“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
The room fell into a suffocating silence after Thalassa pressed play on her phone and the voice recording started.*THALASSA: Do you remember when I was arrested? You and your accomplice framed me and had me jailed. I spent three days in the same cold, bare cell. Not a single person came to visit me. KAREN: I had nothing to do with your arrest! That was all Linda’s doing. THALASSA: Just like what you did to me on my wedding night was also Linda’s plan?KAREN: Yes. You’ve got to believe me, Lassa. I didn’t want to do it because I never wanted to hurt you, but she made me. I don’t know how she convinced me. Thalassa, I could have let that man rape you. That’s what Linda wanted, but I didn’t. I strictly warned him not to because, despite everything, you were still my friend, and I didn’t want to harm you.The room grew Impossibly colder as the recording played on. Henry’s eyes darted between the two women his expression as tense as Karen’s.Thalassa stood tall and resolute, her voice
Henry looked at Karen, his mind racing. Karen stared back, her eyes pleading, her face twisted in fear and desperation.Thalassa waited patiently, her expression calm, confident, and completely in control.Henry’s teeth ground together, and through gritted teeth, he spat, “You bitch.”Thalassa rolled her eyes, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “You already called me that, Henry. Try something new next time.” She crossed her arms, her gaze never leaving his battered face. “Now hurry up and make a decision.”Karen stood frozen beside the bed as she stared at Henry. Why was he taking so long to decide? “Henry?”He looked at her, his jaw clenched. “What? What do you want me to do, Karen? Just let Kris go scot-free after he did this to me?” He pointed at his bruised face. His voice rose, filled with anger and frustration. “I can barely breathe. He destroyed my face. You want me to just let that slide?”Karen’s hands trembled as she clenched them into fists at her sides. “But they’ll put me
Henry curled his hands into tight fists, feeling trapped with Thalassa gaze on him.“Y-yeah,” he stammered, his eyes darting between Officer Swartz and Thalassa. “She... she can stay.”Karen opened her mouth to protest, but a sharp, pointed look from Thalassa made the words die on Karen's tongue. Begrudgingly, she turned and walked out of the room. Thalassa smiled with satisfaction. “You can go on taking his statement officer.”The officer cleared his throat and looked at Henry. "Mr. Fitz, could you describe what happened in your office?"Henry felt a surge of irritation rising in him, his fists clenching even tighter. Thalassa stood just behind the officer, her eyebrow arched, her gaze piercing into him. He gritted his teeth, but remembering all the information she had that could ruin him, he knew he had no choice."I don't plan to press charges," he muttered.The officer blinked in surprise. "Really? I was told you were nearly killed.""That's an exaggeration.” Henry said. “Kris an
“Where are you taking me? Your house?” Kris questioned as he sat in the front passenger seat of Thalassa’s car while she sat behind the wheel.“Nope.” She shook her head. “I have never seen your penthouse so your penthouse it is.”Kris smiled. Even though it was something small, it reminded him of the day she kicked him out of her house. Only Luisa had accompanied him to his penthouse because Thalassa had wanted nothing more to do with him. The fact that things were so different now pleased him so much.After Thalassa had parked in one of the two underground parking spots reserved for Kris, they made their way into the elevator.Thalassa had every plan of pinning Kris against the elevator wall, but her plans were derailed when they found an older woman already in it. And to make it more annoying, the woman’s floor was only two floors beneath Kris’s penthouse.She couldn’t wait for them to be all alone again.She managed to hold herself back long enough, but as soon as Kris unlocked hi
“Oh fuck, Lassa.” Kris gasped from the sheer pleasure of her heated tongue.Encouraged, Thalassa wrapped her mouth around him and let him slide into her mouth. As she expected, she could only get half of his dick in without gagging, so she decided to work within her limits, pulling back and letting him back in, letting her tongue caress the underside of his dick.It had been years since the last time she did this, so she wasn’t sure she was doing it right, but Kris’s moans with every move she made gave her her answer. Kris’s hips bucked slowly and hesitantly. Thalassa looked up to meet his dazed eyes, giving him an encouraging smile.Kris tangled his fingers in her hair as he began to thrust lightly, hitting her throat every time he went in. Thalassa could sense that he was making a conscious effort not to go too hard, and she appreciated that.“Fuck, I can’t take this anymore.” Kris groaned after some seconds.Within a heartbeat, his dick was out of her mouth, and she was pulled ont
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