登入BLACKWOOD ESTATE – STUDY – 11:30 AMThe Blackwood estate screamed old money. Alexander Blackwood sat behind a massive oak desk. He was not a man who tolerated mistakes. And right now, he was furious.His wife, Catalina Reyes, sat in a leather chair across from him. She had never liked Sophia, and she never missed a chance to point out her failures.The door opened. Damien walked in.He looked terrible. His suit was wrinkled. His hair was disheveled. Dark circles hung under his eyes. He hadn't slept. He'd been dealing with police and reporters all morning. The chaos at his mansion had been relentless.Damien approached his father's desk. "Father. You wanted to see me."Alexander didn't look up from the newspaper. He flipped a page slowly. The headline was impossible to miss: "DEAD BODY DELIVERED TO LANGSTON MANSION IN GIFT BOX.""Sit down," Alexander said. His voice was cold and flat.Damien sat in the chair next to his stepmother. Catalina gave him a thin smile. She said nothing. B
They stayed locked together, breathing hard. Miguel brushed damp hair from her face and kissed her softly. “I love you,” he said simply. “No matter what happens outside these walls. I’m not going anywhere.”Amelia smiled, feeling warm and safe in his arms. “Stay with me tonight?”“Always,” he promised.They talked quietly after that. Miguel told her stories about the outside world—funny tales about his work, dreams he had for their future, silly jokes that made her laugh until her sides hurt. She shared how scared she felt sometimes but how the baby gave her strength. His hand never left her belly, rubbing gentle circles.“You’re going to be an amazing mother,” he said, kissing her forehead. “And I’ll be right there, changing diapers and singing terrible lullabies.”She giggled. “As long as you keep doing what you just did, I’ll forgive the bad singing.”Amelia woke with a gasp.Her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of her chest. The thin prison mattress b
WENT-WORTH CORRECTIONAL PRISON ~ NEW YORK Amelia lay on the thin mattress in her prison cell, staring at the cracked ceiling. The lights had gone out hours ago. The only sounds were distant echoes of doors clanging and someone coughing down the hall. Her body felt heavy from another long day. She closed her eyes, hoping sleep would come fast.Soon, the hard bed seemed softer. The air felt warmer. She heard footsteps outside her cell, then the door opened with a soft click instead of the usual loud bang. A tall man stepped inside. Miguel. He wore a simple dark shirt that hugged his broad shoulders and jeans that looked well-worn. His dark eyes caught the faint light from the hallway and softened when they landed on her.“Amelia,” he said quietly, his voice deep and warm like “I couldn’t stay away any longer.”She sat up slowly, her heart beating faster. “Miguel? How did you get in here? They don’t let anyone—”He crossed the small space in two steps and knelt beside her bed. Hi
LANGSTON MANSION — FRONT DOOR — SECONDS LATERDamien walked to the door slowly. His hand trembled slightly as he reached for the handle. He leaned forward and looked through the peephole.His face went white."Son of a bitch," he whispered.Sophia's voice cracked. "What? Who is it?"Damien turned to her, his eyes wide with panic. "It's the police. And they brought the FBI. Four of them. Maybe five."Sophia sank onto the couch. Her whole body was shaking. "Oh God. Oh God, what do we do? What do we say?"Harrison stepped forward. "Say nothing until I tell you. Follow my lead. Let me do the talking."Damien took a deep breath and opened the door.Three officers stood outside—no, four. Two in police uniforms. Two in dark suits with FBI badges clipped to their belts. The lead agent was tall, broad-shouldered, with a buzz cut and eyes like steel."Mr. Langston," the FBI agent said. His voice was calm but carried an edge of authority. "I'm Special Agent Miller. We received a report about a
The room went dead quiet.Enzo broke the silence. "Here's what we found out. Gabriella tried to destroy Valerie's career a few years back."Miguel leaned forward. "Why? What happened?""Valerie was defending someone Gabriella wanted to ruin," Enzo explained. "A small business owner who refused to sell his company to Guerra Holdings. Gabriella wanted him crushed. Valerie stepped in to fight for him.""And?""She lost. Badly. Gabriella buried them both. The business owner lost everything. Valerie's reputation took a massive hit. She almost lost her license."Enzo paused. "But here's the thing—Valerie never forgot. Word is, she's been waiting for the right moment to strike back. Waiting for years."He smiled. "And now Amelia's case gave her that chance."Miguel nodded slowly. "So this isn't just business for her.""No," Lucas agreed. "This is personal. Very personal."A slow smile spread across Miguel's face. "Perfect. A lawyer with a grudge against Gabriella. That's exactly what we
Sophia shook her head. "I don't know. I honestly don't know.""Think," Damien said. "Who have you crossed? Threatened? Made an enemy of?"Sophia's mind raced through all the people she'd hurt. All the lives she'd destroyed. There were so many. But one name kept coming back."Amelia," Sophia whispered. "It has to be someone connected to Amelia. Someone who wants to protect her."Damien stared at her. "Amelia is in prison. She can't send dead bodies to anyone.""Then someone's doing it for her," Sophia said. "Someone powerful. Ruthless. Someone who wants me to back off."Damien grabbed his phone and started scrolling. "Rebecca Stein was a high-profile lawyer. Her murder is all over the news. The police will be here any minute. They'll ask questions. They'll investigate."Sophia's eyes went wide. "We can't tell them the truth. We can't tell them I paid her.""Then what do we say?" Damien snapped. "That a dead body magically appeared in a gift box? That we have no idea who sent it?""Yes,
THE FAVINO FAMILY DINNERThe Favino family sat around the long dining table. Everyone was eating, except Alejandro, who barely touched his food, eyes fixed on his plate.His father finally set down his fork. “Alejandro, when are you bringing your late brother’s widow back home?”Alejandro lifted hi
KATHERINA APARTMENT ~ NEW YORKRain tapped steadily against the windows, making the apartment feel small and tense.Daniel paced back and forth like he wanted to punch something. “So tell me again,” he said, stopping mid-step. “How exactly are we supposed to get Aunt Jessica or should I just call h
Alejandro froze. “…The what?”His mother put down her fork slowly. “Isabella, don’t you dare.”Too late.Aunt Isabella smirked. “Every Favino man who refuses the family marriage law ends up…”“Isabella!” his mother snapped.But Isabella continued proudly, “…bald by thirty five.”Alejandro gasped. “
NEW YORK PENITENTIARY PRISON ~The warden left the room, and as soon as the door clicked shut, Amelia let out a long, shaky sigh. She looked at Damien with tired, overwhelmed eyes.“Damien, this doesn’t feel real,” she said quietly, glancing at the metal cuffs around her wrists. “I never… I never i







