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
Linda was livid with indignation. “Kris, how can you ask me to apologize publicly to that woman? That’s going to make people think even less of me.”Kris nodded slowly, his expression calm. “I figured as much.” He hadn’t expected his mother to agree. If anything, she was as stubborn as Thalassa, if not more. “Since you can’t apologize to her publicly, please don’t expect her to do the same for you.”“But it’s different! Can’t you see that?” Linda tried again to reason with him. “We can’t be sure if the embezzlement was truly a misunderstanding. All the evidence pointed to her, and—”“I don’t care what the evidence said, Mum. Not after everything we’ve been through. I believe Thalassa when she says she’s innocent,” Kris snapped, his tone sharper than he intended.“Daddy, are you angry with Grandma?” Tessa’s soft, confused voice broke through the tension.Kris looked down at her and forced a small smile. “No, sweetheart. Daddy isn’t angry with Grandma. We’re just… talking. Do you want t
Thalassa's face twisted in annoyance as she grabbed her phone from her desk, ready to dial Kris’s number and hurl every insult she could think of. But she stopped herself.This was exactly what he wanted—for her to unblock his number and call, even if it was just to tell him off. But she wasn’t going to give him that satisfaction.Placing the phone back on the desk, she turned to the delivery man. “Take it back. Whatever he promised to pay you, tell my secretary to give you double. That should be enough for you to stop delivering anything he sends. Just go back and tell him I refused, but don’t bring them to my office again.”She smirked as the delivery man readily accepted her offer. But she should have known Kris would find a loophole. The next day, an envelope arrived in her office. It contained a movie ticket for The Mask of Zorro, along with a note:‘Dear Lassa,I never understood your obsession with this movie, but I’ll gladly endure the torture of watching it again for your sak
Luisa felt her stomach churn, covering her mouth as though she was going to puke. "How much more despicable can that woman be? She's a woman herself. How could she get involved in something so horrific against other women?" Thalassa’s expression remained impassive. After all the things she knew Linda was capable of, this was just another one to add to the list. "Do you have any evidence to back up these claims?" she asked. Mr. Frey offered a regretful smile. "Yes, there is. Unfortunately, I don’t have it with me. But I have reliable information that all the evidence is hidden by Linda Miller herself. I believe she keeps it in a place no one would suspect. And I bet that place is none other than her own home." Luisa frowned in disbelief and confusion. "Why would she keep incriminating evidence against herself instead of destroying it?" "To protect herself," Mr. Frey explained. "When she met James Miller, she realized she could have the wealth she craved without resorting to il
“Thalassa, security just called. There's a man at the door asking to see you,”Having her breakfast, Thalassa was about to put a piece of pancake in her mouth, but her hand froze midair. Since her return to New York had been abrupt, she'd told no one about it. The only one who knew was Luisa. Unless Luisa had told Zeke.But Zeke wouldn't need permission to get into the house since the house was his. So it couldn't be him.Frowning, she asked, “Did he give a name?”“Kris Miller.” Betty answered.Thalassa sucked in a breath, dropping her fork onto her plate. What the heck was he doing here?Gritting her teeth, she snatched her phone and quickly dialed Luisa’s number.“Thalassa?” Luisa answered, surprised. “We just spoke a few minutes ago. What’s up?”“Did you tell Kris I was in New York?” Thalassa questioned.“Why do you ask?” Luisa gasped, her voice suddenly alarmed. “Don’t tell me he’s there?”“Oh, he’s here, alright. Outside the house.” Thalassa huffed. “You gave him the address, did
A smile tugged at Betty's lips as she listened to the exchange between Kris and Thalassa, but when Thalassa shot her a sharp glare, she quickly wiped it away, replacing it with a stern expression.“What were you thinking, young man? You could catch pneumonia standing in that storm,” she scolded, shaking her head.Kris shrugged, his teeth still chattering. “Wouldn’t have had to if this stubborn woman here had just come out to talk to me once.”Thalassa’s nostrils flared. “You wouldn’t have had to stand there if you’d just accepted that you’re not needed here.”Sensing the rising tension between them, Betty interrupted, glancing at Kris with concern. “You're shivering. I’m going to get you a blanket. You should probably take off your shirt to warm up quicker.”“Thank you." Kris smiled gratefully as he watched the woman leave, then he turned to Thalassa, hesitantly pointing at his shirt."Mind helping? I may not be wearing the sling anymore, but I'm not allowed to overwork my shoulder."
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