Chapter 0049 BACK HOME. EVAN, She thought she had won. She thought she could disappear, slip away into the world and build a life where I couldn’t reach her. Foolish. I had let her go once. I had watched her run, convinced that if I gave her space, if I let her think she had control, she would come back to me. She hadn’t. And I had spent every second since then making sure that when I finally found her, there would be no more escape. No more running. No more hiding. Now, she sat beside me in the passenger seat of the car, her breath still coming in short, panicked bursts. But before this—before we were on this dark highway leading home—I had found her. She had been halfway across the world. Iceland. A place where she thought I’d never look, where she could vanish in a sea of strangers and cold, endless landscapes. But I had found her anyway. It had taken time, patience, careful planning. A sighting in Reykjavik. A friend who slipped up and mentioned an apartment just outs
Chapter 0050 LET HER GO.... RYAN, I hadn’t heard from Elena since she left. I told myself she was safe, that she had reached wherever she was headed without trouble, but the silence gnawed at me. I had expected at least a message, a call—some sign that she was okay. But there was nothing. School had become an afterthought. I couldn’t concentrate, couldn’t focus on anything other than the growing sense of unease twisting in my gut. I had called my investigator, but she was too far away now, beyond his reach. She had vanished. And my life, once again, felt like it was slipping into misery. Then, out of nowhere, a message came through. Elena: I’m in New York. Meet me at this address. An address followed. My fingers trembled as I read it over and over, my heart hammering in my chest. She had returned? Why? There were so many questions, but I didn’t waste a second. I jumped into my car, gripping the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turned white. My pulse was racing as I
Chapter 0051 WHERE SHE BELONGS EVAN, The house was silent, save for the rhythmic tapping of rain against the windows. It was the only sound that filled the empty space, the only thing that marked the passing of time. I stood in the hallway, staring at the closed bedroom door—the same one she had locked behind her the moment we stepped inside. She had once called that room her sanctuary. Now, it was a prison of her own making. I could have forced it open. The key sat in the drawer of my study, untouched but always within reach. I had kept it all these years, just in case. A precaution. A promise. It would have been easy to take it out, turn the lock, and end this illusion of control she was clinging to. But I didn’t. Let her have this moment. Let her believe she still had choices. She would come out eventually. With a sigh, I turned and walked toward the bar cart in the corner of the living room. The weight of the whiskey bottle felt familiar in my hands as I poured my
Chapter 0052BETRAYED FOR LOVING..RYAN,The gunshot rang out, deafening in the stillness, cutting through the thick tension like a blade. The sound seemed to echo, stretching time into something slow and distorted. For a second, everything stood still—then Elena gasped, her body jerking violently as the bullet tore through her arm. A sharp whimper of pain escaped her lips as she staggered, clutching her wounded limb. Blood bloomed against her sleeve, dark and spreading fast, staining the fabric in a way that sent panic surging through me.My heart stopped.“Elena!” I lunged forward, catching her just as her knees buckled beneath her. She collapsed into my arms, trembling, her breath coming in shallow, ragged gasps. Her face twisted in pain, her skin already losing color. My hands instinctively pressed against the wound, desperate to stop the bleeding, but the warmth of her blood seeped between my fingers. It was too much. Too fast.Above us, Evan stood with the gun still raised, his
Chapter 0053NOT THE END.RYAN,The sound of Evan’s laughter followed me long after I left. It didn’t just echo in my ears—it crawled under my skin, twisting into something corrosive. It poisoned my thoughts, turned my stomach, and left a bitter taste in my mouth.I had lost everything.Not just my money. Not just my pride.I had lost her.Every step away from that house felt like trudging through quicksand, each movement dragging me deeper into the realization that nothing I had fought for mattered anymore.She had been the only thing that mattered.And she had chosen him.My hands shook as I reached for the car door handle. I could still see her standing there—shoulder brushing against Evan’s as he unraveled the bandage on her arm. The intimacy of the gesture made my chest clench.She had looked at me as if I were nothing.Not the man she had once whispered her secrets to in the dark. Not the man who had risked everything for her. Not the man who had bled for her.Just nothing.A ra
Chapter 0054.THE SEARCH FOR CLOSURE..RYAN,I sat in my car for what felt like hours, staring at nothing, the city lights bleeding into a haze of color through the windshield. The streets outside pulsed with life—cars sped past, their headlights streaking white and red through the rain-slick pavement, and pedestrians huddled under umbrellas, moving through the night without a care. But I was frozen, locked in a moment that refused to let me go.My mind was a storm, tangled in too many thoughts, too many unanswered questions. The betrayal still burned like an open wound, but beneath it was something worse—something deeper.Evan had used me.Not for my money—not really. That had just been a distraction, a trick to keep me looking in the wrong direction while he moved unseen. He had played a bigger game, one I hadn’t even realized I was a part of until it was too late.And Elena…She had been with him the whole time.The thought made my grip tighten on the steering wheel until my knuckl
Chapter 0055I WANT YOU EMILY..RYAN,The night blurred into something distant—flashes of whiskey, Emily’s laughter, the hum of the city as we walked aimlessly through the streets. It was a distraction, one I let myself fall into too easily. Eddy had set this up, and I hadn’t even questioned why. Maybe because, deep down, I knew why. He had seen me unraveling, seen the weight of everything pulling me under. And instead of letting me drown, he had done the one thing I hadn’t been able to do for myself. Given me an out. I just hadn’t realized it yet.It wasn’t until much later, as Emily rested against my chest, her fingers tracing lazy circles on my arm, that I understood what he had told her. She thought I had lost money in a bad business deal. That was the story Eddy had given her. And I had let her believe it. I didn’t tell her about Elena. Didn’t tell her that the real loss wasn’t money, but something deeper, something I couldn’t name. Maybe I wanted to see if the lie would feel bet
CHAPTER 56THE COMEBACKEMILY,Ryan kissed me like he was making a choice. Like this was him finally deciding—finally turning away from the past and toward something new. Toward me.I felt it in the way his hands gripped my waist, the way his lips pressed into mine—not desperate, not frantic, just certain. And for a moment, I let myself believe it. That this was real. That he wasn’t just looking for something to hold onto in the wreckage of everything else.But then he pulled away, his forehead resting against mine, his breath uneven.I opened my eyes. “Ryan—”“I’m here,” he said quietly, as if he knew the question before I could ask it.I wanted to believe him.But belief was dangerous.Because Ryan had spent so much of his life chasing ghosts. And just because he turned around this time didn’t mean he wouldn’t run after them again.His hands tightened on my waist, like he could feel me slipping.“Come to bed,” he murmured.I hesitated. “Are you sure?”A muscle flickered in his jaw,
Chapter 96 FAMILY COURTELENAI never thought I’d set foot in a courtroom again—not after everything I’d been through. But there I was, seated beside Ryan in a cold, echoing chamber that reeked of perfume, arrogance, and rehearsed lies. The polished wood, the artificial light, the judge’s impassive gaze—it all felt like a twisted theater where the truth was only allowed to speak if it wore the right suit.Sasha sat across from me, her strawberry-blonde hair curled to perfection, lips painted in the shade of deception. And Jason—God, Jason—looked smug in his tailored suit, his arm draped behind Sasha as if they were some power couple instead of the pair of vipers they truly were.They weren’t here for justice. They were here to humiliate me.To ruin me.To steal something that never even existed.The judge called the session to order, and I swallowed the dry lump in my throat. My palms were sweaty, but Ryan reached over and held my hand beneath the table, grounding me. His thumb brush
Chapter 95THE MASK FALLSELENAThe house looked different in the daylight. Smaller. Less imposing. But it still held ghosts.My heels clicked against the marble as I stepped into my childhood home. It had been years since I’d last stood inside these walls, and yet the scent of roses and old secrets hadn’t changed. The antique grandfather clock ticked steadily in the hallway, echoing like a countdown.Ryan lingered in the foyer, silent but close. I hadn’t asked him to come. He came anyway. And I needed that—needed him near in case I shattered.“My lady,” the butler said as he approached, eyes wide in surprise. “You’re… you’re here to see Mrs. Sinclair?”“She’s not a Sinclair,” I said, coldly. “She never was.”He swallowed hard and led us to the sunroom.There she was.Lounging in a cream sweater, pale as porcelain, her hair swept back into a tight chignon, sipping Earl Grey like it was any other Wednesday. My stepmother—Caroline.“Elena,” she said warmly, standing as if she’d been wai
Chapter 94UNCLE'S OFFERELENAThe press conference was televised live. Every major network covered it—New York Post, Sinclair Daily, even Morning Sunrise. It wasn’t just a statement. It was a performance.Jonathan Sinclair stood at the podium, flanked by two security guards and a wall of glistening flags behind him. The backdrop of the Sinclair Tower added to the spectacle. His silver hair was impeccably combed back, his bespoke charcoal suit flawless, and his voice—steady, calculated—commanded the room.“To the public, to our shareholders, and most importantly, to my beloved niece, Elena…” His voice dipped lower. “I offer not just an apology, but a promise.”I watched from the living room couch, fists clenched so tightly my knuckles turned white. Ryan stood behind me, pacing like a caged wolf.“I have made grave mistakes,” Jonathan continued. “The death hoax, the manipulation—it ends now. I was a desperate man trying to protect this empire, but in doing so, I forgot what truly matte
Chapter 93THE SILENCE BETWEEN USELENA,The hospital wing was too quiet. Not peaceful—never that—but sterile in a way that felt false. The kind of silence that clung to your skin, made your heartbeat echo like a warning, made every step feel too loud. Fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, humming a nervous tune, casting sharp shadows on the linoleum floor as I moved slowly down the corridor, my boots clicking like accusations.Everyone had told me not to come.“She’s dangerous, Elena.”“You don’t know if she’s still under Jonathan’s control.”“Let Adrian handle it.”But they didn’t understand.I had to see her.Not for revenge. Not for answers.For closure.Evelyn had once been my closest friend. My confidante. My shadow. The one who brushed my hair back after surgeries, who whispered comfort into the void when I forgot who I was. When I’d lost everything—my sight, my freedom, my sense of self—Evelyn had stayed.Until she didn’t.Until she betrayed me.She had lied to me. Lied so beaut
Chapter 92SAFE ISN’T SAFEELENA, The silence in the safehouse was deceptive. Too perfect. Too still.Even the wind, which howled outside like some long-forgotten spirit, couldn’t penetrate the oppressive quiet that pressed against the walls. I sat upright in bed, every sense on edge. The floor beneath me vibrated with the faintest creaks, the kind old houses made as they settled into themselves—but this wasn’t just an old house. This was supposed to be a fortress. Hidden. Secure. Untouchable.Yet my pulse said otherwise.I pressed a hand against my stomach. The baby—just a whisper of life—rested within me, and already, my instincts were sharper. Louder. Every inch of me screamed that something was wrong. I couldn’t explain it, but I felt watched. Hunted. Like prey in a cage disguised as safety.I slipped on a hoodie, not bothering with shoes, and crept out of the room. The hallway yawned before me, long and dimly lit by a single emergency bulb hanging above. Shadows danced along the
Chapter 91Womb & WarELENA,The weight of the test in my hand was like the weight of the world. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. The moment the two pink lines appeared, my vision blurred. I stared at the small strip, numb to the tremor in my fingers, unable to process what it meant.Pregnant.A child.My first instinct was to panic. A baby meant vulnerability—something I couldn’t afford. It meant ties to this world, to Ryan, to the monstrous family that still lurked in the shadows. It meant another complication I didn’t need. But then, amidst the panic, something else stirred—something deeper, something softer. A flutter of hope, or was it dread disguised as it?I pressed the back of my hand to my lips, feeling the burn of unshed tears in my eyes. How could this happen now? How could I possibly bring a child into this chaos, this war?I sank back onto the edge of the bathroom sink, my breath coming in shallow bursts. The darkness outside the window seemed to press in closer, the c
Chapter 90Blood Oaths & BusinessRYAN'SThe boardroom smelled like power—aged mahogany, expensive cologne, and the unspoken stench of betrayal. Ryan stood at the head of the long glass table, every eye on him, most of them cold and calculating. His hands gripped the back of the chair in front of him, knuckles pale against the leather. The Sinclair name was stitched into every corner of this room, from the monogrammed coasters to the gold-embossed folders. But so was the rot his uncle left behind.“I know Jonathan is still pulling strings,” Ryan said, voice calm, controlled. “And I’m done pretending otherwise.”Silence. A single cough from the far end. Then Mr. Caldwell, the CFO, adjusted his tie and narrowed his eyes. “That’s a serious accusation, Mr. Sinclair.”“It’s not an accusation. It’s a statement of fact.”He slid a thin folder across the table. Inside were photos—grainy but clear enough—of Jonathan Sinclair walking into a private residence just weeks ago. Beneath that, survei
Chapter 89The Ghost in Her EyesELENA,The silence after the video ended was louder than any scream. It settled over the room like dust in a tomb—heavy, stale, suffocating. Not even the steady hum of the old cabin's heater could cut through it. All I could hear was the phantom echo of Jonathan's voice: "My perfect heir." The words played on loop, like a dirge inside my skull.Ryan didn’t let go of my hand. His grip was firm, tethering me to the present, but my mind was already unraveling, pulling threads I didn’t know were loose. That girl—the one with eyes like mine and Jonathan’s sharp, predatory posture—she couldn’t be mine. That wasn’t possible. I would have remembered. I would have felt something. Wouldn’t I?But I didn’t. I didn’t remember a pregnancy. I didn’t remember holding a baby. I didn’t remember her.I wasn’t even sure I remembered me.“She looks like him,” I whispered, my voice hollow. “But… there’s something in her eyes. Something I know.”Ryan didn’t respond immediat
Chapter 88Fractures & FlashbacksELENA,The safehouse was too quiet.Nestled deep in the Catskill Mountains, this secluded cabin had been chosen for its obscurity, but all I felt was the suffocating silence that wrapped around me like a shroud. I stood by the frosted window, staring out at the moonlit outline of pine trees. Somewhere, far in the woods, an owl hooted, but I didn’t flinch. I was beyond flinching now.Behind me, the crackling fire in the hearth offered warmth, but it was a false comfort, unable to reach the cold, stillness that had settled deep in my bones. My hands rested on my stomach—flat, still secret. I hadn’t told Ryan yet. I wasn’t even sure if I could.Ryan.He was pacing in the living room, sharp, calculated steps echoing in the stillness. He hadn’t slept in two days, not since we fled the burning hideout. His appearance was a far cry from the immaculate man I had once known. His shirt was half-buttoned, sleeves rolled up in haste, and his hair was a wild mess