ROBERT'S POVAs I dropped the call, Sylvia’s eyes bore into me. “What did Maria say?”“She told me that Odette and Thompson have been secretly meeting with shareholders, convincing them to sell their shares,” I replied, my voice taut with anger and rage.I could almost hear my father's voice in my head again, “you have failed Robbie”.I shook it off and looked up at Sylvia but Sylvia's face was contorted in shock. I guess she hadn't seen that coming either.“They’re buying out the shareholders?” She asked, disbelief evident in her tone.Josh, who had been pacing the room, stopped abruptly. “How is this possible? I thought the Vanderbilts owned the major shares.”I took a deep breath, trying to keep my frustration in check. “Richard had cousins and brothers who had children of their own. They all hold shares in the company. Richard had the largest share, followed closely by me because of my marriage to Ariana.”Josh’s face paled. “If Odette and Thompson have bought the stocks of five s
ARIANA'S POV I stood there, trying to steady my trembling body as I looked at the man before me. Reginald Thornton-Frost. I knew that name, but from where? My mind raced, struggling to dredge up the memory. Before I could speak, one of the men shoved me roughly. Pain shot through my entire body as his tight grip dug into my arms, forcing a scream from my lips.“Ariana,” the man barked, “answer!”The sharp pain in my head returned, a searing bolt that brought flashes of memory. A restaurant. My mother talking to a man. I saw myself walking over to confront them. I remembered feeling angry that my mother was cheating on my father. It was the day I learnt that we needed “saving”. The day everything started to fall apart.“Ariana, this is Reginald Thornton-Frost of Thornton-Frost Industries.”Snapping back to the present, I gasped. “You’re my mother’s friend,” I stammered, the recognition dawning painfully.Reginald chuckled, a mirthless sound that echoed through the small, oppressive ro
ROBERT'S POV The world felt like it was crashing down around me. How could I have been so stupid? How could I have let Ariana slip away a second time? The realization hit me like a freight train, the weight of my own incompetence crushing my chest. Anger bubbled up, not just at myself, but at Josh for encouraging me not to run after Ariana. He had said she needed space, that chasing her would only make things worse. And like a fool, I listened. I let my fear of making things worse paralyze me, and now she was gone. The image of her walking away, hurt and angry, replayed in my mind over and over. I was angry at Sylvia too. If not for her thoughtless remark, Ariana never would have gotten angry. Oh! Crap! How could I have let this happen again? I swore to protect her, to never let anything harm her again, and yet here I was, failing her once more. My heart pounded with a mix of fear and rage. Every second that passed without knowing where she was, or if she was safe, felt like a kni
ARIANA'S POV Gasping for breath, I barely registered Detective James's hands pulling me out of the water. I choked, coughing violently, each spasm a fresh agony that tore through my chest. Water streamed down my face, mingling with tears I couldn’t control. My body shook uncontrollably as I struggled to breathe, every intake of air a desperate, ragged gasp. Flora. Flora. I could see flashes of her face. Flora laughing. Flora running. Flora crying. Flora teasing me. Flora shooting herself in the head. And there was I, standing in my wedding gown. Looking down at her lying in a pool of her own blood. Detective James threw a towel at me, the coarse fabric hitting my face and falling into my lap. I grabbed it, trying to wipe the water from my eyes, but my hands trembled too much to be of any use. Sobs wracked my body as I broke down, tears mixing with the water dripping from my hair. I was so tired. So fucking tired. I felt like I could not go on again. Yet I was so angry at Detective
ROBERT'S POV I stood there, momentarily stunned by Odette's revelation. Richard Vanderbilt murdered her father? My mind struggled to process the information. This wasn't just a business takeover; it was personal for her. Odette's rage and determination suddenly made sense. She had a motive beyond greed. The pieces of the puzzle were finally falling into place. It was not just “for fun” this was a personal vendetta. Odette was just trying to act unconcerned but she was obviously very involved. Odette's voice broke through my thoughts, laced with bitterness. “Do you have any idea the kind of hell I’ve been through to get here? Richard murdered my father in cold blood, he put a bullet straight through his brain”, her voice was shaking with emotions.Her words hit me like a sledgehammer. I could see the pain and anger etched on her face, her eyes blazing with a mix of fury and sorrow. I was at a loss for words, confusion written all over my face as I tried to comprehend the gravity of
ARIANA'S POV Consciousness came slowly, pulling me from the dark abyss in agonizing increments. Kill Margaret, Kill Margaret, played over and over in my head. It was an unending loop that was driving me crazy.My body felt heavy, as if weighed down by invisible chains. Every muscle ached, every breath a laborious task. I blinked, the dim light of the room piercing my vision. The silence was unnerving, a stark contrast to the chaos that had preceded my blacking out. I couldn't even remember what had knocked me out. One minute Reginald and Detective James were in the room with me and the next, I'm waking up to silence. I winced as I tried to move, every movement a source of agonizing pain.Where am I?Panic set in as I realized my situation. My wrists throbbed from the ropes that had cut into them, and I struggled to move, only to find myself still bound to the chair. My heart pounded in my chest as I strained against my restraints, desperate for any sign of life, any hint that this ni
ROBERT'S POV My world suddenly grew quiet. The sirens, the murmuring detectives, all the noise faded into a deathly silence. It was as if someone had turned the volume knob of the universe all the way down. I stood there, staring at the grotesque body on the ground, feeling as if my life had ended. Ariana, my heart whispered, as my mind struggled to accept the horrific scene before me.The silence was oppressive, pressing down on me like a weight. I couldn't hear the frantic conversations of the officers or the distant wail of emergency vehicles. Even the city, usually a cacophony of life, seemed to hold its breath. The only sound was the pounding of my own heartbeat, a relentless reminder of my existence in this nightmare.I wanted to scream, to break the suffocating silence, but no sound came out. My throat was a desert, dry and parched, incapable of producing the noise that roared inside me. The world had stopped, leaving me in this frozen moment of horror and loss.I closed my ey
ARIANA'S POV Reginald’s eyes narrowed with renewed interest at my mention of Sylvia. He signaled Detective James to put away the gun, and the man complied, lowering the weapon from Nate's temple.“Who is this Sylvia?” Reginald demanded.My voice shook as I replied, “She’s the lawyer representing Winters Pharmaceuticals.”Reginald let out an ironic “ahhh” and leaned back, a mocking smile playing on his lips. “Margaret told me the merger looked promising,” he began, his tone dripping with bitterness. “She came to me for help, and now, just like tha