Noah and Leah were out, relaxing at a small quiet cafe tucked away from the city's bustling streets. It had been so long since they hung out together. They laughed freely, trading jokes and teasing each other, as though they were kids again. The world around them seemed to fade; it was as if they existed in a bubble that no one else could penetrate. For those brief moments, nothing else mattered.They were conscious enough not to bring it up.Leah looked radiant that evening, her beauty effortlessly captivating. Her long hair, left loose, fluttered gently in the breeze. Noah found himself staring at her affectionately, unable to help the way his chest tightened every time she smiled. She had always been beautiful, but tonight, she looked especially stunning. As the wind picked up slightly, he noticed a stray strand of hair fell across her face and moved closer to help her pull it away, but Leah thought he was leaning in to kiss her.“What are you doing?” She asked, turning away.Noah
Noah gripped the steering wheel as he drove the car down the lonely road. His eyes darted occasionally to the rearview mirror, where Big Margaret sat in the backseat. She looked uneasy and tense. She had barely spoken a word since the journey began, and her silence felt heavy, almost oppressive.Whatever was bothering her had to be connected to the safe’s passcode, Noah thought. His instincts told him that much. Her body language screamed secrecy, and her mysterious choice of attire only heightened his suspicions. The oversized sunglasses, the wide-brimmed hat, and the scarf wrapped tightly around her neck made her look like someone deliberately trying to conceal their identity.The road they were driving through was the same as the last time. And even today, she was dressed mysteriously, as though she was disguising herself. She was clearly hiding something.Noah attempted to start a conversation. “You look unsettled, ma'am. Is there anything else you'd like me to do for you?” he ask
Jeremy paced about in his room. How could he tell Leah what he had learned?“I'll have to go to her house, again,” he stretched.He hadn't been fine for sometime even though he pretended to be and Maggie was worried for him.The house felt strange without Leah’s presence. It lacked the warmth, the freshness, the intangible sweetness that seemed to linger whenever she was around. Ever since she left, everything had changed. His mornings felt dull, his nights stretched endlessly, and even the simplest things felt empty. Leah had become an irreplaceable part of his life, and now that she was gone, he felt like he was merely existing.When Jeremy came out to the living room, he was dressed up to go out, but casually. Maggie feared he might be going to have drinks.“Are you going somewhere?” She asked, watching him closely.“Yeah. I'm going to see Leah. I have some important information to tell her,” Jeremy replied.Maggie was relieved. “Oh…okay. My sweet Leah,” she said softly, smiling at
Noah sat on the ground, breathing heavily, his hands digging into his hair as he tried to make sense of what he had just seen. Leah was supposed to be angry with Jeremy. She even promised to open up her heart and he'd become hopeful that he had an opportunity to be with her.He clenched his fists, his nails pressing into his palms. He should have known. He should have expected this. But knowing it in theory and seeing it unfold before his eyes were two very different things. He had come to check on Leah, to see how she was holding up, and update her on his movements with Big Margaret, but instead, he had walked right into a scene that shattered him. Leah clearly hadn't gotten over Jeremy. He had come begging and she was already kissing him? Unbelievable!It was always Jeremy.Noah inhaled sharply and got up. He dusted his clothes off, his legs shaky but determined to walk away. He had no right to feel this way. Leah wasn’t his. She had never been his. But why did it hurt so much?He
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.”
Conrad entered the basement in Big Margaret's house, his footsteps echoing as he walked towards the safe. The safe was there, staring at him, silent and unyielding, like a guardian of untold secrets. Certainly, it was something of great value.He licked his lips, staring at the steel box embedded in the wall, its numerical keypad waiting, daring him to unlock it.This was his chance. His golden ticket.Conrad had given years of his life to Big Margaret. What did he have to show for it? Peanuts. Scraps. He had been her errand boy, her enforcer, her puppet in the shadows. He had done things for her that would haunt him for the rest of his life. He had even satisfied her sexually, a degrading act of submission that had left him hollow inside.And for what? Nothing.Sarah had left him, spitting in his face about how he was a useless man who could never give her the life he had promised. And now, she was with Jeremy, even though she was carrying his child. He knew it was his child even tho
“Why have you done this to yourself, son?” Maggie’s voice was soft, filled with concern as she looked at Jeremy. Her eyes, though kind, held a deep sadness. It pained her to see her son like this. So weighed down, so lost.Jeremy, seated across from her, barely looked at her. His fingers tapped rhythmically against the armrest of the chair, betraying his unease. “Because it’s the right thing to do,” he said finally, his voice hollow, but not convincing.Maggie exhaled sharply, studying him. He looked exhausted. His usual sharp, confident demeanor had become dull, replaced by something she struggled to define. “But you’ve become so unhappy. You’re clearly unhappy,” she pointed out gently.Jeremy looked at her and looked away.“You can still perform your duty as a father without being with Sarah. Don't do this, son. You'll regret it forever,” Maggie said.Jeremy tilted his head. “But parents sacrifice their own happiness for their children, don't they? You wouldn't understand that thoug
Leah's hands trembled as she stared at the contents of the safe. Her breath hitched, and she felt Noah’s gaze on her, watching, waiting for her reaction.Besides the neatly arranged documents, a small velvet box, and most shockingly, a sealed envelope with her name written in bold, elegant handwriting.Her father’s handwriting.Leah swallowed hard, her pulse pounding in her ears. She reached for the envelope first, her fingers shaking as she tore it open. A letter slid out, the paper slightly aged but still crisp.She hesitated, glancing up at Noah who gave her an encouraging nod.A part of her didn’t want to read it. A part of her feared what she would find. But she had come too far to turn back now. Taking a deep breath, she unfolded the letter and began to read.My Dearest Leah,If you’re reading this, it means you’ve found the safe, and I can only hope you have done so before Margaret did.There is so much I wish I could tell you in person, so much that I have kept from you, not o
Leah and Sarah were a couple now. And Jeremy was stuck with Sarah. Jeremy had called Leah to explain that he was family oriented and wanted his child to grow in a serene environment, and that even though he didn't love Sarah, he was stuck with her for the sake of the baby.“Go to hell,” Leah said harshly.“I'm sorry, Leah. I never meant for any of this to happen. I never meant to hurt you. I'll always love you,” he said sincerely.“Screw you,” Leah said and hung up abruptly.He had the guts to spew those words to her.“I'm family-oriented, Leah. I want my child to grow up in a stable home. I don't love Sarah, but I have to be with her for the sake of the baby.”His words had rung in her ears long after she hung up, after she spat out the harsh words, “screw you.”She blinked repeatedly to stop the tears that were forming in her eyes. Thankfully, it worked. She inhaled and exhaled sharply.She would not cry over Jeremy any longer. Leah had always believed that nothing happened by cha
Leah walked out of Jeremy’s house, her breath ragged, her heart hammering violently against her chest. The night air hit her face, cool but unable to calm the storm inside her. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to hold in the emotions threatening to spill over. Pregnant. Sarah was pregnant. Jeremy’s child. The words replayed in her mind like a broken record, each repetition digging deeper into her chest. How could this be happening? And now? Tears stung her eyes as she walked aimlessly down the street, her vision blurred. She had no idea where she was going, only that she couldn’t stay there. She couldn’t stand in the same room as Sarah, couldn’t watch Jeremy wrestle with the consequences of his mistakes. Her feet carried her without thought, her emotions too raw to care where she ended up. Then, as if by fate, she found herself in front of Noah’s apartment. She hesitated. Noah. The one who had always been there. The one who had seen her at her lowest, who had h
Conrad was stressed and needed to relax. Not sleep ‘relax’, or any other kind of rest. He needed his woman.He attempted to touch Sarah but she kept resisting him.He was burning with desire. Sarah had been denying him of sex for some time now, but Conrad didn't make a fuss about it because he thought it could be the pregnancy hormones.But tonight, he needed her badly.“Stop it, please,” Sarah said softly, pushing his hand away and slightly adjusting herself on the bed.“Come on, baby. You know it's been a while. I'm starving,” Conrad said, his voice sounding desperate, like someone in need.He moved closer to her again, and Sarah could feel the unmistakable pressure of his arousal pressing against her. He rubbed her shoulders with his hands and kissed her neck and shoulders.It irritated Sarah.“Stop it, I said,” she yelled now, sitting up on the bed.“Please, just give me some tonight. I miss you so much. Don't you miss me?” Conrad asked, his body on fire.“Conrad, I'm so tired and
“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 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
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