MasukMoving day arrived with a strange blend of joy and melancholy that hung over the Jones mansion like a bittersweet fog.The foyer was cluttered with suitcases and boxes, staff bustling back and forth, loading the vehicles parked in the long driveway. Miranda stood in the center of it all, one hand resting on her belly, watching the controlled chaos with a wistful smile. She was happy… genuinely happy… to be starting this new chapter of her life with Noah. But leaving the home that had sheltered her through the darkest period of her life, the family that had held her together when she was falling apart, tugged painfully at her heart.It was inevitable, though. This was simply what came next.Aunt Felicia would be going with them, of course. The older woman practically lived for Miranda, and there was no question of her staying behind. She fussed over a box of kitchenware, muttering about whether Noah's apartment had proper cooking equipment.Mrs. Jones appeared at Miranda's side and
Noah moved quickly and quietly, slipping down the hallway after Mr. Jones as the older man disappeared into the corridor leading to his study. He kept his distance, ducking behind a large decorative column just outside the study door.From his pocket, he pulled out a small, sleek device, one his assistant Daniel had procured for him two days before. It was a compact audio relay, designed to pick up the acoustic vibrations of a phone conversation through nearby surfaces and transmit them to a paired earpiece. Colin had planted a tiny receiver patch beneath the edge of the study's doorframe two nights ago, half-hoping they’d get to use it. Now, with trembling fingers, Noah synced the device to the discreet earbud in his ear.For a moment, there was only static. Then Mr. Jones's voice crackled to life, low and tense."...how long has it been since anyone's had eyes on him?"A pause as the person on the other end spoke."That's not good enough," Mr. Jones continued, his voice sharp. "Ha
Two days had passed since Noah and Miranda received their marriage certificate, and the newlyweds had settled into a rhythm that felt almost surreal in its happiness.That afternoon, they went together to the hospital for Miranda's antenatal care.The examination room was bright and warm, more so with the tenderness and love with which Miranda was being treated. Sunlight poured through the windows as Miranda lay back on the table, her rounded belly exposed and glistening with ultrasound gel. Noah sat close beside her, his hand wrapped tightly around hers, his eyes glued to the screen with an intensity that made Miranda's heart ache with tenderness."Everything looks wonderful," the doctor said, gliding the wand across Miranda's belly. "Strong heartbeat, healthy movement. Baby is developing beautifully."Noah let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "That's good, right? That's… everything's okay?"The doctor smiled. "Everything's perfect. And I must say I’m impressed ab
"Well, well," Isla said, sauntering closer, a playful smirk on her lips. "You look considerably less handsome today. Did someone piss in your coffee? Or did the whole world just decide to disappoint you at once?"Adrian exhaled sharply through his nose, already regretting his decision to come here. "I'm not taking you home today."Isla raised an eyebrow. "Did I ask? I'm not drunk.""Then you don't need me," Adrian said flatly, turning to head deeper into the bar."On the contrary." Isla stepped into his path, blocking him. "You're precisely the reason I'm here."Adrian stopped, his brow furrowing. "What? Why?""I've been coming to this bar every single night since our little… encounter," she admitted, her smirk softening into something more honest. "Hoping I'd run into you again. And finally, here you are."Adrian stared at her, incredulous. "What happened to never wanting to set eyes on me again? Wasn't that what you said?"“You said it first,” she exclaimed. “And you agreed,” Adria
Melissa took her time before she responded. She looked at Colin, weighing the weight of the moment, the tentative hope flickering in his eyes."If you want to be," she finally said, her voice soft but steady.Colin's breath caught. He opened his mouth, ready to say more, to finally close the distance that had lingered between them for days…"There you two are!" Clara's voice cut through the moment like a blade. She appeared out of nowhere, seizing both of their arms. "Come on, we're doing family pictures. No dawdling! Move!"And just like that, the moment shattered. Colin and Melissa were swept into the flurry of the celebration, pulled apart by the current of the crowd. The words that had almost been spoken dissolved into the air, unfinished.Curtains closed. For now.*****The news of Noah's and Miranda's marriage spread like wildfire.Within hours, Noah's post had gone viral, shared and reshared across every platform. The headlines wrote themselves: Vale Heir Marries Miranda Jones
Isla's heart slammed against her ribs, her whole body trembling as her father's furious roar echoed through the corridor. She was frozen against the wall, caught, her mind scrambling desperately for an excuse that refused to come. The shattered vase lay in glittering pieces at her feet, evidence of her presence, and she was certain that in the next moment her father would storm out and see everything written across her guilty face."I said, who's there?" Mr. Sterling bellowed again, and she heard the scrape of a chair."It's me."Isla nearly buckled with relief as her mother's serene voice drifted down the hall. Mrs. Sterling swept around the corner, elegant and unhurried, positioning herself neatly in front of her daughter, subtly shielding her from view."I knocked over that hideous vase," Mrs. Sterling continued smoothly, stepping toward the study door as though nothing at all was amiss. "You know how I've always despised it. I only came to ask whether your guest would be joinin
Eight days.That was all that remained of the marriage Miranda Cole had once believed would last a lifetime. Eight days before the legal structure holding her to Adrian dissolved. Eight days before, she was no longer his wife in any sense that mattered.Just eight days.There had been a time when
“Where is it?” Miranda repeated, her voice carrying.The words cut clean through the polite murmur of conversation surrounding Adrian and the investor he was speaking to. Both men turned toward her. The investor’s brows lifted in mild surprise. Adrian’s expression tightened instantly. “What are yo
The silence that followed Adrian Cole’s last words was heavy enough to crush glass.My first love.No one was clapping anymore now. The phrase lingered in the air, obscene in its intimacy, poisonous in its timing. Miranda felt it break something inside her that she had spent three years protecting
The Center of the RoomEveryone was smiling except me.I was the only one who didn’t know my marriage was about to end.Today, Adrian Cole stood at the very peak of a story the country still whispered about in disbelief.At thirty-four, Adrian Cole was the youngest and richest businessman in the na







