Tears spilled quietly down her cheeks, but she made no effort to wipe them away. “You will always be my parents. No title, no inheritance, no revelation will ever change that.”A quiet moment passed. The trees swayed, and the sunlight filtered through the branches in dappled patterns.“I hope you’re proud,” she said softly, almost like a prayer. “Because I wouldn’t have gotten here without you. I wouldn’t be me without you.”A robin landed on the edge of one of the headstones, tilting its head as if in curiosity before letting out a single, sharp chirp.Sarah laughed gently, her heart swelling. “I’ll take that as a yes.”She lingered there a little longer, talking softly, about the show, about Raven, about the drama with Beatrice and Victoria and Cecilia. About the headlines and the praise and the new world opening up at her feet.But beneath it all, she just talked like a daughter would to the only parents she’d ever known.Finally, as the sun began its slow descent, Sarah rose to he
The first time he met her, she had been bleeding and scared, caught in the web of Gerald’s cruel intentions.She hadn’t even cried. She had just looked at him with those storm lit eyes, unflinching, unreadable, and whispered, “I’m not dying today.”He had underestimated her then.Even now, he wasn’t sure why he had stepped in. It wasn’t like him to involve himself unless it served a purpose. But something about Sarah had made him move.Something about her screamed of survival and secrets. And when he had discovered, much later, that she was Alexander’s wife, the irony hadn’t been lost on him.She was exactly the kind of woman he could never have.And yet.Now, after all this time, seeing her again, this time not as a victim, but as a queen in her own right, it stirred something in him he didn’t like.Something dangerous.She belonged to Alexander.He had no business even thinking about her.And yet, his eyes had betrayed him before he could stop them.The softness in her gaze as she l
Victoria’s mouth twisted into a cruel grin. “You think she’ll come back? After what you did? After you discarded her like she was disposable? She won’t save you.”Richard’s voice sharpened. “And you, you will not sabotage this family any further.”Eleanor added, “If you can't stand to see Sarah succeed, then perhaps it's best you stay out of the way entirely.”Victoria stood frozen, her face flushing with humiliation and fury. Then something in her eyes shifted.Her pride had been gutted, her false sense of superiority shattered. And now, only something darker remained, something unhinged.“She’ll fall,” she muttered. “No matter how high she climbs… she’ll fall. And when she does, I’ll be there to watch.”Richard stared at her, stunned. “What are you saying?”Victoria didn’t answer.She just turned and stormed out of the room, rage simmering beneath her skin like molten fire.As the door slammed behind her, the Caldwells looked at each other, dread creeping into their bones.Because t
The man offered no name. Instead, he slipped a sleek black card into her hand.There was no writing on it. No number. Just an embossed serpent coiled around a rose.Victoria's eyes narrowed. That symbol. It stirred something at the back of her mind, something she’d seen once in a document in her father’s office. Something that whispered trouble.“You have three minutes to decide,” the man said smoothly. “The invitation won’t be extended again.”He began to turn away, already moving through the crowd as if certain she would follow.And Victoria?She hesitated, for just a second.Then she clutched the card tighter, heart pounding with something she hadn’t felt in days: possibility.If this was what she suspected, if the man behind this wanted a word, it meant Sarah wasn’t as untouchable as everyone thought. And maybe… just maybe, there was still a play left on the board.Straightening her spine, Victoria pushed past the crowd and followed him into the dark.The night air was sharp and c
Gerald straightened, smoothing his sleeves. “You’ll hear from me in a few days. Until then, stay close. Observe. And if you can, find out more about what Sarah’s next move might be. I want to stay one step ahead.”Victoria scoffed lightly. “Don’t worry. I’ve been watching her longer than you have.”He reached for the door handle on her side and pushed it open.A gust of wind swept in.Victoria stepped out, pausing to glance back over her shoulder. “You better not screw this up, Gerald. I’m not here to lose.”His expression didn’t waver. “Neither am I.”With that, she turned and walked back into the night, heels clicking against the pavement like warning shots.Her silhouette disappeared into the bar’s neon haze, her heart darker than it had ever been.Inside the SUV, Gerald leaned back and exhaled slowly, eyes narrowed with cold satisfaction.Gerald’s smirk deepened after the car door shut behind Victoria, her scent still lingering faintly in the air, a mixture of expensive perfume an
As the sleek black car rolled through the gates, their fingers interlaced between them in the backseat, Alexander’s expression shifted slightly. He was no longer the teasing husband, he was now the CEO, but beside him sat not just his wife, but Sarah Miller, Blake, the revealed force behind one of the fastest rising luxury brands in the fashion world.The car pulled into the private entrance beneath the towering Blake Industries building, and as Sarah stepped out first, the hush that fell across the arriving staff was immediate.She held her head high, spine straight, each step radiating quiet dominance.Alexander followed behind her like a shadow, one that guarded, supported, and admired.Inside the lobby, whispers began to hum through the air like an undercurrent.“That’s her… she’s the one behind Mountain Rose?”“I thought she just married into the Blake family…”“She’s been running that brand the whole time?”Sarah heard them all, and not a single word fazed her. Instead, she smil
The hallway felt suffocating as she approached the office door. Sarah’s name gleamed from the plaque, mocking her.Her hand raised slowly, hovering just inches from the handle.She hesitated.Would Sarah slam the door in her face?Would she even acknowledge her?Elise wouldn't blame her if she didn’t.Behind her, she could hear a few employees whispering, likely watching the show unfold.The same people who had once sided with her now kept their distance, pretending not to see.Elise straightened her spine, took a deep breath, and knocked lightly before pushing the door open.Sarah was behind her desk, poised and composed, a tablet in her hand as she reviewed something on her screen.She looked up as the door creaked, her expression unreadable.Their eyes met.Elise froze.For the first time, she couldn’t find the arrogance that usually sat in her tone. She couldn't summon the snide remarks or the patronizing smile. All that was gone.All she had was silence… and shame.“I...” Elise b
Another pause.“I wanted to tell you,” Cecilia added, her voice more serious now, “be careful. Especially with your sister.”Sarah’s heart skipped a beat. “Victoria?”“Yes. I know you don’t trust her because you shouldn’t. But it’s more than just envy now. She’s spiraling, Sarah. She’s bitter. Desperate. She was trying to reach me last night. She didn’t take my silence well.”“She’ll come at you differently now,” Cecilia warned. “Before, it was childish rivalry. But now? Now, she’s humiliated. Exposed. And that makes her dangerous.”Sarah inhaled slowly.Her sister. Or rather, the woman who had been raised in her place. The irony of it all still lingered in her bones.The world had finally seen who she truly was, and now Victoria, once the golden child, was descending deeper into shadows.“Why are you telling me this?” Sarah asked.“Because I’m not her,” Cecilia replied quietly. “I may have hated you for a time. But not anymore. I wanted to win, yes, but I never wanted to destroy you.
Private line. Emergency signal.His body froze. For a split second, the hallway fell silent.He answered. “Carter?”But it wasn’t Carter.It was one of the men posted near the estate gates.“Sir… we have a situation. Carter’s dead. The car was attacked again just before reaching the estate. They took Mrs. Blake.”The world seemed to tilt beneath him.“What?”“They took her, sir. Masked men. Black SUV. By the time we got there, they were already gone. It happened within minutes.”Alexander’s fist clenched so tightly the phone cracked beneath his grip.The lights above seemed to buzz louder. The hallway blurred. And then everything snapped back into razor sharp focus.“She was almost home,” he whispered, his voice dangerously calm. “She was almost f*cking home.”Without another word, he stormed out of the hospital, barking commands into his comms, rage and fear coiling inside him like a tidal wave about to break.This time, they had crossed the line.And Alexander Blake was going to raz
The medic tried to speak, tried to tell him to move, but Alexander refused to budge. “Do what you need to. I’m not leaving her.”He stayed there as they worked, his hands never letting go.He pressed gauze, injected stabilizers, whispered her name like a prayer.For every second Raven kept breathing, Alexander fought harder, because if she died, it would break more than just Sarah.He couldn’t let that happen.Not now.Not ever.The medic looked up. “She’s going into shock. We need to move her now.”Alexander stood immediately, scooping Raven into his arms, ignoring the blood, the weight, the tremors in his limbs. “The chopper,” he said hoarsely. “Get it ready. Clear the airspace. Tell the hospital I’m bringing in someone I refuse to lose.”And with that, he carried her like a brother would a fallen sister.He walked through the smoke and wreckage, past the bodies she dropped to keep Sarah safe, past the guards saluting him as they cleared a path.And the only thing he whispered again
Alexander turned on his heel, already pulling out his earpiece and barking sharp orders into it.Within seconds, two men fell into step beside him, weapons drawn, the weight of his rage radiating through the night like heat off asphalt.Inside the SUV, Sarah leaned her forehead against the cold window, watching as Alexander disappeared into the shadows once again, her protector, her warrior, her husband.The car sped off, headlights cutting through the city. And all Sarah could do was pray.Come back, both of you. Please.The cold was setting in.Raven’s breath came in ragged bursts, harsh and wet in her throat.The metallic scent of blood, her blood, overwhelmed everything else now, coating her tongue, staining her vision, clinging to her skin.She had lost count of how many bullets had pierced her body.Her left shoulder was blown open, her leg, fractured and useless, trembled under her weight. Every heartbeat was a thunderclap in her ears, every breath a war.But still, she stood.
Sarah’s boots pounded against the cement stairs, the cold tunnel air slicing across her face as she bolted down the narrow exit.Her heart roared in her ears, matching the beat of her footsteps.Gunfire cracked behind her like thunder, each echo reminding her that Raven was still up there, fighting alone. For her.Her breath caught painfully in her chest.I shouldn't have left her...She shook the thought from her head, gripping the pistol tighter in her palm, the cold metal biting into her skin.Raven’s voice echoed in her head like a lifeline: Run, Sarah. Don’t stop. No matter what.Her fingers fumbled over the bracelet on her wrist. She hadn’t even known about the hidden button, hadn’t known that Alexander had embedded a micro GPS tracker in the sapphire clasp, one press away from summoning him no matter where she was.He’d done it in secret. Quietly. Like he always did when it came to her safety.Tears stung the corners of her eyes.She pressed it.Once.Twice.A small vibration c
Sarah grunted as she braced Raven’s weight over her shoulder, her own limbs trembling from the aftershock of the crash.The tunnel echoed with their hurried breaths, the muffled drag of Raven’s boot across the concrete, and the slow, methodical approach of their attackers.Every step felt borrowed.Raven’s arm was slung around her neck, blood soaking through the sleeve of her black jacket. Her leg was badly hurt, possibly fractured. She winced with every movement, but she didn’t make a sound.Her eyes remained sharp, locked on the vehicle even as her lips tightened in pain.They made it to the wrecked SUV, the air still hot and thick with smoke.Sarah helped Raven lean against the hood just as the older woman reached in through the twisted passenger window and pulled something from the glove compartment.Two black pistols.Lightweight. Sleek. Dangerous.Raven turned and pushed one into Sarah’s trembling hand.“Take it,” she said, urgency sharpening her voice. “And listen to me, Sarah.
Just as Sarah predicted, it narrowed quickly, concrete barriers lining both sides, with only enough room for one vehicle to pass.But the SUV was built for this.They cleared the entry.Behind them, the second black SUV crashed into the barrier, unable to squeeze in time. It scraped violently along the concrete wall, slowing its pursuit.The first motorcycle attempted to follow too closely, but a sudden swerve from Raven sent him toppling over the bridge’s edge, disappearing from view.Only one SUV remained now, still close, too close.“We get off this bridge,” Raven said. “I’ll lose them in the tunnels.”But just then, the SUV behind them accelerated. Fast. Too fast.Sarah could see it in the side mirror.“They’re trying to ram us!” she shouted.Raven swore and floored the gas.The SUV bucked forward again, the engine roaring like a beast unleashed.The bulletproof plating rattled as the trailing car clipped their bumper, once, then twice.“Come on, baby,” Raven growled at the wheel.
The moment stretched long and quiet.The SUV continued down the lane, tires humming softly against the smooth road, blending into the rhythm of the quiet afternoon traffic.The city skyline rose faintly in the distance, a glass and steel mirage beneath the pale blue sky. Everything looked normal now.Too normal.Sarah looked at Raven. “Should we call Alexander?”Raven shook her head just slightly. “Not yet. Not until I’m sure.”And yet, just as their guards were beginning to lower, just as the tension started to slip into the comfort of normalcy, they missed the pair of black motorcycles that had silently pulled out from a side alley, far behind them… keeping just enough distance to not be noticed yet.Because the real ambush hadn’t passed them by.It was only just getting started.The road stretched ahead like any other Sunday drive, quiet, calm, deceptively peaceful.Sarah leaned back into the leather seat, one hand playing with the bracelet Alexander had clasped around her wrist ju
Victoria stormed out of the boutique, her heels clacking violently against the marble as her face contorted with fury.Her palm still tingled from the slap she had delivered, but it was the sting on her own humiliation that seared deepest.She had expected Sarah to shrink away, to crumble beneath the weight of public disgrace.But instead... she had stood tall. Calm. Almost unbothered.That was what enraged Victoria the most.The air outside was cool against her flushed skin, but her anger blazed hotter with every step she took.Her pride had taken a hit she couldn't hide from, and with every replay of the scene in her mind, the slap, Sarah's poised indifference, her hands trembled.She fished out her phone with a swipe of her manicured nails and dialed the only number that made sense right now.It rang twice.“Victoria,” came Gerald’s voice, smooth and low, like smoke curling in the dark. “I assume this isn’t a social call.”“She's seems so powerful,” Victoria snapped. “In front of e
Sarah had grown up with nothing. Raised in a modest town by James and Mary Miller, who had taught her values that weren’t measured by wealth or bloodlines. Then thrust into high society, into marriage with a man she’d barely known, only for him to become her fiercest protector and, over time, her partner in every sense.And now, the company her birth parents had once deemed too powerful to risk for her sake, was under her control.“Why didn’t you say anything sooner?” she asked softly.Alexander smiled, then leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Because I didn’t do it for show, Sarah. I did it because no one gets to look down on you anymore. Not them. Not the board. Not anyone.”There was no pride in his tone, just simple, unwavering loyalty. The kind that made her chest feel tight with a quiet sort of awe.Sarah shook her head, a breathy laugh escaping her. “Sometimes I wonder who really won between the two of us in this marriage.”“You did,” he said without missing a bea