Thalassa stood frozen as Kris's words hung in the air. Her heart pounded so loudly she thought he might hear it as a mix of conflicting emotions threatened to knock the breath out of her.Kris knelt before her, the warmth in his eyes slowly turning to uncertainty as she remained silent. The longer she stood there, not speaking, the more his smile faltered. Why wasn't she answering?But he tried to reassure himself, pushing the anxiety down. She was just shocked and would respond as soon as the shock wore off. Finally, she responded, but it caught him completely off guard. “No, Kris… I’m sorry,” she said as she shook her head, her voice shaking.Kris blinked. Her words hit him like a punch to the chest. He looked at her, his lips slightly parted, trying to process what she’d just said. He'd misheard, hadn't he?He managed a shaky laugh, “That’s very funny, Lassa.” He expected her to laugh back and admit that indeed, it'd been a joke, but she didn't laugh or smile. Instead, tears beg
As Thalassa entered her house, she moved almost mechanically. As soon as Luisa saw her, she rushed over, her eyes sparkling curiously. “Lassa, how was your outing with Kris? Tell me everything. Where did he take you that he was mysterious about?" She took Thalassa's hand, leading her to the couch with an excited grin. “Come on, give me all the details.”But as soon as they sat down, Luisa's smile faltered, noticing the solemn expression on Thalassa's face. “Hey, what’s with the long face?” she asked, brows knitting together. “And where is Kris? I thought you two would come back together.”Thalassa’s lips parted, but her voice came out as a shaky whisper. “Kris…he asked me to marry him.”Luisa’s eyes widened with delight, and she practically jumped up from her seat, “Oh my God! Sis, that’s amazing! Congratulations! I’m so happy for you both!” She squeezed Thalassa’s hand, leaning closer. “Tell me everything—how did he propose?”Despite herself, Thalassa managed a small smile. “He to
EARLIER...Minutes after Zeke had left, Millie was still lying on her back, thinking about how things had changed so suddenly when a knock came at the door.Her heart fluttered. Could it be Zeke back to give her some more kisses? She could almost feel his warm smile through the door. Without thinking, she stood, smoothing her dress and padding over to open it. But when she pulled the door open, she froze.It was Francis.The sight of him made her heart lurch in her chest. Immediately, she tried to shut the door, but his arm shot out, shoving it back with ease. He forced his way inside, closing the door behind him. Millie’s body went cold as she backed away, her voice barely a whisper."What do you want, Francis?" she managed.Francis’s eyes glinted with a twisted pleasure as he looked her up and down, his gaze lingering in a way that made her skin crawl. “You look even more sexy and gorgeous than the last time I saw you,” he drawled. “Been a while, hasn’t it? Did you miss me?”Milli
IN THE PRESENT...Millie blinked back the sting of tears as she looked at Zeke, catching the confused hurt etched in his face. He shifted, stepping closer with a pleading gaze. “Millie…what’s wrong?” he asked softly. “Did I do something to offend you? Why are you saying these things? Why are you being so cold to me?” His eyes scanned her face, searching for a hint of what was happening. “Is this about me saying I regretted that night between us? I thought I explained. I didn't mean what I saw. I only—”Millie cut him off sharply. “Don’t bother, Zeke. I don’t care whether you regret that night or not.” She forced herself to hold his gaze, but every word she spat tore at her. Zeke’s face fell as he studied her with abject confusion.“Millie, I don't understand,” he murmured, his voice barely a whisper. He stepped even closer, and Millie felt the warmth of his hand as he tentatively reached for hers. “We were excited to go out together, weren’t we? You even said you needed time to ge
“Because I’m a murderer! I killed a man, and Francis has a video recording of it!”For a long moment, Zeke merely stared at Millie blankly, as if he couldn't process what she'd just said. When her words finally settled on him, his eyes widened, and he shook his head. “Millie, what are you talking about? That can’t be true,” he stammered, his voice filled with disbelief.Millie? Murderer? No, he must've heard her wrong.Millie shook her head solemnly, face pale and eyes haunted as the tears continued to stream down her cheeks. “I wish it weren’t,” she whispered. "But it’s true. I killed a man.”Zeke stumbled back. “But...how...you aren't capable of something like that. What happened? Why are you calling yourself a murderer?”Millie took a shaky breath and began to explain. “It was three years ago… just a few months after you and your family moved back to New York.” Her voice trembled, her fingers nervously twisting together. “I moved away from temporary housekeeping. I got a job and
Zeke clenched his fists so tightly that his nails bit into his palm, barely able to contain his fury. “And that’s when he started hurting you?”Millie nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. “At first, it was just words, anger over little things. Then it became physical. Initially, I stayed because… I thought I owed him. I thought…” She shook her head. “But after some time, I couldn't take it anymore. I told him I wanted out. It'd been several months since the incident, and with how he managed to wipe everything and help me, I thought I would be safe. That night was the first time he really beat me up. Afterwards, he showed me the video.”Zeke’s nostrils flared. “Which video?”Millie sniffed. “The man I killed had set up his phone to record… what he was planning to do to me, so it also recorded me killing him. When Francis came into the room, he found it still recording and transferred the video to his phone. After showing me the video, he told me if I left him or tried to report h
Francis leaned back in the elevator, tapping his foot and grinning smugly as he thought about the call from Millie an hour ago.She had sounded desperate, her voice trembling as she begged him not to release the video and told him she was ready to come back to him.He’d expected nothing less. After all, he’d spent years manipulating her, keeping her on a leash with fear of going to prison. And now that she’d come to her senses, he was going to make sure she regretted ever thinking about being with another man. He was going to make her regret letting Zeke Mathews even breathe near her, let alone touch her. The elevator came to a halt, and he strolled down the hallway toward her door, tapping on it. Moments later, the door opened, and there she stood—eyes red and teary, looking vulnerable, just the way he liked her. He smirked, stepping inside without an invitation. "Well, do you have any luggage? Where is it?" he asked, already reaching for her hand, preparing to drag her out of th
Francis's brow furrowed, his cocky expression faltering. "Prepared? What the hell do you mean by that?"Just then, a knock sounded at the door. Without missing a beat, Zeke walked over and opened it, revealing a tall, broad-shouldered man with piercing eyes, carrying a laptop bag slung over his shoulder. The man gave Zeke a nod before stepping inside.“Thanks for coming, and especially on such short notice, Smoke.” Zeke said. “I asked you to come in person because I couldn’t trust this with anyone else. And Kris told me that I could trust you.”Smoke smirked, his eyes narrowing as he took in Francis slumped on the floor. Staring up at him, Francis scoffed before he looked back at Zeke. “Oh, so you need an extra guy just to fight me?” he sneered. Zeke stared at him. “Fight you? No. I don't fight losers. I beat them down.”“Doesn’t matter. You can beat me up all you want—even kill me. That video is still going out. You’re just wasting your time.”Zeke let out a laugh, shaking his head
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
At Rita's revelation, Kris swallowed hard against the tightness in his throat. He thought he should feel shock or anger, but he didn't feel that. Not even disappointment. All he felt was a crushing sadness and a hollow ache in his chest that made it hard to breathe. Deep down, he'd known. He'd known his mother was behind it.But had it been too much to wish for his mother to prove not to be a monster for once? How far was Linda going to go? His jaw tightened as he looked down at Rita's frail form, her skin pale and her breaths shallow."I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice cracking under the weight of his guilt. He stepped closer to Rita, his hand hesitating before lightly brushing against hers. "I’m so sorry. You didn’t deserve this. None of this." His throat burned as he forced the words out. "I promise you, I’ll get justice for you." Rita’s eyes fluttered open slightly, her gaze cloudy yet still warm. She gave him the faintest smile, her voice a faint rasp as she whispered, "Wha
Thalassa sat in the hard, plastic chair by the wall in Rita’s ICU unit, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. The sterile scent of disinfectant filled her nostrils, but she barely noticed it anymore. Her eyes were fixed on the frail figure lying in the hospital bed. Rita was surrounded by machines—a heart monitor that beeped steadily, an IV drip that fed her weakened body, and a nasal cannula that provided oxygen through thin, clear tubes resting against her pale face. She had always been so strong, so full of life. Seeing her like this, so still and vulnerable, made Thalassa’s chest ache. The machines keeping her alive felt intrusive, cold, and mechanical—so unlike the warm, loving woman who had been her pillar through so much. She rubbed her tired eyes. She hadn't slept a wink since last night, but sleep was the last thing on her mind. Her gaze darted back to Rita every few moments, desperate for any sign of movement. Nothing. A soft knock came at the door, pulling her from