Olive jolted awake, her scream still ringing in her ears.Her chest heaved as she fought to calm her ragged breaths. Sweat slicked her skin, her hair plastered to her damp forehead. Her eyes darted frantically across the room, searching for any sign of the darkness that had consumed her moments before.She looked around wildly, her eyes adjusting to the familiar surroundings of her room.Clutching her stomach, her trembling fingers pressed against her flesh, half-expecting to find the blade that had pierced her in the dream. But there was nothing. Just the pounding of her heart, loud and unrelenting, as if it were trying to hammer its way out of her chest.She could hear the ticking of the clock in the silence. Looking up, she saw it was only 2:30 AM. Grabbing the sheet tightly, she wrapped it around herself as she trembled.“It was a dream,” she whispered shakily, her voice barely audible. “Just a dream.”But it had felt so real. Too real. She pulled the covers tightly around her tre
Mia’s bitter laugh echoed through the room, her trembling hand pointing accusingly at Olive. Her voice was venomous as she snarled, “You think this is over? You’ve ruined everything—everything.”Raymond’s eyes darkened, his towering presence exuding cold authority. He stepped forward, his tone sharp and unyielding. “Mia, you’re not thinking clearly. I’ve asked you to leave because it’s the best thing for both of us. Staying here isn’t helping you.”Mia’s rage wavered, her face contorting as despair seeped into her expression. Her shoulders sagged, but her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “Best for who, Raymond? You? Do you even care what you’ve done to me?” Her voice cracked, heavy with anguish.Raymond sighed, but his tone turned harder, more resolute. “I care, Mia, but not in the way you want me to. I’ve never loved you, and I never will. I care because of the friendship between our families—nothing more. It’s time for you to let go.”Mia shook her head violently, her hair flying a
“Who’s there?” Olive asked, her voice cautious as she approached the door.“It’s me, Raymond,” came the deep, familiar voice from the other side.She hesitated for a moment, then opened the door to find him standing there, his tall frame filling the doorway. His expression was calm, but his intense gaze held hers firmly.“I hope you’re comfortable in this suite,” he began, his voice softer than usual. “Or do you want me to get you a house instead?”Olive blinked, unsure if she had heard him correctly. “A house?” she repeated, her brows furrowing in confusion.Raymond nodded, his face betraying no emotion. “Yes, a house. I want you to feel at ease. If you’re not comfortable here, just say the word.”Olive stared at him, stunned by the casual way he made such a grand offer. “No, I don’t need a house,” she said quickly, shaking her head. “This suite is more than enough.”Raymond’s eyes dropped to the bed behind her, where her open suitcase lay with neatly folded clothes. “Are you leaving
Mia leaned back in her chair, her fingers drumming against the table as she held her phone to her ear. “Make sure it’s done cleanly. No mistakes, no trace,” she said sharply.The man on the other end chuckled, his voice smooth and unbothered. “Mia, after all these years, you still question what I’m capable of?”He took a drag from his cigarette, the ember glowing briefly before he exhaled a cloud of smoke. His gaze wandered to the Chicago skyline outside his hotel window, his lips curving into a faint smirk.“Relax,” he said, his tone dripping with confidence. “You can start celebrating. The job’s as good as done.”Mia's laughter echoed through the phone, a cold, mirthless sound that sent shivers down the spine. "I knew I could count on you. You're the best in the business."The man's response was curt, his tone dismissive. "Just make sure you hold up your end of the deal." His words were a warning.He ended the call, slipping his phone into his pocket. His movements were deliberate a
The morning sun shone brightly through the curtains of Olive’s hotel room. She woke up slowly, feeling tired after a restless night. She sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes, then stretched her arms. It was time to start the day.Dragging herself to the bathroom, she washed her face with cold water. The chill helped her wake up fully. After drying her face, Olive stared into the mirror for a moment. Her heart was heavy. The court case today was on her mind.She dressed simply, in a white blouse and navy jeans, and then walked over to the phone on the bedside table. She pressed the button to call the hotel’s room service.“Good morning,” she said. “I’d like to order breakfast, please. Coffee, scrambled eggs, and toast.”“Yes, ma’am,” the voice on the other end replied. “We’ll deliver it shortly.”After ending the call, Olive grabbed her phone and texted her lawyer, Mr. Henry. “Good morning, Mr. Henry. I’ll come to your office today with the documents.”It didn’t take long for him to reply.
The waitress leaned back against the passenger seat, her dark eyes gleaming with malice. “Not bad. She’s a pretty one,” she said, smirking as she glanced at Olive. “Maybe you will have a little fun with her before she kisses the earth goodbye.”Olive’s skin crawled at the words. She felt like an animal, something to be used and then thrown away. Her mind raced, trying to think of a way to escape, but her body wouldn’t cooperate. She was too weak, too scared. She felt like a lamb surrounded by wolves, helpless and cornered. Tears burned her eyes, but she blinked them back, refusing to give her captors the satisfaction of seeing her break.Who were these people? What did they want? None of that mattered now. All she could think about was escape. She had to get out, no matter what.The car slowed to a halt, the sound of crunching gravel beneath the tires breaking the tense silence. Olive squinted through her blurry vision and saw they had arrived at a desolate location—a forgotten piece
Raymond stormed out of his penthouse in New York, his phone pressed tightly against his ear.“I want every resource we have looking for Olive Bennett. Now.” His voice was sharp, filled with urgency.His driver rushed to open the car door, but Raymond didn’t wait. He slid into the backseat and slammed the door shut. “To the airport. Fast.”As the car sped off, Mia stood by the window, watching with a sly smirk. Everything was going just as she had planned.She picked up her phone and dialed.The cloaked man answered after one ring.“Hello,” she said smoothly, her voice dripping with fake sweetness. “I don’t want her to see the sunlight of the next day.”The man chuckled darkly, taking a long drag from his cigarette. “Consider it done.”He exhaled a cloud of smoke before leaning back lazily. “When will I get my part of the deal?”Mia rolled her eyes, her tone playful yet cold. “Don’t be in a hurry. Everything will be processed soon.”The man grinned, taking another sip of his wine. “It
The tires screeched against the pavement as the car came to a jarring halt."Shit! She jumped out!" the man cursed, slamming his fists against the steering wheel as they came down from the car.The girl’s eyes burned with fury. “We need to get her before—”She stopped mid-sentence. Headlights sliced through the darkness, a black SUV speeding toward them.“Damn it!” the man growled. “We have to retreat.”He backed away cautiously, keeping his eyes on the unmoving form of Olive. The girl spat out a curse but wasted no time. They both rushed to the car, slamming the doors shut.The SUV skidded to a stop just a few feet away from Olive’s crumpled body.“Olive!” Raymond’s voice cracked as he leaped out of the car, his feet pounding against the asphalt. He dropped to his knees beside her, his hands trembling as he reached for her. She was pale, her skin icy to the touch, and blood pooled beneath her, staining the ground red."Follow them!" he barked at his men.His men were already in pursu
“No, Kain! You can’t do this to me!” Mia screamed, her voice shrill with panic. You could hear the fear in her tone, like someone whose hand was about to be placed on a burning flame.Kain was still crouched on the ground, his hand gripping the gun tightly. His face—twisted with pain and rage—was soaked with sweat. His finger trembled slightly on the trigger as he stared up at her. He felt no remorse for what he was about to do.“I never loved you,” he spat bitterly, his voice low and hollow. “All I ever wanted was your money… and the documents—just like my sister said. But you never gave me anything. Seems you were bad luck after all.”Mia’s face twisted even more as she shook her head. “No… no, Kain, you’re confused. You’re letting them manipulate you. We had something real—”Kain laughed. A broken, cold laugh that echoed with bitterness.“Real? You call that real? I traced Olive from the day she arrived in New York. Remember that? You made sure she had no home. You blocked every ap
“Nothing, Nurse Janet. I actually thought it was Miss Olive.”Janet tilted her head, curious. “No, she wasn’t the one. Wait a minute…” she paused, her eyes narrowing. “If Miss Olive is related to you, how would you not know she’s dead?”“Is that the reason you also came to the hospital today?” she asked, her voice laced with curiosity.Ezra turned his face away. “It’s complicated. Let’s not go there,” he mumbled, forcing a smile. “Tell me more about yourself.”Janet rolled her eyes. “What more do you want to know apart from the fact that I'm a nurse? And my full name is Janet Clinton. What about you?”“Well, I am Ezra.”“What about your surname?”Ezra hesitated. “Does that really matter?” he replied, twitching his lips and briefly glancing at her. Their eyes locked unexpectedly. A second too long passed before they both looked away as if they had not been staring at each other.“Hmmm. Really? If you don’t want to talk, no problem. I’ll just consider you a man with no surname,” she smi
“See Raymond, we’re thinking Olive might be our dead little sister.”Raymond scoffed, tilting his head. “Huh? Olive? Your sister?”Ethan nodded cautiously. “We know it might sound strange, so we wanted to do a DNA test on her… but unfortunately, she’s—”“She’s dead.”The words barely left Ethan’s mouth before Raymond’s fist crashed into his face.Ethan stumbled backward, clutching his jaw in shock.“You think she’s your sister and yet you wish her dead?” Raymond thundered.Ethan blinked in disbelief. Ethan spat blood to the side, still holding his cheek. “Isn’t she dead?” he stammered.Raymond’s nostrils flared, his eyes reddened with fury—a storm barely held in check.“If you ever say that word around Olive again, I swear I’ll have you killed,” he growled.“Raymond!” Ezra yelled, stepping forward, his temper breaking through. “We came here to make peace, not to fight. But from the look of things, it seems you—”“Hey, hey,” Ethan yanked Ezra back. “Enough. Remember why we’re here,” he
"Ezra, you're seeing things. Let’s get into the car," Ethan managed to say, steadying his voice even though his own heart was hammering.Ezra kept staring into the distance, like he was hoping she would reappear if he just stared hard enough. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, the muscles in his arms twitching with tension. He blinked a few times, swallowed hard, and finally dragged himself toward the car.He didn’t say a word as he climbed into the backseat beside Ethan. The door clicked shut behind him with a soft thud that sounded way too loud in the heavy silence.Their driver, a tall, quiet man dressed in black, gave a small nod and started the engine. He pulled out of the parking lot carefully, obeying every traffic rule like he had all the time in the world.Inside the car, the air was thick and heavy.Ezra stared out the window, his jaw clenched so tight it looked like it might snap. His fingers tapped an erratic rhythm against his thigh, his mind obviously still stuc
Ezra looked up to his brother, his eyes bloodshot, the kind of red that told Ethan his brother had been fighting some kind of battle in silence. It was a look that spoke of exhaustion, grief, and something darker, deeper — something Ethan wasn’t ready to face."Come sit closer to me, Ezra," he said, his voice soft but urgent, as if the space between them might be too wide for comfort.Ezra shuffled closer, his movements stiff, robotic, as if every inch of him weighed a hundred pounds. He didn’t speak, didn’t meet Ethan’s gaze, just lowered his head and stared at the floor. His hands fidgeted in his lap, twisting and turning, as if he was trying to hold on to something — something that might slip away if he wasn’t careful.Ethan didn’t stop asking questions."What’s going on, man? You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Did something happen?"But Ezra didn’t answer. The silence between them grew louder with each unanswered question, each strained breath. Ethan’s worry deepened.A thousand t
Just as Ezra stood there fighting a losing battle with his own thoughts, the sound of footsteps broke the heavy silence. He barely glanced up.Nurse Janet walked by, balancing a tray of medication in her hands. She paused when she noticed him — a broken figure leaning against the cold wall like he couldn’t keep himself standing straight."Hello," Nurse Janet greeted gently, her voice carrying a kindness that somehow made everything inside Ezra feel worse.It dragged him out of his spiraling thoughts for a moment. He forced himself to stand a little straighter, wiping at his face quickly as if he could hide the tears that had already betrayed him.Nurse Janet offered him a warm smile, her eyes crinkling softly at the corners. "Why are you down like this? You should be happy," she said, balancing the tray carefully. "Your brother’s alive. It’s a thing of joy."Ezra opened his mouth, but no words came out at first. He pressed his lips together, trying to breathe past the tightness in his
"Oh, I see," Raymond said, his voice low and bitter. "That’s your plan, right? Your plan to kill her?"Ezra blinked, stunned, feeling like Raymond had just slapped him across the face."No, Raymond," he said quickly, shaking his head, heart pounding against his ribs. "No... I just want to confirm she's okay."Raymond stared at him slowly, as if he was peeling Ezra apart layer by layer with just his eyes. His gaze was cold. Distant. Dangerous."Ezra," he said, his tone almost mocking, "tell me something… what exactly is your plan? Haven't you done enough already?"Ezra clenched his fists at his sides, feeling the heat rising in his chest. He sucked in a breath, closing his eyes tightly.He opened them again, forcing himself to meet Raymond’s furious glare without flinching."Raymond," Ezra said carefully, steadying his voice, "we might be connected to Olive. Somehow. We just... need to find out the truth."Raymond gave a short, cold laugh. No humor in it. Just pain."Connected?" he rep
The nurse turned and looked at Ezra, her expression unreadable. “Sorry, sir,” she said flatly, then turned away.It was as if the moment never happened. The nurses resumed their tasks in silence, their quiet efficiency louder than any words. Ezra stood there, ears ringing from the weight of what he’d just heard. That silence… it wasn’t what he wanted. It wasn’t what he needed. He didn’t want calm or polite shrugs—he wanted answers. He wanted someone to tell him that what he heard was wrong.With panic rising in his chest, Ezra spun on his heel and ran down the corridor. He remembered the ward Olive had been in, where Raymond's assistant had guarded the door like his life depended on it.His heart pounded in his ears, his shoes squeaking across the tiles. When he reached the room, he yanked the door open.Empty.The bed was stripped. Machines unplugged. Everything was so neat, it was like she’d never been there.“No. No, no, no—” he whispered, stumbling back a step.A nurse was inside,
Olive lost her childEthan felt like the ground had shifted beneath him. His eyes were fixed on nothing, yet everything around him swirled in chaos. His chest rose and fell sharply as the weight of Ezra’s words settled in.“She… she lost the baby?” His voice cracked, almost too soft to hear.Ezra nodded, his face drawn. “Yeah. The doctor said the trauma and stress were too much.”A silence fell between them.Ethan turned his face away, ashamed. “This is my fault,” he said bitterly. “All of it. If I hadn’t given in to Mia’s manipulations—if I hadn’t allowed my hatred for Raymond to blind me—Olive wouldn’t have been hurt.”Ezra didn’t respond at first. He just sat down beside Ethan’s hospital bed, leaning forward with his hands clasped. His posture was stiff. They had both walked the same path, driven by envy and resentment, thinking they were justified. But now, the consequences stared them down in the most brutal way.“You’re not alone in this,” Ezra finally said. “I let my emotions t