LOGINAlice’s POV“Miss, your father is asking of you. The party is about to start.”The maid’s voice drifts in from outside my door, but I barely hear her. My mind is still tangled in the quiet, tense conversation Victor and Dad had earlier....the one they deliberately kept from me. Whatever it is, it’s important… important enough to shut me out.Fine.If they think I’ll just sit back and smile cluelessly, they’re wrong.I smooth my expression, forcing the anger down. I need to act normal… play along. That’s the only way I’ll find out what they’re hiding.“Miss?” the voice calls again, louder this time.“Okay, I’m coming,” I reply, my tone steady despite the storm inside me.I reluctantly get dressed, slipping into my outfit with slow, careful movements. I take my time with my makeup, blending every detail to perfection.... if I’m going to face a crowd, I’ll do it on my terms. When I finally stand before the mirror, I pause.For a moment, I just stare.Beautiful. Composed. Untou
Victor’s POVThis information must be wrong.I immediately call back the worker who brought the file to me. A sharp knock follows almost instantly.“Come in.”“Yes, boss. You asked to see me.”“Yes. Where did you get the information in this file from?” I ask, tapping the document firmly on the table.He shifts slightly, clearing his throat.“Boss, at first when we searched for information on Evans Mark, we found nothing. Nothing at all. We had to pay someone to retrieve his details from the dark web.”My brows tighten.“Really?”“Yes, boss. It seems this man is not an ordinary person.”I lean back slowly, studying him.“Why do you say so?”He lowers his voice, almost cautious now.“You see, boss… in this line of business, any information that could be used as a weapon by enemies is usually hidden very well. And the best place to hide such things is the dark web... a place where secrets disappear into silence. So… I believe this man has a lot to hide.”A heavy pause set
Alice's POV"Happy Birthday to my favorite person.Life is just better with you in it. Thank you for being my safe place, my laughter, and my constant. I’m so lucky to have you. Cheers to more memories together".I exhaled slowly after reading the message, my fingers still gripping my phone a little too tightly. I knew it was from Evans....but even then, my heart hadn’t settled. The nightmare still clung to me like a shadow I couldn’t shake off.Every year, this day fills me with excitement, with pure, effortless happiness. But this time… it felt different. Heavy. Uncertain. I still couldn’t believe that, in my dream, Evans had shot me. The thought sent a chill down my spine, and I rubbed my arms as if to push the feeling away.A sudden burst of noise from outside pulled me out of my thoughts. Voices, movement, the clinking of utensils. I pushed myself off the bed, forcing my feet to move. Today was supposed to be important....one of the most important days of my life.As I st
Victor’s POVAfter the initial shock from Alice’s statement fades, I manage to steady myself.“Alright,” I reply quietly.Without waiting for anything else, I turn and walk into Grandpa’s room.“Hey, Grandpa.”“Victor… come, sit with me. I have something to discuss with you.”His voice is weak but firm. I move closer, pulling a chair beside his bed and sitting down. His eyes study me carefully, like he’s trying to read everything I’m not saying.“I like her, Victor,” he says.I freeze.The words hit me harder than I expected.“But… I wish the circumstances were different,” he continues, his tone softer now.I swallow.“Are you sure you do not have romantic feelings for her?”The question catches me off guard. Completely.For a moment, I can’t speak.Do I have romantic feelings for Alice? I ask myself silently.Yes.The answer comes immediately, but I push it down just as fast.If Grandpa finds out, he’ll think I’m weak. And if anyone else finds out, Alice becomes a
Alice’s POVEntering the hospital and seeing Victor’s grandfather was definitely not part of my plan for the day. And honestly, how dare he call me ugly? Yes, I know I wasn’t looking my best, but still....there are limits.But after Victor explained what was wrong with him, the irritation I felt slowly faded, replaced by something heavier… guilt. Heart cancer. Less than four months to live.My chest tightened as I glanced at Victor. He looked so… broken. Quiet, but not in a peaceful way....more like he was holding everything in, trying not to fall apart. In that moment, I felt sorry not just for his grandfather, but for him too.“you have me too,” I had said softly.The words slipped out before I could stop them.Almost immediately, I felt uncomfortable. The air between us shifted....thick, tense, almost suffocating. It was like we both realized the weight of what I had just said but didn’t know what to do with it.Thank God the nurse walked in just then.I stepped outside, le
Victor’s POVI never imagined finding Alice would be this easy.Then again… looking at her now, I can see why no one I asked could recognize her....even with her picture. She looked nothing like the girl I knew. Her hair was unkempt, her clothes wrinkled, her face drawn and tired. If she hadn’t called my name, I would have walked right past her in that supermarket without a second glance.For a moment, I just stood there, staring.But I quickly masked my surprise, forcing a calm expression as I approached her, pretending our meeting was nothing more than coincidence.I asked why she was there.She hesitated....just for a second....before covering it up with a lie. She mentioned her best friend, Evans, saying he knew where she was staying.That caught my attention immediately.A flicker of confusion crossed my mind, followed by something sharper....alarm. Why would this Evans know her location and not inform her father? That didn’t sit right with me. Not at all.I kept my face
Victor’s POV“Boss… the goods you wanted to use to surprise your bride… they’ve been stolen.”For a second, I think I heard wrong.“…What?” My voice drops, low and dangerous. “How?”Pedro shifts uneasily, avoiding my eyes. “I don’t know, boss. No one knows about those goods apart from you, me,
Victor’s POVAt the bar, Amelia is practically draped over me....her fingers tracing lazy circles on my chest,....but I barely register her presence. All I can think about is Alice. The meeting we had plays over and over in my head like a stubborn echo. She has always been fierce. Stubborn. Un
Alice POVMy meeting with Victor did not go the way I wanted.Not even close.He kept throwing his weight around...his presence, his authority...like I had no choice but to bend. I stood my ground… barely. Every word I said felt like a battle I was struggling to win. And yet, despite everything
Victor’s POVAlice’s call caught me off guard.A slow smile spreads across my face as I lower the phone from my ear. I didn’t expect her to reach out first. Not my stubborn little Allie.She used to trail after me like a shadow, always soft, always hopeful.Now she speaks with authority… shar







