LOGINKatie stared at Rita, unable to believe that the woman who had spent years fighting her was now standing in her office looking completely broken.Then the surprise turned into anger.Katie turned sharply toward the receptionist. “Did you let her walk in here?”The receptionist immediately stood. “Ma’am, I—”“Did you?” Her voice carried across the reception area, making Emma and Harry glance in their direction.The receptionist swallowed nervously. “She said she had an appointment with you, ma’am, and—”“I never gave her an appointment.”“I’m sorry, ma’am. I should have confirmed with you first.”Katie clenched her jaw. “From now on, nobody sees me without an appointment. I don’t care who they are.”“Yes, ma’am.”Katie reached for her phone. “Call security.”Rita’s face changed. “No, Katie.”Katie didn’t even look at her. “Call them.”“Katie, please.” The desperation in Rita’s voice finally made Katie turn around. Rita took a step toward her, tears already filling her eyes. “Please, j
The next morning, Katie woke earlier than usual and stayed still under the covers, staring at the ceiling. After waiting for a while, Katie exhaled and slowly pushed herself upright. She carefully moved it before getting out of bed, relieved that she could walk without the sharp discomfort she had experienced the day before.After getting dressed for work, she picked up her handbag and headed downstairs. Damien was already there.He stood near the dining table with a cup of coffee in his hand, looking through something on his phone.When he noticed Katie, his eyes immediately moved toward her leg. “How does it feel?”Katie glanced down. “It’s Better.”He nodded, although his expression suggested he wasn’t entirely convinced. Katie reached for a glass of water before noticing that Damien seemed to be waiting to tell her something.“What?”He looked up. “We got invited to a pool party tonight.”Katie paused. “A pool party?”“Yes.”“Who invited us?”“Someone from the family’s circle. It
Katie sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the small tube of ointment the doctor had given her.Her leg was still slightly swollen, although the sharp pain from earlier had disappeared. She carefully rubbed a small amount of the ointment over the affected area, moving her fingers gently so she wouldn’t irritate it.The ointment's coolness eased some of the discomfort. Katie leaned back against the headboard and exhaled.There was no longer a secret sitting inside her chest, waiting for someone else to uncover it.Katie glanced toward the clock before slowly getting to her feet. The doctor had told her to rest, but she had been sitting upstairs for long enough. Besides, she was beginning to feel hungry.She walked out of the bedroom and headed downstairs. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, the smell of food immediately caught her attention.Katie stopped. The smell was coming from the kitchen. She walked toward it, and when she entered the kitchen, her eyes widened.Damien was
By the time Rita returned home that evening, the sky had already begun to darken, and her mind was still trapped inside the abandoned container, replaying the man’s ultimatum.Abandon Samantha or deliver Brian.Rita had chosen Brian.She had said the words aloud, but now that she was back in the safety of her own home, the decision no longer felt as simple as it had in that moment. Her stomach twisted whenever she thought about what she had promised, and the image of Samantha sleeping peacefully under her blanket kept appearing in her mind.She had chosen Brian because she could not lose Samantha. But what would happen when Brian discovered what she had done?Rita walked upstairs slowly, her handbag hanging loosely from her fingers. She reached the bedroom door and pushed it open.She stopped immediately. Something was lying on the bed. A white envelope.Rita’s eyes narrowed as she walked closer. She already had a terrible feeling about what was inside, and when she picked it up, her
After making sure Samantha was comfortably tucked beneath the blanket, Rita remained beside the little girl, watching her sleep.Samantha had fallen asleep quickly, completely unaware of everything that had happened earlier. She had no idea that her parents’ marriage was falling apart. She didn’t know that Brian had discovered she wasn’t biologically his daughter.Rita gently brushed Samantha’s hair away from her forehead. “Sleep well, sweetheart,” she whispered.Samantha stirred slightly but didn’t wake.Rita forced herself to smile before standing. She switched off the bedside lamp and quietly walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.Rita walked toward the bedroom she shared with Brian, her thoughts returning to the family meeting. She could still feel the sting of humiliation from Donald’s words.She could still see Katie standing in front of her, tears running down her face after revealing everything. And she could still hear Donald saying that he consented to the divo
The doctor examined Katie’s injured leg while she sat on the examination bed, her hands gripping the edge of the mattress whenever the doctor pressed around the swollen area.Damien stood beside her, his expression tense.“Does it hurt here?” the doctor asked.Katie nodded. “A little.”The doctor moved his hand slightly lower. “And here?”Katie winced. “Yes.”Damien immediately looked at her. “Is it bad?”Katie shook her head. “I can handle it.”The doctor gave Damien a reassuring look, then returned his attention to Katie. “There is quite a bit of swelling, but I don’t see anything suggesting an obvious serious injury from the examination. I’m going to work the area gently and see how the joint responds. Tell me immediately if the pain becomes too much.”Katie nodded.The doctor carefully massaged around the affected area, applying pressure as he checked the movement of her leg.Katie’s fingers tightened against the bed.“Easy,” the doctor murmured. “Just relax your leg.”“I’m tryin







