MasukThree days after their big fight, Ronan had gone abroad with his daughter and Mia for a short vacation.
Now, he was back. He called one of the housemaids, Hanosa. “Where is Sarah?” he asked flatly while taking off his coat. “Is she in her room? Ask her when I can come in.” Hanosa lowered her head politely before answering carefully. “I’m sorry, Sir. Madam Sarah hasn’t returned yet. She left this morning. Maybe she’ll be home soon.” Ronan only nodded. After the maid left, Ronan walked toward Sarah’s room. After sleeping with Mia at her apartment, he planned to do the same with Sarah tonight. But now, he lay on Sarah’s bed, watching an adult video he had filmed with Mia. His reason was simple—he could never get aroused by his wife anymore. So he started to foreplay himself while waiting for her. But an hour passed. The clock on the wall showed eleven at night, and Ronan was still sitting on the edge of Sarah’s bed with a dark expression. He frowned and stared at the window covered by curtains. Sarah had never stayed out this late before. Her routine was always the same—come home on time, eat dinner quietly, then spend time with Shenina before going to sleep. But tonight was different. The silence in the house made his chest feel tight with a feeling he could not describe—a mix of anxiety and irritation. He finally reached for his phone, intending to call her. But as soon as he opened his contact list, his fingers froze. The list was long, filled with names of business partners, his secretary, even a few women who shouldn’t still be there. But there wasn’t a single name that belonged to Sarah. He frowned, staring at the screen that had no trace of his wife’s number. Only tonight did he realize something so simple that after six years of marriage, he had never even saved his wife’s phone number. Ronan exhaled deeply, holding back a frustration he couldn’t explain. He walked out of the room and went downstairs with heavy steps. Hanosa, the loyal maid who had served since his parents’ time, looked uneasy when Ronan stopped in front of the kitchen. “Hanosa,” Ronan said softly but sharply. “Give me Sarah’s phone number.” Hanosa hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Yes, Sir.” She took a small notebook from the table and wrote down a few digits on a piece of paper. “This is the number Madam often uses,” she said cautiously. Ronan snatched the paper without a word of thanks and went back upstairs. His footsteps were quick and heavy, showing how tense his mind was that night. As soon as he returned to Sarah’s room, he dialed the number. The call tone rang… once, twice, five times. No answer. Ronan clenched his jaw. He tried again, but still no response. His mind began to fill with a mix of anger and something he hated to admit—worry. “Where did that woman go at this hour?” he muttered under his breath. He threw the phone onto the bed, then grabbed it again roughly. This time, he typed a message in all capital letters. “WHERE ARE YOU?” “COME HOME. NOW.” The message was sent, and the screen showed that it was delivered. But an hour passed, and there was still no sign of it being read. Ronan stared at his phone, his face tense. Every second that passed made his blood boil even more. He gripped the phone so tightly that his knuckles turned white. There was nothing Ronan Vexler hated more than being ignored. And tonight, the wife he always thought was obedient had dared to ignore him. “How dare you ignore me, Sarah…” he whispered coldly, his voice filled with barely restrained fury. He cursed under his breath and threw the phone back onto the bed. “When you get home, I swear you’ll regret this,” he growled. “I’ll make sure of it.” He began pacing back and forth in the room, his mind full of suspicion. Where could she have gone this late? To her family’s house? No. Sarah would never dare return to the Langford residence. He knew that she hated the scornful looks from her family. Then where? Ronan frowned, his thoughts turning to a darker possibility. Did Sarah have another man? Was she dating someone tonight? His jaw tightened, and his eyes gleamed dangerously. But a moment later, he brushed the thought away with a bitter laugh. “Impossible,” he muttered with a scoff. “Sarah isn’t that brave.” He sat back on the edge of the bed, staring blankly at the silent phone. “You’re too stupid and weak to cheat,” he said quietly, half mocking. “Besides, what kind of man would even want a woman like you?” A crooked smile formed on his lips. “A pathetic drama queen. Fragile and pitiful.” Ronan leaned back against the headboard, staring at the ceiling as his eyelids grew heavy. But before he drifted to sleep, one thought crossed his mind—a faint, uneasy feeling he couldn’t shake off. And that night, Sarah did not come home. It was the first time in six years of their marriage that she stayed out all night.Sarah woke up the next morning with a heavy heart. The threatening video of Shenina playing in the school garden still haunted her. She immediately increased security around her daughter and informed the school principal about the situation. Alex was already coordinating with their private investigation team to trace the video’s origin.She refused to let fear paralyze her. Instead, Sarah channeled everything into her work. Lumina Designs was gaining serious momentum. The collaboration with Elena Voss had opened doors to high-profile clients. Two European luxury retailers had just signed major contracts, and a famous Hollywood actress had worn one of her gowns to a premiere, sparking even more buzz.Every small victory was a quiet slap to Ronan’s face.That afternoon, Sarah attended a high-society charity luncheon as a featured designer. She wore a custom cream-colored dress from her latest collection—elegant, powerful, and understated. Alex accompanied her, looking every bit the succ
Sarah’s hands trembled as she stared at the disconnected call. Lena’s terrified voice still echoed in her ears. “Ronan… he’s planning something big…”Alex stood beside her, tablet in hand, his face tense as the breaking news alert flashed across the screen. The police sirens outside grew louder, stopping right in front of the studio building.“They’re here for protection,” Alex said quickly, pulling her close. “I called them the moment the news broke. The leak about the Vexler family trust has gone public. Someone beat us to it.”Sarah nodded, heart racing. She forwarded Lena’s last call recording to the police and her lawyer. Within minutes, officers swarmed the studio and their apartment building, securing the area. Shenina was safely asleep upstairs with Hanosa and extra guards.That night passed in chaos. Sarah gave another statement while Alex coordinated with private security. By morning, the world was watching the Vexler empire crumble in real time.Major financial outlets ran
Sarah’s breath caught in her throat. The scent of accelerant burned her nostrils as Mia stood there like a beautiful demon, lighter flickering dangerously close to the rack of finished “Reborn” dresses — the heart of her upcoming Paris collection.“You’re insane,” Sarah whispered, slowly backing away while keeping her eyes locked on Mia. Her hand gripped the burner phone tightly behind her back, fingers pressing the emergency button Alex had installed.Mia smiled sweetly, tilting her head. “Insane? No, darling. I’m just taking back what should have been mine from the start. You were never worthy of the Vexler name. And now look at you….playing dress-up like some pathetic Cinderella. Ronan and I will make sure this little fairy tale ends tonight.”Mia took a step forward. The flame danced closer to the silk fabric.Sarah’s mind raced. She couldn’t let these dresses burn. They represented everything she had fought for her freedom, her talent, her future.“You won’t get away with this,”
Sarah stared at the glowing screen of her phone. The anonymous message still haunted her: “They won’t stop until they take everything. Watch your back. — A friend” She had received three more messages since that night. Each one contained small, precise warnings—details only someone close to Ronan’s circle would know. A cancelled supplier contract before she was officially notified. A suspicious payment Ronan made to a private investigator. The anonymous sender clearly had inside access. Two days later, Sarah decided she couldn’t wait any longer. She arranged a secret meeting through the burner phone Alex had given her. The reply came quickly: “Café behind the old train station. 10 PM. Come alone. I’ll find you.” Alex strongly opposed it, but Sarah insisted. “This person knows things that could help us stop Ronan for good. I have to take the risk.” That night, Sarah slipped out after Shenina was asleep. Hanosa promised to stay alert. The café was nearly empty, lit by dim yellow lig
Sarah’s blood ran cold as Ronan stepped into the dim light of the park. The mysterious woman beside her backed away, face pale with terror. Ronan’s men formed a loose circle, blocking any easy escape route. “Ronan,” Sarah said, forcing her voice to stay steady. “What is this?” Ronan smiled, the same cold smile that once controlled her life. “You really are predictable, Sarah. I knew dangling information about Shenina would pull you out here alone. No Alex. No security. Just you.” The woman tried to slip away but one of Ronan’s men grabbed her arm. “She works for my investigator,” Ronan explained casually. “I planted her to test you. And you failed. Meeting strangers at midnight? Not exactly the picture of a stable mother, is it?” Sarah’s mind raced. She clutched her phone in her coat pocket, thumb hovering over the emergency button Alex had installed. “This is illegal. Kidnapping. Intimidation.” Ronan laughed softly. “Who said anything about kidnapping? We’re just having a conver
Ronan Vexler was not a man who accepted defeat easily. A year after the divorce, when Lumina Designs began appearing in magazines and Sarah’s name was whispered in fashion circles with respect instead of pity, his resentment turned into calculated fury. He could tolerate her small success for now. What he could not tolerate was losing Shenina.One crisp autumn morning, Sarah received a thick envelope from Ronan’s lawyers. She opened it in her small studio office above the boutique, Shenina’s laughter echoing from the play area Hanosa had set up nearby. The letter was clear and cold. Ronan was filing for full custody. He claimed Sarah’s growing business left her unable to provide a stable home. He argued that Mia, now his fiancée, offered the perfect mother figure in the Vexler mansion. Shenina, he said, deserved the luxury and security only he could give.Sarah’s hands trembled as she read the documents. Attached were photos of her old bruises, twisted to suggest she was unstable, and







