The chill in Allison's words stunned Isabel. She sat frozen, her breath catching in her throat.Her face went pale, almost as if someone had slapped her.“Allison!” Isabel finally gasped, covering her daughter’s mouth in panic. Her eyes darted around the secluded garden, scanning for anyone who might have overheard. Though they had deliberately sat behind the hedges for privacy, Isabel didn’t trust the house enough. Servants could lurk anywhere, and walls had ears.“Are you out of your mind?!” Isabel whispered hoarsely, her eyes darting toward the door. Her face had drained of all color, lips trembling as she looked around again.“Do you want to get us killed? Do you?!”But Allison roughly shoved her mother’s hand away and shifted back, disgust written all over her face. Her cold eyes glared back.“There’s no one here,” she said icily. “And even if there was, they’re our people... they work for us. They wouldn’t dare say a word.”
The next day, Allison went to visit her mother. She hadn’t planned to go so early, but after everything that happened last night, she couldn’t sleep. Her heart was heavy, and her mind wouldn’t rest.When she arrived, Isabel was seated at the head of the table, gracefully eating breakfast while reading some fashion news from her phone. she was laughing about a celebrity's fashion sense when Allison made her presence known.“Mom,” Allison called out as she stepped into the dining area.“Allison?” Isabel looked up, surprised to see her. “You’re here early. Come sit with me. Have you eaten?”She was about to call a servant to bring another plate, but Allison raised her hand.“No, don’t bother,” Allison said. “I’m not hungry.”Something in her voice made Isabel pause. She motioned the servant away and patted the seat beside her. Allison sat down, folding her arms tightly. Her expression was pale, lips pressed into a thin line.Isabel narrowed her eyes, immediately sensing something was wro
Allison ended the call and glared at her phone, her entire body vibrating with fury. Her nostrils flared, and her face flushed red with anger as she tossed the phone onto the couch with a loud thud."Who the hell does he think he is?!" she yelled into the silence, pacing the floor.Christian had always known how to push her buttons. He didn’t even need to raise his voice; the way he spoke—cool, dismissive, almost mocking—was enough to make her blood boil. Did he have any idea what it took for her to even call him? To tell him what she had found out? She had given him valuable information. And yet, he talked to her like she was the enemy."He should be thanking me! Not treating me like some… some peasant!"But no. Christian had always looked down on her, always treated her like she was some manipulative parasite.Fine. If he wanted to act like that, then so be it. She’d work around him.Frustrated and with no new information from Christian, Allison picked up her phone again, this time
David returned to the ward and entered quietly. He was surprised to find his grandfather awake, struggling to adjust the elevated part of the hospital bed. The old man was inching upward, a stubborn frown on his face as he shifted his pillow with slow, tired movements. David quickly stepped closer, instantly alert. "Grandpa?" he said, already halfway to the nurse's call button on the wall. But the old man raised his weak hand firmly. "Sit down. I'm fine," he said in a low voice. "No need to call anyone." David froze mid-step, then reluctantly sank into the chair beside the bed. “How are you doing, Grandpa? Are you feeling unwell, or are you feeling any pain in any part of your body?” Grandpa shook his head. “No, I'm not feeling any pain. I'm fine.” His shoulders slumped as he settled in, his eyes still watching his grandfather closely, ju
The first word that escaped Christian's lips was, "Emma..."His voice cracked with disbelief, touched with hurt he hadn't prepared himself for.Allison, still on the phone and clearly on loudspeaker, must have heard it too. Her voice came quickly, as if she had been waiting for this exact moment."I told you they haven't broken up yet. Do you believe me now? Have you gotten to the hospital?"Christian didn’t answer. His eyes were locked on the scene before him. His phone sat on the passenger seat, still connected to the call, but he had forgotten it. All his focus had shifted to the two figures in front of him—Emma and David.Emma stood in David's arms. It was a quiet, intimate pose, even though it wasn't overly romantic. Still, it was too much for Christian. David’s arms were wrapped around her protectively, and Emma had nestled her head lightly against his chest, as if it were the most natural place for her to be.Christian stared, his eyes hollow. He had turned on his high beams no
Few hours earlier…"Doctor Morgan, he's awake."Lily's voice pierced through the silence of the office as she stepped into the room, her face.Emma, who had been reviewing a medical file, looked up immediately. Her pen stilled in her hand."Grandpa?"Lily nodded with a soft smile. "Yes. Mr. Buckman Snr. regained consciousness this morning and has been moved to the special ward."Emma sighed, long and deep."Thank you, Lily," she said sincerely.With a polite nod, Lily took her leave.Emma leaned back into her chair, her eyes drifting up to the ceiling as she felt relieved that Grandpa was making a fast recovery. It seemed that the Buckman genes were really strong. They often recovered really fast whenever they were admitted into the hospital… well, except for Henry, whose health condition was a bit more critical.She should go see him. In fact, she should have gone long ago. But she hadn't. It had b
Allison sat lazily, curled up on the plush grey couch in the living room, her eyes glued to the TV.Her fingers clutched a bowl of caramel popcorn as her eyes widened with amusement. The screen showed a dramatic moment from her favorite soap opera—a rich heiress faked a coma to spy on her cheating husband, only to witness him propose to her best friend in the hospital chapel. Allison let out a sharp laugh.“Oh, Lorna, you sneaky cow,” she muttered with a grin, flinging a piece of popcorn at the screen. “Serves you right.”Just as she reached for another kernel, her phone buzzed on the coffee table.The name flashing on the screen made her sit up straighter: Tristan.She reached for the remote, lowering the volume of the soap opera. “Hello?” she answered, voice calm but curious.“It’s me, Tristan, ma’am. Just thought I should let you know—Miss Emma just walked into Mr. Buckman Snr’s ward.”Allison’s wine glass froze halfway to her lips.The amused glow on her face immediately vanished.
"I'm coming, Sophie! Just want to throw the trash out real quick," Emma called out over her shoulder as she grabbed the small trash bag and headed toward the apartment door. Sophie was still in the kitchen, rinsing the dishes they had used for brunch.Emma's fingers curled around the doorknob, and she twisted it open. Just as she took the first step, she heard the familiar creak of movement echoed faintly from the hallway—more specifically, from the apartment directly across from theirs. Christian's.She froze.Her heartbeat picked up as she heard the faint but unmistakable sound of footsteps. Her grip tightened on the trash bag, the plastic rustling slightly in her tense hand. Without a second thought, she turned back inside and quietly shut the door behind her, rushing back into the living room.Emma pressed herself close to the doorframe. Her ears strained, waiting for another sound, another hint that Christian might be coming out.But what she didn’t expect was a voice—soft yet su
Emma slowly paced along the hallway downstairs. She had been walking aimlessly, trying to shake off the emotional turmoil that clung to her like a second skin. She rubbed her arms lightly, as if trying to comfort herself, but it was of no use.She couldn’t just shake off the tightness in her chest.Lily had come down a few minutes ago, letting Emma know that grandfather had been taken into the VIP recovery ward. Emma had nodded and waved Lily off, but her mind was far from the notice.Something inside her continued to churn.She’d told herself she wouldn’t feel this way anymore. She’d made herself believe that she was past this—that whatever that concerned David wouldn’t affect her anymore. And yet here she was, feeling this way.“Seriously, Emma?” she whispered to herself in frustration. “Get a grip.”Her lips curled into a faint grimace as she tsked, pacing faster. “You’re with Christian now, and David is with Allison. That chapter is over. Done,” she reminded herself, but at the