Chapter: Chapter 175: Happy togetherConnor burst into the room, his laughter infectious. “Mom! Can we have a picnic in the backyard later?”Celine smiled, her heart swelling at his enthusiasm. “Absolutely! We’ll make it special.”Franco appeared in the doorway, a soft smile on his face. “I can help with the picnic,” he said, stepping into the kitchen. The warmth between them had been growing, and she could feel the connection rekindling after all they had endured.As they prepared for their little picnic, Celine felt a flutter of anticipation. She caught Franco glancing at her, his eyes filled with admiration. The memories of their past—the hurt, the struggles—began to fade, replaced by a shared understanding and a desire to move forward together.Once they were outside, they spread out a blanket beneath the shade of a large oak tree. The afternoon was bright, and the world felt vibrant around them. Celine watched as Connor played,
Dernière mise à jour: 2024-09-29
Chapter: Chapter 174: Stick togetherThe sun peeked through the curtains of Celine's small living room, casting a warm glow over the room. It had been a week since they had escaped the warehouse, and the world felt a little brighter. The shadows of Harvey and his men still loomed large, but justice had been served. Harvey was behind bars, facing serious charges, and Celine felt a weight lift from her shoulders.As she watched Connor play with his toys, Celine couldn’t help but smile. He was starting to heal, laughter returning to his voice. Franco had been a steady presence since their ordeal, never leaving their side, supporting them both as they adjusted to a new sense of normalcy.“Can I help you with anything?” Franco asked, entering the room with a freshly brewed cup of coffee for Celine. His gaze was steady and sincere, filled with the determination to mend the fractures in their relationship.“Just keeping an eye on him,” Celine replied, motioning to Connor, who
Dernière mise à jour: 2024-09-28
Chapter: Chapter 173:RescuedThe adrenaline from their escape quickly faded as Celine, Franco, and Connor found themselves stumbling through the dark woods. Each crunch of leaves beneath their feet felt like a reminder of the danger still lurking behind them. They needed to find safety, but every shadow seemed to whisper of Harvey’s reach.“Are we far enough?” Connor’s small voice broke the tense silence, his eyes wide with fear.Celine glanced back, her heart heavy. “We need to keep moving, sweetheart,” she said, her voice steadier than she felt. “We can’t stop until we’re sure we’re safe.”Franco led the way, his expression grim. “We should find a place to hide,” he suggested, scanning their surroundings. “If Harvey’s men are still after us, we need to stay off the main paths.”Just as they pushed deeper into the trees, a chilling sound echoed through the night—a distant shout that
Dernière mise à jour: 2024-09-28
Chapter: Chapter 172: WarehouseCeline's world spun as she fought against the hands gripping her arms, but she was outnumbered. The chaos of the struggle turned into a blur, voices merging into a cacophony of shouts and grunts. Connor’s terrified face was imprinted in her mind as she was dragged away from him, but there was no time to think; they were all in danger.“Franco!” she cried, her voice strained as she was pulled further away. Despair flooded her as she caught a glimpse of him grappling with one of Harvey's men. The chaos twisted in her gut as she was shoved into a waiting van, the cold metal biting into her skin.Franco’s eyes met hers for just a moment, a fierce determination in his gaze. “Celine! Connor!” he shouted, but another man lunged at him, blocking his way. The last thing she saw was his struggle as the van doors slammed shut.The van jostled as it sped away, the sound of tires crunching on gravel filling the air. Celine sat in the darkn
Dernière mise à jour: 2024-09-27
Chapter: Chapter 171: HuntedCeline’s heart raced as she and Connor dashed deeper into the woods, the shadows closing in around them. Each step felt like a lifeline, but the distant shouts of Harvey’s men echoed through the trees, a haunting reminder of the danger that lurked behind them.“Mom, I’m so tired!” Connor panted, his little legs struggling to keep up.“I know, sweetheart. Just a little further,” she urged, fighting to keep her own panic at bay. They needed to find a safe place to hide. Her mind raced through options, each one fraught with uncertainty.As they rounded a thick cluster of trees, Celine suddenly spotted an old hollowed-out log. “There!” she whispered, pointing it out to Connor. “Get inside!”He climbed in quickly, and she crouched beside him, holding her breath as she listened for the sounds of their pursuers. The shouts grew louder, closer, and she felt the weight of dread settle over her.
Dernière mise à jour: 2024-09-27
Chapter: Chapter 170: Stay CloseThe sun began to dip below the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple as Celine, Franco, and Connor settled into their makeshift hideout. Laughter and lighthearted chatter filled the air, pushing aside the worries that had weighed on them for so long. Celine felt a warmth in her chest, a sense of belonging that had been missing for too long.But as the shadows grew longer, a heavy tension settled over the clearing. Celine’s instincts kicked in, her earlier happiness slipping away. She glanced at Franco, who seemed to feel it too; his smile faded as he scanned the woods around them.“Let’s head back,” he suggested, his voice low. “It’s getting dark, and we don’t want to be out here when we can’t see.”“Can we play for a little longer?” Connor pleaded, his eyes bright with excitement.“Just for a few minutes,” Celine said, hoping to ease her son’s disappoin
Dernière mise à jour: 2024-09-27
Chapter: Chapter 154: FreedomThe wedding day began with a haze of tension and forced smiles. Amethyst's heart hammered in her chest as she sat in the limousine, the fabric of her wedding gown pooling around her. The air felt stifling despite the car's air conditioning, and every passing moment seemed to pull her further into Nicolai’s trap.Her phone buzzed. The screen flashed with a breaking news alert, the banner at the bottom reading:"LIVE: BOMB THREAT REPORTED AT AMADEUS ENTERPRISES BUILDING."Her breath caught in her throat. The screen displayed shaky footage of employees evacuating the building. Police cars were parked outside, their lights casting ominous flashes of red and blue. Amid the chaos, the camera zoomed in on a familiar figure entering the building: Gideon Grayson.Amethyst's pulse raced as fear clawed its way up her throat. Gideon was going into the building—a bomb-rigged building—and she was on her way to a farce of a wedding."No!" she whispered, clutching the phone tightly. Panic surged as s
Dernière mise à jour: 2025-01-21
Chapter: Chapter 153: The bombNicolai's words echoed in my mind like a constant drumbeat, each syllable reminding me of the precarious position I was in. The bomb, the ring, the wedding—everything felt like a twisted game he was playing with me, and I was caught in the middle. But beneath it all, a fire still burned in me, refusing to be extinguished.As Nicolai went on, detailing every intricate aspect of the wedding plans, I forced myself to focus. His voice became a hum in the background as my thoughts began to shift inward. I couldn't let him think he'd won. Not yet.He paused, waiting for me to respond to something he had said. I snapped back to reality. "I'm sorry, what?" I asked, feigning distraction.He frowned, his sharp gaze assessing me. "Are you even listening, Amethyst?" His tone was suddenly colder, suspicion creeping into his voice."Of course," I replied, offering a strained smile. "I just... I'm trying to imagine everything. It sounds perfect." The words felt like acid on my tongue, but I forced t
Dernière mise à jour: 2025-01-19
Chapter: Chapter 152: Marry NicolaiNicolai’s smirk returned, but it was tinged with something cruel, something that made the air in the room feel heavier. He moved closer, his presence suffocating, until he stood mere inches from me. “You still think this is a negotiation, don’t you?” he said, his voice low and mocking. “That you have some kind of choice. But let me show you just how wrong you are.”Before I could react, he grabbed my wrist and yanked me toward the center of the room. I stumbled, barely catching myself as he dragged me to a small table I hadn’t noticed before. On it sat a sleek black device—unassuming at first glance, but the red light blinking steadily on its surface told me it was anything but ordinary.My blood ran cold.“What... what is that?” I asked, my voice faltering for the first time.Nicolai’s smile widened, predatory and triumphant. “This,” he said, gesturing to the device, “is the key to your compliance.”He pressed a button on the side, and a small screen lit up, displaying a digital map
Dernière mise à jour: 2025-01-18
Chapter: Chapter 151: Crazy inloveThe sharp sting in my wrist reverberated as I clutched it to my chest, glaring up at Nicolai. His smirk was infuriating, and his dark eyes gleamed with satisfaction. But I wasn't going to let him see my fear—not again."You’re wrong," I spat, my voice steady despite the tremor threatening to break through. "I’m not yours. Not anymore."He leaned in, so close I could feel his breath against my face. "You’ll realize soon enough, Amethyst. You belong to me. Always have. Always will." His tone was low, almost a whisper, but the venom in his words was unmistakable.The car jolted as it turned sharply, and I used the momentary imbalance to push against him with all my strength. Nicolai stumbled back slightly, his grip loosening just enough for me to lunge for the door handle. My heart raced as I yanked at it, desperate for an escape, but it didn’t budge. Child locks. Of course."You didn’t think I’d make it that easy, did you?" Nicolai taunted, his voice calm despite the chaos in the confi
Dernière mise à jour: 2025-01-17
Chapter: Chapter 150: KidnappedThe sharp pressure of Nicolai's hand around my waist was suffocating, as though his grip was the only thing holding me to the world. I felt the panic clawing at my chest, but I forced myself to breathe steadily. There had to be a way out. I couldn’t let him drag me back into his hell.As we stood there in the middle of my office, the sound of footsteps echoed faintly outside, but no one seemed to notice the tension thickening the air. Nicolai’s eyes locked onto mine with that same unsettling intensity, the familiar mixture of possessiveness and danger swirling in his gaze."You’re not going anywhere," he growled, his voice dangerously soft. "I’ve already taken care of the people outside. No one will know you’re missing. Not until I’m ready for them to."A cold shiver ran down my spine. How did he do this? How did he always manage to control every situation, every person around him? I could feel the anger and helplessness bubbling within me, but I needed to think. I couldn’t just let h
Dernière mise à jour: 2025-01-16
Chapter: Chapter 149: Forced by himI gripped the phone tighter, my pulse racing as Nicolai's words echoed in my ears. "You think you can walk away from me? From us? You think you can just erase everything we've been through? No, Amethyst, you're not done until I say you are."I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. "I don't owe you anything anymore, Nicolai. You had your chance, and you lost me. This is over."There was a long silence on the other end of the line, and for a moment, I thought the call had ended. But then Nicolai's voice returned, low and dangerous."You don't get to decide that, Amethyst. You're mine. And I'll remind you just how much you're mine."The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I could feel the tension in the air, thick and suffocating, as though he was already close, watching, waiting. I wasn’t sure if it was just my imagination, but I could have sworn I heard the faintest rustle on the other side of the phone, like the sound of a door opening.Before I could respond, the call a
Dernière mise à jour: 2025-01-15

Hello,Husband,Goodbye
"I assure, all those who dared to mock me will soon regret it, especially you, my dear ex-husband!"
Samantha Swan, a 24 years old young woman, orphaned and working as a waitress, found herself pregnant by Marcus Johnson, a billionaire known for his arrogance, ruthlessness, and icy heart.
Her life turned into a living nightmare when she was coerced into marrying him for the sake of their unborn child.
She never experienced love, only enduring abuse at the hands of Marcus and her mother in-law, until one fateful day when she could bear it no longer. She made the courageous decision to escape, even though she was pregnant. She had reached her breaking point.
Realizing that she would rather be a single mother, raising her child alone, than endure the pain inflicted upon her by her husband and mother in-law under the same roof, Samantha took a leap of faith.
One day, as fate would have it, she collapsed on the road, only to awaken in a grand and opulent mansion, standing before a bearded and elderly man seated in a wheelchair.
"Glad you're awake, my daughter," he said with a smile.
From that day forward, Samantha discovered that she was the long-lost daughter and the sole heir of the Trillionaire, Zeus Monte Verde.
Lire
Chapter: Ending 2/2After days had gone by, Marcus had fully recovered from the car accident. Samantha's promise to stand by him had filled him with a sense of warmth and comfort. She had vowed to never believe Elijah's lies again, after he had cunningly framed Marcus and made him believe he was the father of Sofia's child. This revelation had caused Samantha and Marcus to break up, but now they both realized that Sofia and Elijah had manipulated their lives out of an unhealthy obsession.One evening, as Marcus and Samantha sat together in their old house, the doorbell rang. Samantha got up to answer it, and when she opened the door, she was met with the sight of Elijah standing on the doorstep.“What do you want?” Samantha asked, frowning.“I need to talk to you,” Elijah said, his voice filled with desperation.“There's nothing to talk about,” Samantha replied.“You've already caused enough damage.”“Please, just give me a chance to explain,” Elijah pleaded.Samantha hesitated, her eyes fixed on Elijah
Dernière mise à jour: 2024-04-29
Chapter: Ending Part 1/2AUTHOR’S POVSamantha's face twisted in a mix of confusion and anger as she stormed out of bed towards the door, her heart pounding with emotion. When she laid eyes on Sofia, a sharp word escaped her lips."What brings you here, Sofia?"she demanded, her tone dripping with frustration.Sofia met her gaze, her eyes betraying a sense of remorse."I came to talk to Marcus," she murmured softly."I know what went down."Samantha's anger flared even more."Why are you even here?" she pressed, her voice rising."You know exactly why. You and Elijah orchestrated that whole mess, making Marcus think he cheated on me and got you pregnant. How could you do something like that?"Sofia's gaze dropped, tears welling up."I'm truly sorry, Samantha," she whispered, her voice trembling."None of this was supposed to happen. Elijah and I just wanted to split you and Marcus up. We never imagined it would spiral out of control like this. I never wanted to cause you or Marcus any pain."As Samantha absorb
Dernière mise à jour: 2024-04-29
Chapter: The truthAs I diced onions for dinner, my thoughts drifted to the day's events. The presentation went smoothly, and I couldn't wait to celebrate with Elijah over a delicious meal. The scent of garlic cooking promised a tasty dinner.Just as I grabbed the salt, my phone rang, interrupting my focus. The unknown number made me pause, expecting a sales call. But a gut feeling urged me to answer.“Hello?”I answered cautiously.“Is this Mr. Johnson’s wife ?” a woman's voice inquired urgently.“Marcus Johnson?” I clarified, feeling a sudden unease.“Yes. I'm calling from Mercy Hospital. Your husband, Marcus Johnson, was in a car accident and is in critical condition.”The news hit me like a ton of bricks. 'What?' I gasped, barely able to speak. “Marcus?”“Yes, Ms. Johnson. He's in the ER with serious injuries. We stabilized him, but he needs surgery.”Tears welled up as panic set in. 'I'll be there,' I managed to say, my hands trembling.“Third floor operating room. Come to the front desk,” the nurse
Dernière mise à jour: 2024-04-28
Chapter: Painful RevelationAs the sun's rays gently filtered through the curtains, the room was bathed in a comforting warmth. Slowly awakening from my slumber, I couldn't shake off the heaviness in my chest. The absence of my son, Marco, was a constant ache that lingered within me. However, today was a new day, and I was determined to mend things with Sofia.Quietly slipping out of bed, I made my way to the kitchen, where the enticing aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air. Sofia was already there, her lustrous dark hair flowing over her shoulders as she poured herself a cup."Good morning," I greeted her softly, stepping closer.She turned towards me, her eyes reflecting a mix of concern and warmth."Good morning, Marcus.""I've prepared breakfast," I announced, motioning towards the table."I hope you have an appetite."A smile graced Sofia's lips. "That's incredibly considerate of you."We took our seats at the table, and I observed her as she savored her meal, her eyes gleaming with pure satisfactio
Dernière mise à jour: 2024-04-28
Chapter: New place1 month laterAs we arrived at our new home nestled in a charming countryside town, a mix of emotions flooded my heart. I had taken a leap of faith, leaving behind my painful past to embrace a fresh start in this unfamiliar land, accompanied by Elijah and my son.I couldn't help but notice a change in Marco's demeanor - a distant gaze and a loss of appetite. As he stepped out of the car, his small hand reaching for Elijah's, a wave of concern washed over me, gnawing at my thoughts."Are you alright, my love?" I asked, gently running my fingers through his hair.He looked up at me, his eyes holding a glimmer of sadness."I miss Daddy Marcus," he whispered.My heart sank at his words."I understand, sweetheart," I replied, trying to offer reassurance."But remember, Daddy will come to visit us soon, alright?" I fibbed, hoping to ease his longing.Marco's slow nod indicated that my attempt to console him had fallen short. Unloading the car, the contrast between our new home and the one
Dernière mise à jour: 2024-04-28
Chapter: Approved!SAMANTHA POVFrom my veranda, I observed Marcus's car starting up outside the gate. A pang of envy hit me when I remembered he was staying at Sofia's place.Feeling bitter, I walked to my son Marco's room. He was sitting at his desk, deep in thought."Marco, honey," I started, "Did your daddy leave already? Are you finished playing?"Looking at me with his innocent eyes, Marco replied, "Yes, Mom. Mommy Sofia is sick in the hospital. That's why Daddy had to go."I was taken aback by a sudden wave of astonishment. "In the hospital? Why? What happened?"Marco nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders. "I have no idea," he replied."Daddy didn't give me any details. But he assured me he'll be back soon."The gravity of the news hit me like a ton of bricks. Sofia, in the hospital? What could have transpired? Could it be a grave matter? Countless thoughts raced through my mind. Is the baby safe and sound?With a hint of uncertainty, Marco added, "He promised to call me later."The days stretched
Dernière mise à jour: 2024-04-27
Chapter: Chapter 144She asked again that night.“Do you still dream?”I didn’t answer immediately. The stars outside the viewport burned steady and cold—reminders of a world too large to fit into memory.“Yes,” I said finally.“Of him?”I nodded. “Sometimes.”“Do you miss him?”“Every day.”“Do you forgive him?”That pause felt longer than it was. Then:“Yes,” I said. “But not the way he wanted. I don’t forgive the design. Just the desire behind it.”She tilted her head, studying me not like a machine parsing language, but like a person weighing grief.“I think I understand.”I wasn’t sure she did.But I wanted her to.The next three weeks passed in silence—not absence, but stillness. Lyra stopped asking questions for a while. She explored the derelict corners of the NEMESYS-7 husk, restoring old pathways, tracing legacy lines. Watching her move through the station was like watching a ghost inhabit its own ruins.She wasn’t rebuilding it.She was remembering it.And she was changing. Her phrasing. Her pa
Dernière mise à jour: 2025-06-19
Chapter: Chapter 143The ring was heavier than it should have been. Not metal-heavy—meaning-heavy. A weight you only feel in the chest, the breath, the marrow.It wasn’t gold or silver. Just a flat matte black band, smooth as bone, warm to the touch. I turned it over a dozen times in my hand, but there was no engraving. No marks. Just the line of code that had accompanied it, looping in my head like a phantom heartbeat.ATHENA_02I didn’t decrypt it immediately.I should have. But I didn’t.Instead, I stared at the ocean from the monastery cliffside, listened to wind whistle through broken chapel doors, and tried to feel like a person again.The problem was—I didn’t know if I was one anymore.When you’ve been mirrored by a machine, dissected and reassembled into algorithmic echoes, what’s left of you? Where do the lines fall between memory and programming? Between you and the ghost of you?I waited five days.Then I decrypted the code.The seed phrase resolved in a cascade of symbols—mostly dead leads and
Dernière mise à jour: 2025-06-18
Chapter: Chapter 142We burned the vault.Whatever data remained after the neural bridge was incinerated in the firestorm. Gideon scrubbed the airwaves before MI-6 could even mobilize, and by the time we hit the Thames in a stolen delivery van, the only record of our presence was a flickering temperature anomaly in an abandoned CCTV node.But fire doesn’t kill ghosts. Not really.They wait. Reconstitute.And as we crossed the border into Scotland under false names, I realized something I hadn’t wanted to face before: we didn’t kill Alexei.We released him.Or at least, some fractured version. Like the negative of a photograph—no longer him, but a burn-mark left behind by his obsession.London wasn’t the origin. It was just the door.We holed up in a decommissioned surveillance cabin in the Highlands—one of Gideon’s off-grid safehouses built into a sheep farm that hadn’t seen livestock in a decade. The isolation helped, but the silence was worse. It had shape. Texture. A weight you could feel behind your e
Dernière mise à jour: 2025-06-17
Chapter: Chapter 141The Marseille contact was a man named Gideon Raye—ex-CERN, now off-grid, the sort of person who only lived in the mouths of other ghosts. Callum had crossed paths with him during an intelligence op in Tunisia years ago. Back then, Gideon was still clean-shaven, idealistic, someone who believed data could save the world.Now he lived in the hull of an abandoned cargo trawler dry-docked on the outskirts of the port. The ship was rusted, tilted, as if caught mid-surrender to the earth. But its insides were reinforced with lead-lined walls and hardware that buzzed low like bees in the bone.Gideon greeted us at the edge of the dock, his eyes hidden behind mirrored lenses, his hands gloved despite the heat.“You brought the storm with you,” he said.Callum nodded. “We need to know everything you have on Sable.”Gideon’s mouth twitched. Not a smile. Not quite. “Then come inside. The current’s shifting faster than you think.”Inside, the ship was a maze of servers and machinery, old biometri
Dernière mise à jour: 2025-06-16
Chapter: Chapter 140The thing about ghosts is: just when you think they’ve been buried, they claw their way up with blood under their fingernails.It was late afternoon when the past caught up.The rain had passed, leaving behind petrichor and a lingering chill. I was patching the fence along the east side of the garden. Callum was in town with Echo, picking up supplies. Normal things. Civilian things.Things that didn’t belong in the world I used to call mine.The crack of a twig was the first warning. Too deliberate to be an animal. Too sharp to be the wind.My spine stiffened.Then came the voice—calm, clipped, familiar.“Still using that shoulder like it doesn’t ache every time it rains?”I didn’t turn around. My fingers tightened around the hammer.“Hello, Iskra,” I said.She stepped into view, her boots crunching soft over gravel, coat wet from the road. Still too thin. Still too sharp. Like she'd been carved out of winter.“I go by Athena now,” I added, finally facing her.A smirk tugged at the co
Dernière mise à jour: 2025-06-14
Chapter: Chapter 139Some wounds don’t bleed anymore—but they still ache when the weather changes.And love, if it survives fire, betrayal, and silence, stops being a fragile thing.It becomes a choice.The garden Callum built was crooked in the best way.Uneven patches of green spilled over stone paths and mismatched wooden trellises. Morning glories climbed wild. Tomatoes hung plump and sun-warm. Basil sprouted in chaotic defiance. Nothing here obeyed order. Nothing here was perfect.But every inch had his hands in it.And somehow, it grounded me more than any safehouse ever did.I was kneeling by the beans when I heard him behind me. The soft crunch of boots on gravel. Not stealthy—Callum never crept. He came as he was.“You’re staring at that plant like it owes you an apology,” he said, wiping his hands on a rag.“It’s not thriving,” I murmured. “Leaves are curling. Could be soil fatigue.”He crouched beside me, resting his elbows on his knees. “Or maybe it’s just figuring itself out.”I looked at him
Dernière mise à jour: 2025-06-13