The late-morning sunlight streamed softly through the expansive windows of the living room, bathing the space in a warm, golden glow. The rays highlighted the intricate patterns of the rug beneath Bella’s feet and the delicate porcelain vases arranged carefully on the mantle.Seated on the plush, oversized sofa, Bella was lost in the pages of a book. It was her way of unwinding after a week that had been nothing short of overwhelming. The responsibilities she carried, the tasks that demanded her attention—all of it felt like a weight pressing down on her. But for now, in the quiet solitude of the mansion, she had managed to carve out a moment of peace.The stillness in the room was soothing, almost like a sanctuary. She could hear the faint rustle of leaves outside, the soft hum of the distant fountain in the garden. It was a rare kind of quiet that she’d come to treasure. But just as she felt herself beginning to relax, a sudden knock at the door shattered the calm. The sound was fol
Xavier sat in his office, the faint hum of the fluorescent lights overhead the only sound breaking the silence. He had been working for hours, staring at his computer screen, yet his mind wandered endlessly. The spreadsheets, the emails, the tasks piling up—none of it mattered.His thoughts were consumed by one person: Leila. The woman who had twisted his world upside down, dragging him into a life he never wanted, leaving him with more questions than answers. The memories of her haunted him, and despite his best efforts to focus, he felt trapped in the labyrinth of her influence.The sudden buzz of his phone jolted him from his trance. He grabbed it quickly, his pulse quickening as he saw the name of his manager flash on the screen. This was the man who had been working tirelessly behind the scenes, tracking Leila’s every move, digging through every lead. Xavier picked up without hesitation.“Xavier,” the manager’s voice crackled through the line, tinged with the urgency of someone w
Drake slipped quietly into the room, the soft sound of the door closing behind him almost drowned out by the weight of his thoughts. His eyes immediately found Calla, sitting in the corner, her figure bathed in the amber light of the setting sun.She looked delicate, as though she might vanish into the fading light if he blinked too hard. But it was the distance in her eyes that caught him off guard—the kind of detachment that told him she was no longer here, not really. She was lost in some thought, some hurt that he hadn’t fixed.He stood there for a moment, his heart heavy with the guilt that seemed to seep from every corner of the room. He hadn’t meant to hurt her—he never had—but every time he saw her like this, the distance between them seemed to grow. He hated that feeling, and he knew that whatever had happened between them, he needed to fix it, now, before it was too late.Without a word, he moved toward her, lowering himself onto the couch beside her. He reached for her hand
Xavier gripped the steering wheel so hard his knuckles went white, barely feeling the pressure. His thumb hovered over the button, the Bluetooth phone ringing loud in his ears. He didn’t even glance at the screen before answering.“Xavier Donovan?” The voice on the other end was calm, almost too calm.“Yes, speaking,” Xavier replied, trying to keep his voice steady. But the tension was there, creeping in, no matter how hard he fought it.“This is Officer Hayes with the local police department. We need you to come to the hospital immediately. Your father, Thomas Donovan, has been in an accident.”The words hit Xavier like a freight train, slamming into him hard enough to take the air from his lungs. His heart dropped like a stone into his stomach. Panic flickered, then exploded, his pulse picking up speed. “What happened? Is he okay?” The words came out like a plea, a desperate grab for some kind of assurance.“I don’t have all the details yet, but he’s being treated right now. You nee
Xavier stepped out of his father’s room, his mind still reeling from the volatile exchange. The fluorescent lights in the hospital hallway flickered above, casting an almost eerie glow on the sterile, white walls. The noise of distant footsteps and soft conversations did nothing to fill the empty feeling that had settled deep in his chest. He needed air. He needed space. The tension was choking him, and all he wanted was to clear his head, even if just for a few minutes.As he approached the nearest exit, his eyes caught sight of her—Ember. She was walking toward him, a look of quiet concern etched on her face. When she saw him, her expression softened, and without a moment's hesitation, she crossed the distance between them. Then, before he could say a word, she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into an embrace.Xavier exhaled, a long, heavy breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. Her warmth—her quiet, steady presence—was the only thing that seemed to ground him at that m
Bella sat alone at the large dining table, the heavy silence of the house settling around her. The warmth from the morning sun streamed through the windows, casting a golden glow across the expansive estate.The house, which normally felt so comforting in its quiet elegance, felt almost too still today. The children—Zane and Alana—were off at school, and Xavier, she knew, was still at the hospital with his father. She had no one to talk to, nothing to distract her from her thoughts. It was the kind of peaceful morning she usually appreciated, but today, a lingering sense of unease gnawed at her from within.She had just finished her breakfast—a simple but hearty meal—when the sound of a car pulling into the driveway caught her attention. The tires on the gravel crunched softly, a sound she knew well.She stood up, wiping her hands on a napkin, and glanced toward the window. Her heart skipped a beat as the doorbell rang shortly after. Bella's instincts kicked in. Who could that be?Wit
Xavier strode into the grand, echoing foyer of his sprawling mansion, his father, Thomas, hobbling behind him. The older man’s limp was pronounced, his fractured leg encased in a bulky brace that forced his every step to be a careful, deliberate maneuver. His face, lined with years of scorn and bitterness, was now drawn tight with discomfort.Though Xavier had never harbored warm feelings for his father—and the sentiment was undeniably mutual—Thomas was still his father. That immutable truth hung over him like a weight he couldn’t shrug off. So, despite his resentment, Xavier had done what he knew he had to: he had brought Thomas home after his hospital discharge. There simply wasn’t another option. The old man couldn’t fend for himself, and the responsibility, unwanted as it was, fell squarely on Xavier’s shoulders.“Careful, Dad,” Xavier said in a voice stripped of affection, the words tinged instead with the cold cadence of duty. The male nurse accompanying them nodded curtly, taki
The mansion was eerily quiet, save for the soft hum of ceiling fans and the occasional metallic clink as Bella moved through the kitchen, arranging the tray. Morning light filtered through the tall windows, casting a golden glow over the polished floors, but it did little to ease the heaviness in her heart. She had just finished preparing Thomas’s medication, her movements deliberate but slow, her eyes lined with fatigue.Thomas had been a nightmare since returning from the hospital—angry, bitter, and unwilling to cooperate. His behavior had already driven away the male nurse hired to care for him. Bella had reluctantly stepped into the role to give Xavier a much-needed break. It wasn’t just about the medication; it was about managing a volatile, broken man who seemed determined to make everyone around him miserable.Balancing the tray carefully, Bella approached Thomas’s room. The thick wooden door loomed before her, the rich mahogany reflecting the faint morning light. She hesitated
The evening sky was painted in breathtaking hues of orange, pink, and soft gold as the sun dipped lower toward the horizon, casting a warm glow across the tranquil beach. The vast canvas above them looked like something out of a dream—streaks of color melting into each other as if the heavens themselves were sighing in contentment. The ocean responded with grace, its waves dancing rhythmically to the quiet lullaby of the wind, their foam-tipped crests glowing beneath the fading light.A gentle, salty breeze rolled off the water, brushing against Bella’s skin like a whispered caress, tousling her hair and kissing her cheeks. She stood barefoot, toes curled slightly into the cool, soft sand, her heart full and yet still not quite ready to believe the peace that now wrapped itself around her like a blanket. It felt surreal—like standing inside a moment suspended in time, one she never wanted to end.She glanced to her side and found Xavier there, his tall frame motionless yet somehow anc
The journey back home from the hospital felt surreal for Bella. Everything she’d been through—the pain, the fear, the moments when hope felt like a fragile thread—lingered in her chest like shadows. But now, as she stepped through the familiar doorway of her home, the scent of lavender and vanilla greeted her like a long-lost friend. A wave of warmth and safety wrapped around her like a soft blanket, and for the first time in weeks, her shoulders relaxed.She was finally home.Before she could take another step, two small bodies rushed toward her, wrapping her in tight, desperate embraces."Mommy!" Zane cried, his voice trembling with joy as he buried his face against her stomach. His little arms clung to her as though he was afraid she might disappear again."We missed you so much!" Alana added, her voice catching with emotion as she clung to Bella’s arm, her cheek pressed tightly against her mother's sleeve.Tears spilled freely from Bella’s eyes. She knelt slowly, her body still te
A soft beeping echoed in the hospital room. The first thing Bella felt was warmth—her body felt light, her mind hazy as if she had been floating in darkness for a long time. She blinked slowly, her eyelashes fluttering as the world came back into focus. The sterile white walls, the dim glow of the bedside lamp, the faint scent of antiseptic… she was still in the hospital.Her throat was dry, and her body ached, but when she shifted slightly, she realized—she was awake.A soft gasp escaped her lips as she registered the sound of footsteps rushing toward her. The next second, she felt a warm, strong hand grasping hers.“Bella…?”She turned her head toward the familiar voice, and her gaze met Xavier’s. He was standing beside her bed, his dark eyes filled with a storm of emotions—relief, joy, pain, and something deeper, something raw and unguarded.Tears welled in Bella’s eyes as she whispered, “Xavier…?”He exhaled a shaky breath, his hand squeezing hers tightly as if afraid she would di
The hospital room was shrouded in a heavy silence, broken only by the steady, rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor that echoed like a soft heartbeat in the otherwise lifeless space. The sterile scent of antiseptic clung to the air, mixing with the sterile chill that only hospitals seemed to possess. Outside the window, the city lights flickered like distant stars, indifferent to the quiet war of emotions unfolding inside.Xavier sat slumped in the chair beside the bed, his broad frame hunched forward as if the weight of the world rested on his shoulders. His fingers trembled slightly as they traced slow, tender circles on the back of Bella’s hand, which felt cold and fragile in his grasp. Her skin, once warm and full of life, now looked ghostly against the clinical white sheets. Her chest rose and fell in small, barely noticeable breaths—each one a silent thread tethering her to life.He stared at her face for a long time, memorizing every detail—the gentle curve of her cheek, the wa
Calla lay in the hospital bed, her body still sore from the wounds Drake had inflicted upon her. The sterile scent of antiseptics filled the air, and the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor echoed softly in the quiet room. Though her body ached, her heart felt lighter. She was safe now.Harold admitted her here. She knew he saved her—not out of love or guilt, but to prevent yet another crime from being added to Drake’s list. Although he wanted to take her to Xavier, Calla's rough condition and rotting wounds forced him to take her to a hospital for first aid.After getting admitted in hospital, Harold asked her where she wanted to go and to whom he should call. As he had to leave. Then Calla called Xavier and the staff at the mansion told her that he was already in the hospital.The staff also told her that Bella underwent a cesarean and she was in a coma.She knew it wasn't the right time to Calla Xavier. So, she called Logan instead and asked Harold to leave and let Logan take car
The cold hospital walls closed in on Xavier as he stood outside the operation theater, his heart pounding violently in his chest. The long, agonizing wait made every second stretch endlessly, filling the air with suffocating dread. His fists clenched as he paced the hallway, his mind racing with prayers and fears.Finally, the door swung open, and Bella’s gynecologist stepped out, her expression heavy with exhaustion and concern. She removed her surgical mask and exhaled before speaking.“Mr. Xavier, the surgery was complicated.” Her voice was calm yet filled with an underlying gravity that made Xavier’s stomach drop.He swallowed hard. “Is Bella…?” His voice cracked, unable to finish the question.The doctor gave him a reassuring yet solemn look. “She has given birth to a baby boy.”For a moment, the world stood still. A son. His son. The weight of those words pressed down on his chest like an invisible force.But before relief could settle, the doctor continued.“However, there were
The heavy sound of boots stomping across the marble floor sent a chill down Jessica’s spine. She turned around sharply, her breath catching in her throat as she saw him—Drake.He stood in the doorway, his clothes disheveled, his hair a mess, and his face twisted with rage. His eyes were bloodshot, and his grip on the gun in his hand was firm.Jessica felt the blood drain from her face. "Drake, what are you doing here? The police are looking for you!"Drake ignored her. His furious gaze was locked on Harold. His father stood in the center of the living room, his expression tense but composed."You let her go!" Drake snarled, stepping closer, his hands trembling around the gun. "You betrayed me, Dad! You helped that traitor escape!"Harold exhaled slowly, his heart pounding. "I did what I had to do, Drake."Drake let out a bitter laugh. "You HAD to do it? You HAD to betray your own son?" His voice cracked with hysteria. "Do you even realize what you've done? That woman ruined everything
The apartment reeked of stale alcohol and the acrid sting of cigarette smoke, a suffocating blend that clung to the peeling wallpaper and worn carpet. Dim, flickering light from the streetlamp outside seeped in through the dusty blinds, casting long, distorted shadows across the cramped room like silent ghosts. The air was thick—heavy with despair.Harold stepped in cautiously, the floorboards creaking beneath his weight. His chest tightened, every breath catching like a stone lodged in his throat. A gnawing dread coiled in his stomach.There, sprawled out on the tattered, sweat-stained sofa, lay Drake—motionless but alive. His chest rose and fell in shallow, erratic breaths. One arm dangled limply over the edge, fingers barely touching the half-empty bottle of whiskey resting against the floor. His eyes were open but glazed over, pupils dilated like black holes, and his pale face was slick with sweat. The stench of vomit and intoxication clung to him like a second skin.Harold’s eyes
Xavier burst into the hospital, shouting for a doctor, his voice hoarse with desperation and fear. His heart pounded like a war drum in his chest, his breath coming in sharp, ragged gasps as he clutched Bella tightly in his arms.A team of nurses immediately rushed to them, urgency etched into every movement. They swiftly guided him toward a gurney, gently easing Bella from his arms. The moment his hands let go of her, a hollow ache opened in his chest. He hated the distance, even if it was just a few feet.“Please—please help her,” he whispered, but the nurses were already at work, checking her vitals, lifting her limp body with clinical precision. Her face was pale as snow, lips tinged with blue, blood staining her nightgown like a warning.He stood frozen as they wheeled her away, the sound of squeaking wheels echoing in the sterile corridor like gunshots. The air around him felt too bright, too white, too loud. Everything blurred at the edges.The gynecologist, Dr. Hayes, arrived