One after another, the tears became a steady stream, growing more intense, until the first sobs escaped, shaking her shoulders uncontrollably.She opened her mouth to try to speak, but it was as if the words had become trapped somewhere between her throat and her chest, crushed by the weight of guilt and fear. Sobs choked her voice, breaking it into inaudible fragments as she desperately searched for a way to explain, to justify everything she had done.But nothing came out but small, broken sounds, her breathing ragged as her pleading eyes searched for some reaction from Drake, something that could soothe the storm of emotions raging inside her.Blair felt her face wet and the tears continued, relentless, making every attempt to speak a failure. She knew she needed to say something, or at least ease the hurt she saw in his eyes. But regret, sadness, and despair were all mixed together in such a mess that words seemed impossible to form."Yes," she whispered, the word barely audible,
"Ethan did not seem that dangerous, did he?" Carter asked with a cold smile as he walked over to the couch to pick up his briefcase. With the same disturbing calm, he walked toward the door, as if the whole threat was a routine formality. "But he is."Blair looked at Drake, who stood in the corner of the room, his posture defeated, his shoulders hunched, like a cornered animal."Or what?" The question escaped Blair's mouth before she could stop it, an impulse of desperation and defiant curiosity.Carter stopped, a few steps from the elevator, where the doors were already open. He turned, his gaze curious and cold. "What?""Ethan is going to destroy my life," Blair whispered, letting out a deep sigh, filled with resignation and a hint of uncertain hope. "And what's the other option? What can I do to stop it?"Carter stared at her for a moment, weighing every word, every expression. Slowly, the elevator doors closed, and he took a step back into the apartment, his face lit with a calcul
“Every day will be bad for you,” he murmured, his voice a whisper laden with menace. “It’s a one-sided negotiation. But you can deny it and see what happens.”He leaned closer, his lips almost touching her ear. “And if you must know, I’d like you to deny it, just so I can watch Ethan raise hell to Earth.”Blair closed her eyes for a moment, taking in the gravity of the situation. What Carter was saying was true, and the thought of denying his marriage proposal paralyzed her. What she was about to make was a choice that could bring everything around her crashing down. But at the same time, the sight of Drake, the pain and desperation in his eyes, reminded her of what was at stake.What would become of her if she couldn't protect the ones she loved?Carter’s voice rang out again, sharp as a blade. “Think, Blair. Think about what you really want. The choice is in your hands.”The conflict inside her intensified, Carter's every word sounding like a synonym for doom. She was about to be th
“do not look at that, Blair,” he says, his voice firm but gentle.“You were the one who was looking,” I accuse him, frustration dripping from my voice, as if that could dispel the feeling of helplessness that washes over me.“I was expecting it by watching the news and… well, he’s always news,” Drake stammers, visibly uncomfortable. “It was a mistake.”“Do you always do this?” I ask, my voice firm. “Do you always see things about him?”“Whenever you are not around,” he replies, and the guilt-ridden tone makes me feel a mix of anger and sadness.“Why?” the question escapes, filled with desperation.The answer I want doesn't seem to come, and that frustrates me even more.“Blair, leave it,” he says, looking away, as if trying to escape the conversation. He walks around the room and into the kitchen, looking for a breather and a way to avoid the confrontation. “Juice? Cookies? Fruit?” he tries to divert attention.“I do not want food, I want answers!” I reply, the intensity of the situat
Slap!As my mother-in-law Dora's heavy hand collides with my face, a searing pain shoots through my cheek, jolting my head to the side. A surge of redness flushes my skin, intensifying the agony. Struggling to maintain my balance, I stumble backward, eventually collapsing onto the softness of the bed behind me. Instinctively, my hand darts to my throbbing cheek, the pain radiating through every fiber of my being."You pathetic excuse for a woman," she sneers, her words dripping with contempt. "My son's birthday is in two days, and you dare to show such incompetence by not having the party prepared?"She towers above me, her presence intimidating. Dora embodies the essence of Italian aristocracy, her tall, slender figure accentuated by a sharp nose and angular features."I've hired a party planner," I retort."As a Banks, you should be capable of organizing a celebration yourself!" Her words are laced with venom, each syllable dripping with disdain as she delivers her cutting remark.
Collapsing to my knees, I clutch at my hair, fingers tangling in the strands as if to anchor myself to reality. The weight of Ethan's deception crushes me, leaving me gasping for air amidst the wreckage of our shattered marriage. Every sound of their exchange feels like a cruel echo of my own naivety, a reminder that I was nothing more than a pawn in his game. As Ethan's footsteps echo up the stairs, each one carries the weight of our broken trust.Ethan never loved me! We got involved a few years ago. I was a young girl trying to make it in the big city. He was a famous billionaire. I tried to do the right thing at the time, but the right thing was to betray Ethan's trust.I did it.I paid the price for it.**The relentless rain in Los Angeles mirrors the turmoil in my heart as I shuffle towards the kitchen. Each drop that splatters against the windowpane echoes the tears I've shed since discovering the bitter truth about my three-year marriage — a illusion crumbling before my eye
Ethan's gaze lands on me, his expression steeped in irritation, as though blaming me for the mishap.Dora strides into the kitchen, her commanding presence accentuated by her piercing blue eyes and the elegant cascade of silver strands in her perfectly styled hair. Clad in a tailored suit that exudes sophistication, she announces, "Good morning," her gaze landing on me with an unmistakable intensity. "What's this? You're a mess, girl," she remarks, her tone dripping with disdain, leaving me feeling small and insignificant."I accidentally spat on her because the coffee was bitter. I will clean it all up," Mariah says."No need. Someone will take care of it later," Ethan intervenes, his indifference cutting deeper than any insult."Go clean yourself up," Dora orders me, her voice laced with contempt, "and call someone to clean up this mess." Her command reinforces my sense of worthlessness, leaving me to silently comply.I rush out, but Dora's words pierce through me like knives. "In
His black suit clings to him like a second skin, accentuating every sinew of his powerful frame. The fabric, sleek and impeccably tailored, molds to his body with a precision that speaks of luxury and sophistication. I straighten my posture, forcing myself to maintain composure in the face of the storm brewing around us.His blue eyes, usually so inscrutable, now hold a glint of something unreadable, something that sends a ripple of unease through me. Our gazes lock in the mirror, a silent exchange charged with unspoken words and unfulfilled promises. I want to break the silence, to confront him about the betrayal that hangs between us like a dark cloud. But the words stick in my throat, trapped by the suffocating grip of the tension that surrounds us.I feel his gaze linger on me, traveling from head to toe, like a predator assessing its prey. A shiver runs down my spine as his eyes roam over my form, leaving a trail of heat in their wake. I hate that he has so much power over me