Christopher.I immediately turned and was meant with nothing but barrels of oil on the floor. There was no sign of Lachlan. I sighed, slapping my forehead again before stepping into my car and driving off.Nina’s POVThe headline popped up on my phone while I was sipping my morning latte, and I nearly choked. Normally I ignore stuff like this and focus more on the fashion news, but this story was too hot not to catch my attention. “BREAKING NEWS: Attempted Home Invasion at Mallory Mansion!" My eyes widened as I scrolled through the article. Apparently, some idiots tried to break into Lachlan’s house last night. They were dead now, of course, because nothing ever happens to Golden Boy Lachlan without some cosmic justice raining down in his favor. Still, it was juicy. Men storming his house, Amelia being in the house, and now they’re six feet under? This was practically ripped from a soap opera. I could already hear my mother’s voice in my head: “Nina, stop meddling in your brothers’
Eric’ POVThe night breeze escaping through the floor to ceiling window in my office did absolutely nothing to reduce my frustration. I loosened my tie and relaxed into the leather chair behind my desk. The once organised table is now in a mess, scattered with paperwork and staples pins.A pile of neatly arranged files lay to my right, perfectly aligned, the only thing organised here. I looked up at the wall and onto the pictures, if only I could hang there with them.I finally pulled the tie out of my collar and tossed it onto the desk, running a hand through my hair. Cassandra. The thought of her name alone made my blood boil. She almost ruined everything. The plan had been careful in making but Cassandra, with her nature and jealousy, had nearly torn it all apart in one reckless act. Attacking Amelia? That wasn’t just stupidity; it was sabotage! What I honestly wanted to know was who in the world gave her that foolish idea to hire amateurs to try and harm my woman!Should I cut
Amelia's POVThe house was too quiet for its size. The walls seemed to close in around me; it was no longer comforting but instead suffocating. Every turn I took, there was a guard stationed somewhere; their presence was a reminder of how much my life had just drastically changed. Rebecca wasn’t helping either. She was practically glued to my side, her sharp eyes watching my every move as if I were a fragile porcelain doll about to fall and break into pieces. It was very annoying.I moved to the massive windows in the living room, pulling back the heavy curtains to look outside. The gardens stretched out under the silver light of the moon. The world beyond seemed so beautiful, so pretty, yet I was stuck in here. In these walls, doing nothing. Fuck this shit!!I wasn’t even allowed to step out without someone guarding me. I tried to distract myself by reading, but the words were hardly visible to me, probably because of the amount of thoughts I was processing. I turned on the telev
Oliver’s POV The glass of whiskey filled with ice cubes stayed there untouched on the desk before me. I stared at it, the familiar temptation lingering in the back of my mind, but for once, it wasn’t enough to drown out the weight on my chest. Amelia. Her name had become a ghost in my life, haunting every corner my body. I tried to push it away, tried to forget her the same way I’d tried to forget her mother’s face. It didn't matter. No matter how much I drank, no matter how much I tried to bury myself, they always came back. I blamed her. I had always blamed her. She looked too much like her, too much like the woman who’d held my world together before it all fell apart. Her eyes, her voice, even the way she carried herself—it was a cruel reflection of what I had lost. When the company fell apart because of my own mistakes, when the creditors came knocking, I convinced myself it was Amelia’s fault too. It made it easier to do what I did. Selling her off to the Mallorys wasn’t
Lachlan’s POVMy mind was a cat, and Amelia was a ball of yarn. I couldn't stop thinking of her. Never had I been so terrified in my life a few days ago. I was just getting my life back together, and someone was trying to steal it away. Amelia was the only thing that reminded me of any good in this world, and losing her meant good would cease to exist, and I would never let that happen. My eyes fell on our wedding photo sitting on my polished desk, and I reached for it. A few years back, I never had anything on my desk to remind me of her. I had been blinded by rage and hatred that I didn't see how angelic this woman was. But things have changed now. I traced my fingers over her smiling face, and my heart ached.Amelia must feel so lonely in the mansion. After all, it would be just her, surrounded by the guards who would be monitoring her every move. She must be terrified. I know this much because Amelia didn't feel safe around unfamiliar faces. It was her Achilles heel. I hated
Amelia's POVI almost punched Rebecca in the face when she drew the curtains open. “Arise and shine.” She said in a rather unusual chirpy voice. I wanted to reply, “Don’t bother with cheering me up. It won't work.” Instead I say, “Good morning, Rebecca.” I ate breakfast alone in my bedroom. Lachlan was gone by the time I awoke. But there was a note that said he was sorry he couldn't stay and that he had an important meeting to attend. I folded the note and put it in my dress pocket. I didn't have the heart to rip the paper. He had made an effort to apologise. After watching TV, I concluded that the rest of my morning would be bleak and uninteresting. It was me, and the guards and their prying eyes wouldn't lose sight of me. I needed to climb out of my shell. In this case, the shell was the house. “Going somewhere, ma'am?” One of the guards asked as I rose from the sofa. “Yes. Just the garden. It's right outside.” I pointed at the glass floor to ceiling window that revealed
Lachlan's POVThe sweet scent of jasmine filled my nostrils when Amelia walked in. Just her smile was enough to ease the weight of the day off my shoulders. Of course, we have had our fair share of arguments lately, but I was hoping we could settle everything and have a chance to relax and stay in each other's arms tonight. No one else, just the two of us together. “Hey.” I called out as I set my briefcase down, the aroma of dinner wafting through the air. “I’m home."She appeared from the dining room, her face lighting up when she saw me. That smile—God, I’d missed it. “Welcome home, love, how was work?” She said softly, walking over to me. My face spread into a wider smile till my cheeks were hurting, but I didn't care. I would endure any form of pain because of her. I leaned down to kiss her forehead. “It smells amazing here.” I said, my voice sounding warm and inviting. “Go wash up; dinner’s almost ready.” She ordered gently, pushing me upstairs. I chuckled and obeyed; momen
Eric's povI slammed the door shut leaving behind a loud echo in the living room.Aunt Bailey, who had been so focused on the book on her lap, jolted from the bang.“Eric, you gave my heart fright. Why did you shut the door like that?” She said in her usual whiny voice that pissed me off.“I don't have the time to deal with you right now.” I walked past her to the sleek, modern bar that dominated one wall of the living room.“Eric, did you just speak to me in that manner?” She dropped the book on the table beside her.I ignored her as I slid into one of the stools and reached for the crystal decanter sitting on the polished counter. “Eric…” Aunt Bailey called out, and I snapped.“What exactly do you want from me, woman?” “Eric… What is wrong with you? Did something terrible happen at the office?” I could hear the hurt in her voice as she spoke, but I didn't care. I was too angry to care. Now was not the bloody time to fix a smile on my face. I took an empty glass and poured myself
Lachlan's POVI clenched my fists as I gazed at the detective. Would you just spill it already?“Get to the point, you manipulative don of a ….” I bit back the rest of my insult when he responded with 8 words. “Chris is the main suspect in this case.” Detective Matthew's smug expression needed a punch to it, and I was ready to volunteer for it.“Chris is an idiot, but he wouldn't hurt a lot of flies!” I yelled in my brother's defence. “Oh really? He wouldn't hurt a fly, but he'd fuck your own side chick and make moves on your own wife. Matthew curled an eyebrow. I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. “Can I fall for the same trick twice? Your bullshit reverse psychology won't work this time!”“I'm not using reverse psychology on you. You know the truth. We both do.” The calm expression on his face told me he was super serious about this. Matthew placed his hand over mine and peeled it off him. “Supporting your brother will only fuel my rage, Mallory…. My job is to find the culp
Lachlan's POVI felt a soft hand on my grip on my shoulder, and I looked up. Detective Matthew was standing in front of me with a cup of coffee and a smile on his face. Suddenly, I didn't know what came over me. My body responded to the gesture with hatred, and I slammed my fist into his face.“Karam hits like a bitch, and so do you.” Matthew held out the pack of ice from his eye, and I winced for his sake. The area around his eye was swollen and purple. Did I hit that hard? I just took a swing.“I didn't mean to hit that hard.” I said unapologetically.“Yeah, right.” Matthew said with a scoff and leaned back in his swivel chair. He swerved right and left, watching me with those curious green eyes. “You know I could have you arrested for hitting an officer of the law.”“I'm pretty sure you're aware that people like me own the law.” I rolled my eyes.“And I have people like you to thank for all the corruption going on around here. If it weren't for folks like you, I wouldn't have a jo
Lachlan’s POV“Amelia Mallory…. Time of death - 10:45 pm.” “No, Amelia!” Bailey's screams resounded in the room. “No,” the room seemed to cave in. “My Amelia can't be—”I jolted awake. It was a nightmare. Warm liquid trickled down my cheeks, and I realised I had been crying. I sat up, wondering what the heck that was. “Lachlan…” Cassie said groggily as she turned on her right side to sleep. I stared down at myself. I was half-naked in another woman's bed—a woman other than my wife. My eyes scanned the floor of the room. Clothing items littered the floor—Cassie's lingerie, her gown, my shirt, and shorts. A bitter taste rose to the back of my throat, and I tasted like the alcohol I had last night and the grief I was going to face. God, what on earth did I do?I threw my leg over the left side of the king-size bed, my heart racing in my chest and my mind reeling with one question: Is Amelia okay?“Lach?” I heard the rustle of the bedsheet. “I'm okay. Go back to sleep.” I told Cass
Lachlan’s POVI slammed the door behind me, the sound echoing through my soul. “How could she! How could she do this to me!” I fumed, dragging my hand through my already tousled hair. “What's going on?” Cassie raced into the room. I ignored her, still stewing in my rage. “Lachlan!” Cassie grabbed my shoulder and made me look at her. Her expression suddenly changed from one of concern to outright shock. “Lachlan,” she cupped my face. “What happened?”Seeing her sad and confused made my heart break, so I put my arms around her and held her tight. “Don't go anywhere.” I muttered, burying my face in her shoulder. “I won't.” She whispered.I don't know how it happened, but later, I found myself sitting by the kitchen island with a bottle in my left hand and a full glass in my right. “You have to calm down, Lach. Not everyone's who they say they are.” Cassie rubbed circles on my back.I took a swig from the bottle and nearly choked on the burning alcohol. “Shit! Amelia lied to me!
Amelia's POVI was crying, and it was all my fault. I hurt myself. I did this to myself.I sat quietly on the couch, flipping through the photo album.The smile on his face, the laughter in his eyes, his loving gaze on mine…. My husband, Lachlan, was happy. He really was.I traced the contours of the photographs, and my heart clenched. I hurt Lachlan. Bailey was right. I was running from my problems. I thought Eric could help with it, but I was wrong. It only made things worse. Everything about Lachlan and me—the picnic, the date at the park, our kiss, and nights together—was all becoming a distant memory because of me. The guilt was crushing me. I could've let Lachlan in when he was being more supportive. I should've loved him for it, told him what I was going through, and gone easy on him, but I didn't. I didn't care that he was more understanding; instead, I blamed him. Tears filled my eyes, and I succumbed to the torrents of tears in my eyes. “Amelia, please, stop crying.” Lili
Lachlan's POVA few hours earlier,Spending time in Cassie's made me realise how much I've missed doing my favourite things. Our long walks, baking together, watching our favourite movies; that was something I missed. Watching Cassie laugh at me while we played snooker in the game room made me realise how much I had missed this. Now, I begin to question if I was really happy with Amelia. After all, all I did was to make her happy. Everything I did was for her. I never did any of my hobbies but hers. Only hers. Do I even love Amelia?“Lach? You okay?” Cassie's face hovers over mine, and I’m startled.She placed her hand over my forehead. “You aren't running a fever. So what's wrong?”“Your eyes are blue.” She froze. “What?”I reached out my hand to cup her cheek. “Your eyes are blue.”Her cheeks pinked, and she put her hand over mine. “Yeah. Pretty, aren't they?”“Like the summer sky.” I flashed her a smile.She leaned her face closer. “Yeah.”“How could I not notice?” I tried to pul
Eric's povI was busy overthinking my ass off and didn't hear Aunt Bailey enter the room.“Eric?” Her hand was on my shoulder again. “Are you okay?”I blinked twice. “Oh yeah. Sorry, I zoned out for a bit.”“Don't worry about work. Your secretary is doing a fine job along with everyone else.” she smiled.I know that already. I don't hire incompetent people. “Yeah. They are.”“Good. Now, cheer up.” She smiled and passed me a bottle of water. “Thanks.” I uncapped the bottle and took a long sip. Damn, was I this thirsty?“Here.” She passed me the tray of food. Dinner was chicken and rice bowl with steamed vegetables. Lots of vegetables. I could get allergic just by looking at it. Yay.I dug in. The taste was top-notch. All thanks to Aunt Bailey. Sometimes, she’d refuse me to eat hospital food but other times, she'd let me eat it. I wonder what changed her mind today. Maybe, Amelia talked to her. Amelia hated the hospital and even cried when she saw me eating the food. I nearly laughed
Eric’s POVFuck!I messed up pretty badly, didn't I? Each time I close my eyes, my mind replays my conversations with Amelia. I had her. I had her in my grip, and I just blew it. I fucked up, and she knew it. She probably wants nothing to do with me anymore. My words fell flat, and she shut me down. Big time.I need a new approach desperately. I need something that will make her see me in a different light. Something that'll make her run back to me like she used to. Something... Aha! The Damascus Road method. It all goes down to manipulation. I'm sorry, Amelia, but I must do you his, or I'll never have you. I reached out for my iPad on the bedside table. I had a book that talked about this persuasion technique. If you want to make someone believe you have a sudden change of heart, then this book was the one for you. I saw it online, and now I'm glad I bought it. I will make Amelia believe I wasn't selfish or arrogant and that I have sent the light. I would make myself look so guilt
Matthew's POV. “So I'll ask you again, Mrs. Mallory, I leaned forward. “Do you and your husband have any enemies?” A shuddering breath escaped her lips, and she tumbled with the frills on her skirt. “We—we don't.” She was lying. “Think again.” “I don't have enemies, but I don't know about Lachlan…” She yelled. Not a clever way to respond to an arm twist. Then she looked at me, fear dilating in her brown eyes. “You said something about Chris trying to loop my husband in on something…” “Ah, yes,” I sat up. “My partner and I paid Chris Mallory a visit. We have reason to believe that he's a suspect.” Her eyes went round—a giveaway. She knows something. “Mrs. Mallory, how's your relationship with your brother-in-law?” “It’s just as you said. He’s my brother-in-law.” “Do you both get along?” I asked. “Yes.” She replied almost immediately. This interrogation is becoming a pain in my beautiful ass. “Mrs. Mallory, I am trying to help you here. You got attacked by some