The hallway buzzed with soft whispers and quiet gasps as Miles Nork walked past. Heads turned. Conversations stopped mid-sentence. It wasn’t just because he was back after years of vanishing into silence. It was the way he moved, very calm and confident, and dangerously charming. His dark suit fit perfectly, highlighting his tall frame. His very grey eyes scanned the hallway lazily, like a lion watching its territory. In his hand, he flipped a set of marble stones, tossing them into the air, catching them again without even looking. “Is that really him?” one of the assistants whispered to her colleague. “He’s… hotter than I imagined,” the other murmured, peeking over a folder. But Miles didn’t care about the attention. He was used to it. He was on his way to meet his brother, Fred Nork, and that was when he saw her again. The girl that had bumpedninto him earlier, Ana. She walked quickly, almost like she wanted to disappear. Her face was lowered, her eyes fixed on the ground,
Ana had been discharged from the hospital just two days ago. The fresh bandage on her forehead had been removed but she still felt pain.She was back at Majesties, the same place where everything had started. Her job and her secrets.As she entered through the back entrance of the building, she could already feel it, she could already hear the whispers.People weren’t speaking to her. But they were speaking about her.She didn’t have to hear the full words to know what they were saying.“That’s the girl…”“She’s the one from the party…”Ana kept her head down. Her hands gripped tightly around the handle of her mop bucket. She was dressed in her usual work uniform, a plain blue top and dark pants, but today it felt heavier, almost like a weight on her chest.Her eyes didn’t meet anyone’s. She just wanted to finish her shift and go home. No drama, no questions, No Fred, no Tiana, no one at all.The stares burned her skin. The whispers felt louder than her heartbeat.Her shoes were a lit
The day started quiet, everyone had gone, unlike the other day, it was just Ana in the room alone. The beeping of the heart monitor echoed through the quiet hospital room. The sun showed gently through the blinds, casting stripes of light across the white bedspread. Ana lay still, resting on the bed, her hand over her belly. Her thoughts were scattered. She had barely slept. Between Fred’s confrontation and the baby growing inside her, her mind wouldn’t let her rest.Then came a knock at the door. Ana turned her head slowly. The door creaked open, and a familiar face peeked in."Mia!" Ana whispered, sitting up slightly."Oh my God, Ana," Mia said, rushing in with wide eyes. "I saw everything on TV. The engagement party, you falling down the stairs... Everyone's talking about it. Are you okay?"Ana gave her a tired smile. "I'm okay. Just a bit bruised and shaken. The baby’s fine."Mia sighed in relief, placing a hand on her chest. "Thank God. I was so worried. I ran here as soon as I
Tiana walked back and forth in her bedroom, with her heels echoing against the floor. Her robe hung loosely on her shoulders, and her hair was slightly messy from the way she kept running her fingers through it. The night had fallen silent, but her thoughts were loud, screaming even.She walked from one corner to another, back and forth, she was restless. Her heartbeat was loud and hard in her chest. Her eyes were red, not from crying, Tiana didn’t cry, but from fury. Burning fury.How could this be happening?Fred… the man she was about to marry. Her Fred… and that girl? That cleaner? That low-class nobody?She scoffed, grabbing the half-full wine glass from her dresser. The red liquid shook inside as her hand trembled. She lifted it to her lips but didn’t drink. Instead, she just stared into it like it held all the answers.“That girl,” she whispered bitterly. “That pathetic girl.”She turned toward the window, looking out into the city lights, but all she could see in her mind wa
Fred stood at the edge of the hospital suite, arms crossed over his chest, his jaw tight, Ana’s familiar scent was everywhere, soft, faintly floral, the same scent that had haunted his dreams.His voice cut through the silence like a blade.“What do you mean you don’t know?”Ana, sitting up on the hospital bed, stiffened. Her arms wrapped around her growing belly as if shielding it, from him, shielding it from the world.“I don’t know,” she said again, firmer this time, her tone became neutral, emotion buried deep beneath the surface.Fred narrowed his eyes. “You’re carrying a child, Ana. You don’t just not know who the father is.”Her throat tightened. She didn’t want to look at him, but she could feel his gaze digging into her skin like needles. She turned her face away, blinking back the tears that burned behind her eyes. No, she wouldn’t let him see her cry.“Can you think of anything?” she asked quietly. “Do I sleep around? That I’m careless?”Fred flinched slightly, the accusati
Fred sat with his head in his hands in the Hospital. There were nurses on duty moving from side to side. All he could hear was the sound of Ana's body hitting the ground from earlier that night. The staircase, the scream, the blood on the floor.His chest felt like it was being crushed from the inside. Guilt clawed at him, leaving invisible wounds. He hadn’t even thought twice when he stormed off from Tiana, hadn’t looked back when her voice echoed as he left. All he remembered now was the way Ana's body layed and the sickening thud when she landed.The doctor finally appeared, pushing open the doors and adjusting his glasses with tired eyes. He looked like a man who had spent a long night doing everything he could with very little rest. His coat was slightly wrinkled, and his expression was serious but calm.“Mr. Nork?” he called, scanning the hallway until his eyes landed on Fred.Fred jumped to his feet immediately, his heart pounding as he closed the distance between them. “Yes? H