Ethan said, “I’ve recorded everything, Mia. Every word.”The room fell into a heavy silence. Mia's smirk disappeared. Her playful gaze turned sharp—dangerous.“You really want to play it that way, Ethan?” she asked, her voice low and venomous.Ethan didn’t flinch. He kept his phone in his hand, thumb hovering near the send button. One click, and everything would be out—every secret.Mia slowly turned her head toward Kain. She didn’t need to speak again. One small nod was enough.Kain moved very fast, like a shadow, trying to grab the phone.Ethan’s heart kicked into overdrive. He stepped back, knocking over a chair. The phone almost slipped from his fingers. Kain’s boots barely made a sound on the floor.“You’re making a mistake,” Ethan said, his voice shaking just a little. “If you touch me, this recording goes out to everyone.”Mia laughed, cold and sharp. “You think I care about exposure? I built my life on lies. You think one truth will burn it down?”Ethan smirked. “I will do it.
Olive’s body dangles in Mia’s grip, her breaths shallow, skin pale, eyes fluttering. The cold werehouse feels far too quiet, save for the slow drip… drip… drip of water falling from some leaking part of the roof.. Her body sways like a marionette, held upright only by the ruthless grip around her neck.Her thoughts are scattered fragments—a broken mirror of fear and desperation.“I must live… for the child.”The words echo in her mind, louder than the sound of her faltering heartbeat. Every inch of her body is in pain, but it’s the icy fear slicing through her core that makes her tremble. Her free hand inches toward her belly as if it could shield the life within.Mia’s face hovers too close, her smile twisted and triumphant, the scalpel gleaming under the low lights. "Such a fragile little thing," she whispers, almost fondly. “It’s poetic, really—sacrificing one to punish another.”Olive’s lips part. No words come, only a hoarse whisper of breath. Her eyes beg, not for mercy, but for
Olive lay limp on the floor, her breath shallow, her limbs twitching from the pain. Her blood pooled beneath her, soaking into the cracked concrete like spilled wine. Above her, Mia crouched with a predator’s grin, her face twisted in sick delight.“Poor girl,” Mia cooed, tilting Olive’s chin up with the tip of a knife. “I warned you not to get involved.”A heavy silence fell—unnatural and still.Bang!The silence shattered.Mia barely turned before a blur of fury crashed into her. Raymond. His roar ripped through the warehouse like a storm, his body slamming into hers with a savage force that knocked the breath from her lungs.She stumbled back—but he was faster. His hand locked around her throat, hoisting her into the air like she weighed nothing.“Mia!” he snarled, his voice venom-laced and unrecognizable. “Touch her again—I dare you.”Mia struggled to break free, her eyes wide with fear. She tried to pull his arm away, but he held tight, his strength fueled by a deep-seated anger
Tires screeched against the asphalt as Raymond’s SUV skidded to a halt in front of the hospital entrance. The engine was still running when Raymond flung the door open.“Help!” he bellowed, his voice raw. “Someone help me!”Nurses and doctors on the night shift bolted outside, a few pushing a stretcher as fast as their legs could carry them. The emergency lights overhead painted the scene in alternating glows of red and blue, throwing shadows across Raymond’s pale, blood-splattered face.A nurse reached them, and Olive was still in the back seat, her body slumped, barely conscious—limp, lips parted, skin ghostly pale.“She’s losing blood fast,” one nurse said, already checking her pulse. “We need to move now!”Raymond stood frozen for a second, his driver had gripped the wheel the whole drive over. The driver had run red lights, ignored horns, nearly crashed into a divider—did anything to get her here fast. And still, it felt like time had betrayed them.“Sir, we need you to step bac
The doctor who had just left Raymond, his mind still whirling from the revelations he’d heard, he had barely started a conversation with Raymond when a nurse came out of Olive ward, her voice was loud enough for anyone to hear“Doctor! It’s miss Olive—her condition has worsen!”His heart plummeted. Without thinking, he spun around and sprinted after the nurse, his white coat billowing behind him like a ghost. He burst into the ward just as a shrill, piercing alarm exploded from Olive’s monitor. The steady beep that had filled the room earlier was now a high-pitched flatline. Every second felt like an eternity.“Code Blue!” a nurse shouted, already pushing the crash cart toward Olive’s bed.“Clear the area! Move! Move!” the doctor ordered, snapping into action as his team swarmed around Olive’s fragile frame.Raymond stood outside the ward, his eyes glued to the scene through the narrow glass window of the half-glass door. His hands gripped his hair tightly, and he took a step back, sh
The surgeon had barely stepped out when the nurse came in, her face drawn and serious. She didn’t speak at first—just walked up quietly and placed the clipboard on the table in front of Raymond, the pen tucked neatly on top.“Mr. Raymond,” she said softly, “we need your signature to begin.”He stared at the form like it was a ticking bomb.His fingers moved, slow and stiff, as he picked up the pen. The paper blurred in front of his eyes. Words like emergency surgery, low survival rate, and informed consent danced across the page like ghosts. His eyes paused on her name—Olive Bennett.It felt wrong, so wrong, to see her name there like that. Like a patient. Like a case file. Not the woman who lit up a room with her laughter, who argued with him when they first met, not even like some one who made him feel whole even when he swore he was broken.He tightened his grip on the pen, his knuckles going white.But instead of signing, he slammed it down.The sound snapped through the room like
Raymond’s footsteps echoed in the empty hallway, too loud in the stillness. His mind felt fogged, clouded by the chaos of the operating room and the fear gnawing at him. He barely registered the click of his shoes as they hit the polished floor, each step a reminder that Olive was somewhere beyond his reach, fighting for her life.His hand found the wall, and he gripped it, trying to steady himself. The cool surface didn’t provide the comfort he was hoping for. It felt like nothing could.Behind him, the soft shuffle of another pair of footsteps made him pause. He didn’t have to turn around to know it was Daniel, his assistant. He could feel the weight of the man’s presence, the tension hanging between them. When the footsteps stopped, Raymond didn’t need to look. He already knew what was coming.“Sir,” Daniel’s voice broke through the silence, soft but heavy with concern. “How’s miss Olive?”Raymond’s chest tightened. He wanted to say something—anything—to reassure him, to reassure h
Raymond straightened, his jaw tight with fury as he turned toward Daniel. His eyes, darkened with an emotion that was barely contained, bore into his assistant."Stay here, Daniel," Raymond ordered coldly, his voice like ice. "Keep the perimeter guarded. No one gets into her ward, take the deatails and sights of each medical personnel ."I don't want another mistake.Daniel didn’t question it. His expression betrayed nothing, but his instincts screamed at him to go with Raymond. He didn’t. Not this time. Raymond was a man on the edge, and Daniel knew better than anyone that this was the moment when even the calmest of men could break.“Understood, Sir,” Daniel replied, his voice tight, but he stood firm. He wasn’t going anywhere. Raymond was going to face this alone.Raymond’s gaze lingered on him for a moment, a silent acknowledgment before he turned on his heel, moving swiftly down the hall. There was a calculated coldness in his steps, a force of nature that could not be ignored.“
“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