Alden was annoyed but forced a smile as he looked at Zeke. “No problem. You can sit anywhere you like.”As much as he would like to tell the man off for his interference, he knew he needed to be wise. Zeke was still Luisa’s brother, and if he was going to pursue Luisa, he needed to get on the man’s good side.Luisa was also fuming as she sat down in the chair Alden had pulled back for her. She couldn’t believe that Zeke was interfering even after promising he wouldn’t. Thalassa and Millie both rolled their eyes.“So how long have you and Millie known each other?” Alden asked Zeke.“Since she began working for Kris two years ago. We’ve been close.”Zeke’s eyes narrowed, not liking the way he said it. What did he mean by ‘close’?“I see,” he said simply while glaring intensely at Alden.An awkward silence settled over the table, but they were saved when a waitress approached them.“Hello, are you guys ready to order now?”“You can order anything you want. I’ll take care of everything,”
After leaving the table, Luisa hadn’t even gotten past the hallway leading to the washroom when Alden suddenly grabbed her arm and held her back. “Luisa, please let me explain.”Luisa stiffened, then jerked her arm from his hold. “Explain what? You don’t owe me any explanation.”She tried to appear aloof, but she couldn’t keep it up for long before she hissed. “You told Millie to invite us here because of Kris, didn’t you? He made you bring Thalassa here because he was going to be here, didn’t he?”Seeing the need for honesty in her eyes, Alden couldn’t bring himself to lie. He ran his hand through his hair as he admitted, “Yes.”Luisa took a step back. She couldn’t believe she’d been foolish enough to think he’d sent the invite because of her.She knew she was being unreasonable because Alden never told her he was organizing this hangout for her. It was she and Thalassa who had assumed his intentions, so she had no right to feel this way—so betrayed.She felt even more foolish becau
Gasps echoed across the room at the man’s declaration. Even Zeke was shocked and confused because the women hadn’t told him any story about the pictures. He turned to Thalassa, his eyes wide with disbelief. “Naked pictures? What pictures is he talking about?” No one attempted to answer him. Thalassa’s gaze was fixed on the man who might have raped her, too focused to even spare Zeke a glance. Kris finally let go of the man and stepped in front of Karen. “I’m going to give you one chance to defend yourself. Just one.” His voice was cold. So cold that it sent a shiver of panic down Karen’s spine. “That man is lying!” she quickly said. “How could I have paid him to do anything when I’ve never even seen him before?” Kris’s lips curled wryly. “So now you don’t know him? I thought you were the one who took the pictures when you caught Thalassa…” He used his index fingers to air-quote the next word. “...‘cheating.’” Karen panicked, realizing she’d messed up, but quickly thou
Their eyes locked. For several seconds, they stared at each other—Kris’s eyes filled with all the desperation in the world, while Thalassa’s eyes were filled with... nothing. She hadn’t said a single word since he exposed Karen, and every second of her silence made him feel like he was dying inside, desperate for her to say something—anything. The moment was broken when Luisa suddenly stormed over to Karen. “You stupid bitch!” Two violent slaps landed on Karen’s face, causing her to stumble as Luisa continued to fume. “What kind of woman are you? How could you pay a man to do something like this to another woman? Someone who loved you and considered you her best friend? You’re despicable.” Another slap landed on Karen’s face, followed by another, and another. Karen’s ears were ringing and her head spinning from the pain radiating through her. She felt too overwhelmed to even attempt to hit Luisa back. All she could do was grab onto Kris’s arm and cling to it. “Kris, save me.
Kris stared at Karen incredulously, his lips curling with rage. “How dare you?! How dare you try to involve my mother in this?”“But I’m not lying. She was the one who suggested the plan to me,” Karen insisted.“My mother didn’t even know anything about the pictures until you gave them to her on my wedding day to pass on to me!” Kris hissed.“That’s what she told me to tell you. She wanted you to believe that,” Karen said bitterly.Looking back, she realized Linda Miller had made her do all the dirty work so that if the plan failed, she wouldn’t be implicated.She sniffed. “I didn’t want to do it, but Linda convinced me. You know she never liked Thalassa and always thought she wasn’t good enough to be her daughter-in-law. That’s why she hatched the plan.”“Keep my mother’s name out of your fucking mouth!” Kris snarled, his voice ringing with a savage warning. “If you tell another lie about her, you’re going to be even sorrier.”Thalassa felt bitter as she listened to it all. She knew
“Let go of my sister right this minute!” Zeke’s harsh voice cut off the confession Alden had been about to make as he grabbed Alden’s hand and tore it away from Luisa’s arm. Luisa gasped. “Zeke, what are you doing?” “Keeping this bastard away from you,” Zeke hissed. “Luisa, can’t you see that he can’t be trusted? He deceived all of you because his friend asked him to, just to get Thalassa here.” Alden clenched his jaw, frustrated, but tried to keep his voice calm. “You saw what happened here yourself, Zeke. I did it for a good reason.” “That doesn’t make you any less of a liar and a user,” Zeke scoffed disdainfully. “You still used my sister to get to Thalassa. How do I know you’re not trying to get close to her only because Miller asked you to?” Luisa felt her cheeks warm with embarrassment and quickly clarified, “Zeke, Alden never asked me out. He didn’t even speak to me personally.” Zeke huffed. “Sister, don’t try to defend this man. Please understand that he can’t
“Thalassa, please, can we talk?”Zeke instantly grew annoyed and stepped forward belligerently. “Lassa doesn’t have anything to talk to you about.”Kris gnashed his teeth. The bastard hadn’t had enough with controlling his sister’s life; now he wanted to control Thalassa’s life too.“I don’t remember you being her spokesperson,” Kris gritted out before looking at Thalassa again. “Thalassa, it will only take a few seconds, please.”She made no attempt to move away from the car. “If it will only take a few seconds, then you can say it from where you’re standing.”Her voice lacked everything—no coldness, no warmth, nothing. Kris swallowed hard.“I just... I just wanted to remind you that you have to go down to the station to file charges since you’re the one who was assaul—treated that way,” he said, skipping over the word because even the thought of it filled him with so much rage and pain.Thalassa looked at him. “Okay.”That was it. Just “okay.” Maybe Kris was losing his mind, but he
“The love birds are finally here!” Aunt Cynthia exclaimed excitedly the moment Kris walked into the house. His family were gathered in the living room, and they all had smiles on their faces, but their smiles dimmed when they noticed the gloomy look on Kris’s face as well as the fact that Karen wasn’t with him. “Kris, where’s Karen?” His aunt questioned. “Nephew, where’s your wife? You two went out to enjoy some quality time together, didn’t you?” His uncle supplied. His daughter, Tessa, was sitting on the floor in front of the nanny playing some Lego. Without answering his aunt and uncle, Kris sank down on the floor beside his daughter. “Hey baby.” He said and pressed his lips to her forehead. She stopped playing temporarily to look at him. “Dada.” The sweet, innocent smile she flashed him made his heart squeeze painfully. He knew the things that happened today were going to be hard on his daughter, but he hoped he was making the right decision. “Kris, why aren’t you
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