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
Amelia “Give me a son,” Lachlan growled into my ear as his hips pistoned harder, driving his hardness deeper into me. I cried out in both anguish and pleasure as my body climbed higher and higher and finally reached the crevice. “Oh God,” I moaned, my nails digging into his back as I clung to him with all my might. I came with a choked sob and Lachlan followed a moment later, gritting out his daily mantra into my ear as he came. “Give me a son.” I had heard those words everyday of my life for the past three years and I was sick of it. Every time, I swore to myself that I’d be stronger and the words wouldn’t affect me, but I failed each and every time. Just like now, I could feel one more crack in my heart as the man I loved; the man I was hopelessly in love with; my husband, with jerked away from my body like I was contagious, shot me an acidic look and stomped off to his room. My husband and I hadn’t shared a bed for more than sex since our marriage three years ago.
Amelia“Green isn’t your color. You should have worn blue,” Lachlan snapped as he approached me.I had been waiting for him at our foyer for over twenty five minutes and he had finally arrived and had jumped right into criticizing me.“I’m S-sorry,” I said, “I can go change.”“There’s no time,” he hissed, “We’re already late enough as it is.” As if he hadn’t been the one to make us late.“You should have employed my sister’s personal shopper like she had suggested for you. She always looks so classy while you look like a pauper.”I held back my retort that I wasn’t sure he would be all that pleased with me dressing like a high class hooker like his sister. I didn’t think I had ever seen Nina Mallory wearing a dress that reached to mid thigh. “Let’s go.” He hissed, “I can’t wait for the day you’ll finally stop embarrassing me.” I followed him with my head down like I was headed to my own execution. It was safe to say that Lachlan’s family hated me. While his mother and sister always
Amelia “You’re awake!” Someone exclaimed in a kind Southern twang. I opened my eyes slowly, disoriented and confused. Where was I? The walls were a plain white and flooded with harsh lights. I winced, trying to understand what was going on. “Where am I?” I asked groggily. “Poor darling,” the accent replied. “you’re in the Maryland hospital.” I turned my head carefully to see a nurse staring down at me worriedly. My whole body hurt but my head felt like someone had taken a hammer to it. “What happened? Why am I here?” “Don’t you remember?” The last thing I remembered was running out of the Mallory house and my husband screaming my name. I remembered feeling terrified and horrified by my actions. Everything after that was a big blur. “You ran into the street and got knocked down by an incoming bike. You’re lucky that the bike was going slowly and you didn’t get yourself killed.” The nurse chided softly. “What were you thinking?” I was thinking that I needed to run as fast as
Amelia“Lachlan, I have good news,I’m pregnant. No- that’s too boring,” I muttered to myself as I hurried into the house excitedly. I couldn’t wait to tell my husband the good news. It was the one thing he had wanted since the beginning of this marriage. The only thing he had hoped for. I believed this would help us get closer, and finally heal the rift between us.But what if he didn’t believe me? The thought immediately halted me, but there was an easy solution to it. I could do a quick pregnancy test now so I could tell him with the evidence. I immediately rushed to my room and dug out one of the kits and followed the instructions then went to find Lachlan.But as soon as I burst into the home office excitedly, my heart dropped to my stomach at the sight before me. My husband was seated on his big leather chair, and on the hand of the chair was none other than Cassie. I froze in shock as her hands slowly undid the the buttons of his shirt, murmuring silky words at him while he l
Lachlan“A divorce?” I repeated blankly. I stilled in shock at the hard look in Amelia’s eyes. It was a look I had never seen before in our three years of marriage. She had always looked at me helplessly and with love and devastation that irritated me so much and made my skin crawl. The last thing I had ever expected was for my wife to be the one to serve me divorce papers tonight. Everything I had done had been to make her miserable in this marriage, but she knew the stipulations on the marriage contract arranged by my late father. She wasn’t entitled to a single dollar of my money if she ever divorced me unless she had given me an heir. So far, she was still the same barren woman from day one. Amelia hadn’t been my first, second or even hundredth choice for a wife. My plan had always been to end up with Cassie. But my father, the manipulative bastard had twisted my hands all the way to his grave and saddled me with this joke of a woman. “Yes,” she said slowly and stepped forwa
Lachlan.I was still in pain and hurt. How she was able to beat me at my game baffled me a lot. At some point, I was almost losing it. I think I need therapy. “I see no reason why you'd always want to keep looking for that miserable bitch. She's not worth all the stress, Lachie; she's not worth it. c'mon” Cassandra's words were beginning to irritate my ears. I couldn't tell what the reason but it was just irritating.At this point in time, I don't feel like talking to anyone. I was hell-bent on bringing her back to the house. If she had left alone, I wouldn't be moved whatsoever, maybe a little though, but she's left with my damn child! My growth, for God's sake! I won't in any way let this go down like that; I never will. “Look, Cassie, you just have to let me be as we speak; it's not making any sense to me that you're always nagging me to death; please let me think!” For the very first time, I lashed out at Cassie. Her countenance changed immediately. I shouldn't have shouted at
Amelia I can't tell where the courage to file for divorce came from. I just know how to do it to save myself, and more so for the sake of my mental health. I can't afford to see him and Cassandra all loved up while I sit down to watch their folly.It'd be very stupid and silly for me to still stay there after all the humiliation he has put me through in the last 3 years of our marriage. I had wanted to break the good news of my pregnancy to him. At least you wanted a son all these years, and I was finally giving him one. I had imagined a series of scenarios in my head; all I wanted was for my husband to love me and treat me like the baby girl I've always been. Nirvana's wildest dreams: Did I imagine a day like this coming? Even if I wanted to fight for a divorce, it would not be so soon. I packed my bag as tears flowed down in torrents. I'll look at the pregnancy kits in my hand, reading the meaning of the results you can show me. It's too much to bear to have to leave the home I'v
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 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
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
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
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
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’
LACHLANThe fluorescent lights of the police station buzzed faintly as I walked through the doors, my mind heavily held down by a mixture of dread and determination. Matthew trailed just behind me, his expression stoic but his eyes alert. The station gave a stench of stale coffee mixed with frustration, a combination I’d grown accustomed to during these past few chaotic days. The detective in charge of the case called in earlier today that there have been some findings about the whereabouts of the assailants. It was good news, yes, but there was more, and they couldn’t tell me over the phone, so I had to come down here myself. Detective Harper greeted me with a curt nod. “Mr. Mallory, thank you for coming in. Let’s talk in my office.”I followed her into a small, cluttered room. Matthew remained close. If anyone could recognise Amelia’s attackers, it was him. Which was why I had brought him along with me again. Harper motioned for us to sit, her lips pressed into a grim line.“We fou
Christopher I staggered into my apartment, half drunk, exhausted, and honestly just wanting to sleep off the buzz from the club. It was nearly 3 a.m., and I’d lost track of how many drinks I’d downed with all those hot women. All I could think about was removing these clothes, getting in a hot shower, and letting the water wash off the stench of alcohol on me. As I turned on the shower, droplets of water began to gently slide down my chest, and I closed my eyes, letting the water pour over my hair, but as soon as I stepped out and grabbed a towel, my phone vibrated on the counter, slightly lighting up the dim room. It was Cassie. “Why's she calling?” I groaned, but something in the back of my mind told me to pick up. She wouldn’t call at this hour without a reasonable excuse. With that, I quickly dried off my wet body, yanked on some pants, and slid the green icon. "Cassandra, I was wondering when I’d hear from you again.” I heard her take a deep breath. “Chris, I need your hel
AMELIA I woke up slowly, my mind drifting through a thick haze, like I was trying to wade through fog. For a moment, everything was blurry, and a tightness settled in my chest. Where was I? Was I still at the hospital?Then I felt the warmth of a hand over mine, firm but gentle, and everything came rushing back. Blinking, I looked up to see Lachlan sitting beside me, his face tense but softening as he noticed I was awake. The sight of him washed away the last traces of fear, and I let out a breath I hadn’t realised I was holding.“Lachlan…” My voice was barely a whisper, but his expression shifted, relief flooding his eyes.“I’m right here, love,” he said, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze.I wanted to tell him everything I was feeling—how scared I’d been, how grateful I was that he was here now—but the words felt tangled in my throat. Before I could even try, the door opened, and a middle-aged man in a white coat stepped in. He had a kind face, with just a hint of greying at the