Mag-log inAnna turned and headed for the café door, never looking back. The tall guard stepped forward, holding it open as she stepped outside before falling in step behind her.Monica stood frozen, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her shopping bag lay forgotten at her feet, as she pressed both hands against her pregnant stomach.~~~~The car ride back to the mansion was a blur of grey streets and swirling thoughts. Anna sat in the backseat, Monica’s words clanging in her head like loose rocks in a tin can.How could James, the same man she thought couldn’t hurt a fly, the man who brought her coffee in bed, treated her like a princess, and proposed to her on her twenty-fourth birthday in the very park where they’d had their first picnic and promised her forever, also be the same man involved in illegal business, even selling human organs?Cheating on her with Monica for a whole year was one thing, but she had never expected him to be capable of something so terrible.He felt like a complete
“Anna, it’s—not—” Monica started, her voice trembling as her heart raced with guilt.“Wow. You are truly something else, Monica… a fucking desperate whore,” Anna cut her off, anger and disbelief lacing her words.“I didn’t mean to! James deceived me. He… he forced me,” Monica stammered.Anna leaned forward, her voice a harsh whisper. “Forced you? Did he force you to sleep with him? Because that’s not what it looked like that night. You were on top of him, riding his cock, pleasure all over your face, moaning his name like you didn’t have a care in the world.”Monica’s face flushed a deep red. She averted her eyes, staring blankly out the window, saying nothing.Another heavy silence hung between them, thick with tension.Anna took deep breaths, trying to control her anger.“You know… you could have had any man in the world, and yet you chose my fiancé,” she said, breaking the silence.Monica turned slowly to her, her face tense, eyes flicking nervously.“Anna… I’m sorry for hurting y
Anna’s eyes widened as she stared at Monica.Her voice betrayed her, leaving nothing but a parted mouth and stunned silence. The image from that night resurfaced, the night she discovered Monica fucking James in their bed.She never thought she’d see her again, though it was possible since Monica lived close by.“Anna,” Monica called, stepping toward her.In a flash, Anna yanked open the car door, lunging for the backseat. She didn’t want to talk to Monica.“Anna, wait! Please, wait!” Monica moved quickly, slapping her hand against the door to keep it from closing. “Please, Anna, don’t go.”Anna glared up at her from the seat. “What do you want from me?”Monica just stared, her mouth opening and closing. “I… I…” she stammered, struggling to find her words.“I guess you have nothing to say. Let go of the door so I can leave,” Anna said, reaching for the car door again.“Pl—please! Let’s talk!” Monica pleaded. “Please, I just want us to talk.”Anna scoffed. “Talk? I have nothing to sa
Startled by the thud of the diary hitting the floor, the maid who had been making the bed on the left side turned toward Anna, her brows drawn in confusion.She studied Anna’s stricken expression. “Is everything okay?”Anna didn’t answer. Shock clouded her mind, making the maid’s question barely register.Her hands shook, and her heart pounded so hard she could feel it in her throat. Each breath came in shallow, ragged gasps as she struggled to process the words she had just read. Shakily, she sank onto the edge of Lucy’s bed, her body trembling with disbelief.“Oh my God,” Anna whispered to the empty room. “Marco raped Lucy. Why did he? How could he do something so cruel to her?” she muttered to herself, her voice shaky.She felt a storm of anger and sorrow churn inside her. She wanted to march straight up to Marco right now. But what could she do to him once she got there?Yell at him? Curse him? Hit him? He was the Vincenzo’s right-hand man. He was dangerous. Anna let ou
Anna stared at Vincenzo, stunned.Italy?He was taking her to Italy to meet his family?Why would he do that?Anna’s mind scrambled for an explanation, but nothing made sense.Words caught in her throat, leaving her silent as she tried to process the impossible.A dozen questions pressed at her lips, yet all she managed to say was a quiet, “Okay.” She bowed slightly and slipped out of Vincenzo’s office, closing the door behind her.Her stomach growled as she walked down the hallway. “I guess baby is hungry,” Anna whispered, placing a hand over her stomach.She made her way to the kitchen for breakfast, but the moment she stepped inside, she heard the maids whispering. Their conversations faltered, and she felt their eyes settle on her.“Is it true? I think it’s true. She’s getting fatter every day,” one of the maid hissed.“I heard the boss telling Martha she won’t be working here as a maid again,” another whispered.“And I’ve noticed she’s always with the boss,” a third added.Ann
Anna turned and looked at the cool sheets, but the space beside her was empty.There was no Vincenzo. She was alone in the dark, still room.A shaky breath slipped from her as she turned to stare at the ceiling. “Why the hell did I have that kind of dream about the Boss…?” Anna murmured. “And my grandmother… she was…”She stopped, the rest of the words catching in her throat.Just thinking of her grandmother, hearing her voice at the door in her dream, sent a sharp sting through her chest. The truth settled over her again, cold and crushing.Her grandmother was gone.Gone forever.She would never see her again. A sob broke from Anna’s lips, then another. She curled onto her side, tears soaking into her pillow. At first she cried quietly, but soon the sobs came harder, shaking through her in heavy, uneven breaths until exhaustion finally dragged her into a dreamless sleep.********~A FEW HOURS LATER~*Tweet. Tweet.**Tweet. Tweet.*The persistent tweeting pulled Anna from her sl







