LOGINMaya's POVI held his hand as they wheeled him toward the ICU, where they told us we had to wait outside.The moment those doors swallowed him, I felt like I was losing my mind.My whole world was crumbling right in front of my eyes.This wasn't how we planned it.This wasn't supposed to happen.This wasn't part of the plan.Josh and Tony held onto me, but they were breaking too. I could feel it in the way their hands trembled, in the way their voices cracked whenever they tried to reassure me.I couldn't lose him.Not him.I'd already lost everyone I'd ever loved.I couldn't lose Ethan too.Please don't take him away from me.Please.My knees finally gave out, and I fell to the floor.My clothes were soaked in his blood. His blood. The sight of it made my stomach twist, but I couldn't bring myself to change. I couldn't even bring myself to look away.Tony immediately dropped beside me and wrapped his arms tightly around my body.I just cried.My chest pounded violently against my rib
Maya POV Marcus was already going crazy.“What have you done?!!!” Marcus roared.Ethan's smile widened.“Careful there, uncle.”He looked around the room.“Everyone is watching.”Josh took back the USB and walked toward us.“They are here, sir,” he muttered.Marcus trembled.“W-who is here?”Before anyone could answer, the doors suddenly burst open.For a moment, nobody moved.Then came the sound of heavy footsteps.One after another, several police officers stormed into the room, their shoes striking against the floor as they spread out and surrounded the people inside. The atmosphere instantly changed. The shock on everyone's faces was almost impossible to describe.Gasps filled the room.Some of the directors stepped backward in fear, while others looked at each other, clearly trying to understand what was happening.At the front of the officers stood Detective Brian.His eyes immediately landed on Marcus.He didn't hesitate.He walked straight toward him, pulling a pair of handcu
Maya POVThe flight finally came to an end.After what felt like hours of sitting in that uncomfortable silence, the wheels finally touched the ground, and the aircraft began to slow down.The moment we came to a complete stop, everyone started getting out.Ethan was the first to step forward. His expression was calm, but there was something different in his eyes. Something I couldn't quite place.Josh immediately followed behind him.Ethan turned to him.“What about Detective Brian?” he asked.“He and his team are on standby already, sir,” Josh replied.Ethan nodded.Tony, who had been checking his phone, suddenly froze.A completely different expression flashed across his face.He quickly shoved his phone into his pocket and hurried toward Ethan.“Jones already found him,” he said quietly.It sounded more like a whisper, but I heard him.A small smile appeared on Ethan's face.For a brief second, the tension in his features disappeared.But just as quickly, he waved it off.“Tony, I
Maya POVI stared at the broken man in front of me.He was crying.Not quietly, not with the controlled tears of someone trying to hide his pain. He was sobbing, hitting his chest repeatedly as though he could somehow beat away the truth that had just been forced upon him.This was too much.It was beyond anything I could have imagined.A brother had killed his own brother because of a company.A family had been destroyed by greed, jealousy, and the hunger for power.Humans were the real monsters.Josh didn't utter a word. None of us did. We simply stood there, watching Ethan fall apart right before our eyes.My heart broke for him.I walked toward him and wrapped my arms around his trembling body, pulling him against me.He cried like a child who had finally lost the strength to pretend he was okay.I held him tighter."It's okay," I whispered, even though I knew it wasn't.Nothing about this was okay.His tears soaked through my shirt, but I didn't care. I let him cry. I let him rel
Ethan POVI drove as fast as I could to my house.My mind was spiraling, replaying everything Maya had told me, every word, every expression on her face. Something about Evergreen Community Hospital wouldn't leave me alone. There was something I had missed.Something important.The moment I arrived, I jumped out of the car and rushed inside.Tony was watching television. The second he saw me, he sprang to his feet.“How was it? How was it?” he asked, rushing toward me.I barely looked at him.“That hospital—Evergreen Community Hospital in Valariana. Can you research it for me?”He stared at me in confusion.“What’s going on?”“Tony, for once, just listen. Where’s your computer?”“Your room.”I immediately bolted upstairs, and he followed.Once inside, Tony turned on his computer, which sat on the table beside the bed. He entered his password and gestured for me to take over.I quickly opened Google and typed:Evergreen Community Hospital incident three years ago.“Incident? Ethan, wh
Maya's POVFiona ran to me the moment I got back to Grandma Seong’s shop.“Are you okay?”Tony looked at me, his brows furrowed.“Where’s Ethan?” he asked.Adrian appeared behind him, waiting for my answer.I sighed.“I’m not Ethan’s keeper, and I’m fine,” I replied, walking away.Fiona immediately followed me. She walked beside me without saying a word.For a while, we moved through the crowd in silence.Then I finally broke.“I was married to him three years ago.”Fiona stopped so abruptly that I had to turn around.Her eyes widened.“Married?”I nodded slowly.“What happened?”I swallowed the lump forming in my throat.“It was a contract marriage. I was supposed to get paid after one hundred days.”She stared at me as though I'd just told her the most unbelievable thing in the world.“You’ve got to be kidding me.”I shook my head.“It wasn’t an easy decision, Fiona. I needed the money for my brother’s surgery, so I accepted.”Her expression changed immediately.“Your brother’s surg
Ethan POVThe sound was so loud it forced me to raise my head.I glanced behind me for a second before turning back to my computer, ignoring whatever chaos was happening in the house—and ignoring the endless calls from Mr. Wellington.Instead, I scrolled lazily through an endless feed of hot girls.
Day 1,Maya POVThe noise was too much.I woke up with a banging headache, groaning as I forced my eyes open.“Arrggh… what is that?” I muttered.My gaze slowly moved to the clock standing opposite the bed.9:17 AM.What?I slept till the next day?I guess I was really that tired.I tried getting o
Maya POVI stood in front of the full-length mirror as a team of stylists pinned jewels into my hair and tightened the corset of my gown. The silk was heavy, and the diamonds were blinding.My reflection stared back at me, expressionless.The only image in my mind was Andre lying on that hospital b
Maya POV“Marriage?” I asked, just to be sure as the word tasted like lead in my mouth.“It’s quite simple, Ms. Rivers. Marry him, stay for one hundred days, and $10 million is yours,” the old man said, his voice as calm as if he were discussing the weather.I stared at this old man in front of me.







