Nobela ni Kosi Antonia

The trembling maid stepped forward, looking fragile and small. Her hands fidgeted nervously with the folds of her apron. Her shoulders shook slightly, and her eyes darted around the room as if searching for a way to disappear entirely. She shifted from one foot to the other, biting her lip, as though trying to hold herself together, but her fear betrayed her. At this, Damian gave a slight nod. Then the lead officer stepped forward, circling her slowly, like a predator sizing up its prey. “We will begin with her,” he said in a firm voice. The maid’s chest heaved violently. Her gaze flitted between Damian and the officers, her eyes wide with fear. She swallowed hard, trembling so violently that her knees almost gave way. Her mind raced. Please… don’t let them suspect me… just don’t… “What’s your name?” the officer demanded. “Elsa,” she whispered, her voice breaking and trembling with each syllable. Just then, a faint rustle ran through the gathered staff. Some exchanged nervo

Damian’s hands tightened on the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. The hospital’s bright lights receded behind him, and swallowed by the afternoon sun as his car tore down the road. The engine roared, tires screeched against the asphalt, and every sound mirrored the storm boiling inside his chest. His jaw clenched, with his teeth grinding together. Rage burned in his veins like fire, pushing the car faster, faster. He saw nothing but the image of Lira’s pale face, and her fragile body lying helpless on that bed. Twenty minutes later, the tall gates of Lord Blackwood’s compound came into view. The guards at the entrance barely had time to react before Damian’s car skidded to a halt in front of them. Dust rose, glinting in the afternoon sunlight. The bodyguards straightened instantly, fear flashing in their eyes as they rushed to open the gates. He didn’t wait for them to greet him. He slammed his foot down again, the car surging forward into the compound. Its tires

The doctor stepped out, his expression carved from stone. Damian’s chest seized at once, his heart slamming against his ribs, every second dragging like a blade across his skin.“Doctor…” Damian’s voice cracked, desperation pouring out of him as he lunged forward. “How is she? Tell me—what’s happening to her?”The doctor exhaled heavily, his eyes softening, but his words were a dagger. “Mr. Blackwood, you need to calm down. Mrs. Blackwood’s condition is critical. We’re doing everything possible to stabilize her. From the test results… we discovered she was injected with a poisonous substance, scopolamine.”The world tilted. Damian’s knees buckled, forcing him to brace against the cold wall. His breath fractured into ragged gasps. “Poisoned?” His voice broke into a roar that carried grief and fury alike. “You’re telling me someone poisoned my wife?”“Yes,” the doctor replied cautiously. “The poison sent her body into shock. She’s extremely fragile. For the next twenty-four hours, she’l

Damian held Lira tightly in his arms, his eyes were filled with fear and worry. Her head was rested against his chest, her body was limp, and her breathing was shallow. For a moment, the world around him seemed to blur. All he could see was her pale face. “Lira , please… wake up,” he screamed, his voice was breaking. His throat was tightened as he pressed his lips close to her ear. “please lira open your eyes and say something, lira please... please .” Without wasting another second, he tightened his grip and hurried out of the bathroom. His footsteps thundered against the marble floor as he started rushing out of the house. Immediately, everyone’s eyes turned to him as he walked out of the room, carrying Lira in his arms. The whole family stood at once, with shock written on their faces. Gasps escaped from their lips when they saw Lira lying unconscious against his chest."What's wrong? Lira" Her mother called. Serena’s heart tightened at the sight. Fear ran through her bod

Serena walked back into the sitting room, a devilish smile still lingering on her lips. She casually sank into the couch, crossing her legs as her eyes scanned the room. Her gaze landed on Damian beside Lira, his posture calm and commanding. A smirk slowly curved her lips as she watched them, imagining the chaos that was about to unfold. Meanwhile, the maid, trembling slightly with the thick stack of cash and the syringe hidden in her palm, hurried quietly to the kitchen. She carefully set the syringe down in a hidden corner and quickly filled a crystal glass with red wine. Her heart pounded as she reminded herself of Serena’s instructions. She would have to act natural, act as if nothing was wrong. Taking a deep breath, she lifted the glass and adjusted her posture. She was ready. Then she stepped lightly along the hallway. her polished shoes were silent on the marble floor. From the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Serena, sitting elegantly on the couch. Her eye

The morning sun shone brightly over Lord Blackwood’s mansion, and huge gates opened slowly as luxury cars began to arrive, with their polished bodies gleaming in the sunlight. Bodyguards stood tall in the compound, bowing politely as each car drove in, with their movements almost like a choreographed dance. First, Lira’s parents arrived in a Rolls-Royce Phantom, stepping out gracefully and walking toward the grand entrance. Harold followed shortly after in a sleek black Bentley Continental GT. He parked his car and got out, then Serena got out too, walking a little behind him, looking around carefully. Suddenly, the low rumble of a powerful engine broke the quiet. A matte black Lamborghini Aventador sped into the compound, turning heads as it glided toward the entrance. immediately The bodyguards dropped into a deep bow, with their discipline perfect. At this, Harold and Serena stopped, turning, their eyes widening slightly to see who had entered. The car driver’s door o

Aria’s POV:The rooftop terrace was a sanctuary of shadows, the city’s hum a distant roar below. The note from last night “You can’t hide forever” still burned in my mind, its words twisting with Mom’s face, her smile fading in that car accident I could never forget. Dad’s secrets, his control, it all pressed down, fueling the fire in my chest. I hobbled out here, my ankle throbbing but my defiance roaring louder, craving something, anything—to make me feel alive again. The hotel’s pool glinted under the moon, its water still and inviting, a promise of escape.Damien and Kade had followed me, their faces etched with worry after the flickering lights and that damn note. They’d checked the terrace, their protectiveness was a wall I both resented and craved. Damien’s gray eyes scanned the edges, his jaw tight, while Kade leaned against the railing, his tattoos dark in the low light, his hazel gaze on me like he knew I was about to break.“I’m swimming,” I said, my voice steady despite t

Aria’s POV:The hotel suite felt like a glass cage, the city lights mocking me through the floor-to-ceiling windows. My ankles still ached, but just a little. I guess it's healing now. I sat on the white leather couch, my fingers tracing the edge of a photo I’d found in my purse, it was a faded snapshot of Mom, her smile was warm, her eyes shined bright like mine. Elena Sinclair.She had been gone seven years ago, taken by a car accident I still didn’t understand. The memory hit me like a blade. I still remember the headlights, her scream, the hospital’s sterile chill, and the way I had cried that day. The day I lost my soul.I was fifteen, I was too young to lose her, and too angry to forgive Dad for shutting down after, his silence was louder than any explanation. I blamed him, not for the crash, maybe—but for the secrets, the way he buried her memory under his empire’s shadow.And the way he acted like none of it mattered. Like she was just a dream.Nate’s face from yesterday

Damien’s POV:She was going to be the death of me. Aria Sinclair was a blade, sharp and reckless, cutting through every wall I’d built. Her tearful apology last night, her trembling voice as she leaned into us, had cracked something in me I couldn’t repair. My duty to Alexander, watch her, report her moves, stay detached, was slipping, replaced by the memory of carrying her, her warmth against my chest, her green eyes raw with fear. Now, in the hotel suite’s sterile glow, the city lights bleeding through the windows, I watched her, restless on the couch, her sprained ankle propped like a taunt to her defiance. She was supposed to be resting, but Aria didn’t rest.I caught the creak of her door, my gut twisting as I moved to the hallway. She was slipping toward the elevator, her purse slung over her shoulder, hobbling on that damn ankle. Her black dress was gone, swapped for jeans and a hoodie, but she still looked like trouble, her eyes burning with that stubborn fire.“Aria,” I sa

Aria’s POV: The alley outside Vibe was a blur of shadows and city noise. My ankle was still pains, a sharp, insistent pain that had started as a twinge during the chaos of the kidnapping attempt but now felt more painful with every step. “We need to move,” Damien said, his voice was clipped, as he scanned the alley. “This place isn’t safe.” I tried to step forward, defiant as always, but my ankle twisted, I gasped as I grabbed the wall. Kade’s hand shot out, steadying my elbow. “Easy, princess. You’re not walking on that.” “I’m fine,” I snapped, but my voice trembled, the adrenaline from the attack crashing hard. The truth was, I wasn’t fine. I’d run from the safe house, kissed a stranger to drown out Ethan’s betrayal, and nearly gotten myself taken. And they’d saved me, Damien and Kade, the men I’d called my jailers, had torn through those thugs like they were nothing, risking themselves for me. Damien’s jaw tightened, and he gestured toward a black car parked nearby. “We’r

Aria’s POV: The safe house was a cage, and I was done being its prisoner. Nate’s voice from last night, “Nobody cages you”, looped in my head, it was like a siren call to freedom. I clutched the key fob I’d swiped from the garage, my heart was hammering as I waited in my room. The delivery van was due at dawn, it was the perfect distraction I’d overheard Kade mention. That was my shot. I slipped into a tight black dress, traded my sneakers for heels, and checked the camera blind spot by the garage one last time in my mind. It was reckless, stupid even, but I needed to feel alive again, to drown out Ethan’s betrayal and the memory of Damien and Kade’s shirtless bodies burning through me. The van’s rumble echoed outside, and I moved very silently and fast, slipping through the safe house’s halls. The garage smelled of oil and metal, and I held my breath as I slid into my car, the engine purring to life. The city’s neon lights called me, Vibe’s pulse was a promising escape. I shov

Aria’s POV:The safe house was suffocating me. I paced my room, the memory of Damien and Kade’s shirtless bodies still burning behind my eyes, their sweat-slick muscles and heated stares making my skin flush all over again. My phone buzzed, and I grabbed it, half-expecting another pathetic plea from Ethan. Instead, it was Nate, my best friend, the one person who’d always been my lifeline to the real world. "Call me, girl. Need to hear your voice". A smile tugged at my lips, the first real one in days. Nate and his endless gossip, his stupid jokes, he was the normal I craved. I hit call, sinking onto the bed.“Aria, you alive out there?” Nate’s voice was warm and teasing, like a shot of whiskey on a bad day. “Thought your dad’s goon squad might’ve locked you in a dungeon by now.”I laughed, the sound came out shaky but real. “Close enough. I’m in some high-tech fortress, Nate. It’s like living in a sci-fi movie, except the robots are hot and annoying.”“Hot, huh?” His grin was prac