Taking a deep breath, Amara turned to face Jessica with a practiced smile on her face."I appreciate your sincerity and concern, but I'm perfectly fine. Honestly. Louis is nothing like what you think. He treats me well. He's loving, too," Amara said with a small smile, though her eyes lacked warmth.Jessica narrowed her gaze, skeptical. "Amara—""If you'll excuse me, I need to get back to the dining room," Amara cut in swiftly.Before Jessica could protest, Amara flashed one last smile and walked out. Jessica sighed in frustration before following her.As soon as they stepped into the dining room, Louis stood up abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor."Amara, we're leaving," he said, his voice sharp, before turning toward the exit.His gaze locked with Jessica’s for a brief moment before he walked out."Thanks for having us today. Have a great day," Amara said, forcing a smile before hurrying after her husband.Jessica watched the entrance before turning to William, who had a
"W–Wow..." Suzie muttered after a long moment of silence, clearly taken aback. She quickly cleared her throat to regain her composure. "That’s... that’s a shocking revelation," she commented, still processing Jessica’s words.Jessica simply smiled, unfazed by the reaction she had caused.Suzie blinked a few times before forcing a smile. "Alright! Let’s move on to the next question. What is Jessica’s favorite meal?""Oh... Well, I’m a foodie," Jessica chuckled, making the audience laugh.Suzie chuckled as well. "I had a feeling you’d say that."The atmosphere in the studio gradually became lively again as they moved past the unexpected revelation. Suzie continued asking the remaining questions, which took nearly half an hour to get through."And that brings us to the end of our show!" Suzie announced cheerfully. "Jessica, do you have anything to say to your fans watching right now?"Jessica smiled warmly. "Yes. I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone for your endless support. T
Alexis and Rachael were about to kiss again when the door suddenly swung open, causing them to freeze midway.Jessica, who had just walked in, blinked twice in astonishment as she took in the scene before her.Rachael quickly stepped back from Alexis, rubbing her arm in embarrassment as her cheeks turned red."I... uh... I'm sorry for interrupting," Jessica stammered, glancing between them with an amused smile. "I think I’ll just wait outside and—""No! It’s fine. You can come in," Rachael blurted out quickly, her voice slightly higher than usual.Jessica raised a brow, clearly enjoying Rachael’s nervous reaction. "Are you sure? I mean... I could just—""Mr. Rodgers and I were just finalizing the signing process," Rachael interrupted, regaining her composure. "Congratulations, Jess! You’re officially the new brand ambassador for Deluxe," she said, smiling brightly."I’ll personally make sure your time with us is as enjoyable as possible," Alexis added, extending his hand for a handsha
A stormy look brewed on William's face as he read through the article. He had no idea what was happening. He could only imagine how panicked Jessica must have felt when she saw this."I need you to find the person behind this article... Now!" William said firmly.Maxwell nodded and immediately left his office."Lesley, contact Scott Gibson and tell him we need to meet," he said.Lesley nodded before leaving to carry out her assigned task.William ran his hands through his hair in frustration as he dialed Jessica's number. Just like the previous calls, she declined it.A frustrated sigh escaped his lips. When she told him about the role, he had worried she wouldn't get it, so he went ahead and contacted the scriptwriter. All he wanted was to see the happy look on her face once she got the role.Little did he know everything would lead to this. He regretted it so much.He dialed her number again. "Jessica, pick up," he muttered to himself.______Belinda watched her orchestrated chaos u
Jessica slowly opened her eyes and squinted as the golden rays of the sun peeked through the curtains, casting a warm glow on her.She sat up in bed and looked around. Her night had felt dreamless. A dull vibration from her phone caught her attention. She glanced at it but decided to ignore it, not wanting to deal with whatever was waiting for her.The last thing she wanted was to go on social media and see the endless hate being thrown at her.Shaking off her thoughts, she got up and headed to the bathroom to freshen up. Afterward, she made her way downstairs for breakfast. Her mood was still a bit sour, but it was better than yesterday.Upon entering the dining room, she was surprised to find William’s seat empty. He never skipped breakfast unless he was deliberately avoiding her."Where is William?" Jessica asked the maid, who had just walked in with a tray of food."Master left early to prepare for the press conference," the maid replied.Jessica furrowed her brows. "Press confere
The car drove into the mansion before coming to a halt. Jessica was the first to hop out excitedly. William followed suit, watching her with an amused smile on his lips."You seem happier than worried that we went public," William said.Jessica chuckled. "Initially, I was a bit nervous when I saw it, but now I'm happy. It'll spare me from the stress of all those women who have their eyes on you," she said, winding her arms around his neck.William chuckled. "Seriously? Women? You know I have eyes for only you," he said, holding her waist.Jessica smiled, her gaze lowering to his lips. She stood on her toes, bringing her face closer to his.Just when their lips were about to meet, her phone began ringing. She groaned and pulled it from her pocket, seeing that it was her boss.She muted the call immediately before pocketing her phone."What if the call is important?" William asked."I guess it'll wait. I'm a celebrity now, after all," Jessica smirked, placing a kiss on his lips.William
Rachael bit her lip, searching for the right words to explain it to him.Rachael walked closer to him. "Brandon, it's a bit complicated, and—" She halted when Brandon took a step back."You lied to me," Brandon said, tears filling his puppy eyes."No! It's not like that... I would never lie to you. I was just waiting for the right opportunity to tell you," Rachael quickly said."Then why didn’t you tell me that he wasn't my real father?" Brandon asked, referring to Fred.Rachael bit her lip. "It's not like that, I—Brandon!" she called when Brandon ran upstairs to his room, locking the door."Brandon!" Rachael was about to go after him, but Alexis held her back."I'll go talk to him myself," Alexis said, then left.He stopped in front of Brandon's room and knocked. No response.Alexis sighed. "Champ, open up, it's me," he said.Still no reply."Champ, open the door, and I'll tell you everything. Your mom is worried," Alexis knocked again.He still got no reply.Alexis sighed. "It was n
"Really?" Jessica exclaimed excitedly."Yes," Rachael replied, "Come tomorrow at the company for further details and also for some finalization. I'm so happy for you, girl!" She exclaimed before hanging.Jessica lowered the phone from her ear and turned to William with a bright smile.William smiled back, "Congratulations, love." He muttered and Jessica hugged him happily.Finally, everything was falling back into place for her. Her dream was slowly turning to reality.Just then, a car drove in the mansion. Jessica released William and turned to see who it was. The car came to a halt not far from where they were standing."Mother!" Jessica's eyes lit up when she saw Helena alight from the car, followed by Charles. She went to hug her.Helena hugged her back too, "How have you been? I saw the news just today, could you believe that? I was so worried about you but thankfully, William had already resolved the problem," Helena said.Jessica smiled, "I'm doing okay, mother," she replied.C
Rachael's heart pounded violently in her chest, each step a battle against her failing strength. Her breath came in ragged gasps, vision blurring as pain clawed up from the gash in her abdomen. But she couldn’t stop. Not now. Alexis and Brandon were waiting. She had to escape before Fred discovered Sandra’s lifeless body.The mansion was eerily quiet. Fred had no guards—just himself, Rachael, and the woman who now lay dead. Her blood stained the floor; Rachael’s hands trembled with the weight of it.She pressed her palm harder against her bleeding side, staggering through the long marble hallways. Her eyes darted across every corridor, every door, seeking salvation. Fred had kept her locked away like a secret, never allowing her to explore. Now the mansion felt like a maze, cold and unfamiliar.After minutes of desperate wandering, she found the staircase and dragged herself upward, each step sheer agony. The rooftop beckoned. From there, maybe—just maybe—someone would see her.The do
"Hello? Hello! Rachael!" Alexis said on the call but nothing.He quickly hung up and went to his inbox. "Was that Rachael? What happened?" Jessica asked. She was about to state her plan when a call came and interrupted her and from the look on Alexis face, she knew who it was."That's my girl," Alexis smirked when he saw the sketching Rachael sent him.."It's Rachael. She dropped a hint on where we could find her. However we need to act fast before Fred out smarts us," he said."I'll call back the FBI," William said."I'll go get the car ready," Alexis said."Jessica, can you stay and keep an eye on my son?" Alexis said."Your son?" Jessica furrowed her brows. Her eyes widened in realization."Oh... Yes, sure," she muttered."Thanks," he said and left. William cupped her cheek then pressed his lips against hers, "I'll be back," he said."Stay safe," Jessica said.William smiled and kissed her forehead before leaving.___A resounding slap echoed in the air and Rachael fell down to h
The sound of the tap rushing could be heard as Fred washed his hand. Rachael sat up weakly on the bed. A different look flashed in her eyes, something undecipherable. She grabbed a glass vase nearby and on a whim, shattered the vase against the wall.The sound of the broken glass immediately pulled Fred out of the bathroom. His eyes widened when he saw her holding a piece of the broken glass."What are you doing?" He muttered under his breath."I'm tired. I'm done playing this game. I can't," she muttered in tears, bringing the piece of glass to her neck."Rachael, please calm down. Don't do anything you would regret. Rachael," Fred tried to coerce her."I pray you rot in hell," she muttered and immediately brought down the glass, stabbing herself on the tummy."Rachael!" Fred screamed out.Rachael's eyes went wide as blood gushed out of the wound on her tummy. She collapsed to the bed."Rachael!" Fred rushed to her and immediately uncuffed her hand from the headboard.He cupped her
Jessica and William were sitting in the living room when a maid escorted Alexis in. William stood up the moment he walked in."I'll place him in the guest room so he can sleep," the maid said, referring to Brandon, who was fast asleep in Alexis's arms.She took Brandon and left."Bro, it's literally midnight. Why would you—""Rachael has been abducted," Alexis cut him off."What?" Jessica muttered in shock, slowly rising to her feet.Alexis ran a hand through his hair, pacing anxiously, panic etched across his face. The more time passed, the more terrified he became."It all happened in a flash. We were at a restaurant, and she excused herself to use the restroom... then she just disappeared. I tracked her phone and found it in a trash bin near the restaurant—along with all her belongings," Alexis muttered as he paced."I think… no, I know her ex-husband kidnapped her. I should have done something when she complained about being attacked by him. This is all my fault," Alexis breathed
"I hate you," Rachael muttered tearfully. "You're disgusting!" she screamed in anger."Disgusting? I wasn't the one who cheated on their spouse with the father of her child, then had that person threaten her spouse at gunpoint for a divorce," Fred said.Rachael just continued sobbing in silence.Fred stood up and walked toward her, sitting down in the space next to her."Just give in. There's no hope now," he said, rubbing his thumb against her teary cheek."If I accept, do you promise not to go after them?" she said, finally looking up at him."You have my word, love."Rachael looked away and nodded ever so slightly. Fred smiled in victory."That's my wife. My sweet, docile wife," he said, patting her hair gently.Rachael folded her fists tightly beneath the sheets as he patted her hair._____"Pregnant?" Louis muttered under his breath.Amara wiped her tears. "I wanted to surprise you. But you never listened to me... you never had time for me," she said quietly."Amara..." Louis mut
Alexis sat on the chair, drumming his fingers on the table as he occasionally glanced toward the hallway that led to the restroom.He looked at the group of violinists who were already on standby, waiting for Rachael to arrive. The words "WILL YOU MARRY ME?" were boldly written on the cards which the waiters held.He sighed as he checked the time on his wristwatch. Twenty minutes had already passed since Rachael excused herself to use the restroom.The more minutes passed, the more anxious he became.The waitress he had sent to check on Rachael came back with a worried look on her face—and that’s when he knew something was wrong."Where's Rachael?" he immediately asked as she approached."I'm sorry, sir, but I couldn’t find madam. When I got to the restroom, it was empty... Only this note was on the floor," she said, stretching the note toward Alexis.He took it and read it. His eyes widened.“Fuck,” he breathed out, immediately storming toward the exit of the restaurant.He looked ar
Louis was expecting a scared or tearful reaction from Amara, but he was momentarily stunned when she swiftly turned to face him, glaring while holding her stinging cheek.She smirked scornfully before standing. “Go on, hit me however you want. After all, that’s all you can do,” she said before walking away.“Amara,” Louis called, but she didn’t turn back.“Amara! If you leave this room, you’ll regret it,” he warned.Amara turned to him, then smirked before walking out of the room.Louis folded his fists tightly as he glared at nothing in particular.Roland, who was still casually eating like nothing had happened, smiled. “What’s wrong with your wife? Acting up again?” he said.“You tell me. After all, you were the one who forced me into marrying that wench,” Louis snapped.“Or maybe you’re getting too soft on her. Women are like dogs—you need to constantly remind them who their owner is. Your mother was really a docile one. Too bad she passed away,” Roland said.“I’ll deal with her la
Brandon's eyes sparkled with excitement as he stared at the ring in Alexis’s hand. His little fingers twitched as he could barely contained his giddiness.“So?” Alexis asked, his voice laced with nervous anticipation. "What do you think?"Brandon looked up at him, his expression suddenly turning serious. “You really love my mommy?”“With all my heart,” Alexis said without hesitation. “And I love you too, Brandon. You both mean everything to me.”Brandon squinted his eyes as if sizing him up. “Then you have to promise me something.”“Anything.”“You have to protect Mommy always. No matter what,” Brandon said, bringing up his pinky finger.Alexis smiled, reaching out for his pinky fingers to intertwine it with his, “I swear on my life, Brandon. I will protect her and you with everything I have.”Brandon studied him for a moment, then nodded in approval. A small smile played on his lips before he took a deep breath. “Okay, then… Dad.”Alexis felt his heart stop for a second. The word ech
A brief moment of silence settled between them. Stephen looked at the paper, then smiled before standing up and straightening his suit.He placed an invitation card on the table and pushed it toward Jessica."If you're so eager to know what business I have with your family, then you should come and see for yourself," he said."It's such a shame you're already taken. I love feisty women," he added, eyeing her before walking out of the cafeteria.Jessica picked up the invitation card and stared at it."You’re cordially invited to the masked ball held for Halloween. Sponsored by the Shermans."She read the words before glancing toward the door where Stephen had just exited.____Amara and Evan sat in Evan’s car. The silence between them was heavy, broken only by Amara’s soft sobs. She sniffled and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe her tears."Do you feel better now?" Evan asked, breaking the silence.Amara nodded slightly, managing a small smile. "I’m sorry you had to see me like this. M