His heart clenched when he saw the caller ID.Grandfather.A deep frown settled on Raymond’s face. It had been months since they last spoke, and their relationship had always been fractured. He could already guess what this call was about.Raymond couldn't remember the last time they had a proper conversation. Their bond was nothing more than a battlefield—family by blood but strangers in every other way.Taking a deep breath, he stood from the bed. He carefully threw the blanket off and got up, walking toward the balcony. He didn’t want Olive to hear this conversation.She was curled up, her delicate fingers resting against her stomach, her engagement ring catching the soft morning light. A small, unconscious smile graced her lips, as if she were lost in a dream. She sleepily rubbed her hands over her eyes as Raymond opened the glass door, his reflection flashing across the room. She groggily sat up on the bed.With a quiet sigh, he stepped onto the balcony, sliding the door shut beh
Raymond stared at his phone, his fingers trembling as cold sweat slicked his palms. His grandfather’s words echoed in his mind like a relentless storm."Terminate it."A child. His child. The one he had fought so hard to have, the one he had dreamed of, prayed for.His breath came in sharp gasps. He gripped the phone tighter, his knuckles turning white.He had always known his grandfather was ruthless, but this? This was pure evil. He had never heard of anyone hating their own great-grandchild, yet his grandfather was the perfect example.Raymond’s eyes narrowed, his grip on the phone tightening. His voice was raw with disbelief as he whispered, "You mean I should terminate my child?" His voice was laced with disgust and outrage.His grandfather's tone remained unyielding. "You're being dramatic, Raymond. It's just a child. You can always have another one."I could always have another one?Then why did Mia lose her womb if it was that easy?A wave of anger washed over Raymond. How cou
"Okay, sir," Daniel replied.Raymond exhaled sharply and leaned back in his chair. His mind was set. This ends tonight."Also, reserve a table for two at 8:00 PM tomorrow," he instructed, his voice void of warmth.Daniel acknowledged the command before Raymond ended the call.Raymond’s jaw clenched as he stared at his phone. He had given Mia too many chances, too much patience. Tonight, he would finally put an end to her delusions.Meanwhile Mia sat gracefully in her house as she swirled her wine glass, watching the deep red liquid twirl inside the crystal. A soft chime echoed in the quiet room as her phone vibrated against the marble table.Her eyes flickered with curiosity as she checked the notification. A ticket ID.A slow, sinister smile spread across her lips.Everything was falling into place.She gracefully stood from the plush armchair, swaying her hips as she walked out of the sitting room and into her bedroom. Without hesitation, she pulled out her suitcases and began packi
Mia’s fingers trembled slightly as she ended the call.This was it.There was no turning back now.The number she had just dialed belonged to Ethan—the one man Raymond hated more than anything.Ethan couldn’t destroy Raymond completely, but he could make his life a living hell. And that was exactly what Mia needed right now.Ethan was already in the city, so it didn’t take long for them to meet at a different location—a dimly lit, secluded bar tucked away in the heart of New York.Mia sat at a corner table, her fingers drumming impatiently on the surface. Her mind was clouded with anger. Her heart pounded in her chest as she waited at the lounge where they had agreed to meet.The air smelled of expensive liquor, cigar smoke, and power.A presence loomed behind her.Slowly, she turned.There he was.Ethan.Dressed in all black, he exuded raw danger and untamed arrogance. His dark eyes held a glint of amusement as they roamed over her."Mia," he drawled, stepping closer. He slid into th
"Olive," Mia replied.Ethan leaned back, his brows furrowing as he murmured the name under his breath. "Olive?" His sharp gaze studied Mia’s expression, searching for an explanation. "How sure are you that Raymond is head over heels for her?"Mia smirked, her eyes gleaming with wicked amusement. "She’s pregnant." She let the words hang between them, her fingers drumming lightly on the table. "Killing her is like killing Raymond forever."Ethan’s lips curled slightly, but his eyes remained unreadable. He gave her a long, assessing look, as if trying to piece together the deeper meaning behind her words. "Pregnant, huh?" His voice was casual, but the interest in his tone was undeniable.Mia nodded slowly, leaning forward. "That’s why she’s his weakness. Right now, Olive is his whole world."Ethan scoffed, swirling his drink lazily. "And you think taking her out will destroy him?"Mia’s smirk deepened. She knew exactly what she was doing—how carefully she had placed every piece on the bo
His husky morning voice murmured against her ear.Olive froze.Raymond’s lips brushed against her bare shoulder. “Stay,” he whispered.Her heart pounded, her breath hitching in her throat. She could still feel the warmth of last night lingering between them, but something was different. Something had changed.She bit her finger quietly, a nervous habit she hadn’t realized had returned. “Ray…” she called in a low tone, her voice barely above a whisper.Raymond turned her around, making her face him. His dark, piercing eyes locked onto hers, searching for something in her expression.“What is it?” he asked, his smirk playful yet curious.Olive hesitated before lowering her gaze. Her hand moved instinctively to her stomach.Raymond followed her movement, his expression softening. “Are you hungry?”She shook her head, a small smile tugging at her lips. “No, but the baby is.”Raymond chuckled, clearly amused by her response. “Is that so?”Without another word, he got out of bed and scooped
The screen lit up with an unknown number. Olive hesitated for a moment before picking it up."Hello?" she said cautiously."Hello, Olive," the voice on the other end replied.Her heart skipped a beat. She instantly recognized the voice.Her grip on the phone tightened."We need to talk," Frank said. "Let’s get back together. Remember how you promised to stand by me, no matter what?"Olive scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping her lips before she could stop it. "Are you for real, Frank? After everything you did?""Olive, I promise, I love you. I don’t know what came over me," Frank said, his voice desperate."You don’t know what came over you?" she repeated, her tone sharp. "Frank, you must be joking with yourself if you think I’m still the same Olive from before. You cheated on me with my stepsister and had the audacity to take me to court. And now you think I’ll just come running back to you?"Frank’s tone turned cold. "Olive, if you won’t come to me gently, then don’t be surprised at my
Raymond’s head snapped up, his breath caught in his throat.His grandfather’s words echoed in his ears."And who said your mother is dead?"His pulse pounded. His mind scrambled to make sense of what he had just heard.His mother... alive?His grandfather leaned back in his chair, watching Raymond’s reaction with cold amusement. Then, he reached into his desk drawer, pulled out a stack of photographs, and tossed them onto the polished mahogany table."See for yourself," the old man said.Raymond hesitated before picking up the pictures. His fingers trembled slightly as he flipped through them.The first image made his breath hitch.It was a woman.His mother.Older, but unmistakably her.She was smiling, dressed in elegant clothes, standing outside what looked like a high-end restaurant in Chicago. Another picture showed her at a charity gala, champagne in hand, laughing with a group of well-dressed socialites.Raymond’s grip on the photos tightened.This couldn’t be real."She’s in C
“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