It was the 6:00 AM alarm that woke her up. Quickly, she took a shower and got ready for her long day. When she was about to leave, Robin woke up."Hey, good morning!" he greeted sleepily. "I didn't know you were coming today. Did you finally set the alarm?"Arya looked at him confused. "I don't know what you mean, but I'll be staying here. It's late, I have to go. See you tonight."Arya grabbed her bag and left, leaving Robin very confused. "Yes, goodbye!" he called out so his friend could hear him.Arya stepped out onto the street and noticed one of Ayden's cars waiting for her."Good morning, Miss Harley," greeted the designated bodyguard, Harry Staton. "I'm Harry Staton, your new driver and assigned bodyguard."Arya felt her personal space being invaded, but with Gerard's death and the uncertainty about finding the culprit, none of them were sure."Pleased to meet you, Harry," she replied, shaking his hand. "Please, call me Arya."Harry, who couldn't be more than thirty-five, smile
Arya felt her entire world turn upside down upon hearing that voice and imagining who it belonged to. Silence hung on the phone line."Is that Arya?" the voice asked again."What do you want?" Arya responded curtly with another question. There wasn't an emotion that could accurately describe what she was feeling at that moment. She was conflicted, excited, annoyed, and nervous – a whirlwind of emotions."I shouldn't be calling you. Mom doesn't want us to bother you, but... she's dying," the voice on the other end explained."I know, but she means nothing to me," Arya replied disdainfully. "Honestly, I don't know why you're looking for me.""We didn't even know you existed," Destiny confessed. "It was just a week ago that our mother called us to confess the truth. I understand you weren't at home, that you were using a different identity, is that correct?"Arya fell silent for a moment."Look, I don't know what your mother told you, but she sold me to her lover's wife," she explained b
Arya wanted to talk to Ayden about her brother and her father, but she didn't know how to broach the subject. It was very difficult for her to discuss her family, knowing the truth of her existence. This did not leave Arya on good terms with her father, quite the opposite. He wanted to blackmail her biological mother with photos; it's clear that he was never a good person.For years, she had imagined that the reason her family was not doing well was that her father had lost his job. To some extent, that was true, but the real reason was what she didn't know. Now, at twenty-seven, she perfectly understood why her brother blamed her for being the one who had ruined the family.Two days had passed since Arya had decided to go visit her father and brother. She didn't want her father to find out until she had gone. But there was a problem: the new driver was loyal to Ayden, and of course, he would tell John as soon as he found out where she was going."Today, I'm going shopping with Robin.
Arya was stunned by Ayden's confession. She couldn't believe he thought Robin could be capable of such a heinous act. But that wasn't the main issue; it was that he hadn't considered her.She was tired of it, the lack of communication, the mistrust, him continually excluding her from important matters out of fear."Take me home," Arya demanded, getting into the car, clearly upset.Ayden was surprised by her reaction. He had expected her to confront him and say harsh things, but instead, she simply requested to be taken home.He got in the car immediately, and John began the drive."Arya, I can explain..." Ayden started."I don't want to talk now," she interrupted, annoyed, and turned to look out the window.The journey felt like an eternity for Ayden, as he didn't know what to expect. Arya, on the other hand, was making decisions in her head.When they arrived at Ayden's house, it was lunchtime. However, they went straight to the bedroom.As soon as they entered, Ayden tried to hug he
"Good heavens... what are we going to do?" Robin inquired, deeply concerned. "This is serious, Arya, very serious. They're watching your son.""I know, I know. Don't pressure me," Arya said with mounting panic.She finished opening the box and found several more photos of all of them, even Ayden entering his company and Arya walking down the street.With the photo in hand, she went in search of her phone. She had to inform Ayden about what had just happened. She dialed his number, but it went straight to voicemail."Darn it, his phone is off," she informed her friend. "No, come on, I have to make sure they're okay.""What if we call the police?" Robin suggested.Arya considered it for a moment but knew the police considered Ayden a suspect."Let's go. Call a taxi," she said, trying to reach Ayden, but he kept sending her to voicemail. "We need to take the box with us. Put on gloves and place it in a bag. I'll go change."She wanted to call the house, but she didn't have the number for
Arya lay sleeping, resting, while Ayden was working on a new contract for more bodyguards. It was ten o'clock, and she hadn't awakened yet, even when her boyfriend, now her ex-fiancé, tried to convince her brother to come home."It's not a game, Mark. Someone killed our father, and now we're all threatened," Ayden reminded him with sorrow. "Please, just let my security team protect you.""For what? To ease your conscience?" Mark asked angrily. "This is your fault. That crazy woman you got involved with and her father, they must have done it. She probably couldn't stand that you didn't choose her, so she killed Gerard in revenge. I'm not going along with this and playing happy families just because you feel guilty," he said, raising his voice. "Oh, and do me a damn favor. Don't bother me again."Mark hung up, feeling victorious, knowing his brother was suffering because he couldn't control everything as he was used to."Damn you, Mark!" Ayden shouted, extremely angry.Arya woke up at t
The place was packed with Arya and Ayden's friends. It was the last gathering before the weddings.On January tenth, the highly anticipated wedding of the famous lawyer, Daniel Cheng, to his fiancée Cathy Nichols, would take place. It was a well-known event because he was the son of one of the best lawyers in the Big Apple, and his fame preceded him. Daniel didn't want to live in the shadow of his father. Thanks to the help of his friend, who gifted him a property in New York, he could establish his own law firm.Initially, his father disagreed, but everyone knew that it was his brother, Jimmy Cheng, who would inherit the legacy their father had built for them. For Daniel Cheng, that was fine. He wanted to create something on his own, away from the influence of his father and brother. Moreover, there was an unspoken but widely-held family belief: how could he marry a "nobody"?He had been educated in the best schools, tutored by the best teachers his parents could afford, and she... s
Days had passed, and Diego and Cathy's wedding was approaching. There had been no sightings of drones hovering around, and Arya was desperate to return to work."Tomorrow, we have to report to the hospital," Arya told Ayden. "Robin and I want to go to the apartment to get our things if you don't mind.""Sure, we'll accompany you," Ayden announced, rising from the couch. "Aryehn, let's go with Mom!" he called to their son, who was playing with some Legos."To the park?" the boy asked, excited.That's when Arya realized they hadn't left the property in days."Would you like to go?" Arya asked."Yes, yes, yes!" the boy replied, jumping with excitement.Ayden glanced disapprovingly at his girlfriend because she had set a trap for him."Just for a while," he warned, and they prepared the boy, bundling him up warmly.They took the elevator down, and Robin was waiting for them in the lobby."Are we all going?" he asked."Yes, and then we'll spend some time at Central Park," Arya explained, h
"Mom, I'm ready!" Aryehn shouts from somewhere in the house."Get in the car, Henry is already waiting for us," Arya replies.Aryehn grabs his phone and heads out of the mansion to the front entrance. Before leaving, he checks his notifications and reads a message from his father saying that he's already waiting for them at the main venue."Mom, Dad is already waiting for us!" Aryehn exclaims, making sure his suit is properly adjusted.Arya comes down in her burgundy dress, fitted at the bust and loose at the waist down to the knees."Mom, you look gorgeous!" Aryehn says, approaching her to kiss her on the cheek. "Are we ready to go?""Yes, everyone is waiting for us there," she affirms, taking the arm her son offers.Aryehn has grown into a handsome seventeen-year-old, chivalrous and formal, just like his father. Arya watches him with pride, happy to see him so content.Henry opens the limousine's door, and they get in. The escorts follow them in another car behind, but they ignore t
"He escaped last night, but we didn't realize it until this morning," the detective says. "We were following him, and he left clues, as if he knew this was going to happen."Arya remembers her brother telling her that he would take care of it, and seeing him lifeless is something she never wanted to happen."Jeff, no!" Arya screams, throwing herself onto his lifeless body. The officers try to pull her away, but it's impossible; she holds onto her brother tightly.Jeff groans, and she hears him clearly."He's alive!" she shouts to no one in particular. Paramedics arrive and approach him to provide assistance.Mark takes advantage of the distraction and elbows the police officer who is about to handcuff him. He grabs the gun lying at his feet and aims it at Arya. Ayden watches in a blur as Mark raises the gun.The police officer, wiping his nose, Mark with the gun aimed at Arya, and Ayden firing at him in the chest, right in the heart, his half-brother.Mark falls to the ground like a d
Five days earlier"What's on your mind?" Daniel asks when he sees his friend lost in thought."Mark's mother had a necklace with a ruby. I have no idea what happened to it," Ayden says, frowning, and as soon as the words leave the millionaire's mouth, Daniel feels a chill run down his spine. "Now, more than ever, I suppose Mark has something to do with this.""You're giving him too much credit; he's an idiot," the lawyer says disdainfully, not trying to imagine what he thinks he's imagining. "You know, he can hardly run that hospital. If it weren't for his assistant, it would collapse."Daniel can't pay attention to what's happening; he urgently needs to leave and check if the necklace his wife has is the same one his friend is talking about."Gabriel, it's Daniel, something urgent has come up, can you go for Arya and let her know what's going on? Ayden doesn't want her to find out through the media or let their son know what's happening," he informs while using the hands”free functio
Ayden and John take refuge in George's apartment, unable to maintain communication with the outside world."Sir, it's on all the news channels," John comments while continuously flipping through channels."I know, now it will be almost impossible for me to go out. No one can see us," Ayden affirms with an idea forming in his mind. "Besides, the fact that Daniel is missing. We should go look for him.""Not right now, sir, we need to hide," John explains, standing up. "It's best if we don't go back to your house, at least not until it gets dark.""You can stay here as long as you like," George says, taking out a couple of waters and snacks from the fridge. "I live alone, so no one will know you're here."Both John and Ayden exchange glances and accept. After all, they need some rest before venturing out again."Alright, after all, we've hardly slept. A little sleep will do us good," Ayden says, sinking into the sofa."At the end of the hallway, the door on the right is the guest bedroom
Mark's voice echoed loudly in Arya's ear, and she felt disgusted just hearing it."Is something wrong? You don't seem to want to answer," he inquired, feigning concern."Hello, Mark, it's not that. You caught me at a busy time," she lied, hoping he would hang up."I'm sorry; I just wanted to talk and see how you're doing. I heard about the attack and the blame on Ayden; it's all over the news now," he explained in a tone that almost convinced her. "Turn on the TV; it's on every news channel."Arya felt her heart start pounding in her chest. She felt anxious for Ayden, rushed to the living room, and turned on the television, desperately searching for a news channel. The anchor had a photo of her husband on the screen."I told you; it's all over the news," Mark repeated. "Please, tell my brother to be careful. I'll try to keep track of you, but you know I'm short-staffed and can't be in two places at once. Nevertheless... we have a pending conversation, remember?"Arya was taken by surp
Arya woke up with her son on her mind, an unhealthy concern gripping her as she rushed to Aryehn's room to check on her little one. She opened the door to find him curled up in the middle of his bed. Cautiously, she approached and settled beside him to give him a hug.Aryehn, sensing her presence, turned and nestled against her side."Mommy, I love you," the half-asleep boy murmured, hugging his mother."I love you too, my beautiful boy," Arya replied, holding him close. Over the years, the fear of not seeing him again had been overwhelming. But now that they were together, the fear of losing him paled in comparison to what she had felt before.While Arya contemplated what her husband might be doing at that moment, she allowed herself to enjoy this precious moment with her son. It wasn't until an hour later that Aryehn woke up fully, and they headed downstairs for breakfast."Good morning, Miss Harley," Tim greeted, emerging from his hiding spot and catching Arya off guard."You start
After such a shocking confession, Arya, with her heart equally heavy for her husband, hugged and comforted him until he fell asleep in her arms. Feeling him so vulnerable only fueled her irritation towards Mark.She thought about all the times she had been alone with Mark and regretted every moment of it. Deep within her soul, she lamented her stubbornness. Lost in thought, she fell into a deep sleep, unaware when Ayden woke up in the early morning to leave.He watched her in amazement, observing how she clung to the pillow, burying her nose to catch his scent on the fabric. Ayden couldn't quantify the love he felt for her, but he knew he would do anything for their son and Arya.Silently, he left the room, making his way downstairs to his office before exiting through the secret door into the hallway that led to the bunker."Hello, John," he greeted his bodyguard when he saw him leaning against the wall, finishing a cigarette. "Do you know anything about our escape?"John took out on
Ayden Emory was concerned about Arya's safety. He had provided a lot of security for her, yet the feeling of unease wouldn't leave his body. He feared for her and their son."Sir, everything is ready for us to leave whenever you order," John reported over the phone."We'll leave before four in the morning; we need to be in her building before she wakes up and have everything set up," Ayden declared, following the plan."Understood. I'll make some final arrangements for our fake flight tonight," John said before saying goodbye and hanging up.Ayden Emory was worried about the safety of his now wife and son. He knew Arya didn't adhere to the recommended security measures because she didn't care much about her own safety."Sir, everything is ready for tonight," John informed over the phone. "The van is loaded with everything we need to install the cameras in Mark's building.""Great, we'll leave in the early morning. We need to enter the building before my brother leaves so we can verify
The morning was very cold. Aryehn was still asleep, so they brought the baby monitor to the living room to hear in case he woke up.Gabriel was at the front door early in the morning, waiting for someone to open it. Henry, in charge of house security, now had to report the arrival of visitors to Arya first, to see if she authorized them or not."Miss Arya, Mr. Specter is already at the entrance. Should I let him in?" he asked with great formality as she descended the stairs."Yes, please, have him come to the kitchen, Henry," she replied, walking directly to the coffee maker to prepare coffee. Ayden joined her a few minutes later, just as Gabriel arrived."Good morning, sir, Mrs. Emory," the lawyer greeted with formality, shaking hands with the millionaire."Good morning, Gabriel, come in," Ayden indicated the chair in front of him in the dining room."Would you like coffee?" Arya asked, pouring a cup for herself and another for Ayden."Yes, please," he said, taking a few folders from