Chapter: Chapter 60I woke up feeling like my emotions had been scattered all over. Sound reached me before my eyes opened up fully. I heard voices drifting in and out, blurred at the edges, as if I were underwater and the world was speaking from the surface. I didn’t open my eyes right away. I wasn’t sure I could. I wasn’t sure I wanted to. My head pulsed with a dull, steady ache and my body felt like it had been pressed into the mattress, weighted down, pinned.“…blood pressure stabilised,” a man wearing an all-white coat said somewhere near my left. His voice was calm with each word that left his lips. “She fainted due to emotional shock. Likely dehydration and exhaustion played a role as well.”Another joined the conversation even though I couldn’t see his face. But it was familiar enough that my chest twinged before I knew why.“If you don’t mind me asking, doc. What was the cause of Mr Derek’s death?” I frowned faintly, my brow tightening without my permission.“The kidneys were the primary
Last Updated: 2026-02-05
Chapter: Chapter 59I turned sharply toward the voice at the reception desk, my body reacting before my mind could catch up.“Brian?” The name tore out of me, like an animal filled with disbelief.The waiting room noise dulled instantly, like someone had pressed a hand over the world. I stepped closer, my shoes striking the floor louder than they should have. “What are you doing here?” My voice rose despite myself. “Why are you asking questions about my father?”Brian stared at me like I was the last person he expected to see. His brows pulled together, surprise flickering quickly into something guarded. “Chloe?” He straightened. “How did you even know Derek was here?”The question immediately struck me as wrong.My shoulders squared. “Why wouldn’t I know?” I snapped. “He’s my father. Why are you here?”“I came to see my father-in-law,” Brian said, his tone calm but firm, like he was bracing for impact.I laughed after hearing those same untrue words again. “No. You didn’t.” I stepped closer,
Last Updated: 2026-02-05
Chapter: Chapter 58The hospital was larger than I thought it be.I parked crookedly, killed the engine without really registering it, and sat there for a beat with both hands locked around the steering wheel. The building’s lights glared back at me through the windshield, they were too bright, too white, too final. My phone buzzed in my pocket, probably Lois, but I ignored it. I opened the car door and stepped out, the night air sharp against my skin.Each step toward the entrance felt more difficult than the previous one. The automatic doors slid open with a quiet hiss, releasing the sterile scent of disinfectant layered with something sharper beneath it. The emergency lobby buzzed with contained motion. Voices stayed low. Footsteps moved fast. A child whimpered somewhere to my left. A man argued quietly into his phone near the wall.I stopped just inside the doors.I pressed my tongue to the roof of my mouth and breathed in slowly. Once. Twice. My shoulders dropped a fraction.Then I walked to
Last Updated: 2026-02-03
Chapter: Chapter 57The quiet hit me the moment I shut the door behind me. I locked it the same way I did every day, whenever I returned. They proceeded to do my usual ritual of resting my forehead against the wood. My bag slipped from my shoulder and dropped to the floor with a dull thud I didn’t bother reacting to. My heels followed immediately, kicked off without care, one of them skidding toward the wall.I stayed there longer than necessary.When I finally pushed away from the door, my body protested immediately. My lower back was tight, my neck stiff, my jaw aching from hours of clenching. I rolled my shoulders once and winced, then exhaled slowly through my nose like I was trying to teach myself how to breathe again.“Okay,” I murmured to the empty apartment. “Okay, let’s do this.”Those words didn’t convince anyone.I fished my phone out of my coat pocket and scrolled without really looking, muscle memory taking over. When I saw Lois’s name, I didn’t hesitate. I hit call before I could sec
Last Updated: 2026-02-03
Chapter: Chapter 56Martin’s lawyer was the first to move.He cleared his throat once, sharply, then placed a firm hand on Martin’s arm. “We need a moment,” he said, not asking. “Privately if you don’t mind.”Martin jerked his arm slightly but didn’t pull away. His eyes landed on Alex, filled with visible anguish and hatred.Alex didn’t object. He didn’t even say a word or give a damn. He gestured toward the door with two fingers, relaxed, already done with the argument.I stayed seated by his side.My back was already hurting, my hands flat on the table now, fingertips pressing into the polished wood. I stared down at the grain, at a faint scratch near the edge, anywhere but at Martin as he shoved his chair back. The scrape was loud and violent.Martin stood abruptly, jaw tight, face flushed. He didn’t look at me as he stormed toward the door. His lawyer followed quickly, murmuring something low and urgent as he steered him into the hallway.The door shut behind them and no one around me flinched
Last Updated: 2026-02-02
Chapter: Chapter 55I knew there was something wrong with the conference room the moment I stepped inside it.For some strange reason I had been summoned yet again and ask to me in the conference which was too quiet that I could hear my own breathing in my ears. The long table in the room looked like it had just been polished a few minutes ago. It looked like the scene of a crime with how things were wiped down.Alex walked in beside me a few minutes later, his presence steady but restrained. He said nothing to me, not even a good morning and that was enough to let me know that he was still annoyed with how things had turned out. Our lawyer, Mr. Hart, moved ahead of us, before gesturing for all of us to sit “Good morning everyone,” Martin’s lawyer said after about an hour of waiting for him and Martin to arrive. “Forgive our tardiness.” “We’re here in the interest of resolving this matter privately, without unnecessary escalation.”“Privately,” Martin echoed, his eyes never leaving me. “Which is m
Last Updated: 2026-02-02
Chapter: Chapter 141Legal picked up on the second ring, which told me everything about how fast this was already moving."Patricia, it's Liam," he said as he put the call on speaker, setting his phone down on Amy's desk. "Tell me you've seen it.""I've seen it," Patricia said as her voice crackled through the speaker, brisk and unbothered in the way only a seasoned attorney could manage. "I've also already got three other reporters in my inbox asking for comment.""Three?" I asked as my stomach dropped further."Welcome to viral," Patricia said as papers rustled on her end. "Nina, I need you not to say anything to anyone outside this room until we've drafted a response. Not a text, not a call, nothing.""I wasn't planning on it," I said as I crossed my arms tightly, trying to keep my voice steady."Good," Patricia said as her tone sharpened. "Liam, the source is anonymous, but the language in that article is specific enough that I'd bet my license it's Camilla, possibly funnelled through someone at Sutto
Last Updated: 2026-06-30
Chapter: Chapter 140The office smelled like champagne and printer toner, an odd combination that somehow felt perfectly right after the week we'd had. Ralph had brought in a bottle the moment we walked through the doors that morning, declaring it had been chilling in his desk drawer for exactly this occasion."I still can't believe you called her out by name," Ralph said as he poured another round into the mismatched mugs we'd scrounged from the break room. "In front of a reporter. With her own boyfriend standing right there.""I can't believe Drew's face didn't actually combust," Amy said as she leaned back against the edge of her desk, her laptop balanced on her knees, scrolling through something with a grin. "I've been refreshing three different gossip blogs all morning waiting for this to drop.""You should be working," Liam said as he leaned in the doorway of his office, his tie loosened, a mug of his own dangling from two fingers."I am working," Amy said as she held up the laptop without looking a
Last Updated: 2026-06-30
Chapter: Chapter 139The string quartet had shifted into something slower, and waiters were circulating with trays of dessert when I spotted the opening Liam had been waiting for all night. Drew had taken the small stage near the donor wall, a microphone in hand, ready to make some kind of toast about his company's "commitment to innovation.""Watch this," Liam said as he set down his glass, a glint of something dangerous in his eyes."Liam, what are you doing?" I said as I grabbed his sleeve, though I already knew there was no stopping him once that look settled on his face."Trusting you to keep up," Liam said as he winked and started toward the stage, weaving easily through the crowd.Drew was mid-sentence, something about disruption and the future of the industry, when Liam stepped up beside the small riser, applauding lightly as if he'd simply been moved to join in."Forgive the interruption," Liam said as he raised his voice just enough to carry, his smile easy and warm for the room. "I just wanted
Last Updated: 2026-06-30
Chapter: Chapter 138FEW DAYS LATER"The Hartwell Foundation benefit," he said as he read the embossed lettering. "Drew's company is a sponsor this year.""I saw that," I said as I closed my laptop and crossed my arms. "Camilla's name is on the host committee, too.""Then we're going," Liam said as he set the invitation back down, his jaw tight. "I want to see them in a room they think is safe.""Liam, there will be press there," I said as I shook my head. "Photographers. Half the city's business press in one ballroom.""I know exactly what will be there," Liam said as he looked up at me, something steady and unshakable in his eyes. "That's the point."The ballroom at the Hartwell was all gold light and white orchids, the kind of room that made you instinctively lower your voice even before anyone told you to. I smoothed the front of my dress, a deep emerald thing Liam had insisted on when I'd shown him three other options, and tried to ignore the flutter of nerves in my stomach as we stepped through the
Last Updated: 2026-06-30
Chapter: Chapter 137My phone buzzed against the kitchen counter just as I was pulling a mug down from the cabinet, Elena's name lighting up the screen along with a tiny photo of her squinting into the Italian sun."There she is," I said as I swiped to answer, propping the phone against the fruit bowl so I could see her face."Nina," Elena said as she leaned closer to the camera, her hair windblown and her cheeks flushed pink from the sun. "I miss you so much it's actually embarrassing.""You're on your honeymoon," I said as I laughed, pouring water into the kettle behind me. "You're not allowed to miss anyone but Marco right now.""Tell that to my heart," Elena said as she turned the phone slightly, and Marco's face appeared over her shoulder, grinning."Nina," Marco said as he waved at the camera, his accent thick and warm even through the speaker. "Your sister has been talking about you nonstop. I think she misses you more than she misses her own bed.""That's not true," Elena said as she swatted at hi
Last Updated: 2026-06-29
Chapter: Chapter 136The knock on my apartment door came right on time, three sharp raps followed by Amanda's voice calling through the wood before I'd even reached the handle."It's me, open up," Amanda said as she balanced a bottle of wine against her hip, her keys already jingling back into her bag."I figured," I said as I pulled the door open and stepped aside to let her in. "You're the only one who knocks like that.""It's an art form," Amanda said as she breezed past me into the kitchen, setting the wine down on the counter with a soft clink. "You look exhausted, by the way.""Thanks," I said as I followed her in, pulling two glasses down from the cabinet, careful to keep my face from giving anything away. "It's been a week.""That bad?" Amanda asked as she twisted the cork out with practised ease, pouring without waiting for an answer."Kevin showed up at my office," I said as I took the glass she handed me, my hand tightening around the stem."He what?" Amanda asked as she set the bottle down har
Last Updated: 2026-06-29
Chapter: BENDED KNEESThe eggs on Jessica’s plate had gone cold. She kept pushing them around with her fork, unable to bring herself to take a bite. Her eyes were puffy from barely sleeping. Every time she closed them, she heard Avery’s voice again in her head. “Grandpa said I’ll be spending more time here.”Janet reached across the small dining table and lightly touched her daughter’s hand.“Sweetheart… are you alright?”Jessica forced a smile that fooled no one. “I’m fine, Mom. Just tired.”Joseph looked up from his newspaper. “Did Ethan say something yesterday?” His voice was calm. He always knew when something was wrong.Jessica dropped her gaze. “It was… nothing.”Joseph frowned. “That didn’t sound like nothing.”Before she could answer, the doorbell rang.Jessica’s fork froze mid-air. Janet’s head snapped toward the hallway. Joseph stood, walked to the window, and peeked through the side curtain. He inhaled slowly.“It’s Ethan.”Jessica’s heart dropped. She wasn’t ready to socialise with th
Last Updated: 2025-11-26
Chapter: FEAR FILESThe families moved slowly toward the front doors of the Mitchell estate, the night air cool against their skin. The courtyard lights glowed warm and golden, softening the edges of everyone’s strained smiles.Avery clung to Jessica’s hand, swinging it as though the night had been nothing but fun. “Mommy, can we come back again?” she asked, half-asleep, half-excited.“We’ll see, sweetheart,” Jessica murmured, brushing a curl off her daughter’s forehead.Charles stepped forward. “Thank you again for coming, Jessica. It meant a lot to the family.”Jessica forced a polite smile. “Of course. It was… nice.”Eleanor hugged Avery tightly. “Goodbye, darling.”Avery giggled. “Bye Grandma! Bye, Grandpa!”William patted her back gently, leaning on his cane. “Sleep well, little one.”Ethan stood behind them, trying to look relaxed, but his fingers wouldn’t stop tapping against his thigh. Jessica noticed. She didn’t comment.She knelt, fixing Avery’s slightly crooked hair bow. “Say goodbye
Last Updated: 2025-11-25
Chapter: EXTENDED ROOTSThe Mitchell estate still had its tall windows glowing against the evening sky. Jessica stepped out of the car, smoothing the front of her dress while Avery clutched her hand tightly. The air smelled faintly of pine and wood polish which gave the environment an elegant, distant, and far too familiar scent. Ethan stood by the grand doorway, his hands tucked in his pockets, trying to look casual but looking every bit as nervous. Behind him stood his parents, Charles and Eleanor, and the man with a walking stick, William Mitchell.Ethan’s smile faltered, then steadied. “Hey, Jess. Thanks for coming.”Jessica felt Avery’s grip tighten. Joseph and Janet flanked her, both standing a little taller than usual.Charles stepped forward first, extending a hand to his friend Joseph. “Joseph, my old friend. It’s been a long time.”Joseph clasped it firmly, his voice low. “A very long time. The last time we met, our kids were tearing each other apart.”Charles’s jaw flexed, but his tone stayed
Last Updated: 2025-10-23
Chapter: LAKE COMOIt was late in the evening, and the house was quiet except for the annoying ticking of the clock in the living room. Avery was already asleep upstairs, after a long day of being a menace. Jessica sat curled on the couch with a mug of tea that had long gone cold, her laptop open but forgotten. The glow from the table lamp cast gentle shadows across the room, brushing over family photos on the shelf.She scrolled absently through old pictures of her and Avery in Italy, bundled in coats, laughing by the canals. Her chest tightened at the memory. The house felt too still, too heavy with what-ifs.Then came a knock at the door.Jessica frowned, glancing at the clock. 9:47 p.m.Her stomach sank knowing that hardly anyone visited at this hour. She reached for her phone, opened the security camera app, and froze.Ethan.He stood on the porch in his work clothes, tie loosened, sleeves rolled to his elbows. His hair was slightly tousled, his expression unreadable. For a brief moment, she
Last Updated: 2025-10-22
Chapter: STORM'S COMINGThe evening light slanted through the half-drawn curtains, drawing gold lines across Jessica’s bedroom wall. She sat on the edge of her bed, the cream envelope resting heavy on her lap like a decision she didn’t want to make. Her thumb kept tracing the raised letters of the Mitchell name, over and over, until the motion felt like punishment.The door creaked softly. Janet, her mother, stepped in, her voice low. “Still thinking about it?”Jessica didn’t look up. “Thinking, regretting, overthinking. It’s one of them or maybe all?”Janet smiled faintly and sat beside her, the mattress dipping slightly. “You’ve been staring at that thing for almost an hour.”Jessica sighed, setting the envelope aside. “I’m scared, Mom.”“Of what?” Janet asked gently.“Not the trip,” Jessica said in a quiet voice. “Of what it means if I say yes.” She picked at the corner of the envelope. “Every time I start trusting him again, he proves and gives me reasons why I shouldn’t.”Janet watched her daugh
Last Updated: 2025-10-09
Chapter: JINGLE BELLSThe hum of orchestral music filled the air in Jessica’s studio, was alive with colour, bolts of silk spilling over tables, the scent of fabric glue and coffee blending in the air. She leaned over her sketchpad, pencil gliding quickly as she murmured to her assistant, “Tell Maya to adjust the hemline by half an inch on this dress.”A knock followed almost instantly.“Ma’am,” her assistant said from the doorway, slightly breathless. “There’s a man here. He says his name is Mr Ethan Mitchell, and he is here to see you.”Jessica froze. Her pencil paused mid-stroke. “Did you say...?”“Yes, ma’am. Mr Mitchell.”A dozen emotions formed in her chest. “Goddamn it. Send him in,” she muttered, her tone cool, clipped.Ethan stepped inside, looking oddly out of place among all the pastels and chiffon hanging around. His suit was dark, his presence heavier than the air itself. “This is a nice setup, Griselda.” he mocked, scanning the mannequins and the photos pinned to the mood board. “You’ve
Last Updated: 2025-10-08
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