The moment Aunt Lou left me all by myself, was the time that I suddenly felt shivers down my spine. I knew that by facing my mother now, she would eventually get mad at me.And yet, when I entered her office things seemed like it was not what I expected it to be. My mother-in-law happened to be calm earlier which was a total surprise for me.I made sure to knock three times before I made the approach. โMother, Iโm here now,โ She gave me a quick glance before she continued to sign the papers on her table. โSit down, Margarette.โI was seriously nervous at the moment. Thinking Iโd be alone with my mother-in-law terrifies me to the core. She could interrogate me or blame me for what happened earlier and I'm certain that I'd have no answer to provide her with.But as I sat down the adjacent chair across her table. I was surprised that she actually didnโt even yell or be mad at me. I was surprised, as a matter of fact. โMother, about theโโ I was about to start having a conversation with
โ Iโm sorry, mother, but I donโt really feel comfortable talking about this issue any longer.โ I promptly told mother the truth.My whole body was feeling the tension all over. Itโs like any moment now, i think I would eventually faint from the feeling of fright and discomfort. Since I could already feel like I would faint any moment, I instantly made my way out only to be hampered by mother, โAnd where do you think youโre going? Weโre not even finished talking, Margarette.โDespite hearing motherโs voice, I suddenly felt like everything was going wrong around me. My chest abruptly felt too tight that I couldnโt nearly breath, even my hearing becomes too shallow.It leaves me the feeling as though motherโs voice was coming from a deep well. โMother, I donโt think I can still handle more ofโโ it was then that I could no longer hand it anymore that I eventually got consumed by the darkness that had engulfed my consciousness.Before I knew it, I eventually woke up next inside my room wh
โWhat now, Margarette? Are you just going to stare at the utensils like that? Those stuff wonโt move on its own, dimwit!โ Mother sternly told me as I seemed to be pacing out for a while thinking what to prepare.Her statement, however, perked my eyes. I wanted to call her out for calling me a dimwit but with the limited time I have to prepare for meal before Justin arrive made me instantly move instead.โSorry, mother.โ I uttered, pulling my feet to finally move around and do something. As mother was still looking at me, I simply couldnโt just stand still and do nothing.Truth be told, even as I move around, all that I was doing was just to keep moving the utensils in my hand. Sooner or later, my mother-in-law would eventually notice that I was only playing around the utensils and if that happened, I donโt even know how I would begin to explain it.โMargarette, are you seriously just going to keep doing the same thing over and over? Tell me, do you actually know what youโre doing?โ an
CHAPTER 43 When I opened my eyes, there was Justin once more.I couldn't believe my eyes as I found myself caught a glimpse of him, my heart racing in my chest. It was in that moment, when everything seemed uncertain, that I finally realized the truth: Justin's presence had actually saved me. โAre you not feeling well?โ Justin asked.As he yanked me towards the dimly lit corner, his hand clamping tightly over my mouth, my heart raced with a mix of fear and curiosity. Through the haze of panic, I caught sight of motherโs glare and ignore it.โPlease, justin, take me upstairs. Iโm too exhausted.โ I begged for the last time I could still muster enough energy.Eventually Justin carried me upstairs back to our room.If it weren't for Justin's quick action, I would have been still stuck with Motherโs errands. My whole body trembled with an overwhelming sense of tiredness. The sound of Justinโs breathing reverberated through the air, a symphony I wanted to continue hearing. I cou
I had a hard time accepting the fact that Justin was actually capable of treating her in such a manner. A short while ago, it appeared as I saw him with Regina and that they shared a romantic dinner with one another. And of course, I can't help but recall that I've seen that woman clinging on Justin no matter where he goes.At first, I didn't pay any attention to her at all. My first thought was that perhaps she is just some random woman who is connected with Justin in regard to their business but not in any other way. Having said that, my opinion of her has completely shifted in light of what I have seen after entering this room. Perhaps she could be Justinโs woman. Until I saw it was Regina.I wonโt even be able to move in that state if I were in that womanโs shoes. However, it seems like the case between me and that woman is entirely different knowing how Justin is treating me right now.He was giving off that gentle look once again. I was not still convinced with it. This was not
It didn't dawn on me until just now that I'm actually getting more aroused than I was before. It was Justin who started the fire, and it's burning me like hell right now. As much as I hate to admit it, it appears that only he can put out the fire, and it won't stop giving me discomfort until he enters me.Justin places his face squarely on top of mine and gives me a light nibble on the back of my neck. In comparison to how rough I've seen him be in the past, this is surprisingly kind and gentle. His brusque approach to getting me has already registered so deeply within me that it is already impossible for me to just put it out of my mind. The fact that my body is already yearning for that roughness to return despite the fact that he has been making an effort to treat me gently is an even more surprising development at this point. Suddenly, I find myself wondering what could possibly be preventing him from being the typical version of himself, especially considering the fact
โIsnโt it agonizing not to be able to cum, Margarette?โ Justin abruptly stops just as I'm about to reach the climax of my orgasm. As the vibrations on my clit continue to torment me, it has left me with an insatiable desire for more.Justin yanked my face closer to his torso at that point. My nose even brushed up against the very tip of his hot rod, and the heady, manly aroma that it exudes is making me even more hungry for it. I just couldn't give any indication as to how I will even attempt to get past this sensation.โIโI have no idea what you mean, Justin.โ I honestly answered.Although that seems to be the case, I never even see any disapproving reactions from Justin. As a matter of fact, it seems as though he is even more pleased that I find everything he is saying to be a completely new detail I havenโt encountered before.Since I had never been sexually active before, I can honestly say that something like this had never occurred to me before. I have never even had a sexual e
As I opened my eyes, I noticed that the rays of the orange-hued afternoon sunlight that were streaming in through the windows had taken on a yellowish cast. I am puzzled seeing how I am inside a room that appears to be meant for a child, while here I am sitting on a rocking couch holding a child in my arms.It's a child, a young boy, and I'm holding him in my arms as he smiles and openly glimmers his green eyes, which are very similar to the green eyes that I have. The color of his eyes, jade, seemed to complement his jet-black hair well. It's almost as if when I look at him, I see a version of both myself and Justin fused together into a single person.When I think about it, my cheeks become flushed with a shade of red, and a spark of excitement goes off in my mind. Is it possible that I am holding our child right now? Wait! Do Justin and I really have a child together?The sensation of actually holding the child in my arms is so comforting that it's as if I'm melting deep within my
The rain was falling again.It always did on days like thisโdays that felt like endings.I stood on the edge of the cliffs overlooking the stormy waters of Anacortes, my coat pulled tightly around me, the hood shielding my face from the wind that carried the scent of salt and something olderโsomething like goodbye.Leon stood behind me. I didnโt have to turn around to feel him there. His presence was familiar now, carved into my skin like muscle memory. Heโd been my gravity, my storm, my salvation, and my ruinโsometimes all at once.โItโs really over, isnโt it?โ I whispered, more to the wind than to him.He didnโt answer right away. His silence was as heavy as the stormclouds above us.โI wanted to fix everything for you,โ he said finally, his voice hoarse, like it had been dragged across a battlefield. โI wanted to give you a life that didnโt hurt.โI closed my eyes. The ache in my chest pulsed with every beat of my heart. โYou did,โ I said. โFor a while, you did.โI heard the crunch
I took a deep breath, steadying myself. โIโm not the same person I was before,โ I said, my voice firm, unwavering. โAnd Iโm not walking away this time.โThe manโs eyes flickered with a moment of doubt, just enough for me to catch. And then, before I could even register what had happened, Leon moved.Faster than I could blink, Leon was in front of me, his hand grabbing the gun and twisting it out of the manโs grasp. The force of it sent the man stumbling back, but he didnโt go down easily. His bodyguards rushed in, but Leon was already a step ahead, disarming one of them with a swift, calculated move.I stood frozen for a moment, trying to process what I was witnessing. Leonโalways so calm, always so carefulโwas ruthless. He was like a force of nature, determined to protect me at all costs.But the fight wasnโt over yet. The man recovered, his eyes burning with rage. โYou really think youโve won?โ he spat, his voice dripping with venom. โYouโre nothing but a pawn in a game you canโt ev
The sound of boots drew closer, pounding the floor with an urgency that echoed through the cavernous halls of the estate. My heart raced as the reality of what I had just heard crashed into me like a tidal wave. The man who had once been a part of my lifeโmy familyโs betrayer, the one who had orchestrated their deathsโstood there, calmly, as if this was just another night for him.Leonโs grip on my hand tightened, but I didnโt let him pull me away. I could feel the air thickening with tension, the walls pressing in as everything I thought I knew began to crumble.The intruders were only moments away.The manโheโsmirked, watching us. โYou think this will end well? Youโve no idea what youโre up against. My people are everywhere.โI took a step forward, ignoring Leonโs silent plea to retreat. โYou killed them. And you thought I would be the next one to fall in line?โ My voice was a whisper, but it held a power I hadnโt realized I had. โYou were wrong.โThe manโs face faltered, just for a
Next Morning at the Estate Archives. The basement was cold and damp, and the air smelled of mildew and secrets. Old boxes lined the walls, labeled in my fatherโs tidy script. Financial records. Land deeds. Correspondence.Leon sifted through a crate of documents while I dug through another.Then something caught my eye.A faded folder labeled: Project Thornfield.I opened it slowly.Inside were blueprintsโplans for development across coastal land that was supposed to be protected forest. There were signatures from multiple board members, including names I recognized.And then, one I didnโt.N. Vallis.Leon leaned over. โYou know that name?โI shook my head. โNo. But look hereโhe signed off on the project two weeks before my parents died.โLeon pulled out his phone. โIโll run a background check.โI kept flipping through the documentsโand found something that made my blood run cold.An aerial photo.Of the cliffside. Our property.With a giant red X drawn over the coordinates where my p
THREE WEEKS LATER...The investigation moved faster than Iโd expected. With the board fully on our side now, the paper trail unraveled like a thread pulled from an old sweaterโeach piece of evidence exposing the next. Shell companies. Forged contracts. Witnesses who had remained silent out of fear but were finally coming forward.Still, no one had seen him since the day of the summit. He had vanished without a trace. No flights. No offshore activity. No messages. It was like heโd disappeared into smoke.But Dorian didnโt believe in ghosts. โHeโs hiding,โ he said as he handed me a thick folder. โAnd thisโthis will force him out.โI flipped through the documents. Bank records. A property registered under an alias. Hidden deep in the woods outside of Anacortes. I felt my stomach twist.Leon stepped up behind me, his hand grazing my shoulder. โLetโs pay him a visit.โThe cabin was barely more than a shadow tucked between trees. No lights. No car. Just silence and the thrum of insects in t
Sunlight crept cautiously through the cracks in the blinds, casting golden slivers across the hardwood floor of the safe house bedroom. I sat curled up on the edge of the bed, a blanket draped around my shoulders and the journal heavy in my lap. The cover was cracked, worn with age and secrets. My fingers hovered over the first page for what felt like an eternity.Leon was nearbyโhe hadnโt slept much, either. He stood at the window with a mug of black coffee, watching the world outside with quiet alertness. When I finally opened the journal, he turned slightly but didnโt speak. He knew I needed silence for this.The first entry was dated nearly two decades ago.July 14th. We signed the contract today. Two families, one future. The woman from Delmar Holdings is more cunning than I expected. She knows weโre desperateโand she used it. I told Mariana to trust me. That this was the only way. God help me, I hope Iโm right.My breath hitched. Marianaโthat was my motherโs name.I flipped thro
MARGARETTE'S POVBefore we could react, the door behind us burst open.Three armed men rushed in, dressed in black, their movements precise and rehearsed. Leon shoved me behind him, drawing his gun up in an instant. Dorian, who had been lingering near the entrance, took cover behind a cabinet, gun already out.โEliseโs father wasnโt bluffing,โ I breathed, my heart hammering. โHe had backup ready.โLeon fired the first shot, catching one of the intruders in the shoulder and sending him crashing to the floor. Chaos erupted. Dorian ducked low and returned fire, narrowly missing another attacker who retaliated with a spray of bullets that shattered the windows.I crouched behind an overturned table, the sound of gunfire drowning out my thoughts. The locket in my palm dug into my skin, its edges sharpโa painful reminder that I couldnโt afford to lose control now.โEliseโs father!โ I shouted to Leon. โHeโs escaping!โThrough the haze of smoke and broken glass, I saw the man slinking toward
The sound of footsteps pounding in the hallway was the last thing I heard before the door slammed open.I barely had time to react before a rush of armed men poured into the room, their eyes scanning every corner, landing finally on me. There was no mistaking the intent behind their cold stares.โGet down!โ Leonโs voice crackled through the earpiece again, but there was no time to obey. I couldnโt allow myself to hesitateโnot now, not when the truth was within reach.I raised my gun, my hands steady despite the chaos unfolding around me. I wasnโt going down without a fight, not after everything I had lost. Not after everything Eliseโs father had taken from me.Before the first man could react, I fired. The sound of the shot echoed in the confined space, the bullet finding its mark in the manโs chest. His body crumpled to the ground with a sickening thud, but the others didnโt hesitate. They moved in faster, their guns drawn, but I was ready.I ducked behind the desk, using it as cover
Dawn came in silver slivers through the cracks in the window. I hadnโt sleptโnot really. My mind was too loud, looping the footage over and over like a broken reel.Leon sat across from me at the table, sipping his coffee like it was the only thing keeping him grounded. Neither of us had said much since the footage. We didnโt need to. The truth had cut so deep, it didnโt leave room for small talk.But I had questions.And I needed answers.โHow long do you think heโs known I survived?โ I finally asked, voice hoarse.Leon didnโt look away from his mug. โLong enough to start covering his tracks. But he didnโt expect the locket to resurface.โMy hand instinctively reached for it. The locket was warm now, like it had absorbed my grief and fury. Inside was a picture of my mother and meโher arm around my tiny shoulders, her smile soft but tired. A photo I hadnโt even remembered until last night.โHe killed her,โ I whispered. โHe killed my father. For what? A project?โโNot just a project,โ