All Chapters of Shadows Of Deception : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

(IVY POV)My hands trembled as I gripped the cold iron bars of the gate.I fumbled with the latch. My breath came in short, gasps, every exhale a silent prayer"Ethan! Lily!" I called out, my voice thin and reedyThere was no answer. I tried again, louder this time, but only the echoes of my own desperation answered back. There was no response.The latch jammed under my jittery touch. "Please... please..." I muttered, my heart racing, fumbling with it again.Finally, the rusty latch gave way with a metallic screech, and I shoved the gate open with a grunt my pulse thundering in my ears.“Oh my God” I whispered.I pushed through, calling their names again. "Ethan! Lily!" My feet stumbled on the uneven path toward the main door that led to the sitting room. I reached for the handle, my tightly turning and flinging the door open. The silence inside was deafening, it pressed against my chest like a weight. I paused, straining to hear any sound, any sign of my little babies.My hear

ADRIAN POV I sat in my study, feeling the tension settle into my shoulders. The steam from the coffee mug on my desk curled lazily in the air. I leaned back in my chair, eyes fixed on the stack of documents in front of mecontracts, estate paperwork, and recent business dealings that Gabriel had insisted I review. Gabriel… The guy had stepped in at the right moment, swooping in to bail me out of the station last week when Austin called him in. Even in our few exchanges, I could tell he knew what he was doing. His reputation spoke of a man seasoned in handling intricate legal disputest. I couldn’t help but feel a bit relieved; at least I had someone competent on my side.I flipped through another set of documents, but my frustration grew with each page. The words began to blur togethernothing concrete, nothing that could give me a clear sense of what Maxwell was plotting. I threw the paper down, the pages scattering across the desk. With a growl, I pushed my chair back and sto

Third-Person POV)Lily’s small hands tightened around the headset, pressing it firmly against her ears, straining to catch every word. Beside her, Ethan steadied his pen against the paper, his grip firm, his attention fully on Lily's face, following the movement of her lips.Lily leaned closer to her brother, her breath quickening. She whispered, “Mum just asked the doctor what she meant by being in danger.”Ethan’s head snapped up, his eyes searching her face. But saying or writing nothing.Then Lily’s eyes widened, lighting up with a mixture of fear and curiosity. She opened her lips slowly, as if weighing the words carefully. “Mum Just asked if Caleb… came after the doctor.”“Caleb?” Ethan instantly repeated in a whisper, his brow furrowing as he leaned in even closer. Lily nodded to affirm, her expression serious.Ethan lifted a finger, and signalled at her.“Are they still talking?”Lily gave a quick nod, but then her head shook slightly, her brows knitting together in conc

(Maxwell’s POV)I paced back and forth, my shoes soundless against the floor of my study room. My desk was a battlefield, covered in papers and documents, an endless sea of white with black inked words. I shoved a stack of papers aside with more force than necessary, my jaw tightening in mild frustration.I was supposed to be content with the progress I was making.Afterall, the meeting with the board members had gone as planned, a gone number of their approval secured.But there was something… something that gnawed at the edges of my concentration like a dull ache. Adrian’s release on bail last week… it shouldn’t have happened. And it wouldn’t have, if not for that lawyer of his Gabriel, the so-called Greyhound. I let out a slow, controlled breath, trying to push away the irritation curling in my gut. The timing of Gabriel's appearance was too convenient, too calculated. I reached for the familiar thick file, my fingers brushing over the edge of the paper before picking it up.

(IVY POV ) I turned the key in the lock, feeling the cool metal bite against my palm. Lily was a fragile weight in my arms, her head resting against my shoulder. She was too quiet, and every few seconds I glanced down at her, trying to catch any sign of discomfort or pain. “Just a little longer, sweetheart,” I murmured to her as I jiggled the gate to make sure it was securely fastened. Ethan stood beside me, his small hand slipping into mine, his face a mixture of worry and curiosity, glancing up at me with those questioning blue eyes of his.With a sigh, I squeezed his hand gently. “Come on, buddy,” I said, adjusting Lily’s position in my arms and guiding him toward the car. The taxi driver watched us with mild interest, his head poking out of the window, eyes calm but alert. He had one of those faces that gave nothing away not a hint of a smile, just a sort of steady patience."Do you know Maplewood Junction?" I asked when we were close enough, feeling the tightness in my