ROBERT'S POV
The cold night air bit into my skin as I stared into the barrel of the gun, gripped tightly in Detective James’s hand. Detective James who had before come to stand at my doorstep offering to find Ariana. He was a dirty cop. I could see it clearly now. He would rather hold Reginald’s gun for him and do his dirty business than earn his pay legally.
I stood there mulling over Reginald’s words in my mind. The woods around us seemed to close in, the darkness amplifying the tension. Nate was clinging to Ariana, and Sylvia and Josh stood frozen, eyes wide with fear. The flickering station lights cast eerie shadows, making Reginald’s menacing figure even more sinister.
ARIANA'S POV I stood there, rooted to the spot, behind Rob, my heart beating erratically. All I could think of were the pictures I had found of this man and my mother on the internet. How could he do this? How could he do this to my mother? How could he be so consumed by jealousy for my father who was now dead?The faint sound of sirens wailing in the distance pulled me from my thoughts. Rob cocked his head to the side, and I could tell he heard the sound too. My palms grew sweaty. I didn’t know how the police were heading in our direction, but I was grateful for it.Nate’s hand slipped out of mine, and I lunged desperately to clutch his tiny hand, but he broke into a run. Panic surged through me, and I screamed. The guttural sound I let out scared even me.Reginald shouted at Detective James to shoot. My heart jumped to my throat as I bolted after Nate. I grabbed hold of him in the darkness as the police cars got closer, their tires screeching against the asphalt.The gun went off a
ARIANA'S POV Anger surged through me like electricity the minute I sighted Odette. Her calm demeanor, standing by the police van, ignited a blaze of fury within me. Without thinking, I sprinted toward her, my vision narrowing to her smug face.“How dare you!” I screamed, my voice raw with rage. My hand connected with her cheek in a resounding slap that echoed through the night. The shockwave from the impact reverberated up my arm, fueling my anger further.Everyone around us froze, their faces reflecting a mix of astonishment and confusion. Sylvia and Josh were the first to react, rushing to my side to hold me back. But I couldn't stop. The words poured out of me like venom.“You have some nerve showing your face here, Odette!” I yelled, struggling against Sylvia and Josh’s grip. “What exactly is your aim? Haven’t you done enough?”Odette remained infuriatingly calm, her eyes cold and calculating. She adjusted her stance and looked at me with a patronizing smile. “I see your memory
ARIANA'S POVI couldn't believe what I had just heard. My father's largest warehouse burned down. This had Odette written all over it.As I stared at the remains of the smoldering structure on the news, a cold shiver ran down my spine. The warehouse wasn’t just any building; it was the backbone of my father’s company, the heart that kept the business alive. My mind raced, trying to piece together the implications of this disaster. My thoughts shifted to the state of the company. We had been teetering on the edge for months, the market pressures and relentless competition driving us to the brink. And now this. The loss of the warehouse would be a blow we might not recover from.
ROBERT'S POVA dull, throbbing pain in my abdomen brought me back to consciousness. I opened my eyes slowly, blinking against the harsh light overhead. My vision was blurry, but I could make out a metallic ceiling. Confusion clouded my mind as I tried to piece together what had happened. Then it hit me—I had been shot. The confrontation with Reginald Thornton-Frost flashed through my mind like a nightmare. Nate! What had happened to him? Had Ariana been able to get to him? Was he okay? Was he alive?I was on a stretcher and I knew I was being moved but by whom?I attempted to sit up, but the sharp pain in
ARIANA'S POVChaos swirled around me like a raging storm as I pushed myself up from the cold, sterile floor of the hospital corridor. My legs wobbled beneath me, but I couldn't afford to falter. Not now. Not when Rob's life hung in the balance. I scanned the frantic scene before me—doctors and nurses rushing past, alarms blaring, patients' cries mingling with the distant wail of sirens. My heart pounded, each beat a desperate plea for strength.“Josh! Where's Josh?” I shouted, my voice lost in the cacophony. But no one answered, their faces set in grim determination.I couldn't go back to get Babs and Sylvia. It would be too late and LaSalle would be long gone. I had to do this myself. I had to find Rob and save him no matter what it took.I clenched my fists, forcing myself to focus. I needed Rob and I missed him badly. He had been with me, and then suddenly he was gone. It was like the universe was constantly trying to keep us apart.And Victor LaSalle—oh God, that monster had him.
ROBERT'S POVMy eyes fluttered open, the sterile white of the hospital ceiling slowly coming into focus. The beeping of the monitors beside me was a steady, rhythmic reminder that I was still alive. Relief washed over me. I wasn’t being transported to my death this time. I let out a sigh, my body sinking deeper into the bed as the weight of the world seemed to momentarily lift from my shoulders.I was still basking in this relief and trying to remember what had happened in the parking lot when the door creaked open, and Josh walked in. His face lit up with a smile when he saw me awake. He looked exhausted, probably from making his rounds, but his eyes were filled with a warm relief.My heart swelled with gratitude at the thought that Josh was a friend and someone I could count on.“Welcome back to the land of the living, Rob,” he said, his voice carrying a hint of humor.“How long have I been out?” I asked, my voice rough and weak from disuse.“Five whole days,” Josh replied, his smil
ARIANA'S POVThe room was dark and the air stale. I could tell that the sun was up but the last thing I needed was the sun shining its rays on my loneliness so I kept the curtains drawn. I was seated on a white leather couch in the sitting room cradling my baby bump and sighing for the umpteenth time. Something weighed heavily on my mind. But I did not want to believe it was regret. I did not want to cast my mind back to the events that led to the now: me, pregnant, sitting in a dark room all alone, my husband gone.“I'm gonna be fine”, I whispered to myself. “You hear that baby?” I said, directed at the baby bump. “We're gonna be fine”. Even as I whispered those words, I knew that what I truly wanted was the company of my husband. I wanted him to be sitting right there with me, the curtains open, letting in the sun and the two of us holding hands while whispering sweet nothings and looking forward to the birth of our son.Just so my husband could look at me with approval. With l
ROBERT'S POVI have been an unhappy man since the day I lost her. I lost her in the wedding with Ariana, her sister. It was for business reasons but I’ve never thought about it could make my life become this way. I mumbled a goodnight to my secretary and other staff as I exited the office building. The last thing I wanted was to go home to Ariana, the one who’s my wife, but also the one who always reminds me of her death.Ariana was the workaholic heiress who controlled an entire department of her parents’ conglomerate. She was pretty, tough, and passionate about everything. She’s good. But she’s not Flora.The lady whose smile lit up my world. “How perfect should I do to get your attention? To drag you back from her so that you can face reality? To face me and our baby?” She once shouted to me with tearful eyes.“You are so wrong, Ariana. Flora’s not perfect. She’s just kind, naive, and caring. Compared to you, she’s just a normal person with a normal personality you can see ever