Daniela sat in her car for a moment before pulling into the parking lot of Liam's office. Her hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, her knuckles turned white as she tried to calm herself to breathe well. Her chest felt heavy,weighed down by the fear and the uncertainty that had consumed her since Noah disappeared. She had been to the school, spoken to the principal and hired investigators but every path felt like she was just wasting her time and effort. With nowhere else to go to, She decided to go to Liam's office. Liam had always been her rock, her voice of reason when the world felt like it was falling apart. She hoped and prayed that he will know what to say from giving home fully. Gathering her courage, Daniela stepped out of the car and Walked smartly towards the doors of the office building. The receptionist greeted her with a smile, but Daniela could barely acknowledge her as she made her way to Liam's private office. When she pushed the door
Daniela stood outside her father's house, her stomach twisting in knots. It had been months since she last visited,the tension between them festering like an open wound. But right Now, She needed him . She needed someone who could calm her nervous world down.Taking a deep breath,She rang the doorbell. A few moments later, the door opened to reveal her father, Robert. His eyes widened briefly in surprise, but the warmth she had hoped for wasn't there. Instead, his expression was one of shock . “ Daniela”, he said curtly, stepping aside to let her in. She entered, her eyes scanning the familiar living room which felt colder and more distant than ever. The air was thick with unspoken tension, memories of arguments hanging between them like ghosts. “ What brings you here?” Robert asked as he sank into his arm chair, his voice devoid of the comfort she so desperately sought. Daniela sat on the edge of the couch , her hands twisting together in her lap. “ Da
The words on Daniela's phone blurred as tears filled her eyes. “ I have warned you to keep searching away from your son”. Her hands trembled as she held the device , her breath going low. The message felt like a noose tightening around her neck. Who could be doing this? And why? Who did she offend?She looked around the quiet street, trying to look for a hidden watcher. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows,and passerby seemed oblivious to her turmoil. But Daniela's suspicion grew wider. Was someone in the car watching her or monitoring her movement? Was the old man at the Cafe more than just a casual observer? She forced herself to breath, pressing her palm against her chest in her attempt to calm her grievous heart. With trembling fingers, She forwarded the message to Liam, as the only hope and lifeline she has.Moments later,her phone buzzed with his reply. “ Come to my office . We need to talk”.The ride to Liam's office felt like the journey of a th
Two months.It had been two whole months since Daniela last saw her son. Sixty days of waking up to an empty bed reaching for a little boy who wasn't there. Sixty days of staring at his untouched toys, of checking repeatedly whenever the phone rang, hoping and praying it would be the News of Noah. But every call was a wasted efforts.The ransom note had come and gone, her no progress had been made.The investigators were not bringing good news, the police had no real suspects and worst of it all, her husband acted as if their Child's disappearance was nothing. Daniela sat on the edge of her bed, staring at her phone screen, her thumb scrolling over a picture of Noah. His Happy smile,his little cute eyes…. God, She missed him. Her throat itched her. How long will this continue? Her mind replayed every single moment she encountered since Noah disappeared. The panic. The sleepless nights. Her father's rejection. The feeling of running into brick wall
Daniela sat in her chair,staring at the stack of reports piling up on her desk. Her once successful company that Alexander had built for her and that she had managed with sleepless nights and relentless ambitions, was now crumbling under the weight of her personal tragedy. Each day without her son was unbearable for her. But She had to force herself to function and to put on the mask of composure, even when she felt like screaming into the void. A knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts. Lillian, her assistant, stepped inside her expression very Neutral. She carried a folder in her hands,which meant bad News.” Good news never came in files. It was spoken with relief. “ Ma we need to talk about the Finance report”, Lilian said, carefully placing the documents on Daniela's desk. “ The investors are getting restless, and some of the board members are questioning the company's direction since.--”.She hesitated . Daniela had an idea of what she wanted to s
As Daniela reached for her phone, her trembling hands on the screen, the words of the message kept on burning in her mind. Another notification came in again,confirming her fears. “ You should have listened. Now it's too late”. Her blood ran col7d. She knew this message wasn't just a threat, it was someone that was monitoring her that would be sending her all these kinds of messages. Her heart was beating fast as she dialed Lillian's number. She couldn't afford to be distracted by this cryptic warnings . The future of her company was at stake and she needed to focus. “Lillian, get that board meeting scheduled”. Daniela told her assistant as soon as he picked. “ And make sure everyone knows it's non negotiable. I am not stepping out and I will not let them think they can force me out. I want them to see who they are really dealing with”. Lillian hang back at the other end of the line.” But Ma are you sure about this? They might push back hard on this. It's not ju
Daniela sat in her office,gripping the edge of her desk as she stared at the financial reports on her screen. The numbers blurred together, but one thing was clear, her company was falling apart. Lillian entered carefully, a thick folder held tightly to her chest . Her usual composed attitude was gone,replaced by an anxious expression. “ Ma'am… The financial reports just came in”, She said, her voice barely above a whisper. Daniela breathed out sharply . “ How bad is it ?”. Lillian hesitated before sliding the folder onto the desk. “ It's worse than we expected . The stock value has dropped significantly, and the investors are pulling out faster than we can recover”. Daniela checked the reports themselves, her fingers trembling. Negative figures,declining profits and mass withdrawals. She was not happy with what she saw. “Who else has seen this?” “ The board. They held an emergency meeting this morning . Mr Collins was the leader of the discussion”. Dan
Meanwhile, at the Club , The bass thumped, rattling the walls of the exclusive VIP lounge. The air was filled with the scent of perfume,laughter echoing over the music. Alexander leaned back in his seat, one arm draped around the waist of Christiana, his ex girlfriend. She laughed out hard, and whispered something into his ear, and he smirked. His phone, abandoned on the table, vibrated. He ignored it . The screen flashed with Daniela's name . Then, the call ended and a notification of voicemail popped up. Alexander gasped,turning the liquid in his glass before tossing it back in one go. “ Your wife is calling”,one of his friends remarked,Surprised. “ So?” Alexander frowned,eyes drowsy with boredom. “ Let her wait”. He reached for the bottle,pouring himself another drink completely undaunted.Back at the office, Daniela was shoved into the backseat of a police car . The door slammed shut, locking her in. She stared ahead,her breathing unsteady, trying to suppr
The palace was quiet—too quiet. Even the birds that usually fluttered outside the grand windows of the king’s chamber were absent, as if nature itself mourned the weariness of the man within.Alexander sat on the edge of his bed, the heavy robe of royalty pooling around him like a shroud. The golden crown, once proudly perched upon his head, now lay abandoned on the floor, its polished surface reflecting nothing but a broken legacy.He had sent the servants away hours ago, requesting solitude. But truth be told, he had been alone for far longer than that—ever since Daniela left, ever since the boy vanished. Ever since he traded his humanity for power.The voices from the past echoed relentlessly in his mind."You want her to be queen? There is a way…""Put this powder in her drink. It will cloud her mind and draw her to you.""Rub this oil on your palms before you touch her—she will not resist.""You must act fast. The elders are watching. You need an heir."At the time, it all seemed
The palace was quieter these days—too quiet for a man who once ruled with noise, power, and pride. Alexander sat by his window, fingers toying with a half-filled goblet of wine. Outside, the moonlight brushed the edges of the thatched palace roof, casting ghostly shadows on the walls. Chisom had long drifted to sleep, her breathing soft, steady. But Alexander was wide awake—again.It had been six moons since she was brought to him, her skin soft as silk, her smile gentle, her body yielding. Each night, she came to his bed, and each night, he held hope in his loins and in his heart. But morning always came with the same bitter emptiness. No signs. No whispers of cravings. No swelling belly. No child.He had tried everything—spiced roots, fertility herbs from the palace medicine woman, and even late-night rituals performed by the native priest. Still… nothing.Alexander rose from the bed, pacing the cold marble floor with heavy feet. A fire burned in the hearth, but it did little to tha
The morning sun filtered through the bright white curtains of their new apartment, casting golden rays across the hardwood floor. Lydia stirred beneath the duvet, her hand instinctively reaching out to the other side of the bed.Empty.She blinked, sat up, and glanced around. The soft scent of brewed coffee and toasted bread teased her nose. A smile curled on her lips.He’s in the kitchen again.Throwing on a light robe, she padded down the hallway and into the warm, open space where Gabriel stood shirtless, wearing joggers and flipping pancakes with an exaggerated chef’s flair.“You’re going to burn them,” Lydia teased, leaning against the doorframe.Gabriel turned, spatula in hand, and grinned. “And good morning to my beautiful wife.”She walked up to him, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind. “Good morning, chef husband.”He kissed the top of her head, then plated a stack of fluffy pancakes. “I thought we could eat on the balcony today. The sun’s not too harsh yet.”They
The early morning sun filtered through the intricate lattice windows of the palace, casting golden shapes across the polished floors. Drums beat faintly in the distance, signaling the dawn of a new day—and a new queen.Chisom sat quietly on the edge of a carved mahogany bed, her feet barely touching the polished ground. Around her, the royal maids fluttered like bees, tying her hair into delicate loops, rubbing her arms with perfumed oil, and whispering instructions she barely absorbed.“Your new robe, my queen,” one of the maids said, presenting a cloth woven with silver threads and royal blue patterns. “You must wear it before you greet the king.”Chisom nodded faintly, still unsure how to wear the title of "queen" in her heart. The palace air was thick—not just with incense, but with the weight of expectation. She could feel it in the walls, in the eyes of the elders who measured her with unspoken judgment, and in the stiff bow of the guards who had served another before her.As sh
The palace air brimmed with anticipation, thick like a brewing storm. Inside the grand hall, the scent of burning incense drifted from gold-plated bowls, curling in the air like whispers from the ancestors. Soft drums echoed in the background, played by two palace boys, steady and ceremonial. The marble floors had been scrubbed to glass-like shine, reflecting the rows of candles burning along the corridor.Alexander sat on the throne, robed in deep crimson, his royal crown resting heavy on his head. His face was unreadable—a mask of calm, yet behind his eyes, something stirred. Pain. Memory. Resignation. This was not how he envisioned choosing a queen.Beside him, a guard stood silently, holding a scroll with the names of the maidens. The chamberlain motioned, and the doors opened.One by one, the virgins began to enter.The first maiden, Awele, stepped forward with her head lowered, her feet bare, anklets chiming with each timid step. She was beautiful—smooth dark skin, full lips, an
The sky above the palace bled into a melancholic gray, the sun hiding behind thick clouds as though mourning with the king. The royal garden, once Daniela’s favorite place, stood untended. Wildflowers grew in stubborn defiance through cracks in the once manicured paths. The scent of blooming hibiscus clashed with the scent of time—that old, dusty silence that lingered in places where laughter had died.King Alexander stood still on the palace balcony, arms crossed behind his back, cloaked in heavy velvet. He wasn't the same man he was two years ago. The weight of loss had carved lines into his once-youthful face. His shoulders drooped beneath invisible burdens. Power still clothed him, yes, but it no longer fitted him like pride—it clung to him like grief.His eyes scanned the horizon—the same trail Daniela had once fled down with the child. The same trail the guards had failed to watch. His jaw clenched at the memory.Every now and then, he imagined seeing her figure walking back, ch
The evening of the engagement party felt like a dream to Lydia. The grand ballroom was bathed in warm, golden light. Crystal chandeliers hung high above, their glimmering reflections dancing across the polished marble floor. The walls were adorned with intricate tapestries, depicting stories of love, fortune, and legacy. Every corner of the room was carefully designed to evoke luxury, but it was the people who made it truly come alive.Guests murmured and laughed in soft clusters, champagne glasses clinking as they raised their toasts to Gabriel and Lydia. They had all come from different walks of life—wealthy socialites, business moguls, close friends of the family. But tonight, there was one thing that united them all: the promise of the future, the joining of two lives. Gabriel stood at the center of it all, a striking figure in a tailored suit, his posture confident but warm as he greeted guests. He was the picture of a man who had everything under control. But as his eyes scanned
The soft light of the morning sun was seen through the blinds, spilling its warmth over the living room of Gabriel’s apartment. Lydia sat on the sofa, her bare feet tucked under her as she scrolled through a wedding magazine, lost in thought. The room was filled with the rich scent of freshly brewed coffee, and the faint hum of the city outside only added to the quiet peace of the moment.Gabriel had just stepped out of the shower, a towel draped low on his hips, his hair still damp. He smiled as he saw her lost in the magazine, the occasional flutter of the page drawing her attention. It was one of those simple, perfect moments that made him feel like everything he’d ever wanted was right here.“You look like you’re plotting world domination,” Gabriel teased, stepping into the kitchen, his voice a warm caress.Lydia glanced up from the pages, offering him a playful scowl. “I’m plotting the perfect wedding, thank you very much. There’s a difference.”“Ah, my mistake,” he grinned, lean
Dark clouds thickened above the palace like a warning, casting long shadows that crept along the courtyard stones. A heavy silence hung in the air, broken only by the occasional rustle of dry wind against the banana trees that lined the palace fence.Alexander stood stiffly near the throne room window, eyes fixed on the sky. When the priest finally arrived, the guards ushered him in with reverence. The old man’s steps were slow, but his presence demanded respect. His hair, thick and snowy white, spilled down to his shoulders like ancestral feathers. His robe, dyed deep maroon with sacred herbs, carried the scent of ancient incense.He bowed slightly, then looked up. His eyes—milky but sharp—settled on Alexander’s face. “You sent for me, Your Highness?”Alexander gestured toward a mat. “Sit. There is trouble in the land.”The priest slowly lowered himself, folding his legs under him. “I know,” he said softly, voice like wind brushing through dried leaves. “The spirits whispered last ni