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“I was waiting for my investigators to confirm my suspicions about you,” Thalassa said icily. “But you trying to kill my best friend? That’s the last straw.”Clark’s mind raced as he processed the sight of Thalassa holding a gun on him. This was the last thing he’d expected coming here. He needed to do something to salvage the situation.“Thalassa, what are you talking about? I didn’t try to kill anyone.” His voice wavered, though he attempted to keep it steady.Thalassa scoffed, her eyes narrowing. “Luisa called to tell me what happened to her on the road. You sent those men after her, and they would’ve killed her had it not been for Alden, Zeke, and Kris.”Clark saw an opportunity to turn things around. ““Kris? Of course! I’m not surprised that it involves that man. Lassa, he’s clearly trying to manipulate you again. Can’t you see? He obviously planned for those men to chase Luisa so that he would rescue her and act like a savior.”A humorless smile curled on Thalassa’s lips. “Funny
Clark let out a cold laughter. “Well, you and Kris can search all you want, but you won’t find anything. I’m not an idiot.”Thalassa’s eyes narrowed, her voice cutting through the room like ice. “So it’s true. That story you told me about the women you ‘fell in love with’ supposedly killing themselves—it was all a lie, wasn’t it? They never committed suicide. You killed them so you can get their fortune.”Clark scoffed, rolling his eyes. “I didn’t kill them. They were already sick in the head. All I had to do was push them a little, and they were ready to swallow those pills because they were so ‘depressed.’ Poor things.”Though her face remained composed, Thalassa felt a wave of nausea twist in her stomach. How had she allowed someone like him to get so close to her? His voice was devoid of emotion, as if driving someone to suicide was something normal to him.“Is that what you planned to do to me?” she asked calmly. “Marry me or get me to sign over my wealth, then make me kill mysel
Clark knew he was cornered. There were three police cars and at least six officers in front of him, along with those idiots—Kris, Alden, Luisa, and Zeke.His eyes darted around. If he could run around the house into the backyard, maybe he could scale the wall and escape. Before he could even take a step, one of the officers warned him.“Don’t even think about it, sir, or we’ll be forced to shoot.”Clark froze, knowing the officer wasn't bluffing. He would be an idiot to try and escape now. Even if he tried, his wounded thigh would keep him from getting far. He was fucked for now, but far from giving up.Three officers came towards him, spreading out on each side of him until they finally got to him. Though he wasn't trying to resist, one of them swept his legs from under him, sending him crashing down on the hard, rocky pavement.Pain shot through his thigh, but he bit back a cry, refusing to give them the satisfaction. He lay still as they cuffed his hands behind his back.Once they
The following morning, Kris awoke from a deep, dreamless sleep and immediately realized he was in an unfamiliar bed. The sharp scent of disinfectant clued him in: he was in a hospital.Frowning, he tried to sit up but did so too quickly, a sharp pain shooting through his shoulder. It was then he noticed his arm was in a sling, and he was shirtless.His frown deepened as he looked around the room, realizing he was alone. Almost as soon as the thought crossed his mind, the door creaked open, and Alden walked in, holding a paper cup of coffee.“Oh, you’re awake! Thank God,” Alden quipped, his tone light. “I thought you might’ve slipped into a coma and I’d have to make the call about pulling the plug.”He grinned, though he left the door wide open behind him. “How are you feeling, man?”Kris grimaced. “What am I doing here? And why is my arm in a sling?”Alden took a slow sip of his coffee through a straw before replying. “Last night, you passed out at Thalassa’s place. I called the ambul
Kris’s heart soared, a grin stretching across his lips as Thalassa walked into the room with Luisa. She looked radiant in a simple yet elegant white dress, her dark hair swept to one side of her neck.While Luisa shyly went to stand beside Alden, Thalassa paused at the foot of the bed, looking down at Kris with an awkward smile. It was the first smile he had received from her that wasn’t tinged with anything negative.“How are you feeling, Kris? And don’t tell me ‘fine,’” she said, her voice gentle.“My shoulder hurts a bit, but not too much,” he admitted, just happy that she was concerned.Luisa stepped forward with Alden. “Kris, I didn’t get the chance to thank you yesterday, but I can’t express how grateful I am that you saved my life.”Kris shifted in the bed, sitting up more as he smiled. “You have nothing to thank me for, Luisa. Besides, I wasn’t the only one. Alden and your brother were all part of it.”“Yes, and I’m so grateful to both of them,” Luisa said, glancing up at Alde
Thalassa wasn’t the only one caught off guard by Luisa’s offer. Kris and Alden were equally shocked.“What?” Kris asked, wanting to confirm what he’d just heard.“Yes. Since you don’t live with your family anymore, I’d like you to stay with us for a week until your wound heals a bit more.” Luisa repeated, smiling broadly. “What do you say? Do you accept?”Thalassa had gotten even more rigid now, her face expressionless but her disbelieving eyes were fixed on Luisa who seemed oblivious.“Uh… sure, I’d like to stay with you,” Kris said, his voice still stunned as he glanced at Thalassa. “But only if she’s okay with it.”Thalassa tensed even more, realizing all eyes were now on her, especially Kris’s. His gaze was hopeful and pleading.Her lips curled into a hard smile. “Why are you asking for my permission? The house belongs to Luisa too, so she can make any decision she wants. Excuse me, I have somewhere to be.”With that, she turned and walked out of the room. Watching her leave, Kris
Kris agreed with the doctor to stay for a few more hours and leave in the evening. Luisa went ahead to prepare a room at the house, while Alden went to his apartment to grab a few things for him.When it was time, Alden drove Kris to Thalassa and Luisa's house. As they pulled up in front of the building, Kris’s heart raced.The first time he'd been here, he’d snuck in and climbed up Thalassa’s balcony after suspecting she was the woman behind the mask. But today, he was going through the front door.His shoulder ached despite the painkillers, but that was the least of his concerns.He couldn’t deny he was nervous. Thalassa clearly didn’t want him here; that much was obvious. She hadn’t even returned to the hospital after leaving in the morning. Yet, despite everything, he couldn’t shake the hope that maybe, just maybe, the few days he’d be staying here would change things between them for the better.As they reached the porch and rang the doorbell, Luisa answered with a warm smile.“C
After dinner, Alden insisted on doing the dishes along with Luisa who reluctantly agreed to let him help. Once they were done, the three of them gathered in the living room to chat for about an hour.Well, the "chat" mostly consisted of Alden and Luisa flirting, while Kris sat quietly, his mind occupied with thoughts of the woman upstairs. Thalassa hadn’t bothered to come down even once.When Luisa finally decided to call it a night, Kris headed upstairs to take a shower. Alden stayed for a bit and helped him with his bandage and sling before finally leaving the house.Hours later, Kris lay on his bed, eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling. No matter how hard he tried, sleep refused to come. Apart from the fact that he couldn't stop thinking about Thalassa, his shoulder was hurting like a bitch.The doctor had warned him the pain would worsen at night, but he hadn’t expected it to hurt this much. It was more agonizing than when he was first shot.He had taken two aspirin tablets, but
The bullet hit Linda square in the shoulder. Linda crumpled to the floor, clutching her arm. She groaned in pain as the blood seeped through her fingers, mixing with the gasoline pooling beneath her. Karen didn’t hesitate. She immediately rushed towards Thalassa’s chair, her movements frantic but determined. “Hold still,” she muttered, her trembling hands fumbling with the ropes binding Thalassa’s wrists. After some seconds, the ropes finally loosened. Thalassa pulled her hands free and immediately bent down to help Karen untie her legs. The knot slipped, and she finally stood, her heart pounding wildly. “We need to leave, Karen,” she said, her voice sharp with urgency. “Yes.” Karen nodded, breathless. “Let’s go.” Neither of them saw Linda reaching into her handbag and pulling out a pistol. Just as they turned to run, a gunshot exploded in the air. Thalassa froze as Karen let out a gasp of pain. “Karen!” she screamed. Karen staggered, her hand clutching her stomach where blood
After spreading one gallon of the gasoline. Linda moved to the next, then the next. And the next.The pungent liquid soaked into the cracks of wooden members, splattered against the cardboard boxes strewn around the room, and puddled near Thalassa’s chair.Thalassa’s heart hammered violently in her chest, but she kept her face a mask of defiance. No. She had to do something. You couldn't die. Not today.She needed to get back to Alex and Kris. They were waiting for her. Alex needed her. But no matter how she wriggled her wrists, the rope refused to loosen.Linda finished pouring the last gallon, letting the empty container clatter to the floor. Straightening up, she brushed her hands against her dress, a twisted smile curling her lips as she turned to face Thalassa.From a nearby chair, she grabbed her handbag and pulled out a somewhat small device. Then she walked back toward Thalassa, holding it up like a trophy.“This,” Linda began, her voice laced with cruel amusement, “is a deto
Thalassa's heart pounded violently in her chest as the thugs came closer and closer.She kept her face hard, her jaw clenched. Every instinct screamed at her to panic because she knew this was no joke, but she refused to give Linda or her thugs the satisfaction."Don't you dare come closer," she spat through gritted teeth, her voice steady despite the storm raging inside her.One of the thugs threw his head back and laughed. "She's trying to act hard.” His lips curled into a lecherous grin. "Don't worry, sweetheart. We'll break you in no time. Turn you into a nice, docile little bitch begging for our cocks."Thalassa jerked her chair back as far as it could go, her muscles straining against the ropes that bound her. But one of the thugs circled behind her, his rough hands already reaching for the knots securing her wrists to the chair.She could feel his breath on the back of her neck as he muttered, "Don't make this harder on yourself by resisting.”He had begun untangling the ropes
Kris paced back and forth in the living room like a caged animal, his jaw clenched and his hands tugging through his hair in sheer frustration and desperation.His voice was low, barely above a hiss, as he spoke into his phone. “What do you mean the surveillance ends at that spot? And the car is never seen again? Did it fucking disappear into thin air?”His steps quickened as his anxiety surged. “Listen to me, Smoke. The next time you call me, you better have something useful to tell me.”He ended the call with a sharp tap and flung the phone onto the couch, his breath coming in uneven gasps. Alden and Luisa were sitting on the couch across from him, their expressions tense as they silently watched.Tessa was curled up in Luisa’s arms, her small chest rising and falling as she slept. Luisa stroked her hair absently, her eyes rimmed with exhaustion, but no one said a word.It had been hours since Thalassa’s car was found in the middle of the road with bullet holes and shattered glass.
Karen hesitated in front of the door, her hand hovering over the knob. Her breathing was shallow, her chest aching. She was in front of the door to her mother's room.It was the first time she’d stood here since her mother’s death. No, not just her death. It had been years since she’d stepped into this room. Her fingers tightened around the knob, turning it slowly. The door creaked open, and Karen stepped inside. Everything was exactly as her mother had left it: spotless, warm, yet eerily silent. Her eyes scanned the familiar space, and a wave of nostalgia washed over her, nearly knocking her off her feet.She closed the door behind her and leaned against it, taking in the faint scent of lavender that still lingered in the air.Her throat tightened as memories came rushing back. She remembered when she was eight years old and her father’s death was plastered across the news. He'd died while cruising on the sea.She hadn’t understood it at the time, but the image of the wrecked yacht
Thalassa groaned as consciousness crept back to her. Her head felt heavy, like a storm had taken up residence in her skull. She blinked her eyes open, and she was greeted by nearly pitch-black darkness.The air was cold and stale, tinged with the metallic scent of rust and dampness. She was sitting in a chair, and it didn't take long for her to realize that her wrists and ankles were bound tightly to the chair.She wriggled her wrists, trying to see if she could free her hands from the ropes, but they only dug painfully into her skin. The knots didn’t budge.The sound of footsteps broke the silence, sharp and deliberate against the concrete floor. Then the voice of the woman she hated more than anything in the world echoed through the space.“Don’t bother, darling. You’re only wasting your time.”Thalassa froze, her breath catching in her throat. The dim light overhead flickered on, falling on the woman in front of her.Linda.She was standing a few feet away, a satisfied smirk on her
The engine’s steady hum filled the car as Thalassa leaned back against the plush leather seat, her phone pressed tightly to her ear.She barely registered the bodyguards seated in the front, their voices muffled as they exchanged words about security measures. Her focus was solely on the call.She'd been dialing Betty's number since Kris left a few minutes ago, but the other woman wasn't picking up. Finally, the tone of the call being answered came through.“Thank God you finally picked up, Betty,” Thalassa said, her voice trembling just enough to betray her nerves.“Thalassa?” Betty’s warm, familiar voice came through the line. "Oh, sorry, I was in the shower. Is something wrong? You sound... tense.”Thalassa closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. “Please,” she begged, her words rushed. “Tell me my son is safe.”There was a short pause before Betty chuckled lightly. “You called to ask that an hour ago. Alex is fine, I promise. Safe and sound. He’s having the time of his life with tha
Kris groaned, the dull ache in the back of his head pulling him from the haze of unconsciousness. His vision blurred as he blinked rapidly, trying to focus. A small, trembling voice broke through the fog.“Daddy, please wake up,” Tessa sobbed, her tiny hands clutching at his arm. She was hunched over his body, tears streaming down her cheeks, her whole frame shaking.Kris forced himself upright, wincing as his fingers pressed against the throbbing lump on his head. His heart clenched at the sight of his daughter’s tear-streaked face.“Tessa,” he rasped, pulling her into his arms. “I’m okay, baby. I’m here. Don’t cry.”He cradled her against his chest, rocking her gently, ignoring the sharp pain in his skull. Her sobs slowly subsided as he murmured soothing words, stroking her hair.After a moment, Kris pulled back to look at her. “Are you hurt? Did they do anything to you?”Tessa shook her head, her lip quivering. “No… but I was so scared, Daddy. They had guns.”Kris swallowed hard, h
Kris’s fingers tightened around the phone, his knuckles white against the smooth surface. For a moment, the world around him seemed to freeze, his mind struggling to process Karen’s words. Tessa. Taken. His breath caught in his throat. Then, the cold reality slammed into him like a freight train.“What do you mean they took her?!” Kris hissed, his voice sharp and rising in panic.Karen’s voice came through the speaker again, shaky and tearful. “They— they shot the guard, Kris. They came into the house with guns. They said they’d hurt me if I didn’t give them Tessa.”His stomach churned, dread twisting his insides. “And you did?” he bit out, his voice breaking with a mix of anger and desperation. “I didn’t have a choice!” Karen cried. “I tried to stop them, but they hit me—I couldn’t—” Her words dissolved into sobs.Kris raked a hand through his hair, feeling like he was going crazy. “I told you! I told you to let me take her!” His voice cracked with raw emotion, his anger barely mas