Clark stiffened, disliking how Thalassa’s gaze remained pointed and questioning. He let out a small chuckle. “Didn’t I? I think I did.”“No, you didn’t, Clark,” she calmly stated, shaking her head, still waiting for an answer.Clark swallowed. “Uh, the last woman I was with... she was called Meghan. I never married her, though, because after the first two experiences, I didn’t want to be attached to anyone else. But we were together, and I thought she had gotten better until she had a bad relapse and had to be sent back to the mental hospital. She committed suicide in there.”He let out a sorrowful sigh. “I guess I didn’t tell you because remembering this has become too painful for me.”“And what about the inheritance you got from all of them? You didn’t tell me about that either,” Thalassa continued.Clark subtly gritted his teeth, wondering why she wasn’t letting it go. “I... I didn’t think it was important. Yes, they were well-to-do, but almost everyone in the foundation I joined w
“So you and Clark... you’re serious now? Are you dating him?” Millie asked.“I wish!” Luisa interjected. “She’s still going on about her ‘I’ll never fall in love again. Blah blah blah.’ But I know Clark will slowly melt her heart. Isn’t he so handsome?”“Uh... yes.” Millie nodded, but in her head, she added, ‘but only on the outside.’Indeed, she’d initially thought Clark was a gentleman, even if he’d seemed a bit too sweet. She’d even thought that she would be happy if he helped Thalassa to finally move on, but after everything Kris’s investigator had revealed, she was wishing for the complete opposite.It troubled her that Thalassa was close to someone like Clark, but as much as she wanted to warn her friend, she couldn’t say anything because she feared Thalassa would accuse her of being sent by Kris to influence her or turn her against Clark.She just hoped the investigators could find damning evidence soon or that Kris could somehow manage to convince Thalassa of how dangerous Cla
Millie's heart pounded in her chest, and all she wished for in that moment was for the earth to open up and swallow her whole."Why do you have those bruises, Millie?" Zeke asked, his voice more serious than before."Bruises?" Millie chuckled nervously, shifting her back away from the mirror so he couldn't see the reflection anymore. "You must have seen wrong. Why would I have bruises?""I'm not stupid, Millie. I know what I saw," Zeke said, taking a step closer to her.Millie felt like she was going to pass out as he approached. "Zeke, please leave. It's not appropriate for you to be here while I'm barely dressed. Please go."Whether or not the situation was appropriate was the last thing on Zeke's mind as he closed most of the distance between them."Forgive me," he apologized for what he was about to do.Placing his hand on her shoulder, he tried to turn her back to face him, but Millie resisted."Zeke, no, please...""Millie..." Zeke ground out.There was a warning in his tone tha
“I... I'm a masochist. My pleasure comes from pain, so whenever we have sex, I tell him to do this to make me feel good.”Silence fell over the room. Zeke stood frozen, so shocked that words escaped him. Millie’s face was filled with shame, but was it because she was lying—or because she was telling the truth?Francis stepped forward, wrapping his arms around Millie, his mocking gaze never leaving Zeke.“Are you satisfied now? Feel good about yourself, making her confess something she’s ashamed of?” he sneered.The grating sound of Francis’s voice snapped Zeke out of his shock, and he spat, “You’re a fucking liar! I saw those bruises myself. They weren’t playful bruises. Millie would never ask for something like that.”Francis scoffed, his voice laced with contempt. “Apart from the fact that our bedroom business is none of yours, you didn’t hear it from me—you heard it from her. She’s into rough and kinky stuff when we’re intimate. Didn’t
"Kris was an idiot. I completely agree with that. But I could never doubt the love he has for Thalassa. I've been with him all these years. I was there when he desperately tried to verify those pictures of her supposedly cheating on him. It shattered him every time he was told they were real. And yet, even after that, he still chose to marry her." Luisa spun around, her expression hardening. "He married her to make her suffer." Alden nodded slowly, not bothering to deny it. "Yes, but that wasn’t his only reason. He married her because he still had hope—hope that she would confess what he thought she’d done. Despite how betrayed he felt, he was willing to forgive her if he saw that she truly regretted betraying him, if she showed him that she didn't want to lose him. That’s how much he loved her, Luisa. And he still does." A curt chuckle escaped Luisa. "He loved her so much that he knocked up the woman who was supposed to be her best friend and married her right shortly their divo
Panic seized Luisa’s expression. “Oh God, if you’re right, I need to warn Thalassa right away. She has to know Clark is dangerous.”Noticing how her breathing grew shallow, Alden gently cupped her face between his hands.“Hey, hey... breathe, Luisa. It’s okay,” he soothed.Luisa nodded and followed his advice, dragging in a breath to calm her nerves. But the anxiety still lingered.“I can’t believe this,” she muttered. “I’ve been pushing Thalassa toward Clark because I thought he was a good guy. I thought he’d make her happy. Oh God, I need to change her mind.”“You will,” Alden reassured her, his voice steady. “But first, calm down. We could be dealing with a lot more than we realize when it comes to Clark. We need to approach this carefully, with a clear head. Can you do that?”His hand lingered on her face as his gaze locked on hers, and suddenly, Luisa felt captivated by the warmth in his gold-flecked eyes. Her chest suddenly felt too tight, forcing her to breathe through her mout
“Alden was here?” Thalassa asked, her brows raised. “When?”“Just a few minutes ago. I saw him stepping out of the elevator,” Clark replied, fixing his gaze on Luisa. “Did he come to see you?”Luisa resisted the urge to snap at him, to tell him it was none of his business, but she bit her tongue and held back her retort.Thalassa smiled, her eyes lighting up as she turned to Luisa. “Did he finally ask you out? Are you two together now?”Both of them were staring at her expectantly, but Clark’s gaze was much more intent on her, making Luisa feel uneasy.“Yes,” she lied, feeling trapped. She couldn’t give any other answer, especially with Clark watching her so closely. If she denied it, it would mean having to explain what Alden actually came to do.Thalassa beamed. “That’s great! I’m happy for you, Sis.”“Thanks,” Luisa replied, forcing a smile. “Thalassa, I need to talk to you—”Clark cut her off with a smooth chuckle. “You said you had something to discuss with Thalassa, but we’re k
“I’ll let you know if we need your help.” Luisa said, her voice coming out sharper than she intended. Clark’s smile dropped, but he restored it almost immediately, and an awkward silence settled over the table for a few seconds until he broke it with another ferrible joke. A few minutes later, their food was brought to them. “Luisa, are you sure everything’s okay? You haven’t taken a bite yet,” Thalassa asked, noticing Luisa was just poking her salad with her fork after she and Clark had already been eating for a while. “Everything’s fine, Lassa. Don’t worry,” Luisa replied, forcing herself to take a forkful of salad to ease Thalassa's concern. But she could feel Clark’s eyes on her every few seconds. Not wanting to raise his suspicions, she forced herself to finish everything on her plate, acting as normal as she could. When they were done, Clark paid the bill. Just as Luisa thought they were about to leave, he excused himself. “Will the ladies excuse me? I need to use the
Karen paced the living room like a storm brewing in a too-small teacup, her arms folded tightly across her chest. She shot a glare toward her mother's lawyer who sat calmly with his briefcase beside him, waiting.“I don’t understand,” Karen snapped. “You’re already here, so why aren’t you reading the will? In fact, why do we even need to read it? I was her only daughter. I'm sure she's giving everything to me anyway.”Mr. Sawyer adjusted his glasses. “Ms. Blade, I ask for your patience. There is one more person who needs to be present before I proceed.”Karen’s nose wrinkled as she tilted her head. “What are you talking about? Who else could possibly need to be here?”As if on cue, the doorbell echoed through the house. Karen’s lips thinned, her irritation clear.“I’ll get it,” Bridget murmured, hurrying toward the door. Moments later, the click of heels and a deep, familiar voice caused Karen to freeze.Kris stepped inside first, his hand resting protectively on Thalassa’s lower back
As Thalassa stepped down, the room was filled with sniffles and silent tears. Though she wasn't crying, the devastated look on her face and her touching words brought tears to everyone's eyes. All except for Karen, who was glaring at her from across the aisle.The somber mood in the chapel persisted as Bridget stood up and walked to the altar.“You were my boss,” Bridget began, her voice breaking slightly, “but also my best friend. A person with the rarest heart—one who could make anyone feel seen and valued.”She paused, swallowing back the lump in her throat. “You loved with your whole being. That’s who you were. To lose you… is to lose a light in this world. But I take solace in knowing you're at peace now, somewhere you can finally rest after all the pain life threw your way. You'll never be forgotten, dear madam.”The room was silent, save for the occasional muffled sobs of mourners. When Bridget sat down, the priest returned to the altar, gesturing for everyone to bow their head
“You signed Mum’s death sentence. It’s your fault she’s dead!”Karen’s tear-streaked face twisted in raw pain as she turned to Thalassa, her voice rising like a jagged knife.“That's not true!” She shouted, her hands shaking. “I didn’t know this would happen! How could I have known?”Thalassa’s eyes narrowed, her body trembling with barely restrained fury. Before she could speak, Kris stepped behind her, his jaw tight.“So it is true, Karen?” he asked, each word laced with disbelief. “You told Linda it was your mother who gave me the evidence? What the hell were you thinking?”Karen’s lips quivered, and she stumbled over her words. “I didn’t mean to! It just… slipped out while we were talking. I couldn’t take it back!”Thalassa let out a bitter laugh that was chilling to the bone. “Oh, I’m sure that’s the excuse you told yourself to sleep at night,” she snapped. “But we both know the truth. You knew exactly what you were doing. You were scared Linda would come after you, so you decide
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