapped against the wet pavement, every step echoing in the empty space. Behind me, I could hear Caleb's men. Their heavy footsteps and the crackle of radios. They were getting closer. I threw my legs as fast as I could in the darkness. My breath was so audible it blocked my ears.I’d already made the mistake of hesitating once tonight, back at the police station when Caleb had burst in. That one moment of fear had nearly cost me everything. But I hadn’t gone down without a fight. I had attacked him, driven by a desperate, primal need to escape. To be free from his clutches. I remember the look of shock in his eyes as I lunged at him, my fists connecting with his chest, my nails raking across his face. He hadn’t expected it not from me. But it hadn’t been enough to stop him. He was stronger, faster, and now I was running for my life…He and his men.I reached the end of the alley, skidding to a halt as I came to a busy street. The sudden burst of light and
ADRIAN (POV)Four years. Four long, torturous years, and somehow, I was still there, sitting behind the same desk in the same office where it all began. The polished mahogany desk remained as pristine as ever, the view from the floor-to-ceiling windows just as breathtaking, but the man sitting there? He was barely a shadow of who he once was.My fingers absently traced the cool, smooth band of the wedding ring on my finger. A symbol of love and commitment, so it was supposed to be. For me, it was nothing but a shackle, binding me to a fate I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. It had been four years since the day I said, “I do,” to Ivy Grant. Four years since I honored my grandfather’s dying wish and secured my inheritance by marrying the daughter of his late friend.Back then, I convinced myself that this was just a necessary step. With Maxwell and the police’s help, I maneuvered through the labyrinth of legal and personal hurdles, securing my position in the company and claiming