LOGIN(Maya)“How’s it going?” I ask as I slide into Kelvin’s car. “Have you been able to find who posted it?”He shakes his head.“No.”“What?”My voice rises instantly.“How much longer do you need? You told me tracking an IP address would be easy. It’s been over three days, Kelvin, and you still haven’t found anything?”A dry laugh escapes me.“It’s usually easy,” he says. “But…”“But what?” I snap, running an irritated hand through my hair. “I don’t care how difficult it is. I need you to find whoever posted it. I want to know who’s behind all this.”He studies me for a moment before leaning back against his seat.“Why are you so desperate to find the poster?” he asks. “Shouldn’t you be celebrating? Whoever did this accomplished exactly what you’ve always wanted.”His lips curl.“They created a rift between Rayner and Amara.”“And why should I celebrate?”I scoff.“Someone else beat me to my own game, and you expect me to be happy?”My mind flashes back to the post.The picture. That pa
(Kelvin)My eyes stay glued to the screen, my fingers moving quickly across the keyboard while the words from earlier replay over and over in my head.A voice echoes in my mind.“This is the right time.”“Buy up the Sinclair Group’s stocks.”“Once you secure over thirty percent, you’ll have enough control to take back the Sinclair Hospitality Division… what rightfully belonged to your mother.”My jaw tightens.One purchase after another goes through.The numbers keep climbing.I can’t afford to miss this opportunity.The Sinclair stocks have fallen even further than expected. If I move fast enough, I can secure a significant stake before anyone realizes what’s happening.And when that happens…They’ll finally pay for everything they did to me.To my mother. My family.“Kelvin.”The voice slices straight through my thoughts.I freeze.My stomach drops.Rita.She’s walking toward me.“What are you doing?” she asks with a puzzled smile. “Didn’t you even notice I was standing here?”My pu
(Rita)“Did you hear? Sir Rayner’s former PA is actually the Roosevelts’ only daughter. And they were having an affair.”The whispers drift past me as I walk through the lobby.Every pair of eyes turns.Some stare. Some point. Some don’t even bother lowering their voices.They question. They judge. And gossip.I close my eyes for the briefest second.God…I never imagined there would come a day when I’d completely lose my composure at work.Without thinking twice, I march straight toward the group standing by the side.Before any of them can react, I snatch the phone from one woman’s hand and slam it onto the marble floor.The sharp crack echoes through the lobby.Gasps explode around us.Someone screams.Everyone freezes.But I don’t. I stare straight at the woman.“So,” I say calmly, “what was it you were saying again?”She storms toward me, shoving past the colleagues trying to stop her.“Did you just smash my phone?”“Yes.”I fold my arms.“And what exactly are you going to do abo
(Amara)I step into the living room beside Lillian.The moment we walk in, every conversation dies.Everyone freezes, their eyes snapping toward us as though we’ve interrupted something sacred.“Amara.” My mother walks toward us, her gaze moving between Lillian and me. “You and Lillian went out together?”“Not really,” Lillian answers before I can. “I actually ran into her at the hospital, so we decided to come back together.”My fingers curl tightly.Hospital.She said it so casually.As though I hadn’t specifically asked her not to mention where we’d met.Then, almost immediately, her eyes widen.She turns to me with an apologetic look.But it’s too late.The damage has already been done.Now they’ll ask questions.Now they’ll want answers I can’t give.“Hospital?” Mom repeats, confusion filling her voice. She quickly reaches for my hand. “Amara… what’s wrong? Are you sick? Is something happening?”I slowly pull my hand away.“No, Mom. I’m fine. You don’t have to worry.”“What do yo
(Stella)“No!”The scream tears out of me as I stare at the two bold lines on the test strip.“I’m pregnant.”Really pregnant.I drag both hands through my hair, my breathing growing uneven as panic crashes into me.“How could I?” I whisper.My fingers tremble.“How could I let this happen?”A thousand thoughts slam into my head all at once.Felix. Those nights. This baby.No.No, this cannot be happening!I begin pacing the bathroom, trying to steady my breathing.I have to find a way out of this.If Felix ever finds out I’m carrying his child…I stop walking.My stomach twists.Knowing how obsessed he is with having his own family, with having his own child, he’ll never let me go.Never.Before he finds out, I have to bury the truth.Cover it up.I’ve already started this lie.Now all I have to do is make it real.Slowly, I lift my head and stare at my reflection.A smile begins curling across my lips.“Sorry.”I let out a soft laugh.“But not sorry, Rayner.”This is all your fault.
(Amara)I wake with a heavy weight pressing against my chest.Last night’s news. The chaos. The whispers. The murmurs.Everything clings to me like a shadow I can’t escape.I know I should be stronger than this. I should be able to face whatever comes next.But today… everything feels unbearably overwhelming.My hand reaches for the bottle of pain relief medication on the bedside table.For a long moment, I simply stare at it.The cool plastic rests against my palm while my thumb slowly brushes over the cap.Maybe I should just take them. Maybe they’ll dull this ache inside me. Maybe they’ll quiet my thoughts.I begin twisting the cap open.Then I stop.A hollow laugh almost escapes me.This isn’t something a couple of tablets can fix.The pain sitting inside my chest is far deeper than—A tired sigh slips from my lips as my mother’s voice echoes through my mind.“You don’t need to come in today. Just take the day off.”My shoulders sag.Slowly, I finish opening the bottle.Who cares?
(Amara)My hand drops to my side.Ignoring Maya’s stare, I grab my car keys and rush out of the office, Nathan’s voice replaying over and over in my head.“She came back looking sad and immediately collapsed to the floor.”My chest tightens painfully.I keep moving fast, my thoughts spinning wildly
(Amara)I step out of the office slowly, my feet heavier than before.Everything that just happened keeps replaying in my head.Stella’s accusations.The hatred in her eyes.The way she had raised her hand at me without hesitation.And Rayner…The way he had stopped her.I shut my eyes briefly and
(Kelvin)I place the flowers carefully among the others, my fingers lingering for a second longer than necessary. My eyes lift to the glass, locking onto their photo.“Mom… Dad…” My voice comes out as a whisper.My fingers curl slowly at my side.The memories do not ask for permission. They come an
(Amara)“O.M.G!”My head snaps up.Rita.She’s already staring at me, eyes bright with excitement. “Look who we have here.” She drops into the seat beside me like she’s been waiting for this moment all morning.I force a small smile, even as my mind drifts back to Rayner’s voice from yesterday.Mak







