“If you agree to a 15% profit, sign the document. If not, leave my office right now, Mr. Cooper,” Iden said, unlocking his phone and typing something. With a thud, Iden threw the file on the table. The man opposite him glanced nervously at his associates, rubbing his hands and chewing on his lower lip. “But Mr. Ruan, we agreed to a 50-50 profit split,” he protested. “It’s okay, Mr. Cooper. If you don’t want to sign the document right now, I can still work on the land we agreed on without losing a single cent to you. Fifteen percent is a fortune you earn from the Ruan Corporation. Fifteen percent profit is even more than fifty percent from other companies, so it’s not a loss for you to work with the Ruans,” Iden replied calmly. Mr. Cooper cocked his head and glanced at the man sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed, sipping his wine. His body shook involuntarily, and beads of sweat slid down his forehead as his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. He stretched out his hand, took
It was a scorching day when Ellaya stepped out of her house, shielding herself with an umbrella. She looked effortlessly stunning in beige wide-leg high-waist pants paired with a matching crop top. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she made her way to the bus stop. This was her first time traveling alone on public transportation. “You can do it, Ellaya,” she whispered to herself, taking a deep breath as she boarded the bus. Although it was her first solo journey, she felt the comforting presence of her husband, Iden, who was always there to protect her. Smiling at the thought of him, she pulled out her phone to let him know she was on her way. It was a rule they had—she always informed him of her whereabouts. But just as she unlocked her phone, it abruptly shut down. Frustrated, she tried to turn it back on, but it was no use. Ellaya had a habit of neglecting her gadgets, often forgetting to charge them. With a sigh, she leaned against the window, watching the world go by. Whe
Ellaya nodded and wiped her tears as she stood up and left. She met the attentive doctor of Ava, and collected all the information. “Miss Stone. We are doing our best to help her wake up, but again, we are only doctors, not gods. You have to wait patiently,” the doctor advised gently. Ellaya nodded, feeling a mix of hope and helplessness. She wanted to pay for Mia’s medical expenses, but the doctor informed her that someone had already covered all the bills; it must have been her father. Without giving it more thought, she went to meet Mia next. “Doctor, how is she now?” she asked, her voice trembling slightly. “We have treated her superficial wounds, but the wound on her soul is hard to treat. She isn’t talking or responding to anything. I can suggest a good psychiatrist,” the doctor replied with a concerned look. Ellaya nodded again and entered the room. Mia was sitting on her bed, staring at the wall and biting her lower lip. “Mia,” Ellaya called her name softly, but th
Ellaya’s heart raced as her mother’s harsh words reverberated through her mind. “Ella, stop deceiving yourself.” Her mother’s voice was a thunderclap, nearly bursting her eardrums. “I still remember how the doctor recoiled in fear when you were born, almost dropping you. Even as your mother, I couldn’t bear to look at you for months. I cried days and nights, thinking I had given birth to something inhuman. But since you are our only child, your father and I eventually accepted you. What do you think others will do? They can find countless beautiful women, so why would they choose you, Ellaya, unless they had some hidden agenda?” Mrs. Stone’s voice was icy and unyielding. “You are different, ugly, and frightening. Look at yourself.” She shook Ellaya roughly, forcing her to face the mirror. Already broken, Ellaya couldn’t muster the strength to confront her reflection. “You were only good at singing, Ellaya, but you ruined everything. You ruined us. Raising you was a nightmare, and I
Iden shoved his phone into his pocket, snapped his laptop shut, and yanked his car keys from the drawer. He stormed out of his office, with James scrambling to keep up. “Sir, you have a meeting in ten minutes,” James called out, clutching his file, his phone precariously balancing his glasses on his nose. “Cancel it,” Iden barked, adjusting his tie and coat, his pace unrelenting. “And the dinner meeting with the Japanese client in an hour?” James pressed, his voice tinged with desperation. “Cancel that too.” Iden’s steps faltered only at the elevator, where he jabbed the button repeatedly. “But sir, we’ve been waiting for this meeting for six months,” James stammered, his anxiety palpable. They had poured countless hours into securing this deal, with trips to Japan and sleepless nights. Now, on the brink of success, Iden was abruptly pulling the plug. James’s heart raced with unease. Iden jabbed the elevator buttons repeatedly. “Sir, the lift has been out of order since
Iden was preparing dinner while Ellaya perched on the kitchen island, her eyes following his every move. She watched the way he chopped vegetables, the concentration on his face, the subtle twitch of his muscles, and how his long, beautiful fingers gripped the knife. Even in casual sweatpants and a t-shirt, he exuded a magnetism that could make women kneel and beg for his attention. And here she was, the better half of this incredibly handsome man, wondering why he chose her among all the beautiful women out there. The hurtful words of her mother echoed in her mind, making her wonder if he would eventually get tired of her and shove her out of his life, just as her mother had predicted. The question raced through her mind like a wild wind, leaving her feeling vulnerable and uncertain. She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. One harsh word from her mother, and here, her self-confidence shattered like a piece of glass. It had taken her years to piece it back together, and yet, o
She stood under the hospital building, its tall shadow stretching across the road. The setting sun cast a warm glow, brushing her face and sending a chill through her skin. As she moved forward, she rummaged through her handbag for her phone, her mind focused on getting home before Iden arrived. Over the past two months, she had visited Eva whenever she could, though Eva’s condition remained unchanged. She hadn’t visited her parents, still haunted by her mother’s harsh words. Lost in thought, she didn’t notice the figure approaching and bumped into them. Her phone fell, and she knelt to pick it up, apologizing. Her breath caught when she heard her name. She looked up, and a small, beautiful smile crept across her face as she recognized the voice. Ella… oh my god, is it really you?” The woman looked as beautiful and cheerful as ever. Ellaya stood up, clutching her phone. “Annabell, when did you get back?” Ellaya moved forward and hugged her tightly. It had been almost a year sinc
Iden held her trembling form, her sobs echoing in the quiet room. “Why? Why did you do this to me?” she cried, her voice barely a whisper. “Why did you marry her?” She clung to him, her tears soaking through his shirt. Iden stood there, speechless, as she poured out her heart. “Divorce her… come back to me… I can’t live without you.” The word “divorce” jolted him back to reality. He gently pushed her away, holding her shoulders to create some distance. His eyes softened as he looked into hers. Wiping her tears, he caressed her head tenderly. “Anna, stop crying. You know why I married her. Please, stop acting like a child and be strong, okay?” “You promised you’d never leave me. Then why did you marry her and not me? Tell me, Iden.” She wiped her tears with the back of her hands, shaking her head in despair. He grabbed her and bent down slightly, his voice firm yet gentle. “Anna, listen to me. I am not leaving you. You don’t have to be mad. Pull yourself together and be stron
Ellaya lunged, her kick slicing through the air toward her grandfather’s chest. But he was faster. His weathered hands snapped forward, catching her ankle mid-strike. In a single motion, he twisted and flipped her—her back hitting the mat with a bone-rattling thud. Before she could react, a brutal fist drove into her stomach. Pain detonated in her core. Her lungs collapsed inward. Breath scattered like broken glass. She doubled over. But he didn’t wait. He pinned her to the ground, calloused fingers digging into her wrists. Her body thrashed, muscles screaming, wrists raw beneath his unyielding grip. Ellaya cried out—sharp, guttural, alive. “That’s enough for today.” His voice cut cold through the haze. “You’re still weak. Like a toddler grasping at strength that isn’t yours. Push yourself harder.” She scrambled upright, shame searing hotter than any bruise. Her ribs ached. Her knuckles bled. But her mind? Steel. Survival wasn’t a choice. It was her god now.
A gust of wind tore through the room, sweeping papers off the desk like shreds of the past being ripped into the present. Kai stood in the doorway, chest heaving, drenched in sweat. One hand dragged a man by the collar—a mangled heap of flesh and bone. The man's face was grotesque, beaten to a pulp, barely conscious. Blood dripped steadily from his nose, painting a red trail behind them like a signature of vengeance. Arthur followed, silent as thunder before the strike. His fists were clenched so tightly the knuckles bled white. His eyes—cold, ruthless—locked on Iden like a scope lining up its mark. Without a word, Kai kicked the man’s legs out. He collapsed at Iden’s feet in a graceless heap. Silence held its breath. Then a weak, hoarse cry spilled from the man’s throat. He trembled, unable to meet Iden’s eyes. “Having fun, Danny?” Angelo’s voice sliced through the stillness, low and mocking as he crouched beside the man. A cruel smile twisted his lips. “Didn’t expect t
“This is the video we pulled,” Angelo said, turning the laptop toward Iden. He hit play. Young Ellaya hurled a glass of wine at Leo. Her voice sliced through the air like a blade. “You sewer rat! You don’t belong here! You should’ve died in the gutter you crawled out of!” Her finger jabbed toward his face, trembling. “You’re dirt-poor—and that’s exactly what you deserve! You should die like the scum you are!” Then, louder—each syllable laced with venom: “You’re poor—and that’s all you’ll ever be. Die in it.” Iden’s jaw locked. He didn’t blink. Couldn’t. His stomach twisted into a slow, suffocating knot. He’d seen this video so many times, it was seared into his memory. Burned in rage. It was the reason he hated her—or tried to. Failed to. But this clip, this moment... it was the beginning of everything. He had sworn over his friend’s grave to destroy her. And he did—masterfully. “She’s yelling at Leo,” Angelo said. “That’s what the clip shows. And we all believ
She smirked as she shoved a stray book off her lap. “You know… you don’t have to be the Don. You can just be who you are.” Iden tilted his head slightly, lips twitching into a faint smile—small, but real. “You’re the only one who gets to say that.” And in that moment—grief shadowing his eyes, the scent of blood still faint on his shirt—he smiled. He rubbed her hair playfully, gently mussing the strands like he used to when they were kids. “Really?” she grinned, sitting cross-legged on her bed. “Okay… if you say so. But I can tell you mine.” She beamed, reaching for a thick leather diary. “I used to keep memos, you know? I’d write down everything I enjoyed. The places I loved, food I liked, people I met. Kinda old school.” Iden sat down beside her, intrigued despite himself. Her glittering eyes—so full of life—reminded him of someone else. Someone who once laughed shyly and smiled like an idiot. Ellaya. His gaze drifted from his sister to the window, where night pressed it
Days passed like smoke—slipping through fingers, vanishing before they could be held. Time didn’t move forward; it bled. Minutes dragged like hours, and weeks collapsed in on themselves. Iden didn’t sleep. He didn’t eat. He sat in silence, trapped in his own mind, spiraling deeper into a storm of memories and questions. The moon became his only witness. Some nights, he watched the stars, others, the rain. Most nights, he simply stared into the void, heart thundering beneath skin that no longer felt like his own. A storm churned in his chest—loud, endless, and hungry. He saw her face in every shadow. Heard her voice in every silence. Her scent still clung to his lungs like smoke from a fire he could never put out. It had been a week since the blast. A week of searching. A week without answers. She wasn’t listed among the dead. But she wasn’t among the living either. She was missing. And Iden knew—deep in the part of his soul that still burned for her—she was alive. Hidi
The room was breathtaking—paneled in dark mahogany, steeped in the scent of old paper and aged wood. Floor-to-ceiling shelves held leather-bound books, their spines gilded and cracked with time. But it was the massive oil painting that stole Ellaya’s breath. A woman with wild purple hair and luminous skin smiled down at them. Her eyes—familiar, haunting—seemed to follow Ellaya across the room. She froze. The resemblance was undeniable. Same striking bone structure. Same purple irises. But the woman in the painting looked lighter—freer. Her smile held none of the weight Ellaya carried. None of the pain. Photos cluttered every surface. In one, the woman stood beside a tall, devastatingly handsome man—mid-laugh, hand wrapped around her waist. Their wedding photo. They looked hopelessly in love. Another showed them cradling a baby. The man's eyes brimmed with pride. The woman’s arms curled around the infant like a shield. The baby… was her. There was no mistaking it. Ellaya stagge
Ellaya didn’t remember when they moved her. One moment, she was in her cell—cracked walls, the stench of sweat and rusted iron, a tray of untouched food rotting in the corner. The next, she woke in hell. Not the metaphorical kind. The real one. The kind where screaming and silence existed in the same breath. Where punishment wasn’t given for madness—it was fed to it. You weren’t treated. You were drowned. The asylum was never quiet. Men laughed at the ceiling. Women whispered to the walls. Eyes followed her—hungry, hollow. Human only in name. She didn’t scream. Didn’t fight. She just watched. Watched them drag limp bodies behind rusted doors marked “TREATMENT.” Watched them come back quieter. Emptier. Sometimes not at all. They said she was dangerous. Deranged. A monster in a pretty shell. She didn’t correct them. Let them think she was mad. Let them forget she existed. At least then, no one expected her to survive. She’d already buried herself inside. What was left to
The room hummed with tension. Blue light from dozens of monitors painted ghostly shapes across Angelo’s office. Cables tangled like veins across the floor, machines blinked like they were breathing. The sharp scent of hot metal, sweat, and cigarette smoke hung thick in the air. “Everything’s set,” Kai reported, voice clipped. “Cameras, medics, chopper in the air. Our men are spread across the asylum. She's walking into the lion’s mouth.” Iden stepped into the room, slow and silent. This was the war room. It looked like one. A place where lives were traded, decisions signed in blood. He moved to the center of the chaos, eyes drawn to the wall of screens. Every angle of the massive asylum flickered in shaky grain. Corridors lined with flickering lights. Rooms filled with twitching shadows—patients, doctors, ghosts. The asylum was a tomb disguised as a hospital. Built on illegal records and rotting experiments. A hellhole. A cover for human trafficking, organ harvesting, un
It had been a week. And their plan—cold, calculated, inhumane—was working.The medication laced into her system had done more than sedate her. It blurred the edges of time, pulling her into hallucinations stitched from trauma and shadows. She saw things that never happened. Heard voices that whispered lies in familiar tones. Faces from the past flickered before her eyes, only to vanish like smoke. And when she spoke, it was to people long gone.Kai gave the daily reports, short and clinical. “She’s deteriorating. Fast. The hallucinations are getting worse.”But Iden, arms folded and gaze fixed on the monitor, wasn’t convinced the drugs were fully to blame. “Or maybe it’s not the meds,” he said quietly. “Maybe it’s just her past… clawing its way out.”“Does it matter?” Kai muttered. “She’s breaking. That’s the goal.”It didn’t sit right with Iden. Nothing about this did. But the truth was, it was working.His eyes locked on the screen in front of him. There she was—sitting on the cold