Kris didn’t even flinch as the cold metal of the handcuffs clicked around his wrists, despite the strain that was put on his shoulder joints by how violently the officer pulled his hands back. He felt nothing except the dull, aching void where his heart was supposed to be. He was subconsciously aware of the phones on him, but he could barely pay any of it any mind.A minute later, the other police officer emerged from the elevator walking towards them.“Confirmed? Is he dead?” The officer holding on to Kris's arm asked.The other officer shook his head. “No, but it's not really looking good for him." He indicated with his chin at Kris. “Wonder if his fists are made of steel because damn. The guy is barely breathing with his broken nose and his pulse is very weak.”“You think he will make it?" The officer shrugged. “I'm not a doctor, but I've already called the paramedics. They're on their way to get him. In the meantime, you can send this one to the station and lock him up. I'll sta
Aunt Cynthia's eyes widened in disbelief at her audacity. "You’re shameless, Karen. After everything you’ve done, you still have the audacity to claim that title for yourself?”Susan crossed her arms on her chest. “Don't worry aunt. She can blabber or she wants." She turned her steely gaze to Karen. “If you and your daughter aren't out of here by tomorrow, then prepare to be kicked out.”Before Karen could respond, a quiet voice interrupted them. "Karen."They all turned to see Rita approaching them, her face pale but composed. Cynthia’s gaze immediately shifted to Karen’s mother, her anger rekindled."Rita," she snapped, her voice full of contempt. "Do you know what your daughter has done? Do you know how she’s humiliated this family? She made fools of us—" Her voice rose, but Rita cut her off, speaking softly."I know," she said, her voice strained, eyes locking onto Karen’s tear-streaked face.Cynthia’s eyes narrowed. "You knew? You already knew about your daughter's deception?" Sh
Linda paced her small cell, her hands clenched tightly at her sides, her mind racing with thoughts. Every second she stayed in that stink cell, the more she felt like she was losing her sanity. And the stupid judge had also denied her bail just that morning.She could hear the faint footsteps of the guard approaching."Visitor," the guard called out.Linda’s face lit in expectation hoping it was her lawyer bringing her good news, but the moment she saw who it was, her expression soured. Karen stood on the other side of the bars, her face pale and drawn.If Linda cared even a little bit about her, she would've asked how she was doing."What are you doing here?" Linda questioned, pressing her hands against the bars as she stared through at Karen. "Did you come to gloat about your so-called advantage over me? The one that’s going to be very short-lived, I assure you."Karen’s eyes were red, her body trembling slightly as she shook her head. "I don’t have an advantage anymore, Linda. Kris
The next morning, Kris was sitting on the cold, narrow bed in his holding cell, staring blankly at the floor.He hadn’t slept a wink last night, but he didn’t feel the effects because he still felt numb. However, he knew it was his body’s mechanism to keep him from feeling the immense pain again, even if just for a while. “You have your first visitor, Miller.” The voice of a cop cut through the silence.Kris looked up and saw Alden standing on the other side of the cell bars, his face a mixture of concern and disbelief. “I was here last night but they wouldn’t let me because it was late.”He put his hands against the bars. “Why didn’t you call me, Keis?”Kris exhaled, looking back down. “How did you find out?”Alden hesitated, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “You’re all over the news, Kris. People are talking about it everywhere.” He paused, then added, “You’ve got some supporters, but… most people are comparing you to your mother. Saying crime runs in the Miller fami
Thalassa woke up with a start, her hand instantly reaching for her phone on the nightstand. The screen lit up, and she scanned it for any missed calls or messages from Kris. There were none.She sighed heavily, sinking back against the pillows, disappointment settling in her chest. Why hasn’t he called yet? Almost the whole of yesterday, she’d waited for him to call her or even text her. At first, she didn’t want to bother him by calling, knowing he’d said he’d be spending some time with his daughter, Tessa. But later, when she tried to call, his phone had been unreachable. Why hasn’t he contacted her? She placed a hand over her heart, a strange unease brewing in her chest. He'd told her that he would call, and he couldn't have just forgotten.Something felt off. She glanced at her phone again, the time revealing it was already mid-morning. She tossed the covers aside and slipped out of bed, her feet padding quietly across the floor.Downstairs, the aroma of breakfast greeted her. B
“Miller, your lawyer is here to see you." A guard informed Kris before he walked away. Kris barely reacted, remaining seated until the familiar figure appeared in front of his cell.“Mr. Miller,” his lawyer said, sounding both horrified and mortified. “Why didn’t you call me earlier?”Kris slowly stood, approaching the bars, his expression void of emotion. “Did Alden give you the bag?” he asked, ignoring the question.The lawyer nodded, still looking shocked. “Yes, he did. It’s already being processed. Within a few days, your mother will be transferred to prison to await trial.”Kris merely nodded, his face a mask of cold indifference, though the mention of his mother sent a painful squeeze through his heart. Linda was finally going to face justice, and yet, all he felt was a numbing emptiness.His lawyer sighed, changing the subject as he tried again. “Mr. Miller, seriously. Why didn’t you call me? You know I could’ve had you out of here within an hour. Instead, you’ve spent the wh
Thalassa's heart stuttered at his words. He was still looking away, but she forced him to look at her, cradling his face between her hands. "What are you talking about?" she asked, searching his tired eyes.His gaze dropped to the floor, and his voice came out in a hoarse whisper, barely audible. "This is my punishment. For everything I did to you years ago."Thalassa froze. "Kris..."Kris pressed on, his voice thick with regret. "I betrayed you. I put everyone else above you. I believed Karen. I believed my mother. Henry... But I refused to believe you, the woman I loved." His eyes squeezed shut, the pain seeping out of him. "When you told me you were pregnant... I called you a liar. I didn't trust you. I... I pushed you away."Thalassa's breath hitched as she remembered the ache, the heartbreak of that time. Kris's voice cracked as he continued, "We lost our child because of me. I am as much responsible as my mother was. And then I married Karen for a child I thought was mine. The
Karen stood beside Henry’s hospital bed, her stomach churning as she looked at his bruised, swollen face. His skin was an ugly mix of purples and blues, a stitched wound ran above his eyebrow, and his eyes were so swollen they seemed glued shut. His nose was heavily bandaged after the realignment surgery, and the sound of his labored breathing filled the sterile room. Guilt pricked at her heart. She knew kris would be angry but she hadn’t expected Kris to get so violent, to nearly kill Henry in a rage. She needed Henry alive—for now, at least—until she figured out how to get Kris back.Henry stirred, groaning awake, his face twisting in discomfort. Karen leaned over, her voice soft. "How are you feeling?"Henry grunted, trying to shift in the bed but clearly regretting it. "How do you think I feel?" he muttered, his voice gravelly. "I feel like shit. That bastard broke my nose. I can barely breathe, and I can't even open my damn eyes."Karen tried to sound reassuring. "The doctor sa
"I don't want anything more than a fling with Gendry either!"Maya seemed taken aback by Tessa's tone, but she didn't let that deter her. "Even after the truth that came out yesterday about what really happened at prom?"Tessa's face scrunched. "What does that have to do with anything, Maya?""I mean, if your brother hadn't played those tricks, you and Gendry would've dated, and who knows what could've come out of it?""Oh, please, Maya." Tessa nearly rolled her eyes in exasperation.As far as she knew, none of their classmates who had been couples—even the most popular ones—had gotten into anything serious after high school.Maya and Jace were no exception because they'd barely known each other back in school. They'd only met and fallen in love years after they'd graduated.Had Tessa and Gendry dated, it probably would've ended just like the rest of the couples in the school"What if Gendry wants more?" Maya asked, cutting into Tessa's thoughts.Tessa's heart raced inside her chest,
“When were you going to tell me about you and Gendry?”Tessa stiffened at Maya's unexpected question. She wracked her brain, trying to remember if it had been mentioned during their heated confrontation with Alex, but no such memory surfaced. So how did Maya find out?Her only conclusion was that Gendry had probably told Jace about it, even though they'd agreed not to say anything to their friends yet.“No, Gendry didn't tell Jace anything,” Maya said as if she could read Tessa's mind. When Tessa looked at her with a blank expression, she burst out laughing. “Girl, I'm not sure what you and Gendry were trying to do, but if you were trying to keep your affair a secret, you didn’t do a very good job.”Tessa shrugged, averting her gaze. “I don't know what you're talking about.”Maya gave her an amused look as if silently saying, Are we really going to play this game?“Okay, let's see,” Maya began. “I noticed immediately when something changed between you two. For the past three days, you
By the time they got to the villa, Tessa knew sleep wasn’t going to be kind to her, and she was right.In the middle of the night, she lay in bed, staring into the darkness, tracing the faint outlines of the ceiling designs while her mind raced with thoughts.Needless to say, after the confrontation outside, no one had been in the mood to return to the dinner venue and continue talking. So, they’d all agreed to head back.On the way to the rehearsal, Tessa had ridden with Maya and Jace’s parents while Jace, Gendry, and Jace’s cousin had taken another car. They returned to the villa the same way. Tessa and Gendry hadn’t exchanged a single glance. If he had been looking at her, she hadn’t noticed because she’d been too busy avoiding his gaze.They didn’t speak a word, either. It was the strangest feeling. On one hand, Tessa felt like they had so much to say to each other. But on the other hand, what was the point?It wasn’t like they could change the past. And even if they could… then
“What do you have to say for yourself, young man?” Kris demanded when Gendry remained silent for several seconds. “Did you say those things about my daughter?”Regret flashed across Gendry’s face as he nodded. “Yes.”Kris’s jaw clenched. “So you really did mean to make a fool of my daughter after all.”“No!” Gendry’s response was immediate, his voice sharp. “That was never my intention.”“Then why did my daughter hear you saying those things about her?”Gendry hesitated. “Because I..." He swallowed hard, as if he found it hard to admit his next words. “Because I felt humiliated. I was hurt that Tessa thought so little of me after I’d gone out of my way to show her how much I liked her.”Blowing out a heavy breath, he ran a hand over his face, then dragged it through his hair. “Yes, I know what I did was wrong, but back then, I thought that if we arrived separately, people would ask questions. I thought she would tell them she sent me away for being a lowlife, and I’d become the laughi
Tension crackled in the air like an overcharged high-voltage wire waiting to snap as Tessa waited for her brother to say something.Her brother, who was most certainly not capable of doing what Gendry had accused him of.When seconds passed and he still hadn’t spoken, her heart began to sink. She shifted her stance, positioning herself so she could look him straight in the eyes.“What is he saying, Alex?” she repeated, her voice laced with urgency. “Tell me he’s wrong. He’s wrong, isn’t he? You didn’t say any of those things to him. He’s lying, right?”The longer Alex kept his silence, the more her heart plummeted, and the faster her patience wore thin. Finally, the wire snapped.“Alex!” she bit out, smacking him hard on the chest. “Answer me, damn it!”Her voice rang out louder than she intended, the sharp sound echoing back at her like a taunt. She searched her brother’s face, but his expression remained frustratingly impassive.Just seconds later, the dining hall doors swung open,
Stiffening , Gendry let out a sigh. The last thing he wanted to do was to deal with this control freak.He turned his head to glance at Alex for a second before looking away again, keeping his gaze fixed on the sky. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets.Alex stepped closer, standing beside him, his posture rigid. “Whatever game you’re playing this time, it won’t work,” he said, his voice low but firm. “Stay away from my sister.”A mirthless chuckle escaped Gendry. He turned his head slightly, just enough to glance at Alex. “Isn’t Tessa old enough to decide the people she wants around her?”“Yes, she’s old enough,” Alex admitted. “But that doesn’t mean I’ll stop protecting her.”Gendry clenched his jaw, his temper flaring. Protect her? From who exactly?“From what, Alex?” he bit out, finally turning to face him fully. “From me? Because you still think I’m not good enough for her?”Alex met his glare without hesitation. “Yes,” he sai
The next day, Gendry adjusted the cuffs of his shirt as he stood at the edge of the altar behind Jace, watching the wedding rehearsal unfold. Maya and Jace were standing in front of the altar, holding hands while the priest explained how things would go tomorrow. Jace wore a simple button-down and slacks, while Maya was in a flowy sundress.Since this was just the rehearsal only family and those who had important roles to play in the ceremony were present. That included him and Tessa, Tessa's family, Jace's parents and aunt, and one of Maya's cousins.Gendry wasn't looking at any of them. His eyes were drawn to the maid of honor. Standing on Maya's side, Tessa was quite a sight. Her hair fell in soft waves, the light fabric of her dress clinging to her just enough to taunt him with the memory of last night. God, last night.He clenched his jaw, shifting his weight as flashes of her moans, the way her body had writhed against his, consumed him for the hundredth time that day. And y
Tessa was lying flat on her back, staring at the ceiling, her fingers clenched in the sheets. It had been two hours since she told Kevin she wanted to go to bed early, and yet here she was; wide awake, tossing and turning, unable to shut off her mind.She hated that her thoughts kept circling back to the conversation with Gendry in the car. His accusations about her thinking other people just weren’t good enough. His claim that he had firsthand experience of it years ago.What the hell had he meant by that?She should be angry. His words were baseless and unfair. And yet, instead of dwelling on that, all she could think about was everything he’d done to her body this time yesterday. And again this afternoon.A frustrated groan left her lips as a familiar ache coiled between her thighs. Damn him. Damn him and his expert tongue, his manipulative fingers, his very potent d–God, she couldn’t even finish the thought without feeling heat creep up her neck. How had she turned into this pers
The tension broke when Kevin suddenly appeared beside Tessa, a broad smile on his face as he looked at her parents. Gendry and Alex finally released their handshake, and Gendry stepped back, returning to his previous spot.After a few seconds, Kevin glanced at Tessa and arched a brow, silently prompting her for a formal introduction.Tessa cleared her throat. "Uh, Mum, Dad, this is Kevin Balthazar. Kevin is..."She trailed off, and Gendry unknowingly held his breath, waiting for what she was going to say."...a very good friend," she finally completed.Kevin beamed. "I'm very honored to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Miller. Tessa has told me a lot about you." He stretched out his hand eagerly.Both Kris and Thalassa shook his hand, looking slightly amused by his enthusiasm. Then Kevin turned his attention to Alexander."I'm a huge fan of yours, Alex." His eyes widened. "I can call you that, right?"Alex smiled and nodded. "Of course. My sister's friends are my friends."Gendry snorted. Why d