Chapter 5
A red sports car screeched to a halt in front of a big mansion.
Arianna and Hannah alighted the red sports car.
“Welcome to New York City and welcome to my home, your home,” Arianna said and Hannah smiled at her. Hannah was a very calm person, she wasn’t the kind of person who talks much, and all she knew how to do was smile.
They both walked inside the house and Arianna could see lots of maids running to and fro like they were trying to put things in order.
“Welcome ma'am, welcome ma'am “ the maids kept bowing their heads as they saw Arianna, she just smiled and waved at them and they smiled at her in return. Hannah stared at Arianna, she was probably the nicest woman she's met in these few days.
“Ma’am Arianna” An advanced woman called as she walked towards Arianna and hugged her.
“Oh!! Mama Luciana. How are you” Arianna asked in the most caring tone ever.
“I am more than okay. I miss you a lot and I'm glad you are finally home. Who is she?” mama Luciana asked and Arianna smiled.
“Hannah, this is mama Luciana, my cook, and mama, this is Hannah, my daughter,” Arianna said and mama Luciana smiled and turned to Hannah.
“Hola, mi Hija Bonita. Dame un abrazo” Mama Luciana said and Hannah stared at her weirdly. She didn't understand what she was saying. She only smiled at her.
“Mama, she does not understand Spanish, she's from Atlanta,” Arianna said and Mama Luciana smiled.
“I'm so sorry, my daughter. I thought you were Spanish. Welcome home and you are beautiful mi Amor” Mama Luciana said and Hannah smiled at her.
“Thank you, mama Luciana,” Hannah said and Mama Luciana moved towards her and hugged her. Hannah smiled at Arianna and hugged her in return.
“Mama, Hannah needs to rest. It's been a long trip” Ariana said and mama Luciana nodded and with that, she walked away.
“I'll show you to your room, come with me,” Arianna said and Hannah nodded, trailing behind her.
“Mama Luciana is nice, I like her,” Hannah said as they climbed up the stairs.
“I knew you would like her. She’s a nice woman” Arianna said as she opened the door to a room and they both walked in.
“Wow, this is so beautiful, “ Hannah said admiring the room.
“It’s yours. You should rest. I’ll ask one of the maids to go shopping for you and I’ll introduce you to the maids later. You should rest and also come downstairs for dinner” Arianna said and Hannah nodded in response.
She smiled broadly as she moved towards the beautiful wardrobe and opened it and surprisingly she saw female clothes, there were a lot of them.
“Woah! These clothes are beautiful. Why do you want to go shopping, I could use this' ' Hannah said and turned to Arianna then she noticed the sad look on Arianna’s face.
“What’s wrong?” Hannah asked
“I asked the maid to get rid of these clothes, but they didn’t. They must have forgotten” Arianna said sadly.
“But why do you want them to get rid of it?” Hannah asked
“Because it belongs to my daughter,” Ariana said and paused.
“Your daughter? Where’s she? I would love to meet her” Hannah said smiling.
“She's dead,” Arianna said and Hannah opened her eyes wide in surprise.
“Oh my goodness!! I’m so sorry, I didn’t know you had a daughter. I’m so sorry” Hannah said and Arianna smiled.
“You shouldn't apologize, it isn't your fault. Her name was Cinderella McKenzie. She's so beautiful like you. She has your eye colors and everything” Arianna said and sat on the bed in the room.
Hannah stared at her with pity in her eyes. The woman had been through a lot. There was a lot of pain in her eyes. Now Hannah could see the reason she named her after her daughter, she loved her so much.
“She was pregnant when she died. The Mikelsons killed her. Rosa and her son killed my daughter “ Arianna said as tears welled up in her eyes.
She tried her best not to break down in front of Hannah but she couldn't hold back her tears. It was really painful for her. The tears she's been holding for a long time, she finally let go.
“I'm so sorry,” Hannah said and she nodded in response and wiped her tears.
“It's in the past now” she managed to smile.
“You can tell the maids to come to get rid of the clothes. I'll use the new ones you'll buy for me” Hannah said and Arianna smiled.
“No, it's fine. You can wear them, besides the clothes would look so good on you. You have somebody statue as my daughter” Arianna said and walked towards the wardrobe and brought out a blue gown from it.
“This is my daughter’s favorite gown. You can wear it and join me for dinner later” Arianna said and Hannah nodded and took the gown.
“I'll leave you to rest. If you need anything, I'll be in my room. And my room is close to yours” Arianna said and kissed her on her cheeks before walking out of the room.
Hannah sighed softly as she walked towards the mirror and stood in front of it. She put the gown on her body, staring at it. Lots of thoughts going through her mind.
Seeing how happy Arianna looked, one would think she's never been through anything but she has. Losing someone dear is so painful. She understood the pain. She knew how it felt like to lose someone close to one's heart.
She felt that pain when her mother died of cancer. She felt hopeless and almost felt like she was going to die. She dropped the gown on the bed and sat on the bed.
She knew the Mikelson family to be so cruel and heartless but she never knew they could kill people too and still act like everything is okay.
She was going to take them down, starting from her best friend to her ex-husband Jeff, to her mother-in-law. They would all pay and go down one after the other.
TBC
“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen,” Hannah’s voice rang through the boardroom, cool, steady, and razor-sharp. “I believe I’m just in time.”The room froze.All heads turned. A sharp silence fell like a guillotine.Linda’s mouth opened slightly, but no words came out. Her breath caught in her throat, her mind short-circuiting in real time. She hadn’t seen Hannah Colby in weeks, rumors said she was still in Las Vegas. Others whispered she’d gone off the grid after Brandon’s disappearance. In fact she wasn't expecting her to come back.But here she was, standing at the door like she’d never left, like she owned the very air they were breathing.“What the hell is she doing here?” Linda thought, heart racing, eyes narrowing. “She should be halfway across the country. How did she know about this meeting? Has Brandon been found? Does she know something I don’t?”Isabella shifted uncomfortably in her seat, swallowing hard. Her eyes avoided Hannah’s, but the tension in her body gave her away
The flight from Las Vegas to Atlanta lasted just four hours, though for Hannah it felt like an eternity.Once they landed, the two doctors who had accompanied Jessica wasted no time. They transported her directly to the Colby Co. Family Hospital, ensuring she would receive the best care possible.Hannah followed them, her heart pounding with guilt and fear. She stood outside the glass partition of Jessica’s ward, watching as the doctors fitted her with a fresh oxygen mask, attaching wires and monitors that beeped softly in the background.Tears slipped down Hannah’s cheeks before she quickly wiped them away, not wanting anyone to see her weakness. This is my fault… she thought bitterly. If she hadn’t pushed for that escape, Jessica wouldn’t be lying here in a coma. She pressed her palm against the glass, whispering in her heart, Please wake up, Jessica. Please…The doctor finally emerged, his expression weary but professional. He walked over to Hannah and lowered his voice.“You can g
Hannah sat at the small table in their temporary safe house, staring at the message on her phone. The ominous words burned into her mind:“He’s alive. For now.”Her heart pounded, her grip tightening around the device. She re-read the message over and over, searching for hidden meaning, a clue or anything that could give her hope. Brandon was alive. That much was certain. But the “for now” sent chills down her spine.Across from her, Lucas and Teresa were deep in conversation. Lucas leaned against the counter, arms crossed, his jaw clenched. He was tense, ready to explode. Teresa, in contrast, looked calm as ever, but Hannah could tell she was calculating, plotting their next move.“This isn’t random,” Teresa finally said, exhaling smoke from her cigarette. “Someone wants us to know he’s alive, but only just. They’re playing with us.”Lucas pushed off the counter. “Then let’s stop playing games. We track the number, find out who sent the message, and go after them.”Teresa shook her h
Hannah sat at the edge of the bed, her hands clenched into fists on her lap. Her mind was in turmoil. The weight of everything, Brandon’s disappearance, Jessica’s coma, Linda’s relentless scheming, was pressing down on her like a suffocating force.She had barely slept in days. The dark circles beneath her eyes were deep, a clear sign of exhaustion, but she couldn’t afford rest. Not when there was so much at stake.A soft knock on the door startled her out of her thoughts. Lucas stepped in, his expression serious.“You need to make a decision, Hannah,” he said, his voice firm but understanding. “The company is falling apart. Investors are pulling out. The board is leaning toward voting you out. Linda is taking full advantage of this.”Hannah rubbed her temples. “And what would you have me do, Lucas? Walk away from my missing husband to fight corporate battles with your mother?”Lucas sighed, running a hand through his hair. “That’s not what I’m saying. But Colby Co. is Brandon’s legac
Lucas had left the room to make some calls, leaving Hannah and Teresa alone in the dimly lit space. The air between them was thick with unspoken thoughts, with grief and frustration too heavy to voice.Teresa watched Hannah closely. She looked hollow—her eyes distant, her shoulders sagging under a weight no one could carry for her.“You okay?” Teresa finally asked.Hannah blinked and turned her head, forcing a weak smile. “Yeah.”Teresa hummed in response, clearly unconvinced. She reached into her pocket, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it with a practiced ease. Smoke curled in the air between them.“Do you smoke?” she asked, offering one toward Hannah.Hannah shook her head. “No. I never have.”Teresa chuckled, taking a long drag before exhaling. “Figures.”Silence stretched between them, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was the silence of two women who understood each other—different, yet bound by shared pain.“My mother-in-law used to hate me too,” Teresa murmured suddenly, he
Teresa sat in the back of a dimly lit bar, the scent of cigarette smoke and aged whiskey thick in the air. The place was quiet, the kind of underground haunt where no one asked questions, where secrets were currency, and where a person could disappear if they weren’t careful.She checked the time on her phone. Her contact was late.Across the table, Hannah fidgeted with the glass of water in front of her, her expression distant, lost in thoughts she wasn’t ready to speak out loud. Lucas sat beside her, his gaze locked on the entrance, his tension palpable.When the door finally creaked open, Teresa’s eyes narrowed as a tall, wiry man entered, his leather jacket scuffed and his face shadowed with stubble. He scanned the room before spotting her and sauntering over.“You’re late, Marco,” Teresa said, her voice edged with impatience.The man—Marco Ruiz—grinned as he slid into the seat across from her. “Good to see you too, Provenzano. You know how it is—hard to stay alive in this busines