Gabriel’s POVI smirked as I read the context of her text. She had pulled it off. She got in, successfully recruited as a new staff member at the Green City Maison Vivre.I replied her immediately, my fingers tapping the screen with a mixture of amusement and anticipation. I couldn’t stop thinking about her, imagining the moment she would show up here now that she had touched ground in Eerie Lake. This was a milestone worth celebrating. We should share this good news together, shouldn’t we?I rose from my chair and walked slowly toward the window. The view never failed to impress. I stared out into the breathtaking cityscape of Eerie Lake. It was strange to think I hadn’t even been here long. No, not even close to a week. In fact, I hadn’t spent more than five days. Just three days, and already, I had begun to move mountains.I had infiltrated Green City Maison Vivre from the inside, planting a mole with precision. It wouldn’t be long now until I had the location of the stones, the ve
Eunice’s POVMy heart was shaky. I could feel the pain in her voice, heavy and raw like it had been sitting in her chest for months. I blinked slowly, allowing myself to fully take in the emotional wreck sitting on the floor before me.How did I even expect the staff at Eerie Lake to cope with Gabriel?He was obviously a hard nut to crack. But worse, he was a bully. Even to me. I remembered how rudely he used to speak to me, long before I processed his inheritance.Some things were hard to forget. I could still recall the texts he sent me when I was in Portugal. The insults. The slurs. The names he called me, especially that one word that cut the deepest: bitch.If Gabriel could treat me like that, and I held one of the most respected positions in the city, what would he do to people beneath him? Especially now that he had power. The thought chilled me.At that moment, I don’t know how it happened, but I could see it playing out like a movie in my mind. The image was vivid. Gabriel st
Eunice’s POVI sat in my office chair, my hands resting gently on the desk. I couldn’t stop smiling unconsciously. Every few seconds, the smile crept back to my lips, uninvited but persistent.Just last week, I had buried Tyler. The man who once said he’d rather die than lose me. He made good on that promise. He took his own life under the weight of pressure he could no longer bear. I felt so guilty. So much that I nearly walked into a police station just to confess, even though the guilt I carried wasn’t legally mine. But emotionally? It weighed like a boulder on my chest.Logically, I should still be grieving. I should be sad, drowning in thoughts about how unfair life had been to all of us. But here I was, smiling again. Not because I was happy that Tyler was gone. No, never that. But because my mind wouldn’t stop wandering back to what happened yesterday evening.It played in my head like a memory I didn’t want to let go of.After Adrian shouted with pure joy that he was the happi
Eunice’s POVWe stepped onto the yacht, And for the first time in my life, I was this close to open water. The way the waves gently rocked the boat beneath my feet made my stomach flutter with both nervousness and awe. I wasn’t sure if it was the water, the man beside me, or simply the moment.What I didn’t mention earlier, or rather, what I’d forgotten to say, was that the receptionist had asked us a curious question before we left shore. She wanted to know whether we’d prefer a professional driver to steer the yacht, or if we’d rather drive it ourselves. The third option was not driving at all, just letting the yacht float gently on the water while we relaxed.“Definitely, we’ll be driving ourselves. No need for a driver,” Adrian had replied, smiling politely but confidently. He spoke with the kind of ease that made people believe he had done this before, even if he hadn’t. His confidence was comforting.Now that we were on board, we first settled into the soft leather seats arrang
Eunice’s POVThirty years ago, a large body of water broke away from the River Nile due to a collapsed path near Egypt. No one could quite explain the sudden collapse. Some speculated it was erosion caused by years of steady water pressure weakening the foundation. Whatever the cause, that split gave birth to a new waterway. This man-made route carved through a new continent, winding its way across five different countries. Among those touched by the waters was Green City.Over time, this new river established itself as a defining landmark in Green City, and its varying depths and currents gave it a unique character. The water flowing through Green City had developed into three distinct levels:The higher level, raging, fast, and perilously deep. Locals called it "The Devourer." Legends warned that anyone foolish enough to swim there would be swallowed whole. The current was merciless.Next was the middle level. It was still swift and deep but calmer than the higher level. Boats, espe
Eunice’s POV“Do you love the dress?” Julie asked with a hopeful smile.We were both in my dressing room, preparing for a date that somehow felt like a second chance at something I once gave up on. As usual, Julie had taken the lead in helping me get ready, just like she always did when something big was about to happen.“Of course. I totally love everything,” I said, smiling as I admired my reflection in the mirror.I wore a white gown that stopped at my knee. It was off-shoulder, straight-cut, and tight enough to hug my body in a way that accentuated every curve. The design was simple but elegant—a reminder that sometimes, grace lives in subtlety. I looked beautiful. Like someone who was finally ready to show up for her own life again.Earlier today, I told myself I was done being the Eunice I had become after Tyler’s betrayal. Maybe this wasn’t a full transformation, maybe I wasn’t completely healed, but something inside me had shifted. A new beginning was starting to take root—ev