“Karen...what are you doing? Put your clothes back on.” Kris chided sternly despite his drunk voice as he looked away.Karen refused, stepping closer to him. “Kris, I can make you forget, I promise. I can make you feel better.”She took his face between her hands, trying to kiss him, but he shoved her away. Karen would’ve fallen if she hadn’t held on to the edge of the bed for support.Kris was glaring at her as he shook his head. His vision was becoming blurier and blurier as sleep beckoned. “Karen, I appreciate that you helped...me see the kind of woman Thalassa truly was, but nothing like this can happen between us again.”Straightening, Karen was frustrated. She’d thought in this state, he would be so vulnerable that he would take what she was offering him. Yet he wasn’t even looking at her.“Please...put...on your clothes...Karen.” Kris’s voice slurred.He bent down, trying to pick the dress up from the floor for her, but the world spun in front of his eyes. He felt like shit. No
Zeke Mathews was a businessman. Not just any businessman, but one of the youngest bachelors to establish such a successful empire in New York.Thalassa had heard about him in business conversations but had only seen a picture of him once. Perhaps that was why she didn't recognize him immediately.The morning after their agreement, Zeke came to pick her up to take her to his house to meet his grandmother.On the way, he tried to make conversation, but Thalassa wasn't in the mood. She gave him one-word answers until he gave up trying to get her to speak.The car pulled past automatic steel gates, and Zeke drove until he parked somewhere in the compound.“Let me get your door," he said as he got out.He intended to open her door for her, but Thalassa quickly got out by herself. Her brows creased as she stared at the house in front of her.“Is that your house?” she questioned.“Yeah. Why?”Thalassa frowned. “I thought you said you'd only be in Baltimore for a month.”She looked back at th
“Aren't you the woman who's all over the news? The gold-digger who betrayed Kris Miller and stole from the Miller family?”“Brandon!” Luisa chastised her boyfriend in horror. “What is wrong with you?”“What? I'm only telling the truth!” Brandon shrugged.“I've always said that you speak without thinking, and you've never proven me wrong," Zeke gritted out.Thalassa, on the other hand, was still and stiff, her eyes blazing coldly as she turned them towards Brandon.“Bro, I'm not lying. She even has the same name: Thalassa. Don’t you guys read the news? It's definitely her. She was married to Kris Miller, and he divorced her because he found out she was embezzling money from his family company. She–”Thalassa cut him off, her voice as frigid as her eyes. “The only thing you know is their side of the story, which the media is perpetuating, but there are always two sides to a story. You don't know anything about me.”She felt bitter that the Miller family had destroyed her name so much th
“You stupid bitch! How dare you lay a hand on me?” Brandon growled furiously as he clutched at his burning cheek.He leapt forward, obviously ready to bounce and attack her, but before he could get to her, Thalassa picked up the knife on the kitchen counter, aiming at him.“Don’t you dare take another step forward, or I won’t be blamed for what I will do. If you think I’m some weak bitch who can’t defend herself, then think again.” She warned furiously.Her breathing had become ragged, and her body was shaking from sheer anger and adrenaline as she remembered the night she was attacked. Tears burned her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. If she had been able to defend herself that night, then her unborn child wouldn’t have been killed.She was never going to allow herself to be that defenseless woman again.“You’re going to regret this, you stupid woman.” Brandon gritted out, but he didn’t dare take another step forward.Suddenly, the sound of approaching footsteps could be heard
Zeke was completely taken off guard by his sister's demand. As far as he knew, Luisa and Thalassa had been getting along well for the past three weeks. He'd even thought they were friends, so where was this sudden decision coming from?“Luisa, what did you say?” he prompted, thinking he might have heard wrong the first time.“You heard me, Zeke. I want that woman out of this house.”“But why? What happened?” Zeke blinked in confusion.Thalassa was just as confused, though she had an idea about it. She stepped forward, but Luisa cut her off before she could speak.“Don't even speak to me!”“Luisa! Don't talk to Thalassa like that!” Zeke chastised. “What the hell happened to make you so angry with her?”“She’s a traitor! Everything the media is saying about her is true,” Luisa sneered.Zeke was even more agitated now. “Speak clearly, Luisa!”At that moment, Brandon approached. Luisa said, “Brandon, tell him everything that happened in the kitchen.”Zeke scrunched his nose. So this was a
"Babe... you hit me?" Brandon asked in a stunned voice as he clutched his burning cheek. Tears glistened in his eyes, but Thalassa knew it wasn't because of the slap. It was because he'd realized he had probably lost his money bank. "You're a despicable piece of shit!" Luisa was still raging as she slapped him on his uncovered cheek. "You dared to try to make me believe a lie about Thalassa." Brandon was panicking. "But babe, you can't possibly believe her. The recording is fake. That woman is nothing but a bitch who..." Before he could finish, a swift and hard blow connected with his mouth, sending him to the floor. "Another insult against Thalassa and you're going to see the worst I can do to you," Zeke growled. Brandon groaned in pain, clutching his mouth where a bit of blood was dripping. "Brother-in-law, please believe me. I don't know how she got that recording, but it's not real. She—" "Stop fucking calling me that!" Zeke hissed. "I knew there was something off about yo
Karen covered her beating heart with a short laugh. “Mum, what are you saying? You must’ve heard wrong. I didn’t say that. I said, ‘now that Thalassa is out of the way’-“”“That is not any better!” Her mother cut her off sharply. “Why would you even say something like that? And don’t you try to treat me like an idiot because I know what I heard. You said, ‘now that we’ve managed to get Thalassa out of the way.’ Who’s ‘we,’ Karen? Who were you talking to on the phone?”“It was just a friend,” Karen said, clutching her phone tightly in her hand as she feared her mother would snatch it away.“It always struck me as so strange what they were accusing Thalassa of. In all the years she came to our house, she never stole a single thing from us. I still find it hard to believe that she could do what they are accusing her of.”She paused, narrowing her eyes at her daughter. “Was it you, Karen? Did you have a hand in destroying Thalassa’s life?”“Mum!” Karen said it in horror. “I am your daught
Thalassa was taken aback, staring at Zeke. “What are you saying, Zeke? Go with you guys to New York?” The disbelief in her eyes made Zeke wince as he explained, “Hear me out, Thalassa. I see how unfairly you're being treated here in Baltimore. There's so much hate for you here, and it's going to be hard to continue your life here.” “You just said it yourself. It's going to be hard, not impossible. They shot me down, Zeke, but I won't stay down forever. I'm not going to let them win,” she gritted out, and the look in her eyes was so hateful that Zeke was scared for a second. He really hoped she wasn't thinking of going down the path he was imagining. He tried again. “Thalassa, there's also my grandmother. She's going to need you." Thalassa blew out a breath, having known that this would come up again. She should've known that once she accepted to help with Granny, it would be hard to walk away without affecting the old woman. But she couldn't continue living her life accordi
Karen gripped the steering wheel tightly as she drove, her frustration building with every mile. It had been three days since her mother last called her.Since the day she told her mother that she didn't want anything to do with her, the woman would call at least twice a day. But she'd gone three days without doing so, and it was grating on Karen's nerves.Had she given up already? Karen was damned if she would allow that.Right now, she was driving to her mother’s house, but she wasn't going there to reconcile. She just wanted to remind her of her betrayal and make her beg for her affections again.Pulling up to the gate, she frowned. The gate didn’t open like it always did. She waited a moment, growing impatient before honking the horn. Nothing. Annoyed, she picked up her phone and dialed Bridget’s number. “Why is the gate locked?” she demanded when Bridget answered. “And why isn’t anyone opening it?” Bridget’s voice was quiet, but the exhaustion in it was evident. “Because no
The room was quiet for a moment after the doctor’s announcement. Juana’s eyes glistened with tears as she looked up at him. “Thank you,” she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. “Thank you so much.”Upon waking up and being unable to move her legs immediately, she'd truly been terrified, but this had given her so much hope.The doctor gave her a kind smile. “You’re a fighter, Ms. Juana. But remember, no stress. Rest if your head feels heavy. If it worsens, inform us immediately.”Juana nodded as tears spilled down her cheeks. Thalassa and Luisa exchanged a glance before speaking in unison, their voices filled with gratitude. “Thank you, Doctor.”He nodded again and excused himself, leaving the three women alone. Luisa and Thalassa moved to either side of Juana’s bed. Luisa gently placed her hand over hers. “I’m so happy to see you awake and well,” she said softly, her voice filled with relief.Thalassa bit her lip. “Juana, I can’t tell you how grateful I am that you saved my
Thalassa’s hands trembled at her sides as her furious words hung in the air. The weight of what she had just said, what she had admitted she wanted to do, filled the room with shock.Luisa placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, her voice trembling with worry. "Thalassa... please don’t talk like that. You don’t mean it." But Thalassa’s cold, unwavering gaze shot through her. "I mean every word," she bit out, her voice low and steely. "I want to kill her. I would be doing the world a favor by getting rid of someone as vile as Linda Miller. She’s a waste of a human being." Luisa swallowed hard, unease crawling up her spine. She had seen Thalassa enraged before, but never this murdurous rage. It scared her. "I know you’re upset," Luisa said, her voice soft but firm. "You have every right to be angry, but this isn’t you. You’re not a murderer, Lassa. You’re nothing like Linda Miller." Thalassa shrugged off Luisa’s hand with a sharp jerk. Her jaw tightened, and her eyes burned with fu
Thalassa buried her face in Kris’s chest, her sobs muffled against his shirt. His arms wrapped tightly around her.She clung to him, trembling, her mind screaming against the reality she didn’t want to accept. Rita was truly gone. The door creaked open, and Kris lifted his head. The doctor entered, followed by a nurse. This time, he didn’t ask them to leave. Instead, he approached Rita’s still form, his expression solemn as he checked her vitals. After a moment, the doctor straightened and glanced at the nurse. His voice was steady as he said, "Time of death: 7:21 AM." The words felt like a punch to Thalassa’s chest, knocking the air from her lungs. Her knees threatened to buckle, but Kris tightened his grip, holding her upright. The doctor turned to her, his face filled with sympathy. "I’m very sorry for your loss," he said softly. "It happened quicker than I expected. I’ll prepare the death certificate and arrange for her body to be transferred to the morgue whenever you’re
At Rita's revelation, Kris swallowed hard against the tightness in his throat. He thought he should feel shock or anger, but he didn't feel that. Not even disappointment. All he felt was a crushing sadness and a hollow ache in his chest that made it hard to breathe. Deep down, he'd known. He'd known his mother was behind it.But had it been too much to wish for his mother to prove not to be a monster for once? How far was Linda going to go? His jaw tightened as he looked down at Rita's frail form, her skin pale and her breaths shallow."I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice cracking under the weight of his guilt. He stepped closer to Rita, his hand hesitating before lightly brushing against hers. "I’m so sorry. You didn’t deserve this. None of this." His throat burned as he forced the words out. "I promise you, I’ll get justice for you." Rita’s eyes fluttered open slightly, her gaze cloudy yet still warm. She gave him the faintest smile, her voice a faint rasp as she whispered, "Wha
Thalassa sat in the hard, plastic chair by the wall in Rita’s ICU unit, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. The sterile scent of disinfectant filled her nostrils, but she barely noticed it anymore. Her eyes were fixed on the frail figure lying in the hospital bed. Rita was surrounded by machines—a heart monitor that beeped steadily, an IV drip that fed her weakened body, and a nasal cannula that provided oxygen through thin, clear tubes resting against her pale face. She had always been so strong, so full of life. Seeing her like this, so still and vulnerable, made Thalassa’s chest ache. The machines keeping her alive felt intrusive, cold, and mechanical—so unlike the warm, loving woman who had been her pillar through so much. She rubbed her tired eyes. She hadn't slept a wink since last night, but sleep was the last thing on her mind. Her gaze darted back to Rita every few moments, desperate for any sign of movement. Nothing. A soft knock came at the door, pulling her from
Luisa opened her mouth to speak again, but Alden’s light squeeze on her hand stopped her. She turned to look at him, confused, but his subtle shake of the head made her pause. She clamped her mouth as she turned back to Kris. She could see it in his eyes—he knew the truth, but he wasn’t ready to face it. Thalassa stayed buried in Kris’s chest, unmoving except for the shallow rise and fall of her shoulders. She was too numb to cry anymore, too overwhelmed to speak. Kris’s hand rubbed her back in slow, soothing circles, but even that felt like a distant echo in the storm raging inside her. Without a word, they all walked back to the waiting area. The minutes stretched into hours. Somewhere during that time, a police officer came to take Bridget's statement regarding the attack.Midnight came and went, but no one felt even a little bit sleepy. Every nurse or doctor who passed by was met with hopeful eyes, but no one stopped to give them any news. Finally, after four grueling hour
The air in the hospital waiting room was suffocating with tension. Thalassa was leaning against Kris, her head heavy on his shoulder, while Luisa sat beside Alden, clutching his hand. After a while, Luisa’s voice cut through the silence. “How is it even possible for a prison transport to get hijacked? Aren’t there protocols to prevent this?” Alden nodded slowly, his expression grim. “There are, but law enforcement isn’t infallible. Sometimes, things slip through the cracks. And sometimes… they get blindsided.” Luisa’s eyes narrowed, her thoughts spiraling. “What if… what if she wasn’t kidnapped? What if she escaped? What happens then?” Kris exhaled sharply, his jaw tightening. “If she escaped, she’s already out of the country by now. Prison was her worst nightmare, and there’s no way she’d miss an opportunity to avoid it.” Luisa sagged against Alden, her exhaustion evident in her trembling frame. Alden wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. “You need to rest, babe,” he
After turning off the TV, Bridget scanned her eyes around the empty space. Her eyes fell on Rita’s phone which was lying on the couch, face down. She'd forgotten to take it along.She smiled faintly, shaking her head, “Poor thing. She’s thinking about too much.” She picked it up and tucked it in her hand before making her way to the hall to flip off the lights. Then she made her way upstairs.When she reached her Rita's door, she knocked lightly, calling, “Madam?”There was no answer. She waited a beat, then knocked again, a little louder this time, her brow furrowing as she listened for any sign of movement. Silence.Bridget frowned, a little puzzled. Her boss had gone upstairs not even four minutes ago. Could she have already fallen asleep? It seemed unlikely, but maybe she really had been more tired than Bridget realized. “Well,” she mumbled to herself, “I can give it to her tomorrow.”She turned to head down to her room, but something stopped her. She turned back toward the door