Exiting the elevator anxiously, the doctors finally allowed me to see Emily. She was in a coma; everyone said they were still trying to figure out what had gone wrong. The pregnancy was risky, but she had never neglected herself, and she was perfectly healthy for a normal delivery."This way, sir," the nurse guided me to the room.My heart squeezed as I saw my wife lying there, feeling like the most useless being on earth. I couldn't do anything to help; she was lying there, full of machines. How did this happen? We were so happy, so confident. What killed me the most were her last words, as if she were saying goodbye. Without Emily, I don't want this life; I don't want to have children; I wouldn't even know how to deal with them."Hey," I sit beside her. "I know you can hear me; please don't leave me here alone."No reaction was visible. Her face could hardly be seen because of the machines helping with her breathing. The fear I felt could almost exude from me.I fixed my eyes on her
Olivia POVThe weekend went by quickly. I had just gotten out of my father's car, after listening to a sermon the whole way. Louis attended a different school, so I said goodbye to him and left the car without even saying goodbye to my dad. We avoided talking about what was coming, Mother's Day.As always at school, I, the cheerleader captain, organized a tribute to mothers at the game, which was also a tribute to mothers. Every year was the same; every year the girls did what they were doing right now. As soon as I entered the school, I was greeted by a bunch of girls who wanted to be in the performance. I ignored most of them and went to my locker."Well, if it isn't the rebel of the week," Tina, the only one who comes close to being a friend to me, said. "You killed it at your dad's party. I looked for you when I was leaving, but couldn't find you.""I was in my room, a lot happened; I needed to think." I grabbed my books, and we kept walking."A lot indeed; your hot cousin kissed
Olivia's POVI couldn't control myself.I tried.But I only realized my actions when I was already tangled in Sara's hair, both of us falling to the ground. I tried hard to stay on top of her, but Sara wasn't making it easy either.I grabbed her hair tightly and slammed her head forcefully against the floor.All I could hear were the screams around us.In truth, I had little control over my actions; I kept slamming her head against the floor. I wanted to keep going until she bled.I let go of her head and punched her face; she didn't hold back either and pushed me, leaving me a bit dizzy when I received a kick in the stomach.Sara was already on her feet.I did the same, slowly getting up; she didn't expect me to come at her again, but I did. With all my weight, I threw myself on top of her and continued what I was doing before."Olivia!" David's voice called out to me. "Olivia, stop this!"He tried to restrain me, but he failed on the first attempt. On the second, I surrendered.Stil
POV OliviaMother's DayFinally. The long-awaited day has arrived. More than three hundred people confirmed their attendance. We had barely started, and people were already arriving in droves; David was getting ready to kick off the party. Peter was acting as the DJ. Everyone was here. There were so many people, but I felt confident despite that. The runway, which was supposed to be for airplane takeoffs and landings, turned into a real stage; everything looked so beautiful. Around the runway were giant letters spelling out "Happy Mother's Day." Lights on the ground. Everything was so bright.The cheerleader performance was filled with some mothers, some we managed to find living on the streets. If it was in their favor and for them, what better than to have them dancing with us? Our costumes were all made by Aunt Anne; even though she was shaken up, she insisted on making them. I had to apologize to Sara, Ingrid, and Uncle Justin. In the end, everything worked out. Even Ingrid, who h
Tyler's POV"Olivia?" I shout, turning around in the cabin to where she had gone.As I arrive at the spot, I see her figure disappearing back into the crowd, completely lost. Running.I check to make sure my gun is at my waist and follow after her."Olivia!" I shout again.She looks at me for a few seconds but ends up bumping into someone and falling to the ground.Before she has time to get up, I go to her, grab her arm, and help her up."I saw her, Dad," she begins to speak, "She was here."Her hands were freezing, her body trembling, and her voice was completely disordered."Olivia, calm down," I start guiding her away from the people."No, Dad, we have to go after her," she tries to break free, "It was Mom, she was here. I swear. She talked to me.""Daughter, calm down," I plead, "You just did something very emotional and dedicated to mothers, it's normal to get a little worked up...""What are you talking about?" she cuts me off, "Tell the police to surround everything, no one le
Olivia's POV"David, do you know anything?" I accuse him once again. "You have to tell me.""Olivia, have your tea and go to sleep," he responds calmly."David, I saw my mother. Do you have any idea what that is?""Just like you used to see her when you were a child, Olivia?" He realizes the idiocy of what he just said and sighs, coming over to me. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that. But you were emotional; it's normal to have seen something that isn't real.""David...""And even if it is real, your father will do the impossible to confirm it and, if possible, find your mother. You know that."He approaches me on the couch, pulls me to lay my head on his shoulder, and strokes my hair."Everything will be alright, you'll see," he says."Then tell me what's going on.""I don't know everything, but I know that Uncle Tyler will explain it to you very well.""Have you ever wanted to be with your mother just one more time?" I ask."Of course I have," he replies. "But I remember some good
Josh's POV"Anne, it's going to be okay," I try to calm her. "There are security guards at every corner of this house; Ethan won't get near Noah."She cries again, sniffing. Anne was inconsolable. Noah's return had deeply affected her psyche; she hadn't expected to encounter her deceased son again, and now she was afraid of losing him once more. After all, we didn't know what Ethan might do."Did you forget his name is Lucca?" she sobs, upset. "He will hate us, Josh. He'll never see us as parents," she replies anxiously, trying to take deep breaths."It's going to be difficult, Anne, but we'll make it, my love. I promise," I respond, gently caressing her face."I want you to promise me something," she lifts her head. "The moment you lay hands on Ethan, you'll kill him," Anne stammers; she could barely contain the tears streaming down her face.I hug her tightly, trying to calm her down. Anne was in shock; she was doing everything to get closer to Noah, but he rejected her every day, i
Josh's POV"I suppose you have something that belongs to me.""What did you say?" Anne steps forward."Where's Lucca?""What Lucca?" Anne stares at her."I know you have my son. I just saw...""YOUR SON?" I raise my voice."Out of respect for Tyler, I kindly ask you to leave," Anne practically spells out.Yeah, she was holding back."I don't think you understand the point here. I'm not leaving here without my son," Jade passes by us, pushing me aside, and places the bag she was carrying on the sofa.Anne slams the door and turns to her."Your house is wonderful. Where's the way to the bedrooms? Is that where you're hiding my son?""Dare call him your son again, and I swear I'll kill you with my own hands.""Anne, calm down," I say, taking the gun from her hand."I'm calm," she raises her hands in the air and then places the gun on the table."WHERE IS MY SON?" Jade screams."I warned you."Before you could even blink, Anne was already punching Jade. Jade's hair was tangled in Anne's f
### Pov Olivia"Are you ready, my daughter?" my mother asked, gently tapping on the door.I finished putting on my hat and nodded. She took my hand and led me to the car, where my father was already waiting in the driver's seat. We arrived early at the cemetery, and for now, only Justin and Ingrid were there, both with expressions heavy with sorrow as they gazed at the coffin.We approached slowly, and they greeted us with somber looks."We're burying him in an hour... you didn't have to come so early," Uncle Justin said sternly, trying to hide the anger and pain in his voice."She wanted to come say goodbye," my mother replied, looking at me with an encouraging glance. She signaled for me to approach the coffin.With a heavy heart, I took a few steps toward David's coffin. Each step felt heavier than the last. Ingrid placed her hand on my shoulder and tried to muster a smile. "He would have liked to see you one last time. He loved you, Olivia," she said, her voice trembling but since
### POV Olivia"Antony..." I murmured nervously, looking at his body lying in front of me. Tears blurred my vision, but I couldn't waste any time."Come on, Olivia, we don't have much time. Forget about Antony, he's gone now. You need to live!" David said, gripping my arm tightly and dragging me towards the trees."How did you find me?" I asked in surprise, hearing footsteps of people running after us."I tracked your phone," he said seriously, looking for a place for us to hide."But it's turned off. They removed the SIM... and there's no internet signal here..." I grumbled, confused."I put a tracker on your phone," he replied."Oh my God, you creep, why did you do that?" I let go of his hand, stepping back in fear.David took a deep breath for a moment and looked at me seriously. "Olivia, I did it because I love you. I couldn't stand seeing you pining over Peter. That day, when I saw you kissing him at your father's house, since that day I felt hatred, resentment. I wanted to kill
### POV Tyler"Are you crazy? That man is a scumbag! How can you do business with him?" Emily nearly vomited with indignation when I told her who my new ally was."I know," I replied, trying to stay calm. "But if we want to get our daughter back, he's the only person who knows Ethan's location. Remember when I asked Antony to check all the warehouses in the city? We found out that guy was the only one Ethan was doing business with. The frequency and his employees were so discreet it was almost imperceptible." I shrugged and collapsed onto the bed, exhausted. "Any news from Josh and Justin?" I asked, noticing the worried look on Emily's face. She shook her head, confirming there wasn't."Anne can't stop crying. She's having to deal with everything alone. To make matters worse, Noah keeps saying Ethan is his father. She's devastated, and Ingrid can't stop looking for her kidnapped niece," she replied sadly, the pain evident in her voice."That's all the more reason I need to rip the hea
### POV Tyler"So, what do you intend to give me in exchange for this information?" the fat man with his cane asked suspiciously, his small, calculating eyes fixed on me."I'll release some of your men I've captured and stay away from your business for at least three months. You'll have carte blanche to do whatever you want during that time," I replied seriously, taking a sip of the whiskey on the table."Tyler... Tyler... who would have thought that after all this time, you'd come to me proposing a deal..." He laughed cynically, his eyes gleaming with malice. "What do you want with Ethan?" He raised an eyebrow, clearly suspicious."That's none of your business! It's personal... I want to know if you accept my deal," I responded curtly, shrugging, not caring about his suspicions."Tyler... Tyler... you’re as arrogant as ever!" He shook his head, thoughtful. "Do you think I'll let you come into my house and deceive me? Have you and that worthless Ethan made some kind of deal to take me
**POV Olivia**I woke up again feeling dizzy, with lapses of memory, alternating between waking and falling asleep without being able to keep my eyes open for long."Look, the little princess is awake!" Alana entered the room with a cynical look, while my hands and feet were tied to the chair, preventing me from escaping."This won't end like this. What have you done to me? Why do I feel so..." I couldn't finish the sentence. My lips were numb, and my mouth tingled."Sedated? Perhaps because you're under the effect of sedatives. We already know you're a match, but we had to run a lot of tests to check if your bone marrow is in good condition, considering the amount of alcohol you consume at your father's parties. We'll need at least two more days to detox you from all the medications. Don't worry, this is the last sedative!" She winked, applying that greenish liquid into my bloodstream again."My bone marrow? What do you want with it?" I asked, trying not to succumb to the anesthesia c
**POV Tyler**"Tyler... Tyler, wake up!" I heard a female voice beside me, shaking my body. The voice seemed distant, and I felt weak. After much insistence, I slowly opened my eyes. The brightness hurt my retinas. The room was all white, filled with equipment. I tried to move, but felt something attached to my arm. Then, a gentle touch on my face and a tight hug."Tyler... I thought you were dead. I'm so happy you're alive!"I opened my eyes and saw Emily in tears, her face red and swollen, looking like she had been crying for hours. I looked around and realized I was strapped to a hospital bed, with various machines monitoring my vital signs."What happened? How long have I been here?" I asked desperately. Emily stepped back, swallowing hard."Seven days. You've been in a coma for seven days. Josh and Justin still haven't woken up. The doctor said they're in critical condition, worse than you... we don't know when they'll wake up," Emily replied, lowering her head."No... that's imp
**POV Tyler**With my heart racing, I got into the car and started the engine. As I drove through the nearly deserted streets, a fierce determination took hold of me. No matter what it took, I would bring Sara back safely. Josh and Justin were my closest friends, and I knew I could count on them.When I arrived at the meeting point, I saw Josh and Justin already waiting. They looked at me seriously, ready for what was to come."We're going to get Sara and make sure she comes home safely," I said, looking at both of them."We're with you, Tyler," Josh replied firmly. Justin nodded, the same determination reflected in his eyes.We arrived near the warehouse, having meticulously planned every detail. There were a few men at the back of the building, and I had positioned some patrol cars at key points on the streets to prevent possible escapes. After rescuing Sara, the plan was to interrogate one of Ethan's men and find out what he was planning and why he was so fixated on Noah."Let's go
**POV Olivia**"It's better this way, honey. We need to trust your father. He wants the best for us," my mother said, smiling and stroking my hair as I lay on the bed, crying in anger.She wiped away one of the tears running down my face and suggested, "How about we watch a movie together? It's been a while since I arrived, but we haven't had time to do normal mother-daughter things. We've been apart for so long... I want to know more about you," she smiled, excited."Thank you, Mom... I would love that," I replied, a slight smile forming on my lips, and she nodded.As soon as she left the room, I sent a message to Peter, asking if he knew anything. I fiddled with my phone to pass the time while my mother made popcorn in the microwave. Finally, I received a message."Do you want to find that bitch Sarah? And your dear friend David, who betrayed you? Come to Xavier Marques Street, near the dark alley. I'll be there and take you to them..."There was no sender. It was another one of tho
**POV Tyler**"Okay... Does Emily have a twin sister that her father sold to a couple when she was born?" I asked again, shaking my head, unable to believe my own words."Yes, Alana Parker was a victim of human trafficking..." Olivia replied seriously, while Emily swallowed hard. "She helped me find my mom, but now it seems like she wants some kind of payment for her help..." Olivia finished her sentence."What does this crazy woman want? Money? Could she be working for Ethan?" I stood up from the table nervously, unable to stay still."I don't know... I didn't go with her... but she really wanted me to," Olivia muttered, hugging Emily, who didn't want to let go of her."Alana is dangerous. I always suspected her and doubted she was on our side. I don't know what she wants, but we have to protect our daughter, Tyler!" Emily said nervously.The anguish in Emily's eyes was evident. She clearly didn't want to lose Olivia after already losing so many years of raising her."Emily, we will