LOGINAndrew’s POVAt the Mansion,The instant I drove in, I knew something didn’t add up.The Hale residence had always been quiet.Peacefully so.Even with dozens of servants working around the estate, the atmosphere rarely changed. The sound of flowing water from the fountain, birds settling into the old trees, and the occasional footsteps of the staff were usually enough to fill the evening.Today,The place was lively.Almost noisy.My eyes swept across the courtyard before stopping at the parking area.There was an unfamiliar car parked beside the entrance.A pink Rolls-Royce Cullinan.My gaze shifted toward several servants carrying luggage through the front doors.Pink suitcases.Far too many of them.My fingers unconsciously tightened around the steering wheel.This wasn’t a guest staying for dinner. Someone had moved in.I remained seated for another minute, contemplating whether I should simply reverse the car and return to my villa.Unfortunately, I’d already promised Mom. Leavi
Annalise’s POVIn the evening,Working hours were already over.I had just finished reviewing the last document on my desk and was about to call it a day when my office door flew open.Linda rushed in.I had never seen her look so flustered. Her breathing was uneven, and the color had drained from her face.“Ms. Sterling…” She stopped to catch her breath. “There’s… there’s a problem.”An unsettling feeling sank in my chest. “What happened?”Linda swallowed, her voice faltering. “The HR Manager has been found dead in his apartment.”For a second, I thought I’d misheard her.“What?”“He…” She lowered her gaze. “…hung himself.”I stared at her.My mind refused to process the words.“How?”“Why?”Linda looked even more troubled.“There’s more.” She hesitated. “A suicide note was found in his hand.”“And.” My brows drew together.“The preliminary findings suggest that his death may have been related to something that happened within the company.”Linda looked at me uneasily. “The Corporat
Andrew’s POVAt Hale Group.Sitting in my office, my finger tapped slowly against the polished black walnut desk.Its broad surface reflected the afternoon sunlight pouring through the floor-to-ceiling windows, interrupted only by neatly arranged documents, a sleek desktop monitor, and a silver pen holder that had probably cost more than some people’s monthly salary. The office itself was expansive and understated, decorated in muted charcoal and warm wood tones. Every piece of furniture had been custom-made, every line clean and deliberate, yet the silence filling the room somehow made the space feel even larger.My gaze remained fixed on the phone in my hand.Her name still occupied the screen.Annie.Her reaction earlier… I couldn’t understand it.She hadn’t merely rejected the lunch. She had rejected the thought behind it.What exactly had I done wrong?She was supposed to be delighted.A knock sounded.The office door opened, and Jonas stepped inside with several folders pressed
Annalise’s POVAfter the meeting,Instead of returning straight to my office, I decided to make an unannounced inspection of every department in the company.Sterling Empire occupied one of the tallest skyscrapers in the city.Each department had an entire floor to itself. The Human Resources Department. Public Relations. Information Technology. Marketing. Finance. Legal. Operations. Procurement. Research and Development.Even the Security Department occupied its own floor.Linda followed quietly behind me, tablet and notepad in hand, documenting everything I pointed out.As we moved from floor to floor, employees straightened the moment they saw me. Greetings echoed through the open office spaces while keyboards fell silent for a few seconds before everyone hurriedly returned to work.Each floor was spacious, modern, and meticulously designed, with glass-walled offices overlooking rows of neatly arranged workstations. Despite the polished appearance, I noticed the same pattern repeat
Annalise’s POVI leaned back, deliberately putting a little distance between us.I sighed. “Please stop.”His smile faltered.And a trace of confusion crossed his face.“You didn’t like the surprise?” He glanced around at the decorated living room as though searching for what had gone wrong. “I can do better.”He smiled again, hopeful. “I promise the next surprise will be even better.”Another helpless sigh escaped me.I folded my arms across my chest. For a moment, I simply looked at him.“Mr. Whittaker—”His eyes widened immediately.“Mr. Whittaker?” He looked genuinely offended, shaking his head dramatically. “You’re not supposed to call me that. You should be calling me Babe.”He smiled proudly. “Or Sweetheart.”A laugh escaped me before I could stop it.I shook my head. “Steve. I want to make something clear.”My tone softened. “For the last time. I’m not interested in Grandpa’s arrangement.”I held his gaze steadily. “I can’t have a relationship with you. And I can’t marry you.
Annalise’s POVIt happened so suddenly that I felt the world spinning.When his lips touched mine, my mind went completely blank.For the briefest second, time seemed to collapse into itself;A forgotten afternoon beneath an old tree,A younger him laughing as he brushed flour across my cheek while we attempted, and utterly failed, to bake cookies,Rain falling around us as he pulled me beneath his umbrella, his forehead resting lightly against mine,“Annie… You’ll always be safe with me.”Then,The memory shattered.Reality crashed back with brutal force. I shoved him away. Hard.He stumbled back half a step, more surprised than hurt.My heart pounded violently against my ribs. Not because of the kiss. Because I’d allowed my mind to remember, for even a second.“What do you think you’re doing?” My voice came out sharper than I’d intended.Andrew merely lifted one eyebrow.“So…” A faint trace of sarcasm colored his voice.“We’re pretending you didn’t enjoy that?”My fists clenched.Fo
“We are sorry, Miss. We tried our best, but the fetus was gone. We had to evacuate it to prevent damage to your womb.”The word “it” echoed through my mind, cutting through my last strand of hope.Yet, the doctor’s words, along with the beeping of the heart’s monitor and every noise inside the hosp
I only glanced at the device once then went about my morning routine.After I was done, I picked up my phone to find several messages piled up.[Annalise, where are you? Why aren't you answering my calls?][Where did you sleep last night, Annalise?][What is going on between you and Alexander Sterl
My fingers instinctively tightened around the phone, hearing Tania’s words.I didn't hear her wrong, did I?“I checked your marriage certificate, Anna. It was fake!” Tania groaned. “Don’t tell me the scumbag tricked you!”Tricked me…Aiden himself asked me to marry him.Three years ago, he’d knocke
The next day, I discharged myself from the hospital.Standing across the bustling street outside the hospital’s skyscraper, my eyes squinted at the burning sun.For thirty minutes, not a single taxi stopped.Then, suddenly, a convoy of black luxury cars swept onto the street, instantly drawing ever







