Emma's wine cup slipped from her hand, shattering on the ground, forgotten in the wake of her mother's emotional revelation. Confusion and curiosity clouded her thoughts as she sought answers to the cryptic words Amelia had spoken."What are you talking about, Mum?" Emma pressed, her voice filled with a mix of urgency and concern.Amelia's tear-stained face bore the weight of sorrow, and Emma could sense the depth of her pain. Whatever transpired between Chloe's mother and her own was evidently a haunting secret. Emma's desire to uncover the truth burned within her, fueled by a mix of resentment and longing for closure."I want to know, Mum," Emma persisted, her voice tinged with determination. "What did Chloe's mother do? What did she take?"Amelia locked eyes with Emma, her expression filled with a tumult of emotions. She hesitated, wrestling with the weight of her confession. Finally, she took a deep breath, as if steeling herself to reveal a long-held secret."I loved your dad, Em
Chloe gingerly pulled out a dusty, small box from the storage room. Regret washed over her for not bringing a mask to protect herself from the accumulated dust. Carefully, she opened the box and her eyes landed on a book resting on top.The title read "A Handbook Guide to Cooking," and a faint smile spread across Chloe's face. Memories flooded back, and she shared her recollection with Max. "I remember one morning when my mom wanted to surprise us with something special. She had this book on the kitchen table, and I couldn't resist staying in the kitchen. I sat on my special chair, reading the recipe aloud to her." Chloe chuckled, reliving the moment.Max could see the deep connection Chloe had with her mother. Her eyes held a mixture of joy and sorrow, and he understood the profound loss she felt. Losing a mother was a pain he knew all too well.Chloe gently placed the cooking book aside and picked up a picture frame from the box. Her heart swelled with warmth as she gazed at the cap
Emma’s phone continued to ring, disrupting her thoughts. Frustrated, she answered the call as she stepped out of her car, standing in front of the green building that housed Gray's office. She recognized the voice on the other end—it was Rebecca, a tenant in her mother's house."What's going on, Rebecca?" Emma asked, her tone laced with annoyance.Rebecca hesitated before speaking. "I thought you should know, Amelia hasn't been answering my calls, and there have been some strangers at the house."Emma's concern grew as she listened. Strangers at her mother's house? What could be happening? She knew she couldn't face this situation alone, so she hurriedly made her way towards the building, her pink heels clicking against the concrete with determination.Curiosity gnawed at her as she pressed Rebecca for more details. "Tell me, who are these strangers?"Rebecca's voice quivered slightly. "A couple of days ago, I received a call from a government agency. A man named Lee spoke to me and s
Chloe turned off the shower, the sound of water droplets fading away as she stepped out of the bathroom. She grabbed a hand towel and dried her wet hair, gazing at her reflection in the closet mirror. The image of her smiling mother appeared in her mind, filling her with a sense of warmth and nostalgia.She was reminded once again of how much she resembled her mother.As she stood in the closet, the low hum of the hairdryer filled the quiet space. Chloe loved the way her hair looked when it was curled, and she decided to keep the curls for the day. With a busy schedule ahead at work, she wanted to wear something comfortable and easy to move in. Trousers were always a reliable choice for her.She picked out a pair of grey flannel trousers from the rack that held an assortment of trousers and paired them with a black turtleneck top. She slipped her feet into a stylish pair of Gucci slippers and completed her outfit. She glanced at her to-do list and made a mental note to call Alejandro
The announcement of Alejandro's arrival shifted Chloe's focus away from Ollie and onto the business at hand. Alejandro entered the room, sporting a Spanish hat and a warm smile. After exchanging pleasantries, they took their seats. Alejandro admired Chloe's strong and professional demeanor, believing her to be a competent businesswoman. In his eyes, Emma Kincaid was a mistake and a waste of money compared to Chloe Burton.Chloe had prepared a comprehensive presentation for Alejandro. She projected the designs onto the adjacent wall, showcasing the intended concepts, projected expenses, and estimated timeline. Alejandro was impressed by the quality of the work presented. He saw great potential in establishing a business presence in Abu Dhabi, which would serve as a perfect cover for his illicit drug operations."If you're not too busy, we can book a flight for this weekend," Alejandro proposed, eager to make progress. He intended to use his visit to Abu Dhabi as an opportunity to expan
Violet possessed a striking beauty that effortlessly drew attention. Her long, luscious black curls commanded admiration, and when she flashed her captivating smile, it was impossible not to be charmed. She was a rare beauty, one that stood out in a crowd. Amelia, on the other hand, often felt overshadowed in comparison. With her brown hair inherited from her father and a more robust facial structure, she couldn't help but feel envious of her sister's appearance.Amelia's self-esteem suffered as she constantly compared herself to Violet. "I hate the way I look!" she would exclaim, berating her reflection in the mirror. She yearned to possess Violet's slim figure, to dye her hair black, and to be everything her sister seemed to embody effortlessly.But then, a new student arrived at their school mid-term. The buzz surrounding Charles Burton was inescapable. He was undeniably the hottest guy in school, and Amelia discovered they were in the same class. Desperate for his attention, she p
When Chloe was born, Violet was determined to facilitate a relationship between her daughter and Charles, their father. Charles began visiting more frequently, and sparks of love ignited between him and Violet. They would meet in public places and go on dates, all while Charles maintained a secretive closeness with Amelia, often ending up in her bed. For six years, none of the women involved realized the complicated web Charles had woven.However, when Violet became pregnant again, she wanted a defined relationship with Charles. She confronted him, laying out her ultimatum. "If you don't want this, I would consider aborting this baby and moving on," she told him. "In a few months, I'll be moving to Chicago, Charles, and I'll be taking Chloe with me. I won't return to you this time if I leave."Charles couldn't bear the thought of losing Violet. His love for her was undeniable. "We should get married again," he proposed, desperate to keep their family intact. "Let's leave this city and
Sofia's senses heightened as she heard the familiar shuffling of feet approaching. She could easily recognize the sound of Carlos' footsteps, but with each visit, there was always a tinge of fear that Alejandro had summoned him for her. Sofia had believed she had the courage to stand up to Alejandro, but the past few days spent in the cold cell had been humbling, teaching her the harsh reality of her situation.Carlos appeared in front of her cell, the one person she was beginning to trust in this bleak existence. He visited her frequently, ensuring she had some semblance of a decent life within the confines of her prison. His boots echoed as he stepped into the cell, this time carrying a larger bag with him. He dropped it on the ground and fixed his gaze on Sofia."I'm leaving," he announced, his voice carrying a mix of resignation and uncertainty.Sofia remained unmoved, her emotions guarded. She didn't care if he was going away."Alejandro is sending me off to Abu Dhabi," he contin
Chloe pushed the doorbell of the door where she once lived. It felt like ages she’d been at Emma’s doorstep. The number of calls and the text messages she had gotten at the wedding made it feel like it had been really something urgent.She’d had her doubts about making that visit. The last time she remembered, Emma had wanted her downfall so badly that she had gone to the extent of allying with dangerous criminals, even putting herself in danger in the process.After a while of waiting, she pushed the doorbell yet again. She heard some footsteps trotting steadily in her direction. She held her breath in anticipation as she couldn’t tell why she had been called out there.“Chloe,” Emma said, “You’re here.” She hadn’t expected to see her after all.“Yeah, I’m here.” Chloe’s eyes ran a quick subtle scan through her. Her wandering eyes were caught by the little bump in her belly. She was shocked as she hadn’t been told that part of the story. Max…come on. He had sadly left out that import
“I look stupid!” Ollie exclaimed in a mild tone of disappointment as she looked in the mirror one more time. “I look like a total goof.”“No, Ollie, you don’t,” Chloe protested as it had taken her and the costumier a considerable amount of time and energy to get her in that. “You look elegant.”Chloe looked over at the other girls on the bridal train as they silently complained about Ollie being way too vocal about her own complaints. And her dress too.“Elegant? Are you kidding me right now?” Ollie seemed like she’d never be satisfied, even though she was just a few minutes from walking down the aisle.“I’m not. Besides they’ve put in their best to give you the best, so it’s best that you just…” Chloe was out of words as she walked up to Ollie from behind, her tone becoming more and more hushed as he advanced. “Give them your best reaction. The dress is just perfect, Ollie.”The glistening white wedding gown had a very elegant flay. Maybe just too elegant to the point it puffed proud
Emma was getting uncomfortable in her seat. How had Kylian gotten his hands on all that? It was probably Francis, but how had he gotten to Francis?Her attorney was totally unprepared for that sudden twist in the case. It had been a walkover up until then. That woman’s testimony had them all dumbfounded— she, her mother, and her attorney. They were all thrown in disarray.“Emma, when did this happen?” Her mother, Amelia questioned from behind in a whisper. She had no answer that could appease her mother’s curiosity without implicating her as well. Her lips seemed to shut off their own accord.She knew she was about to face cruel music which she hadn’t rehearsed its dance steps. The look on Kylian’s face when he said, “It’s over,” almost made her lose it in front of the judge. She would be giving herself away before the case was over if she hadn’t gotten her act together.“You could have told me about this,” her attorney whispered faintly in a way that meant that she was really in big
"Don’t worry,” Kylian’s attorney told him not to do the one thing that his mind had been doing subconsciously since he’d set foot in the courtroom. “You’ll be fine.”“Sure I will,” he said, trying not to discourage his attorney before the grueling duel began. Either way, he wouldn’t be that much of a mess. Worst case scenario, he’d have to see Emma at their board meetings.“Kylian,” his mother called out from behind in a whisper. “Keep your composure out there, our fifty percent depends on it.”“Thank you, Mom, you’re doing such a great job at easing me of the pressure of the moment. Very commendable.” He said, harshly sarcastic.“Thank you, Kylian. Just don’t fuck this up for us.”He was a bit taken aback to hear his mom say the ‘f-word’ in public. “It’s really sad you called me just to tell me this.”“Now’s not the time to get in your feelings, young man. Go out there and get our family’s legacy. That’s all the pep talk you need.”As much as he hated it, she was right. He inhaled de
Max had his shades on as he walked through the construction site on the hot sunny afternoon.“The long-awaited upward progress has finally begun.” Mr. Singh mused as he was almost following all of Max’s footsteps throughout the site.“Isn’t it lovely?” Max replied with a smile. “Feels like we started just yesterday.” He was glad that it had been all running smoothly despite him being occupied with all the many personal challenges that he somehow managed to see himself come out on top.“It sure does.” Mr. Singh seemed like he had a default positive response for everything he had to say. It had Max wondering if he’d ever get to see Mr. Singh mad, even just once. He itched to see that moment, except that it didn’t have to be on the job that he was doing for him.Max believed that it was all because of the remarkable presentation that he had put forth. He strongly believed that it was still speaking for him up until then. He hadn’t questioned his moves and followed him with blind trust. H
Ollie picked up her phone and dialed frantically, “Did you hear about Alejandro on the news?” The report on the news seemed untrue, and she assumed that Chloe hadn’t seen it yet. “Alejandro has been arrested on numerous charges?”“Yeah, I heard,” Chloe said, unalarmed like they hadn’t lost one of their biggest potential partners after they had set quite a huge part of their budget plans around him and his cash, especially. “He’s been arrested.”“You know what that means?” Ollie still believed that she wasn’t getting the full scope of the impact of that news in particular. “What’s going to become of our plans and all?”It took Chloe quite some time to get a sigh out from her end of the line. “Well, we are going to figure something out, Ollie.”What? She meant to ask but swallowed it in as she sought a much better response but she couldn’t find any other, that forced her to say it out anyway, but more softly and politely that didn’t make it seem like Chloe had said something unreasonabl
“It’s on the news, Chloe,” Max stared at the TV screen in wild wonder, calling out to Chloe who came running, “They finally got him.”“Businessman known as Alejandro Navarro has been finally apprehended by the forces on charges of illegal drug trades, manslaughter, sex trafficking…” the TV presenter went on and on with his many dirty deeds.“Damn, he’s got quite a lot going for him at the moment.” Max remarked as he reclined on the couch, “Good thing they got him. There could’ve been trouble if they didn’t.”“Yeah,” Chloe said looking on in anticipation, “Nothing on Diego yet?”“Wait for it.”“Alongside the underground drug lord, the notorious gangster, Diego Gutierrez was also found in the building. After much resistance and shots fired, the swat team was able to break in and apprehend the two men and a few other survivors from the heated exchange. Two hostages were found in the basement of the building, a male and a female, suspected to be victims of his trafficking crimes…” The pre
It was the D-Day of the raid. Gray couldn’t deny how nervous he was, but he had to what had to be done. His heartbeat surged forcefully with each stop and turn of the vehicle.Most of all, he hoped the resistance they had predicted would what they’d be faced with. He’d heard stories of how vicious the Mexicans could be, and he didn’t want the mission to be a continuation of that tale.“Alright,” he finally got the courage to speak up amid the men in the large trunk of the van, he was about to attempt to make them not feel what he was feeling. He took out the large tablet that had the blueprint of the building.“The operation is simple.” He didn’t believe it was, but he had to say it anyway. “First, we surround all possible exits of the villa, which include the main gate, the back gate, and one other hidden gate on the Eastern side of the fence…”“Second, we ask Alejandro and his men to come out peaceably. If they don’t, which they most probably wouldn’t, we first hit them hard with so
Kylian tapped on the door, hoping that he’d somehow made it to the right door, following Maya’s directions to her place.The block of flats had way more homes than it appeared to have while viewing it from the outside. One could easily get lost in there. It had him wondering how the inhabitants kept from mistaking another door for theirs.He tapped yet again. He heard some faint footsteps approaching the door and expected to see Maya’s dazzling face. He could hear hands working desperately at the lock and that made him brim with anticipation.Finally, he thought, till the door opened for him to see a tall macho man with overgrown beards and tattoos scattered all over his body. The shock from seeing the stranger made him almost unable to speak. He had heavy rock music pounding in his apartment.“Can I help you mate?” his deep voice could make anybody’s knees buckle with frightful intimidation.“Sorry…I came to the wrong door,” Kylian broke out in an uncoordinated stutter, “I was lookin