I shuddered, my fingers going numb as the clothes slipped from my hands and crumpled to the floor. My heartbeat pounded in my ears. James Ferguson wasn’t the type to ask idle questions. His curiosity meant suspicion, and suspicion from James could be deadly.I swallowed hard, suppressing my rising panic, and forced myself to glare at him through red-rimmed eyes."Am I even fit to answer the phone right now?" I shot back, my voice trembling despite my best efforts to sound defiant.James’s gaze never wavered, sharp and piercing as if he could carve out the truth just by staring."Jian's doctor," he said slowly, his words deliberate. "Jian is the one you accompanied for the prenatal checkup last time. Why is her doctor contacting you?"My pulse skipped a beat. I bent down to pick up the fallen clothes, hiding my face as I answered, "I don’t know."I didn’t elaborate. I didn’t spin a tale or pile on excuses, and that seemed to satisfy him. After a long, tense moment, James turned away, w
I blinked at Jian, catching the mischievous glint in her eye. She was always quick to understand my thoughts before I even voiced them."You must have thought of that, too," I said, a slow smile spreading across my face.Jian grinned, tugging me up from the chair with uncontained excitement. "What are we waiting for? She practically begged to be humiliated! We’re kind-hearted fairies after all, and it’s only right to grant her wish." She darted toward my wardrobe with purpose. "Go wash up. I’ll pick something stunning for you."Half an hour later, I stood before the camera, a dark green dress hugging my figure, a fox mask concealing all but the curve of my chin. My long hair cascaded down my back, catching slivers of sunlight as I raised my violin.The bow kissed the strings gently.Music flowed like morning dew sliding down leaves, each note clear and fluid, a river of sound that captivated every ear tuned in. The sunlight streamed through floor-to-ceiling windows, wrapping me in a g
I stepped out of the bathroom, my heart still heavy, and headed toward the courtyard instead of returning to the box. The cool air was a welcome relief as I lingered by a small, deserted rockery, trying to collect my thoughts. I tilted my head up, searching the hazy night sky, but the city lights had swallowed every star. Even the sky felt distant and empty.I barely had a moment to breathe when an all-too-familiar voice grated behind me."Zelda Liamson? Why are you here?"I turned slowly, and there stood Susan Wenger, her hand entwined with Hellen Ferguson’s, both looking like a perfect picture of familial bliss. They stood just steps away, Susan playing her role flawlessly as the dutiful daughter.My chest tightened, but I kept my expression neutral. I had come outside because I overheard Susan saying she was leaving, hoping to avoid exactly this kind of encounter. If I had known I’d run into them anyway, I would have messaged Nan Xing and left.I nodded politely to Hellen, my voice
JamesI didn’t know how long I had been standing there, watching her struggle, her body jerking as she tried to pull free. The scene stirred something dark inside me, a tightening anger that I hadn’t expected—anger that boiled when her captor yanked her arm and smirked.She slapped him. The sound echoed sharp and clear.Bang!For a brief moment, I admired her spirit. But then his face twisted with rage, and I saw the slap he was about to return."You dare to hit me? I’ll show you manners, you little—"The man’s hand flew, and she closed her eyes.I was there before the strike landed.Her eyes snapped open when the middle-aged man let out a strangled scream. I had his arm twisted at an angle no arm was meant to endure. My face remained blank, but my grip turned his bones to lead."Let me go! I…"I ignored him. The pressure built until he buckled, and then I kicked him.Bang!He hit the wall, crumpling to the floor.When the man who had stolen her phone moved, I raised my hand, palm ope
The weight of James's wedding ring caught my gaze, a band he once refused to wear but now seemed glued to his hand just as we approached the end of our marriage.Why now? My heart trembled, a stone thrown into a pool, rippling with thoughts I didn’t want to acknowledge.He pulled his hand away suddenly, the warmth of his touch replaced by the chill of his words."Don’t overthink it. I just forgot to take it off."His explanation froze the brief flicker of emotion that had stirred within me. I forced a stiff smile, ignoring the ache in my chest."Then let me help you take it off."I reached for his hand again, determined, but he frowned, his voice sharp with irritation. "I’m driving. Stop distracting me."I bit my lip and glanced at his profile—hard, unyielding. Yet, my mind drifted to the night he first wore that ring.It had been over three months since our wedding. He had just returned from a trip abroad. That evening, I had burst into his study, excitement bubbling in my chest."Ja
Hellen Ferguson’s voice cut into me, sharp and full of disdain. "You think you can raise thirty million on your own? Zelda Liamson, you're really something. Playing the humble wife while scheming to cling to the Ferguson family forever."Her words stung like needles, but I kept my face calm. I wasn’t going to let her see the cracks she was trying to make in my composure. She had always seen me as nothing more than an opportunist, a parasite.To her, I was a sparrow who had dared to perch too high, a woman who had no place in James Ferguson’s world.“I’ve already signed the divorce agreement,” I said steadily. “I have every intention of leaving.”Her eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Swear it.”A faint smile tugged at my lips. “Believe me or don’t. I’m not here to convince you.” My voice was steady, but my heart raced. “I came to check on Xander. If we’re done, I’ll be leaving.”I turned to go, but her hand shot out and grabbed my wrist.“No,” she sneered. “You won’t swear because you’re
ZeldaWhen I stepped out of the elevator, I kept my head high and my back straight. My face had settled into calm, composed lines, but the ache in my heart throbbed with each step. I was grateful I hadn’t cried. Not in front of Hellen Ferguson. Not in front of him.The weight of everything—sleepless nights, endless work, and the quiet, constant pull of fatigue from carrying a life within me—pressed down on my shoulders. Four or five hours of rest was all I allowed myself these days. Still, despite the exhaustion, warmth flickered within me. A quiet pride.I was making progress. I would collect the thirty million, repay it to James Ferguson, and sever every last tie with the Ferguson family.Soon, I would be free. Free to just be me, without debt or obligation.I took a deep breath, the cool air calming my racing heart. I smiled to myself, ready to keep walking forward. But then I saw them.Susan Wenger and Mrs Wenger.They moved toward me with that same familiar air of self-importance
It was clearly a man whose face I had admired for years and whom I had resolved to drive out of my heart, but every time I saw him, my heartstrings were always tugged at.I attributed this throbbing to the sadness of being obsessed with looks.I was about to force myself to look away when I suddenly heard a splash into the water.My heart stopped. Madam Ferguson had been walking toward the pool just moments earlier.Could she have fallen in?I felt a jolt of panic as I moved to rush toward the water, but before I could take another step, Tian appeared out of nowhere and grabbed my arm."Madam, please be patient. The old lady won’t let you go out," she whispered urgently.I froze confusion and worry tangling inside me.Then I heard it—Grandma’s panicked cries coming from the far side of the pool."Hurry! Someone come! Help!"The words rang out like an alarm, sharp and urgent.James Ferguson, who had been walking nearby, clearly heard the commotion. His head snapped up, and before I cou
ZeldaAs the door shut, James exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. His body was tense, his fists clenched at his sides.James stood motionless, staring at the door, his jaw clenched so tightly that I thought he might break.Mr Ferguson was the first to speak, his voice firm but not unkind.“James, I know you’re angry, but she’s still your mother.”James let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. “Still my mother?” His voice wavered. “What kind of mother does this to her child? What kind of mother lets him suffer for years and then—then when the truth comes out, she refuses to even acknowledge it?”His father sighed, rubbing a hand down his face. “She’s scared, James. Scared of losing everything she’s built, scared of what the truth means.”James turned on him, pained.“And what about me? Does she care how scared I was? How much I lost? How I spent years believing I was the mistake, that everything that went wrong was somehow my fault?”Helen’s voice trembled from the doorw
ZeldaI sit on the edge of the bed, staring at the divorce papers I had once been so ready to sign. My hands rest over my stomach, where our child—my child—grows.I told myself I wouldn't cry over James Ferguson again. But here I am, my heart still aching in ways I wish it wouldn't.He had always been my saviour. When I was just a scared thirteen-year-old girl, lost and alone, James had taken me in. I admired him, idolized him. But then admiration turned into something else. Love. The kind that consumed me, that I could never shake off, no matter how hard I tried.But James had never seen me that way.First, it was Susan Wenger... I watched as he gave everything to Susan, how he smiled at her the way I had always wished he would look at me. And when Susan was gone, I thought—maybe—just maybe, James would see me.But then came Luoxing.And that had been the final proof I needed to know the truth. I was never going to be James's first choice.That was why I decided to leave. I refused t
JamesThe Bai estate was as grand as ever, standing as a symbol of power, wealth, and the history that bound our families together.Or so I thought.I stepped inside without hesitation. No one stopped me. They never would. For years, I had been welcomed here like a son.I had thought I was.But tonight, the weight of betrayal clung to me like a second skin, suffocating, inescapable and true.As I entered the main hall, I found them all gathered—Mr. Bai, Mrs. Bai, and their daughter, Bai Luoxing.The moment they saw me, Luoxing was the first to react. She stood up, her eyes filled with something between relief and hesitation."James!"I lifted a hand to my head, stopping her in her tracks.She hesitated, then slowly sat back down, casting a quick glance toward her mother.Mrs Bai, ever composed, sat calmly at the head of the table, an air of relaxed control around her. She didn’t look surprised to see me.She probably didn’t know that I knew everything.Mr. Bai, on the other hand, was
JamesA slow, numbing realization crept over me, drowning out everything else.The Bai family hadn’t just manipulated me.They had shaped my entire life."They couldn’t just bring Luoxing back," Dom continued, his voice low. "Not when the whole world was looking for her. Not when they hadn't gotten anything from their attempt. So they kept her hidden, cared for her, made sure no one found her."I barely heard him. My mind was already racing ahead, connecting pieces I had never thought to question before."But the Ferguson family—" My voice caught. "We never stopped searching for her.""And that’s exactly what they wanted."I snapped my gaze to him."Think about it, James." Dom leaned forward, the dim light casting sharp shadows on his face."Your parents. Your grandmother. You. You were all drowning in guilt, haunted by the loss of a little girl you thought you failed to protect. You clung to Madame Bai and saw her as a second mother because she was grieving too. She played her role p
JamesThe air in the car was filled with tension, Zelda's rigid posture and clenched phone screaming her silent fury at me. I deserved it—every bit of her anger, every cold shoulder. But damn if it didn't carve a hollow ache in my chest.Then my phone buzzed, slicing through the suffocating quiet.I answered, and within seconds, the tension in my shoulders eased."We found Dom."The words sent a rush of grim satisfaction through me. Finally. After all the hunting, all the dead ends—we had him.My grip tightened on the phone. "Alive?""Barely. He's talking."Good.I glanced at Zelda, still stubbornly turned away from me, her reflection faint in the window. This changed everything. With Dom's testimony, the Bai family's carefully constructed lies would crumble.But first—"Keep him secure. I'll be there soon."Hanging up, I studied Zelda's profile. She thought this was about the divorce. About me stalling.She had no idea the storm that was coming.And for once, I'd be the one to shield
JamesMadam Bai’s fingers combed through Bai Luoxing’s hair with practised tenderness, her voice saccharine."Don’t cry. Mom knows your heart is too soft—you would have stopped me if you knew."Then she lifted her chin, her blind eyes fixed in my direction with eerie precision."James, I only helped your wife leave because she wanted to. I didn’t want you two to become bitter enemies. You may not understand my intentions, but the truth is, this all started with her desire to run. Luoxing is innocent."Innocent.The word tasted like ash."So sending men to hunt her down—was that also a favour?" My voice was lethally quiet.Madam Bai’s wrinkled face twisted in feigned confusion."Hunt her? James, I only sent people to find her after she disappeared! For her safety! And my nephew—where is Dom? Did you see him?"Zelda stiffened beside me. I could almost hear the furious drum of her heartbeat.I stared at the woman who had once been like a second mother to me.Even now, faced with the trut
JamesMy lashes lowered, hiding the smug satisfaction in my gaze as I buried my face against her again. Good. She didn’t push me away this time.Then— Thump.Something struck the side of my face.I froze.Before I could process it, another hit—this time square on the bridge of my nose. Not painful, but sharp, like a tiny jolt of electricity.My head snapped up, eyes wide."Was that… Littleton?"Zelda’s lips curled, amusement flickering in her gaze before she pressed them flat again."Littleton’s here to teach you some manners," she said dryly.Of course, it was Littleton.Even in the womb, my kid couldn’t stand watching their shameless father grovelling like this and decided to intervene.A stunned laugh caught in my throat.I stared at the slight swell of her belly, then slowly raised my hand, pressing my fingers where I’d been kicked. The impact had been soft, muted by layers of flesh and fluid, but it sent a current straight through my chest.My heart hammered—not from fever, but s
JamesThe pain in my chest was sharp, unrelenting, as I watched her smile—so effortless, so free. As if I meant nothing.If it were up to me, I’d never let her go.Especially not now, with those men hovering around her like vultures, waiting for their chance. But I couldn’t do anything. Not anymore.I didn’t dare to force her, didn’t dare to manipulate things behind her back like I used to. One wrong move, and she’d slip even further from my grasp.And then there was Dom. Until he was dealt with, she wasn’t safe here."Don’t worry," I said, my voice steady despite the storm inside me. "I’ll fulfil your wish this time. Consider it… compensation for the wedding."That damned wedding. My fault. All of it.Maybe ending this marriage was the only way to truly start over. She looked at me then, her eyes searching mine, and for the first time, she saw it—my resolve. No tricks, no games. This was real.Her lashes fluttered, her grip on my collar loosening as she whispered,"So after we land…
ZeldaOf course I couldn't bear it.I never wanted to compete with Bai Luoxing for anything. She was the one who forced her way into my marriage. Even then, I retreated—step by step, until I'd put an ocean between us.Yet the Bai family still wouldn't let me go. They wanted me dead. How vicious could they be?But Leiy hadn't said much earlier. Even I was only guessing. Did James... already know it was them?My eyes widened in shock. "You knew? Bai Luoxing helped me leave the country, and the Bai family has been hunting me since I landed—"His face darkened at the mention of my escape. "How else do you think I found you?"I pressed my lips together, then let out a cold laugh."Well, color me surprised. I thought even if I accused the Bai family, you'd assume I was just smearing their name out of spite."The pain that flashed across his face was sharp enough to almost make me regret my words. Almost.His chest heaved, and before I could react, his hand shot out, gripping the back of my