Christiana walked through the dark, lonely streets, her heart filled with tiredness. Her arms ached from carrying her three-year-old daughter, whose frail body felt heavier than ever before. The child’s head rested calmly against her shoulder, her breathing shallow, her limbs lifeless. She had never walked. Never uttered a full sentence. Never even played like other children.Despite every effort Christiana had made—every pill she had bought with the last scraps of her earnings, every tear she had shed over this child—nothing had changed. Her daughter remained broken. Weak. A burden.Christiana became tired and frustrated. She had tried. God knew she had tried.But now, she had no more strength left to fight.She had thought motherhood would be hard, but not like this. Not a life where she starved just to buy medicine. Not a life where she could barely sleep, fearing that one day, she’d wake up and her child would no longer be breathing.She had reached her breaking point.She wa
The bright lights of Crimson Avenue filled the streets in shades of red and blue, shining against the damp pavement. The air was filled with the smell of sweat and cigarette smoke. The night had just begun, but the familiar rhythm of the city never changed.Christiana leaned against a lamppost outside a Nights Club, her thin fingers holding a cigarette as she took a long drag, allowing the smoke to fill her lungs. She 55breathed slowly, watching the curl of smoke disappear into the air.She had been here many times before.Too many times.Tonight was not different. She was dressed in a hot pink mini dress that left little to the imagination, she knew she looked good. She had perfected the art of seduction—lips painted a deep red, eyes outlined with eye pencil,her curves clinging to her body. Men would look.And that was all that mattered.A loud voice pulled her out of her thoughts."Hello, lady in pink," a man called, his voice thick with amusement.Christiana turned her h
The hospital smelled of antiseptic and despair. The walls were painted a dull shade of white, but to Richard, they might as well have been closing in on him, suffocating him. The air was cold, the fluorescent lights casting a harsh glare on everything they touched.He sat in the consultation room, his fingers drumming against the wooden desk, his heartbeat loud in his ears. He hated hospitals. Hated the smell, hated the pitying glances from nurses as they walked past, and most of all, hated waiting.The door opened widely , and Dr. Martins stepped inside. His white coat was neatly pressed, his stethoscope hanging around his neck. He had been Richard’s doctor for years, a man known for his strictness and blunt honesty. But today, his face was unreadable, his usual stern expression replaced with something far worse—pity.Richard's stomach turned him angrily . Something was wrong."Mr. Lawson," the doctor began, flipping through the results in his hands.Richard swallowed, his mouth s
Daniela stood in the grand lobby of a four-star hotel, the air thick with the scent of wealth and exclusivity. Marble floors gleamed beneath Crystal chandeliers, reflecting a world she had once dreamed of but had long since left behind . Her fingers trembled as she clung a folder with the DNA test results that showed proof of the truth she had kept hidden all these years . She wasn't here to admire the opulence, nor was she the same woman who had once been captivated, then cast aside by a billionaire. Today, she was here to confront Alexander Dane.She had rehearsed this moment countless times in her mind, but nothing prepared her for the sight of him stepping into the room. Alexander Dane . The man she once loved , who single handedly tore her family apart with a ruthless business takeover. She hadn't seen him in five years, he knew nothing about her or her whereabouts . Yet ,he looked exactly as she remembered, lean and tall ,dressed in a dark, tailored suit t
The silence in the room was suffocating, thick with unspoken questions and tensions.The air between them seemed charged, every second stretching into an eternity as Alexander stared at her,his mind working overtime to process her revelation . Daniela's chest tightened under his penetrating gaze, and goosebumps prickled her arms despite the heat of her anger.“ But how?” he finally managed, his voice rough, strained.” We used protection that night. How could this child ….. How is he mine?” Her knuckles turned white as the weight of the moment bore down on her. She could see the storm brewing in her eyes- confusion, denial , and something else she couldn't quite place. A part of her wanted to lash out at him for questioning her, for doubting the existence of their child. But she knew it was pointless.She had her share of guilt to bear for keeping the truth from him all these years. Taking a step closer, she steadied herself, her voice soft but firm.“ The child is yours ,
Daniela stood by the window,her fingers trembling as she gently drew back the curtain . Her gaze fell to the street below , and her heart skipped a beat when she saw a black car pulling up to the gate of her house. Anxiety gripped her chest as she glanced through the glass. When she recognised who it was, her stomach twisted. Alexander . She wished, in that moment , that the meeting could be called off but it was far too late. He was already here. She turned to glance at Noah, who sat cross- legged on the living room floor, humming softly as he played with his toys. The sight of his innocent joy only made Daniela's thoughts spiral further. How would Noah react to Alexander?Would Alexander truly care for his son, or was this meeting just a way to ease his guilt? Her chest tightened as she placed a hand over her heart, willing it to slow down. The doorbell rang, snapping her out of her thoughts. She moved toward the door, her heels clicking softly agains
The door closed behind Alexander with a click, but Daniela couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong somewhere. The quietness that followed was unnecessarily odd, filling the room with suffocating silence. She stood by the window,her fingers pressed to the cool glass, her breath heaving heavily as she watched Alexander black car disappear into the night. The streets were empty and the glow of streetlights cast long shadows across the road. Yet, inside her chest, her heart was sounding loudly- out of rhythm. Something about this night felt wrong,as if the weight of the past had just shifted. The key chain that had glinted in the moonlight near the gate kept flashing in her mind. She couldn't help but replay the moment it had caught in her eye, as if it had been waiting there for her to find it. Her heart sank as memories she had long time buried began to surface.A time where everything had seemed so much simpler , and she didnt have to live in constan
Daniela stood in the luxurious living room of Alexander's mansion, her arms tightly crossed, her knuckles white from the tension.The silence in the room was deafening,suffocating her with unspoken words.Alexander moved with the pride he possessed,as he reached for something on the nearby table. When he turned, Daniela's eyes immediately caught the gleaming object in his hand- A small velvet box.The sight of it sent shivers down her spine.A mixture of dread and disbelief swirling in her chest. Her breath hitched as she instinctively took a step back. Her voice, thick with suspicion, broke the tense silence “ What is that, Alexander?”He ignored her, his gaze steady but distant, as if he hadn't held her. Instead, he held the box loosely between his fingers , as though it carried the weight of everything left unsaid between them. Daniel's heart pounded as she pointed at the box, her mind racing with possibilities .“ If you think–----” She stopped herself,swallowing th
The hospital smelled of antiseptic and despair. The walls were painted a dull shade of white, but to Richard, they might as well have been closing in on him, suffocating him. The air was cold, the fluorescent lights casting a harsh glare on everything they touched.He sat in the consultation room, his fingers drumming against the wooden desk, his heartbeat loud in his ears. He hated hospitals. Hated the smell, hated the pitying glances from nurses as they walked past, and most of all, hated waiting.The door opened widely , and Dr. Martins stepped inside. His white coat was neatly pressed, his stethoscope hanging around his neck. He had been Richard’s doctor for years, a man known for his strictness and blunt honesty. But today, his face was unreadable, his usual stern expression replaced with something far worse—pity.Richard's stomach turned him angrily . Something was wrong."Mr. Lawson," the doctor began, flipping through the results in his hands.Richard swallowed, his mouth s
The bright lights of Crimson Avenue filled the streets in shades of red and blue, shining against the damp pavement. The air was filled with the smell of sweat and cigarette smoke. The night had just begun, but the familiar rhythm of the city never changed.Christiana leaned against a lamppost outside a Nights Club, her thin fingers holding a cigarette as she took a long drag, allowing the smoke to fill her lungs. She 55breathed slowly, watching the curl of smoke disappear into the air.She had been here many times before.Too many times.Tonight was not different. She was dressed in a hot pink mini dress that left little to the imagination, she knew she looked good. She had perfected the art of seduction—lips painted a deep red, eyes outlined with eye pencil,her curves clinging to her body. Men would look.And that was all that mattered.A loud voice pulled her out of her thoughts."Hello, lady in pink," a man called, his voice thick with amusement.Christiana turned her h
Christiana walked through the dark, lonely streets, her heart filled with tiredness. Her arms ached from carrying her three-year-old daughter, whose frail body felt heavier than ever before. The child’s head rested calmly against her shoulder, her breathing shallow, her limbs lifeless. She had never walked. Never uttered a full sentence. Never even played like other children.Despite every effort Christiana had made—every pill she had bought with the last scraps of her earnings, every tear she had shed over this child—nothing had changed. Her daughter remained broken. Weak. A burden.Christiana became tired and frustrated. She had tried. God knew she had tried.But now, she had no more strength left to fight.She had thought motherhood would be hard, but not like this. Not a life where she starved just to buy medicine. Not a life where she could barely sleep, fearing that one day, she’d wake up and her child would no longer be breathing.She had reached her breaking point.She wa
The morning sun streamed through the curtains, casting a golden glow over Daniela’s bedroom. She stirred under the soft covers, stretching lazily before turning to her nightstand to check her phone.Except… it wasn’t there.Frowning, she sat up and rubbed her eyes. Had she misplaced it? She clearly remembered leaving it beside her before going to bed.Just as she was about to get up and search for it, a gentle knock sounded on her door.“Come in,” she called, still half-asleep.The door opened, and Gabriel stepped in, carrying a tray with breakfast—freshly squeezed orange juice, warm currant, and a plate of her favorite pancakes poured with syrup.Her eyes widened in surprise. “Gabriel?”He gave her an alarming smile. “Happy birthday, sweetheart.”She blinked. In the midst of everything that had happened recently, she had completely forgotten what day it was.“You remembered?” she asked softly.Gabriel sat on the edge of the bed, placing the tray on her lap. “Of course, I did. Ho
Gabriel stood speechless in the middle of his apartment, his hands clenched into fists. The sound of the door slamming shut echoed in his ears like a gunshot. Daniela had walked away, her heart shattered by the truth. She had not been replying to his messages for a while due to the fact that she was scared that he might do something worst than that.And it was his fault.For years, he had tried to erase his past. He had buried his regrets beneath wealth, success, and the illusion of a new life. But the past had a way of resurfacing, and now, the woman he had come to love despised him.He couldn’t let this be the end.Gabriel grabbed his car keys and rushed out, determined to find her.Daniela walked aimlessly down the street, the cool night air chilling her skin. Her arms wrapped around herself, not just from the cold but from the ache spreading inside her.Tears blurred the lights of the city, distorting everything around her.She had finally opened her heart again—let someon
Daniela sat on her couch, holding her phone so tightly that her knuckles turned white.Desmond’s words refused to leave her mind."Ask Gabriel what happened five years ago."Her stomach turned her.Gabriel had been her safe space. The one man who had given her hope again. But now?Her heart was filled with doubt. A slow, suffocating poison.Her instincts screamed at her to walk away,to bury the past and never dig it up again.But she couldn’t.She needed answers.Without thinking twice, she grabbed her bag and stormed out of her apartment.Gabriel opened his apartment door, his usual warm smile in place.But the moment he saw her face, the smile erased.“Daniela?” His brows tiled. “What’s wrong?”She pushed past him, stepping into the apartment.“We need to talk,” she said, her voice like steel.Gabriel closed the door behind them, his eyes filled with concern. “Talk about what?”She turned sharply, meeting his gaze.“Desmond.”Gabriel’s entire body stiffened. “What about him?”
Daniela sat in silence, staring at Gabriel.The man she had trusted. The man she had started falling for.And yet, his brother,Desmond was the reason her sister had suffered.The arguments between them was thick with tension.Gabriel reached for her hand, but she pulled away."Daniela," he whispered, his voice pained. "I swear, I had no idea. Desmond… he’s always been reckless, but I never knew he—"She stood up as fast as possible. "I need to think, Gabriel."His expression darkened, but he nodded. "I understand."But deep down, she didn’t know if she could ever look at him the same way again.That night, Daniela couldn’t sleep.Her mind kept replaying everything—her sister’s tears, Desmond’s name, and Gabriel’s face when she told him the truth.Her phone rang suddenly, removing her away from her thoughts.Unknown Number.She hesitated before answering."Hello?"There was silence for a while.Then, a deep, unfamiliar voice."Stay away from Gabriel if you value your life."Her
Gabriel wasn’t just kind with his words—he took action.One evening, as they sat in a quiet restaurant, he took her hand and looked into her eyes."I know you love working at the company," he started, "but I think you deserve more, Daniela. You’re smart, hardworking, and capable of much bigger things."She blinked at him, slightly taken aback. "Gabriel, what are you talking about?"He slid a neatly folded envelope toward her."A job offer," he said simply.Her heart pounded as she hesitantly unfolded the paper.It was from a well-respected company—a high-paying position as an administrative officer.She was filled with joy deep inside her. "How did you—?"Gabriel smiled. "I have connections. But you earned this, Daniela. I just pointed them in the right direction."Tears was filled in her eyes.She had struggled for so long, fought so many battles alone. And now, here was a man who wasn’t just promising her the world—he was actually helping her build a future."Gabriel, I—" She did
Days turned into weeks, and before Daniela even realized it, Gabriel had become a constant presence in her life, reassuring her and making her feel loved.At first, she had been hesitant to let him in. She had been burned before—used, abandoned, discarded like she was nothing.But Gabriel was different.He didn’t push. He didn’t demand too much.He was just… there.Every morning, she woke up to a text from him:"Good morning, beautiful. Have a great day."At night, another message:"Hope you ate today. Don’t overwork yourself."It was strange. No man had ever cared about the little things.And then there was the money.She never asked, but he sent it anyway. A small alert on her phone would pop up, and when she checked, there it was—a transfer from Gabriel."Just something to make things easier for you."****"Get something nice for yourself, Dani."He was everything she had ever wanted in a man. But more than the money, it was the fact that someone actually cared.Kind. Generous. Thoug