Chapter: EXTENDED ROOTSThe Mitchell estate still had its tall windows glowing against the evening sky. Jessica stepped out of the car, smoothing the front of her dress while Avery clutched her hand tightly. The air smelled faintly of pine and wood polish which gave the environment an elegant, distant, and far too familiar scent. Ethan stood by the grand doorway, his hands tucked in his pockets, trying to look casual but looking every bit as nervous. Behind him stood his parents, Charles and Eleanor, and the man with a walking stick, William Mitchell.Ethan’s smile faltered, then steadied. “Hey, Jess. Thanks for coming.”Jessica felt Avery’s grip tighten. Joseph and Janet flanked her, both standing a little taller than usual.Charles stepped forward first, extending a hand to his friend Joseph. “Joseph, my old friend. It’s been a long time.”Joseph clasped it firmly, his voice low. “A very long time. The last time we met, our kids were tearing each other apart.”Charles’s jaw flexed, but his tone stayed
Last Updated: 2025-10-23
Chapter: LAKE COMOIt was late in the evening, and the house was quiet except for the annoying ticking of the clock in the living room. Avery was already asleep upstairs, after a long day of being a menace. Jessica sat curled on the couch with a mug of tea that had long gone cold, her laptop open but forgotten. The glow from the table lamp cast gentle shadows across the room, brushing over family photos on the shelf.She scrolled absently through old pictures of her and Avery in Italy, bundled in coats, laughing by the canals. Her chest tightened at the memory. The house felt too still, too heavy with what-ifs.Then came a knock at the door.Jessica frowned, glancing at the clock. 9:47 p.m.Her stomach sank knowing that hardly anyone visited at this hour. She reached for her phone, opened the security camera app, and froze.Ethan.He stood on the porch in his work clothes, tie loosened, sleeves rolled to his elbows. His hair was slightly tousled, his expression unreadable. For a brief moment, she
Last Updated: 2025-10-22
Chapter: STORM'S COMINGThe evening light slanted through the half-drawn curtains, drawing gold lines across Jessica’s bedroom wall. She sat on the edge of her bed, the cream envelope resting heavy on her lap like a decision she didn’t want to make. Her thumb kept tracing the raised letters of the Mitchell name, over and over, until the motion felt like punishment.The door creaked softly. Janet, her mother, stepped in, her voice low. “Still thinking about it?”Jessica didn’t look up. “Thinking, regretting, overthinking. It’s one of them or maybe all?”Janet smiled faintly and sat beside her, the mattress dipping slightly. “You’ve been staring at that thing for almost an hour.”Jessica sighed, setting the envelope aside. “I’m scared, Mom.”“Of what?” Janet asked gently.“Not the trip,” Jessica said in a quiet voice. “Of what it means if I say yes.” She picked at the corner of the envelope. “Every time I start trusting him again, he proves and gives me reasons why I shouldn’t.”Janet watched her daugh
Last Updated: 2025-10-09
Chapter: JINGLE BELLSThe hum of orchestral music filled the air in Jessica’s studio, was alive with colour, bolts of silk spilling over tables, the scent of fabric glue and coffee blending in the air. She leaned over her sketchpad, pencil gliding quickly as she murmured to her assistant, “Tell Maya to adjust the hemline by half an inch on this dress.”A knock followed almost instantly.“Ma’am,” her assistant said from the doorway, slightly breathless. “There’s a man here. He says his name is Mr Ethan Mitchell, and he is here to see you.”Jessica froze. Her pencil paused mid-stroke. “Did you say...?”“Yes, ma’am. Mr Mitchell.”A dozen emotions formed in her chest. “Goddamn it. Send him in,” she muttered, her tone cool, clipped.Ethan stepped inside, looking oddly out of place among all the pastels and chiffon hanging around. His suit was dark, his presence heavier than the air itself. “This is a nice setup, Griselda.” he mocked, scanning the mannequins and the photos pinned to the mood board. “You’ve
Last Updated: 2025-10-08
Chapter: LONG ENOUGH The morning air was cold enough to sting. Dew clung to the windshield as Ethan parked across from the Johnson residence, his engine ticking softly in the silence. Avery’s doll, with its frayed yarn hair, was beside him on the passenger seat like a silent witness.He turned it over in his hands, thumb brushing the crooked smile stitched across its face. “You really forgot your favourite doll, kiddo.”For a moment, he just sat there, gripping the steering wheel as he prepared to go in. Every instinct told him to leave it with the guard, to avoid another confrontation now that Jessica’s parents were home. He exhaled, grabbed the doll, and stepped out. The gravel crunched under his shoes.When he knocked, the door opened not to Jessica, but Joseph.Jessica’s father filled the doorway in a dark sweater, his silver hair well-combed out. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes were sharp enough to cut glass.Ethan forced a polite smile. “Good morning, Mr Johnson.” He held up the
Last Updated: 2025-10-06
Chapter: CHAMPThe buzzing of voices in the auditorium dropped as the principal stepped back up to the microphone. “Parents, teachers, and students,” he announced, his voice echoing through the hall, “thank you all for your hard work and creativity. Today has been extraordinary. But as with every competition, there can only be one winner.”The audience leaned forward in anticipation. Jessica straightened in her seat, her hands folded tightly in her lap. Beside her, Janet dabbed her eyes with a tissue, while Joseph’s arm rested protectively across the back of his wife’s chair. Ethan sat at the edge of his seat, his hands clasped together, every muscle in his body tensed as if he were the one being judged.“Third runner-up…” the principal read, pausing for effect. Cheers rose from the crowd as a small boy trotted on stage to collect his ribbon. Then came the announcement for second runner-up, and another child beamed proudly as applause filled the air.Jessica’s breath caught. Her eyes darted towar
Last Updated: 2025-09-20
Chapter: GLASS WINDOWS“Welcome to my home,” Alex said as he pushed open the heavy glass doors that sealed his mansion off from the rest of the world. He spoke like someone who hadn’t just watched one of his employees attack another.The faint scent of cedar and citrus filled the air, mixing with the cool air from the air conditioning that brushed past my face. My hands tightened around the strap of the bag I packed, as the events from a few minutes ago continued playing in my head.“Alex, I..”He didn’t look at me as he spoke. “Ugh. Come in, Chloe.”The living room was bathed in soft lighting, with the wooden floor so clean that it felt like someone could fall asleep on it. Two staff members appeared almost instantly, bowing slightly when they saw Alex.“Prepare a room for her,” he said curtly. “East wing.”The staff nodded and reached for my bag.I stepped back instinctively. “That’s not necessary. I can handle it. It’s...”Alex’s voice cut through my protest. “You were nearly attacked tonight, Ch
Last Updated: 2025-10-23
Chapter: MIAMI'S KNIGHT My...the apartment Alex had let me stay in was quiet...almost too quiet. The kind of silence that is weird in one’s ears. I kicked off my shoes immediately, wincing as my feet finally hit the cold floor. The day had drained every energy from me. I sank into the couch, sinking deeper into its cushions like it might swallow me whole.After taking a cold shower and getting ready for bed, I poured myself a glass of wine for surviving the first day of execution in the office. I promised to take one sip, okay maybe two sips to get the edge off.That’s when the first bang hit the front door so hard the glass nearly slipped from my fingers. A second hit followed immediately, louder this time, shaking the door’s frame.“Open up!” a voice roared from the other side. “You think I’ll let you live after this?”“Daniels?” I whispered to myself when I realised that the voice sounded familiar.“Open the damn door!” he shouted again. “You ruined my life, you bitch! You and your boss destroyed eve
Last Updated: 2025-10-22
Chapter: GIFT I pushed the door open, trying to look calm like I wasn’t hating what was going on here today. The fluorescent lights gave the conference room a washed out low that made it feel like I had walked into an old movie.Alex still seated there, jacket hanging on the back of his chair now, sleeves rolled neatly to his elbows. He didn’t look up, just scrolled through something on his iPad.“Took you long enough,” he said, his voice smooth but cold. “Did you at least get me something to eat from the cafeteria?”I blinked, setting my notepad down beside him. “No one said I was supposed to do that.”He glanced up at me for just a second, those cold eyes piercing into me as always. Lord knows I hated that. “It’s just basic courtesy, Chloe.”I bit the inside of my cheek, forcing a polite smile. “Noted, Sir. I’ll make sure to bring you a coffee next time I step out.”His mouth twitched with joy. He seemed to be enjoying this new that was respectful so I wouldn’t lose my job. “Thank you. I like hav
Last Updated: 2025-10-15
Chapter: SUICIDE SQUAD The cafeteria smelled of coffee as usual and overworked air filters. The chatter around me was light, consisting of small talk about what was going on in the organisation, but it all blended into background noise. My fork hovered over my salad, pushing my lettuce leaves around as if moving them would make it appetising.I sighed and unlocked my phone, scrolling past unread emails until I saw my favourite human’s name.Lois.My thumb hesitated, hovering over my screen before tapping ‘Call’.“Well, look who finally remembered that I exist!” Lois’s voice burst through the phone’s speaker, warm and teasing as it reached my ears. “You’ve been gone for so long, I thought Alex had you locked up in one of the cages he calls an office.”A small laugh left me before I could stop it. “Honestly? You’re not far off from what really happened.”“Oh no,” she said. “Girl, from your tone I can tell there’s something more. What’s going on?”I leaned back in my chair, staring at the untouched food
Last Updated: 2025-10-13
Chapter: CHAOSThe conference room felt too big, too quiet. The hum of the air conditioner buzzed faintly in the corners, a low, steady sound that did nothing to ease the tension building up in my stomach. I sat at the long mahogany table, a notepad open in front of me, the pen in my hand still unused. My reflection in the glass wall across from me looked very composed, with a tidy bun on my head, a pressed navy blouse, and a straight posture, yet inside, my thoughts wouldn’t stop running around.He was late. Of course, it was something he would pull off.I glanced at the door for what felt like the tenth time before finally hearing the faint echo of footsteps. The door opened up, and Alex walked in like he owned the world, coffee cup in one hand, a file under his arm. His tie was perfectly straight, his grey hair slicked back with that effortless confidence that somehow irritated me more than it impressed me.“Chloe, you look like you’re about to attend a funeral,” he said with a dry tone as he
Last Updated: 2025-10-09
Chapter: THE LAST PLEAThe next morning, I found myself standing in front of Alex Blackwood’s office yet again, my reflection ghosting across the sleek glass doors. The same damn “Termination List” folder was pressed against my chest like a cursed object. I’d spent most of my night staring at it on my coffee table, trying to convince myself that this was the right thing to do, and half the night failing miserably.I inhaled sharply, straightened my blazer, and knocked.“Come in,” came his voice as always, low, crisp, and clipped.I pushed the door open and stepped inside. The familiar smell of coffee and polished wood hit my nostrils immediately. Alex sat behind his desk, typing furiously, his expression hard with focus. The rhythmic clack of his keyboard filled the room. He didn’t even glance up.“Morning,” I said softly, placing the folder on his desk. “So I’ve been thinking…”He didn’t react, didn’t stop typing, didn’t even bat an eyelash towards me.“Maybe it would be better if we handled the term
Last Updated: 2025-10-08
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