LOGINMarcus's POVEvery ounce of pain inside me vanished.It was replaced by something far worse.Sheer rage.My fists clenched so tightly my nails dug into my palms. My breathing became uneven as I stared at Victoria, trying to convince myself I had heard her wrong."What are you talking about?" I demanded.Her expression didn't change."They accused your mother of having an affair," she said quietly. "But none of it was true."I frowned. "What?""Linda orchestrated the whole thing. She arranged for those men to be seen with Emily. She made sure people would start talking. She wanted your father to believe his wife had betrayed him."I stared at her, unable to blink. "No..."Victoria continued as though she knew stopping would only make it harder."She planted every piece of evidence. Every letter. Every witness. Every lie. She knew your father's health was already failing. She knew another emotional blow would destroy him, so she used your mother."My heart slammed against my ribs. "My f
Marcus's POVI remained standing outside the company gates, unable to look away from the building.Just a few minutes ago, I had walked in believing I was returning to my empire.Instead, I had been thrown out like a trespasser. My company. My office. My employees. Everything was gone.I was still trying to understand what had happened when someone gently tapped my shoulder.I turned. Victoria Hale stood behind me.The same composed woman who had walked into the courtroom and pulled me back from the edge of prison.Her expression was firm, but beneath it I could see something much darker. It was sheer hatred and rage. Not the kind that fades with time. The kind that keeps a person alive."This isn't the time to stand here feeling sorry for yourself," she said. "Andrew has already won enough. You should be planning your next step. We should be destroying Andrew.”I stared at her. "We?"She nodded once. "Yes, we.""What are you talking about?"Her jaw tightened. "That bastard did the s
Marcus's POVI woke up feeling as though I hadn't slept at all.Every muscle in my body ached from the weeks I had spent behind bars. Even the mattress beneath me felt unfamiliar after sleeping on a hard prison bunk. I lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling, reminding myself that I was finally home.I was free.One battle had been won. Now it was time to rebuild everything Andrew had tried to destroy.The servants had already prepared breakfast by the time I came downstairs. I hadn't eaten properly the night before, so I finished everything on the table without leaving a single bite. Afterward, I took a long shower, hoping the hot water would wash away the memories of prison.It didn't.When I came back into my room, I reached for my phone. Linda and Cara’s phones. Unavailable.I frowned. I tried again..Nothing. That was strange.I opened my email next. Hundreds of unread messages flooded the screen.Reporters wanted exclusive interviews.Television stations wanted statements.
Marcus's POVEverything had happened so quickly that my mind was still struggling to catch up.One moment, I was listening to the judge prepare to sentence me. The next, a woman I had never met walked into the courtroom carrying enough evidence to tear the entire case apart.I had never believed in miracles. Yet Victoria Hale had become one. Just when I thought my life was over, when I had accepted that prison would become my home for the next couple of years, she appeared and pulled me back from the edge.Reporters crowded outside the courthouse, shoving microphones toward my face and shouting questions over one another."Mr. Calloway! Do you have a statement?""Did someone frame you?""What are your plans now that you've been cleared?"I ignored every single one of them. I didn't have the strength to answer.Relief and exhaustion were fighting inside me, leaving me too numb to celebrate and too grateful to complain."Congratulations, sir." Michael's voice broke through my thoughts.
Andrew's POVMy fingers tightened around the crystal glass until I thought it might crack in my hand.Victoria Hale. The name echoed through my mind like poison. That cunning bitch.For a brief second, the room around me disappeared. All I could see was the woman standing confidently inside the courtroom, tearing apart years of careful planning with nothing more than a stack of documents and a calm voice. Every trap I had laid, every witness I had bought, every piece of evidence I had planted had begun collapsing because of her.A slow smile tugged at my lips.Interesting. Very interesting."So," I murmured to myself, my eyes never leaving the television, "someone finally decided to stand in my way."She had no idea what she had just done.People who crossed me never walked away untouched.I would make sure Assistant United States Attorney Victoria Hale regretted the day she stepped into my game.Beside me, Isla stared at the television in complete disbelief."How is this possible?" s
Marcus's POVI never imagined prison would smell like this.Every morning I woke to the sour stench of damp concrete, sweat, and rusted iron. The food was barely edible, cold by the time it reached my cell, and even the water tasted metallic. Sleep never lasted long. Someone was always shouting. Someone was always fighting. Every night I closed my eyes wondering if the next morning I would wake up with another bruise.Andrew had made sure of that.The men inside didn't know me as Marcus Calloway, CEO of Calloway Industries. To them, I was the monster who supposedly led the Blackwings. The guards looked at me with disgust, and the inmates looked at me as easy money. Someone had paid them well. Every chance they got, they shoved me into walls, punched me when the cameras weren't looking, or made sure every meal became another reminder that I didn't belong there.Ironically, most of them had committed crimes far worse than the ones I was accused of, yet somehow… I was the villain.Andr
~Isla~ “Isla, you fucking whore!” Cara barked as she stormed into the dining room, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floor. She held up a red pantie... my red pantie... waving it like damning evidence. Marcus’s fork froze halfway to his mouth. He set it down gently, his deep blue eye
~Isla~ “It’s good news.” The doctor said with a gentle smile. I had woken up that morning with a queasy stomach and a pounding headache. I didn’t know what to make of it, and my health is something I never joke with, so I rushed to the hospital. I didn’t expect that nagging morning sickness to b
~Isla~ I stormed out of the club, my blood boiling with a rage I had never felt before. The cool night air slapped against my face, but it did nothing to extinguish the fire Marcus had ignited inside me. His words kept replaying in my head like a broken record. You will suffer severely until you
~Isla~ The streetlights blurred through my tears as I forced myself to keep moving. My body was screaming for rest, but hunger and desperation pushed me forward. I spotted a small, warmly lit restaurant ahead. The smell of hot food drifting out made my stomach twist painfully. I had no money, but







