JamesGiselle had been moved to her own private room, no longer in the ER. Katniss was fast asleep on the couch, and Giselle remained unconscious.I decided to step out of the room to grab something for Katniss, but as soon as I exited, I came face-to-face with Ethan. He’d been waiting outside, probably for quite a while.I wasn’t sure why he didn’t just come in—perhaps he was afraid of another confrontation like the last one.His eyes immediately locked onto my face, cleaned and tended to by Katniss. He scoffed, the disdain evident. “You really have no shame, huh?” he sneered.“Ruining someone’s relationship? Shamelessly vying for attention from someone else’s wife?” he continued, his voice dripping with venom.I slid my hands into my pockets casually.“So what? You want me to apologize to you?” I replied, my tone deliberately provocative.Ethan’s attempt to stay calm unraveled quickly. Without warning, he lunged at me, grabbing the collar of my shirt with both hands.“I know it’s yo
James“What happened, Daddy?” Giselle asked.“It’s nothing, sweetheart. Don’t worry about it,” I replied, my tone as calm as I could manage.Giselle nodded, though the truth was, I was far more worried than she was. My eyes kept drifting to the door, waiting anxiously for them to return.Minutes later, Katniss and Ethan walked back into the room. Katniss looked even more exhausted than before, her face pale and blank. Something was seriously wrong.I glanced at Katniss, silently asking for answers. But the emptiness in her eyes spoke volumes. This wasn’t just bad news—it was something far worse.“You should leave,” Ethan said sharply, breaking the silence.“Your presence here isn’t needed,” he added, his tone dripping with finality.I glared at Ethan, my anger rising. “I’m her father!” I declared firmly.“And so am I!” Ethan snapped back.“There’s absolutely no proof you’re Giselle’s father,” he continued, his voice colder than ever. “Meanwhile, I’m Katniss’s husband, Giselle’s legiti
James"I can’t find them!"Frustrated, I attempted to call Renata. On the third ring, she answered, her voice silky but laced with amusement.“James?”“Where are you?” I demanded, not bothering with pleasantries.“Why?” she teased. “Do you miss me?”“This isn’t a game, Renata. Just tell me where you are!”She chuckled lightly, savoring her power. “I’m not in the city.”“Send me your location. I’ll come to you,” I said firmly, not allowing her to derail the conversation.***I glanced at the parked car in the basement of the hotel. My jaw tightened as I recognized it—the criminals’ vehicle. Cleaned up, spotless. Not a single trace of blood or dirt remained.‘Are they here, too? Or just their car?’Snapping a photo, I quickly sent it to the local authorities, my message brief but urgent:/I found them./Taking a deep breath, I made my way to Renata’s room. I wasn’t sure if Scarlett was with her, but I wasn’t leaving without answers.The door swung open, and there she was, wearing a sly
James“Do you love me?” I asked, keeping my tone steady, my gaze locked on her.Renata nodded eagerly. “Yes, James. I always will. Life without you is unbearable. I’m alive, but it feels like I’m dead. Even the daily arguments we had when we were married were better than this. Please, come back to me.”“Of course,” I said softly, letting a note of tenderness seep into my voice. “Like I said—it’s possible.”“For our child as well,” I added, a calculated hint of persuasion in my tone.“But... I hate Scarlett.”“Scarlett?” Renata echoed, her brow arching as she studied me.I nodded, maintaining my feigned sincerity. “Do you think I haven’t noticed? I still pay attention to you, Renata. I still care about you,” I said, emphasizing the lie with a gentle inflection.A soft blush crept across her cheeks. “Really?” she asked, almost breathless.“You don’t believe me, Renata?” I feigned offense, frowning slightly.She quickly shook her head. “I believe you.”“Then surely, you’ll be willing to
Katniss“Sobs… Giselle…”I couldn’t hold back my sobs any longer.“What did they do to my daughter? Sobs…”“Katniss, calm down,” Ethan said softly, trying to console me. But how could I?“How can I stay calm, Ethan? My daughter… she’s dying!” I nearly shouted, my voice echoing in the room, but I didn’t care.“I know, Katniss,” Ethan said, his voice calm but authoritative. "But running around like this will only make things worse. Of course, Giselle is able to sense your tears and hear you cry. She would hate to see you like this."His words were cutting, but I allowed myself to look in Giselle’s direction again. Unconscious and so helpless she lay there. With cheeks as white as milk, lips verging on blue, I could almost hear my own soul shivering.My knees grew weak, and without another thought, I fell to the ground, ending up on the concrete floor, not even feeling the concrete floor through the despair that overcame me.“Katniss!” With a choking noise Ethan dropped down beside me.
KatnissEthan was quieter than usual. He was still attentive but something seemed to be off.“You don’t need to worry. He just nodded and said, “I will make sure that Giselle gets the right attention that she needs.”I just nodded my head, trying to wipe the remaining tears from my face.“The kidnappers… they’ve all been arrested,” James said, as the mood in the room shifted to one of relief.“Thank goodness,” I responded, my tone as strong as can be given the circumstances and my tiredness. "They should be punished to the maximum extent possible. This will not be done lightly and I will not allow them to get away with this. I will simply leave it for my lawyers as the only way to seek justice on the case," Ethan joined the conversation. James stood silently for a moment, his gaze lingering on me, as though wrestling with something he needed to say but hesitated to voice.“Just say it,” I pressed, my tone edged with impatience. “Don’t hold back. I’m ready.”James exhaled deeply, his
Katniss“Scarlett, never in my life did I think you could stoop this low. For what? Love? You nearly killed an innocent child,” I spat, my voice trembling with raw fury. “You didn’t just kidnap Giselle—you poisoned her! Do you even want to know what her condition is right now?!”Scarlett remained silent, her lips pressed into a firm, unyielding line.“Because of the poison you gave her, she’s in a coma! Some of her vital organs are damaged, Scarlett! And you of all people know my daughter has leukemia. Your poison worsened her already fragile condition. She’s teetering on the brink of death, Scarlett!” My fists clenched tightly at my sides as I tried to steady my voice.“But you don’t care, do you? All you care about is the man you’re obsessed with. I know you hate me because I married Ethan, but why didn’t you direct all that hatred at me instead? Why did you have to involve Giselle? You could’ve hurt me, killed me, whatever. Just don’t touch my daughter!”I took a shaky breath, my c
EthanI stared at Scarlett sharply, feeling my anger on the verge of explosion. "That's not true!" I said firmly, though my voice trembled slightly. "You're just making up stories to provoke me!"Scarlett laughed softly, a laugh filled with satisfaction and mockery. "Oh? So, it wouldn’t matter if I told Katniss the truth, would it?"I tried to remain calm. "She won't believe you," I said with almost desperate conviction.She shrugged nonchalantly, a thin smile creeping onto her face. "Maybe not. But you know Katniss better than I do, Ethan. Are you sure she won't question everything when I tell her? She's already shattered. It's not hard to make her doubt the one person who’s supposed to protect her."I said nothing, knowing every second in this room was only giving her more power over me. Gritting my teeth, I turned around and stormed out, slamming the door behind me.When I got into the car, I saw her—Katniss. She sat in the passenger seat, facing the window, but I could see her tea
JamesAnother period of months passed since that night until a new piece of information altered everything in our lives.Katniss was pregnant.The pregnancy test revealed itself to me as she held it while her hands shook and tears formed in her eyes. “James… I’m pregnant again.”I stood motionless while staring at the bright pink lines that clearly appeared on the test. Inside me a whirlwind of emotions boiled as joy, shock and fear combined. The thought of losing Katniss and our baby the way we lost our second baby consumed me.I instantly hugged her close while feeling her body tremor against me. “I’m here, Katniss. The pregnancy and both of you remain completely safe and protected. I whispered an oath while caressing her hair because she required my reassurance at that moment.“I’m scared, James…” Her voice cracked. “I’m scared of losing again… The fear of losing her again repeated itself in her mind as she said "I don't know if I can handle it…"I cupped her face with both hands,
KatnissAfter Scarlett departed I stood motionless staring at the doorway while my eyes desperately sought something which did not exist because I wished to reverse all the destruction that had occurred.At every heartbeat my heart experienced torn fragments that pierced my chest with intense pain.I had forgiven her before. I had chosen to believe in her. But now? Could I still do it?My hand instinctively went to my flat stomach, the emptiness there consuming me.I used to feel the tiny flutter of life inside me, the hope of something pure. Now, there was nothing. Just hollow, aching emptiness. The pain was unbearable. Tears blurred my vision, but I was too exhausted to cry anymore.James was still holding my hand tightly, his grip like a lifeline, as if he feared I would crumble if he let go. Maybe he was right. Maybe I would."Do I have to forgive her?" My voice was barely a whisper, more of a fragile confession to myself than a question to him.James lifted his gaze, his eyes ful
James Hours pass. I don’t know if it’s still the same day or if thousands of years have gone by since I made that decision. I stand here, staring at the white walls of the recovery room, unable to stop replaying every warning from the doctor over and over in my mind. Each word echoes like a broken record:If we save her, the baby won’t survive.If we save the baby, Katniss may not make it.Those words—those gut-wrenching words—keep pounding in my head. I want to escape this reality, but all I can think about is Katniss. Was I right? Was this the right thing to do?"Mr. Kent," the nurse whispers as she exits the room where I’ve been pacing for hours. My throat is dry, my chest tight with anxiety. I can barely bring myself to ask. But I have to.“How is she?” My voice is hoarse, fragile, heavy with the dread that suffocates me.Her eyes are filled with sorrow, too much sorrow to prepare me for what I’m about to hear. She speaks softly, like she knows each word will tear me apart.“Her
JamesI couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Katniss was dying, barely holding on, and she was still thinking about someone else."Don’t think about her," I said, my voice sharper than I intended. But I needed her focused—she needed to fight. She had to pull through.But she was insistent. "Save… Scarlett… please, James."I didn’t fully understand it—Scarlett was tangled up in all of this. She was with Emma and Renata. But still… Katniss was asking me to save Scarlett.I stepped back, my eyes frantic as they scanned the smoke-filled chaos. My heart pounded so loudly, it felt like it might tear through my chest. Panic spread like wildfire as I realized Scarlett was missing. Nowhere in sight. “Where is she?” I asked, my voice cracking, barely audible over the madness. Before anyone could respond, I saw her.Ethan, his face tight with tension, emerged from the thick fog of smoke. In his arms, Scarlett hung limply, almost lifeless. It was like the smoke had drained her very soul. Her face
Renata"You think you'll win? That all of you will win?" Katniss glares at us, defiant as ever. Damn it! Even in this situation, she refuses to be afraid. Instead, she’s getting cockier.SLAAP!"Ah!" Katniss cries out as my palm smashes against her cheek.She bites her lip, holding back her tears, trying to keep control. But I know she wants to cry. She’s just too stubborn to let it show."Tch! I hate that arrogance of yours. Do you even realize that you're about to die?" I sneer.Katniss stays silent. I assume she’s finally scared—until she opens her mouth, and her response makes both Emma and me freeze."I won’t. You’ll see. I won’t.""Tch! Damn brat!""Emma, I need to talk to you. Alone."Emma nods, and we step aside to discuss Katniss—how to break her. Fear. That’s what I want to see in her eyes. That’s what will truly satisfy me. But before we can continue, my phone rings.It’s from one of my men stationed at a distance outside."Yeah? What is it?""Boss, we’ve got trouble! A con
Katniss: I stood by the hotel window, gazing at the city skyline that never seemed to rest. The world outside continued moving as if nothing had changed, yet for us, everything was different.We had chosen this hotel for a reason—it directly faced Renata’s company.From here, we could witness the empire she built crumble in real-time.My fingertips brushed against the cold glass. Below, chaos unfolded. Employees flooded the building’s lobby, confusion etched onto their faces as the news spread like wildfire.I could already picture Renata’s expression—panic, disbelief, rage.She would be scrambling for a way out, searching for an escape route. But this time, there was none.She was trapped.The image of Renata behind bars played vividly in my mind. The realization that she was nothing more than a pawn in a much bigger game would soon hit her like a tidal wave.It was satisfying—deliciously so. Yet beneath that satisfaction lurked something bitter. The road to this moment had been lon
KatnissThe waves at Malibu gently swept the shore as I stood on the balcony of Charles’s bungalow, staring out at the horizon. The soft breeze carried the scent of salt and the promise of a new day. After everything that had happened, we could finally breathe easy.The sound of James' voice broke through the air as he addressed me from behind. I exchanged a gentle smile in his direction when I faced him. His determination was present while his eyes showed he still carried affection.“What’s up?” I rested against the balcony rail while I asked the question. James drew near as he disclosed that their meeting with their dad had recently finished. "Our decision is to get back everything that belongs to us." The fighting spirit of James which I admired so much emerged during this moment because he refused to surrender despite mounting challenges. “And what’s the plan?” I asked the question with a mixture of curiosity combined with a slight sense of apprehension. He sighed. "I understa
JamesThe cold Malibu breeze brushed against my face as Katniss and I drove along the quiet coastal road. My chest felt tight—a mix of anticipation and fear so overwhelming that I could barely breathe.My father was here.Multiple people claimed this to be the truth.What condition would we discover him in? Did his condition match the image I retained from the past? My brother Liam was nowhere to be seen in the midst of this turmoil.An emotional tempest controlled the last couple of days between anger and betrayal and fear ruled everything. A single feeling took control of my mindset when we approached the isolated resort that my father claimed as his destination.Hope.***We reached the beachfront resort at sunset as the sky turned gold. It didn’t look like the kind of place where a man who once ruled the business world would hide.Yet, here I was.Desperately hoping for a miracle.Katniss placed a reassuring hand on my arm as we stepped out of the car.She answered with absolute c
James:I focused on my phone's screen which displayed rapidly-changing headlines that raced through corporate networks. The words burned into my mind: Charles Kent, Founder of Kent Industries, Overthrown. Emma Kent and Henry Take Control.My pulse thundered in my ears, a mixture of shock and disbelief flooding me. How could something this massive happen overnight? How had Henry—my stepbrother—pulled off such an audacious coup? And my step mother… she…I should have known! This was bound to happen sooner or later!Damn it, Father really has no idea how dangerous it is to let Emma and Henry get involved in the family's business affairs.Damn it!The betrayal hit me like a freight train.I glanced up at Katniss, who sat on the couch across from me, her own phone gripped tightly in her hands. Her sharp eyes flicked toward me, and I could see the same anger brewing in her expression."James," she said evenly, though I could tell her temper was barely in check, "have you talked to your fath