Lucas shoved Morgan away, and she stumbled backwards, nearly falling before she regained her stance. Her eyes widened in hurt, but it quickly morphed into anger, her cheeks flushing a deep red."You pushed me away?" Her voice trembled, a raw edge of desperation seeping through despite her efforts to mask it.Lucas’s eyes narrowed, his expression hardening. "This is the last time you’ll try something like that," he warned, each word dripping with malice. "Next time, you'll see a side of me you won't like. Believe me, Morgan, I've changed."Morgan’s fists clenched at her sides, her knuckles turning white. "If you take another step, Lucas, you'll be starting a war. And trust me, you won't win."Lucas paused mid-step, his back to her. He didn't turn around as he spoke, his voice cold and crisp. "Go ahead, Morgan. Do what you want." He took a deep breath, then broke into a run.He burst out of the hospital doors, his eyes scanning frantically for any sign of Emma. The parking lot stretched
Lucas stood there, watching Emma's retreating figure, the words unspoken, a heavy silence settling around him, leaving an air of guilt.He walked into the house, his footsteps echoing on the floor. The first thing he saw was his father, seated in the armchair by the window, his gaze fixed and intense. It felt as though his father’s eyes were boring into his soul, uncovering every hidden regret and mistake."Father," Lucas whispered, his voice barely audible. He cleared his throat, trying to steady himself. "Good evening."His father's nod was slow, deliberate, a gesture that carried the weight of years of disappointment. The room felt colder, the air thicker with unspoken words. Lucas recalled how his father had disapproved of Ivanka from the beginning. That disapproval had driven a wedge between them, and even after he and Ivanka had parted ways, the chasm between him and his father had remained, unbridgeable.He could not forgive himself either, walking out on his father that parti
The dinner dragged on until everyone had finished, the clinking of cutlery against plates gradually subsiding. Lucas pushed his half-eaten meal around his plate, stealing glances at his father and Emma, who seemed lost in thought. Finally, his father cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention."I'll talk to Mr. Quinn to see what we can do about the contract," he began, his voice laced with a hint of weariness. "When it's sorted, I'll let you know." He pushed his chair back and started to walk away from the dining room table. Halfway to the door, he stopped and turned back to Lucas, his eyes softer than they had been in years."I still love you, son," he said, the words heavy with emotions.Lucas felt a lump rise in his throat, tears stinging the corners of his eyes. He couldn't remember the last time he had heard those words from his father; it felt like a lifetime ago. "I love you too, Dad," he managed to say, his voice breaking slightly.His father nodded, before he turned and
Emma obeyed as she bent over and pulled down her panties and got on the bed."Spread your legs for me," Lucas murmured as he got on the bed, lodging himself between her thighs.Emma did as she was told, her face flushing crimson as she opened her legs wide. Lucas glanced inside, she was glistening with liquid that dripped down her thighs and he swiped with his hands, placing it in his mouth as he clamped his eyes shut in ecstasy."You've never tasted better," he murmured. Emma closed her eyes at the sensation, clenching her teeth together."Make love to me, Lucas, Fuck me" she murmured, the raw desire in her voice making Luca's eyes flutter open.He kissed her thighs tentatively, climbing his way higher and higher closer to her folds.Emma felt like she was about to go crazy. She thrust her hips forward, but Lucas was fast enough to pull away, a wicked grin in his eyes as Emma glared at him, her eyes pleading and begging.And this time, Lucas complied. He flicked his tongue across her
Emma walked out of the room briskly, her footsteps echoing lightly as she made her way downstairs. The rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee and waffles with honey wafted up to meet her. As she reached the dining room, she saw the Sinclairs chatting animatedly around the table. The moment Emma appeared in the doorway, the chatter ceased abruptly. All eyes turned towards her, and a smirk settled on Mrs. Sinclair's face, a knowing smile playing on her lips."Well, look who's awake," Mrs. Sinclair drawled, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "I definitely wasn't expecting you to be up so early after the busy night you had." Emma flushed a deep crimson, her cheeks burning as she stood there with a sheepish smile.Lucas, sitting at the far end of the table, glanced at his mother. "Don't tease her, Mother," he said, his tone half-joking, as he chuckled. "I had to endure all those years of your loud love making with father. Just one night shouldn't give you the right to torment us like this." H
The man slowly stepped aside, allowing them to move into the house. His gun still pointed at them."If you say a word, I'm going to shoot you and your girlfriend dead in seconds," the shooter threatened, his voice a low growl. He waved his gun at Lucas, his eyes cold and unyielding. Lucas nodded slowly, his jaw clenched.Emma's heart pounded as she tried to take in the scene. "Now tell him where you kept it," the man with the gun ordered, pointing at a woman tied to a chair. The ropes dug into her wrists, leaving angry red marks. Emma's breath caught in her throat as she stared at the woman—it seemed she was the one she had been talking to. How had Mr. Ethan known to find her so quickly? Had he been tracking her phone?The woman's eyes blazed with defiance. "I don't know where it is," she spat. The man's face twisted in anger. Without warning, he kicked her hard in the stomach. She gasped, doubling over in pain, the chair creaking under the impact.Emma winced and looked away, her sto
Emma inhaled sharply, not expecting what she had just heard. "Does the phone contain information that could help?" She asked and the woman nodded.Emma glanced at Lucas, whose eyes were distant and unfocused, lost in thought.Lucas suddenly stood up from the worn-out couch, his expression resolute. "This is what we're going to do," he said, his voice steady. He ran a hand through his tousled hair, a sign of the stress they were under.Emma watched as he began to pace. "I'm going to call the police, and you're going to speak to them," he continued, "They'll come here and find everything exactly as it is. But this time, we'll take pictures and leak them to the public. That way, they can't cover anything up, especially with the FBI involved." He glanced at the woman, whose eyes widened slightly, a mix of fear in her gaze."We need to make sure they can't hide this," Lucas explained. "You're going to tell them you've been attacked and that you have information they need. When they're clos
"This is one of the disk file you gave to us, we would like to watch it with you," the police officer stated and Mrs Veronica nodded.The screen showed a dimly lit kitchen. Mrs. Maria was gagged and tied on the floor, her eyes wide with fear. Ethan Maddox was pacing around, his face twisted in anger, his mouth moving rapidly as he shouted. Although there was no sound, the rage in his body language was unmistakable. Mrs. Maria seemed to be pleading, shaking her head in desperation.The scene escalated quickly. Ethan Maddox grabbed a knife from the counter and, with a swift, brutal motion, slashed at Mrs. Maria's neck. Blood spurted out in gruesome bursts, staining the floor and walls. Mrs. Veronica's breath caught in her throat, her eyes glued to the screen.The officer quickly shut the laptop, her hands shaking slightly. She took a deep breath, her face pale. "This... this is more than enough evidence," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Emma and Lucas sat in the car, parked
Emma clenched her hands in her lap, her knuckles white. She glanced at Lucas, who gave her a reassuring nod. "You can do this," he mouthed.After what felt like an eternity, it was time for the verdict. The judge's voice was firm, unyielding. "Mario Rodriguez, you are sentenced to a total of fifty years in prison for the rape of Kathy Callum, for human trafficking, drug trafficking, money laundering, and aiding murders. You will be eligible for parole after twenty five years."The courtroom buzzed with murmurs, but Emma barely heard them. She was focused on the look of shock and fury on Mr. Mario's face as he was led away in handcuffs. It was over. Truly over.Tears welled in her eyes, but this time they were tears of relief. Lucas squeezed her hand, and she turned to him, a tentative smile breaking through. "It's finally over," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.He nodded, pulling her into a hug. "You were amazing," he said softly. "So strong."Emma leaned into him, feeling
Emma felt the warm trickle of blood running down the side of her face where the gun had struck her. The metallic scent filled her nostrils as she looked up at Mr. Mario. His grip on her face was ironclad, his face mere inches from hers. His breath was hot and reeked of cigarettes as he hissed, “Don’t make me kill you, Emma. Don’t tempt me.”His voice was low and menacing, and Emma could feel the vibration of his words against her skin. She knew she was probably making the worst decision of her life, but it was the only thing she could think of. With a sudden, desperate resolve, she lunged forward and sank her teeth into his nose. She bit down hard, the taste of blood flooding her mouth, and pulled with all her might until she felt the flesh tear awayMr. Mario’s scream pierced the air, raw and filled with agony. Emma could see the shock and pain in his eyes as he clutched his nose, blood streaming through his fingers. Seizing the moment, Emma summoned every ounce of strength and let o
Emma slowly sat back down in a chair. She took a deep breath and opened the file. Inside, she found a set of documents. As she scanned the pages, her eyes landed on the title: "Dissolution of Betrothal Contract." Her heart pounded as she saw Morgan’s signature at the bottom.Her mind reeled. Why had Morgan changed her mind? What had prompted this sudden shift? Emma leaned back, staring at the papers, her thoughts a whirlwind of confusion and curiosity. But her relief was unmistakable."What had changed her mind?" Emma whispered to herself, the question lingering as she stepped out of the courtroom.**One month later**Emma stepped out of the hospital with Tina, who had just finished her antenatal check-up. The setting evening sun glinted off the hospital’s glass facade, casting long shadows on the pavement.Emma got into the driver’s seat and started the engine. “Feeling okay?” she asked as she navigated the car through the parking lot.Tina chuckled, resting a hand on her baby bump.
His lips curled into a sneer. "I'm going to win my case tomorrow. And when I get out, Emma, I'll make sure you pay. I'll kill you, and before that, I'll have my way with you. Brutally. You'll regret everything. You should have stopped when you had the chance."Emma's smile didn't waver, but inside, a shiver ran down her spine. She steadied herself, refusing to let him see any weakness. She knew the case was too good for him to win it. "We'll see about that, Ethan Maddox. How pitiful it is, the once powerful Maddox, stuck in a jail cell." She stood up, adjusting her coat with deliberate grace.As the guards moved to take him away, Ethan's expression shifted, a malicious glint in his eye. "Watch your back, Emma. Mario is still out there, and he's planning something big."Emma paused, her heart skipping a beat, but she didn't turn around. She walked out of the room, the echo of Ethan's words trailing after her.With Mario still roaming out there, she knew everything was truly far from ov
"Cookies or a sandwich?" Emma asked.Tina picked cookies without hesitation. Emma retrieved a pack from the pantry and placed a few on a plate, setting it on the counter next to where they would soon sit with their hot drinks.The kettle began to whistle, steam escaping from its spout as Emma poured the hot water into two waiting mugs filled with cocoa mix. The rich aroma of chocolate filled the air.They sat down at the kitchen table, the silence heavy between them as they sipped their drinks. The warmth of the hot chocolate seeped through Emma's fingers, temporarily soothing her senses.After they finished their drinks and Tina left, Emma returned to the living room. The fatigue of the day washed over her, and she settled onto the couch, her thoughts wandering to Lucas.Hours later, the sound of the front door opening roused Emma from her doze. She blinked sleepily, glancing at the clock—it was a little past seven. Lucas entered the room.He settled beside her on the couch, leaning o
The lady sighed deeply, her shoulders slumping as she collapsed onto the edge of the bed. "Maybe you weren't convincing enough," she suggested. "You should have worn the other more revealing red dress. And maybe you sounded pushy..."Her words faded into the background as Morgan's anger reached a boiling point. With a sudden, ferocious movement, she stood up and crossed the room in two quick strides. Grabbing the lady by the front of her shirt, she lifted her off the bed and slammed her against the nearby wall. The impact sent a dull thud through the room."If you want to pass blame on me for your stupid plans not working," Morgan hissed through gritted teeth, her face inches from the lady's, "you're not going to like how it ends for you."The lady's eyes widened in shock and fear. Her breath came in shallow, rapid bursts. As Morgan's grip tightened momentarily before letting go, the lady slid down the wall, her legs weak beneath her. She straightened herself slowly, smoothing out her
Upstairs, Lucas leaned back in his leather chair, the phone pressed to his ear. Morgan's voice echoed through the line, breaking the silence."We need to see Lucas. It's urgent," Morgan's tone was urgent.Lucas frowned, his brow furrowing. "See me for what?" he asked, his voice guarded.There was a brief pause on the other end of the line before Morgan replied, "About Ethan Maddox. There's been a breakthrough, and I thought you should know."Lucas's grip tightened on the phone. Ethan Maddox. He inhaled sharply."Why are you trying to help me?" Lucas's voice was low, contemplative. "It feels like there's more to this than just the case."A soft chuckle came through the line, warm and unexpectedly genuine. "Yes, Lucas," Morgan admitted, her tone unguarded. "I have my reasons. I want you to warm up to me, and if helping with this case will achieve that, then I'm willing to take the risk. I'm really sorry about yesterday, I shouldn't have done that. It's been years, and I should have allo
"This is one of the disk file you gave to us, we would like to watch it with you," the police officer stated and Mrs Veronica nodded.The screen showed a dimly lit kitchen. Mrs. Maria was gagged and tied on the floor, her eyes wide with fear. Ethan Maddox was pacing around, his face twisted in anger, his mouth moving rapidly as he shouted. Although there was no sound, the rage in his body language was unmistakable. Mrs. Maria seemed to be pleading, shaking her head in desperation.The scene escalated quickly. Ethan Maddox grabbed a knife from the counter and, with a swift, brutal motion, slashed at Mrs. Maria's neck. Blood spurted out in gruesome bursts, staining the floor and walls. Mrs. Veronica's breath caught in her throat, her eyes glued to the screen.The officer quickly shut the laptop, her hands shaking slightly. She took a deep breath, her face pale. "This... this is more than enough evidence," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Emma and Lucas sat in the car, parked
Emma inhaled sharply, not expecting what she had just heard. "Does the phone contain information that could help?" She asked and the woman nodded.Emma glanced at Lucas, whose eyes were distant and unfocused, lost in thought.Lucas suddenly stood up from the worn-out couch, his expression resolute. "This is what we're going to do," he said, his voice steady. He ran a hand through his tousled hair, a sign of the stress they were under.Emma watched as he began to pace. "I'm going to call the police, and you're going to speak to them," he continued, "They'll come here and find everything exactly as it is. But this time, we'll take pictures and leak them to the public. That way, they can't cover anything up, especially with the FBI involved." He glanced at the woman, whose eyes widened slightly, a mix of fear in her gaze."We need to make sure they can't hide this," Lucas explained. "You're going to tell them you've been attacked and that you have information they need. When they're clos