LOGINElias PovThe glass walls of my office felt like they were closing in. I sat behind my desk, my eyes tracking the digital clock on the wall. Every second that ticked by was a second Margaret was lying in that hospital bed, and a second my mother was pacing the halls of our home like a caged animal.The phone on my desk buzzed. It was the lead surgeon in charge of Margret."She’s stable, Mr. Lawson," the doctor said. "The transfusion took well. Her vitals are strong, and she’s resting. We’ll keep her under observation, but the immediate danger has passed."I exhaled, a long, shaky breath. "Thank you, Doctor. Keep a guard at her door. No one goes in but medical staff."I hung up and leaned back, rubbing my temples. Camille’s words from the night before kept looping in my brain like a broken record. *She stabbed herself. She did it to frame me.* It sounded like the desperate lie of a woman caught red-handed. Why would a girl like Margaret, who had nothing but her job, try to take her own
Camille's PovFew hours agoThe house was too quiet. After Elias sped away, I had retreated to the living room. I sat heavily on the velvet sofa, my head resting back against the cushions. My mind was a whirlpool of Halter’s words. *Margaret.* The name felt like a burr under my skin, irritating and impossible to ignore. I closed my eyes, trying to make sense of how a girl I had treated like furniture for years could be the one pulling the strings of our destruction."Madam? Do you need something to drink?"The voice made me jerk upright. My eyes snapped open, and I found Margaret standing just a few feet away. The light in the room was dim, the shadows stretching long across the floor. "What are you doing here?" I asked, my heart hammering against my ribs. "Aren't you supposed to be at home? Why are you still in this house?"Margaret didn't flinch. She stood there with her hands folded neatly in front of her apron, but the subservient tilt of her head was gone. She looked at me with
Elias Pov"What did you do?" I whispered again, my voice cracking the heavy silence of the living room.Camille didn't answer. She stood there like a statue carved from ice, her fingers still curled around the handle of the silver kitchen knife. The blood was dark, almost black against the pale silk of her skirts.I didn't wait for her to find her words. I lunged forward, dropping to my knees beside Margaret. Her skin was already turning gray. The wound was deep, right below her ribs, and the blood was pulsing out with a terrifying rhythm. I stripped off my blazer and pressed it against the opening, the expensive fabric soaking through in seconds."Elias, I—" Camille started, her voice trembling."Not now, Mother" I cut in coldly.I didn't call an ambulance. A siren at the Lawson gates would be the end of our reputation. I scooped Margaret’s limp body into my arms, the weight of her surprisingly light, and carried her out to the car. I ignored the smears of red I left on the white mar
Elias PovThe hospital was quiet, the air thick with the hum of high-end medical equipment and the scent of antiseptic. I sat by Richard’s bed, my eyes fixed on his right hand. The doctor stood on the other side of the monitor, adjusted a dial, and nodded."There," the doctor whispered. "Did you see it?"I leaned in. Richard’s index finger jerked, a small, rhythmic movement that defied the stillness of his body. It was a sign of a brain fighting its way back to the surface. "He’s showing signs of life, Elias," the doctor said, his voice low and professional. "The toxin is almost entirely out of his system. His body is struggling to wake up now. It’s only a matter of time.""And my sister?" I asked, looking toward the door that led to the adjacent room."Andrea will be fine," he assured me. "We found a cocktail of high-potency sedatives and hallucinogens in her blood. It’s no wonder she appeared mad. Whoever was administering those drugs was essentially keeping her in a waking nightma
Camille's PovI was in the kitchen before the sun had fully cleared the horizon. For years, I had relied on a staff of twenty to handle every aspect of my life, but this morning, I wanted the silence. I wanted to feel the heat of the gas and the weight of the pan in my own hands. It was time I started acting like a mother instead of a queen.When Elias finally came down, his face was pale and his eyes were bloodshot, but he looked cleaner—sharper—than he had in days. I served him a plate of eggs and toast, then sat across from him with my own coffee."Thank you, Mother," he said.I smiled, and for the first time, it didn't feel like a performance. "You’re welcome, Elias."I had to swallow back tears of joy. To sit here, in the quiet of the morning, without the suffocating tension that had defined our relationship for a decade, felt like a miracle. He had finally accepted me. We were finally on the same side."I went to see Andrea last night," Elias said, his voice dropping to a seriou
Elias PovAndrea’s posture broke. The moment my hand touched her hair, the rigid, jerky movements stopped. She melted toward me, her forehead thudding softly against my chest as she leaned in. I wrapped my arm around her, pulling her close. She smelled of stale linens and heavy industrial soap, a scent that didn't belong on a Lawson."It’s okay," I whispered, my voice sounding thick. "I’m here. I’m not going to let them keep you in this room for long."I felt her shoulders shake. She was sobbing, but it was silent, as if she had been trained not to make a sound. I patted her back, waiting. I knew I had to be careful. Her mind was a frayed wire; one wrong move and she’d short-circuit again."Philip," she murmured into my shirt. "I missed you. I've been looking for you. You always wear a gold watch. The one Father gave you. You had told me to hide, but the hallways were too long."I didn't correct her this time. If she needed me to be Philip to feel safe, I would be Philip. "Yes Andrea.
Elias’s POV“What about the board meeting, sir?” Richard asked the moment I sat down.I loosened the button of my suit jacket, dropped into my chair, and picked up my pen.“Cancel it.”His eyes flew wide. “Cancel? But, sir—the internet is blowing up. The accident is everywhere. People are saying th
Mara's POVI didn’t see Elias at breakfast.I didn’t see him when I came downstairs.And when I arrived at the company, walked through the lobby, and passed his office… his lights were off. His blinds were drawn.He wasn’t there.I tried to swallow the ache rising in my throat as I stepped into the
Mara's POVThe door creaked open.Margaret stood there, breathless, eyes wide as though she’d seen a ghost.“I’m so sorry, ma’am—sir,” she stammered. “One of the staff must have… accidentally locked it from the outside. I heard a noise and came to check.”Elias exhaled, running a hand through his h
Mara’s POVA soft groan escaped me as I blinked into the dim stillness of my room.My head throbbed.I pushed myself upright, the air thick and quiet around me. Reaching for my phone with trembling fingers, I blinked at the screen.*12:43 a.m.*My breath hitched. Midnight?And then, like a wave e







