로그인Claire’s phone slipped from her trembling fingers and hit the polished marble floor with a sharp, echoing crack. The sound sliced through the air like a warning.
For one terrifying heartbeat, neither woman moved.The glowing screen burned between them: Jason Calling…Claire’s entire body went ice-cold, a wave of dread crashing over her. Her stomach twisted violently. Before Emily could fully register what she was seeing, Claire lunged down and snatched the phone with desperate speClaire froze in the middle of her room after she heard the faint sound outside her door. Her heart pounded heavily against her ribs as she stared at the door. The mansion was supposed to be asleep. Richard had gone to bed hours ago. Ethan was resting upstairs. Emily had already slipped back into his room. So who was out there? She waited a few seconds, then walked over and opened the door. The hallway stretched empty under the soft yellow lights. Darkness stretched across the floor, and everything looked still. Claire stepped out barefoot, the cool tiles sending a small shiver up her legs. “Emily?” she whispered. No answer. She looked left and right, then let out a shaky breath. Probably nothing. She didn’t need more trouble tonight. After one last glance, she went back inside and locked the door. The click sounded loud in the quiet room.She picked up her phone again and dialed. Jason answered with clear irritation. “Why are you disturbing me in the middle of the night?” C
Emily’s eyes narrowed the moment she saw Claire standing too close to Ethan’s bed. The room was dim, with only the little glow of the bedside lamp. For a second, she just stared, trying to understand what she had just woken up to see, or is it a dream. Claire had been leaning far too close to Ethan. Close enough that it made Emily’s stomach twist uncomfortably.“What are you doing here?” Emily asked quietly, her voice low so she wouldn’t wake Ethan.Claire straightened up quickly. “Nothing.”Emily got off the bed carefully. She didn’t want to disturb Ethan, who was still making tiny sounds from the pain, but she also wasn’t letting this go. “Nothing?” she repeated, her throat feeling dry.Claire folded her arms. “Lower your voice.”Emily took a slow breath, trying to keep herself calm. “No. You walked into the room in the middle of the night. You were standing over him, and now you’re telling me it’s nothing?”Claire glanced toward the bed. “You’re going to w
Emily stood in the living room, staring at Claire in disbelief. The two large suitcases sitting near the staircase made the whole situation feel too real.“Are you serious?” she asked slowly.Claire adjusted the hand of her handbag and looked around the living room like she already belonged there. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”Emily folded her arms. “You packed your actual bags, Claire. You’re talking about staying here and you didn’t even think to mention it to me first?”Claire gave a small shrug. “I honestly didn’t think I needed permission from my own friend.”The word “friend” came out with a strange feeling. It didn’t feel warm. Emily noticed it right away, but she was too tired to start arguing. Claire continued talking while glancing upstairs toward Ethan’s room. “Besides, after everything that happened today, this is the safest option. Ethan needs someone handling work from here. The shareholders are suspicious, and Victor is definitely pl
The hospital room turned heavy the moment Ethan realized he couldn’t feel his leg. One second everyone had been relieved he was awake. The next second, panic filled the room. It felt hard to breathe. The glass cup slipped from his hand and shattered loudly on the floor. His voice came out shaky and scared.“I can’t feel my leg.”Emily froze beside the bed. Ethan tried moving his leg again, but nothing happened. He stared down at it, hoping maybe his body just needed a little more time. But it stayed still. His breathing became fast and uneven.“No,” he said quickly. “No, no… something’s wrong.”The doctor stepped forward right away while two nurses rushed into the room. “Everybody needs to step outside for a moment,” the doctor said calmly.Ethan shook his head and gripped Emily’s hand tighter. “No. She stays.”Claire turned sharply. “But the doctor”“It’s fine,” the doctor interrupted. “She can stay. The rest of you wait outside.”Claire’s face chang
The hospital room grew quiet again after Ethan whispered those words. For a few long seconds, nobody moved. Emily stood right beside the bed with Ethan’s hand still loosely wrapped around hers. The others stared at them with different looks on their faces.Lila looked like she might cry from happiness. Richard appeared shocked but also strangely relieved, as if something had finally clicked for him. Claire stood frozen near the window, her smile no longer looking real.Emily didn’t know what to say. The words “my love” kept echoing in her head. Ethan looked worn out from the surgery and medicine, but the way he kept staring at her made her chest feel warm and nervous at the same time. His fingers stayed gently around hers, like he wasn’t even aware he was still holding on.Claire suddenly let out a small, awkward laugh, trying to break the heavy tension in the room. “Okay… wait,” she said, keeping her voice light. “Did you just say something, or am I hearing things becau
The hospital hallway carried that strong antiseptic smell mixed with cold air from the vents. Everything felt blurry and far away to Emily, like she was underwater and the world was happening somewhere above her. Voices drifted around her, footsteps moved past the room, and machines beeped steadily nearby, but none of it felt real yet.The last clear thing she remembered was Richard’s voice shaking as he responded to the doctor.He’s losing too much blood.After that, everything went dark.Now her eyes were slowly opening again. The bright ceiling light stung at first, so she blinked a few times until she could see straight.At first, all she caught were voices close by.“What are we supposed to do now?” Lila sounded like she was holding back tears. “Richard, this is bad. This is really bad.”“I know that already,” Richard answered, his voice tired and rough, like he hadn’t sat down once since they got there. “I’m trying to stay calm.”Then another vo







