Chapter: Hidden Secret.The energy in the room was a radiation of coldness in its most toxic form. And although they were quite a number of people in the room, the silence was such that if a pin dropped to the floor, the sound would be loud and clear enough for everyone to hear.“Lord Castro… what do we do next?” A man finally asked, breaking the silence. “Raquel was supposed to take over this great clan once you're gone.”A much older man, dressed in all black, and holding a cigarette in his right hand shook his head, and the room tensed up in anticipation as they waited for him to speak. “And who says I'm leaving anytime soon?”“My lord, Marco is right, now that your only heiress is gone, what becomes of the Clan, and the ones responsible for her death?” Another man, dressed in all black as well, asked. “The lawyer, and her husband… you spent years avenging the deaths of your cartel members, and Raquel in question was your daughter and…”“That's enough!” Lord Castro yelled, hitting his palm against the ta
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2025-04-30
Chapter: Mrs. Rodrigo’s Funeral.**FIVE YEARS LATER*** It is crazy how time flies, leaving very little or no room for correction of past mistakes. Although some people get lucky enough to make atonement for their sins, others do not, rather they spend the rest of their days in anguish, and drowning in deep seethed guilt. Living with the consequences of your actions is something that cannot be bargained, and the rationale behind this, only the creator knows. Quite popular yet true quotes… probably a product of karma, or beyond physical wisdom. It has been five years since everything, yes… everything. Raquel was later rushed to the hospital after the accident, since she was found to still have a little life left in her. However, her punishment was not over… all the innocent people she'd done no good to, seemed to be fighting against her, thus, the life left, was not sufficient enough to sustain her for a little more time. Raquel Castro was confirmed dead few hours after getting into the hospital, her Mafia fami
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2025-04-30
Chapter: Raquel Is Dead.Travis' hopeful gaze lingered on Alison as he waited for her to say something.What did she mean by she was ahead of him on this one? And the look she had in her eyes was one he took a lot of time to understand.Whenever she knew a secret or had a surprise planned out, that was the exact same expression.“It depends on you… what do you want to hear?” she shrugged and sat upright, so did he.“I want to hear everything Alison, the whole plan.” He insisted and she nodded.“We are going to be needing Uncle Carlos' help on this one.” She started. “I have been keeping tabs on Raquel, and I'm glad she is still here in Chicago. Apparently not yet aware that we know about all of her stupid deeds.”As She spoke, his gaze drifted off, picturing her words clearly. “And since she doesn't know that we are aware of her atrocities, I'm pretty sure she's out there living her normal life.”“Exactly, she doesn't even have any reason to suspect that anyone knows about her sins, since she was smart enough
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2025-04-29
Chapter: Inner Satisfaction.Alison smiled widely settling onto a long couch, with Travis by her side, and her gaze darting around the room, to the happy faces of her guests - unexpected guests actually.Forgiveness felt exciting, it made her feel lighter, like a heavy weight just got lifted off her shoulder.“This has to be the most underrated pill.” She whispered, snuggling closer to Travis.“What's that?” He asked, staring in her eyes, with his arms wrapped around her.“Forgiveness.” She responded, and broke off their eye contact, allowing her gaze wander off. “You know, when I got Bruno arrested alongside his mother, and gained custody over my son… it did not feel this satisfying.”Oscar and Karen stopped their conversation and had their entire attention fixed on the couple, who were just starting to reinkindle their love.“I felt thirsty, like there was so much more I was missing out on.” She continued. “You know that feeling when you have already gotten everything you always wanted, and yet it was not as sa
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2025-04-28
Chapter: Proposing To Alison.The moment he sighted Alison walk out of the room looking like a ghost, better still, a frame of her former self, Travis' eyes widened in shock, so did his mouth. There was not any way he would have believe that his Alison would lose so much weight and life in just a matter of twenty one days. Her collar bones were glaring, deep enough to hold water in them. Her eyes were red, and so was her face… a testament to the tears she had to shed and the pain she'd gone through.Alison on the other hand, kept staring at him, although at first she didn't want to admit it, he was looking so haggard and unkept, his hair was messy and his moustache was starting to grow wild.Only twenty-one days apart did this to the couple, who would have thought so.Still standing apart, the couple kept staring at each other, with so many words running through their minds, yet no one was uttering any words.Who would?Travis who was articulating his thoughts and thinking of the perfect way to get Alison's for
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2025-04-27
Chapter: 21 Days Apart.After so much hesitation, Travis finally planted a soft knock, on the door of Megan's apartment.“Who is it? How can I help you?” He heard Megan's soft voice ring from inside, and moved back slightly.As sounds of footsteps approached and grew louder, so did Travis’ heartbeats. What if she sends him away rudely?Alison must have told her about everything that happened, so how was he going to face her now?“Who is it, yo …” Megan's voice stopped halfway as she sighted Travis standing by the door, looking pale.“Y..you're here,” she said, obviously shocked. “I never thought you'd stop by.”“I'm sorry, I swear, I'm really sorry.” He said and Megan folded her arms under her chest.“What do you want? Why are you here?” “Aunt Megan, please… I need your help, don't say no, I beg of you.” He pleaded. “A lot happened, and I really need to speak with Alison.”“Well… sorry to disappoint you, but Alison is not here.” Megan shrugged and turned to go in, but Travis held onto her hand, with guilt
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2025-04-26
Chapter: Brother.Nicole stood beside the fountain long after Nathan had disappeared.The paper in his tiny hand crinkled softly as his fingers tightened around it like it was the only thing he had left.Nathan.The name lingered in his mind like something warm and unfamiliar. Like there was some sort of connection between the two of them.He turned his head slowly, once again, looking toward the direction Nathan had run.The garden was suddenly quiet. Like he was in his own small world, and nothing or nobody else was there.Just him.He lowered his eyes to the pencil scribble again.A number.His number.“My number. If you want to talk”He remembered his words.But did he really want to talk?Somehow, he felt like he could trust him.Ever since the accident, he hasn’t spoken to anyone at all. Not even his father.Even when he was given a paper and pen to communicate, he would rather sit still than write a word.Yet, he wanted to talk to this boy called Nathan. He wanted to know how it felt like to tal
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-03-09
Chapter: Beginning Of A Lost Bond.The conference room had slowly emptied.One by one, the executives had gathered their folders, exchanged handshakes, and congratulated the woman who had just secured one of the most lucrative couture partnerships of the year.“Brilliant negotiation, Ms. Gracelyn.”“We’re looking forward to the Rebirth Collection.”“This will reshape the luxury fashion market.”She had responded to each of them with the same composed smile, the same calm nod, the same professional grace that had carried her through the entire meeting.And Rex? He had only watched her handle everything.The moment the last board member walked out and the doors clicked shut behind them, the atmosphere in the room shifted.Silence fell.Heavy.Gracelyn calmly began gathering her things. She slid the signed documents into her leather portfolio and zipped her bag shut. Her movements were precise and unhurried, as if she had all the time in the world.Across the table, Rexander Sinclair watched her.The room suddenly felt to
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-03-09
Chapter: Partnership.The glass lobby of The Sinclair Corporation shimmered beneath the midday sun like a monument built solely for the wealthy.Gracelyn strode in with poise and confidence. Her black, hand-stitched couture suit clung to her like armor.This meeting was supposed to be her breakthrough.A collaboration with The Sinclair Corporation and LuxeGlobal, a multinational textile conglomerate. The partnership would give her exclusive access to rare fabrics, supply-chain support, and a global runway debut in Milan.In return, The Sinclair Corporation would oversee distribution rights for her upcoming “Rebirth Collection”, a line meant to elevate her into the highest tier of couture worldwide.She had invested savings, loans, and private investors into the initial stages. Backing out now would be catastrophic. Not just financially, but reputationally. If she pulled out, she would be the one blamed for destroying the tri-company alliance.She was prepared for the meeting.Prepared for the executives.P
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-02-10
Chapter: 70th Birthday.Five years was a long time to survive hell.But Gracelyn had done more than survive. She had conquered.The timid, broken girl who once scrubbed tables for pennies was gone. In her place stood a woman drawn out of resilience.Her name, once whispered with ridicule, was now sewn in fine gold thread into the collars and hems of the world’s richest wardrobes.L’Ace was no longer a dream. It was a brand, exclusive, and celebrated by the elite.And as she zipped up her suitcase for yet another trip, her son walked in, his curls bouncing, and his innocent face reminding her of someone she wanted to forget.“Mommy!” he chirped, clutching his toy car. “We’re going on a plane?”Gracelyn crouched and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Yes, sweetheart. We’re going on a plane. To someone’s birthday party.”Her assistant, Selene, appeared in the doorway with her tablet in hand. “Everything’s arranged. First-class seats. And your schedule in Milan next week is cleared, so you’ll have time for fittings a
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-02-10
Chapter: Mistaken Identity.Gracelyn sat rigidly on the chair across from the counselor's desk, her hands clutching the edge of her notebook so tightly that her knuckles turned white.The man looked up from a stack of files, “Miss Valkyrie, tomorrow is the final deadline. We cannot hold your scholarship any longer."Her stomach dropped. “Please, sir,” she said quickly, her voice trembling. “Sir, this scholarship is everything. Please, just give me a few more days.”He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “I know it's a hard position, Gracelyn. But life is hard, sometimes. The scholarship will be reallocated by 9 AM tomorrow.”Her throat tightened. “Tomorrow,” she repeated, almost whispering.He nodded slowly. “I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do. The scholarship committee has a long waiting list. You understand, don’t you?”She nodded numbly, her eyes stinging as she forced a polite smile. “Thank you for your time, sir.”When she stepped out of his office, the hallway seemed longer than usual. Her hands s
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-02-10
Chapter: Last Hope.“Valkyrie,” he snapped, glancing at his watch. “You’re late. Again.”“I’m so sorry,” she said, her words tumbling out. “Traffic was—”“I don’t want to hear any more of your excuses. One more mistake, and you're done, Valkyrie. Understood?"“Yes, sir. I promise it won’t happen again.”He grunted, clearly unconvinced, and turned away.Gracelyn forced a breath through her shaking chest and hurried to the counter, tying her apron tightly. The scent of coffee filled the air, but instead of calming her, it reminded her of how far she was from her dream.Tomorrow.Just one day left.By 7 p.m., the café was packed. The chatter of customers, the clinking of cups, and the sound of the espresso machine blended in. Gracelyn tried to focus, but her thoughts wouldn’t stop spiraling.What if I can’t pay? What if I lose the scholarship? What if everything was for nothing?“Order for table six!” someone shouted.She grabbed the tray and hurried across the floor, her mind still spinning. But just as sh
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-02-10
Chapter: Finally Free.KANEFive years is a long time for a man who measures his life in fiscal quarters. In the city, the name Callahan had become synonymous with a quiet, impenetrable power. I had rebuilt the empire from the ashes Zane left behind, turning Project Apex into a skyline-defining reality. I moved through boardrooms like a shadow, a man who commanded the tides of the market but never felt the warmth of the sun. I had the crown, the chairmanship, and a seat at every table of consequence.I was also the loneliest man in the world.The manor had become a museum of things I no longer touched. I kept Aria’s sunroom exactly as it was, the air there tasting of dust and the faint, lingering ghost of cedar. Every Monday morning, I sat at the head of the boardroom table, and every Monday, I looked at the empty space at my side. I had won the war, but the victory had been a hollow thing, a trophy made of cold, unyielding marble.Then came this Monday.I was sitting in the back of my car, the city blurrin
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-01-08
Chapter: I Love You.KANEThe manor was too quiet. It was the kind of silence that had teeth, gnawing at the corners of the rooms until the shadows felt heavier than the furniture. I stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows in the library, the silver gavel resting on the desk behind me. Outside, the rain had stopped, leaving the estate draped in a thick, suffocating fog.I heard the front doors open. There was no forceful bang this time, no police boots, no frantic shouting. Just the soft, rhythmic click of heels on marble.I didn't move. I couldn't. My heart was a lead weight, dragging my chest down. I waited until the footsteps reached the library door and stopped. I didn't need to turn around to know she was there. I could feel her."I’m just here for the rest of my things, Kane," Aria said.Her voice was steady. That was the hardest part. There was no tremor, no lingering rage, just a flat, exhausted finality. It was the sound of someone who had already moved on while they were still standing in the room
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-01-08
Chapter: I’m A Callahan.AUTHOR'S POVThe rain had turned into a relentless, icy deluge by the time the prisoner transport van pulled away from the precinct. The city lights blurred into long, distorted smears of neon against the black asphalt. Inside the reinforced steel cage of the vehicle, Zane Callahan sat huddled, his hands cuffed to a belly chain, his expensive suit now a wrinkled rag of defeat. But even in the dim, flickering light of the cabin, his eyes hadn't lost their feverish, manic edge. He was already rehearsing the names of the judges he could bribe and the high-priced fixers who could turn a double homicide into a mistrial."You think this is it?" Zane rasped, his voice bouncing off the metal walls. He looked at the two guards sitting in the front, their silhouettes dark against the windshield. "My brother is a coward. He doesn't have the stomach to finish this. He needs me alive so he can feel superior."The guards didn't answer. The one in the passenger seat didn't even turn his head."I'm a
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-01-08
Chapter: I Had Everything And Nothing At All.The crack of the gunshot was the final string of today's chaos, but the man’s aim was hurried—jolted by the closing weight of the security team that had been trailing Miller’s unit. The bullet shattered a decorative glass vase behind the podium, showering the mahogany in a fine, crystalline dust. Before the gunman could chamber another round, he was swarmed, his face pressed into the marble floor by four guards.I didn't blink. I didn't even flinch. I just stood in front of Aria, my pulse a slow, heavy thrum in my ears. The adrenaline had reached a plateau where nothing could move me. I watched them drag the man—a Bane loyalist, a leftover piece of a dead man’s vendetta—out of the room. The silence that followed was different. It was final.Marcus stepped forward, his eyes fixed on the empty chair at the head of the table. He picked up the heavy, silver-tipped gavel that had belonged to my father, and then to Rohan. He held it out to me, his hand steady for the first time all day."Th
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-01-08
Chapter: I Just Wanted To Be A Callahan.KANEThe boardroom was no longer a temple of commerce; it had become an arena of raw, jagged exposure. The air was thick with the copper tang of adrenaline and the stifling silence of a dozen people holding their collective breath. Zane stood frozen at the podium, his fingers still clawing at the empty air where the flash drive had been a moment ago. He looked like a man who had stepped off a cliff and was only just realizing there was no ground beneath him.Aria didn't falter. She stood in her white wedding dress, a figure of crystalline purity against the dark wood of the room. She reached into the manila envelope and pulled out a stack of notarized documents, sliding them across the table toward Marcus."These are the off-shore incorporation papers for 'Apex Global Holdings,'" Aria said, her voice steady enough to cut glass. "A shell company Zane created three months ago. You’ll find that the primary shareholders aren’t the Callahan Group, but Zane Callahan and a private trust owne
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-01-08
Chapter: The Baby Is Safe.KANEThe boardroom of the Callahan Group was usually a place of high-stakes energy, but today it felt like a mausoleum. The air was stagnant, heavy with the scent of floor wax and the silent, judging presence of the men and women who held my life in their pens.I sat at the far end of the long mahogany table, my hands clasped tightly in front of me to hide the tremor I couldn't quite suppress. Across from me, Zane looked like he was already wearing the crown. He was leaned back, his legs crossed, a smug, oily smile playing on his lips as he whispered something to Sibil, who sat beside him in a dress that cost more than a small house.Rohan’s chair was empty, a gaping hole at the head of the table that no one dared to look at. The grief was there, a dull ache behind my eyes, but it was buried under a mountain of cold, hard pragmatism. I knew what was coming.I knew that in a few minutes, the board would call for the presentation of Project Apex, and I would have nothing to show but a b
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-01-08
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