DAVID I was mid-conversation with my assistant when my phone buzzed. I glanced at the screen, and my stomach twisted. Lizzy. Of all people.Reluctantly, I swiped to answer. "What do you want?"A laugh crackled through the line. "Well, well, D.D. You actually picked up.""Didn’t think you had the nerve to call," I shot back, my voice cold."Oh, come on, D.D. She’s been pushing my buttons. I just want to show her who’s in charge." Her tone was light, but I could hear the venom lurking beneath.I clenched the phone tighter. "Listen, Lizzy. Don’t mess with my wife. Don’t even think about it.""Your wife?" She snorted, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "You don’t seriously mean to call her that, do you?""This is your final warning." My words came out sharp, clipped.Her laughter rang out, dark and unsettling. "D.D., you’re mine. Always have been, always will be. And I’ll make sure she’s gone for good." The line went dead, but her sinister laugh lingered in my ears.I exhaled slowly, shovi
BELLA I blinked against the harsh white light overhead. The sterile scent of disinfectant burned my nose. Where was I? My gaze darted around the room, landing on a figure by the window. David. His posture was rigid, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. Even from here, I could feel the storm brewing inside him.The memory slammed into me like a wave. Lizzy. My father. The syringe. My chest tightened as I tried to push myself upright, but a sharp, pulling ache kept me pinned to the bed.“David,” I whispered, my voice barely audible beneath the hiss of the oxygen mask.His head snapped around. In a heartbeat, he was by my side, his hand brushing a strand of hair from my face. “Bella,” he said, his voice low and rough, “don’t try to move. Are you okay?”I nodded weakly, too overwhelmed to do more.My thoughts raced. Where was my father? Was he safe? What about Julie? How many days had I been here? I opened my mouth, but no words came out. Frustration clawed at me.David’s hand envelop
DAVIDI got a call from my grandfather, summoning me to his mansion. The last thing I wanted was another lecture, and his timing was suspicious. What could he want now? Was this about Roy?As I arrived, I caught sight of Mr. Roy leaving, shaking hands with my grandfather before driving off in his black luxury car. My jaw tightened. Of course, Roy would be here.“Grandpa!” I called out as he began walking toward the house.He turned, leaning heavily on his cane. “David, you’re here.” His voice carried the weight of years, but there was something sharper in his tone today.I fell into step beside him as he ambled toward the house. “I assume you just saw Mr. Roy leave,” he said, glancing at me.“Yes, I did,” I replied cautiously, studying his face for clues.“Roy was your father’s closest friend,” he said, pausing to look at me as if weighing his next words. “But lately, someone has been causing him trouble. His company is on the verge of bankruptcy, and his family is in shambles.”My he
DAVID “You heard me right, David. I think he killed your father.” Her voice wavered, cracking under the weight of words she’d clearly been holding onto for years.My grip on the phone tightened. “Mom… what are you saying? Why would you even think that?”“This isn’t something I can explain over the phone,” she said, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Come to the house. I’ll tell you everything then.”The line went dead before I could ask anything else.I stood frozen for a moment, the words circling my mind like vultures. He killed your father. The idea seemed ridiculous, impossible even. Yet, as I replayed my mother’s trembling voice, I felt something stir inside me fear? Anger? Questions. Too many questions.“Take me to my mother’s house,” I said to the driver, sliding into the back seat of the car.The drive felt endless, Grandpa’s words ‘You’re just like your father’ echoing in my mind. Why now? Why was my father’s name suddenly everywhere?“Boss, we’re here,” my driver said, snapp
DAVIDGrandpa’s words churned in my mind, a tangle of questions and suspicions. He had avoided my gaze when I brought up my dad's meeting with Roy the meeting that ended in silence, my dad never returning.The car engine hummed softly as I leaned back, staring out the window. My mother’s voice echoed in my thoughts. “Be careful with Roy if you want to investigate. I don’t want to lose a son.” Her hands trembled as she said it, her eyes pleading, filled with a fear that wasn’t hers alone but something passed down, something buried.I clenched my fists. Whatever secrets they were keeping, I’d dig them up. All of them.“Sam,” I said, breaking the silence. My assistant sat upright beside me, his tablet balanced on his lap.“Yes, sir?”“I need you to investigate something. Deeply. There’s a secret buried somewhere, and I need to know what it is. But…” I paused, glancing at him, “be careful. This is dangerous.”His eyes widened a flicker of surprise, maybe fear but he nodded. “Understood.”
BELLA David’s eyes stayed locked on me, his brow furrowed with worry. He didn’t say a word, but I could feel the tension in the way his hand tightened around mine. “I’ll handle it,” he said finally, his voice steady and firm. “I’ll make them pay for what they did to your father.” I pulled my hand away, shaking my head. “No. This is my fight, David.” My voice cracked, but I refused to let the emotion stop me. “He’s my father. I need to do this myself.” His jaw clenched, and I knew he wanted to argue, but I didn’t give him a chance. “I’ve seen the news,” I continued, stepping closer. “The scandal you stirred up it’s brilliant, and I appreciate everything you’ve done. But this isn’t about Roy. It’s about his daughter. She’s the one who hurt my family. She’s the one who needs to pay.” Anger bubbled in my chest, fierce and unrelenting. My hands trembled as I balled them into fists. “She thinks she can destroy my father’s name and walk away? I’ll show her what a mistake that was.
BELLAThe steady beep of the monitor was the only sound in the room, blending with the faint antiseptic smell that clung to everything. My father lay motionless on the bed, his pale face a ghost of the man I knew. The sight of him like this made my chest tighten.The door creaked open, and the doctor walked in, his white coat swishing behind him.“Ma’am,” he greeted, his tone professional but tinged with caution. “How are you feeling? We’re truly sorry about what happened last time. I assure you, it won’t happen again.”I forced a small smile, more for my own reassurance than his. It won’t happen again because I’ll make sure of it, I thought, clenching my hands to keep steady.“How’s my father?” I asked, turning to him.He hesitated, his gaze flickering to the floor before returning to me. “He’s stable for now. We’ve flushed the poison out of his system, but... until he wakes up, we can’t say for certain.”There was something in his tone something he wasn’t saying.“Is there more? Don
DAVID Something about my dad and Roy didn’t sit right. I knew it, felt it in my gut. I told Sam to wait for me at the mansion.The moment I stepped inside, I spotted him. He was slumped in one of the chairs, pale, with swollen eyes and a split lip. His suit, usually pristine, looked rumpled, his hands trembling slightly as he rose to greet me.“Sir,” he said, voice hoarse. “I have the information.”I moved closer, my gaze narrowing on his battered face. “What the hell happened to you?”“It’s nothing,” he muttered, attempting to straighten his back. “Just a gang… they jumped me on my way here.”“A gang?” My voice sharpened. “Why would anyone attack you?”John, my head of security, stepped forward. His jaw was tight, and I could see the frustration in his eyes. “Boss, we were late. By the time we got to him, they had already done a number on him. They scattered when they saw us, but… it was close.”“How close?” I asked quietly.John hesitated. “Close enough. He was almost killed.”My s
BELLA The room felt suffocating, the weight of unspoken questions pressing against my chest. I stepped out into the garden, the cool evening air offering little relief from the storm inside me. The golden hues of the setting sun bathed the garden in a warm glow, but my thoughts were far from calm. From a distance, Jasper’s laughter rippled through the air, light and carefree. He crouched beside a patch of marigolds, meticulously arranging his toy trucks in neat rows. His small hands moved with focus, his head tilted in concentration—a gesture so achingly familiar, it stole my breath. I leaned against the gazebo, folding my arms as I studied him. Every feature mirrored my own: the same thick, wavy hair and almond-shaped eyes that seemed to hold the world within them. It was like looking into a reflection of my childhood. My chest tightened. Could it really be true? Could he be my son? I swallowed the thought before it could take root. No assumptions, not yet. Pulling my phon
DAVIDBella’s hand slipped into mine, her fingers warm, steady, like a silent anchor in the storm of my thoughts. I could feel her watching me, the way her breath held just a little tighter, as if she were waiting for me to reveal something important, something heavy. Her gaze was soft, patient, but her eyes those eyes were filled with questions. I had to tell her now, before the silence swallowed us whole.“I need to tell you something,” I began, my voice rough, like I hadn’t used it in years. I pulled in a shaky breath, trying to steady my nerves. “You know I’m Jasper’s biological father, right?”She didn’t flinch, didn’t pull her hand away. Instead, she just looked at me, her brow furrowed slightly as if processing my words. Her lips parted, and I could see the wheels turning behind her eyes. “Yes, I know,” she said quietly, her voice betraying none of the surprise I felt. “Nobody knows except... well, except you. You’ve kept that part of your life a secret.”I swallowed, nodding,
DAVID “Who could that be?” I muttered, lowering Bella gently onto the bed. She curled into the sheets, her hair spilling over the pillow, her flushed face glowing with post-kiss warmth. My gut tightened, unease bubbling as I strode to the door.When I swung it open, Mrs. Williams stood there, her perfectly sculpted smile greeting me like a storm waiting to erupt. Her gaze flicked downward for a split second, and a mischievous glint lit her eyes. I didn’t have to look down to know what she’d seen.“Hope I’m not interrupting anything,” she said, her voice layered with mock innocence.Heat crept up my neck as I grabbed Bella’s pillow and shifted it in front of me. Her laugh was light but deliberate, like a dagger teasing its target.“Come in,” I said, stepping aside and silently cursing the timing.Bella appeared from the bed, her eyes widening in surprise as she rushed forward.“Mom!” she said, her tone a mix of joy and confusion.Mrs. Williams enveloped her in an embrace, smoothing do
DAVIDThe shrill wail of police sirens cut through the dawn, jolting me from my restless sleep. Groaning, I pushed the heavy duvet aside and swung my legs over the edge of the bed. A knock sounded at the door just as I raked a hand through my disheveled hair.“Come in,” I said, voice hoarse from sleep.The door creaked open, revealing one of the maids. She stood in the doorway, her hands clasped nervously in front of her.“Sir, the police are here. And, um… there are reporters outside too,” she said, her voice trembling slightly.Reporters? My brows furrowed as I processed her words. I remembered calling the police last night to pick up Western and Peter, but reporters weren’t part of the plan. Unless…“Alright, I’ll be down in a minute,” I told her. She bowed and slipped out quietly.Reaching for my phone on the nightstand, I dialed the chief of police. He picked up on the first ring.“We’re at the gate,” he said briskly, his voice almost drowned out by the background chatter.“How d
DAVID“You see,” Peter said, his grin widening, his voice dripping with venom, “sometimes the monsters aren’t hiding under your bed. They’re sitting at the dinner table.”Elowen’s face froze, her breath catching in her throat. She looked at Peter, then at her father, who had shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Western’s usual air of defiance was nowhere to be seen; his gaze was fixed on the cold cement floor, his shoulders slumped like a man carrying the weight of his sins.Peter’s voice turned colder, sharper. “Where do I even begin? Should I start from before you were born, Elowen? Do you even know who your father really is? He kidnapped your biological mother. She never left his side never had the chance to because he made sure of it until the day she died.”Elowen stepped back as if Peter’s words were blows, her trembling hand pressed against her mouth. “What are you talking about?” she whispered, her voice barely audible.Peter smirked, his eyes glinting with satisfaction as he g
DAVIDThe sound of gravel crunching beneath the car tires faded as I stepped out into the cool night air. My guards hauled Western out of the vehicle, his body slumped but still exuding defiance. Shadows danced across his bruised face under the pale glow of the outdoor lights. Without a word, they dragged him toward the basement door, the sharp clink of their boots echoing against the stone walls.I turned to the maids waiting by the entrance. “Take Mrs. Williams to a guest room,” I instructed, my voice calm but firm.Before they could move, her soft voice interrupted. “Can I see Sofia before I sleep?”Her words tugged at something deep within me. Sofia. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to hearing Bella called that, even if it was her given name. I managed a smile, masking my unease.“I’ll bring her to your room,” I promised gently.She gave a small nod, her face weary yet hopeful, and followed the maids inside.Beside me, Janet shifted her weight impatiently. Her silence didn’t fool m
DAVID“If that’s the case, wait by the car. I’ll join you shortly,” I said, waving Janet and Elowen toward the door. Their hesitant footsteps faded down the hallway as I leaned back in my chair and exhaled deeply.Picking up my phone, I dialed John, my head of security.“I need you in my office. Now,” I said, my voice sharp.“Yes, sir,” came his immediate reply.Minutes later, a brisk knock echoed through the room.“Come in,” I called, standing as the door opened to reveal John. He stepped inside and gave a small bow, his expression calm but alert.“I need fifteen of our best men,” I said, walking toward him. “Make sure they’re trained to handle weapons. Bring the finest gear we’ve got bulletproof vests, high-grade firearms, everything. And prepare four bulletproof cars. We’re moving out soon.”John nodded, his posture rigid. “Anything else, sir?”“Yes,” I said, my tone grim. “This mission isn’t a negotiation. If anyone gets in our way, take them down.”“Understood,” he said, and with
DAVIDThe moment I slid into the driver’s seat, frustration bubbled over. My fists slammed into the steering wheel, and I let out a guttural scream that echoed in the enclosed space. This wasn’t supposed to happen. This wasn’t the plan. Everything was crumbling, and Bella God, what would I tell Bella?The car door creaked as Janet leaned forward from the back seat, her touch soft but questioning.“What happened? Where is Mrs. Williams?” Her voice trembled with urgency.I clenched the wheel tighter, the leather groaning under my grip. The memory of the scene played over in my mind like a haunting reel. If only I had forced Mrs. Williams into the car earlier made her stay with Janet this wouldn’t have happened.“Western took her,” I finally spat out, each word like venom on my tongue.“What?” Her voice cracked, her face paling as her eyes searched mine for answers. “How is that even possible?”“There’s no time for explanations,” I said, my voice sharper than intended. “I need a solution
DAVIDThe room was eerily silent, the kind of silence that pressed against your chest. Bella sat curled on the couch, her hands twisting nervously in her lap. Mrs. Williams stood by the window, her arms crossed as she gazed out into the evening light, her expression unreadable. I leaned back in my armchair, fingers tapping rhythmically on the armrest. My patience was running thin, but I wasn’t about to show it.The sound of soft footsteps approached the door, and then one of my maids appeared. She bowed slightly before speaking.“Sir, there is a lady here. She claims to be ma’am’s friend,” she said, her voice measured but tinged with curiosity.A smirk tugged at my lips. So, Elowen finally decided to show up.“What’s her name?” I asked, sitting forward, my gaze sharp.“She said her name is Elowen. Should I let her in?”“Bring her in,” I commanded.The maid disappeared, and moments later, she returned with Elowen in tow. Her face, a canvas of shock and confusion, made it clear she hadn