I stood at the top of the grand staircase, watching fancy cars pull up to the mansion. My hands were clenched tight, and my heart pounded so hard that I thought it might burst out of my chest at any moment. But I knew I had to keep it together because today, I'd be in the hot seat for sure. The news had already caused so much trouble that the whole Roderigo family flew back to LA for an emergency meeting. The funniest part was that none of them was available for my engagement party claiming they are too busy and would make it to the wedding but here they were, finally seeing something to nag about. Mom was still in a coma since yesterday, and I was still scared to death she that something might go wrong with her. This shock must've been too much for her to handle. I let out a heavy sigh. I knew the family coming together would solve everything but I was sure that my cousins would definitely attack me first, trying to pin the blame on me. That's how they always are as we never r
As I finished, there was a complete silent and I could see a tug of smile at the corner of my father's face. Each them looked at themselves like they were having a silent conversation while I slowly sat back down as I was determined not to show any sign of weaknesses.Aunt Melissa cleared her throat, breaking the tense silence that followed my outburst. "Maya's right," she admitted, her voice soft but firm. "We've all become complacent, thinking our position was unassailable as we are all feared by many because of our power and connections but we never imagined someone would be brave enough to challenge us like this.”Uncle Edward cleared his throat. " And I’ll say whoever did this is pretty gutsy. But that doesn't change the fact that we need to act now. I've already sent warnings to every major broadcasting station. The story's been pulled, but the damage is done.""Pulled? That's not enough!" Adrian slammed his fist on the table. "We need to bury this story and whoever did this so
I stood next to the door of the private ward, watching my mom on the bed as she was surrounded by cameras and reporters.Mom woke up a couple of hours after the family meeting and immediately agreed to do the live session and clear the air about everything that was going on around.As she started talking about what really happened back then, my heart felt like it was going to burst at how emotional the story was. She really went through a lot both in her family and with her in-laws' family, and I knew that she didn't deserve this.Mom looked so small and fragile, but her voice was strong. I couldn't help but think she was the best mother in the world who would do anything for the sake of her own child.I wasn't of age back then to witness what had happened, but mom always narrated her ordeal to me ever since I was a kid, always telling me how precious I was to them.To some wealthy families, marriage is nothing but a business alliance, but in my parents' case, it was different as it
I didn't want his call or his text because what I wanted was his attention and him by my side, but he seemed too busy for that.Finally, he cleared his throat."Maya, I... I'm really sorry I wasn't there for you when all this news went viral. I knew I should have been by your side."I cut him off, "It's fine, Kingsley," I said, even though it wasn't really... but what else could I say? I was always the one that had the lower hand and too much to lose if everything went the wrong way while he could easily brush it off."Have you found the person who leaked it?""Carlos is on the warpath. He's hunting down whoever posted it. It's just... it's a mess.""Is there anything I can do to help?" Kingsley asked, his voice soft.I shook my head. "It's under control now. Well, as much as it can be."Another silence fell between us and I could feel the tension building between us, like a rubber band being stretched too tight and I nervously shifted my attention to the kids that were running around
His face was a mask of regret, but I couldn't bring myself to care. Not now. Not when his words were still ringing in my ears."I... I was angry. I know I shouldn't have said that and I'm very sorry for that," he stammered, reaching for me.I jerked away from his touch. "No, you shouldn't have. But you did. And you can't take it back.""Maya, please, let me explain. About earlier, at the park—""I told you, there's nothing to explain!" I snapped, my voice rising. "You made your choices. You chose to be with... whoever that is... on our engagement day. While I was dealing with my whole world falling apart!"Kingsley's eyes widened. "No, Maya, it wasn't like that. If you'd just listen—""Listen?" I laughed bitterly. "Kinglsey, I've done nothing but listen. I listened when you said you'd be there for me. I listened when you promised we'd face everything together. But where were you when I needed you most?"Tears flowed heavily down my face."I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I should have be
~~~ASHLEY'S POV~~~ My manicured nails dug into my palms as I watched that bitch mother on the livestream. Every word out of her fucking mouth made my blood boil as she sounded like nothing more than a bitch trying to get some cheap pity from the public. I was sure all she was saying was nothing but lies. The rumors are definitely true and she's trying to make them sympathize with her. Yes, I was the one that leaked it out. I wanted to give those two motherfuckers some engagement presents for what they did to me. That was why I did all that. I wouldn't have had to do that if perhaps Kingsley Bane hadn't done what he did to me but he dared to embarrass me, make me feel worthless, and belittle me in front of his friends and their useless bitches. Just because I was trying to make him see the true self of that bitch. Did he even think that I would just stay still without doing anything after what they both did to me? Hell no! In fact, I'm just getting started with them. But wha
His words hit me like a slap in the face, and my fists tightened into balls, my acrylic nails digging into my skin. I seethed with anger at hearing that name again—the name that had been making my life miserable over and over.How dare he mention her name in front of me?"Wasn't humiliating me in public enough?" I choked out, fighting back tears. "Aren't you satisfied with cheating on me and making me a laughing stock? Now you even have to do it in our own home? Why? Lance, why do you keep tormenting me like this? What else have I done wrong except loving you with all my heart, and you keep breaking it!"Lance's face was cold, cruel, completely devoid of emotion despite my emotional outburst. It broke my heart to see him like this. He had changed from the man I dated and fell in love with in college.Back then, my Lance would never do anything to make me sad or let me cry, but now all he seemed to want was to hurt me. It seemed he derived joy from seeing me cry my heart out."You shou
My legs felt like jelly as I approached an old industrial building which was tucked away in the part of the city which I barely venture into. Each step that I took was a battle against my instincts, which was screaming at me to turn and flee. But the image of my father's face if he ever found out what I'd done... that was even more terrifying than whatever awaited me here.The Roderigos already found out that I was the one behind and right now Bill is on their custody. I didn't come here because of saving him but because of saving my own skin as I knew the power in their hands over my family.I clearly took care of things neatly on my own ends and has no idea that Bill would do a shady work and even mentioned my name when he was caught. How dare he do this do me! After having even paying him with my own body.As I climbed into stairs, going to the first floor, my heart pounded so hard that I could feel it in my throat, threatening to choke me. Sweat trickled down my spine, making my
****MAYA'S POV****Walking into the hospital, I was greeted by the smell of antiseptics. I rushed past the sterile white walls, my heels clicking against the cold floor as I quickly approached the reception counter. “Good afternoon.” “Good afternoon, ma'am,” one of the nurses replied. “Please, I need to see a patient. Her name is Mia Flynn," I said, my voice strained but firm. "I’m her guardian." “Alright, ma'am. Please give me a second,” she said politely, and I gave a nod. I waited patiently as she typed on the computer. Checking my phone again, I felt a little bit disappointed in myself as I had missed a lot of Bella's calls while in court. But as I glanced up from my phone, I noticed the nurse sneaking quick glances at me, her eyes darting away every time I caught her. A quick sweep of the room confirmed it wasn’t just her. A few other nurses and even patients were watching too, whispering to one another. I didn’t really know what was going on in their minds, whether i
****LANCE'S POV****Victory should feel better than this but it seems totally different from what Maya was feeling as if we lost the case. She had been lost in thought since morning. Her brow narrowed as she finally let out what was bothering her."But why is Kingsley laughing like that?" she murmured, enough for me to hear. "Maybe he never for once dreamed of a day that he would be beaten like this? Or Maybe…the defeat hit him hard," I replied, forcing a smile. " But Maya are you now alright? I was so worried when Ethan was pressuring you so much. You had…”I stopped mid-sentence when I realized her attention wasn’t on me. Her eyes were distant, her lips parted slightly as she leaned against the pillar with her arms crossed, lost in her own world. No, not her world—’his’. “Do you think he’s alright?” she murmured softly, almost as if she were asking herself.Her words hit me hard. My jaw tightened, my hand curling into a fist at my side as an unfamiliar wave of jealousy coursed
I leaned back, crossing my legs as I watched the drama. The outcome of this trial was already clear. Then, it was Ethan's turn. “Your Honor,” Ethan began, “may I call Ms. Maya Roderigo to the stand?” The judge approved, and Maya took her place in the witness box. Ethan wasted no time. “Miss Roderigo,” he started, “could you kindly explain to the court how you came to own Wells Enterprises?” Before Maya could answer, Henry Wallace shot to his feet. “Objection, Your Honor! This is irrelevant to the case at hand.” Ethan turned to the judge, unfazed. “Your Honor, this question is highly relevant. The financial state of Wells Enterprises prior to Miss Roderigo’s ownership directly pertains to the viability of the rezoning proposal. The company’s struggles predate my client’s involvement, and now they are planning a daylight robbery, claiming that the rezoning rumors are the reason behind their poor business performance.First, they brought a fake document about land use and n
****KINGSLEY’S POV****The civil court was a circus today, as there were far more people than I had expected to be here and reporters were even present, but they were not allowed to record anything and could only take notes on what they heard and saw.I had a front-row seat, sitting in the defendant’s chair. My lawyer, Ethan Shaw, whose brow furrowed as he flipped through stacks of documents, was seated on my left, with his assistant on my right.And across the room, Maya sat with her lawyer, her face was a mixture of determination and anger, as if she were upset about something. Was it because I had snubbed her earlier? I don't think so.I looked around, and my gaze landed on Lance Wells, who lounged smugly among the audience, the expression on his face was that of sadness as if he was separated from something important to him . Then, when my eyes shifted to the person next to him, I immediately understood why Maya seemed so angry and why his own expression wa alos like that.I sigh
We turned in unison, and there she was—Ashley. Her radiant smile beamed as if she’d just won the lottery. She waved enthusiastically, her left hand high in the air, drawing every ounce of attention toward herself. My fists curled into tight balls at my sides, anger surging through me like a storm. And what the fuck is she doing here?In anger, I glared at Lance, who also looked a little bit surprised by her presence. He gave me that “I’m sorry” look, but that’s not what I wanted from him. I wanted him to tell me why she was here.Ashley rushed toward our side and then stormed into the midst of Lance and Henry, pushing Henry away from Lance. My stomach churned when she flashed him that annoying smile and looped her arm through Lance’s. My patience thinned. “What are you doing here?” Lance growled before I could say a word. His voice was low but sharp. Ashley tilted her head coyly. “Oh, honey, don’t be like that. Have you forgotten that I told you I would support you no matte
Standing in the corridor of the courtroom on the first floor of the tall building, I let out a soft sigh as I intertwined my fingers nervously. I was trying so hard to convince myself that I wouldn’t embarrass myself in court today especially since it looked like I would be appearing without my lawyer. "I’ve really underestimated my opponent. I should have foreseen this," I muttered under my breath as I was already feeling frustrated. Behind me, Lance paced back and forth with his phone totally glued to his ear. He had been trying to reach Henry for the past hours, but there was no answer. Many bad thought had already been playing on my head. Each time I heard the automatic response from the network provider, my frustration grew as I thought what I actually thought had happened. "Where the hell is he?" Lance growled, ending another failed call. I leaned against one of the stone pillars, watching the steady stream of people going in and out of the courthouse and deep down
I exhaled slowly. “I won’t forgive you,” I said and I could see a flicker of something like sadness—or was it disappointment? across his face. “At least, not yet. But if you win this case for us…” I let my words hang in the air, a faint smile tugging at my lips. Immediately he heard that, Henry’s head shot up. Relief washed over his face. “I’ll win it. You have my word,” he promised. “Bold of you to promise that,” Lance interjected with a teasing smirk. “You’ll be up against one of the biggest firms in America. Do you even stand a chance?” Henry straightened and said confidently. “I’ll take your doubt as fuel to prove you wrong man.” His tone was defiant, and the two men exchanged chuckles. Henry glanced up at Lance hesitantly. “You’re not angry with me?” Lance responded, looking at me. “Since she said she’d forgive you eventually…” He trailed off, mouthing a quiet ‘thank you’ in my direction. I cleared my throat as I quickly shifted my gaze away from him, clearly uncomfort
Sitting in the meeting room with Lance and Bryan seated across from me, I lightly tapped my fingers against the polished surface of the table. My gaze which was fixed on the stack of files before me, was now starting to blur. I’d been poring over documents since morning as we’re all desperately searching for legal precedents to block the rezoning of this building. My temples throbbed, and I sighed in exhaustion. Even, the words on the pages are beginning to dance, moving around on their own. My eyes were failing me. Who exactly would have thought this is what I’d be doing the moment I took over Lance’s company? If I’d known it would be like this, I swear I never as done it. Just as I was nearing the end of the document in front of me, the door creaked open, and Janet entered, pushing a cart that was stacked high with dusty files and documents. She wheeled it to the table and began to unload them right in front of me. “These are the last documents,” she announced as she placed
***KINGSLEY'S POV***The tension in the room was suffocating as Maya said she was here to talk about us. About us? Did she mean the same ‘us’ that she abandoned because she didn't trust me enough. She didn't believe that I could protect her and she left.Maya stood right in front of me, looking at me with those pleading eyes that once had the power to melt my resolve. But not anymore. Not after what she had done to me and the humiliation she had made me go through. I became a man that wasn't only lied to but was also abandoned; as my family had no idea that I was aware of everything about her. I was sure if not because she fainted that day, she would have run out of the hall, abandoning me on the altar.My jaw tightened as I looked at her but I held it all back in, and forced my gaze back to the files in my hand, pretending to be unbothered by her presence. “We have nothing left to talk about," I said flatly, flipping a page I wasn’t even reading, but just pretending to be busy. "No