Chapter 3
Hannah opened her bleary eyes. Staring at the surroundings, wondering where she was.
“Hannah you are awake” she heard a voice. That voice. It sounded so familiar. It was the voice that had asked her to stay with her.
“Where am I?” Hannah asked as her vision was already becoming clearer.
“You are in the hospital. How are you feeling?” The woman asked and then Hannah turned to her. It was a beautiful woman with long, lush hair.
She had blue eyes and her skin was so white. She looked like a rich woman, Of Course, she was. Hannah could see she was a rich woman even from the way she speaks and act. As she stared at the woman a sense of familiarity washed through her.
“How are you feeling?” The woman asked with a smile on her face and Hannah stared at her weirdly wondering who she was and why she was being so caring. She knew she had brought her to the hospital, but why?.
She didn’t even know this woman but she had saved her life and brought her to the hospital. It was so weird.
“I’ll go tell the doctor that you are awake,” The woman said and was about to leave when Hannah finally spoke.
“Who are you and what do you want from me?” Hannah asked curiously. She had been through a lot just within these few days and then a stranger came from nowhere caring for her.
The woman turned to her and then smiled at Hannah. “My name is Arianna MacKenzie. I was on my way home when I saw the crowd and asked my men to take a look and they told me a female was lying unconscious. I had come to check myself and then I brought you to the hospital ” Arianna said and Hannah stared at her without saying a word.
She wasn’t ready to believe any lie from anybody. Who knows if her husband or mother-in-law had sent this woman to kill her, she wasn’t going to believe anything she said.
If her husband she trusted so much could betray her if her best friend could betray her, who is this stranger not to?
“I know you must be thinking I’m lying or probably thinking your mother-in-law sent me or your ex-husband..” Arianna paused as Hannah gave her a weird look. Did she read my mind? she thought.
“How did you know about my husband and mother-in-law?” Hannah asked
“After I brought you to the hospital, I did some digging and then found everything. I know what they did to you Hannah, they’ve betrayed you and hurt you, but I am here to help you. I just hope you accept my help” Arianna said
“And why would I accept your help? Who knows if you are like them, monsters!!!” Hannah yelled as tears gathered in her eyes.
The memories of her seeing her husband and a best friend kept replaying in her head and she felt like she was going crazy. All she wanted to do was go back to that scene and kill her best friend and husband and mostly her husband.
He had deceived her, made her believe he loved her so much but he never did. He used her and because of him and his mother, she had gotten raped.
She would surely make them pay for what they did to her. One way or another she would make them pay.
“I understand how you are feeling now! You must want revenge, I'm willing to help you get it if you want, only if you accept and let me help you” Arianna said and Hannah stared at her for a few seconds.
This woman was good at reading minds.
“You want to help me take them down?” Hannah asked and Arianna nodded in response.
“And why would you do that? Do you have anything against the Mikelson family?” Hannah asked curiously and Arianna sighed softly.
“Yes I do, they hurt me in the past,” Arianna said.
“And you want to use me to get your revenge?” Hannah asked
“No, no. I do not want to use you to get revenge on any course. You deserve to get justice for what they did, if we do not bring them down, they are just going to continue hurting people as they wish” Arianna said and Hannah stared at her for some seconds then looked away, staring at the ceiling as she was in deep thought thinking if she should accept the woman’s offer.
If there was one thing she had noticed about the Mikelson family, they love hurting people and stepping on people because of their rank in society. Especially her mother-in-law, Rosa.
She thought Jeff was different from them, she didn't know he was just a deceiver too who pretended to love her and now he hurt her deeply. She needed to make them pay for everything.
“It's alright if you do not want to accept my offer. I'll give you enough time to think about it and.........”
“I accept,” Hannah said and Mrs. Arianna stared at her surprised.
“Really?” Arianna yelled happily and Hannah nodded in response.
“Oh my Goodness! I'm so sorry, I'm just happy you accepted my offer” Arianna said and Hannah managed to smile.
Just then Arianna clapped her hands and two women in suits came in, holding some documents in their hands.
“Hannah, meet my lawyers,” Arianna said smiling
“Hello, I'm Mary Chase and this is my assistant, Chloe Danvers,” the lawyer said and brought forth her hands for a handshake, which Hannah politely took.
“I know you must be wondering why my lawyers are here. Well, Mary, could you please brief her” Arianna said and Mary nodded.
She brought out a paper and gave it to Hannah.
“Mrs. Hannah, this is a document that contains a change of identity. You're gonna be changing your name, date of birth, and everything and you're gonna get half of Mrs. Arianna’s property after you sign the document “ The lawyer said and Hannah turned to Mrs. Arianna.
“And changing my name to yours will mean only one thing, that I'm going to be your adopted daughter,” Hannah said and Arianna nodded. She was also going to be rich too.
She wasn't going to let any of these opportunities pass by. She didn't care about her identity or anything, all she wanted was to get revenge on the people who had ruined her life.
She took a pen that was with the lawyers and signed all the documents without even reading them.
“Congratulations Hannah Rodriguez, your new name is now Cinderella Mackenzie. Welcome to the world of wealth and riches”
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