Clara seemed lost in thought in her daughter's bed, many thoughts were bothering her, and she didn't even know why these thoughts felt like they were entangling her, making her space feel tight. Her meeting with Steven was not a good thing, only trauma left a mark on Clara's life regarding Steven.But there was a space in Clara's heart that seemed unable to make her hate the Alpha, the don, that much. Clara looked at her daughter, Ruby. Her sleeping face looked similar to her father's. Even though Clara never wanted to admit it.'Knock..knock..'"Come in," Clara said and Steven was there, Clara could feel the Alpha's presence, but she didn't want to look at him.“Clara, I want to talk to you,” Steven said."What is it?" Clara said.“Come with me for a moment,” Steven said."No, I have to accompany Ruby," Clara said."This is an order, meet me in the reading room now," Steven said and left Ruby's room. His voice sounded serious, she even felt that Steven's attitude was quite cold towar
At that time, Steven returned to meet Ray somewhere. He had been waiting for that man for a long time until Ray finally came over to him.“Sorry I'm late,” Ray said."I won't waste any more time, I will help you find Angel," Steven said."Thanks, Steven, I know you will help me find it, what can I do?" Ray said."Tell me who is the person who took advantage of it, you said I know who that person is and he did this on purpose to bait me," Steven said."That's Leo, I'm sure you know that man because Angel once said it and-""What? Leo? Since when did Angel work for him? And…” Steven stopped short when he remembered something Angel said when they met."What is it?" Ray said."Nothing, if it's Leo, then he knows what steps I will take after this, he's like my shadow, he always finds out what my weaknesses are and is ready to stab me in the back," Steven said.“Then what should we do? I'm sure we can't just stay here without certainty like this, I'm sure Angel is definitely in trouble, she
As days passed, Clara felt that something wasn’t right with Ruby and her life, there was a feeling that she couldn't describe in words. The fear that every night always becomes a nightmare for her. That also seemed to be what Ruby felt, since they returned to Diana's house, there wasn't a single day when Ruby could sleep soundly, even Clara's presence couldn't calm her down.Diana had asked Clara to ask Steven to come because she felt that maybe Ruby missed her father by her side, but Clara immediately refused, she felt that Steven had thrown her out and asked them never to return to the mansion, after all, that was what Clara had wanted for a long time.Clara's presence in the mansion with Steven was only because she was tied to something, Ruby was the reason she was there, she could have reported everything to the police but was she able to put Steven in prison, since she saw how strong Steven was with all the wealth and power he had. Steven could easily eliminate someone and cover
Clara clasped the windowpane, her gaze drifting over the darkening sky as rain crashed against the pane like secrets struggled so urgently in her head. The world outside was as bitter and mournful as the things swirling round her head. Within, Ruby flung in bed, crying thin wails that caught at Clara's own sorrowful heart.Things were not what they ought to have been.Since they'd set out from Steven's estate, nothing had felt right. Ruby cried herself to bed each evening, waking up with a freezing scream, with no idea what terror afflicted her small body. Clara attempted it all—singing to Ruby, reading aloud to her, cuddling her—but to no avail. Ruby's night terrrors did not abate, and Clara's own sense of helplessness just increased."She needs him," Diana had whispered that morning, looking at Ruby with concern. "Perhaps you should have Steven go see her."Clara had stormed. "No, Mom. He kicked us out. Told us never to return. He made the decision."Diana had sighed, but remained s
Sunlight streaming in through the drapes gently illuminated the room where Clara sat beside Ruby. Her daughter's fever had finally subsided after a sleepless, endless night, but a thin strand of unease still nestled in Clara's breast. She combed Ruby's hair gently, her shaking fingers lined with weariness.A gentle knock on the door."Clara," Diana replied. "There is a man at the gate. He claims he is here making a delivery to you."Clara stood up from her chair, scowling in distrust. "A delivery? Who from?"Diana shrugged. "He wouldn't tell me. But he did leave his name… Steven."Clara's heart constricted.Steven.She stayed there not wanting to disturb Ruby and departed. Standing outside was a tall, dominating man in an overcoat made of black cloth, sunglasses hiding his face although it was early morning. Next to him stood a black automobile. Clara was not familiar with him, yet the cold calculated look brought so forcefully back Steven's world."You are Clara," the man said courte
Morning light struggled to get through Steven's office window, dense folds of fabric, and flooded golden warmth into the room. Steven was awake. His mind had gone round and round all night. Ruby's small face before him as he had seen—how she concealed herself in Clara, weeping, her shakie little hands. But still, he could hear the call of "Papa" from her. The guilt had left, now supplanted with lust. It was a flame that burned within him, one that no whiskey or authority could extinguish.Steven sat forward in his chair, his eyes red-rimmed, a cigarette burning between his fingers. The smoke curled around, slow and heavy, just as the heavy thoughts rested upon his mind.He had stuffed the present—which was Ruby's favorite plush toy, a hand-carved music box, and a name-engraved necklace alongside Clara's. He wasn't trying to bribe her. He wasn't trying to purchase her back from him with gold coins. He just wanted them to realize that he still didn't forget them—never. That he hadn't re
The clock on the wall quietly ticked by with the stillness of night as Clara remained sitting on the bed, her fingers lightly sweeping Ruby's forehead. The child convulsed again, sleep interrupted by something Clara was unable to decipher — an intensifying terror night after night."Mommy…" Ruby woke in her sleep, little fists clutching the blanket as though it alone restrained her.Clara felt her heart break for the hundredth time that week.“I’m here, baby,” she whispered, pressing a soft kiss on her daughter’s temple.It'd been weeks since they'd gone out. Weeks since Clara'd instructed Steven never to find them again. But even as far removed as they'd attempted to become, the outlines of that house — of all that'd transpired — pursued. Clara sensed it in Ruby's fidgeting, in the haunted way she inspected the periphery of the room as though someone would appear from it.Clara slowly lowered herself beside Ruby, wrapped her in a hug, and attempted to warm her shivering. Only warmth,
Clara propped against the window, looking out at the gray clouds drifting across the sky. The rain fell gently, tracing on the glass like tears she no longer wished to weep. Ruby sat in the middle of the room, running light fingers over the music box Steven had given her. Its gentle song had been a solace to her, a gentle lullaby that had, for an instant, pushed aside her nightmares.Three evenings had passed since the present was received, and ever since, Ruby had slept wondrously. Clara wished she hated the man who sent it—hated tearing the note into pieces and damning his name. But she just could not deprive herself of what it was accomplishing with her daughter.And that was the worst which frightened her most.She had no idea where she was anymore. Her hard, cold heart, lie-resistant and now broken at such easy giving. Steven lingered in their lives like a ghost—lost, but still haunting all the glanced-over looks Ruby glances back over her shoulder at the door, all the bursts of
Clara propped against the window, looking out at the gray clouds drifting across the sky. The rain fell gently, tracing on the glass like tears she no longer wished to weep. Ruby sat in the middle of the room, running light fingers over the music box Steven had given her. Its gentle song had been a solace to her, a gentle lullaby that had, for an instant, pushed aside her nightmares.Three evenings had passed since the present was received, and ever since, Ruby had slept wondrously. Clara wished she hated the man who sent it—hated tearing the note into pieces and damning his name. But she just could not deprive herself of what it was accomplishing with her daughter.And that was the worst which frightened her most.She had no idea where she was anymore. Her hard, cold heart, lie-resistant and now broken at such easy giving. Steven lingered in their lives like a ghost—lost, but still haunting all the glanced-over looks Ruby glances back over her shoulder at the door, all the bursts of
The clock on the wall quietly ticked by with the stillness of night as Clara remained sitting on the bed, her fingers lightly sweeping Ruby's forehead. The child convulsed again, sleep interrupted by something Clara was unable to decipher — an intensifying terror night after night."Mommy…" Ruby woke in her sleep, little fists clutching the blanket as though it alone restrained her.Clara felt her heart break for the hundredth time that week.“I’m here, baby,” she whispered, pressing a soft kiss on her daughter’s temple.It'd been weeks since they'd gone out. Weeks since Clara'd instructed Steven never to find them again. But even as far removed as they'd attempted to become, the outlines of that house — of all that'd transpired — pursued. Clara sensed it in Ruby's fidgeting, in the haunted way she inspected the periphery of the room as though someone would appear from it.Clara slowly lowered herself beside Ruby, wrapped her in a hug, and attempted to warm her shivering. Only warmth,
Morning light struggled to get through Steven's office window, dense folds of fabric, and flooded golden warmth into the room. Steven was awake. His mind had gone round and round all night. Ruby's small face before him as he had seen—how she concealed herself in Clara, weeping, her shakie little hands. But still, he could hear the call of "Papa" from her. The guilt had left, now supplanted with lust. It was a flame that burned within him, one that no whiskey or authority could extinguish.Steven sat forward in his chair, his eyes red-rimmed, a cigarette burning between his fingers. The smoke curled around, slow and heavy, just as the heavy thoughts rested upon his mind.He had stuffed the present—which was Ruby's favorite plush toy, a hand-carved music box, and a name-engraved necklace alongside Clara's. He wasn't trying to bribe her. He wasn't trying to purchase her back from him with gold coins. He just wanted them to realize that he still didn't forget them—never. That he hadn't re
Sunlight streaming in through the drapes gently illuminated the room where Clara sat beside Ruby. Her daughter's fever had finally subsided after a sleepless, endless night, but a thin strand of unease still nestled in Clara's breast. She combed Ruby's hair gently, her shaking fingers lined with weariness.A gentle knock on the door."Clara," Diana replied. "There is a man at the gate. He claims he is here making a delivery to you."Clara stood up from her chair, scowling in distrust. "A delivery? Who from?"Diana shrugged. "He wouldn't tell me. But he did leave his name… Steven."Clara's heart constricted.Steven.She stayed there not wanting to disturb Ruby and departed. Standing outside was a tall, dominating man in an overcoat made of black cloth, sunglasses hiding his face although it was early morning. Next to him stood a black automobile. Clara was not familiar with him, yet the cold calculated look brought so forcefully back Steven's world."You are Clara," the man said courte
Clara clasped the windowpane, her gaze drifting over the darkening sky as rain crashed against the pane like secrets struggled so urgently in her head. The world outside was as bitter and mournful as the things swirling round her head. Within, Ruby flung in bed, crying thin wails that caught at Clara's own sorrowful heart.Things were not what they ought to have been.Since they'd set out from Steven's estate, nothing had felt right. Ruby cried herself to bed each evening, waking up with a freezing scream, with no idea what terror afflicted her small body. Clara attempted it all—singing to Ruby, reading aloud to her, cuddling her—but to no avail. Ruby's night terrrors did not abate, and Clara's own sense of helplessness just increased."She needs him," Diana had whispered that morning, looking at Ruby with concern. "Perhaps you should have Steven go see her."Clara had stormed. "No, Mom. He kicked us out. Told us never to return. He made the decision."Diana had sighed, but remained s
As days passed, Clara felt that something wasn’t right with Ruby and her life, there was a feeling that she couldn't describe in words. The fear that every night always becomes a nightmare for her. That also seemed to be what Ruby felt, since they returned to Diana's house, there wasn't a single day when Ruby could sleep soundly, even Clara's presence couldn't calm her down.Diana had asked Clara to ask Steven to come because she felt that maybe Ruby missed her father by her side, but Clara immediately refused, she felt that Steven had thrown her out and asked them never to return to the mansion, after all, that was what Clara had wanted for a long time.Clara's presence in the mansion with Steven was only because she was tied to something, Ruby was the reason she was there, she could have reported everything to the police but was she able to put Steven in prison, since she saw how strong Steven was with all the wealth and power he had. Steven could easily eliminate someone and cover
At that time, Steven returned to meet Ray somewhere. He had been waiting for that man for a long time until Ray finally came over to him.“Sorry I'm late,” Ray said."I won't waste any more time, I will help you find Angel," Steven said."Thanks, Steven, I know you will help me find it, what can I do?" Ray said."Tell me who is the person who took advantage of it, you said I know who that person is and he did this on purpose to bait me," Steven said."That's Leo, I'm sure you know that man because Angel once said it and-""What? Leo? Since when did Angel work for him? And…” Steven stopped short when he remembered something Angel said when they met."What is it?" Ray said."Nothing, if it's Leo, then he knows what steps I will take after this, he's like my shadow, he always finds out what my weaknesses are and is ready to stab me in the back," Steven said.“Then what should we do? I'm sure we can't just stay here without certainty like this, I'm sure Angel is definitely in trouble, she
Clara seemed lost in thought in her daughter's bed, many thoughts were bothering her, and she didn't even know why these thoughts felt like they were entangling her, making her space feel tight. Her meeting with Steven was not a good thing, only trauma left a mark on Clara's life regarding Steven.But there was a space in Clara's heart that seemed unable to make her hate the Alpha, the don, that much. Clara looked at her daughter, Ruby. Her sleeping face looked similar to her father's. Even though Clara never wanted to admit it.'Knock..knock..'"Come in," Clara said and Steven was there, Clara could feel the Alpha's presence, but she didn't want to look at him.“Clara, I want to talk to you,” Steven said."What is it?" Clara said.“Come with me for a moment,” Steven said."No, I have to accompany Ruby," Clara said."This is an order, meet me in the reading room now," Steven said and left Ruby's room. His voice sounded serious, she even felt that Steven's attitude was quite cold towar
Clara woke up that morning from her deep sleep, she could feel a warmth in her body that she rarely felt in the morning, a warmth that made her very comfortable, Clara didn't feel like opening her eyes that morning, she wanted to continue sleeping and enjoy her morning for a long time.But when she realized that the warmth she was getting was not from the morning sun entering her room, her eyes immediately opened and found Steven's face who was nearby. She could even feel the warm breath of the Alpha who was sleeping next to her.Clara's initial reaction should have been to push Steven's body away from her and shout at him but what Clara did was the opposite. She also didn't understand what was happening to her body, but being in Steven's arms was the most comfortable thing she felt. She found her body calm and peaceful as if all the problems in her life had just disappeared.Clara just stared straight at the Alpha who was still asleep at that time, she noticed the curves of his face,