027 JOANA’S POV I chuckled softly, plugging my hair dryer to dry my hair; I slowly typed a reply, “Traffic these days is quite insane, but at least you got home on time.” It got delivered; maybe he was freshening up. I used the opportunity to dry my hair completely, packing it in a messy bun as I retired to my bed. I was scrolling through the new designs I had come up with when Caleb replied. “I know, right? Sorry about the delay; I needed a quick bath. My whole body was wrecking with sweat,” “It’s fine. We both had a hectic day,” “Hope the kids were not mad at you for returning home very late,” “They were asleep by the time I had returned, I know I will get an earful by tomorrow.” The message was on delivered, and he seemed he was attending to something, I returned to check out the drawings, and I felt like something was missing but I honestly didn’t know where the diamonds that would be used were going to be exquisite, the labelling was perfect, the colour tones but
028 JOANA’S POV Today was really it for me. It was going well for me, and I felt like the heavens were finally on my side. “I thank you so much for your cooperation, sir,” I said softly, smiling through my teeth, “I am meant to thank you. You are really a woman of your word; even with my time, you managed to make everything go smoothly, and I respect you for that.” I smiled softly as I led him out of the room, my secretary was behind him to escort him to the garage, immediately they left the room, I slumped on the chair completely exhausted, he was truly a man of taste, I don’t blame him, he was really paying a sum of 100 million dollars for a jewelry for his daughter. “Rich people do the craziest thing,” Caleb yawned, turning on his chair; I turned and gave him a side-eye. “You’re talking like you’re not from third-generation wealth,” I clicked my tongue at him. “I know I am from wealth, but c’mon, 100 million for just a piece of jewel is madly insane; no wonder the b
029 CLINTON'S POV The car was moving fast. What happened to the brakes?! Joana was moving too fast. The next thing I know; a loud crash. Right in front of my eyes, a trailer ran straight to it; her car kept tumbling over, my heartbeat was faster than a cheetah, and my breath seized; I just couldn't believe it. The police that were chasing her called the ambulance as I pulled over, rushing over to her car. “Sir… you need to stay calm…” The police tried to calm me, not allowing me to cross over to meet her. “Get your hands off me…" That's my wife,” I roared in anger. With the last strength in me, I pushed them aside and rushed to the car to bring her out. “Joana… Joana…” I called out to her, and my hands trembled as I tried to open the car door. It was tight shut, and any moment from now, the car would explode. I couldn't think straight. The good-for-nothing police couldn't help things; I needed to think and act fast. I looked for something stro
030 JOANA'S POV *TWO DAYS LATER * The sounds. My head kept buzzing. I flickered my eyes open, but all I could see were white lights. Was I already dead?! The white light became clearer as I saw the ceiling; I turned to the side, seeing a lady in white attending to the machine that made the sound. “Where am I?” I groggily said, my body ached, and the words that came out of my mouth were barely audible. Finally, the nurse turned to me, her eyes widened, rushing out of the room, leaving me in dead confusion. The nurse came back with a doctor and Caleb. Seems I was not dead after all. The doctor flashed a light into my eyes, not too bright but not too low; I noticed Caleb's tense body. He was having a tough time trying to stay cool. “I am going to ask a few questions to confirm something, my dear,” the doctor said in a very calm tone. I nodded slowly. “What is your name?” “Joana Henshaw,” “Who is this young man next to me?” I redire
031 JOANA'S POV I tried my best to keep calm as my kids left the room, Mirabel kept looking back until I finally blew her a kiss. She smiled and caught it. “Works like a charm,” I said softly, then turned to Caleb, who looked like he was in a haze. “Caleb…” He jolted a bit at my touch, “Yeah… I'm here,” “Caleb, I want you to be truthful with me. When was the last time you slept,” Caleb fumbled with his hands avoiding my gaze, “Caleb…” I said softly, “I'm back now; you need rest more than anyone; thank you for everything, but I would never forgive myself if anything should happen to you.” I opened my hands wide and reached out for a hug. He hugged me ever so tightly but still so loose. “I thought… I thought I lost you…” “I…” I patted his back as I felt warm liquid touch my back, “It's fine… I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere.” He broke the hug and wiped the tears, with a weak smile on his face. “I'll be going now. If anything arises, anything at all, d
032 JOANA'S POV “You heard me right, and I'm going to say it again, Joanna and I are getting married.” My whole world froze, but the next thing I heard was a loud thud, Clinton had punched Caleb hard in the face. Caleb was about to launch at Clinton when I threw my pillow at them. “The both of you should stop now. We are in a hospital for heaven's sake. It's either you behave or I'll get security to throw the both of you out.” Though my voice was calm, my breath was unsteady, I hated fights, and seeing them fight in front of me was unsettling. “I am a patient, a recovering one. How do you expect me to recover if two adults keep fighting like children.” Caleb and Clinton stood far apart, “now, I think it's time for you, Clinton, to leave, Caleb and I need to talk.” “Are you really getting married to him?” Clinton's voice was calm, but that didn't hide the fear laced in it. “Whether I am getting married to him or not is none of your business nor concern. It
033 CLINTON'S POV I smashed my hands against the wall many times until my hands felt numb; those words Caleb said kept ringing in my head. “Marriage?!” I scoffed hard. “There was no way that she would marry him… right?” I tried to give myself the false hope that I deserved. I stared at my bloody fingers as I remembered that deadly glare my brother gave me. But Joana, her eyes were different. It held hate, but something else was evident. A loud scream turned my attention to the door. It was Louisa. She ran towards me, holding my bloody hand with so much fragility. “Don't touch me,” my voice filled with pain. Louisa's eyes started swelling with tears, “when are you going to understand that she doesn't love you anymore?” Her words were bitter, but I couldn't care less, I stared at her intensively as she went back, her gaze avoiding mine. “What… what… are you doing?!” She tried to catch her breath, her pupils shaving, evident with fear. Louisa
034 JOANNA'S POV I took in a deep breath as the fresh air rushed through my veins, I stared around my room, and Caleb helped in packing my things. “Should we head to the café to eat first, or do you want to go home?” He asked softly; I let out a weak smile, taking my bag from him, “The café; I am a bit hungry.” He chuckled, leading me out of the room, we headed to the car when Clinton hit the door with full force, startling me a bit. “Clinton…” Clinton dragged me behind him, his hand firm on my wrists but not too tight to leave a bruise. “What are you doing?” Caleb yelled angrily. “I'm meant to ask you that. What the hell do you think you are doing?” I removed his hands from my wrist and walked away from them, staying in their middle. “Clinton, if you have the utmost respect for me, you wouldn't be doing this here, I just got discharged, and you are picking a fight.” Clinton gazed at me with so much sadness. It's good to know that no matter what he
111JOANA'S POVThe soft ding of my phone got my attention. It was text.“Mission complete.”I stared blankly at the screen. Who was this person? My mind quickly went to Jason.“Jason…”Caleb and Clinton both turned to me, “What are you talking about?” Caleb finally spoke out.“The person behind the shadows was Jason,” I let out a small laugh.“How? He's in jail!” Caleb pointed out.I strode to sit on the couch, a victorious grin on my face, “Yeah, he is, but remember the secret agency he's in.”“The same agency that tried to kill him for exposing Anita…” he scoffed, “I highly doubt, maybe it's someone that also wants Anita gone.”I darted my gaze slowly to him, “apart from me, who else wants her gone? Trust me, my guts tell me that Jason did this.”The two men shook their heads and headed into their rooms.Playing with the tip of the pen, I pointed to the huge clock, “tick-tock Anita… this time, your time is up.”__The car ride was silent, a soothing silence enjoying the cool breeze
110JOANA'S POVThey had no shame.The confrontation had been explosive. Mr. Gates hadn’t denied it. He’d simply claimed that family should protect family—and Anita had sat smugly beside him, like a queen regaining her throne.She barely looked my way, but I felt her satisfaction and tasted it in the air like poison.Clinton finally turned from the desk. “You used your influence to override hard evidence. You know what she did. You saw the recordings. Heard the confession.”Mr. Gates didn’t flinch. “Evidence can be manipulated, Clinton. I don’t trust the words of men like Jason.”“You don’t trust facts,” Caleb spat. “You trust whatever keeps your family name clean. What kind of legacy are you trying to protect when it’s rotting from the inside?”Mr. Gates rose from his chair slowly, placing both hands on his cane. “You may not understand it now, Caleb. But one day, when you have your own family to lead, you’ll realize that loyalty matters more than any public trial.”I had enough. “Lo
109JOANA'S POVSunlight from the arched windows entered the mansion and formed wide bands across the marble floors. I took my place on the living room sofa with a straight posture and crossed legs while I touched my tablet in silence. Instead of reading the screen, my eyes focused on distant mental work. The house stood at peace before violence broke out.The front doors opened.Footsteps echoed.Clinton and Caleb walked in together, dressed in work suits, loosened ties around their necks, carrying the usual exhaustion of a day at the office. But the moment they saw me, they stopped.I didn’t rise to greet them. Didn’t even look up."Joana?" Clinton said, his voice tinged with caution.I slowly looked up. My eyes were expressionless. Not angry. Not hurt. Not welcoming. Just... still. Stone still.Caleb moved forward first. "Is everything okay? Where are the kids?""Asleep. Upstairs. Safe," I replied, my tone flat.Clinton moved towards me from the couch to reach my position, where he
108JOANA'S POVThe mansion stood as an unspoken silent question without any reaction. As soon as Jason parked the car, he sped the tyres toward the garage, and before the engine idled, I bolted from my side to rush through the mansion's main entrance.I directed the security staff posted at the gate to inspect the area thoroughly. “Check the east and west wings—every single room. I want the kids found. Now.”The main door flew open under my hand as I stormed inside. “Where are they? Where are my children?”The maids inside froze at the sound of my voice, but one of them stepped forward immediately, wide-eyed. “We—We don’t know, ma’am. We thought they were in the greenhouse—”“Check the gardens, the poolside, the library, everywhere!” I snapped. My voice was cracking under the weight of my panic. “Clinton? Caleb?”One of the male workers appeared at the top of the staircase. “Mr. Clinton left early this morning. He said he had to meet a supplier downtown. And Mr. Caleb hasn’t returned
107JOANA'S POVHer statement lingered like a bad taste in the air, “It's only a matter of time.”I didn’t flinch. I didn’t even blink. Instead, I smiled. The smile formed on my face, and it took its time as I quietly flashed my teeth. I moved toward her across the hard table and concentrated my stare in her direction just like a hunter studies its target.“If you think, my dear, that you would be able to come out from this one,” my voice was low and soft.“It's over…” I smacked my lips.Anita's expression shifted from a thoughtful stare to clear confusion. She spoke with pronounced speed instead of interest as she probed deeper into my words.I didn’t respond.Because I didn’t need to.The heavy door creaked open behind me.Her head jerked in the direction of the sound, and in that exact second, I saw it—pure, raw panic. A flicker. Fleeting, but real. Her composure slipped like silk through shaking hands.Jason stepped in first.Dressed in plain clothes, looking more like a man who’d
106JOANA’S POVThe morning air was heavy with silence.After breakfast, I did not talk, although Caleb offered to drive me, and Clinton asked about my plans. I left without saying anything. I made a choice to handle it on my own.The police station sat like a solemn block of stone, grey and indifferent to the lives unravelling inside it. The kind of place that didn’t care if you were a billionaire’s daughter or a nobody from the streets—it held secrets, guilt, and truth in equal measure.I signed in, gave my name, and was guided to the interrogation floor.“She’s been denying everything,” the officer escorting me said with a sigh. “Claims she’s being framed. Typical story.”I wasn’t surprised.Anita always played the victim when cornered. It was her survival tactic. But she’d run out of corners this time.Officials assigned her a space with both a long table and window cameras watched by security officers who guarded the entry. A mirror reflection revealed her corporate-style clothin
105JOANA'S POVA few moments passed.“Do the kids know?” he asked, finally looking up.I nodded. “We’ll explain more later. But for now, they know something bad happened, and they’re safe. That’s enough.”He leaned back slowly, exhaustion clinging to every movement. “What happens now?”“Now?” I repeated. “Now we wait for the storm she started to finally pass.”He gazed at me from across the room, showing emotions that fell between regret and remorse. “What will you do?”I looked toward the closed door where Anita had been taken, then toward the grand staircase leading up to where the children were playing.“I’ll protect what matters,” I said. “Always.”Caleb gave a small nod beside me. Clinton glanced at me with something warm in his eyes.And for the first time in weeks, maybe months, I didn’t feel like I was drowning in all of this. I felt grounded. Steady. In control.The silence returned, but it wasn’t heavy now. It was thoughtful. Reflective. A room breathing after holding its b
104JOANA'S POV“Joana… what do you mean?”I didn’t bother answering Mr. Gates’ question. Let him stew in the weight of those words. Let him replay them in that calculating mind of his and wonder what I meant by shadows and what I knew that he didn’t. He wanted power and leverage. But then came the real scream—the kind that made the walls of the mansion vibrate and shattered whatever illusion of peace we had managed to hold onto for a single day.It came from the living room.I froze mid-step.Mr. Gates straightened behind me, his frown now sharp and urgent. We converged toward the shock with our steps matching each other like two magnets drawn to face their end.Stepping into the living room, I saw an expected disaster happening, like a show I was used to, though it stirred up my emotions.Two officers stood at the doorpost with straight postures showing their service badges shining under the sunshine. Staring at the officers in shock, Anita's blouse lost its smoothness, and her eye
103JOANA'S POVThe next morning unfolded like any other. We returned to the mansion, and you’d think nothing had happened the night before—the tension, the confrontation, the near brush with tragedy. The mansion seemed too serene for its usual lively atmosphere. Bright sunshine filtered through the glass to enhance the floor's golden shine, and the children's cheerful voices made architectural echoes. They ran to their various rooms to have their own fun.But there was nothing normal about today.Clinton and I walked side by side into the living room, Caleb trailing closely behind with his usual wary eye. The children followed their regular habits by having Mirabel draw at the window seat as Jake and Japheth competed loudly at their game.During this brief moment, I halted all my activities to breathe. To hope that things might start settling.Then, like the devil knew, just when to knock, a deep voice rang out from the hallway."Joana. A word," Mr. Gates said, arms folded as he sto