Chapter: Chapter 85BENEATH THE FACADEBehind the façade of wealth and power, a web of secrets awaits.Chapter 85Emily’s POV:Eddy slowed the car to a gentle stop just in front of our gate. His hand lingered on the steering wheel a moment longer than necessary, the weight of unspoken words hanging in the air.The late afternoon sun dipped lazily toward the horizon, scattering streaks of gold across the bonnet of his car. The air outside shimmered faintly with heat.He turned to me, his eyes searching mine with that steady patience of his — the kind that made me feel both seen and slightly flustered.“It’s you I want to be with,” he said, voice low but sure.I froze for a beat, letting the words settle into me, warm and unsettling all at once. A little part of me wanted to believe him without questioning, to lean into that comfort. Another part, the part that had been battered by the past week, whispered Don’t get carried away, Emily.I smiled anyway, because in that moment, after everything, I needed so
Last Updated: 2025-08-10
Chapter: Chapter 84BENEATH THE FACADEBehind the façade of wealth and power, a web of secrets awaits.Chapter 84Emily’s POV:The hum of the tires against the asphalt was steady, almost hypnotic, but my mind was far from calm. The road stretched out ahead, the late afternoon sun painting everything in a warm golden haze. I sat in the passenger seat, my fingers idly tracing the seam of my jeans, stealing glances at Eddy as he drove.Nyla’s house was already behind us, and with it, the weight of the reunion that had played out just hours ago. Josh’s laughter still echoed in my head—small, pure bursts that had made Nyla’s whole face light up like the sun after weeks of storms.I should have been happy. In a way, I was. But there was something else sitting in my chest. Something that refused to let go.Eddy’s hand was steady on the steering wheel, his profile sharp in the dimming light. I’d known him long enough to recognize that quiet focus, but today there was a softness too. A thoughtfulness.I cleared m
Last Updated: 2025-08-10
Chapter: Chapter 83BENEATH THE FACADEBehind the façade of wealth and power, a web of secrets awaits.Chapter 83Emily’s POV: The morning sunlight spilled into the room like warm honey, golden and soft, touching every corner of the living room where Josh lay on the rug, surrounded by building blocks and his quiet little giggles. It was the kind of morning that tried to convince you the world wasn’t broken, that nothing had been stolen, that innocence hadn’t been bruised. But even the brightest day couldn’t sweep away the shadows completely. I stood by the kitchen counter, a mug of tea cooling in my hands, watching him.Josh.Our miracle, our heartbreak, our fight.It was a new day—the kind where the past still ached, but something in the air whispered about healing. Nyla moved around the house with an energy I hadn’t seen in days. She folded Josh’s clothes, packed his snacks, and cleaned up after breakfast like she was trying to outrun the fear that had gripped her for the last week. I didn’t blame her
Last Updated: 2025-08-08
Chapter: Chapter 82BENEATH THE FACADEBehind the façade of wealth and power, a web of secrets awaits.CHAPTER 82Emily’s POV: The gate creaked open.My fingers gripped the steering wheel harder than they needed to, my palms damp, knuckles pale. We were finally home, and yet my heart hadn’t stopped pounding since we left the safe house. Every bump on the road had felt like it might shatter this fragile moment, like something might still go wrong before we reached the front door.But now we were here.I saw her instantly—Nyla. She was pacing just outside the porch, her body tense like a spring wound too tight. The second our car rolled in, her head snapped toward us. Her eyes were wide, frantic, like she couldn’t believe we were real. Her lips parted, and for a second, she just… froze.Josh was fast asleep in Eddy’s arms, nestled into his chest like a soft bundle. His arms were tucked loosely around Eddy’s neck, his curly hair flattened on one side. Completely unaware of the storm waiting outside for him
Last Updated: 2025-08-08
Chapter: Chapter 81BENEATH THE FACADEBehind the façade of wealth and power, a web of secrets awaits.Chapter 81Emily's POV:The plan had to be perfect. Not just close, not almost right. Perfect.We couldn’t afford another mistake. Not with Josh’s life on the line. Not with the kind of man we were dealing with.It was almost 6 p.m. when Eddy and I sat on the opposite sides of the dining table, a large brown envelope between us. Inside it was a printed out transaction slip, a tracking chip, and a tiny pen-shaped camera that Eddy had gotten from one of his trusted contacts."This isn’t just bait," Eddy said, tapping the envelope. "It’s proof. Once he shows up and takes this money, he’s in deeper than he realizes."I swallowed the lump rising in my throat. The fact that we were talking about trapping my father like some kind of criminal made me feel sick. But what else could I do? He’d crossed a line that couldn’t be erased. He had taken a child. An innocent child. My godson.And no amount of blood connec
Last Updated: 2025-08-06
Chapter: Chapter 80BENEATH THE FACADEBehind the façade of wealth and power, a web of secrets awaits.Chapter 80Emily’s POV:After the emotional storm, the house was wrapped in an unfamiliar silence. Not the heavy, tense kind that clung to the air like fog, but the calm after a hurricane. The type of quiet that left space for healing—and for clarity.We sat around the kitchen table again, the same table that had carried the weight of our confessions, breakdowns, and truths. Nyla sat beside me, her eyes tired but softer now, her hands wrapped around a steaming mug of coffee she hadn’t touched. Eddy stood by the window, arms crossed, staring out like he could will answers from the clouds.None of us spoke for a while. There was nothing new to say about the past. We had all bled enough over it. What mattered now was what we were going to do next.Finally, I broke the silence. “We need to find Josh.”Nyla turned to me slowly, her lips pressed tight. “Yes,” she said. That one word carried all the desperatio
Last Updated: 2025-08-06
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