The sky was painted in hues of deep orange and purple as Big Margaret stood on the balcony, gazing out at the horizon. The evening breeze caressed her face, but her thoughts were far from serene.Behind her, Conrad shifted uncomfortably. He had been quieter than usual, lost in thoughts that weighed him down.“You've been distant,” Big Margaret observed.Conrad sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. “I've been dealing with personal issues,” he replied, looking devastated.Big Margaret turned slightly, her gaze assessing him. “Sarah?”Conrad nodded. “She's pregnant. She does not want to have the baby.”Big Margaret arched her brow. “Then let her get rid of it,” she firmly, waving her hand in the air.“Listen,” she continued, when she saw how Conrad looked at her, like he couldn't believe that she had said that. “We have goals, targets, and so many unfinished businesses. Do you want any distractions now?”“My baby wouldn't be a distraction,” Conrad said firmly.Margaret smirked, b
The air in Leah's living room grew thick with tension. Big Margaret was sitting on the couch with a calm yet menacing air, her polished nails tapping idly against the cold metal of the gun in her hand. She wasn't in a hurry. She never was. She enjoyed seeing her victims in fear. It gave her so much pleasure.Noah stood frozen near the doorway, his mind racing. He had worked so hard to maintain his cover. To outmaneuver her. How then did she know? How long? Had she always known and was just trying with him?Leah stood across from Big Margaret, her eyes burning with defiance, even though she was uneasy. Clearly, Big Margaret meant business and she hadn't come to joke.Big Margaret tilted her head and curled her lipstick into a smirk. “Come you, now, Leah. You're an intelligent young woman. You knew this day would come, didn't you?” Leah folded her arms. “If you think threatening me is going to get you what you want, you clearly don't know me as you think,” she said firmly.Big Margaret
The doctor adjusted his glasses and looked up from the clipboard. “Thankfully, it wasn't a crisis. Just a flare-up,” he reassured. His gaze met Leah’s, assessing the concern in her eyes. “Has she been under a lot of stress lately?”Leah frowned slightly, shaking her head. “Stressed? I don’t think so. She’s been resting enough, just like you suggested.”The doctor nodded but maintained his serious tone. “Besides physical stress, you’re aware that emotional stress can also trigger a myasthenic crisis, right?”Leah hesitated before answering. “I am,” she admitted quietly. A wave of guilt settled over her. Her mother had always been involved in her struggles, both physical and emotional. She felt she hadn't done enough to protect her mother. She remembered how Big Margaret had stormed into their house, confronting her mother in a way that surely added to her distress. That encounter alone could have pushed her over the edge. But at least now, Big Margaret was behind bars, paying for her
Leah and Jeremy walked side by side, as they exited the hospital. Leah's mind wandered. She couldn't shake off the guilt she was feeling, considering how Noah left. He was supposed to be the one accompanying her to the pharmacy.She glanced at Jeremy, who was staring straight ahead, his jaw tight as though he was deep in thought. “Thank you for coming,” she said softly.Jeremy turned to face her and smiled. “Of course. You know I’d always show up for you.”Leah nodded, appreciating his presence. But as they stepped outside, her mind drifted again to Noah. She couldn’t ignore the way he had looked at Jeremy, the way he had walked away without a second glance.She sighed.Jeremy noticed. “What’s wrong?”Leah hesitated, debating whether to tell him. She had always been honest with him, but this felt complicated. Finally, she said, “Noah… he saw us the other night.”Jeremy frowned. “And?”Leah looked away. “I think it hurt him. I don’t know, I just… I don’t want to lose him as a friend.”
Leah was shaken by what they had just heard.She feared that her grandfather had died.“I think Big Margaret has killed him,” she said, trembling.“We're not sure,” Jeremy said, holding her so that she didn't fall.Leah was shaking, her body rigid with shock, but no tears streamed down her face. It was as if the weight of her emotions had paralyzed her. Jeremy guided her towards the car, opening the door and helping her inside. Without hesitation, he entered the car through the other door and sat beside her, his presence unwavering.Her hands were cold, her breath shallow.Jeremy placed her head on his chest.“Back to the hospital?” Jackson asked politely.Jeremy looked at Leah. She was staring blankly at the seat before her, lost in a daze. He sighed. “No. Take us to the mansion,” he instructed, his tone steady, decisive. Leah wasn't in a good state. He couldn't let her go to the hospital like that just yet. Her mother would become even more worried. Leah heard Jeremy instruct Jack
Leah laid in Jeremy's arms, her body still tingling from their intense love making. Her heart pounded in her chest, but for the first time in what felt like forever, it wasn't out of fear or grief. It was from something else entirely. Something warm. Something safe.Jeremy's fingers traced soft circles on her back as he held her close, his breath steady and calm against her forehead.Neither of them spoke for a while. They just listened to each other's heartbeats, to the silence that wrapped around them like a protective cocoon.It was Leah who finally broke the silence. “I can't believe I'm here,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.Jeremy shifted, looking down at her. “Here?” he asked, brushing a strand of hair from her face.Leah nodded. “With you. After swearing that I wanted nothing to do with you.”Jeremy sighed, his grip on her tightening a little. “I know. Thank you for being here. Honestly, I don't think I'd remain the same if you walked away.”Leah didn't respon
Leah let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding as she knelt before her mother, taking her hands in hers. “Ma, thank God you're fine. I was worried to death when I didn't find you in the ward,” she said, searching her mother’s face for any sign of discomfort. A gentle smile touched Mama’s lips. “We tried to call you, but your number wasn’t connecting. So we called Noah instead,” she explained. “He hired a taxi and brought us home.” Leah’s brows lifted. “Noah?” “Yes. He just left,” Mama replied. Noah had left Leah in the hospital when he saw Jeremy, claiming he had to attend to something important, but still he rushed back to help her mom knowing she was with Jeremy. That was just his nature. Noah was so pure hearted. But why didn't he stay back. Was he trying to cut himself from her? The thought of that hurt Leah. She wouldn't let it. “Where were you?” Mama asked, curious. “Ma, I had to attend to something very important. I'm sorry I wasn't there when you were discha
“You think she’s really still there?” Leah asked.Moah exhaled sharply. “I don’t know. But if she is, then someone else is doing her dirty job.”Leah hesitated before nodding. “Most likely.” They had no choice but to confirm.Leah’s mind raced with possibilities. Big Margaret was so powerful. She had so many people working for her. What if one of her goons was out doing Big Margaret's dirty jobs? What if her grandfather had been killed? Or what if he was locked up somewhere else? Noah squeezed her hand. “We’ll figure this out.”Leah nodded, though her pulse refused to calm.Meanwhile, inside New York Women's House of Detention….Conrad adjusted his blazer as he walked down the narrow prison hallway, his footsteps echoing in the dimly lit corridor. The prison smelled of disinfectant and something stale. Something rotten.The guard escorting him stopped in front of a thick iron-barred door. “She’s waiting for you.”Conrad nodded, his jaw tightening.The door clanked open, and Big Marga
Leah’s eyes caught the small, delicate bracelet resting in Jeremy’s palm. He was fondling it slowly, thoughtfully, and it caught her attention. It wasn’t just an accessory to him. It held weight. Meaning.“What’s that?” she asked softly, tilting her head slightly, her tone curious but gentle.Jeremy looked down at the bracelet, almost startled as if he’d forgotten it was even there. He held it between his fingers with a kind of reverence, as if the simple silver band held all the answers he’d been desperately searching for.“It’s Elizabeth’s,” he said quietly, his voice catching slightly in his throat. “She gave it to me in the ambulance… when we were on our way to the hospital.”Leah’s brows drew together in surprise. “She gave it to you?”“Yeah.” He nodded, then swallowed hard. “She said it was from Maggie. A gift. I guess she wanted me to have it. I didn’t really think much of it at the time… Everything happened so fast.”He turned the bracelet over in his hand, the soft clinking o
The day of Elizabeth’s funeral dawned cold and grey, as though the skies themselves mourned her passing. The cemetery was silent except for the occasional rustle of leaves and the silent sobs of those who had gathered to say their final goodbyes. Everyone was dressed in black, a sea of mourning hearts united in grief.Leah and Maggie stood side by side, drowning in sorrow. Leah wore a fitted black top and matching trousers, her eyes hidden behind a pair of dark shades that masked her eyes that had become swollen from crying. She looked down most of the time, her fingers nervously fiddling with the hem of her sleeve.Beside her, Maggie looked like a shadow of herself. Her black gown flowed loosely over her frame, long and free, barely brushing the ground. She had covered her hair with a simple black scarf, tying it tightly as though to hold herself together. Her lips trembled, and her hands were clasped so tightly in front of her that her knuckles had turned white.Jeremy and Alfred st
The news spread like wildfire.It didn’t take long before everyone who mattered knew. Word of Elizabeth’s death moved through the city like an unstoppable wave. Her loved ones, acquaintances, even those who barely knew her but admired her from afar, had all heard of her passing. For those closest to her, those who had shared in her life, her pain, her secrets, the grief was something far more tangible, suffocating even.Maggie and Alfred had rushed to the hospital the moment they got the call. Time seemed suspended as they rode in silence, each consumed by their thoughts. Maggie stared blankly through the window, her heart a mess of denial and sorrow. Her hands trembled in her lap as Alfred gripped the steering wheel, his jaw clenched tight, trying to stay composed for her sake.They met Mrs. Callahan there. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, her nose runny, and her cheeks flushed with grief. She clutched a damp handkerchief that had long stopped being useful. It was soaked wi
Jeremy could hear his pulse thundering in his ears as he stared down the barrel of Big Margaret’s gun. The room was tense, air thick with danger and fear. He could hear Leah's cries, muffled and desperate, cutting through the chaos. His heart beat harder with every second that ticked by, and in that moment, something inside him snapped.With a roar of rage and courage, Jeremy moved forward.Big Margaret hadn’t expected it. Her moment of triumph turned to confusion as Jeremy charged. He crashed into her, knocking her sideways. In the same motion, his hand seized the cold steel of her pistol. They struggled for control, her hands clawing at his, but Jeremy was faster. Fueled by fury and desperation, he took the weapon from her.Without hesitation, Jeremy spun toward the armed guard, who was already raising his gun to fire.BANG!The guard was shot down before he could even pull the trigger. Blood splattered across the tiled floor as the body dropped to the ground. Jeremy didn’t flinch.
Leah didn't go home after office hours that day. She rotated herself in her chair, her mind spinning on the recent events, until sleep found her.She had rested her head on the table, hoping to rest only for a little while, but sleep came like a thief and dragged her into unconsciousness.When she opened her eyes, the world around her had changed.This wasn't her office.Her neck ached as she jerked upright, blinking rapidly as she observed the surroundings. Cold, clean air. A dim light from a nearby desk lamp. Her eyes adjusted to the space, and that’s when she realized where she was.Jeremy's office? How?She looked at her wristwatch. It was past 9 PM. She tried to get up when she noticed she'd been tied to the chair she was sitting on. What the heck! She struggled to break free, twisting her body violently, testing the binds, but the ropes held firm. “What the hell is going on?” she muttered, her voice shaky.“Hello!” she called out, but she only heard the echoes of her own voice
Elizabeth was preparing to go to the office that morning when she slummed.Thankfully, her mother, Mrs. Callahan was present.She quickly made a phone call and requested for an ambulance, and in no time, the ambulance arrived.The nurses moved swiftly, the hum of overhead fluorescent lights, and the wheeled gurney rushing past in a blur. On it lay Elizabeth, her body weak, trembling, her breathing shallow and erratic. Maggie stood frozen, her heart pounding like a war drum in her chest as she watched the hospital staff work swiftly around her.Alfred was by Elizabeth’s side, passing instructions to the nurses, his voice tight with urgency. He had tried to remain composed for as long as he could, but this—this was different. Elizabeth’s lips had turned a terrifying shade of blue by the time they arrived, and her eyes, though they were open, they seemed to flutter between consciousness and something far more terrifying.As the nurses wheeled Elizabeth into the emergency room, the doors
Ivan had been invited by the board members, and as soon as he arrived, two police men covered him.“Ivan Fisher,” one of the police men said. “You're under arrest fo the attempted murder of Leah Fisher.”His hands were cuffed behind his back as he stepped out with the police men, the flash of red and blue lights reflected off the glass doors, casting eerie shadows across his face. The officers barely spoke as they read him his rights. There was no need for dramatics. The real spectacle was the betrayal written across Ivan’s eyes.Monica stood still. She didn’t cry, didn’t plead. She just watched, her lips tight and her shoulders stiff. Then she rushed to her station and was quickly clearing her desk, as if trying to run away and never return.Leah couldn't understand what was happening. Who had called the police on Ivan? He was being arrested for orchestrating her accident. She didn't report it even after she found out. Then who did?Was it Monica? Had she doublecrossed Ivan?She ru
The rain had stopped by morning, but the world felt no lighter. Leah stood in the kitchen, the mug in her hands long gone cold. Her thoughts spun in a thousand directions, each one pulling at a different thread of betrayal.Jeremy entered, still in the same shirt from the night before. “No sleep?”Leah shook her head. “Sleep feels like a luxury I can’t afford.”He leaned against the counter. “I combed through more of the files. Ivan didn’t just want to remove you from the board… he wanted to erase your entire claim. Financially. Legally. He’s built a case against you using your amnesia.”Leah set her mug down. “And Monica?”“She’s been a go-between. Messages. Meetings. Hush-hush coordination. But it gets worse. There are references to a player, someone labeled as M. Ivan’s not acting alone.”Leah’s eyes narrowed. “M? Same as C. M. Voss, or a different person” Jeremy shook his head. “I have no idea. But whoever M is… they’ve funded parts of this. Masked transfers. Multiple shell compa
“I know it hurts and you're upset, but you can't be at war with your brother,” Noah said, his voice filled with concern as he leaned forward on the couch, the phone pressed tightly on his ear. The atmosphere in his apartment was quiet, except for the distant hum of traffic outside his window.On the other end of the call, Leah let out a bitter laugh, one that sounded more like a scoff than amusement. “My enemy, you mean. He staged the war. He hates me with a passion. You don't understand, Noah.” Her voice trembled slightly, the pain and betrayal etched into every syllable. “Forget it. How are you?”“I'm good. Hey, buddy. Handle this with wisdom, please. Tell mama about it,” Noah advised.“I don't want to trouble that poor woman. She's already been through too much. I'll handle Ivan. Don't worry,” Leah said firmly. There was a finality in her tone. “I gotta go. Talk later.”“Alright. Bye,” Noah said softly before hanging up.He set his phone down and sat still for a moment, absorbing e