MasukElias Pov Beside me, Richard walked with a slow but steady gait. The doctor had given him a clean bill of health an hour ago, confirming that the toxins were finally out of his system and his vocal cords was recovering very fast."I can walk to the car myself. You don't need to worry," Richard said, his voice still a bit gravelly, but the strength was returning to it. "I know you can" I replied, holding the door open for him anyway. "But the doctor said to take it slow. I’m just following orders."He chuckled, a dry sound that ended in a small cough. We climbed into the sedan, the leather seats warm from the sun. As I started the engine, I looked over at him. "The space in the mansion is ready for you. Andrea and Camille are already there, and will take care of you. It would be better if we all stayed together until the trial begins. It’s safer."Richard shook his head, looking out the window at the passing city. "I appreciate everything you’ve done, Elias. Truly. But I need to be i
Elias Pov I stopped at Richard’s door first, pushing it open just an inch. He was fast asleep, his breathing rhythmic and deep. The tension that had lived in his jaw for weeks had finally smoothed out. I closed the door softly and moved to the next room.Through the half-open door, I saw Andrea sitting on the edge of her bed. Camille was beside her, her hand resting on Andrea’s shoulder. I could hear Camille’s voice, low and thick with emotion."I am so sorry, Andrea," Camille whispered. "I was so blinded by my own fear that I didn't believe you. I let you stand alone when you needed me most."Andrea didn't answer with words. She just leaned into Camille, her head resting on her mother’s chest, her shoulders shaking with quiet, exhausted sobs. It was a sight I never thought I’d see again—a moment of genuine, unfiltered connection between them. I turned away, giving them the privacy they had earned.I went to my own room and stripped off my suit. I felt like I was shedding a skin tha
Elias Pov "You must be happy, Elias," she said, her voice a dry rasp. "You finally caught me."I pulled up a chair and sat down, keeping my distance. I didn't feel happy. I felt a heavy, hollow sadness that settled deep in my bones. "I’m not happy, Margaret.""Don't play the saint with me," she spat. "Don't act like you care now, just because you've succeeded in putting me behind bars. You Lawson men are all the same. You act like the world revolves around you. Maybe I should've killed you first."I "I didn't know, Margaret. I didn't know about your mother Elena. I didn't know my father had another child living in the shadows. My father didn't mention anything. If I had known, things would have been different."Margaret let out a sharp, hysterical laugh. "Different? You would have sent a check. You would have paid for my silence just like he did. You wouldn't have invited me to your table. You wouldn't have called me sister.""Thats not true, but I am sorry," I said, my voice stead
Elias Pov She stared at the screen, picking it up and pressed it to her ear. "Hello?" she said. She listened for a moment, her eyes widening as they met mine. "The police? Here? Now?"She lowered the phone after she hung up and looked up at me. "That was the police. They said they are downstairs. They are inside the company right now."I stood up immediately, buttoning my suit jacket. "Let’s go downstairs then."We exited the executive suite and headed for the elevators. As the doors slid open on the ground floor, the usual polished silence of the company lobby had been replaced by a cacophony of raised voices and heavy footsteps. It was chaos. Some staffs were streaming through the glass entrance, but stopped the moment they saw it. Some were standing in clusters, their faces a mix of shock and curiosity. Dozens of smartphones were held high, recording the scene. The security team, usually so composed, was struggling to stop some officers from entering the company."Where is the
Elias Pov The paper with the address sat on my desk. I stared at it for an hour, the ink blurring as I contemplated the weight of that one scrap of paper. Part of me wanted to race out the door, speed to the location, and drag Mara back to the safety of my protection. I wanted to see her, to make sure she was truly okay, to hold her until the fear left her eyes. But then, I remembered Camille’s advice during our last conversation. She needed space. She needed to be the one to choose her own path back to me. I folded the paper, tucked it into my breast pocket, and kept it close, deciding then and there to wait for her.I leaned back, my thoughts circling the chaos Margaret had unleashed. Just as I was about to dive back into the mountain of reports, a sharp knock echoed against the wood."I told you, no one," I said, my voice rising in irritation. "I don’t want to see anyone."The door pushed open anyway. My secretary stood there, looking nervous, but he wasn't the one who stepped int
David's Pov The sound of the door slamming in my face was final. I stood on that porch for a long time, staring at the door, waiting for my heart to stop its frantic hammering against my ribs. But the silence that followed was worse than the shouting. It was cold. She was serious—I had finally pushed her to a point where I was a stranger to her.I walked back to my car, my legs feeling like lead. The drive home was a blur of streetlights and shadows, but my mind was stuck in a loop. I kept seeing Mara’s eyes—the way they had turned from soft and trusting to jagged glass. She was right. Every word she threw at me was a needle I had sharpened myself.I didn't sleep that night. I couldn't. I sat in my darkened living room, the only light coming from the moon bleeding through the curtains. I thought about every time I had found out a piece of the puzzle. Every time I realized Margaret was behind everything. I had held those secrets out of my own selfishness, thinking I was being smart. I
David's POV The evening of the wedding had finally arrived, draped in a heavy, cold fog that clung to the windows of the Lawson estate. For everyone else, this was the social event of the year. For me, It was more than just my wedding day; it was Mara’s birthday. I had spent every waking moment of
David’s POVMy gaze accidentally locked onto Camille’s, and her eyes were like a silent warning that promised a slow death if I stepped out of line.I looked away, focusing on Andrea. Her face was a mask of desperate perfection, her lips barely moving as she whispered, “Please, just smile for now..
Elias POVI didn’t sleep that night. Not after the way Mara had come apart in my arms.I stayed awake, watching the moon crawl across the sky, my hand resting protectively on her waist as she finally drifted into sleep. Every time she whimpered or stirred, I was there, pressing a kiss to her forehe
David's POVI sat on the balcony of my home, crossing my legs, swirling the red liquid wine in my wine glass, watching the stars. Winter was just getting started, its cold becoming harsher, and for the first time in months, I felt like I could finally breathe.The wedding was cancelled. But that







