Luisa's heart pounded inside her chest, her mind ringing with disbelief as she and the woman stared at each other.Alden's face fell. "Vanessa?"Luisa had hoped this was all a mistake—that in their haste to make love, Alden had accidentally brought her to the wrong penthouse. But the fact that he recognized the woman shattered her heart."Who is this bitch, Alden?" the woman demanded, her face scrunching up with jealousy."Don't you dare call her that," Alden hissed.Luisa forced a smile, her voice cold. "Don't worry, Vanessa. This bitch is leaving." She slid the straps of her dress back onto her shoulders and turned to Alden. "I didn't know you were already occupied. Sorry."Panic flashed through Alden's eyes. "Luisa, no. I'm not. I don't know what she's doing here." He turned to Vanessa, glaring at her. "What the hell are you doing here, Vanessa?"“Because I wanted to see you, what else?" Vanessa got up from the bed, not even bothering to cover naked body. She was absolutely gorgeo
On the street, breath quickening, Luisa hailed a taxi and climbed in. When the driver asked where they were going, she was about to give him the address to her and Thalassa’s house, but she hesitated.That was the place Alden was going to look for her at, and she didn’t want to see him. Instead, she gave Zeke’s address.Her heart felt like it was shattering into a million pieces, which was ridiculous. She’d only been Alden’s girlfriend for less than an hour. She shouldn’t be feeling this way.When the taxi pulled up outside Zeke’s house, she paid the fare and stepped out. The security guard greeted her, but Luisa barely acknowledged him as she made her way to the front door.Before she could ring the bell, the door swung open, and Zeke appeared, concern etched on his face.“Luisa, what happened?” he asked, gently taking her hand and pulling her inside. He shut the door behind them, then wrapped his arms around her.That was all it took for Luisa to break down. “You were right, Zeke,”
Alden was unfazed, stepping forward. “Zeke, I know you don’t like me, but I would never do anything to hurt Luisa. What happened at my place was a misunderstanding.”“A misunderstanding?” Zeke scoffed, incredulous. His fists itched to punch Alden, but he held back, afraid of hitting Thalassa by mistake. “You call her finding another woman naked in your bed a misunderstanding?”Alden sighed heavily. “Look, I know it looks bad, but it’s the truth. That woman is my ex. I have nothing to do with her anymore.” He paused, his expression earnest. “But the one I owe an explanation to is Luisa. I need to speak to her.”“You’re delusional if you think I’m letting you see her.” Zeke sneered. “In fact, I don’t want you anywhere near my sister again. Got it?”“When will you stop being such a controlling prick, Mathews?” Kris interjected from behind Alden and Thalassa.Zeke’s glare shifted to Kris. “Shut your mouth, Miller.”Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, Alden bolted past Zeke into
Zeke could barely contain his excitement. "You'll stay tonight?" he asked, a pleased smile tugging at his lips. Thalassa sleeping over meant more time with him—and less time with Kris Miller.Standing beside her, Kris’s jaw clenched tightly as he noticed the smug grin on Zeke’s face. He knew that even if Thalassa went home with him, all she would do would be to treat him with coldness, but that would be far better than her sleeping over at the house of a man who was in love with her and trying to gain her affection.Stepping forward, he spoke. "Thalassa, Alden doesn't mind taking us home. There's no need to stay here."Thalassa slowly turned to him, her expression unreadable. "Yes, I know. So you can go back with him." She paused, her eyes narrowing slightly. "And Kris, you're just a guest in my house. Don’t call it your home."Kris felt the words hit him like a slap. Jealousy and frustration burned inside him, but he could see she had already made up her mind.Zeke seized the moment,
Later that night, Kris was lying in bed, staring at the ceiling. Alden had dropped him off about two hours ago after they'd gone to the hospital to have his wound restitched, but sleep had been playing hide and seek with him.Couple that with his freshly aching shoulder and the fact that he missed Thalassa like hell.It was funny. Thalassa’s room was two doors away from his, but despite the distance, when she was home, he could always feel her presence, which gave him some comfort.But tonight, knowing she wasn’t in her room, he felt so damn lonely. Was she thinking about him? Did she miss him as much as he missed her?After tossing and turning for another hour, a thought occurred to him.It was reckless—something he knew would piss Thalassa off if she found out. But he couldn’t help himself.Before he could talk himself out of it, Kris pushed back the covers and climbed out of bed. Stepping out of his room, he moved until he reached the door to Thalassa’s room.Placing his hand on th
Kris's heart raced in his chest as jealousy seared through him, his mind reeling with questions. Who was she talking to?As if dealing with Zeke Mathews wasn’t bad enough, now he had to contend with whoever this Alex was.Still peeking, he noticed the smile on Thalassa's face even after she ended the call and tossed her phone on the bed. It was a smile much bigger than the one he had ever seen her flash at Zeke.The blood in his veins pulsing with envy, Kris nearly stepped out to demand for answers, but he knew that would be a stupid move, so he stayed put and continued observing her.Finally, she headed into her walk-in closet, the door closing behind her but not completely. Kris saw his moment to sneak out.Gently opening the balcony door, he stepped into the room, but he paused when he saw her phone still on the bed, the screen lit up—unlocked. His feet and hands itched to pick it up and check the number she had been on a call with. It took every ounce of restraint to resist the t
“Now that we know it was Clark behind it, could you please hold a press conference to clear my mother’s name?”For a few seconds, Thalassa doubted she'd actually heard him say those words, but her disbelief quickly morphed into bitterness. "You want me to hold a press conference and clear your mother’s name?" she repeated, her tone laced with incredulity, waiting to see if he'd dare confirm it.When he nodded, her jaw clenched tightly. "What makes you think I would ever do something like that?"His brows furrowed as if he couldn't believe she was asking that question."Because that's the truth," he replied earnestly. "Thalassa, since the awards show, my mother has been facing endless hate online and in public. She’s lost millions of clients, and nearly all her investors have pulled out. Her business is on the verge of bankruptcy. My mother worked so hard to build her empire, and losing it will destroy her. If you tell everyone the truth that she wasn’t behind the sabotage, it might s
That evening, Kris went to the Miller mansion to see his daughter. Though the mansion was the last place he wanted to be, he hadn't seen his little girl in almost a week. He’d spoken to her every day over the phone, but it wasn’t the same. As soon as he stepped inside, an excited squeal filled the room. “Daddy!” Tessa sprinted towards him, her small legs carrying her as fast as they could. Kris crouched down, extending his good arm to embrace her, but she crashed into him a little too hard, falling against his injured arm which was still in a sling. He winced. “Careful, sweetheart.” Tessa pulled back, a frown marring her face as her gaze landed on the sling. “What happened to you, Daddy?” Kris hesitated for a moment, realizing he hadn’t thought of an excuse beforehand. Finally, he forced a smile. “Daddy fell down and hurt himself.” A soft giggle escaped her lips. “Clam-thy.” Kris’s brow furrowed in confusion. “What?” “Clam-thy,” she repeated, this time more seriously, as if spe
Karen stared back at Kris. For a moment, her expression faltered as her mind raced, remembering the threat Linda had given her at the jail that she was going to come after her daughter.She wasn't stupid. She knew Linda could very well carry out her threats, and she didn't know what would happen to her if something happened to Tessa. But was giving her to Kris the best.Remembering that just a few days ago, Kris had vowed to take Tessa completely away from her, her expression hardened again.He was just trying to manipulate her into keeping Tessa with him, and she wasn't going to allow it.“I’m not stupid, you know,” she finally said sharply, breaking the silence. “I know your mother might target us. That’s why I’ve already taken precautions.” She straightened her posture. “I’ve requested for bodyguards from an agency. They’ll be here soon, and they'll protect Tessa and me. I can protect my daughter as much as you or even better.”Kris drew in a sharp breath of frustration. “Karen...
Karen’s face twisted into a mask of disbelief. “And who the hell is Alexander Thompson?”For a moment, she looked as though the wind had been knocked out of her. She turned sharply to Thalassa, her eyes narrowing with suspicion.“You have a son?” Karen’s voice was filled with disbelief. “How the hell is that possible? You...you lost your pregnancy when Linda sent that man to attack you. So how the hell do you have a son?”And how come her mother knew but never told her?Thalassa stood, her expression calm, but her voice edged with frost. “I don’t owe you any explanations, Karen.”Karen laughed bitterly. “You’re wrong,” she snapped. “You owe me more than that! You owe me an explanation for how you managed to make the will say this! There’s no way this could’ve come from my mother in her sane mind! I am her only daughter. I deserve to have everything!”Kris had been silent till now but was tired of the sheer unreasonableness. “Tessa was given half of everything too, Karen.”Karen whippe
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