[Nineteen years ago…]-“Oh my god!”“You’ll be okay. You’ll be okay, Michael!”“Can you hear me?”“Michael!”“Little brother — please be all right!”Voices echoed in his head as he felt himself being rushed to the emergency room. Earlier, he had felt himself being lifted onto the gurney, the blaring siren of the ambulance almost deafening his ears.A sharp jolt of pain shot through his body, sending waves of agony. He tried to focus, but the pain was relentless, overwhelming every other sensation.His vision blurred. He couldn’t see anyone’s face clearly. He could tell that his family was there, screaming his name, worrying incessantly about him.He opened his mouth and tried to speak, but even breathing was a struggle. The air suddenly felt thick and suffocating, and his body felt heavy and unresponsive.“Please tell me he’s gonna be okay!” he could hear his mother screech. She sounded like she was sobbing, but her voice was starting to fade into the distance. He tried to stay awake
Michael watched in stunned silence as Joanna stormed out of the living room and up the stairs to her room. His mind was instantly thrown into confusion, and his stomach twisted with a strange feeling.Was it… guilt?But another strong emotion rose as well, and he recognized it in an instant.It was anger.“So I deserve all this, huh?” he voiced out to nobody in particular. He couldn’t hide the irritation in his tone. “Well, you’re welcome for saving you, by the way!”He yelled out that last part hoping that she would hear it.But if she ever did, she didn’t give any indication of it. She was long gone.Michael laid back against the bed, huffing. He couldn’t help but feel that this was all so unfair.He used to be so energetic and eager to run around and exercise. He wanted to play soccer more and even play with his friends during recess.But now he was forbidden to do all these things. After the accident, he underwent several surgeries to stabilize his leg. Because of the severity of
Since that day, Joanna began to avoid him. It seemed that Will’s conversation hadn’t gone well at all. It wasn’t that surprising.Not that it mattered to Michael. Being 13 years old, he could care less about his sister. He was more concerned about his school life, his friends, and what he could do from now on.He had been such a free spirit before the accident, so he hated being tied to the bed. He had so much energy, but he couldn’t release it the way he used to. It was an overall frustrating situation.His parents were aware of the simmering discord between him and his sister, but for some reason, they chose not to intervene.He once overheard his mother telling his father, “It’s just puberty. She’s been having mood swings lately, and she probably has her period. She’ll come around soon.”Michael did not know what that meant, and he didn’t really care to know. Not when he had a leg to pay attention to from now on.Once upon a time, he had admired his sister. Will was competent, but
[Present Time]-Michael stared at Camille, who sat stiffly on the sofa in front of him. She had never met his eyes since they arrived here. Her demeanor was a little unnerving, but he figured it had to be.After all, it was he who had invited her to his private villa.He didn’t know what had come over him. Before he could think twice, he had sent her a message a few days ago, asking her to meet him somewhere far away, where they could talk privately.To be on the alert, he asked Grady to pick her up at a public mall and drive her to the location in a conspicuous car. That way, Christian wouldn’t be able to easily track them down.Unless he put a GPS tracker on her or something.Michael knew a great deal about Christian Callahan. The first time they met was during Michael’s training to inherit the company. The two of them were at a social event after his father introduced him to Christian and Gregory Callahan.He was 25 years old at the time. He heard good and bad things about Gregory
“Hey!” Patricia complained, lightly shoving her brother’s shoulder. “You shouldn’t introduce me to people like that! You’re so annoying!”“Then introduce yourself properly next time without stammering,” Christian deadpanned.Patricia pouted at him, then turned to Michael with a smile.“I’m Patricia Callahan. Pleased to meet you,” she said, extending her hand formally towards him.Michael reached out and shook it politely. “I’m Michael McGregor.”“Ah! I’ve heard about your family!” she said, and the enthusiasm was clear in her voice. She was so bubbly, so different from her usually impassive brother.It was interesting to say the least. The two were siblings, but their appearances were almost in complete contrast. Christian had this polished, neat haircut that was slicked to the side, with a few stray black strands falling across his forehead. His features were refined and chiseled, with firm cheekbones and a strong jaw.Patricia, on the other hand, had long blonde hair that flowed in
“So why did you invite me here today?” Camille’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. “I have a feeling you want to tell me something. Something important.”She said the last part hesitantly, as if she had been thinking about it for a while.Michael looked at her, noting the uncertainty in her expression. It couldn’t be clearer that she was nervous about being here. He felt bad about making her take such risks, but if what Grady had gathered was true, he needed her to tell him the truth as soon as possible. He wouldn’t force her, of course, but he really wanted to help her.He hadn’t been able to help her in fourteen years. This was his only chance. Since their reunion, he had never seen a real smile on her face, one that showed her true happiness. Even when she smiled, it barely reached her eyes. Her eyes used to be so vivid and passionate, and she was so caring and fussy about other people.But the woman sitting before him now was so different that it made his heart ache. Her stif
Three weeks had passed since that day.Camille Parker sat dazed on her bed. She had not even bothered to turn on the light. The surroundings were dim, but the moonlight filtering through the curtains gave the room a soft, ethereal ambience. It was so quiet that she could almost hear her own thoughts, a chaotic mess that they were.She hadn’t told him the truth that day at the villa. How could she? It was impossible, especially with Christian using her family as blackmail.She knew how hard her brothers had worked to manage the hotel business and keep the ratings and reviews at the top. They were so hardworking that she could barely communicate with them as their schedules were almost always full.Of course, there were times when they had a long break from work, and that was when they’d make an effort to meet with her.She trusted her brothers with her life. She had no doubt that they felt the same way and that they would not want this kind of life for her.It was why, when she decided
Camille thought about it for a moment. First of all, it couldn’t be work-related. After all, they worked at the same company, and she was even his personal assistant. She would know if something went wrong.On the contrary, everything was running smoothly, which made this current situation even more confusing.‘Probably has to do with his father? I can’t think of anything else,’ Camille grumbled to herself as she forced herself to leave her bedroom.As much as it annoyed her to take care of Christian, she couldn’t let the servants do it for her. Not when he called for her himself. If she didn’t come, he would most likely punish the servants in response, and she didn’t want that to happen.When she finally reached the living room, she stopped in her tracks, stunned by the sight before her.The scene in front of her was so strange. The lights weren’t on, just a single chandelier hanging from the ceiling, casting a soft glow over the room.Christian, usually calm and collected, was spraw