LOGINDaniella lay on the cold bathroom floor for what felt like hours, the pain a relentless fire that slowly ebbed into a dull, throbbing ache. Blood soaked her clothes and the tiles beneath her. Every breath hurt. Every shift sent fresh waves of agony through her body. But she was alive. The fetus was gone—dragged out in a desperate, violent act of self-destruction.Christian killed my father. He deserves nothing from me. Not a child. Not a future.The thought anchored her through the haze. Revenge was still her purpose. Love was the lie she had almost fallen into. This… this was necessary. A reset.She dragged herself up using the sink, legs shaking, vision swimming. The mirror reflected a stranger: pale face, haunted eyes, hair matted with sweat and blood. She looked exactly like the broken girl who had watched her father die thirteen years ago.“Good,” she whispered to her reflection. “Remember who you are.”With mechanical precision, Daniella cleaned the worst o
Daniella stared at Christian’s mother as though the woman had suddenly lost her mind.For several seconds, neither of them spoke.The bathroom remained silent except for the faint sound of running water dripping from the sink faucet. The fluorescent lights overhead cast a pale glow across the room, making Daniella look even more exhausted than she already felt. Her face was slightly flushed, her hair was no longer as neat as it had been earlier, and there were dark shadows beneath her eyes that spoke of days filled with stress, secrets, and sleepless nights.Then she laughed.Not because anything was funny.Because the suggestion itself sounded ridiculous.“Pregnant?” she repeated. “That’s impossible.”Christian’s mother didn’t laugh with her.If anything, her expression became even more serious.The older woman folded her arms across her chest and continued studying her carefully. She had lived long enough to recognize certain signs. The dizzines
The ride home was unusually quiet.The city lights streamed past the tinted windows of the black SUV, painting fleeting streaks of gold and white across the interior. Normally, Christian would have found something to tease Daniella about before they even left the company parking lot. He would have made a sarcastic comment, stolen a smile from her, or reached for her hand just because he could. Tonight was different.Neither of them spoke.Christian sat beside the window, his jaw tight as he stared at the Manhattan skyline rushing by outside. Richard’s words from earlier refused to leave his mind.For years, Richard had been one of the few people whose opinions genuinely mattered to him. The older man had helped build Harper Holdings from the ground up. He had seen every victory, every mistake, every sacrifice that had turned Christian into the man he was today.And for the first time in a very long time, Richard had openly questioned one of his decisions.Tha
The conference room remained unusually quiet after Christian walked out. The heavy glass door had barely finished closing behind him, yet the tension he left behind seemed to linger in the air like smoke after a fire. Nobody rushed to speak. Several executives lowered their eyes to the documents in front of them despite clearly not reading a single word, while others exchanged uncertain glances across the table. The announcement of Daniella’s promotion had already shocked the company, but Julian’s sudden arrival as a shareholder had transformed the meeting into something else entirely. Something dangerous. Something nobody had seen coming. At the far end of the table, Angella sat comfortably in her chair, looking far more relaxed than everyone else in the room. A small smile played on her lips as she watched the confusion spread across the faces around her. Then her eyes drifted toward Julian. Slowly, deliberately, she winked. The gesture lasted less th
Daniella stood in front of the mirror for several moments, simply staring at her reflection. For the first time in what felt like forever, she allowed herself to appreciate the woman looking back at her. The cream-colored tailored suit she wore fit perfectly, sculpted with the kind of precision that made it look as though it had been created specifically for her. The fitted blazer hugged her waist elegantly before falling into clean lines, while the matching trousers elongated her frame and gave her the commanding presence of someone who belonged in boardrooms rather than taking orders inside them. Her makeup was soft and refined, highlighting her features without overpowering them, and her dark hair flowed in loose waves over her shoulders. Everything about her appearance radiated confidence, power, and sophistication. A small smile touched her lips. Perhaps for the first time since entering Christian Harper’s life, she looked exactly like the future
The city was asleep by the time Christian and Daniella finally returned home.The digital clock in the hallway read a few minutes past four in the morning, and the mansion stood silent beneath the darkness, its massive walls illuminated only by the soft golden lights lining the driveway. The charity gala had lasted far longer than expected. There had been speeches, endless conversations, interviews, photographs, and enough champagne to keep half of Manhattan awake until sunrise.Unfortunately, Daniella had decided to compete with the champagne.Now she was completely unconscious.Christian couldn’t stop smiling.Daniella was draped over his shoulder like a spoiled princess who had forgotten how to walk. One of her heels hung loosely from her foot while the other bounced lightly against his back with every step he took. The short black dress she wore shimmered beneath the chandelier lights as he carried her through the front door. Her dark hair spilled over his sh
The second Daniella realized what she had done, her eyes widened dramatically.“Oh my God.”Christian looked down slowly at the vomit covering the front of his expensive black shirt before closing his eyes briefly like he was questioning every life decision that had brought him to this ex
The moment Daniella ended the call, her entire expression changed instantly. The softness disappeared. The tension returned. Slowly, she slipped her phone back into her purse before taking a deep breath and walking back into the ballroom like nothing had happened.
Daniella froze completely after hearing the man’s words. For a few seconds, she simply stared at him like her brain had stopped functioning properly. Her breathing slowly became uneven while her fingers tightened against the ropes tied around her wrists. The room suddenly felt too small. Too cold
The SUV crashed violently into the ditch with a deafening sound that shook the entire road. Metal twisted painfully against metal while shattered glass exploded everywhere inside the vehicle. The car flipped once before landing upside down with terrifying force.For a few long seconds, everyt







