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What if Sonia was in danger? Or worse she was held captive by his enemies?The thought struck Raymond like a bolt of lightning, freezing him in place. His breath turned uneven, his pulse hammering in his ears. The more he tried to make sense of it, the more impossible it seemed.His fingers dug into the armrest of his chair as he stared at the phone screen. The message glared back at him."See you soon, Raymond."A cruel joke? A hallucination? Or something far worse?He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. The air in the room felt thick, suffocating, despite the cool weather.If someone had gone to such lengths to keep Sonia hidden, then her revealing herself now meant something had changed.Either she needed help.Or she was leading him into a trap.His gaze darkened. He wasn’t the kind of man to walk blindly into danger. If Sonia was alive, he would uncover the truth himself.His mind was made up.He would return to New York. That was where it all started. That was where
Just as Olive entered, Sonia majestically walked up to Raymond and gave him a hug.Raymond stood frozen. His muscles tensed, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. His mind couldn’t process what was happening.Sonia was here. In his penthouse. Holding him.This was impossible.This was a dream. It had to be.But then he looked up and met Olive’s gaze.She stood near the door, her eyes locked onto him, her expression unreadable. She didn’t speak. She didn’t move.Sonia’s grip around his waist tightened. She pressed herself closer, resting her chin lightly on his shoulder. Her lips curved into a smile, a silent victory as she glanced at Olive from the corner of her eye.Sonia wanted Olive to see this, to make her know she owns Raymond. She wanted to prove something.But Olive didn’t react.Not a single blink. Not a single shift in her expression.She simply stood there, quiet, watching.And for some reason, that made Raymond’s chest tighten.Raymond had expected something, like a
Raymond sat beside Sonia’s hospital bed, his eyes locked on her pale face. The rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor filled the silent room, but his mind was anything but quiet.He should have remembered.Sonia had always been fragile. Her heart condition had been a constant worry, and they had planned her surgery before the accident turned everything upside down. But when she disappeared, he had been too consumed by his anger, grief, and guilt to think about it.Sonia stirred, her eyelashes fluttering as she slowly opened her eyes. Her gaze met his, soft and fragile. "Raymond… “She faked weakness in her voice as she called,” barely a whisper.He exhaled. "I’m here."She gave him a faint smile. "You… carried me."He didn’t respond.Her fingers moved slightly, reaching for his hand. "I knew you wouldn’t let me go."His shoulders stiffened. Guilt gnawed at him, twisting inside his gut.Sonia looked up at him, her eyes filled with something unreadable. Then, her voice barely above a brea
He pressed his lips together, then answered. "What is it?""Sir, Sonia collapsed again."Raymond closed his eyes for a brief second, a slow dread crept up his spine. "Fine. I’m on my way." He hung up.When he looked at Olive, she was staring at him, her face carefully blank. But he could see it, the way her fingers curled slightly by her sides.She was hurting. "Olive," he tried again, stepping toward her.She took another step back. "You should go," she said simply."That’s not—""Raymond," she cut him off, her voice sharp but quiet. "Just go."Her words sent a cold ache through him, deeper than he had expected.He was afraid that when he left this house, she wouldn’t be waiting when he came back.But Sonia had collapsed. He couldn’t ignore it.With a slow breath, he turned toward the door.By the time Raymond arrived at the hospital, Daniel was waiting for him outside Sonia’s room. His expression was unreadable."What happened?" Raymond asked, keeping his voice level.Daniel hesitat
Sonia clutched her chest as if she were in unbearable pain. "Raymond, please..." she whimpered, her voice trembling. "I don’t understand why she hates me so much! I’ve done nothing but try to be kind."Raymond took a step forward, his expression unreadable. Sonia was not one for theatrics, yet here she was, crumbling before him like a fragile doll. His gaze traveled over her trembling frame, the tear-streaked face, the way she hunched as if moments from collapsing.It was an act."Sonia, stop," he said, his voice firm.She blinked up at him, lashes damp, lips quivering. "Stop what?" she whispered, her voice laced with innocence.His jaw tightened. "I'm not blind. You’ve been playing games since you got back."Sonia stiffened. "I... I don’t—""Enough, Sonia." His voice was quiet but sharp, cutting through the tension like a blade. There was no anger, just finality, as if he had already made up his mind.Sonia’s breath hitched. Real shock flickered across her face before vanishing just
His heartbeat slammed against his ribs as he staggered forward, his knees nearly buckling."Olive," he whispered hoarsely, dropping to his knees beside her. His trembling fingers brushed against her cheek—cold. Too cold.His pulse roared in his ears. Panic threatened to seize him, but he shoved it down, forcing himself into action."Olive, wake up," he pleaded, gently tapping her pale cheek. No response. Her breathing was shallow, her lashes fluttering slightly, but she wasn’t conscious. His hands pressed against her wound, desperate to slow the bleeding, but the warm, sticky liquid seeped between his fingers, mocking his efforts.Gritting his teeth, Raymond scooped her into his arms, cradling her against his chest. The metallic scent of blood filled his lungs, suffocating him, but he didn’t care. Right now, nothing else mattered.His strides were swift, as he stormed out of the room. The mansion’s guards froze at the sight of their master, drenched in blood, carrying an unconscious O
Raymond swallowed the lump in his throat, his fingers gripping the pen so tightly that his knuckles turned white. The doctor’s words echoed in his head, bouncing around like a cruel taunt."We can only save one."His gaze flickered to the form in his hands. A single signature, a mere stroke of ink, would seal the fate of either his fiancée or their unborn child. His vision blurred, his chest tightening like a steel vice.He looked up at the doctor, desperation bleeding into his voice. “There’s no other way?”A shudder ran through Raymond’s body. His mind was a mess of thoughts, and he wished he could find a way out—but there was none. No amount of power, wealth, or influence could change the reality before him.He turned to Daniel, his most trusted aide, but even Daniel’s usually steady demeanor was shaken. His lips parted as if he wanted to offer a solution, but no words came. There was none.Raymond’s bloodstained fingers trembled as he brushed them through his disheveled hair. His
Sonia’s scream tore through the dark, room, raw and piercing. Her body jerked violently against the restraints as Daniel twisted the blade deeper into her hand. Blood trickled down her fingers, pooling onto the cold floor beneath her.Her chest heaved, her breath ragged. Pain coursed through every nerve, but she refused to break. Instead, she let out a low, pained chuckle, her lips curling into a bloody smirk.“Do your worst,” she rasped, her voice hoarse but laced with defiance. She spat a mouthful of blood onto the floor, her dark eyes flashing with a twisted kind of amusement.Daniel regarded her in silence, his expression unreadable. Without a word, he turned away, walking toward the table in the corner.Sonia’s gaze followed him, her heart pounding despite the mask of bravado she wore.She watched as he carefully selected his next tools—another knife, smaller but just as deadly, a whip with leather-stripped ends, and a lighter. He moved with a kind of precision that made her stom
“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
As soon as Ezra bent to pick up the object, Frank had already realized what it was. With desperation fueling his bruised and battered body, he lunged forward, ignoring the searing pain in his ribs, and snatched the phone off the ground before Ezra’s fingers could graze it.Ezra stood up slowly, straightening his jacket with the composure of a man who had not just been in a fight minutes ago. He smirked coldly. “We have to end this here. I have better things to do than stand here breathing the same air as you… unless, of course, you’re asking to die.”Frank chuckled despite the blood dribbling from the side of his mouth. His eyes, though nearly swollen shut, gleamed with something more dangerous than fury—conviction. “Ezra, you really do think highly of yourself.”He lifted the phone, his thumb dangerously close to the screen. “You see this? You’re not getting it back. This time, I’ll make sure it gets to the authorities. You won’t be able to lie your way out of this.”Ezra’s expressio