Ginny's Pov Howard didn’t look at me. He didn’t look at anyone. His silence was enough of an answer. The scarred man who spoke scoffed and went upstairs along with his other men and together, they brought down a huge table stand that had my jewellery, makeup and a lot of my stuff. My eyes widened and I lunged forward like a madwoman, my throat tearing with a scream.“No! Not that! That’s mine! Do you hear me?!” I clawed at the arms of the men hauling my belongings, desperation flooding me like fire in my veins, “Take the paintings, take the stupid chandelier, take Rachel’s worthless trash, but not my things! Those are mine!”I grabbed onto the edge of the table stand, pulling with all my strength. But in an instant, one of them shoved me, harder this time. My body flew backward, my head cracking against the sharp edge of the coffee table before I hit the ground with a thud. White-hot pain exploded at the side of my skull, my vision swimming, spots dancing before my eyes.“Stay down.
Ginny's Pov Rachel’s mouth opened soundlessly, her tears flowing freely now. Her body trembled like a leaf in the wind, but she quickly nodded, her silence sealing her submission. Howard released her with a shove, sending her sprawling across the floor. She stayed down this time, pressing a trembling hand to her neck, too terrified to utter another sound. I smirked to myself, satisfaction curling in my chest. At last, Rachel was quiet, she was no longer an obstacle. But before I could relish the victory, or before Howard could speak again, the heavy thud of footsteps drew our attention. The front door creaked open, and six hefty men stepped inside. Their presence filled the house with a suffocating weight, their eyes sharp and unyielding. The air carried the faint scent of cigarettes and leather, an ominous warning that danger had entered. The tallest of the men, broad-shouldered and scarred across his jaw, stepped forward. His voice was gravelly, thick with menace. “Howard
Ginny's Pov “Dad, about Rhea…” I started, my eyes on Rachel who immediately froze, her back pin straight, “It's bad enough that Rachel gave birth to a child from another man but we can't continue to keep Rhea in this house, can we? After all, she's the daughter of someone else. It will bring a dent to our reputation. And right now, we can't afford to have any problems.” I explained, my voice sincere and earnest. Howard nodded, “I also don't want to keep Rhea here; however, we still need Alaric's help. If we can convince her to…” “I have a plan to get what you desire.” I cut Howard off, a smirk on my lips. “A plan?” Howard repeated, his brows furrowing in questioning but the look in his eyes told me that he was all ears. So I started speaking. “Yes. When the engagement was made years ago, there was a condition that had to be met and that was the condition where Alaric Vale had to marry the eldest daughter of the Thorne family. But now that Rhea is not a Thorne at all, who is now t
Rhea's Pov For a second, the silence held. Calloway stared at me, his expression twisting, his lips curling into something ugly. Then, as if my words had snapped the last thread holding his sanity together, he lunged forward.The chains clattered, the iron bars screeched under the sudden impact, but they held. His face pressed close to the bars, spittle flying as he screamed, “YOU THINK YOU CAN DESTROY ME?!” His voice cracked, but the madness in it was undeniable. “I AM CALLOWAY! DO YOU HEAR ME? I BUILT EMPIRES WHILE YOU WERE STILL CRAWLING AT YOUR MOTHER’S FEET! PEOPLE LIKE ME DON’T ROT IN CELLS. WE OWN THE PEOPLE WHO BUILD THEM!”His words still echoed down the corridor, wild, unrestrained, it sounded like it came from the throat of a mad man. “I’M UNTOUCHABLE! DO YOU HEAR ME? UNTOUCHABLE!”The veins in his neck bulged, his face red and slick with sweat as he smashed himself against the bars like a man possessed. I didn’t flinch. To anyone else, his frenzy might have been terrif
Rhea's Pov I gave Truce one last glance, his smirk lingering. Turning my back on him, I walked away without another word. My steps carried me back to Ava’s cell. She had been quiet the whole time, watching our exchange and when I reached her, she shifted closer to the bars, waiting.“Ava.” I said firmly, my tone softening, “No matter what anyone says, you can’t blame yourself for the deeds of other people. You didn’t make their choices. You didn’t build their empire. You’ve already sacrificed more than enough… And you deserve to be free of all this. If you truly want to punish yourself for what your family did, then you can do it by helping the family of those who lost their children, or maybe even reveal everything to the world so they'll know what happened. You don't have to punish yourself like this.”Her lips parted, trembling just a little, but then she smiled. A small, fragile smile, but genuine. I don't know why but her smile made it seem like she was going somewhere far and w
Rhea's Pov “But…” I started, about to tell Ava that none of this was her fault. But someone beat me to talking. “She said she's happy with whatever results she gets so why are you still so forceful?!” A voice interrupted. It was Truce. “Did I ask for your opinion, Mr Truce? I was speaking to her, and not you.” I responded, my voice cold. “Haha… Hahaha.” Truce laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners. If I didn't know how many things he had done, I would have thought he was just an old man who liked being around children. I mean, he looked the part. However, he wasn't. “So… You must be Rhea Thorne. I've heard so much about you, it's amazing to finally meet you.” Truce stated, crossing his arms. “It doesn't seem like you're scared even when you know that this case will most likely not end in your favour.” I left Ava's cell and walked to Truce's cell. His cell was much smaller than Ava's cell, and contrary to how I envisioned Truce, he looked carefree and at ease. “Scared? Why s