A chill wind swept over the cemetery, rustling the solemn rows of tombstones. Cathleen's heels crunched on the gravel, her black dress clinging to her like a second skin. Xavier's arm was a vice around their daughter Bella, his jaw set and eyes dark as the sky above. Murmurs rippled through the crowd as they advanced, a wave of turned heads marking their path."Look at that," someone hissed from the sea of black attire."Did she really have to come?""Shh...it's starting."They settled near the front, close enough for William to feel their presence. His eyes met Cathleen's, an unspoken storm in the glance they shared. Cathleen lowered her gaze, a silent nod to the man who'd never let her fall. Avery, standing rigid by the casket, simmered with an anger so potent it could curdle blood."You shouldn't be here," she spat under her breath, words meant for snakes's ears only.Cathleen ignored her, the air too thick with grief and old grudges. She straightened, shoulders back, defiance etch
Chaos erupted. Amidst the somber atmosphere of the funeral, a sudden shriek shattered the silence as William's lifeless body collapsed onto the ground. His blood stained the grass, mingling with the soil near Dora's freshly filled grave. "Oh, my God!" The cry echoed through the cemetery."She shot her own father!" Accusations flew as mourners scattered like leaves in a gale.Avery stood there, her face contorted with rage; her gun was still pointed at Cathleen. William took a shot for Cathleen because he couldn’t let her die; she was the only good one in the family. William’s body is now a barrier to Avery's twisted desires. People swarmed between them, their panic a living wall blocking Avery's line of fire."Move!" Avery's scream lashed out, raw and violent. But the crowd surged, oblivious to her fury. She spat venom at Cathleen, her voice a snarl. "You fucking bitch, I will make sure I finish what I started, and I will never stop until Xavier is mine!"Cathleen refused to let the c
Xavier’s heart was pounding, and his footsteps thundered as he descended the stairs. The scene before him was a twisted tableau: Avery’s arm was outstretched, her gun aimed directly at Cathleen, his wife, but Cathleen stood firm, unflinching, like stone."Aaa, right on time, babe," Avery cooed, her gaze sickly sweet upon Xavier. "I wanted you to watch when I shot her; she is the wall blocking our love from blooming.""Fuck," he muttered under his breath, his hands lifting in a gesture of surrender. "Avery, you must have forgotten; I am Cathleen's husband, not yours." His voice was ice, calmness belying the chaos."Always playing saint, aren't we?" Avery's scorn sliced through the air. "It has always been simple. Live your life to the fullest, but stay away from what's mine. Was that too much to ask Cathleen?"Her laughter was manic, echoing off the walls.Xavier's eyes flicked to Cathleen, searching for fear, for surrender. There was none. She was a fortress, her expression unreadable
Xavier strode through the door, the weight of the day sloughing off his shoulders at the sight ahead. Cathleen stood at the stove, her movements fluid, and practiced, with little Bella snug against her back in a carrier, her chubby cheeks squished against her mother's spine. He couldn't help but smile."Hey, my girls," he murmured, bending to press a kiss first on Cathleen's temple, then on Bella's forehead, inhaling the homely scent of cooking and baby shampoo. He watched them for a moment longer before turning away, the warmth of their closeness giving way to the chill of the sitting room."I know you don't want to hear this," he called over his shoulder, the words carrying an edge as they cut through the domestic scene, "but your father has been discharged from the hospital."Cathleen's stirring stilled, her body tensing up. She exhaled, a weary sound that seemed to carry all the weight of her dread. "I can't lose him," she whispered more to herself than to Xavier."Old man's tough
The Jackson Group was hosting a grand bachelorette party in the picturesque garden of the Knight International Hotel. The elegant hotel sat nestled on the rolling slopes of the Yamhill Mountains, surrounded by tranquil countryside dotted with carefully tended vineyards and towering peaks. This particular hotel was just one gem in the vast collection of hotels owned by Knight Group International around the world. Excitement vanished in Avery, the bride-to-be. Avery dashed into the lobby of the hotel to make a quick call to her mother and share the news that they had caught the wrong man. Rich furnishings and sparkling chandeliers that glistened off the marble floors greeted Avery inside. The faint scent of freshly cut flowers lingered in the air, adding to the luxurious atmosphere.At first, Avery and her mother were happy to claim Finn as their ticket into the world of wealth and power. But as Avery delved deeper into Finn's background, she discovered that Finn was not actually the he
Cathleen's mocking smirk grew with each second as she realized that the person on the ground was her cruel stepsister, Avery. A wicked grin spreads across Cathleen's face as she tilts her head and gazes down at the woman who once tormented her, now reduced to a mere fallen subordinate. The look of shock and admiration on Avery's face only fuels Cathleen's sense of power and dominance. Cathleen flashed a grin and cocked her head as she looked at the woman, who was now seated on the ground. Avery was staring at her in awe.‘Avery, your rightful place is under me in this hierarchy.’ She appeared to be grinning as she whispered those words to herself in her brain. Avery, who was lying on the ground at the time, was awestruck by the beauty that was in front of her. Cathleen kneeled down to Avery’s height and helped her pick up her items after she had fallen. She did so with a grin on her face before picking up Avery's passport. Cathleen couldn’t stop smiling as it dawned on her that Avery
“I can give you 1.5 million. And you can try to raise the rest. I am not marrying that cretin.” Her voice dropped to a low, steady tone as she spoke. Her eyes narrowed with determination, and her mouth formed a thin line. Cathleen behaved more like William, but unlike Avery, she wasn’t a spoiled brat. Her unnerving composure sent shivers down William's spine as he braced himself for her to explode in anger. Instead, she spoke with cold precision, delivering her words like sharpened daggers that cut through the tension in the room.“Marrying Finn is our only option for Grandma’s survival. Baby girl, please. Grandma is counting on you.” Grandma's name triggered a range of emotions within her. She couldn't help but feel a sense of comfort and nostalgia, but at the same time, there was a tinge of guilt and regret. Her face betrayed these conflicting emotions as she let out a heavy sigh.“6 months. I will marry that jerk for only 6 months, and we will be done. Do not expect me to have chil
“How much?” Cathleen has grown colder over the years. The sweet girl everyone knew was gone. Not even a man could soften her heart. It was as if the girl didn’t have a heart at all; she was stone cold. The two looked at each other and couldn’t answer. Cathleen is where she is today, with no one’s help, not even her own father. She worked part-time to pay for her studies. The two didn’t answer as she continued to stare down at them. Cathleen arched an eyebrow at them, asking them to say how much they had spent on her, but no one spoke.Cathleen's once warm and kind demeanor has hardened into a chilling coldness over the years. Not even the presence of a man could thaw her frozen heart. It was as if she had no heart at all, made of stone and impenetrable. As the two faced each other in silence, neither able to answer nor understand this distant version of Cathleen, it became clear that she had clawed her way to where she was today on her own, without anyone's help or guidance—not even h