Back in the office, the corridors of the Orlov office buzzed with activity as whispers and sidelong glances followed Jane on her way to her new workspace. She moved quickly yet cautiously, anxiety gnawing at her. She was not ready for the world to know her past, and yet it seemed that everyone already knew. In a corner near the water cooler, a small group of employees exchanged hushed words."I heard she got married at 18 for money—when her husband refused to give her what she wanted, she manipulated him, and in the end she committed suicide," said a young man named Mark in a low tone.A nearby woman, Claire, scoffed. "Me too. I heard she even stole him from her sister. If I were her, I’d wish never to wake up from that coma. How is she going to face the world now after exposing herself?"Another voice added, "She is even her adopted sister, no less. That’s so embarrassing for her."Before Jane could reach her office, Sylvia—the head of PR—strolled up with an icy glare. Without a word
When they got home, Diego refused to let her walk; he carried her to her room. "Drop me, Diego—people are watching. I don't want to complicate the situation!" she screamed as she hit his back. But he didn’t even answer her. Immediately, Ms. Rose saw him and ran to get help. They quickly opened the door. Ms. Rose, the eldest assistant on the Orlov estate, had raised Diego Orlov after his mother abandoned him and left his father for someone richer. To this day, no one knows if Diego Orlov’s mother, Ms. Sarah Orlov, is still alive. People stared at them, whispering among themselves as Diego carried her to her room. Once he dropped her on her bed, she tried to speak, but he quickly shut her up. "Shhh... blabber mouth, do not say a word," he ordered. This made Jane remain silent, silently watching him as if she were speaking in her mind. She observed his every move.Diego then left the room and returned with a first aid kit while Mr. Leo ran after him. "Let me take care of her wounds," Mr.
Diego spoke first. “Yeah, I said so. What is it that you want? Tell me, and I’ll do anything.” Jane used his words as an excuse. “I won’t need it now, so keep it for later, okay?” she replied.Even though Diego had answered, he was not satisfied. He kept staring at Jane, and she felt uneasy. Her stomach fluttered with nervous butterflies, and her heart tingled. “Why is he staring at me like that?” she wondered silently. To break the tension, Jane jumped up and said, “Don’t you have anything to do? Maybe Dante, John, Leo, or someone else needs you outside. Go join them—I’m fine.” She wanted him to leave quickly before she did something she might later regret. But Diego insisted, “I’d rather stay here with you and make sure you are okay.” His words made Jane feel guilty, and deep down she wished that Ms. Rose or someone else would step in.Outside the room, John and Leo were in the middle of an argument. “I think Jane likes the boss too, but she is scared because of what she’s been thro
"Who pushed me, Diego? Why won't you say anything?" Jane kept urging Diego to tell her who did it, but Diego remained silent. "I can't say things without facts. The only person who saw who pushed you—the only witness was my father and he—died years ago, so until I get my hands on evidence or probably another witness, I just can't tell you,I have my reasons" Diego responded, wanting to leave again."you have your reasons?? but Wait, don't go yet. What should I do now? I feel so horrible—I have been suffering all this time, paying debts without knowing they've been paid, performing duties that weren't needed. What should I do now, huh? Please don't leave yet," Jane muttered. She wasn't feeling fine at all; the pain and betrayal were hitting her hard. She wished she hadn't asked him, and at the same time, she was furious. Even though Diego refused to tell her and had a valid reason, she decided not to disturb him further. Instead, she asked, "How were you after your sister passed?" Immed
"The last words that came out of his mouth were, 'Daniel Crestwell,'" Diego finally told Dante. "Damn, that man is really not a good person, and now he is a candidate for a position in the House of Assembly. What if we use this publicity as the perfect time to take him down?" Dante asked Diego, his eyes filled with curiosity. Diego smirked. "Do you think it's that easy? If it were, we would have had him behind bars already. He has done a lot of crimes, but he knows how to clean up after himself." Diego told Dante that he had received a business investment proposal from Daniel Crestwell. At first, he didn't want to accept it, but now he thought he would, just to know what exactly was going on with Daniel's man. "I will get close to him and get most of the information from his mouth... or what do you think?" he asked Dante. Diego isn’t someone who usually asks for people's opinions, but today he did—which meant he really wanted to move forward. He was tired of being stuck in one place.
Back at the estate, when Ms. Rose was on a call with Clarita earlier, Diego was passing through the lobby when he overheard Ms. Rose saying, "What do you mean you are looking for Miss Stadler? She is not at home! I thought you were with her! Hello??" But Clarita ended the call. Diego turned and went straight to Ms. Rose."What were you saying just now, Ms. Rose?" he asked. Even when Ms. Rose tried to deny knowing anything and attempted to divert Diego's attention, it wasn’t working."I heard what you were saying just now. You can't lie to me. I have ears, so answer me—what happened to Miss Stadler?" he demanded.Ms. Rose hesitated but finally admitted, "Dante and Clari have been searching for her for a while now."Diego’s expression changed. He rubbed his head and then dropped his hands. "What do you even mean by Jane not being home? I saw her a few hours ago, and she isn’t even feeling well. So what do you mean by that?" he asked Ms. Rose.Trying to escape Diego, she said, "I have so
Shocked, Diego's eyes widened, his hands dropping to his sides. The moment Jane realized what she had done, she turned and ran. Without hesitation, Diego ran after her.As she neared Dante and John, who were standing by the car, she shouted, "Open the door for me!"Dante and John exchanged confused glances, unsure of what was happening. Jane reached the car, yanked the door open, and jumped inside. "Drive!" she commanded.Before Dante could get in, Diego caught up and stopped him. "Don't," he ordered firmly.Dante and John stood frozen, caught between Diego and Jane, unsure whose orders to follow."I'm your boss. Do as I say," Diego told them.Jane, from inside the car, countered, "And I'm your boss too. Follow my orders!"Diego reached for the door handle, but it was locked. He turned to Dante. "Open the door. Now."John hesitated, then clicked the unlock button on the key fob. Diego instructed him, "Drive us home. Dante, bring the other car you came with."Jane was about to step out
“I just...Diego…” Jane’s voice was quieter now, softer. “When you held me like that, it felt like I was safe for a second. I felt comfort and these zeal inside of me" these time around she was sure of what she was feeling but she doesn't want to ruin the friendship they have, she doesn't want distraction from her plans.He looked up at her, brushing strands of hair away from her tear-streaked face. “like I said You’re not alone princess Not as long as I’m here.”“But I don’t understand you sometimes,” she whispered. “sometimes you are sweet, sometimes you are possessive, sometimes you don't care, how many personalities do you even have, and why do you have so much secret?”Diego stood up slowly, as if the weight of her question sank deeper than the floor beneath him. He sighed, raking a hand through his hair, then turned to face the window.“I’m not used to this,” he said, voice low. “Letting people in… I’ve spent most of my life building walls.”Jane stood up. “I’m not asking you to
Daniel & Lucy (estate, Crestwell City) The silence in the penthouse was loud. Rain splattered lightly against the glass as Lucy closed the door to Nathaniel’s empty room. She lingered there, staring at the little dinosaur plush toy on the shelf, her nails biting into her palm. “Do you think he misses us?” she asked, her voice soft and hollow. Daniel, seated on the couch with his tie loose and his phone untouched beside him, didn’t look up. “It’s been two weeks.” “That’s not an answer.” Daniel rubbed his temples. “We made the right choice, Lucy. He’s safe in the UK. Far from all this.” “All what?” Her voice cracked, sharp now. “Far from his mother’s shadow? Or far from the mess we created?” He turned toward her, finally. “You want him here? In this circus?” “I want to stop pretending like we didn’t throw our own son into exile because we’re afraid o
The courtroom smelled of old paper and newer tension.Jane sat straight-backed in the wooden seat, her palms sweaty against the fabric of her skirt. Beside her, Jullie shuffled a stack of documents with quiet purpose, her lips pursed, heels crossed neatly beneath the table. The room wasn’t full, but the presence of reporters from outside, along with Orlov’s legal counsel and a few curious spectators, made the air feel tight, dense with anticipation.On the bench, the judge adjusted her glasses and cleared her throat. “We are here today to review Petition 08-9342, regarding the reversal of a previously issued Certificate of Death, bearing the name—” she looked up at Jane, “—Jane Francisca Stadler.”Jane’s breath hitched in her throat. That name hadn’t been spoken in a courtroom in over six years. Not without “deceased” beside it.Jullie stood. “Your Honor, we’ve submitted full medical records from multiple institutions, DNA verification,
The courthouse was a monolith of glass and steel, an impersonal beast swallowing stories whole. Jane stood in the hallway outside Hearing Room 2C, clutching the lapels of her blazer like armor. Her eyes flicked across the waiting benches where whispers slithered between reporters and interns, all pretending not to recognize her.She wasn’t a secret anymore — Jane Stadler was alive, but the law had yet to catch up with the truth.Inside the hearing room, the buzz of tension settled like static against her skin. Jullie stood at her side, chin high, expression carved in marble."Try not to let the prosecutor’s face fool you," Jullie muttered under her breath. "He’s paid to look constipated."Jane stifled a smile.Across the aisle, the public prosecutor, Harris Wren, was already flipping through Jane’s file like it insulted his intelligence. Silver-haired and sour, he tapped the paper slowly and looked up at the judge.“With all due respect, Your Honor, we cannot simply erase a legal deat
The corridor leading to the public records office smelled of stale air and forgotten stories. Jane walked slowly, her steps measured, yet her hands clenched into fists at her sides. The fluorescent lights buzzed above her head. Each flicker echoed the pounding in her chest. Behind her, Jullie walked with a crisp, professional pace, her heels clicking against the linoleum floor like a metronome keeping time with Jane's dread.The receptionist barely looked up. “Name?”Jullie answered before Jane could. “Jane fransica Stadler.”There was a pause — not of recognition, but of confusion. The receptionist’s fingers stilled above the keyboard. “You must be mistaken.”“I’m her attorney,” Jullie said, sliding a folder across the counter. “We’re here to begin the process of correcting an erroneous death registration.”The woman stared at Jane. “That’s… not possible.”“It is,” Jullie replied coolly. “Rare, but not impossible.”They were sent to a back room, where a thin man with wire-rim glasses
"Surprise? For me?" Jane blinked in disbelief, looking between Dante and Diego. She followed Dante up the stairs, heart racing. Something about his expression—like he was barely holding back a grin—told her this wasn’t just some casual shit, what could it be , she wondered When they got to her door, Dante stepped aside. “Go on,” he said, lips twitching.Jane opened the door—and before she could even process what was happening, someone jumped out from behind the curtain."JULIEEEEEEE!" she screamed, eyes wide in total shock.Julie, her childhood best friend, flung her arms open and caught her in a tight hug. The two of them twirled around the room, squealing and laughing like teenagers, overwhelmed with joy.Jane jumped, danced, her hands clutched tightly in Julie's. “I can’t believe this—how are you even here?!”Julie was laughing, tears in her eyes. “Diego, that fool, finally reached out to me last week. Do you know I almost passed out when he said you were alive?! I dropped everyth
"You've been saying that for close to a year now. Tomorrow makes it exactly one year since you woke from that coma, but you still don't want to take that bold step." Diego’s voice cut through the silence, low and firm. He paused, his gaze locking onto Jane. "The other day when you went missing... you tried to harm yourself. You did things, Jane."Jane turned away, tears drying on her cheek as she rolled her eyes with a bitter scoff. "You think it's so easy, right? Some days I’m happy. Some days I just want to find them and kill them both. But then I think of my sister’s child—Nathan. And I can’t help but feel soft."Diego moved closer, his expression hard. “Did they think of you when they pushed you off that rooftop? Did they care then? You spent years lying in a hospital bed while your so-called mate fulfilled his dreams—his plans. While Lucy played the perfect assistant.” His voice cracked with restrained emotion. “And you’re talking about feeling soft?”Jane flinched at the truth o
Life had a strange way of playing with you, bending and twisting your reality into shapes you didn’t ask for, never wanted. Before Lucy came to live with us, before she stepped into our world and offered me a glimmer of hope, my life had been a shadow of what it could have been.Daniel’s behavior had turned darker, more suffocating with every passing day. It was like I was drowning in his control. At first, I thought it was all just part of the marriage, the adjustments two people make when they come together. But soon, I realized that it wasn’t just adjusting—it was subjugation.From the moment we married, Daniel insisted on a certain kind of order in our household. He believed it was my duty to take care of everything. I was supposed to manage the house, cook his meals, and take care of all the mundane, soul-draining chores that most husbands would help with or at least share. But not Daniel. No, he wanted to make it clear who was in charge.I washed his clothes by hand, every singl
The day I turned 18 felt like the beginning of a new chapter, a fresh start. But I had no idea just how much it would change my life, how the decisions I would make in the next few weeks would irrevocably alter everything I had known.Daniel Crestwell was no stranger to me. He was known for his brilliance, his ability to resurrect dying companies and make them thrive again. At first, it seemed like the perfect match—he had a reputation for being a savior in the corporate world, a man with a vision and an iron will. The kind of person who didn’t back down from challenges. And for someone like me, who felt as if she were drowning in her family’s debts, the thought of being with someone like him seemed like the lifeline I so desperately needed.My parents, too, had been drawn to him. He had made them promises—promises that he could save their company, that he could restore their family’s legacy. In exchange for his efforts, they were willing to allow him into our lives, not just as a par
Jane’s POV, Diego’s ReflectionI sat in the dimly lit room, the weight of the past pressing down on me, suffocating in its intensity. Diego sat across from me, his expression a mixture of concern and something else I couldn’t place. His dark eyes, usually so steady and calm, now held a softness I had never seen before. It was as if he had just peeled back a layer of my soul, and what he found, he didn’t want to leave unspoken."You must have been through a lot," he said, his voice low, gentle. I nodded silently, unsure if I could even begin to explain the turmoil that had defined my life for the last few years. His words—simple, straightforward—felt like an acknowledgment of all the pain I had carried alone. Maybe he saw it in me. Maybe he knew the weight of the silence that had followed me for so long. Whatever it was, it made me feel... seen.I couldn’t help but glance away. The memories of the last few years played in my mind like a film I couldn’t stop watching. My time with Danie